Heat. A dry heat was all over, burning; like alcohol was poured into the bloodstream. Warm but it also became an ache. Intense pain flourished and color leaped behind eyelids. The light was behind them, red veins built like a spider web.

Emptiness, loneliness; I'm scared. I'm scared. What's going on? Fear, panic, a maddening sensation of nothingness. Was a heart beating beneath the skin? Were lungs taking inhales? My mouth is dry, I can't breathe; smothering. I'm being choked, I can't get away! I want to leave, I don't like this! I'm scared! Eating me, devouring me, I'm being consumed oh god!

I want to wake up!

Eyelids shot open and pupils were pinheads, animation went into a body and the torso sat up.

"K-Kisa-Sama, you're alive!" Delight shone upon Kaname's face and glee would have been returned; had his words not frightened her.

"A-Al-ive?" Who's voice was that? It was so dry, raspy. Like a desert roaming nomad.

Fear etched into the young vampire's face and immediately, silent tears rolled down his cheeks. How long had he been waiting? How long had Asato been gone?

"Kisa I had to.. You were dead! I had to! Please don't hate me!" He begged, his words confusing her until her eyes widened in realization.

She was no longer human.

It all hit her at once, her senses tuning in as the fog wore off and she was caught speechless. Vomit, blood, ashes; it was everywhere. Dried on Kaname's face, the remainder of her humanity. Her fingers gripped a piece of rubble and beneath them, it turned to dust. Her heart was racing, panic taking over her as she scanned the room. Everything was so clear and sharp, the fibers of dust surrounding the paintings and cobwebs in the corners. It was a lot like getting glasses for the first time after you've needed them for a while.

Kaname watched her look around in a daze and he could tell she wasn't really processing anything. Her pulse was off the charts, blood pumping, his blood rushing through her body. Whether it be the connection as her sire, or merely because of his concern, he couldn't tell.

Kisa's body pushed back until she was against the couch and her knees drew to her chest. Her shoulders shook and body wracked, sobs finally breaking free as she cried into her knees. Her humanity was gone, she was destined to living forever until she died at the hands of fate. What kind of life would she lead? What would her lover think? She'd be abandoned, she'd be left alone in the world; she'd lose her job for sure. Irrationality was taking over and even though she knew the answers to many of these questions; right now she didn't.

Kaname's lips fell in a frown and he moved a bit closer to her, only to be startled when she moved away. For a moment he saw it, fear etched across her face when he reached out to her. They were no longer mother and child, the dynamics that had seemed to be there from the start. Now, they were Sire and Childe.

"Kisa-sama... You need to drink my blood." Kaname whispered, knowing the subject wasn't going to bode well.

"I won't!" She screamed, fingers grabbing her head and tightly gripping her hair.

"Seiji will be home soon, you need to drink so you don't attack him! He's your mate, you'll go into bloodlust!"

"Shut up!"

Every word he said was true and she knew it, she wasn't stupid, she remembered her schooling. How the cycle went and all the little details. It was her worst nightmare, especially to be a trained killer turned prey.

Kaname's nails raked across his wrist and when he shoved the now bleeding limb in her way, she froze. It was cruel, to do something so taunting to a freshly awoken childe, but she wasn't going to listen. Instead, he needed to do his job and get her to do what was best for both of them.

Kisa's will was strong, or so she tried to make it so. Everything in her entire body called towards the red now dripping onto her bare legs. She heard it, the slow pouring; how it splashed on her skin and drops made a thousand smaller splatters.

"Drink, Kisa."

Her concentration moved to Kaname and for a moment, she swore his eyes were as purple as hers were. A pulse behind red undertones and suddenly; her reservations calmed. The peace he'd caused her before, yet again took her mind and for this once, he bent her will.

The ultimate power of Kaname Kuran, he held the ability to control any and all vampires. Even other purebloods were no match for his control. They shook in his wake. Or so, that was their full potential; facts that Juuri and Haruka took to their graves. To everyone else, he was merely another rare breed.

Kisa's fingers reached out and took his arm carefully, soft lips parting to cover the cuts. The moment his blood hit her senses, she felt complete. Safe, secure. As if she'd just slipped into a freshly made bed, warm sheets and familiar scent enveloping her. Peace, serenity, the demons reaching for her soul were crushed beneath heels.

Daze wore off and Kisa realized she'd spaced out, Kaname now in front of her, small hands holding her face. His wound was healed and fingertips became bloody when he wiped her mouth with care.

"Kaname..." She whispered, pausing and searching the younger eye to eye. "I'm scared."

"It's okay Kisa-Sama. You're going to be okay." He reassured and she felt childish all of the sudden.

Here they were, a twenty-three-year-old hunter and a four-foot tall child. Instead of Kisa being anywhere near maternal, she was the one crying as the small male comforted her.

The front door knob rattled and as soon as the door opened, they both heard something drop and a male voice mumbled.

"What the fuck..." Seiji gaped, looking around the room to see things pushed around. Not to mention the wall across from the door was cratered. Paneling and drywall laid in crumples on the floor and surrounded by that, dried blood.

"Kisa? Kisa?!" No sooner had he gotten a few feet in the room, did the blonde immerge from behind the couch. "Kisa baby what happened?! You're hurt!" Seiji immediately came to her side as she stood and he examined her. Blood was in places it shouldn't have been and his hands were now grabbing her shoulders to look her over.

"Nifune, he's dead, I killed him. He tried to bite me- Then Asato-" As Seiji scanned over her, he finally had to reach up to grab her cheeks and brush strands of her hair back. It was exactly what she needed, to feel his doting care. Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all. No. That wasn't right, he had no idea. He was merely unaware of what he was holding.

"Asato was here? Did he do this?" He questioned, glancing back at the wall and then seeing the portion of her chest that was covered in blood. Lines of plasma were where cuts once were and on her throat, he spotted it, teeth rings.

"Yes, he..." Kisa tore her vision away from Seiji and suddenly she couldn't look at him. She broke the eye contact and that alone left him to know that something was wrong.

"What did he do Kisa? He bit you didn't he?" He asked and refused to let go of her shoulders. His hold was broken however when she knocked into his arms to free herself.

Kaname sat back away from them and he watched Kisa move away from Seiji, her arm grabbing the other to hold it. Seiji would kill him, how was this going to go? There was no way he would take it well. Did he need to do it for her? Rip it off like a band-aid?

"Seiji..." She started, her back towards him and he could feel the tension rolling off her body.

"Kisa... What is it you're not telling me?" He pried, coming to turn her around again; this time she resisted yet he forced her to face him.

Seiji's eyes widened when Violet was tinted red and he immediately backed up. He nearly tripped over his feet, legs hitting the coffee table in an attempt to get away from her. "Jesus Christ..."

Kisa watched his head shake, hand covering his mouth as he stared at her. Tears welled in her corners and fell down her cheeks, vision retreating back to the floor. She was everything he hated now, there was no way to resolve this. She should have taken the affection while she could because now, she wasn't getting it.

"How?! Why?! Kisa!" He screamed, each word becoming more and more desperate and broken. His heart felt like it was going to stop, how did this happen? How did his Kisa end up like this?

"Seiji I died! I'm sorry! Kaname had to, there was no other choice! He waited until I died and instead of coming back to my corpse, this is what you get!" She exclaimed, frustrated hands making a gesture of defeat. Was that what he would have preferred? Coming home and having her dead?

Seiji looked at Kaname who looked worried as soon as he did. "Did... Did she die?" He asked in broken words, voice trembling as he pointed towards her.

Kaname nodded quickly, "Asato, he cracked her skull. I-I listened to her bleed out." He admitted, watching the older man stumble back and adjust to sitting on the couch.

"Oh, Jesus fuck. This isn't happening." He recited, hands forming a pyramid to cover his mouth and nose. He was entirely in shock, his fingers shaking and eyes refusing to focus. Not even Kisa's tears were able to draw his attention.

"Seiji... Please. I'm scared, I need you. Please, hold me and tell me it's going to be okay. Seiji!" She begged, watching him look directly at her and merely shake his head. Little by little strength left her legs yet again and she collapsed to her knees. He was really going to deny her, even when she'd done everything she could for him when he was turned.

"Seiji... I'm so scared. Seiji please, I'm begging you please.." She cried, hands reaching out pathetically towards him. Harder and harder did her body rack with sobs as he denied her. She watched him shake his head and she crawled closer on her knees, hands grabbing air; she needed him. She needed her big brother to comfort her and tell her she would be okay. Like he always did.

When she crawled closer, he stood and backed away from her. Even as broken as she looked, all he could picture was the red in her eyes. That wasn't Kisa anymore, that wasn't his baby sister; that was a monster. Fear churned his guts and flashes of the past lit behind his eyes. Violent fangs coming to rip into him, teeth that broke and tore his skin. Pain, pain, make it stop!

"S-Stay the fuck away from me!" He barked, watching her expression change to absolute shock. He couldn't open the door fast enough to leave again, turning on a heel and booking it out the door. Snow crunched beneath his feet and within a minute he was back into his vehicle and gone.

As she heard the diesel truck engine start, her heart broke and she collapsed the rest of the way onto the floor. Uncontrollable sobs took her body and she curled into a ball. Pale arms strained to hold her legs and her breath became ragged in hiccuped gasps.

Kaname looked towards the woman and a frown fell to his face. There was so much chaos and so little he could do to fix it. Slowly he stood and made careful way back into her bedroom, reaching her desk and picking up the phone. After a pause, he dialed a number and waited for the other line to pick up.

A good dozen rings later, someone finally answered. The groggy voice of a normally chipper woman.

"Hello? Kisa honey what's wrong?" Natsuki questioned, having seen who it was calling.

"Natsuki-Sama, It's Kaname." He greeted, gripping the phone tightly to his head.

"Kaname, is everything okay?" She asked, sitting up in bed and immediately rustling her husband by the hip.

"Please, come over. Seiji left and Asato tried to kill Kisa, someone else is dead-" He hiccuped, hearing her gasp and soon, hearing her talking to a male in the background.

"Get up, Kisa is in trouble. Kaname, stay with her; we'll be over there in a minute!" The phone hung up before the younger could say anything else and he could practically hear the couple tearing the house up to get ready.

Hanging the phone back to its receiver, he paced back to find Kisa motionless where he'd left her. She was still curled in a ball and honestly, he didn't know if he could come close to her or not. He didn't want to use his powers again and he didn't know if she hated him.

As if she read his thoughts, Kisa uncurled a fraction to look at him. He tried to offer a small smile and her arm reached out to beckon him towards her. She wasn't holding a grudge and that was perhaps the biggest thing he could be thankful for.

Right onto the ground did Kaname plop, letting her pull him into her arms and settle his back to her chest. Her body curled up around him and she held him much like someone would a teddy bear. Small cries continued and Kaname could only nuzzle back against her shoulder.

It took a matter of three minutes for the two to cross the handful of front yards and once again, the door to the house was opened. Both holding gasps as they saw Kisa and Kaname curled up together.

"Kisa, Kaname what happened? Are either of you hurt?" Natsuki asked, on her knees beside the two as they parted. One hand went to Kaname's shoulder and the other to Kisa's.

Kisa immediately reached out and pulled the older woman into a hug, it was returned as well as Kaname being pulled into it.

As both children began to cry, Natsuki looked up at Daitaro with slight confusion but mouthed a silent request for action. 'Find Seiji.'

The man nodded to his wife's words and he left the house, locking the door behind him to get into his own car and follow the tire tracks out of the driveway. If he knew Seiji, he knew where he was.

"Shh Shh shh, I've got you Kisa, Kaname. I'm here, I promise, nothing will hurt either of you, I swear on my life." Natsuki spoke, rocking both of them as she awkwardly knelt to accommodate the hold.

"Nana, Nana I'm not human..." Kisa cried, gripping the older woman's shirt.

"Kisa, of course, you are," "No! I'm not!" Cutting her off, she broke Natsuki's hold and looked at her with creased brows.

"Asato killed me, my brain hemorrhaged and Kaname had to turn me to save my life." Kisa blubbered, watching Natsuki's face shift from kind and gentle to a shocked concerned.

"P-Please don't kill her..." Kaname mumbled, not breaking the hug he had to the older woman. He was too afraid to see her expression.

While Kisa surprised her, it was Kaname's words that surprised her more. Natsuki reached out and grabbed Kisa's arm, pulling her back to the hold she was in. Kissing the younger females forehead, her fingers also pet Kaname's head.

"I would never hurt either of you, silly kids." It was clear she was starting to tear up herself, a sniff of her nose keeping them at bay.

"N-Nana.." Kisa whimpered, "Seiji left, I told him and he left me."

Natsuki's lips scowled and she wished she could have said she was surprised, but she wasn't. Seiji was often so caught up in his own emotions, he neglected Kisa. She'd hoped something like this of all things, he would have been strong enough to be there for her.

"Come on, both of you. Let's get you cleaned up and comfortable." Natsuki carefully stood, helping the other two up and taking them hand in hand. Leading both of her ducklings into the bathroom, she started both spigots with warm water.

While the both of them took baths and relaxed a bit, Natsuki tended to clean things up. Quick work was made of brooming up the rubble and disposing of what ash and blood needed to be scraped up. Furniture was pushed back where it belonged and a cloth taken to the wall that had a majority of the splatter. While it wasn't perfect, it was better than nothing.

A quick wipe down with a mop and some chemicals later, Kisa's door was creaking open. the older woman was soaking the braids of the cleaning tool and behind her, a pot of coffee and kettle of hot water were boiling.

"Thought I'd make it a little more comfortable in here. I thought about tacking up one of the tapestries to cover up the living room mess until we can get a construction man in here." She said and a small smile pulled at Kisa's lips. There was a reason this woman was like a second mother to her.

Kaname was perched on Kisa's hip and content to lay on her shoulder and be close. Now with her improved strength, holding him was even less of a chore. When Kisa sat at the kitchen table, he adjusted to sit on her lap and she held onto him so he didn't fall.

"Did you send Toto to find Seiji?" Kisa questioned, eyes following Natsuki as she stored the mop and bucket back in the broom closet.

"He found him, I got the text just before you came out." Walking back over to the stove, she took both pots off the stove and rested them on hot plates. Pulling down three cups from the cabinet, she turned and rested a hand on her hip. "Knowing your brother, he didn't go far, Daitaro found him-"

"Out at the graveyard." Both women said in unison and Natsuki nodded.

"Coffee, tea or cocoa?" She asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee and doctoring it with cream and sugar.

"Coffee please," Kisa spoke up before looking down and Kaname, fingers coming to brush back chocolate strands.

"Cocoa and coffee?" He questioned and Natsuki gave a giggle.

"Is... Caffeine alright for him?" Kisa questioned and the other woman nodded.

"I honestly don't see why it wouldn't be. I don't think caffeine affects vampires." She noted and immediately watched Kisa's face fall.

"I uh... Guess I'll take it with a sugar then... if it's just for taste." The blonde lamented.

"I'm sorry Kisa, I wasn't thinking," Natsuki apologized, stirring both drinks up for the younger two. Once the three cups were collected, she brought them to the table.

Kaname carefully took his cup and slid it to the edge of the table to be closer to reach. "Thank you Natsuki-Sama."

"Yes, thank you, Nana," Kisa added and the elder woman's lips shifted into a warm smile.

"I'm sorry to... bring it up but we do need to talk about it. Asato has committed a huge crime. How did he even leave?" Natsuki asked, already taking a pad of paper and pen out from her bag that she'd arrived with.

"He was about to kill me. I was against the wall, he had me by my head and Kaname stopped him. His body froze, it was like Kaname paralyzed him." Kisa explained, mind flashing back to seeing Asato's arm reeled back with the intention to rip out her insides.

"And Kaname, what did you do at that time?" She asked, watching him take a small drink of his cup before speaking.

"I-I don't really know. I just know I thought about how much I wanted him to stop hurting Kisa-Sama. I wanted him to leave and so I made him." Kaname admitted, unaware of how much power it took to control an elder such as Asato.

"You did such a good job Kaname, if not for you, Kisa wouldn't be here, isn't that right?" Natsuki primed and Kisa only backed it up with nods of agreement.

"You saved my life Kaname, I'm thankful," Kisa spoke, arms wrapping around Kaname and cheek coming to nuzzle into his hair.

The youngers face didn't budge for a moment and instead, he asked another question. "You're not mad... that I turned you into a monster?"

The word alone stung Kisa's tongue to hear him say; he did something good, despite how it felt and how scary it was. Being a vampire... Surely it was better than being dead.

"I'm not mad Kaname, I really am thankful. You gave me a second chance, even after I was so reckless." She praised, chin coming to rest on Kaname's shoulder.

"I think the biggest question is what did Asato want?" Natsuki primed and watched Kisa's expression falter for a moment.

"Kaname. I don't know if he knew it was him or not when he arrived, but now, Asato knows a Kuran is here." Kisa tried with all her might to remember, what else was there? Any quirks about the incident that happened, anything that would give them a bit better clue as to how it correlated.

The moment that the young vampire heard the reasoning as to why things had happened; he was shocked. His cup made a thump as it slid out of his hands and hit the table, falling only a centimeter or two onto its rim.

The noise, of course, drew their attention and Kisa tried to crane around him to see his face. Natsuki was directly looking at him and trying to decipher why he suddenly looked terribly upset.

"Kaname?" She questioned, watching him look up towards Kisa before he pushed out of her lap.

The moment he was on his own feet, his hands were clenched into fists; he wasn't just upset, he was angry. "You should have just given me to him!"

"Kaname, that's not an option, we don't know what would happen to you!" Kisa tried, body leaning over to try and level with him a bit more. He looked so much like Seiji in expression when he was upset, even more so when he was upset for her concern.

"I'm not worth dying for! Why doesn't anyone understand that?!" In the blink of an eye, Kaname was gone from sight and the sound of her bedroom door closing could be heard.

Kisa sighed, shoulders coming to meet the back of her chair in a stretch. "Looks like he's already into the teens, now if his body will just catch up." She tried to tease around, wanting the heavy feeling in the air to lighten if only for a minute.

"I don't know Kisa, that sounded very specific. We don't know how Haruka and Juuri died to this day; what if it was in sacrifice?" Natsuki's serious nature took hold and Kisa's eyes narrowed.

"You don't think, do you? There was something Asato said that... I don't know, piqued my curiosity?" Kisa stood with her now empty cup and made way to fill it again; pouring the hot coffee in on top of the fixings.

"Something in common?" Natsuki asked, holding her cup out when Kisa approached with the coffee pot.

"His main drive for wanting Kaname, he slipped up and said he was a witness. Something struck me as odd because I don't think he was talking about the drop-off. Nifune also acted as if he'd been told to be careful while speaking, that is until I started complying and he realized he'd been misinformed. Asato knew Kaname was a child, Nifune was told something else." Kisa explained and in the hand opposite of the cup, Natsuki held a pen to jot everything down in bullet points.

After writing the final word, Natsuki circled a point and settled the pen down to crack her knuckles. "That makes no sense. While yes we agreed it was best to keep Kaname here, the Senate was informed as they should have been. I took care of those documents personally, I turned them in Kisa, I know Asato got them unless there's a dirty dog on his side."

Kisa nodded, coming to sit back on her chair. Holding the cup between her hands, a long and thoughtful sip was taken. It didn't make sense and it also didn't explain why he wanted Kaname. His story didn't add up, if these cases were so important, they would have been looked into long before now.

Unless two and two were put together and it was realized that the executioner of the Kurans, was the same person kidnapping and dropping. If that was the case and progress was made, someone forgot to inform the Hunter side of things. The Senate alone already looked guilty of withholding information.

"We can't be the only ones to realize this, what about the others? Has anything been going awry at headquarters? Anything not been getting communicated from the Senate?" Kisa asked, legs coming to cross at the knee as she reached over to a charging tablet on the counter adjacent.

"You know how it is already, communication isn't our strong suit. They still hold things from us and I'm sure there are still hunters not doing their share either." Natsuki explained.

"I know you're right, but we are doing the right things. The organization as a whole is doing as they should," Kisa's lips thinned into a line and another drink was taken. "It's time The Senate starts treating us as equals instead of rivals."

Natsuki laughed sarcastically and waved her hand in dismissal towards the younger woman. "It's only been thirteen years since the last enslavement camp was shut down, Kisa. Things are going to take maybe even a hundred more to even start to become equal."

A scowl from the blonde woman and Natsuki felt for her, she knew she was impatient and being disrespected in work wasn't easy. Even more so when fear could change the disrespect into the opposite. Hunters were powerful, yet they were following rules to make the Vampires feel safe. In turn, the same was expected but rarely returned. The Senate knew the hunters couldn't fuss, so much could go wrong so quickly.

"Hey, before you get all tangled into work Kisa," Natsuki stated, reaching out to take the device from Kisa's hands. "You have someone that needs comforting, who doesn't even think he deserves the humanity you sacrificed for him."

Blonde brows spaced and Kisa gave in immediately when she brought up that factor. Kaname was still upset and she knew it, maybe that was the dread that was lurking in her mind. She'd tried to convince herself it was just the change, however that wasn't right. They were bonded unlike anyone else, even Seiji didn't come as close as Kaname and Kisa were now. If he wanted to, Kisa would tend to his every whim against her will. Forever a slave, unable to kill her master no matter how long regret and hatred became pent up.

If Kisa wanted to, Kaname would be dead. He was small, weak. He trusted her too much already, leaving himself in her care and unguardedly sleeping beside her. She could choke him out before he was able to control her. She could shoot him, turn him into glass and absorb his energy. She'd become more powerful than Seiji, Daitaro and Natsuki combined. None had obtained the blood or energy of a pureblood. Having both would make her undefeatable.

Instead, the blonde woman's heart hurt and violet eyes were staring blankly at the ground. She had to go check on him, to see what she'd left him to feel. Footsteps were made all the way to the door and as she opened it, it forcefully closed in her face.

"Kaname, please let me in, I'd like to talk," Kisa called from behind the door, cheek pressing to the cool wood.

"There's nothing to talk about!" Kaname childishly called. She could already hear the fact he'd been sniffling.

"I think there is, Kaname. May I please come in?" Even though he was a child, in many technical ways, he wasn't. He was already more than likely her senior in age. In education, in skills, in retrospect, they were so far from equals already.

It took a few moments, but the door slowly pulled open and the first thing Kisa saw was Kaname sitting on her bed. He was holding his knees and looking at her with frustration still etched on his features.

Kisa crossed the room to come sit on the edge of the bed and her body tilted towards Kaname. The door automatically shut behind her with a quiet snap. "I know what you're thinking," She started, eyes finding him and staying on his. "And you're right. Kaname we both know I'm not human and we both know I did it for you. I wasn't even thinking, all I could imagine was your future and I panicked."

Kaname watched her every move, listening to her speak and for the time being, he wasn't planning to interrupt her. She had points to make and letting her in was the acceptance of hearing them. For now, the stage was all hers to try and reason with him and his anger.

Tears built up as Kisa remembered her thought pattern, even in the face of death, she couldn't have explained it. Maybe it was Kaname's control, maybe he had no idea he'd sent her out as a soldier. Maybe it was also the fact he was a child and she was a nurturing female. It was instinct and it took over, maybe it was both.

"I thought of them taking you, of what kind of life you'd lead. No fun, no love, and care. It would be business and at the time I even thought Asato would kill you. Take advantage of the fact you're so small and absorb your power. I just couldn't let either of them take you." By the end of her explanation, she was crying again; tears slipping down her cheeks and staining them in darker trails.

"So I'm sorry, Kaname. I'm selfish and I couldn't let them take you," Soft violet eyes looked him over and she'd returned to the others gaze. "Just like you couldn't let me die." A trying smile crossed her face and he knew it was that realization that left her without a grudge.

The young vampire untangled himself and crawled over to her, arms coming to wrap around her neck in a hold. He smiled into her hair when he felt her return the hugging hold. "Thank you Kisa-Sama, for protecting me and thinking I'm worth it."

The small kindness touched her heart and she felt it sink, she was wrapped around this child's finger. More and more did she notice how much she was starting to love and adore him. She'd never pictured herself as the type, finding a stray child and feeling like it was hers. Women around her always said it was automatic, but she knew it wouldn't be until it was her child.

Then Kaname decided to ruin that idea. He was the perfect child, rarely ever in need of correction and she could talk to him like an adult. He processed things and understood on a mature level and maybe that was it. He wasn't having to be taught, he wasn't irritating at times because he couldn't learn as quickly as she'd like. He took to things and excelled at them, amazingly able to adhere to damn near any task.

The door to the room opened a bit and Natsuki slid half of herself into the room. Seeing the hug happening, that had to mean something.

"I hate to interrupt... Daitaro's back with Seiji." She spoke softly, watching both the small vampire and the ex-humans attention turn.

"I think I'd better talk to him first, we'll go in his room, could you tell him to meet me there?" Kisa asked the older woman and watched her head nod in response.

"We'll see how this goes." Natsuki minded and closed the door behind her. It wasn't going to be an easy feat.

Seiji sat on the couch, as far as he'd been able to make it into the house. He'd long broken into a cold sweat and his skin was reddened from the wind. Even though he was freezing, he was long over shaking and couldn't muster the strength anymore. A steely look was on his face and his eyes had long lost focus. He was mortified.

Emerald hues looked up at Natsuki when she approached and the woman crouched in front of his posture. His brows long creased together and he was already searching her over for what she intended to say.

"Kisa's going to be waiting for you in your room, Seiji. I know you're scared but look at me," Gentle hands grabbed Seiji's face and drew them forehead to forehead. Soft eyes looked over Seiji's dazed ones and she stroked over his cheeks with her thumbs.

"That's still your mate in there. That's the woman you're bonded to, you share her blood. She was there for you, she bled for you, it's time Seiji, you have to do the same for her." As she gave her words of encouragement, he found himself nodding.

The three of them exchanged looks when Seiji's door could be heard closing and the black haired man nearly lost it again. Composure was fleeting but bridled once again and yanked back into submission. She was right, she was right in everything she'd just said.

Kisa had been afraid, but she never showed it to the extent he already had. As soon as it was made aware he had been turned, she held no reservations about him. Even after a year of being apart, her feelings hadn't changed even though he had. That night, he was in her arms. He'd drank her blood, cried into her chest and felt like he could be whole again even after he'd given up.

What had he been thinking?

Now instead of seeing red eyes and a monster, the only thing he could think of was the fact he walked away. She'd been begging on her knees, reaching out for him to pick her up and hold her. To reassure her everything was going to be alright and he couldn't even do that. What kind of person was he?

Power finally went into his legs and he lifted from the couch; he wasn't going to keep her waiting. It had been long enough. Seiji made his way out of the living room and down the hall to their bedrooms. As he got to his door, he paused. He felt it, her aura now. It had shifted, it drove his hunter senses wild. Danger felt imminent, doom, alarm, alarm; nature was telling him he was going into the lion's den. Had this been what she'd felt the first time? As if she was walking into murderers very home?

His hand reached out and grabbed the doorknob, throwing it open and standing there stiffly in the doorway. No sooner did his eyes meet hers, there was a nearly audible swallow from both of them.

Seiji circled his bed and sat beside her, watching her straighten her posture and shift to keep distance between them. "Are you doing that... for me, or for you?" He asked aloud and the question almost sounded pointless. She'd been around too long, however, to not know what he meant.

"For you. I know what it's like Seiji, I wish I could have given you some warning or time. Something like I had. Mom and dad broke the news for us, I was already prepared before you'd gotten home. I'm sorry Seiji... I didn't plan on this." She stated, fingers trembling beside her as she held her hands flat, near her sides on the bed.

"K-Kisa... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm still so fucked up and broken-"

"Seiji!" Kisa interrupted distaste on her features from his words. "What happened to you is valid, your fear is valid Seiji; It's beyond that of a hunter. You were taken from us, tortured-" Her hand raised to cover her mouth and tears threatened to prick at her eyes. All the nights he'd cry himself to sleep haunted her, the way he'd have night terrors and wake up screaming. It was one of the biggest reasons they'd yet to sleep apart save for his temper tantrums.

Seiji's hand reached out towards her and he grabbed the hand that wasn't helping her fight tears. A small step, they were still a good two feet apart. He was touching her, his hand was shaking harder than hers was but his grip was firm. He'd shoved his fingers between hers and was awkwardly grasping her hand. It was such great progress, she'd feared it would have taken so much longer.

"Let me rephrase then," Seiji started, head tilting back to look at the ceiling as a point of focus. "I'm sorry I'm not as strong as you are, but I swear to God I love you just as much Kisa."

The mess of ebony hair tilted in her vision and as her eyes were cornered, she saw him move to look at her. The first real, lasting eye contact they'd had all night. Something was different in her gaze and he could feel it, the uncertainty wavering fields of violets. It was strange, seeing her flicker away and break the stare; she couldn't look at him. A sign of guilt? She really was beating herself up over this, wasn't she? Something so far out of their control.

A shaking breath was taken and before Kisa could look to question him, he reached out and grabbed her. His face scrunched in emotion as he fought back the primal fear that threatened to choke him. Her back was against his chest and his hold was firm, he wasn't ready to be that close to her.

Kisa's heart raced, hearing the emotions cycling through Seiji as he physically fought to hold her. His grip was tight, almost painful as he kept her immobile and unable to turn around. He was afraid of putting her in line with his throat. She could see how obvious his actions were but couldn't find the right to complain. He was struggling and she couldn't be more thankful.

Despite the hold, Kisa stayed pliable. His fingers instead dipped into her supple skin and her body laid limp against his chest. Her head didn't turn, instead stayed tucked away from him. His arm was under her bust, both arms pinned at her sides. It was a hold they were taught if needed to detain. Usually, the other arm would be locking the head to still clamping fangs. While yes, this left the arms open; nails had to be endured with their clawing tactics. While razor sharp, they couldn't turn a human.

Kisa could hear his heart thumping against his chest and deafening him; there was no way that he could hear anything else. "Seiji, you don't have to force yourself, I can wait. If you just hold my hand I can wait."

He hated it, how his body reacted to her in arm's length. How tension rang from his core and how his mind replayed the ache in his throat as the muscle was torn into. So many of them, none were gentle with a hunter, no matter the age. The sound of his skin tearing and pain flooding all of his senses. Some would bite in as they drank, digging further into the artery and nearly puncturing the other side.

The shaking in his shoulders increased and his hold became painful; his strength as not only a vampire but a hunter, showing in his grip. Kisa held back a whimper, the joints in her elbows rolled from the pressure and her eyes lost focus for a moment. If she'd been merely a hunter, there was a good chance this much power would have broken something. He'd never, ever, used much strength around or with her.

"Se-iji, you can't do this to yourself." She pleaded, his breaths were shallow and close to her ear. His head came crashing down onto her shoulder and his forehead rested at the conjunction of her throat. His face was contorted in pain and she could feel the creases in his skin. He was pushing too hard for her sake. Maybe it was bad of her, but she still awaited his breakdown at any moment. He'd grown, he'd made so much progress but still, she waited for it.

"-ove.. You." He muttered teeth grit to keep himself at bay. His emotions were boiling and Emerald was shifting to ruby. Now he really was pushing himself. Draining himself of his resistance and while using so much energy to stop his reaction; he wasn't tending to stop the beast inside him. "I love you."

As clarity finally took Seiji's words, it brought tears to Kisa's eyes and they fell. His grip was now shaking instead of bruising; there was so much going on. "Seiji baby please, stop tearing yourself up." She begged yet again, "I love you too, I love you so much. You're my whole world, I'd die without you. My mate, my partner, the love of my life." Each little thing recited proceeded to drip with sorrow. The last words illegible, a stuttering flurry of sobs wracking her body. It hurt so badly to feel him shaking while he tried to hold her.

"Pl-ease. J-Just let me go. Y-You, don't have to to-ouch me..." Her hands finally came to his and she tried to weakly pry them off. "Lemme g-go!" She hiccupped and instead, firm hands took care to turn her around. Kisa couldn't believe what she was feeling, while Seiji's tremors had yet to calm; he was now chest to chest with her.

Calloused fingers came to cup her cheeks and slightly roughened thumbs wiped her tears. "I don't have to... But I'll never stop wanting to touch you." He mumbled, forehead coming to hers and the gesture drew scarlet to scarlet. In such proximity, her eyes were about to cross but she could feel the heat behind them. It was an unusual feeling, suddenly having your throat dry out and veins constrict in your body.

His pupils had shrunk and while dilated with fear, what shone in his iris was thirst. Craving. Was he actually going to feed on her now that she'd changed? The question laid in his eyes and Kisa searched them. While her thirst wasn't dire, she felt the craving prick; not for blood but for him.

"You don't have to ask," She mumbled, fingers coming to timidly knot at the bottom of his shirt. "I'm still yours, Ya know." Lashes fluttered and she felt the grip on her face shift. Into her hair went one hand, the other choosing to grip at the small of her waist. Her head was craned back by a gentle hand and held in place with the loose grip on blonde strands.

Seiji hesitated, he always did but this was different. The pain was a vampiric trigger, he could send her into blood lust, she'd just been sired. He needed to have more faith in his Kisa. Lips parted and fangs pressed against the skin, pricking but still; the hesitation was there. Finally, he brought power into his bite and the soft break of skin was the only noise they could hear.

As he drew out a mouthful of blood, the taste was something to be noticed. Aside from his bias to her plasma, this was distinct. Rich, satiating. Was it because she'd been sired by a pureblood? Was this what his tasted like? Would this be something that Kisa would notice? Surely not, she was too fresh into her siring to decide which was which.

The moment skin had broken, Kisa's lids fluttered and she felt the canines lengthen in her mouth. It was certainly a different experience now, the shifting alignment of her teeth and a sudden ache behind her eyes. Her senses heightened, pulse raced, where the pain had once been prominent, now she was sure a paper cut hurt worse. This was the power of their pre-established bond and once she drank from him; pleasure was sure to come from bites then on.

Seiji noticed how unflinching she was, there was even less of a reaction than there normally was. It was as if it didn't bother her now and for a moment, he questioned it without logic. Kisa felt the sensation of thirst and it boiled in her veins, however, it was already something she felt control over. Striking and shocking yes, but in consideration of Seiji... There had to be control.

Even so, there was a euphoria that triggered with each audible gulp. It sounded... good. It's effect something similar like an erotic moan to a human. Lids fluttered and her heart nearly sped up even as the rate it was pumping, slowed.

It didn't last long, instead, a fraction of the time was spent and Seiji was already pulling away. Her blood was more filling than it normally was, now it spoke to the beast on a heightened level and Seiji's lust had tempered half way through.

He parted with a gasp hanging on his lips and Kisa's hands came up to cup his cheeks.

"I wanna kiss you, is that okay?" She asked and he voluntarily leaned to rest forehead on forehead with her.

"I'm still yours, Ya know." He repeated her prior words and in an instant, filled the gap.

As soon as lips met hers, the forcefield of emotions cracked and in desperate exchanges; tears slid down her cheeks and hiccuped sobs muffled in the kiss. He'd accepted her, he was kissing her, he was fighting tooth and nail with himself for her. It was more than she could ever ask for.

"Seiji.." His name repeated off her lips a multitude of times; unable to stop the tears that flowed from lavender waves. She could feel it, his anxiety, his distress and the fact he was still, in essence, scared. She could also feel how his grip had lessened and he was trusting to have her so close to him.

"Kisa, I want to have a bond with you. I want this.. curse, this nightmare to calm my fears. A bond will do that, you have to bite me." He was staring at her now, eyes staring into the depths of her soul and watching more tears build.

"Seiji, I can't do that to you- I know it will ease it, but I don't want the only reason you can stand me is that your blood tells you to." Another flurry of tears and he was wiping her cheeks but nearly couldn't keep up.

"Please Kisa... You know what happened, you know there's so little I can do to help it. It's... taking everything I have not to panic." He stressed, hands shaking enough to make her vision motion blur a bit.

"W-Where is...it g-gonna scare you l-less?" Ultimately, she gave in because he was right. There was nothing he could do about it, it was driven deep inside him, a break in his mind that couldn't be mended without this.

"I need to see you... I need to be able to watch." He admitted, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows and holding an arm out towards her. "It's not very intimate... I know." There was a disappointment in his eyes and Kisa shook her head.

Fingers wrapped around his skin and she kissed his palm softly; watching his fingers flex in tension. "Relax... Y-You'll see when I'm going to bite you okay?" Teary violet flickered at him and then back. She could hear his heart thumping and lungs rapidly taking a breath.

Kisses shifted down his arm and around to the thickly wrapped veins on his wrist. This was a good choice, after all, she didn't need to go deep; just enough to break the skin and puncture. "Ready..? Just a stick.." She waited, paused, looking at him and finally seeing a small nod.

His arm tensed and the limb was quaking, something near hyperventilation when she opened her mouth and her grip held his hand. He watched every move she made and at the first prick of fangs, he jolted in a startle. She didn't stop however and that was good, he would have backed out. At last, pain resonated and he felt how shallow it was. He knew the sensation of digging fangs and it was nothing compared to ones that wanted to inflict pain. Yet another humanizing trait, was the fact salt water still dripped down her face. She didn't enjoy hurting him, no, it was hurting her to obey his wishes.

Kisa was quick to make sure the bite was shallow and the draw of blood kept them open for the moment. A slow, precise siphoning to get out enough to bind them. Suddenly training meant nothing and she couldn't recall the measurements. Were there any? What was getting her the worst was the fact that she tasted her blood. Blood in his system that belonged to her but held little similar connection hardly at all. It was sour to her taste buds but also mixed to create the flavor that was his. Earthy, thick and rich; she could see obsession coming so quickly, she understood now why vampires went crazy.

Ivories pulled away and a tongue lapped over puncture marks that were already healing. Once blood was no longer tasted, she released Seiji's arm quickly. He was still registering her, so that was a good sign, reaching over to push her hair behind her ear.

It had already started, he felt it, a calming effect around her aura that was in place for such occasions. A vampires mate was a spiritual connection and something that transcended mind, matter, and relationship. Souls became closer and demons danced and played.

"Kisa we're in this together... It's okay now." He whispered and a saddened smile tugged at her lips.

"I guess we really are."