Chapter 11

While the bath filled, I stared at my battered reflection in the mirror and desperately tried to swallow the sobs tearing at my chest. The bite marks on both my thigh and neck were completely gone, not even a scar left to commemorate the attack, but the memory of the pain and terror could never be erased.

Sasuke must've been patching me up after each attack. I wonder why his repairs were perfect after the first attack and not so perfect after the second one? Maybe it's because those wounds were caused by a weapon and not a vampire. Do their healing abilities not work as well on wounds not caused by their teeth?

My once expertly styled hair was completely ruined and my makeup was completely gone due to the sheer amount of tears I'd spilled. Strands of hair slipped messily from the bobby-pins once holding them in place and my hands shook as I reached up to start pulling them out.

Who even attacked me this time around? It was definitely a man, but I couldn't remember what their voice sounded like for the life of me. If I recall correctly, I had this issue after both of my previous attacks as well, so memory loss is likely a side effect of being fed upon.

The familiar burn of self-loathing brought an angry scowl to my face and my fists clenched at my sides. It was hard to stop myself from punching the reflection in the mirror. There's no way I could've been more stupid. This is humiliating. I've been surrounded by predators since the day I arrived and it should've been obvious.

Now that I know the truth, I started to remember all sorts of things that should've tipped me off. For example: Mikoto looks like she's in her twenties when she's really who knows how old, the family remains separated from the citizens of their town, and even something as stupid as the deep red liquid that Madara was drinking during the ball. I'd assumed it was red wine, but now that I think back, it appeared much thicker than wine should be. He was drinking blood out in the open and no one even noticed.

My heartbreak at being completely betrayed by the entire Uchiha family overpowered even the deep hatred for myself. Mikoto, Madara, Sai, Sasuke: they all left me in the dark. For all I know, every encounter I've had with each of them was fabricated. Mikoto's lies hurt almost as much as Sasuke's because of how kind and motherly she's appeared up until now. She knew how much danger I've been in all this time and didn't do a thing about it, not even offering the slightest bit of warning.

My vision suddenly blurred over with the sheer amount of tears pouring from my eyes and I turned away from the mirror, finding my way to the bath by memory and removing my underwear before climbing in.

The hot water burnt my skin, but it was nothing in comparison to the burning in my chest. It felt like a demon was inside, trying to claw its way out.

The Uchihas always seem to know exactly what goes on in the castle even if they're not present, so will everyone know that I've learned their big secret? Will I be killed or perhaps have my memory somehow erased? What if it's neither and I'm kept prisoner for the rest of my life so they can feed on me over and over again?

My body shook with fear and I tried to push the terrifying thought away. If it comes to that, I'll have no choice but to take my own life. There's no way I'll let them take advantage of me like that.

Ino's shy face as she talked about her feelings for Sai earlier today suddenly crossed my mind and my eyes shot wide open. Oh no! Is he feeding on her as we speak? What if he's been hypnotizing her this whole time!

My eyes searched the bubbles surrounding my body as I tried to rationalize with my own anxiety. Ultimately, I decided that if he hasn't killed her yet, she surely wouldn't be killed tonight, especially after being introduced as his date in front of the entire town. It'd look too suspicious.

If I get the chance, I need to come clean to her about what's going on. She deserves to know that she's potentially in danger.

Exhaustion seeped through my skin and I sank slowly under the water to wash away the rest of my tears for the night. I have to deal with this one way or another. It's not like I'm destined for an amazing life anyway. Hell, if the Uchihas for some reason decide to let me leave after my sentence is fulfilled, I'll be homeless and jobless.

Dying quickly in the comfort of the castle's riches sounds better than suffering a slow and painful death at the hands of the elements or starvation. I just have to try and save Ino before that moment comes. She has potential to succeed in at least the middle class. With her clothing design skills she could open a shop and earn a decent living, even the queen herself was impressed. Her life's a million times more worth saving than my own.

My lungs began to burn underwater and I thought about not coming up for air for a moment and letting my grief take away the pain once and for all, but ultimately did just the opposite. Until my sister is safe, I can't let those dreadful thoughts take over. I frowned to myself as I washed the remainder of the dried blood off my skin.

When my bath was finished and I was wrapped in my usual fluffy black robe, I slipped out of the bathroom and headed straight to the couch. I ignored Sasuke's calculating gaze and pulled the blanket clear over my head so he wouldn't be able to see the look of absolute terror on my face. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was staring. My thoughts were so loud and hectic that I was sure I'd never be able to rest, but the exhaustion coming from blood loss seemed to overpower them.

Just as it seemed I'd fallen asleep, it was morning and my eyes were creaking open. My blanket was still swaddled around me, but when I looked around I realized I was laying on Sasuke's bed instead of the couch. I shot up, immediately regretting the action as a massive pain cut through my head: a hangover no doubt.

Through winced eyes, I glanced over to see Sasuke fast asleep on his back on the couch, muscular arms crossed over his, for once, clothed broad chest. He must've moved me over while I was asleep. While my back was very grateful, the rest of me couldn't agree that it made up for what he's said and done. My gaze widened in realization as I looked at his face.

"You're not asleep, are you?" My voice was blunt, all professionalism gone.

He replied without changing his facial expression in the slightest, "No."

I climbed out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair a few times to soothe it down from its usual crazy morning mess, "Do you sleep at all?"

His eyes crept open, thankfully showing his usual obsidian irises instead of the terrifying red glow from last night, "Rarely."

My hands froze in my hair and I tore my gaze from his appearance. How am I supposed to act around him now?

"So what consequences will I have to face as a result of finding out your family's secret?"

His eyes followed my movements as I crossed the room to approach the dresser for some clothes, "That depends."

His deep voice which usually stirs something heated in my lower abdomen was just making my teeth grit in anger today, "What's with the short answers? If I'm gonna be killed I'd rather you just come out and say it." I closed the drawer harder than I meant to and stood to face him.

He'd yet to move and hadn't even changed his facial expression, "I won't let that happen."

My face paled at his monotone answer. What does he even mean by that? Uncomfortable now under his studying gaze, I wordlessly entered the bathroom and freshened up for the day. I'd be back to my original schedule since the ball was now in the past.

Once my hair was brushed and pulled back into a messy braid, I brushed my teeth and washed my face before applying minimal make up to cover up any signs of how much I'd drank the night before. When I reopened the bathroom door to head out, Sasuke was standing there blocking my way. His eyes ran down my body before finally meeting my own unsure ones.

"M-Move, Sasuke," My voice wavered and my limbs slightly shook, betraying me.

He slowly reached forward to lay a hand on the back of my neck, moving my head gently to the side so he could see where I'd been bitten yesterday. I swallowed anxiously as he leaned down, trying to look at anything but his handsome face. My body shook like a leaf and when his lips met my skin, my hands shot up on instinct to push him away. The way he was closing the distance between us in a way that made me extremely uncomfortable terrified me, but he didn't budge against my efforts.

My breath caught in my throat and I did what I could to mentally prepare myself for the sting that was no doubt about to follow when he bites in, but it never happened. His lips pressed against the tender skin on my neck for a few moments before he lightly kissed the sensitive skin there only to pull back, just enough so our eyes could meet, "I'll never do it without your permission."

My whole body felt cold and frightened at his proximity since I now knew just how dangerous a man he was. He released his hold on me and I hastily stepped around him, my anger from last night returning as I was able to create some distance between us.

I turned to face him once I was at the door and he stared as I spoke to him hatefully, "You're so…so...I'd rather you just kill me than keep me around to be your personal snack."

Seething with disbelief, I stalked out of the room. His dark eyes followed me until the heavy wooden door blocked his view.

The morning carried on normally, considering the fact that I didn't see anyone else while sweeping and mopping the halls. When breakfast time finally came, I headed downstairs cautiously. Sasuke hadn't told me who'd attacked me last night and I'd forgotten to ask so all of my defenses were up.

The hair on my arms prickled up as I peeked around each corner.. As I neared the dining room, someone poked the middle of my back and all of my alarms went off.

I spun on my heel and was ready to do whatever I could against my attacker, only to be met with Ino's amused smile, "Someone's on edge."

My heartbeat slowed back down to normal and I pulled my sister into a tight hug, relieved to see that she'd made it through the night safely. She accepted my embrace awkwardly, patting my back a few times, "Um, it's good to see you, too."

I then held her at an arm's length, glancing around for anyone else before leaning forward and whispering where only she could hear, "Did anything happen last night?"

Her face heated red in an instant and she pulled my hands from her arms to hold them in her own, "I didn't think you were into this kind of talk! What do you want to know because there's a lot that happened?"

My face's color soon matched hers as I realized what she was talking about. Surprised, I whispered even quieter, "Don't tell me you slept with him!"

She released my hands and waved a dismissive hand, "Jeez, you're such a prude. Everyone does it before marriage these days."

The blood in my face drained quickly. Did they use protection? Is conception even possible between a human and a vampire?

My sister intertwined the fingers of one of each of our hands before pulling me towards the waiting dining room, "Let's talk about it later, I'm starving!"

Everyone else was already waiting for us at the table and they watched us approach in silence. I took my usual seat in between Mikoto and Sasuke, frowning at the smitten look on Ino's face when Sai rose to pull the chair out for her.

Mikoto's silky voice spoke, causing me to physically jump in surprise, "My My My! Didn't we have an interesting night! I trust you girls enjoyed yourselves?"

Ino nodded, bowing as best she could in the sitting position, "Yes, Ma'am. You really know how to throw a celebration. Thank you for having us."

I nodded shakily in agreement, avoiding the matronly Uchiha's eye contact.

"What about you, Sakura? Sasuke tells me you drank too much too quickly and retired early. I trust the portion of the party you witnessed was to your liking?"

I nodded again, bowing in a similar fashion as my sister had. She gently rubbed a few circles onto my back, my skin freezing under her unwanted touch, "Aw, our Sakura must have a hangover. Perhaps I should let you eat in peace rather than tease you."

I managed to smile up at her, a shiver running down my spine when our eyes finally met. It wasn't that she looked different since she no doubt knew I'd found out about their secret. It was that she looked exactly the same, like nothing had changed.

I suppose my finding out really wasn't that big of a deal to them, after all. The only people who'd be looking for me if I were killed would be Ino and Naruto, one of whom is already in their grasp and smitten with one of her sons nonetheless. Naruto would be easily fooled, unfortunately. Madara now knew of his feelings toward Hinata, having witnessed them dancing last night, and would know to use her as bait.

She pulled her hand away from me and motioned for us all to go ahead and begin eating. Breakfast was awkward and silent, not one person talking. Itachi's fiancé, Temari, wasn't present and I had no idea where Sasuke's date had gone. Frankly, I didn't care where she went. If she was anything like Karin, which I had a feeling she was, I wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.

Just before we were finished cleaning the dishes, Mikoto stopped both Ino and I from leaving the kitchen, "Before you go, girls, I wanted to let you know that the Subaku family will be joining us for dinner tomorrow evening. You both left wonderful impressions on their only princess and she has returned to her home to fetch her two brothers, the crowned prince and the king of Sunagakure, Kankuro and Gaara. You'll both be free of your cleaning duties tomorrow so you have time to prepare yourselves. These are very important guests with whom we have many trade agreements so we wouldn't want to deny them the pleasure of meeting you two in your very best, would we?"

Her words probably sounded encouraging to Ino, but to me they felt threatening. I didn't want to know what she'd do if one of us accidentally offended the visiting royals.

Later on, while I was in the laundry room on the main floor switching over some clothes, I pressed start on the dryer before the sound of the door to the room closing drew my attention away from my chores.

I shot up, spinning just in time to see Madara give me a sheepish grin, "I didn't mean to startle you, Sakura."

Ino was helping Mikoto with her garden outside and I had no idea where Sasuke was so my panic was rising fairly quickly. My anxiety was flaring up more than usual now that I knew Madara had been behind the first attack all along, playing innocent each time I'd asked him about it.

I slowly shifted the large laundry basket in between us, "What do you want?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile remained, "You don't need to do that. I won't lose my composure like Obito."

Obito? Who's Obito?

A light-bulb flashed above my head as I put two and two together. This "Obito" must be the one who attacked me last night. Somehow knowing that the person who'd touched me so sensually was a complete stranger made it worse than if it had been someone I'd already met.

"Who is he?" My voice was mistrusting and I knew he could tell by the confident smirk beginning to form on the corner of his lips.

His princely aura seems to have been an act all along, "He's a cousin to the royal Uchiha family."

He began pacing calmly back and forth in front of me, explaining as though he were teaching a class of students, "You see, the royal family is made of pure-blooded vampires while our cousin is not. His mother was a human. As a result, he lacks self control. You're lucky you were found when you were or else you may not be alive today."

His eyes danced with ease down to my chest, which led me to pull my arms up and around myself in an attempt to hide from him, "Of course, I'm referring to his feeding habits, but I must commend him for not stealing your virginity. Even I find it hard to hold myself back from time to time."

He took a threatening step forward suddenly, causing my breath to catch in my throat. The only thing separating our bodies was the laundry basket and his eyes started to glow red as he peered down into my frightened eyes, "The smell of your innocence is driving each and every one of us mad, even Mikoto. I'm surprised Sasuke hasn't taken you yet. It wouldn't be hard."

One of his hands reached up quickly, so fast that I hadn't seen it coming, and rested around my neck. His eyes rolled sickeningly back into his head and he took a deep breath in, "Your heart's beating so fast, Sakura. I can feel your blood pumping so quickly through your veins."

My hands shot up to try and tear his hold off of my neck, but he didn't budge, instead locking his eyes onto mine, " I remember how uniquely sweet your blood is, like a decadent desert. I've never had someone so delicious."

His grip on my neck tightened slightly and a gasp slipped from my lips, "I'd love to get another taste, but only if you'll allow me. Please, stop me if you're uncomfortable."

I shook my head quickly and he chuckled, not loosening his grip in the slightest. My face burnt with humiliation. I'm so weak compared to him. Once his laughs ended, his eyes suddenly locked onto mine and all else around me blackened.

I heard his voice more clearly than last time, "You want and will enjoy this."

He knocked the laundry basket to the side and picked me up to sit me on top of the running dryer. My body moved without my permission, embracing him as he closed the distance between us. His lips met mine hungrily and I responded eagerly, unable to fight against his hypnotism. Mentally, I was screaming at myself for not getting out of there.

This is my first kiss! This is supposed to be special, not taken against my will!

There was a familiar sensation boiling in my lower regions despite my distress, which he obviously noticed as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him.

A gasp slid from my lips when he pulled back and roughly grabbed a fistful of my hair before yanking my head to the side and biting into my neck. Tears welled up in my eyes and started to fall steadily, the only action my body could take to show my attacker that I didn't want or like any of this.

My hands clung to his shirt for dear life, worried that if I let go I'd lose the will to stay conscious. We sat in this position for multiple minutes, the only sounds being a pleasured growl from him every so often and my panting breaths. Each second that passed, the weaker I felt.

His free hand was gripping my shoulder tightly, enough so that I was sure there'd be a bruise when he was finished. He pulled back suddenly, running his cold tongue slowly across the puncture wounds he'd caused before continuing to run it up my neck until he reached my jawline. My lips were suddenly enveloped by his once more and I could taste the coppery remainder of the blood he'd stolen from me.

As quickly as he'd done it, he pulled away and offered me a grin, "Thank you for the meal. You're as delectable as I remember."

His hands danced down my body, feeling the curve of my waist as I stared at him, frozen in terror, "Perhaps next time I'll taste a different part of you?"

I glared at him through teary eyes, hatred seeping from my words, "You're a monster."

Even if he'd healed the bite wound, the memory of the raw pain that'd been there just moments ago was still fresh. He released his grip on my body and watched with amusement as I rushed to catch myself from falling backwards.

"I think it's best if we don't mention this to Sasuke, don't you agree?" His eyes were still glowing red and I could tell that that had been one of the orders I couldn't break.

How long do these orders last? Last night, Obito's orders hadn't lasted that long, but Madara had said that he wasn't as strong because he isn't full blooded. Madara placed a kiss on one of my hands before exiting the room, "Until next time, my dear."

I stared down at my lap and watched as tears dropped from my face onto the expensive cloth of my dress.

This isn't how I want to live. This isn't how I deserve to live.

Maybe I'm not perfect, but I haven't done anything so terrible as to have earned a punishment this severe. I turned to look at my reflection in the tinted window. He hadn't missed a drop of blood and the bite mark was completely healed.

Other than my fatigue, there was no proof of what just occurred.