Читать книгу A Light In The Heart Of Darkness - Amy Blankenship, Amy Blankenship - Страница 7

Kyoko didn’t like the way Yohji was holding her flush against him and she felt her resentment start to snap. Pushing as hard as she could with her palms pressed against his chest, her eyes shot angry sparks as she tried again to get him to let her go.

“Look, I need you to let me go right now Yohji! I am here with someone.” Her eyes widened when he simply gave her a smug look and pressed her back to her previous position. ‘Damn it!’ Kyoko fumed as she gave a stomp with her foot, trying to make it land on Yohji’s toe.

Across the room, Tasuki had brought some regular tea back to the table and set it down. Looking towards the door to see if he could spot Kyoko, his eyes darkened as he noticed Yohji harassing her. Most people who knew him believed Tasuki to be the all American, sweet, boy next-door and the most popular at school… but he did have a hidden temper.

Yohji was on the verge of witnessing it unleashed, if he didn’t take his hands off Kyoko.

Tasuki's anger was displayed on his face as he crossed the room to rescue his sweet Kyoko. He knew, from hearing others talk at the college, that Yohji and his brother were aggressive with girls and had even been accused of date rape more than once.

As he approached them, he saw Yohji’s brother, Hitomi, standing with him but didn’t let that stop him. Those two guys were poison and he knew it. Tasuki’s eyes took on an illuminated shade of amethyst as he moved forward. His adrenaline was high and he gritted his teeth seeing Kyoko struggle to get free.

Kyoko’s eyebrow started to twitch as Yohji’s hand traveled down her back and cupped her butt firmly, forcing her to arch into him. She could feel his lust as he smirked devilishly at her.

“That’s it!” She raised her hand so swiftly that Yohji hadn’t seen it coming, until he heard the crack of it echo in his ear.

Yohji’s brother, Hitomi, heard the sound and turned to look at the red cheek of his brother. He grinned knowingly but then looking past him, he observed the boy named Tasuki heading straight for his brother with a livid look on his face.

Knowing his brother could take care of the reluctant girl himself, Hitomi stepped around them and directly into Tasuki's path. “Just where do you think you’re going little boy?”

Tasuki looked past Hitomi, his eyes instantly clashing with Yohji's. He could see Yohji’s hand caress Kyoko’s… without thinking, he threw all his weight into the punch landing it right in Hitomi’s stomach. Much to his amazement, the other boy barely moved.

Being so much bigger than the college prep, with one punch, Hitomi sent Tasuki sprawling toward the far wall of the hallway. He shrugged, figuring the boy would not get back up and he turned back to watch his brother play with his new toy.

Seeing the girl fight for her release brought a smile to Hyakuhei’s lips. ‘So, this girl will not be handled so easily. I will take pleasure in breaking her.’ Watching the young man that had come to defend her honor, Hyakuhei decided on who he wanted as his newest recruit.

He swiftly caught the boy named Tasuki before he slammed into the wall.

His senses told him the boy was still pure… a virgin… how strange. Quickly cloaking them in darkness to keep others from seeing, Hyakuhei gazed down at him. He had watched him interact with this girl and several others. He would be a good choice.

“Welcome to the darkness, my son...” He whispered as he sank his fangs into Tasuki's vein. Hyakuhei’s eyes widened at the flavor of the boy’s blood. Hidden power? It tasted of amethyst. He gripped the boy tighter wanting more.

Tasuki had taken the blow to the face with stride since he had so much adrenaline pumping through him. He planned on getting right back up but as arms enveloped him from behind, everything turned black and he felt paralyzed with instant fear. A soft almost seductive voice welcomed him to darkness.

He gasped as he felt sharp teeth sink into the flesh of his neck. As his life drained from him, his last thoughts were of Kyoko and how much he needed to get to her. He was reaching out his hand in one last attempt to go to her when oblivion came, claiming his last breath.

*****

Kyoko’s hand still burned from the impact it had made with Yohji’s cheek. She wanted to cringe now that she could feel many interested eyes on her. It didn’t help that the slap had sounded like a freaking gunshot.

‘Damn it all!’ This was what she had been trying to avoid, but no, Yohji had to go and be such an ass. Speaking of asses, he had yet to remove his hand from hers. She slowly glanced back up at him. From the angry look in his eyes, she didn’t think he planned on letting her go at all.

She returned the heated glare, waiting to see if he would pay her back or let her go. If she were the type to place bets… she would bet on the first option.

Kyou could tell the small wisp of a girl was no match for the lust coming from the guy holding her so tightly. He mentally shredded the lecher for daring to touch what he intended to claim as his possession. It suddenly didn’t matter to him if Hyakuhei detected him or not as he made up his mind. Just as Kyou moved to step out of the shadows, intent on taking her away from the harasser, he heard a deep growl.

Momentarily stunned, Kyou knew that kind of growl was only known to come from a Lycan. His golden eyes followed the sound to its source as it continued to vibrate from the entrance only a couple of feet from the girl. The wolf’s rage flooded the crowded hallway.

Kyou’s eyes narrowed on the scene, wondering if he could trust such an ageless strength within reaching distance of the girl. He had not seen a Lycan since he had been first turned and then he had only watched from a distance. He remembered once telling Toya that Vampires and werewolves didn’t mingle. Toya had asked him why and he hadn’t answered him because he had only been repeating Hyakuhei’s words and had not known the reason for it.

Kotaro took one look at Yohji groping ‘His Woman’ and lost it. Within the blink of an eye, Yohji was slammed against the wall with Kotaro’s hand around his throat, lifting him several inches into the air. He had dealt with the lecherous brothers before and where one was… the other was sure to follow.

His senses were on high alert as he smelled Hitomi’s stench and knew he was coming from behind. With one well-placed kick, Kotaro sent Hitomi flying through the air, to land in a heap on the floor down the hall. People scattered and the hallway quickly cleared.

Kyoko sat where she had landed on the floor with her eyes wide… almost missing what had just happened, since it had happen so fast. Her gaze went from the crumpled form of Hitomi to the furious form of Kotaro who was holding the neck of a slowly turning blue Yohji.

Knowing she had to stop Kotaro before he really hurt someone, Kyoko gasped and started to stand up. Pressing her hands on the floor, she stumbled up behind Kotaro, laying a hand on his shoulder as she tried to calm him.

“Thanks Kotaro, but I’m alright now, so you can let Yohji go. Okay?” Her voice was soft but her panic heightened when Kotaro’s fingers tightened around Yohji’s throat. Kotaro turned his face to Kyoko and she took a startled step back seeing the red tint around his ice blue eyes.

“I saw where his hand was, Kyoko, and I think it’s time to take the trash out!” Kotaro growled as he turned back to Yohji and listened in morbid fascination as the boy made gurgling sounds and turned a frightening shade of blue.

Kotaro’s temper was satisfied by the darker color giving him enough control to realize Kyoko was watching him in shock. Needing to ease her fear, he grabbed Yohji by the scruff of his shirt and headed for the door to teach the bastard some manners. She didn’t need to see the rest.

Kyoko blinked as the door slammed shut behind Kotaro. Dumbfounded, she was still in a shocked daze. Wow, Kotaro could be really scary when he was mad. She even felt sorry for Yohji at that moment.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Yohji’s brother Hitomi still lying where Kotaro had left him on the floor. For once, she didn’t mind that Kotaro was so protective of her. She shivered and tried not to think of what could have happened had Kotaro not shown up when he did.

Kyou watched her gnaw on her bottom lip as if uncertain of what to do. As her gaze traveled back to the door, he mused. So she has the protection of the Lycan. He wondered what other mysteries surrounded the girl. This one wasn’t a normal wolf, the one she had called Kotaro, he could sense, was as old as himself.

Kyoko stepped closer to the glass doors looking out at the dark parking lot, wondering where Kotaro had gone. Putting her hand on the handle, she started to open the door but a young boy stepped in front of it, blocking her path. She stood motionless for a moment as the small boy locked eyes with her. It was the eeriest feeling she had ever experienced.

The boy had solid white hair and a skin tone that almost matched it. But that wasn’t the worst part. His eyes were so black, they seemed to go on forever, giving Kyoko the feeling she was falling into them. The boy smiled softly, barely baring his inhuman fangs and for a moment, Kyoko actually believed she saw them.

A hand came out of nowhere and gripped Kyoko’s shoulder making a terrified scream lodge in her throat as she turned to see whose hand it belonged to.

*****

Kyou stepped out of the darkness when he saw Hyakuhei's minion on the other side of the glass. He knew of the deceiving boy. The youngest one who seemed so innocent was often the most deadly.

Gliding up behind Kyoko, his eyes bled and his fangs elongated letting the ghost of a boy know he would not bite this girl without losing his own immortal life.

Kyoko's hand stilled on the door not quite sure if she wanted to open it. Something about the young boy was really creeping her out. Just as she started to take a step back, a heavy hand came out of nowhere and gripped her shoulder. A terrified scream lodged in her throat as she turned to see who it was.

Kyoko forgot to breathe as she looked up into eyes of shattering gold. Long white hair framed his face and shoulders. He was a couple of years older and his hair was missing the darkness behind the silver highlights, but he almost looked like…

"Toya?" Kyoko whispered hesitantly, knowing she was wrong but more importantly… why was the room spinning?

As soon as their eyes locked, Kyou felt drawn into them. She was looking at him as if she knew him. But that wasn't near as disturbing as when she whispered his dead brother's name. His arms slipped around her, seeing her sway from the tainted liquid she had consumed earlier.

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. "You’re 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 hadn’t 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 wasn’t 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… Toya’s 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 didn’t 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. “This is not for you to decide wizard,” 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 wasn’t 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 the…" 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, Suki’s 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. We’ll find her. Toya's here as well." Shinbe anxiously looked around for his missing friend. “I thought he was right behind me!”

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 wasn’t 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.

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, he’d 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 wasn’t 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.

“Hey kid… you alright?” 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 not…’ 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 Hyakuhei’s 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 ‘Toya’, 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, Kyou’s 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 couldn’t 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 else…

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 couldn’t 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 Hyakuhei’s underlings.

Just as he decided to turn and attack, the image grew stronger, then wavered and vanished. “Golden eyes?” Kotaro rose back up to his full height realizing he had almost attacked Kyou. “What’s he doing here?”

"Damn it!" Kotaro hissed and took off fearing Kyoko would not be where he left her. He had to get to her fast… there were bloodsuckers out tonight and she would not be one of their victims. And with Kyou around… there was no telling how dangerous things could really get.

Kyou reappeared facing the same brick wall where he had laid the girl. Seeing she was no longer there, his eyes bled crimson and an enraged growl ripped through the empty alley, echoing into the surrounding streets.

*****

Suki and Shinbe met Kotaro at the door of the club. Grasping Shinbe by the shoulder, Kotaro asked urgently. "Is Kyoko still inside?" His inhuman senses had kicked into overdrive and his instincts were telling him that she was nowhere near.

Suki surged forward grabbing Kotaro's shirt and confirming his suspicions. "A man took her about ten minutes ago, you have to find her!" Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke to him. "We can't find her anywhere!"

Not quite ready to give Suki her freedom yet, Shinbe pulled back on her hand, slamming her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her like a steel band. Looking at Kotaro he added. "Some ‘thing’ just carried her out of here."

Shinbe looked down at Suki's now trembling form and tried to soothe her. She'd never let him just do what he wanted without arguing. “I promise you, we will find her.” with his promise made, he glanced back up to speak to Kotaro once more but the security guard was already gone.

"Wh… Where did he go?" Shinbe stuttered looking around but not finding any trace of the security guard. Shaking his head, he sighed. He had seen enough weird shit for one night.

Coming out of her lost, hopeless state, Suki huffed in annoyance. "He better find Kyoko… or I'm having Kotaro kabobs for dinner…" Dragging Shinbe behind her as if they had suddenly changed roles she added, "My car, now, let's go!"

Shinbe glanced around the parking lot as if suddenly remembering something important. "Speaking of cars… Toya's is missing."