I'm back with my second VL story! I hope you guys will like it. This might be too short but i promise to work my butt off on the next chapters. Any kind of constructive comments are of course always welcome.

Thanks once more for all your help amd encouragement SexyBVirgo as always you are a source of inspiration...

White Lies

Chapter 1

"Nii-chan! We have visitors!" Ichiru was dashing through the dining table, an excited look on his face. Behind him followed a woman with the same hair and eye color as his, the woman was beautiful, so beautiful one would call her features otherworldly.

Wait..

The extremely pale skin, that sinful beauty... could she be?

"Ichiru get off of her!" I yelled but I was too late. The vampire bit him in the neck, chuckling while she was doing so. "No!" I tried to stop her, but before I can a couple more level E's attacked me. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed rose from my drawer. I fired two shots which killed the two level E's, and hurriedly went back to where Ichiru was, and there was mom, a dagger in her hand which she plunged at the woman's backside, stopping her from draining Ichiru further. The vampire turned her attention to mom and I was able to catch Ichiru and check for a pulse, yes he was still alive but he needs help..we need help and...

"Got you hunter!" As I looked behind me, someone hiding beneath a mask attacked me, aiming straight for my neck. He wastes no time in gulping my blood. It hurts it really hurts. I'm losing consciousness. "Ichiru, mom"

"Help us dad!"

"Nii-chan wake up!" I opened my eyes up to a tear stricken Ichiru. My body was still shivering due to the intensity of my dream, which was a recollection of what just happened two months ago. I placed Ichiru on my lap as I can hear him sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shhhh.. I'm ok Ichiru, don't cry baby." I tried to console my little brother, soothing his silver hair. As mush as possible I don't want him to see me like this. It was harder for him to cope with the tragedy. A young boy such as him, having to endure losing a mother and being turned into a Level E. I feel so powerless but there is nothing I can do aside from ensuring he won't fall completely.

Ichiru then wiped the tears off his face and smiled at me, his big lavender eyes boring into mine. I playfully pinch his nose, earning a giggle from him. "Nii-chan I'm now drinking the blood juice three times a day just like you told me... but I still don't like it. Do I really need to take it everyday?"

"Yes baby you need to. I know it doesn't taste good but its nutritious and will keep us healthy." I couldn't tell him that its only purpose is to keep us from craving human blood and falling completely into madness. I can't bear to see my brother carrying the burden inflicted by those bastards anymore than he already is.

Ichiru's eyelids drooped and a few minutes after he fell asleep once more. I kissed his chubby cheeks and laid him to our bed. Unlike him, I can't sleep. The nightmare has been refreshed in my mind. I went to the kitchen to get the 'blood juice' that Ichiru hates and saw the figure of my father sitting on the dining table, a blank look on his face. "Dad what's wrong?" I asked as I sat in front of my stepfather. I realized how worn out Yagari Toga is and how he had aged in a short span of time after the incident where my mother died and when we became like this. My heart broke at the sight of the person who treated us and loved us like his own.

A long sigh escape him and he went on and produced a blood pill which he then diluted in a glass of water. He gave the glass to me. When he saw that I had consumed it he spoke. "Some people at the association are starting to make a move to oust me from my position."

I held his hand and spoke. "Are they using us as an excuse to remove you?"

"Yes," he admitted. "They think I would protect our enemies. I would try to avoid that at all costs but when it comes to you two I would lick their feet if needed just to have more of these pills..if it ensures that my sons will stay the way they are. I'm trying so damn hard to balance both of my goals that's why im fortifying the plans for the two clans to unite. But those narrow minded people won't listen of course, they are blinded by the power they think I hold and could care less about the responsibility that comes with it."

Dad stood and went to the altar where mom's urn was placed and continued. "It doesn't matter if I lose my hold on the association but I can't right now.. we will be powerless if the new leaders decided to exterminate the Kiryuu line. You know that many hunter's still look up to your late father and to you Zero. They still regard you as a threat." Yagari then face me. "That's why I need you to do something while I still have the power."

"What is it? I'll do anything to protect our family." I vowed. I'm ready to face any obstacles if it means protection for my family, especially Ichiru.

Yagari was quiet for a while as if weighing his options, he then stood in front of me, and held me by the shoulders. "We need to form an alliance with the purebloods. Once we do, the people in the association who are plotting against us will surely think twice. It's the same with the purebloods, their council is unstable, with many attempts to overthrow Queen Juri and the pureblood prince. With both of the parties united, all plans of treachery will be cut off and it will further our plans to create peace between the two clans." I could only nod in agreement and was waiting patiently for my role in these plans when Dad continued.

"Zero, I need you to marry the pureblood prince."

"Good evening Zero-sama, my name is Ichijou Takuma. I'm the one who is going to bring you over to the summer mansion to meet our master," The blonde vampire said as he took my personal belongings to the car. I thought the moment that he went off the car that he was actually the pureblood that I'm going to marry. His bearing and grace is comparable to that of a noble's. They must all be like that, I thought with them having to live a long life and all. They must have lived during the time of the royals.

"Nii-chan! I'm going with you!" Ichiru was sobbing as be ran towards me. I was pained with the thought of leaving him. But I have to, for all of our sakes, no matter how ridiculous this undertaking is. I can still remember the conversation with my stepfather.

"What? A marriage? Why do we need to go that far?"

Yagari rubbed his temples at my outburst. "Zero, just building a political alliance doesn't guarantee loyalty which a marriage between the heads of the two clans can. Their request is not based on a whim. I can understand where they are coming from."

"But we are both men!" I shook Dad lightly to emphasize my point.

Dad looked at me as if I were an idiot child to whom he needs to explain a known fact. "Zero, they are vampires... the human union rules doesn't apply to them.. look I know that this is hard, and if we only have other options... but we don't. I'm sorry for pushing this on you Zero..."

I shook my head to clear out my thoughts and focused on the crying child in front of me. "Ichiru, baby you can't go with me.. but don't worry I won't be gone long. What do you want when I come back?"

The little silverette held on to me even tighter. "I don't need anything. Just come back soon, Nii-chan."

I kissed his temples before lifting him up and passed him to Yagari who was standing at the balcony. "Take care of each other ok? I'll come visit often." As the car sped fast and I looked at the vanishing figure of the two people that I love, I realize that I'm ready for whatever the marriage entails, as long as it will bring security to the family that I cherish.

We stopped at a modest house situated at the middle of nowhere. Although the house was smaller than I expected from pureblood royalty, the vast garden (it was five times the size of the house which I found odd) was superb, And as I observed the back of the house, I found that they left it to look like a forest, where different kinds of trees stood proudly behind the abode.

"Come I'll show you to your room." Takuma offered. The room that he showed me was sparse; with just a bed and a lampshade on it's side. Again this is not something I expect from those vampires but it suits me just as well. I started unpacking my things when Takuma spoke. "Living here is temporary until... you meet certain conditions."

My eyebrows raised at his words. "What do you mean?"

Takuma fidgeted. "After you unpack please go to the living room. I know it's late and you want to sleep.. but you need to meet..."

"Okay, okay I get it.." I dismissed Takuma and hurriedly unpacked. Conditions? It sounds like they need a lot. Well just because we really need the alliance badly doesn't mean that we are just going to grovel and nod to whatever terms they lay out. I need to be assertive.

'The little prince will see'

~KZ~

I saw a figure standing beside the window as I went down to the living room. He was in all white, emphasizing his fair skin which gleamed in the pale moonlight. As he faced me however, the first thing that I took notice of is his sienna eyes and the way they grazed on my entire being, like a predator sizing up his prey. I know he was being rude with the way he was looking at me, but i can't help but be drawn by those orbs.

I shook my head and gathered my thoughts, and he snickered with my sudden movement. "You are the prince.. right?"

The vampire laughed, his rich, almost musical voice filling the room. Although as beautiful as the voice is, I'm offended by his reply to my simple question. "What's so funny with my question?" I retort.

He stopped laughing and looked straight to my eyes, trying to hypnotize me again with his gaze. "Your'e expecting a pureblood prince to welcome you, a hunter right away? That will never happen."

I snapped out of the trance that his eyes bought and fumed. "Well I'm sorry for expecting too much on his highness! I just thought it was proper manners to welcome a person that he is trying to form a union with... and who are you by the way?"

The man stood directly in front of me. "My name is Kaname, I'm the prince's right hand." He then cupped my chin. "And I am here to make sure that you'll be worthy enough to be our Master's mate before you meet with him."

I swatted his hand, giving this Kaname a challenging look. If the servant was obnoxious, how much more is the prince? One word came to my mind at that moment.

Trouble.

TBC