I LIVE!

I am sorry to inform some readers that Yuki will indeed become a bitch briefly, and while she will eventually become supportive- a lot of things happen first, so it won't be for many (many) chapters that she supports their relationship. Just to give fair warning to those who don't want to read any Bitch Yuki. Supportive Yuki is in Blood Secrets- at least until later in this story. Much later. And after things go horribly wrong for everyone.

Finally I have a concrete (sort of) plot to write off of- before it was just an abstract idea because my muse ran off with it. Now I have a few point plot events to work with... Everything else is up in the air though...

Can We Make This Work?

Sai paced his room while debating if he should go talk to Ruka again. He'd sought her out during change over the last several nights- made easier by the fact that he had technically been enrolled as a Day Class student, even if he wasn't actively in any classes yet while Zero was still in his mating heat, and was made a prefect to help Yuki out while Zero was dealing with issues. She was warming to him, he could tell that much, but he wasn't sure if she knew he was actually perusing her. Which brought him to where he was now. He wanted to tell her what he was up to- it was in a hunter's nature to be straightforward about such things- but he was spazzing at the thought of how she would react. But he needed to do it soon, before Zero's heat began to affect him- and possibly others- as well. He couldn't be certain but he was fairly sure she would not react well to being chased by a hunter in heat. And that, unfortunately, was a distinct possibility if things got as bad as everyone thought they would.

What was worse to him was that no one was quite sure what all a hunter in heat would do. To themselves or to others. It was almost unheard of for a hunter to have an incomplete bond and what little information the mentors had found hadn't been all that helpful really. Partly because the few situations it had happened in before were resolved quickly, before things had escalated too far out of hand. There were some theories floating around between the two older hunters but Sai and Zero hadn't been told too much. He did know that one of the things they were working on was a way to hopefully slow down the effects, since they already knew how to stop it.

He needed to tell her also because she might never understand otherwise simply because hunter courting and vampire courting where two completely different things. Tonight would be a good night to do it. There were no classes, and he could ask her to walk with him so he could get her somewhere secluded and admit his intentions. So there would be no witnesses if she flipped out and tried to murder him. Steeling himself for facing the inevitable he walked out of his room. Hunters went out to fight all the time not knowing how things would turn out or if they would come back alive- this should only be slightly more dangerous...

~*O*~

Ruka sat at a table in the Moon Dorm's courtyard trying to focus on the book that was open in front of her. She didn't want to admit it but she was outside hoping Sai would show up again despite the fact that there was no change over tonight. The vampiress liked bantering with the hunter once she'd learned how to tell when he was merely teasing and when he was being serious. After that first meeting they'd smoothed things out- on her part it was simply a matter of necessity as his alpha was apparently married to her halo. But she was quickly coming to enjoy his teasing. There was a niggling doubt in her mind though, a question that she didn't have an answer to: Why was he so focused on her?

If it was diplomatic as her reason had been then they'd achieved their goal. They no longer threatened each other, in any serious capacity, so the peace at the academy was secure. Yet he still continued to spend time with her above all the other vampires at the academy. Of all of them, she would have thought Takuma, as the open and friendly type, would be the one any hunter would talk to the most. It couldn't be because he didn't want to deal with answering questions- she had asked a fair bit of her own and answered many of the ones he asked her. So that brought her back to why?

Her ears perked, pulling her out of her thoughts, as she heard footsteps approaching and she just kept from holding her breath with anticipation when she sensed the hunter that had filled her thoughts coming closer. She turned her head to watch as he came around some hedges, oddly looking tense to her. His shoulders were stiff in a way she couldn't recall seeing before, even when Kiryu had tried to provoke Kaname. He had one hand in the pocket of his jacket which was unusual. She had noticed that Sai didn't really like the school jacket and preferred to go without it whenever he could so the fact that he was wearing it caught her attention as he came to stand in front of her table.

The vampiress couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong?"

"No." Was the immediate response that did nothing to reassure her what-so-ever. Closing her book and moving it to the side, she motioned for him to sit with her while she waited for him to explain what was going on.

Sai hesitated before he sat down, staring intently at the female across from him. Taking a deep fortifying breath the hunter pulled out the box from his pocket and set it on the table between them. "I don't quite know how your people do this but.. This is my Declaration of Intent." He fidgeted slightly, anticipating a negative reaction but pressing on anyways. "I've sort of been unofficially courting you, in a way. This is a symbol to make it official. For a hunter we give a token and if the recipient feels the same they give one in return. If not then they return the token. They can wait a week to decide, or ask for more time if they feel they need it. You don't have to do either- like I said I know vampires do things differently and I don't expect you to conform to our ways just because I'm a hunter because you aren't a hunter and I'm going to shut up for a while okay?" Sai stopped to take another breath when he realized that he was starting to ramble.

Ruka blinked rapidly, dainty mouth open in shock as he question from earlier was so blatantly answered without her actually trying to weasel them information out of the hunter. Her toffee eyes flicked down to the box and then back to the electric blue eyes that had yet to look away from her. Finally gathering her sense the vampiress pulled the white box closer and carefully lifted the lid. A quiet gasp left her when she saw the bracelet inside. It was two strands of gold looping around each other with small diamonds between the strands and a little lock to close it with the key sitting neatly in the center. She recognized this piece- it was a promise bracelet by CaratLane. She lifted her eyes to meet those intense blue ones, completely speechless at both the gift and the meaning behind it.

~*O*~

Zero braided his hair and flipped it over his shoulder. The silvette wore only a thin white sleep tank top and a pair of short sleep shorts that he'd gotten while traveling the towns in his female form with Sai. The hunter had given up controlling his form after the third night since he'd been told that until the heat was over and his aura regained stability, the shifting would continue. And to end the heat, he'd have to complete the Soul Bond... with his... mate. It was difficult for him to think it but he was beginning to come to terms with his lack of real options. He had spent much of his time the last few days thinking about his talk with the Kensei hunter and considering his next move. A quick glance out the window told him it was dusk and he stood, thinking about what he should do. Footsteps came down the hall and he knew it was Sai leaving the apartment. Probably going to find Ruka. Zero paused to think about that.

He knew his second was courting the vampiress and wasn't certain how the other hunter could be so calm about it. He supposed that Sai didn't have quite his hatred of vampires since he had never been turned but still... This was the enemy of their race. The ones they had been trained to kill since before they were able to understand the danger the vampires presented. It didn't seem to really phase the other hunter though. The only thing that seemed to matter to him was how the female would react to his courting. Zero could understand the fear, particularly since he knew how cold and aloof the vampiress typically was. Maybe this would help things, make Ruka more welcoming and friendly. He doubted it but hell if he was going to sit there hoping for miracles he might as well go big. Worked for his father when he was courting his mother.

Zero's eyes drifted over to his bedside table at the memory. He stared at it for a few moments before going over and opening the drawer. Pulling out a jewelry box he slowly opened the lid and pulled out the item inside. The hunter hesitated before sliding the ring onto the middle finger of his left hand and straightening the intricate silver and gems before clasping the connecting bracelet. A triangular cluster of purple heliotrope flowers covered the back of his hand from the bracelet to the ring symbolizing eternal love. It had been the token his father had given his mother when he'd first declared his intent to court her. He sat on the bed, braid falling over his shoulder as he remember how their mother told him and Ichiru how she hadn't been able to stand being in the same room as their father when he'd first gave it to her. Eventually he'd won her over and she had accepted both the token and him.

He supposed, looking back, that he was much like his mother in that aspect. For his mother, she had hesitated because she had been cruelly tricked by a boy before his father had come around. Because of that she hadn't trusted his father's intentions initially. For him it was the attack on him and his family that caused it. The result was the same for both of them and he wondered if he would be able to overcome it like his mother had. It was difficult, though, when he knew that the whole reason this had happened was because Hio had come back for him.

Zero shifted uneasily as his mind drifted to the next topic. He lifted his legs onto the bed, moving to lean against the headboard and subconsciously cradling his hand over his heart as he asked the same questions that had always haunted him. Why did she attack? Why did she leave him alive? Why did Ichiru go with her? Why did she come back? Why did she make Kuran and him do that of all things? What was she after? What did she hope to gain?

He didn't have any answers for those questions and that fact pissed him off. Just like it pissed him off that he didn't know what the Association was up to. He knew they had to be planning something for them to back this marriage he had with Kuran. Angerly he switched the light off and curled up to try to sleep. He was going to have to talk to Kuran about the possible trouble that the Association may cause for the Academy. However much he didn't like the pureblood he knew that the vampire was more aware of the political maneuverings than he was and the two of them would have to cooperate to avoid anything that may come at them from this situation. And maybe, just maybe, doing so would give him the same chance his father had to gain his trust and win him over if he really wanted the hunter to be his mate.

~*O*~

I know it's shorter that the others and that sucks but I wanted to get something posted to prove that I haven't abandoned my stories. I've just been having a hard time getting things written. My apologies to my readers, I will try to get the other stories updated as well.