Chapter Twenty

If I had one word to describe the Sakamaki mansion it was quiet. The air seemed so heavy that all noise was muffled and the residents of the house were always hidden away. Sometimes I thought that they disappeared entirely when they didn't want to be seen because it was often hard to find them. In many ways it felt lonely. I wondered if it would stop feeling that way once I was a bride. I supposed it would depend on the groom in question. Some of the brothers were definitely needier than others however I was trying to reserve judgement until I'd had a taste of each of them. There was only one brother left to seduce; Reiji.

A part of me was both excited and nervous to get close to the second eldest brother. Even at the best of times I found him intimidating although as a masochist I couldn't deny that there was a great deal of appeal in his nature. He didn't toy with me like some of the others and he liked to keep to himself but perhaps that was what made him so terrifying. Because when Reiji did pay attention to me I felt like I was in danger.

My mind could speculate as much as it wanted but I wouldn't know Reiji's real attitude towards me until I actually found him and seduced him. Therefore my approach was similar to that of before. A direct approach. There was no use in hoping he would look for me or that I would stumble upon him in one of the many rooms. He practically lived in his study so that was where I had to go.

Last time I had enticed him out of the room and had had a great deal of fun in making him chase me but I couldn't repeat such a scheme. By running away I had made myself look like startled and weak prey and all he had desired was to take blood from me and nothing more. I had to show him I was a person. I had to show him I was a woman.

The first step was the easiest; I had to dress for the part. As I still acknowledged that my school uniform was my most acceptable and yet provocative item of clothing I decided not to get changed out of it after school. As for any accessories, in my arms I carried my school books. It was the same set up from my last plan but that was where similarities would end.

I made my way to the intimidating brother's study and knocked sharply on the door. After a few moments it opened and standing before me was his tall frame. He looked at me with an unreadable countenance while I had plastered my face with a nervous expression.

"Yui?" Reiji said questioningly. He seemed unsure of what to say next.

"Reiji. I was wondering if you could help me with a question I had in my science class?"

I asked it in a way that made my voice squeak and wobble but I got the whole question out.

"You want help with homework?" he clarified. I nodded vigorously and after a hesitant pause he opened the door wider to invite me inside.

I took slow and hesitant steps through the threshold and heard Reiji shut the door behind me. My eyes widened as I looked around the room. It was spotless and there were books everywhere on tall shelves. I wondered if Reiji had read all of them.

I walked over to one of the tables and placed my stack of books down before turning to look at the vampire who stood there watching me with his arms folded.

"You keep this room so clean," I commented with a nervous shuffle on my feet. "And you're always in here. You must really like learning."

"My brothers don't see the point of a good education. Knowledge is power and so I collect as much knowledge as I can." He replied. Then after a pause he asked, "What was this question you needed help with?"

I spun back around and fumbled with my textbooks, flicking through the pages to look for some kind of reasonable question I could ask him about. I made myself shiver though. I really was scared. I didn't want my cover to be blown but I knew it was going to be hard to make Reiji do anything I wanted without some kind of encouragement. I was so close but one wrong move and I could have ruined my chances.

As my fingers hurriedly turned the pages of the book I heard Reiji's steps on the floor approach me. His arm appeared by my waist and reached forward to rest his hand on the table. With him standing right behind me and with his intimidating height I suddenly felt like I was tucked underneath his arm. He loomed over me and I felt myself shrink a little.

"I think you've forgotten the first rule of living in this house, Yui," he said calmly. I heard the inhale of breath as he sniffed the skin at the back of my neck. "Never turn your back on a vampire."

I visibly shivered and when I felt his breath against my bare skin I suddenly jumped and managed to move away from him. As I whipped around to face him I clutched my hand over my heart as it had begun to hammer loudly. Clearly Reiji had a lust for my blood but if I simply gave it to him then there would be no point.

"Why did you resist?" Reiji asked me. His expression looked a little angry and this got me even more worried.

"I don't… I don't want you to drink my blood. You especially, you always make me feel so dizzy."

"So you're saying Shu can have it offered to him freely whenever he wants it but I have to take it from you by force?"

I looked at Reiji with wide eyes and clutched my chest even harder.

"Shu? Why do you mention him? What do you mean?"

"I was looking for you a week back. I was hungry right after school and I tracked you down to his room. Can you guess what I saw?"

"I – I think you must have misunderstood what-"

"Misunderstood what was happening? You know, at first I thought that too until it happened again two days after that and two days after that. Regular as clockwork. Are you going to see him tomorrow too? Why do you give your blood to him?"

Reiji was glaring at me then. His crimson eyes felt like knives and I wanted to curl up into a ball so small that he wouldn't be able to look at me with those eyes anymore. I couldn't believe that my rendezvous with Shu had been discovered. I had to come up with a good lie and fast before Reiji figured it all out.

"Tell me what is going on. Now!" Reiji demanded. I could feel the venom in his words.

"Okay," I said. My voice shook. I made my eyes water up. I had to turn this situation around to give myself the advantage. "I'll tell you. It's for this whole bride and groom thing."

"What?" Reiji said, genuinely startled.

"You see, ever since I was told I had to pick a groom I've been going around to each of your brothers and asking them to show me how they would treat me if I were their bride. Some of them were so mean. As for Shu, he said the only thing he would do as my groom would be to ask for my blood on a regular basis."

"So that's why you were doing it?"

"Yes. I wanted to see if he could keep his word. And he hasn't done anything mean to me since."

"I still wouldn't trust him," Reiji scoffed. "This is how he always behaves. He seems so careless and unattached from the world at first but truthfully he can be more ruthless than any of the others if he tries."

I nodded in understanding and stood there for a moment, trying to even out my breathing. My heart had been racing from shear panic but it seemed like I had managed to convince Reiji of the lie.

I watched as the vampire rested himself against the table and frowned in concentration.

"You never asked me," he said.

"Asked you what?"

"You never asked me how I would treat you if I were your groom."

"Well… that's… er. That's actually kind of why I'm here now."

I saw the briefest flash of a smirk on his face before it disappeared into a blank expression.

"Are you really sure you want to know what I do with my brides."

I shuffled my feet again. I could see the situation turning into several different directions. Either he was going to drink my blood as per usual, kill me, or sleep with me. It was probably the best odds I was going to be offered.

"Yes. I really want to know."

I could see the approval flash in his eyes. Suddenly he seemed almost excited. Reiji turned and walked to one of the large cabinets in his room. I watched from where I stood as he scanned the labels on some strange, small vials. Eventually his fingers came to rest on a glass container that held some kind of pinkish liquid.

He came over to me with it and held it out to me.

"If you mean that in earnest then you'll drink this with no questions asked."

Gingerly I took the little glass bottle from him and held it up at eye level. I had no clue what would happen if I drank it but I knew that it I didn't I would lose every chance I had with Reiji. My shaking fingers removed the lid and I took one deep breath before tilting my head back and downing the solution all in one swallow.

The taste was slightly bitter but overall it wasn't horrible. I put the lid back on and handed the bottle to Reiji was could barely hold back the malicious grin on his face.

"What did that do?" I asked.

"Oh it's not so much what the solution itself does. It's when the effects wear off that you'll truly understand what you've just done."

I tilted my head to the side with curiosity, wondering what would really happen. And that's when I felt myself suddenly feeling more tired that I had ever felt in my life. My body hit the ground but I didn't have time to feel it because I was already fast asleep.

…

I stirred.

"Are you awake yet?" a distant voice asked.

I felt heavy and so numb. I couldn't move. I wasn't sure if I could feel my fingers or toes. My mouth felt dry and as I peeled my eyes open I could barely see a thing. The surroundings were dark but as I slowly grew used to the gloom, illuminated only by a few candles, I realised just why I couldn't move. My entire body, my arms, legs and torso were strapped down onto a metal table.

Reiji seemed to materialise out of the darkness.

"What's going on?" I asked weakly. The drug was still taking it's time to wear off.

I could see the white of his pointed teeth shining at me.

"We're about to have a lot of fun."

A/N: I know it has been a ridiculously long time since I updated so I'm just here to say sorry. I guess all I can say as an excuse is that I got caught up in writing other stories and life in general. But I'm here now and I'm going to try really hard to keep on top of writing this because it really is so much fun and all of you readers and reviewers are wonderful. I'll make sure to finish this story for you!