Chapter One:
Yuki Cross was just like any other high school girl at Cross Academy. She slept during class, barely managed to pass each test, and always procrastinated on her homework. The only thing that made her stand out in a crowd was that her father owned the Academy, but her classmates had known that since freshman year, so it wasn't anything special to them anymore.
But Yuki had a secret, and she'd kept it hidden very well over the past few years.
Once in a blue moon, a man would come to her during the night and hold her, and when she fell asleep, he'd vanish. She knew next to nothing about him, including what he looked like, because he always came to her in the dark, and not once had she turned a light on to see him. He never spoke, either. He would just appear in her room on certain nights and she would let him sleep beside her. It was a strange thing, even for Yuki, and yet there was something about him that made all her walls disappear. She trusted this stranger with everything she had. She knew it was stupid, but he'd given her no reason to fear him.
It started when she turned thirteen. On the night of her birthday, she'd left her window open and right before she'd fallen asleep, he appeared as a silhouette next to her bed. At first, she'd been afraid, but just his breathing had calmed her. It had been steady and strangely relaxing. Ever since then, she'd marked on her calendar the days he'd showed up throughout the year. And much to her glee, he came around those same days the next year. And then the next, and soon it became a pattern.
This night was one of those special nights, and Yuki had thrown open her window before the sun had even begun to set behind the horizon. But now it was dark, and she sat on her bed, waiting patiently for him to come to her, as always.
She wanted him to speak. She wanted to hear his voice. Of course, she'd asked him to talk to her before, but he'd always shaken his head. This time was going to be different, for sure. She had the feeling that she could get him to talk this time. She wondered if his voice and appearance were as dark as his aura. The thought excited her, more so than ever before.
It had been almost five months since his last visit, and yet the thought of him kept her awake for hours each night since then. And each time he came, he always ended up leaving before the sun came up. He would disappear sometime when she fell asleep, leaving only the scent of him behind for her when she woke up the next day. This time, she promised herself that she wasn't going to fall asleep. She'd been thinking about this day for a full five months. Before, she'd been content with just having him come to her in silence, but now… Now, Yuki was eighteen years old—a senior at Cross Academy, graduating in only a couple months—and she wanted to find out more about this mysterious man.
But before long, she could feel her eyes getting heavy. She'd been sitting on her bed for four hours, and he wasn't showing. Maybe she'd gotten her days wrong, and it was tomorrow night. She lifted herself up to squint at the calendar on the wall just an inch from her face, but couldn't see anything through the darkness. These dark shadows would make her visitor more comfortable, so she relaxed and waited.
Another long hour passed by and she was fighting sleep. She had school the next morning, and she knew she would feel the consequences of staying up all night during class the next day.
A ruffle in the leaves outside caught her attention and she froze under the covers of her bed. Was he trying to be quiet? Did he think she was already asleep? She wanted to let him know that she was very much awake, but at the same time, she wondered if maybe he would run if she started calling out to him. She just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for him to come inside.
She heard something near the window and jumped a little from the light noise. He was here! She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, slamming against her ribcage. Even after all the times he came to her, she still got so excited to see him… to feel him next to her again.
Knowing that it was probably dark for him to see, too, she made her breathing a little louder to let him know she was in the bed, but the sound that replied made chills run up her spine.
A low, sharp laugh cut through the silence and she quickly sat upright, eyes wide in her futile attempt to see in the dark. She held her breath and froze. That wasn't him. That couldn't be him… There was no way her visitor could sound like that. This was something else, but what?
It was too dark. She couldn't see, but that also meant that whatever it was couldn't see her, either. She remained silent and still, and listened in fear as footsteps lightly tapped against her bedroom floor. She worried that her racing heartbeat would give her away. It was difficult to stay still with all the adrenaline pumping through her.
But where was he? Was he coming? Did he send this person instead? Why?
"I can smell your rutting, female," a disgustingly high-pitched voice whispered, and Yuki gasped when the voice had come from right next to her ear. She was about to scream, but a large, cold hand covered her mouth and pushed her backwards onto her bed. These cold, clammy hands were definitely unfamiliar and she struggled as much as she could against them.
A pillow was stuffed over her face and she squirmed with all her might, unable to shout out for help and unable to breath. She could feel herself getting weaker and her mindset turned from terrified to hopeless. She was going to die… She didn't know by whom or how or even why this was happening, but she was as good as dead. She didn't understand any of this, but for some reason, she began to blame him. If he hadn't made her think he was coming tonight, she would have never left her window open. She would have never let a stranger into her room with such trust. What the hell was wrong with her?
Suddenly, the pillow was off her face, and Yuki immediately tried to scream, but the noise was caught in her throat and she had to breathe and cough before she could make any sound. As soon as she was able, she opened her mouth to cry out for her father, but another hand was placed over her mouth.
"Shh," a voice whispered next to her ear again and she froze. This was a different voice—a calming voice. Was this him? "It's all right." He heart seemed to slow immediately and she felt her body relax a bit. But then she remembered her attacker, and how he'd only gotten inside her room and on top of her because she'd been so naively trusting of strangers. And although her gut told her she was safe, she started to squirm again and try to break from so she could shout for help.
"Hey, stop!" that same voice whispered. It wasn't the same as the first, but it was still a stranger. "Yuki, stop!" And then she calmed a little. He knew her name… And the way he said it, with the long U. It had to be him… It had to be. Without warning, Yuki felt tears dripping down her face and her sobbing racked her body. She didn't want to die, but her instinct told her she was safe now. She didn't even know what the hell had happened, and yet she trusted whoever this was. And it had to be him.
Strong arms wrapped around her as he removed his hand from her mouth.
"Just don't shout," he said softly. "You're fine."
"Wh… What…"
"Shh, just relax."
This was his plan. He was going to calm her down and then tell her to go to sleep, and then when she woke up in the morning he would be gone, as always, with no trace left of him. That was how it was so easy to keep him a secret from the world—it always seemed as if he wasn't really there. But she knew that was a lie. She could feel him now. She could reach out and touch him and he was very much real.
"What… was that?"
"Shh…"
"Tell me," she whispered, as he held her gently against him. He moved so that his full body was on her bed and he was lying beside her, his chest next to her face. "Please."
"Go to sleep, Yuki. Everything's fine."
His voice was calming, soothing… but she didn't want this. She didn't want to just fall asleep and then wake up tomorrow morning knowing that she wouldn't see him for another five or six months. She had a plan set up. She was going to talk to him. She wanted to get to know him. They had all night, didn't they? And what had just happened? She was attacked. Did he save her? Of course he did. He had to of.
"Tell me your name," she said, quickly wrapping one arm over the top of his broad shoulders, just in case he tried to leave. "Say something… anything."
But almost as if he could sense her desperation, he remained silent. His hands moved to brush through her hair and caress her back. He wanted her to relax. He wanted her to just fall asleep. That wasn't part of her plan.
"Please… talk to me. You come here and you never say anything to me." And that voice. She wanted to hear it again. All she wanted was to hear it now. It had been divine. He had a low pitch, but not so low that it rumbled. It was a calming voice, with a gentle undertone that she felt could turn someone's flowing blood into ice if he wanted. It was… attractive. His voice was extremely attractive to her… "Just tell me your name. I've known you for five years and I don't even know your name. And I never asked, either. It's all I want to know. Just say it and I won't ask for anything else."
There was only a slight pause.
"Kaname."
And even though Yuki was thoroughly satisfied with both his voice and his answer, she realized that she'd just said she wouldn't ask him for anything else.
"Kaname…" She let the name roll off her tongue. It sounded good. And then she felt his grip around her tighten a bit and his face nuzzled into her hair with what sounded like a low purr. She reached up with one hand and ran her fingers through his shoulder-length, silky hair. "Kaname," she whispered again. It was just as she remembered. Everything about him was just as she imagined when he wasn't here with her. He was perfect in every way. Even his smell set her body on fire.
"You've no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."
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Yuki jumped at the sound of her alarm and bolted upright.
Of course, he was gone.
She'd fallen asleep too quickly, like a baby, as usual. She'd been satisfied with herself in finally hearing him speak, and now she knew what to look forward to for the next time… But it was always such a long wait. She never knew how she was going to survive until their next meeting. She quickly scanned her calendar for the next day and frowned at what she saw. Her usual blue circle around the number of the day was right where it was supposed to be… But there were several more blue circles that she hadn't put there herself.
Did he plan on visiting her more often now? And why? She still didn't know exactly what had happened last night, too.
She flipped the months back to the current date and stared at the small square. Today was marked as well… He was coming tonight, too.
Yuki could barely contain her excitement. Two days in a row. This was unheard of. She always loathed the waits between their meetings, and the closest they'd ever been was at least a month. This was like a dream come true for her.
Kaname…
Was it his last name or his first name? Would he want to talk to her now that he'd finally spoke? She needed to ask him what happened last night. Maybe she could even turn the light on and see his face.
She was too awake for being up just before school. She jumped out of bed with enough enthusiasm to win a marathon and hurried downstairs for breakfast.
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"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
Yuki paused on her way in after rushing home from the academy. Her father, as always, wanted a blow by blow story of how her day went, which she wasn't too excited for. She'd also tried to sneak her way past the kitchen, but that never worked anyway.
"Just my room. I got a lot of homework today."
"Well, you can do it later," he father said with a smile, "Come sit down and have a little dinner before you get to work. How was your day?"
"Good." There was no getting out of this one. Yuki sat down at the table and piled some food onto her plate before digging in. "Thanks for making dinner," she quickly added, realizing that she didn't have to make it for a change. She hadn't noticed much today, seeing as all she could think about was him… Kaname. She'd been saying his name over and over in her head all day, and even aloud when she was by herself. It sounded so beautiful and so… familiar. Like she'd known him since the day she was born, and as if they were two halves of a whole. It was strange, but at the same time, this was also the reason she trusted him so much. She wondered if he felt the same way. Maybe she'd even get to ask him tonight.
"What are you so smiley about this evening?"
"Huh?" Yuki fixed her face and gave her father a tight smile. "Just thinking about some stuff that happened at school today."
"Oh, really? What happened?"
Yuki took a mental pause to come up with a half-truth that wouldn't one day come back to bite her in the butt. She mixed a few stories, recent and old, and spun an easy lie that her father would forget by the next day.
"That's interesting," he said when she was finished, and then he went back to eating. Yuki finished her dinner in record time, said goodnight and rushed down the hall to her bedroom. "I'll be out late at the office again!" her father called. "Call the office number if you need me!"
"Okay!" she shouted back, and then closed the door. That was why her squirming last night hadn't called any attention to her—her father hadn't even been in the house. She was lucky Kaname had been there at just the right time.
Also, the thought that she was going to be alone in the house with him made butterflies erupt in her stomach. She got the feeling he was a respectable man, who wouldn't lay a hand on a woman, but at the same time that excited her. Everything about Kaname excited her, and she couldn't wait to see him for the umpteenth time. A tall, dark and handsome gentleman… She couldn't deny that a big part of her wouldn't mind spending a lot more time with him.
About an hour later, the sun was down and her father was gone. Yuki sat up on her bed, wanting to be able to stand when he arrived. It wasn't late, but maybe he would come early today. Maybe he wanted to talk. She was so excited.
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He was coming late tonight. Yuki sat up and yawned as she glanced over at her clock—it was one thirty in the morning. He was coming very late…
Another few minutes passed and she felt a breeze blow by her. She could smell his delicious scent in the wind and she knew he was there.
"Kaname," she breathed, closing her eyes and smiling. She heard footsteps and then the bed creaked beside her. She jumped when he rested his head on her shoulder. Even though he was always a gentleman, she'd never seen him be anything other than dominant in his personality. "Are… Are you okay?" she asked slowly, cautiously, but he was back to being silent again.
He breathed in, and Yuki shivered.
"You need to start being careful," he whispered, and he sounded very tired. "I know you don't understand, but…" he trailed off. "I'll take care of you. You don't have to be afraid… Yuki."
Her name on his lips did strange things to her. She was never too happy with her name, but he made it sound good to her. She didn't doubt that he could make anything sound good to her…
Without thinking, Yuki turned her head and placed her lips in his hair, kissing him lightly.
"You're too kind to me," he whispered. His voice was sad and very tired. She couldn't understand why he would be sad… This was supposed to be a happy time. She was always happy when he came to her. Wasn't he?
"Stay with me tonight?" she quickly asked.
"Of course."
"I love your voice…"
"…too kind…" he whispered. He was falling asleep.
Yuki leaned back to fall onto the bed and Kaname followed her movements, lying down beside her, his breathing evening out. This was a first—she was always the first one to fall asleep. That was how he was able to leave without her knowing. She almost felt like experimenting to see what she could do with this rare opportunity. She could sneak out, and see what he did when he woke up and she wasn't there. Or she could get a candle and see what his face looked like. She could even take a picture of him to keep with her when he wasn't there. Maybe she could make him breakfast and see if she could coerce him to stay through the morning.
But just hearing his breathing and feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her was enough to make her rethink all that. She just wanted to stay here with him. He had to have a reason for only coming in the dark, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable or anything like that.
So, just as if it was a regular meeting, she wrapped one arm over the top of him, snuggled into his chest, and fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, hopelessly wishing that he'd be there when she woke up.
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Yuki woke up on her own and glanced at the clock. It was late, but it was the weekend, otherwise her alarm would have woken her up much earlier. She looked around her room and sighed. Of course he wouldn't be here…
She rolled onto her back and let out a long exhale—and then jumped.
There was a man in her bed…
At first it didn't click and she was about to scream, but then she recognized the smell and the sound of his breathing… This was him. And she could see his face...
He was beautiful.
He was all dark—hair, eyelashes, clothes, expression, even as he slept. His skin was smooth and flawless—perfect in a Hollywood model kind of way—and his hair made him look like he belonged in a conditioner commercial on television. Even though his sleeping expression seemed peaceful, he still looked dark and mysterious, but at the same time very kind… and very sad—like his voice had been last night. He wore dark grey slacks and an open-collared dark blue shirt that revealed a sculpture-like collarbone.
"Kaname…" Yui breathed, not knowing how to react other than in awe. She reached out and gently brushed the side of his face with the back of her hand. He stirred and then jumped a little as he opened his eyes.
He squinted, as if the dim light from sunrise outside the window was too much for him, and he held up his hand to cast a faint shadow over his eyes. Then he glanced at Yuki and his eyes widened. Yuki frowned and looked down at herself.
"What's the matter?" she asked. "I can close the window if you wa—"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stayed this late."
He stood to leave, and Yuki clung onto a hope that he'd stay. "You're… beautiful," she said, and then wondered if that was an inappropriate thing to tell him. It was always difficult to tell with Kaname. On one hand, she felt like she could tell him anything and everything, and on the other hand… he was still a strange man that visited her at night… She never knew what was right and wrong when it came to him. "You don't have to leave."
At that, he paused, standing by the window, his back to her.
"Please stay," Yuki added desperately. "I have nowhere to go today. And my father won't be home for a while. He slept at the office last night so he'll probably just stay there until tonight anyway." She was rambling and she knew it. But she knew he wouldn't leave as long as she kept talking to him. "Will you look at me? I want to see your face again."
"Yuki…"
"And what happened last night…?"
"You were attacked."
She paused. Yes, she knew that much of it. "And you saved me."
"I'm sorry I didn't arrive in time."
"Thank you for keeping me safe."
"Always so kind…"
"Will you talk to me? I don't understand what happened exactly. Or why."
She heard him inhale slowly, as if mentally debating whether or not to stay. Why would he want to leave, anyway? Did he have somewhere to be? Maybe he was meeting with another girl. For all she knew, she wasn't the only person he paid midnight visits to. And since she'd never actually had a conversation with him, she knew next to nothing about him anyway.
"I come to you when you're…" he trailed off, and then started again. "There's a reason I only come here at certain times, and why it's possible to track those days." He paused again and Yuki tilted her head to the side.
"I don't understand."
"It's… difficult to explain. I don't want to scare you."
"You won't. I trust you."
She saw him nod slightly and then turn to face her. She immediately looked at his eyes—deep, dark pools, like looking into water right before dawn. They were just as stunning as the rest of him.
Kaname took a step forward and Yuki jumped when he got close. He frowned deeper and she watched his eyes take on that sad expression once again. She felt like she should apologize, but held her tongue. She shouldn't have jumped. He must have thought it was out of fear, but it was only from the closeness—it wasn't as if he wasn't attractive. She was always drawn to him, and now to see him… it was overwhelming. He was… she thought she might actually think of him in a romantic sense, and that's what made her jump.
"Sit with me." He motioned a hand back to the bed and Yuki immediately sat down. He slowly took a seat next to her and her breathing sped up. His face was right there… And he was moving closer to her.
"I'm so glad you're here," she stammered, looking for something to say. "And I can finally see what you look like. And you're voice is… well, it's a little intimidating, to be honest." She let out a nervous laugh. "But I still like it—"
"—Yuki."
She stopped talking when he cut her off. His face was too close to hers for conversation. What was he…?
"Yuki, it's all right. Don't be afraid."
And then his lips met hers, lightly. His arms wrapped gently around her waist and she took in a light gasp of air, her eyes wide open, staring at his face. She'd never been kissed before…
"You're cold," Kaname murmured against her mouth. "Are you all right?" His eyes were closed, and she was grateful he wasn't staring back at her, or she felt as if she would explode. She couldn't even respond to his question, much less his actions.
She feels him move his entire body to envelope her, pushing her down onto the bed and covering her with his tall frame. His body expelled heat like a radiator and before she knew it she felt like she was under a hot sun on summer afternoon. His heat was relaxing. She hadn't even realized that she had been cold until he pointed it out.
And then he really kissed her—still lightly, but she felt him move against her mouth, parting his lips and adding pressure on top of her. He held his own weight so he wouldn't squish her under him. His kiss was just as relaxing as his voice and his aura, and Yuki found herself being pulled into it. She wasn't sure how to respond, but she let her mouth do what felt natural. When she finally kissed him back, she felt Kaname breathe out slowly, into her, and then they exchanged breaths, and he inhaled her as well.
It was wet after a few minutes—she could feel his saliva on her lips and she could even taste him in her mouth for a few moments. He was exquisite and she didn't know how to ask for more. She gently added more pressure against his mouth, trying to drop him a hint that she was enjoying this more than she thought she should be. And then she realized that she was a rag doll—her arms were limp at her sides. She quickly brought them up and placed one around him, laying her hand to rest on his waist, and the other brushed up through his hair.
He let out a light grunt in reply and parted his lips further, his tongue quickly swiping across her bottom lip and then retreating back into his own mouth, as if only to tease her.
Yuki found herself with a moment of epiphany, and realized that this was Kaname. This was the man who had only been sleeping beside her on occasion for the past five years. He had been a stranger all this time, and yet her best friend, in a sense. He was her friend, her protector, her lover, even. And she had no idea why. She didn't know who he was or where he came from or why he came to her. All she knew was that she trusted him, and she probably loved him. And she didn't understand that, either.
"Kaname…" Yuki whispered against his lips, "Why is it like this?"
He responded by kissing her harder, forcing her lips apart with his tongue. He grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it into her mouth. Yuki gasped at the sensation, and then froze at what she felt.
He bit her.
And he was swallowing a small mouthful of her blood.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His eyes were open as well, but now they were a bright, glowing red, as if there were lights behind the sockets. And then he hissed, and it made shivers run up and down her spine. His upper lip curled back and she saw two, large fangs protruding from his gums, lightly stained with her blood.
Surprisingly, her first reaction was acceptance, but when she thought about how crazy it was, she developed a little fear and placed her hands against his chest, pushing him away. He obliged and sat up, at the edge of her bed, staring at the floor.
"What…" she couldn't find her voice.
"Vampire," he said, as if it was just word that people threw around.
"That's…"
"Impossible? No." He paused. "Do you believe me?"
"I don't think you would lie," Yuki replied slowly, and it was the truth. After all, glowing eyes and fangs weren't anything she'd ever see before. And he had no reason to lie to her. Plus, she was still in a daze from that kiss…
"You're my mate," he said simply, as if it was something that she would accept right away. On the contrary, she didn't even register what he was saying at first. It just went straight over her head.
"What did you just say?"
"You belong to me, Yuki," he said softly, and then turned and looked at her with those glowing red eyes. They were mesmerizing. "You're mine."