As his hands slid across her bare skin where her shirt was too short to cover, he felt a stirring within his vampire blood, whispering for him to keep her.
Kyoko's eyesight had decided she wasn't good enough for it at the moment. It seemed to defy her will as the man began to blur while she gazed up at him curiously. Even if she couldn't see well, she could still feel the body holding her.
Reaching her fingers up to touch his cheek, she asked. "Youâre not Toya⦠Who are you?" Before she could get an answer, Buddha or whatever god kept playing tricks on her, turned out the lights as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Kyou clasped her tightly to him as her body went limp in his arms. She had passed out but at least she hadnât passed out in the arms of an enemy. Her head fell back exposing the smooth pale column of her throat and Kyou fought his instincts. He silently wondered if she wasnât in the arms of the enemy after all. His fangs started to lengthen and he reigned the sensation in⦠this one was too pure for such darkness.
He then felt his anger spark at the naive girl. If he had not been here to protect her, what would have happened to her? He conveniently forgot his own urges just moments before. If the wolf had been an adequate protector, he would not have left her. He looked around realizing the friends she had been with earlier had also abandon her.
Stretching his senses, Kyou could still feel his own nemesis, Hyakuhei, within the confines of the building. Feeling the evil coming from above him, he knew Hyakuhei was somewhere high up in the rooms on the second floor.
*****
Shinbe jumped out of the car before it had even stopped moving. One thing spurred him forward and had him heading straight for the main entrance of the club at a dead run. He couldn't get the thought of Suki and Kyoko becoming one of those missing girls out of his head and it was terrorizing him.
Toya had filled him in on what Kotaro had told him and once he got his hands on Suki, he was going to very well keep them there. Where on her body he couldn't say but he had to find her first.
Shinbe stopped dead in his tracks when he burst through the front doors of Club Midnight.
Right there in the middle of the hallway was a man holding Kyoko and she didn't look that well. She was unmoving and way too pale. For that matter, the man didn't look all that normal either. Pale would have been an understatement for him⦠which made Shinbe pause nervously when he realized the man reminded him of his best friend.
The silver hair and golden eyes⦠Toyaâs hair was dark as midnight but within it were the same silver streaks as the man in front of him. Those were very uncommon characteristics and he only knew of Toya ever having that type of unusual combination.
Noticing the man moving to leave with her, Shinbe pushed the uneasy feeling aside. Toya would kill him if he didnât stop the abduction of Kyoko.
"What the hell are you doing with Kyoko?" Amethyst eyes glowed as Shinbe yelled, feeling his feet move again without thought. She may not be his girlfriend but she was very dear to him⦠dearer then even he would admit and plus, she was Suki's best friend. No way was this guy leaving with Kyoko in his clutches.
Kyou slid his arm under Kyoko's knees and lifted her effortlessly. He cradled her like a baby, laying her head against his shoulder, careful not to disturb her. The moment her head touched his shoulder, she snuggled into his embrace, sighing softly.
He could feel the trust and contentment emit from her aura as she settled in his arms. This woman-child disturbed him greatly and the longer he watched her slumber, the more he wanted to hide her from everyone. He knew he could⦠if he really wanted to and the temptation was great indeed. He had never turned anyone into what he was ⦠but if he wanted to⦠he could.
His protectiveness of the girl, as well as the possessive need to keep her surprised him and Kyou growled softly at his actions. How could this girl affect him like this? Tearing his gaze from her angelic face, he looked up as a young man shouted at him. It would seem that the men who wanted her kept getting in the way.
Gold eyes locked with amethyst and he sensed an odd familiarity. âThis is not for you to decide wizard,â Kyou warned in a low deadly tone.
At that moment he knew that Hyakuhei himself would not be able to take her from him, she was his. His arms tightened around her, not liking the love he could feel rising for the girl radiating from the other man's powerful aura.
Steeling himself against his wayward thoughts, Kyou growled again softly. He would not let the girl get to him but⦠he wasnât ready to give her up yet. He had too many questions and she would answer them, whether she liked it or not.
Positive he had himself back under control, Kyou decided it was time to depart.
Shinbe was on his way to Kyoko when the man moved. Moved? That might not have been the right word. Shimmered and disappeared, then reappearing out of nowhere right in front of him was more like it.
"What theâ¦" Shinbe skidded to a stop as he looked up into a face that had death written all over it.
His eyes widened in shock, it felt as if his heart just stopped. This close to him⦠he could clearly see the man had practically porcelain white skin and looked too much like Toya for it to be a joke. Blinking, he could've sworn he noticed fangs protrude from the man's mouth and a warning growl rumble around them.
Shinbe stood planted as the man reached out one finger and pushed against his chest. The next thing Shinbe knew, he was sitting on his butt in the middle of the floor. Blinking again, he sat confused as the silver haired man dressed in black simply stepped over him, then suddenly disappeared.
Suki reached the hall just in time to see Shinbe hit the floor none too gently and a tall, silver haired man disappearing with Kyoko. She blinked once and they were gone⦠there one second then gone the next.
Shinbe, who looked like he was in the twilight zone, sat there for a moment longer, blinking in confusion. "What the hell?"
Running up to Shinbe, Sukiâs hands shook as she attempted to help him stand up. "Who was that man that disappeared with Kyoko?" She glanced at Shinbe worriedly as they both turned and rushed out the door to find them. `Did he really just disappear?'
They exited the building and looked around frantically only to find no trace of the man or Kyoko anywhere.
Turning to Shinbe, Suki's eyes shimmered. She felt like she was on the verge of tears. "Where'd they go? That man kidnapped Kyoko!" She was shaking with fear. What had started out as a fun girl's night out had turned into a nightmare.
"Calm down, Suki. Weâll find her. Toya's here as well." Shinbe anxiously looked around for his missing friend. âI thought he was right behind me!â
Worry quickly turned to anger now that it sank in that Suki was safe and by his side. A shadow of pity crossed his haunted eyes as he thought of the past. "And what the hell were you thinking? Something could've happened to you and I might not have known where you were!" He grabbed her harshly by the arms as his amethyst eyes darkened possessively.
Suki's lips thinned at his anger. What was his deal? It wasnât like she never went out with her friends. Her gaze locked with his as her own anger began to rise. "What do you mmmf," Her words were halted as his lips crashed against hers in a searing, heart-stopping kiss.
Shinbe had been so worried about her that he couldn't stop the feelings that had rushed forth. He wanted to make sure she could feel every emotion that was coursing through his veins right then and there. He hugged her tightly, swearing to himself that she was never going to leave his sight again.
Shinbe had been so worried about her that he couldn't stop the feelings that had rushed forth. He wanted to make sure she could feel every emotion that was coursing through his veins right then and there. He hugged her tightly, swearing to himself that she was never going to leave his sight again.
Suki whimpered softly at the intensity of Shinbe's kiss. It was as if he was baring every raw emotion within his soul. She could practically feel them with her fingertips as she gripped his shoulders. Knowing if she let go, she would not be able to stand, seeing as her legs had just turned into jelly, she held on for dear life.
Her mind went blank for a moment and she forgot that she was mad at him or that Kyoko had just vanished. All she could feel was Shinbe and a love that would no doubt outlast them.
Gently, he relaxed his hold, ending their kiss by rubbing his nose against hers. His eyes filled with relief, but were still dark with desire. Shaking his head slightly, he tried to focus on the situation at hand and for once, his lecherous mind didn't wander at the feel of Suki's soft body in his arms⦠after all, she had been there for many life times.
"There have been some things going on and you need to know about them. It wasn't safe for you and Kyoko to come out alone tonight. I'll explain while we search for Toya. I think Kotaro's here somewhere too." Shinbe wrapped a protective arm around her as they headed in the direction of the parking lot to find Toya.
Suki was too stunned for a moment to do anything but nod.
*****
Toya raced across the parking lot cursing Shinbe for getting ahead of him. He had to exit his car on the passenger side once he realized that he couldn't get out on his side. In his haste to get to Kyoko, he had parked too close to a brick wall. Unfortunately, heâd also figured this out when he tried to open his door and it banged into the wall putting a dent in the side of his baby.
That wasnât really what had slowed him down though. When he had taken off across the parking lot at breakneck speed, a small boy had come out of nowhere and collided with him. The impact had been so sudden that it had knocked him clear off his feet. When he had righted himself enough to stand back up, he quickly offered the boy a hand to help him stand.
âHey kid⦠you alright?â Toya jerked his hand back when the boy hissed at him and took off in the opposite direction as if Satan himself was chasing him.
Toya shook off the creepy feeling the boy had left him with as he looked up at the two-story nightclub. The eerie feeling came back tenfold as he noticed the shadow of a man carrying someone across one of the windows on the top floor. There were just so many things wrong with that one little scene.
His eyes flashed silver⦠his senses knowing things he did not yet understand. It all left him with the feeling that someone had just walked over his grave.
As he approached the club, Toya growled in annoyance when he realized there were two entrances. One looked to be a main entrance and the other was just as crowded. Deciding to go through the main one, he forced his way through the crowd.
`She better be okay... When I find her, I'm gonna permanently handcuff her to me whether she likes it or notâ¦â Flecks of silver began to strengthen within the gold of his eyes as he searched for Kyoko.
*****
Kyou made his way down the alley behind the club with Kyoko held tightly in his arms. His mind was set and he would take the girl to his temporary home to recover. He looked up toward the penthouse right across the main road from the club. She would be safe with him⦠but he would have to be careful. He could feel Hyakuheiâs minion within the darkness that surrounded the club.
His jaw clenched as he heard a faint scream in the distance and knew another victim had been found. Glancing down at the sleeping girl, his golden eyes softened. For now⦠she was his secret. She felt as light as a feather and seemed so fragile.
He couldn't comprehend how this wisp of a girl had such a fiery spirit, and yet still had such a pure soul. And âToyaâ, she had spoken his dead brother's name as if she knew him. How could that be possible?
His thoughts came to a halt as he sensed a powerful night creature ahead at the same time that a heavy scent of blood hit his nose. Tensing, he recognized the aura of the Lycan that had protected Kyoko earlier from the punk harassing her only to then abandon her⦠leaving her in harm's way.
Not wanting the girl to be injured should he need to fight, Kyou laid her down gently in the alleyway and followed the scent of blood, which lay just around the corner. If the wolf had slaughtered a human, the girl may not be safe around him. It was known that some werewolves lose themselves once anger entered their blood, and he would not allow the girl to be protected by such a dangerous creature.
Turning the corner on silent feet, Kyouâs eyes beheld a scene he hadn't witnessed in centuries. The wolf, still in human form, stood growling, his fangs bared. Stark blue eyes blazed as he snarled viciously at what looked to be a body held in his grasp.
*****
Toya paused as he neared the doorway. Sniffing, he turned quickly and headed in the opposite direction of the entrance. He could smell her⦠though in the back of his mind he couldnât figure out how or why he could. Taking off in a dead run toward the alleyway to the left of the building, his heart hammered violently in his chest as morbid thoughts flew through his mind.
Missing girls and dark places... Kyoko had better not have a single hair out of place or elseâ¦
Entering the shadows, Toya skidded to a stop as fear choked the breath from his lungs. There, lying slumped against the dirty brick wall⦠was Kyoko. The same fear that rooted him to the spot, spurred him into motion. With his next breath, he was beside her.
Kneeling, he touched her, checking for the life that would allow his heart to start beating again.
As soon as his finger touched her neck, his own heart kicked in time with hers and he breathed. Thank god⦠she was alive. A moment of déjà vu reflected in some unwanted memory and he quickly pushed it away suddenly afraid. Feeling others close by, he wasted no time in picking her up and getting her to safety. As he held her close to him, Toya used his unnatural speed to take them out of the darkness.
*****
Kotaro held Yohji up against the brick wall while willing his blood lust to cool. Continuing his punishment was not worth it anymore, considering the boy had already passed out again. Dropping him none too gently on the ground, feeling a disturbance in the energy around him.
His head snapped to the side, his ice blue eyes narrowing.
Kyou watched as the wolf dropped the boy back to the ground without killing him. He immediately recognized the human as the one harassing Kyoko. Changing his opinion from a few moments before, his lips curved into a slight snarl. Had it been him holding the boy by his neck, the boy would not still be in one piece.
As if sensing him, the Lycan turned his head and locked his deadly gaze on him. Kyou could feel the immense power emanating from the wolf. He was displaying it in warning.
In the past, wolves and vampires had always avoided each other. Neither caring for the other, they chose to leave each other alone. Both were too closely matched in strength and neither cared for dominance over the other. They just existed together in the same world, keeping mostly to themselves and going about their own endless lives.
All of Kotaro's instincts came to life, seeing the vampire standing there in the shadows⦠watching him. He couldnât see him clearly enough to make out any distinctive features but his instinct told him the bloodsucker was a threat. He still needed to release some of his own bloodlust and cracked his knuckles thinking it was maybe one of Hyakuheiâs underlings.