chapter 12

"Papa…"

He feels a pair of small arms caging him from behind. Her hold is tight but not so tight that he cannot break free. In fact a twist of his fingers is all that he needs to break free but yet her aroma, her very essence is so strong that he feels himself getting drowned in it with force so strong that nothing no powers of him are strong enough to save him.

His eyes close down in delight he never knew existed and body automatically leans back to her touch, to be closer to her warmth. Vampires are cold creatures to being with but somehow these pairs of arm are so warm that its melts his frozen soul.

"Please at least tell me what have I done to earn such coldness from you?" In desperation she cries burying her face into his back, her tears wetting the fabric of his shirt.

He does not answer. Then again there is no answer to give her when she has done no wrong to being with. It is him; as a matter of fact it was him from the beginning. He wanted to give her pain, similar to the one he has been experiencing every day since…since she has been growing up, a bud blooming into a flower…A fresh untainted beautiful flower that he wants to, he wants to…

She cries more, her insides both confused and frightened and his silence is making it all worse. She feels abandoned.

"Papa…" she calls him desperately.

One of her hand that is clenching the fabric of the shirt right over his chest tightens its fist.

"Please please please please please Papa talk to me…tell me something. Tell me what is in your mind? Tell something. Anything please! Just tell me and I will listen to you. " she chokes on her own word yet no response comes from the other person.

What response would he give her? He has one ready at the back of his throat but will she be able to handle it? Definitely not! In fact it will disgust her towards him. She will forever be repulsed by him.

Finally a sigh…that is all comes out of his mouth. A tired frustrated sigh, he is getting annoyed that much is clear to her. But little does she know the struggle he has to push back those words down his throat and alter them with words that generally has no meaning to him. In his books they even considered grammatically incorrect yet he left with no choice but to use it.

"Ruka is waiting for me." The safest response his finds as a way out of this overwhelming trap.

Just as he predicted, Veronica pulls her arms back freeing him right away leaving his body to shiver in the sudden cold as all traces of her warmth has vanished away.

Dragging his feet forwards he makes an attempt to get away but she rushes in front of him. Looking at him with hose beautiful large innocent green eyes of her that now has tears pouring out of it.

The sight of her tears brings out two different emotions within him. The affectionate father feels the burden of his daughters sorrow but lusted lover feels an immense happiness. An ecstasy that he is not the only one in pain but is also able to make her experience bits of it…Which is why he looks away not wanting her to get further confused by the strange look his eyes holds.

"I'm not here to stop you from going to her," She speaks, her voice now shaking with the urge to cry out loud. "I just want to know if there is a way to apologize for what I have done."

She then takes one of his hands and places it over her beating her. The irrational beating go for her heart gets his attention and that results in him to look at her but it does not take long the sleeping demon in his body to awaken that wants to do so much than just to…

"Do you feel it Papa? The pain in my heart? Are you able to feel it?" He looks at her confused wondering why is she asking in such a manner.

"Papa…you always tend to think of yourself as lonely but look around and you will see that in reality you are not lonely. You almost have everything. Ruka who loves you more than her life that every day she waits for you with open arms. Then there is aunt Yuki, she may love uncle Zero as lover but loves you far more even if it as a brother which is why till to this day she suffer in hidden guilt of seeing you suffer. There is Ai and Ren who looks up to you as their uncle. Then there is uncle Zero, your now brother in law, your onetime rival…at lest he gives you a reason to experience hated. See you are surrounded by people. You even have people to call family. For me, you are all that I have…I was not born privileged to choose. If one abandons go to another. You are all I have! That is why I so desperately want you."

He wants to pull her into his arms and silence her, console her, comfort her, soothe her but he doesn't, because he is afraid, so afraid knowing that he can protect her from anything and everything but himself.

"You know Papa…if a lover ever one day leave me I will not run after him because I know I can find another who can easily replace him, but if my father is abandoning me I must run after him…because I won't find any other to replace him. Right?"

Her question alongside the helpless look on her face was a deadly combination heart tightened and squeezed in an agonizing pain. He felt as if being stabbed with a knife straight in the heart.

"Go to your-" she cut him off taking a dangerous step closer to him.

"Even after all this you wish to push me away?" he is left speechless and she is far from done.

"Papa…I love you! I Love you! I love you more than anyone, anything and everything papa. You know this yet you push me away?"

"Princess-"

"Do you not love me anymore Papa?"

He only stands there still speechless, not just that but also astonished. Love her? What does she know of his love? Love is all he does to her. So much that even if she sleeps, bathes and devour beings in them, they will never run out.

"Papa...Did you never love me at all?"

He hated the way she sounded, so she is accusing him. Love she wants he can give it to her but will she be able to handle? Will she be able to stand strong as the beast inside him gobbles her up by every piece, every inch of her?

His mouth slightly parts but no words actually come out. He does not know what to say or rather how to.

"Show me once, that you love me and forgave me and I promise not to bother you…nor will I stop you from going back to Ruka's arms."

Open your arms for me and I shall go nowhere, he wants to say but knows he cannot. Instead he turns his back on her. Knowing well that she would run away and which is exactly what he wants her to do. After all there is no other safer way than this...for now!

The sound of her running footsteps reaches his ear. She is running away. Every fibre, muscles, tissues and cells in his body pushes him to run after her like it's a necessity but he fights back, mastering all the ancient strength in his body he fights back. If he gives into this vulnerability today then there is no turning back. He is all too aware that the moment he holds her in his arms he will stop being the father and...and...Even he cannot imagine the horrifying outcome of it.

The soft knock on the door pulls the pureblood back to the reality he straightens up and earn against the headboard of the bed. Taking one final glance the calendar on the bedside table he confirms that it is father's day meaning the person knocking is none other than his daughter. It has become a tradition in the Kuran manor for the last thirteen years that this special day only his daughter would be the one to awaken him from the slumber with a tray full of fresh handmade breakfast with her specialty touch to it.

"Enter." He says a bit hesitantly for some reason he couldn't sense her but it was another familiar presence.

"What are you doing here?" the first questions to leave his mouth when the door opens to reveal Ruka walking in. She too had a tray on hold full of beautifully decorated delights.

"Forgive me Kaname-sama," She lowers her gaze avoiding any sort of eye contact with the pureblood.

"Where is Princess?" he demands not even trying to conceal the rage in his voice.

"I made for my father and decided to make some for you too." She places the tray on the bed but the pureblood does not even take a glance at it.

To him it's not making any sense suddenly. He saw his child running in and out of the kitchen many times yesterday. In fact the whole Kuran estate smelt like bakery since evening and now Ruka is the one that shows up in the morning? Where on earth is Veronica? He cannot even feel her presence anywhere near.

"I believe I asked you a question?" to Ruka's relief he ask normally rather than using his power.

"She went to…"

"Went where?" His voice comes out as a snarl and eyes burning with fire.

"To the Kiryu house. I-I mean the headmaster's house. The Kiryu's are gathering there for dinner." Seeing disappoint in him gives her courage. "She was actually cooking for that I believe. I mean that's what she told me." the expression on his face to took a pretty scary look. Ruka was not surprised she sort of expected this.

She decides to fuel the fire more. "I told her to wait till you wake up but she told me she doesn't wish to see you for a while. I even asked if she would leave some of her cooking for you. I mean for the last thirteen years this day you only eat what she makes for you…so…"

Kaname was so livid that he barely paid attention to her words. The fact that Veronica dared to leave him and spend the day with the Kiryu's was more than a slap across the face for him. That is exactly how he felt like getting slapped by that wretched level - E. FIsrt Yuki realizes that she is in love with him and now his only other remaining family thinks of him as a better father than he is.

"Please excuse yourself out and take these away. I really do appreciate your hard work but I have no appetite."

"As you wish… Kaname-sama." The toffee haired girl takes the tray and makes her way out of there as soon as it was possible.

Once outside the pureblood's chamber Ruka's small lips curl up into a small victorious smile. Her plan worked. Her grandmother is indeed a genius. She has successfully managed to fool the pureblood. No both the pureblood actually. Now what is left between the father-daughter is a huge misunderstanding.

Her smile widens remembering how easy it was to manipulate the young pureblood.

Ruka was lucky that the time she chose to appear Veronica was mostly all alone in the house. Both Kaname Kuran and Seiran were away.

Ruka's surprise was taken to another level when she found the young purelood princess in the kitchen cooking her heart out. Although she already knew the reason she still chose to ask.

"What are you doing?" she asked a little awkwardly. Veronica gives her a look in return but doesn't speak.

Ever since she took the credit for her hard work the two haven't really spoken much. But things took a better turn for Ruka since the recent almost confrontation father-daughter had not too long ago. Though Ruka personally didn't get to witness it but she has heard from the maids that Veronica cried the whole night and the master of the house too did not lock himself up in his room. And since then the father-daughter barely spoke.

"Tomorrow is father's day and I'm cooking for Papa but please feel free to take the credit." Veronica responds back sarcastically and Ruka flinches at the harsh tone the pureblood used.

"I'm sorry; I should not have done that." She apologizes genuinely standing beside her.

Inside it shocks and upsets Ruka to see that Veronica is still trying to make up to that man when she has no fault in it which is so obvious.

"Did Papa ever mention about me doing something wrong?" Veronica wonders.

"No why do you ask?"

"Then why is he so cold to me suddenly? I don't understand."

It's because he wants to fuck you!

That is what she wants to say but holds back on her tongue since she does not have much evidence on the fact. Plus she is only basing her theory on his recent actions. Making her wear school uniform, child-like cartoon printed undergarments and tying up her hair in two ponytails. Ruka has also taken notice as to how the man even looks at his child. Many times Ruka gets the urge to scream at him that he is an insult in the name of fatherhood. After all which father looks at his daughter with so much lust? Sadly she does not possess the courage to speak up nor will she ever have.

"It is one of Kaname-sama's signature trait," Ruka blurts choosing her words carefully and takes a little pause to look for the little girl's reaction then adds. "…Since Yuki-sama decision to leave him now he only tends to think with his head and body?"

"Body…?" that word Veronica's attention. "How can someone think with body?"

"Nevermind, now tell me if there is any way I can assist you?" Ruka changes the topic.

"You can check on the cake in the oven." Veronica instructs.

Ruka does as she was asked and for a good while the two girls remain in the kitchen in silence that Ruka takes it upon herself to break.

"You know if I were you I would be more concerned with impressing my upcoming family than the one I am going to leave behind." Her words get Veronica to look back at her.

"What does that even mean?" the young pureblood questions quirking on of her eyebrow.

Taking the cake out of the oven Ruka starts, "You know Veronica my mother actually comes from the Aidou family but it has been over ten years sice the last time she went to her house. She occasionally sees her brother Nagamachi Aidou in soiree's that is all about it."

"And why is that? Has there been a fight?"

"No, not at all." Ruka shakes her head vigorously. "It's just that she is so busy taking care of her own family and by that I mean her in-laws. After all my grandma is a very difficult women to impress."

"But I don't have any in-laws!"

"True…" Ruka says circling around the younger female. "…But soon you will have one won't you? I mean you do want to become a Kiryu?"

"I do."

"So if I were you Veronica I would focus more on impressing Zero Kiryu than Kaname Kuran. Since end of it is Zero Kiryu who is Ren's father, your potential father in law."

Ruka's takes the pleasure in watching the younger one's green eyes turning wide with realization.

"And another thing I wish to remind you that Zero Kiryu is an equally headstrong man like your father."

"What does that mean?" Veronica asks getting all nervous.

"I mean just the way Kaname Kuran will have an objection to your and Ren's union the same way Zero Kiryu might have an objection to have his own son pledge to his arch enemy's daughter."

"But-" Veronica almost stuttered.

"Look Veronica, if I were you I would have my priorities straight." Ruka place a comforting hand on her shoulder and leans down to whisper in her ear. "By now I would know whether I wish to be a daughter of Kuran or the daughter in law of the Kiryu."

And her prediction turned true, the now pureblood princess chose to be the daughter in law of the Kiryu family than be the daughter of the Kuran's!

a.n. thank you for reading hope you enjoyed. this was a filler chapter. the drama will unfold from the next one. also the first scene is a meroy of the fight kaname recently had with his daughter. it shows a side of kaname's view as to why he is acting the way he is.