Chapter One

Sorry for the delay, but I'm finally updating. Hope you all enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Vampire Knight or any characters thereof. I only own my original characters.

Moonlight bathed the Academy grounds in a faint, luminous light that stretched to the very boundary of the forest. Shadows that had taken strange forms waited patiently beneath the vast expanse of canopy, flickering closer only to swiftly retreat. A lone figure, shrouded by shadow, crouched steadfast upon a thick branch. Her gaze was firmly planted on a tall, open window not six meters away. Inside was a room, featuring a sizable desk upon which sat a mess of paperwork. To the left, situated in front of a bare fireplace, was a worn leather arm-chair. On the other side of the room, the wall was lined with a remarkable number of books, all regularly removed as made obvious by the substantial lack of dust.

A fair-haired figure swiftly situated himself at the desk, newly retrieved book in hand as he set about reading. He was entirely alone. No company, no meetings. The girl smiled, shifting onto her toes as she slunk forward across the branch, moving slowly and deliberately to avoid making a sound. Whether or not the fair-haired man had yet to notice her was unbelievably difficult to determine. Had he perceived her presence there was no doubt he would have shown some indication. She slipped in through the window and noiselessly moved to his side, where she proceeded to glance over his shoulder at whatever work he was busying himself with.

She cocked her head. "Left the taxes to the last minute, have you?"

The man jumped, immediately turning to face the intruder, only to relax upon recognizing the girl. "God, Mako-chan. You scared me."

"I scared you?" Eyebrow arched to express her dubiousness, she slowly paced around his desk, fingers gliding around the edge. "Really, oh mighty vampire hunter?"

"Not anymore. Now, I'm the Headmaster of this Academy. And a loving father to the most wonderful, beautiful daughter in the world!" With a idiotic grin plastered across his face, the Headmaster shot to his feet. "You really must meet my dear Yuuki-chan!"

The Headmaster continued with his rant, thus making an exceedingly tired and incredibly irritated Mako massage her temple to avoid battering him to death. She breathed an inaudible sigh. It was difficult to believe that the man before her, making exaggerated gestures and fawning over photos of his precious adopted daughter, was a known legend within the Vampire Hunters Association. He was the greatest vampire hunter ever to have emerged from those walls. More then that, this man was her role model. And she knew that, despite his ever cheerful, always positive demeanor, it was nothing more than a facade hiding his true self. A cold-blooded, unwavering vampire hunter. Someone she could admire.

Mako waited patiently for the Headmaster to conclude his gloating, taking it as a good sign when he finally retired his photos to their rightful places. He returned to his seat, motioning for her to take the chair opposite him. She obliged without a word, reclining back into the chair with an almost indifferent demeanor. A long silence ensued, interrupted by the occasional rustling of papers as the Headmaster sorted through her transcripts. At the Headmaster's request she had transferred to Cross Academy, a school founded by the man before her in the hopes of promoting human-vampire cohabitation. Mako considered it to be both irksome and foolish. The idea of a school being attended by both races was complete idiocy. Peace would only be fleeting, even with a Pureblood leading the flock.

Vampires and humans were split into two distinct classes, or so she had been informed, the Night Class and the Day Class, respectively. As per their namesake, the Night Class operated during the evening under the guise of advanced students. But, due to the overwhelming attraction experienced by the Day Class towards the Night Class, the disciplinary committee was established to keep the two classes separated. There were currently two active guardians and, apparently, there was a need for another. Rustling papers ceased and the Headmaster grinned as he gave a triumphant cheer.

"Found it! I knew it was here somewhere!" Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the Headmaster studied the paper in hand closely. "Well, everything seems to be in order." His gaze focused on her. "I really appreciate you doing this. I know transferring in the middle of a semester can be challenging, so thank you."

"It's no problem. I was getting bored of my previous school anyway." But then, upon hearing the wide-spread speculation regarding Cross Academy and its overzealous fangirls, Mako was beginning to reconsider whether shaking off boredom was really worth it. "About my room?"

"Ah, yes. It's just as you requested. No roommate and a private bathroom. And feel free to decorate as you like!"

She nodded. "I appreciate it."

With a cheerful clap, the Headmaster grinned. "You'll be in a room a few doors down from my dear Yuuki-chan! I'm sure she would be more than happy to escort you to your room. Well, once you find her."

"Once I find her?"

"Yes, she's on patrol at the moment. Such a dedicated young woman!" He went off on yet another tangent regarding his precious daughter, until the thoroughly irked Mako caught his attention. Somewhat embarrassed by his behaviour, the Headmaster scratched his neck. "They patrol primarily around the classrooms. I'm sure you won't have any trouble locating them."

Nodding her understanding, Mako rose from the chair and proceeded towards the window. All the while her fingers played along the hilt of the katana strapped to her hip, attempting to familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar form. Under normal circumstances she would be wearing her katana, which had been specially designed as a retractable blade that allowed for storage anywhere on her person. But unfortunately, due to several unforeseen circumstances, said katana was currently in the possession of her master. And until such time as she earned the right to have her weapon returned to her, she would have to make do with the borrowed katana she was anything but familiar with.

So she had unsheathed her katana whilst still on school grounds, to a teacher no less. But it wasn't as though vampires appreciated human rules. Blame rested solely on the shoulders of the vampire...and her old Headmaster. That buffoon of a man was little more then an orca in human skin, or so was her opinion. The two of them had shared an antagonistic relationship from the moment they first laid eyes on each other. And, since then, her old Headmaster would use any excuse to have her thrown into detention. When her master informed him of her transfer, Mako swore she had never seen anyone look so happy.

"By the way," The Headmaster's voice stopped her upon reaching the window. Apparently he had noticed the tight grip she had on the hilt of her weapon, and it unnerved him. "Your weapon isn't to kill my precious Night Class." It was better to be clear now, lest he wake up one morning to find piles of ash scatter across the Academy grounds. "The only time you have permission to use it is under mitigating circumstances."

Mako cocked her head. "I'm still on call by the Vampire Council."

"Yes. That is what I call a mitigating circumstance. But no harming my precious Night Class without just cause. Understood?"

Hesitating, Mako reluctantly nodded upon receiving a stern look that was incredibly out of place given the Headmaster's current persona, and swiftly launched herself over the window sill. She dropped silently to the ground, landing with all the poise and grace instilled in her during many a training session. Extending her arms above her, she gently arched her back to stretch before beginning her search for the guardians. The campus was quite large, and the only description Mako had to go by was 'the classrooms'. Muttering darkly under the breath, she trudged past a nearby fountain, though she barely registered it as she continued towards the next set of buildings.

At the very least, one of those buildings was bound to be the classrooms, if not both. Mako came to an abrupt stop. She had heard something. Very faint and barely distinguishable to the untrained ear, but Mako could hear it. And coupled with the bristling of hair on the back of her neck, it wasn't something she could simply ignore. Rapidly turning on her heels, she unsheathed her katana and faced the intruder. The tip of her blade pressing up against the throat of a tall, dark-haired man. Said man flinched, azure eyes widening in astonishment. Mako gave a fierce glare upon recognizing the stranger for what he was. A vampire. And if the aura he emanated wasn't enough to assure her of that, the white uniform he wore was. He was from the Night Class.

"My, my. Aren't you a feisty one." It wasn't a question. The vampire smirked, sharp canines gleaming threateningly. "I don't recognize you. And being such a beautiful woman, I don't think I'd easily overlook you." He drew in a deep breath. "Or your scent." His eyes momentarily flashed crimson and he drew closer. "You must be new."

Mako didn't relinquish her grip on the katana. If anything, she felt more inclined to stab him and put him out of her misery. "I'm the new guardian."

"A new guardian? Is that so?" He grasped the blade and stepped towards her. Sparks flew wildly upon contact, causing him to wince in agony. But he pressed on, his body shying away from the blade. Licking his lips, he caught her gaze. "Then you should be trying to promote human-vampire relationships. After all, isn't that what this little experiment is all about?"

He reached out, taking hold of her occupied hand in a firm grip. Mako watched his approach with narrowed eyes, though she remained unmoving, recalling the Headmaster's request not to harm his precious Night Class. However, if this vampire failed to draw back soon, she would be incapable of controlling herself, or living up to her promise. His lips brushed gently across the back of her hand. That was the final straw. She jerked her hand free and stepped back, the katana slipping through his fingers. The vampire hissed, drawing back as he brought bleeding fingers to his lips. She remained unfazed, but stared at him with unrestrained hatred fueled by many a memory of the cruelness of his kind.

"And here I though we were getting along." He challenged her glare with a displeased expression. "I hoped we would."

"Perhaps I should've warned you. I don't play nice with vampires." She watched disgustedly as the vampire licked his wounds. Filthy creatures, driven by their lust for blood. Vicious when it came to taking what they wanted. Beasts with no conscience. Mako growled. "You're lucky I haven't eliminated you yet. And you've got the Headmaster to thank for that."

Rank within the vampire hierarchy identified, she determined that he was a level B vampire, an Aristocrat. An elite vampire with specialized abilities beyond the realm of normal vampires, though not the most worrying. Aristocrats could be dealt with once abilities and weaknesses were pinpointed. The only kind of vampire Mako particularly worried about were the level A's. Purebloods.

Amusement tugged his lips into a provocative, lop-sided smirk. "I can tell you're going to be quite the challenge." His statement unsettled the hunter, but she hardly allowed it to show through. "I do relish a challenge."

The Aristocrat approached, but was immediately forced to stop upon feeling the tip of Mako's katana pressed against the sensitive flesh of his neck. Silence fell as both contemplated their next move. It was in his best interest to leave, before Mako gave into her hunter instincts and killed him, but her smell was simply too intoxicating to walk away from. Even from a distance he could feel her life pumping strongly through her veins. Never before had he craved a human so badly and just the thought of sinking his fangs into the exposed tender flesh of her neck made his body ache. A wary expression on her countenance, Mako noted the colour of his eyes flicker to a glowing crimson and sneered. The vile vampire was getting overexcited.

If only that was the least of her concerns. The delay in her reaction was worrying, but she simply attributed it to her attempts at suppressing her desire to eliminate the Aristocrat in front of her. Still, for a hunter to have missed such a presence was nothing, if not disgraceful. Mako felt her body tremble, drawing in deep breaths. The air was thick and filling her lungs proved to be a difficult task. Generally more sensitive to vampiric presences than other hunters, Mako immediately understood why her body reacted the way it did. This feeling would pass once her body adjusted. At least, it would have had she not suddenly become overwhelmed by its intensity.

Almost unbearable, Mako was barely able to disguise the effects. She bit her lip and reacted accordingly, unsheathing a second line of defence. Blade glinting dangerously, she extended the dagger behind her, threatening the dark figure that loomed over her. Mako glanced back, staring at the man. He stood several inches taller than the first, but was equally, if not more, handsome. But then, they all were inhumanly beautiful. However, unlike the first vampire, this newcomer was far more distinctive. She drew in a deep breath, her body beginning to adjust to his presence. Mako had never been this close to a Pureblood before. It was both frightening and, in some twisted way, thrilling.

His voice, she was quick to note, was calm so as not to provoke her. "If you could, lower your weapons... They are extremely dangerous to us."

"I'm well aware of that."

The hunter shifted her gaze to the Aristocrat only to find that he hadn't moved. She would have expected him to take advantage of the situation. But, apparently, she had nothing to worry about. Not as long as the Pureblood remained head of the Night Class, exerting influence and control in favour of the Headmaster's precious experiment. Although, it was a precarious situation, and Mako strongly believed that the Headmaster's trust was entirely misplaced. If the Pureblood should suddenly change his mind, casualties would be alarmingly high. Mako narrowed her gaze upon noticing the pleasant smile on his face.

"You must be Mako Osaragi, the new guardian the Headmaster informed me of. I'm-"

"I know who you are." The Pureblood raised an eyebrow at Mako's sudden interruption, but allowed her to continue unimpeded. "And just because the Headmaster thinks he can trust you, doesn't mean I do."

From his expression, Mako found it incredibly difficult to ascertain whether he found her response amusing or irritating. "Then I suppose I'm going to have to earn your trust."

She stared at him. "I would suggest a more realistic objective."

"But I've already decided." His smile vanished behind an emotionless facade as he focused his gaze over her head. "Daisuke. You're beginning to make this a habit."

"Kaname-sama. You're completely misunderstanding the situation."

Either he was exceptionally well connected, or incredibly stupid. Daisuke smiled cooly at the higher ranking vampire, completely oblivious to the near murderous aura emanating from said being. Raw, unadulterated power was the only means of describing what she felt from him. it reminded her of the lesson her teacher had once given her. The sheer power of a Pureblood was immeasurable. Given that, for the Aristocrat to address one so casually, Mako was inclined to believe in his incredibly stupidity. She glanced between the two, noting the increasing rise in testosterone. Apparently vampires were just as susceptible to moments of idiotic machoism as humans. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Men were men, regardless of species.

"I was simply taking initiative to welcome Mako-chan to the Academy." Daisuke smirked. "I assumed you would approve."

Kaname remained silent, but then, no words were necessary to convey his opinion on the matter. Anyone, human or vampire, when faced with the sight of an enraged Pureblood, would do well to turn on their heels and run. Not that their escape would be guaranteed, but one stood more chance fleeing than fighting a Pureblood. Aware of the two bladed weapons Mako had yet to relinquish, the Pureblood started forward and carefully situated himself between the hunter and the Aristocrat.

Oblivious to the gesture that expressed the Pureblood's desire to protect her, Mako busied herself with determining whether or not it would be worth sticking around to witness the confrontation. Given the scene before her, she was willing to admit to her curiosity. Never had she seen a Pureblood in action. All she knew, she had learnt from old manuscripts and lectures. Stories of encounters that, to some extent, were biased. It was only natural that she be intrigued.

"The Headmaster will be informed of what has transpired here tonight. And you will be punished accordingly." A low growl emerged from the scowling Daisuke. Whether or not the Pureblood was offended by his blatant disrespect was yet to be determined. "It's time you learnt that your actions have consequences."

Despite the Aristocrat displaying his desire to retort, he was interrupted before he could utter a single word. "What's going on here?"

Mako wasn't quite sure what to make of the teenage girl who had stumbled onto the scene with wide eyes. Standing roughly a head shorter than Mako, her petite figure was garbed in a black Day Class uniform, which was enough to make the hunter cringe at the thought of wearing it tomorrow. Skirts and the like were incredibly restricting, and in Mako's eyes, it was akin to having her legs bound.

Upon further inspection of the newcomer, the hunter caught sight of the sash fastened securely to her upper arm. Given the current situation, Mako could safely conclude that the girl was the Headmaster's dearest daughter, Yuuki Cross. Cocking her head inconspicuously, Mako continued to stare at her. She was somewhat disappointed by the girl's absolute normal appearance. As cruel as it might seem, Mako had expected...more.

The sudden alleviation of the tense atmosphere drew her attention away from the guardian to Kaname, who regarded Yuuki with a gentle expression. A radical change from the ominous aura that he had emanated moments ago, to say the least. Daisuke raised his brow in question, looking between the Pureblood and the human. He too had noticed the change in his Dorm President's persona and found himself curious about the Pureblood's relationship with Yuuki Cross. The Headmaster's daughter, completely oblivious to the sudden changes displayed by the trio, tentatively approached them.

"Kaname-senpai." She flushed with embarrassment, barely able to meet his gaze. "W-What are you doing here?"

He smiled kindly. "Yuuki, I-"

"Yuuki."

The situation was escalating quickly and Mako could only roll her eyes. She would have preferred it if it had remained a simple one-on-one encounter, but clearly, the people at this Academy were busybodies incapable of minding their own business. Mako enjoyed her privacy, something she had a feeling would be a rare thing from now on. She thought of slipping away from them, but the manner in which the newcomer narrowed his gaze at the Pureblood changed her mind. She wanted to see how things would play out. The phrase curiosity killed the cat repeated itself several times in her mind, but she payed it no mind. Particularly once she recognized him.

That silver hair and those lavender orbs made quick work of jogging her memory. "Zero?"

Familiar lavender eyes instantly focused on her. He blinked. "Mako?" He took a quick, somewhat hostile glance at Kaname. "You're friends with Kuran?"

"What a stupid question. Do I look like I'm friends with him?" She nodded to the dagger stilled aimed at his chest.

Zero shrugged but couldn't resist the urge smirk at the Pureblood's predicament. "It wouldn't be the first time you've had me at sword point."

"So you naturally assume that I subject all my friends to the same treatment?" A smirked tugged at her lips. "I haven't seen you in a while. Thought you'd dropped off the face of the earth."

"Yeah. I've been busy."

Her gaze moved towards a confused Yuuki. "Yes, I can see that."

A hint of mistrust flickered across his countenance. "Why are you here?"

But before she could answer, they were interrupted. "Zero?" He blinked. Yuuki had reminded him that there were others present. An interrogation would be better suited for when they were alone. The female guardian shuffled uncomfortably. "Do you know her?"

"Mako's a friend."

"Oh. Well then," An awkward smile materialized on her face. "It's nice to meet you, Mako. It's just, Zero's never mentioned you before."

Mako raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "That's not surprising."

Yuuki forced a chuckle. "I'm sorry. I understand that you're new here, but, do you think you could lower your weapons? Violence is frowned upon on Academy grounds."

"Unjustifiable given the nature of the students that attend. But yes, the Headmaster has made that particular rule inexplicably clear."

Somewhat reluctantly, Mako first sheathed her katana, keeping a wary eye on the Pureblood upon whom the dagger was still poised. Daisuke gave a victorious smirk. It seemed to him that the hunter perceived Kaname as more of a threat. Something that could work to his advantage in the future. Mako wasn't oblivious to the change of expression. Maybe the Aristocrat thought her actions were a means of conveying favouritism towards him. Oh, but how wrong he was.

Her behaviour was the result of the many years the Vampire Hunters Association had spent teaching her that a Pureblood wasn't to be taken lightly and that, given the opportunity, should be terminated on sight. She stared intensely. Really, really intensely at Kaname. And only after a long moment of careful consideration, and taking into account the Headmaster's personal request, did she sheath her dagger.

A sigh of relief escaped the petite guardian, who made quick work of approaching Mako, as though such an act would prevent her from any future threatening of the Pureblood. "Thank you." The human then turned to Kaname, a blush on her cheeks and a self-conscious smile on her lips. "I apologize for the confusion, Kaname-senpai. I'm sure Mako didn't mean any harm by it."

"As far as I'm concerned, Osaragi-san has done nothing wrong." In the space of a heartbeat, the Pureblood locked his gaze with the hunter's. "Her actions were completely justifiable. She simply sought to defend herself."

Yuuki blinked. Confused by the situation, which wasn't a surprising considering she had only witnessed the end of their confrontation and not the provocation that had taken place at the beginning. Mako stared at the Pureblood. The hunter was suspicious of his motives. Having defended her in such a nonchalant manner after she'd threatened him was a just enough reason to be suspicious. Kaname met her gaze. And, much to her surprise, she found those garnet eyes had softened substantially. Odd. The eyes of a Pureblood were not meant to be gentle.

Mako gave the subtlest shake of her head before focusing upon Yuuki. After watching the more subtle interactions between Zero, Yuuki and Kaname during the space of their conversation, it occurred to the hunter that their relationship was a complicated one. Both men had feelings towards the human guardian and she felt the same about them. But Mako wasn't blind. The way Yuuki reacted, her posture and the subtle movements of her hands, indicated her preference.

Zero deserved love, after everything that had befallen him. A good man, who had been unjustifiably dealt the bad hand of fate. And it was because she knew him to be a good man that she was able to accept him for what he'd unwillingly become. Zero was the only vampire she could ever care for. It bothered her to know that his love would never be reciprocated as he wanted it to be. And, once again, a Pureblood was to blame.

The hunter's silence had remained largely unnoticed, by everyone except the Aristocrat, who had taken to observing her. Daisuke found her ability to block out the world around her very amusing, but wondered if she was in the correct occupation. A hunter could not afford to be lost in thought when confronting a vampire. But something about her informed him that such a thing was never an issue. He couldn't quite understand it. A hunter though she was, he couldn't ignore the scent of her blood. So strong he could smell it through her skin.

He looked up to find the Dorm President watching him with a blank expression, though Daisuke could feel the tendrils of his ominous aura lashing at his skin. Kaname must have noticed it as well. What other reason would he have to intervene? It was the guardians job to prevent the intermingling of Day and Night Class students after hours, not his. Raising an eyebrow, he turned his attention back to the hunter and felt the urge to laugh. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed the many sideward glances his Dorm President had offered her.

"Osaragi-san." The novice guardian shook her head before meeting the Pureblood's gaze. "I apologize for Daisuke's behaviour. You have my word that he will be severely punished."

"I honestly don't care what you do to him." She turned to the Aristocrat. "But if you do it again, Headmaster or no, I'll kill you."

An uncomfortable silence settled upon the group, all staring at her with a varied array of expressions on their faces. Zero couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit nostalgic. In truth, he had missed Mako more than he cared at admit. And seeing her here now, threatening a couple of vampires that rubbed him the wrong way, was a dream come true. He gave a small, but inescapably noticeable, smile. There was no hiding his happiness.

It was Yuuki's awkward laughter that finally broke the silence. After whispering a quick word to Mako, she began apologizing profusely for the hunter's behaviour. Not that the guardian had any business in doing such a thing, but Mako remained silent. It gave her the chance to further observe the Zero, Yuuki and Kaname dynamic. And what a complicated mess it was. In Mako's honest, but somewhat biased, opinion, the human stood a better chance of a happy life with Zero.

Mako found herself focusing on the Pureblood who, she noticed, had been staring at her for the entire length of Yuuki's apologetic ramblings. She blinked. The thought of killing him popped into mind. Anything to stop those inexplicably profound eyes from staring at her. It was ironic, for the reason she wanted to kill him was the same reason she was incapable of doing so. That unnerving gaze. Those unsettling eyes. Almost as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, and he was advising her against it. Her brow arched, urging him to give her a reason, any reason, to draw his blood.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and tore her attention away from her staring contest with the Pureblood. She glanced back, catching sight of the antagonistic scowl Zero was so openly directing at Kaname. The friction between them was difficult to overlook, though Yuuki seemed to be doing a pretty good job of remaining completely oblivious to the situation. Mako sighed inwardly. Testosterone levels were steadily rising...again. Rolling her eyes, Mako pulled free of Zero's grasp and proceeded to leave without so much as a word. She'd had enough.

They watched her as she came to a sudden stop by Yuuki, startling the girl. "Show me to my room."

It wasn't a request. The guardian blinked, watching Mako as she sauntered off, before realizing what she had been instructed to do. She bowed to the Pureblood and mumbled a hurried apology before dashing after the hunter. Zero glared a moment longer before turning on his heels and promptly following them. The Aristocrat, who had remained largely unnoticed during the climax of the conversation, moved to the Dorm President's side and followed his gaze to Mako.

"She certainly is an interesting one." He glanced at the Pureblood. "And I can't help but notice you seem more captivated by her than would be considered appropriate."

"Daisuke." His harsh voice rang out, causing the Aristocrat to cringe. "You aren't in a position to lecture me. Nor are my affairs any of your concern." A violent breeze swept past. Being an unusually still night, Daisuke could only conclude that such an occurrence was a direct result of the Pureblood's masked anger. "The Headmaster is waiting."

Following much pointless and incessant chatter, courtesy of the young Miss Yuuki Cross, Mako had been shown to her room and left to unpack. Comforted by the promise of being able to continue their conversation tomorrow. Mako had to roll her eyes at that. Not that she had anything against Yuuki, but she wasn't one to have extended conversations with people she was unfamiliar with. And to top it off, though Mako wasn't entirely sure that Yuuki was aware of the fact, the guardian had a habit of constantly mentioning that damned Pureblood.

Mako mentioned nothing about it to her. It wasn't her place. And she was a girl in love. Why not let her hold on to her fantasies? After all, Mako wasn't entirely heartless. With a grunt, she hoisted the single suitcase in her possession onto the large bed. Yuuki left, chirping on about the upcoming ball and how she hoped to have a dance with that certain someone. As far as Mako was concerned, she decided it would be best to keep away from the Pureblood, given Zero's obvious hatred towards him, lest she provoke a misfortunate event.

Said vampire hunter stood in her doorway, arms crossed along his chest as he watched her move about wordlessly. Zero had yet to question her. He had Yuuki to thank for that. But now he found himself hesitating. Several years had gone by since he had last seen her, it just didn't seem like a suitable time to be questioning her. Normal friends would be catching up and reminiscing on old times, not purposefully subjecting themselves to unnecessary interrogation.

"If you have something to say, say it." Zero blinked and met her gaze. She sat on the edge of her bed, sorting through a stack of papers. "You want to ask me a question. There's no point denying it."

He got right to the point. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry. I'm not here for you. At least, not yet." She gave a sly grin. "The Headmaster calls and I come running, like a good little dog."

"That's all?"

"What else could there be?" She got to her feet and in a few strides stood directly in front of him. She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. "I'd tell you if I was here to kill you. But I think it'll be a while yet. You still seem to be in control."

Zero averted his gaze. "Barely."

Her brow knitted in concern. "The blood tablets aren't working?" The vampire remained silent, it was answer enough. Mako sighed. "Why didn't you tell me? I can help you-"

"NO."

Zero turned his head to look at her, gaze sharp and voice sharper. And she stared at him, not uttering so much as a word. She was willing to help him in any way possible. That included feeding on her. And he was sorely tempted to accept her offer. Even now, when there were no lacerations present on her body to release the scent, he could still smell her blood. He forced his eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the beast roaring to take her.

And he averted his face once more, his voice barely audible as he repeated his answer. "No."

She looked him over, noticing his fist clench tightly and the muscles of his neck tensing enough to cause the veins to protrude from the skin. He really was struggling to fight off his vampiric nature. A small smile graced her lips and she nodded, moving back to her bedside. Zero allowed himself to relax somewhat, but kept a safe distance from her. He had never realized just how attractive Mako's blood was to vampires. But it certainly did clear up a few questions he had in the past. Like how easily she had always managed to find her targets.

"It had nothing to do with being a good hunter." He mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

An innocent looking Mako had paused her unpacking yet again. He shook his head and cleared his throat. "It's nothing." She eyed him suspiciously, but resolved to continue her unpacking. A smirk tugged at his lips as he mumbled. "I knew you weren't that great a hunter. It was all luck and scent."

The next thing he knew, a pillow struck his face. "I heard that, idiot." She glared at him, hands poised at her hips as she spoke. "Next time you insult someone, don't be so damn loud."