Akatsuki and Hanabusa appeared, and I could sense two people behind them. I couldn't see their faces though. Until Yuki's head popped out from behind Akatsuki's back.

"Welcome to my birthday party!" I watched as Yuki's expression of anxiety turn to a bewildered one, as Takuma greeted them.

"We came here on business purposes," Yuki told Takuma, deadpan. Both Zero and Yuki looked the same. In their day class uniforms, they were wary, their eyes constantly scanning the area, alert and on the edge. Not that I could blame them. At night, vampires were most unpredictable - and dangerous.

"Well, you might as well join the party," Takuma told the two of the happily, walking over to a table set up. Now that was when I really stared. What looked like a 50 tiered birthday cake balanced atop the white surface of the table. Was that really necessary?

"Have a drink," Takuma urged the two of them, handing them both a glass. "Just tell me what drink you would prefer." Yuki and Zero both accepted the glasses awkwardly, but Zero was still glaring at every vampire he saw. Including me.

Kaname's order whispered within my head, and I struggled to control it. It won though, after an infuriating game of tug of war of my body.

I walked forward, ready to linger around the two of them, when Kaname's harsh voice came.

"So the two of you did come," he surveyed the two of them with interest, his eyes lingering on Yuki. "Come over here." Yuki began to protest, and Zero just ignored him, but Kaname wasn't taking no for an answer.

Yuki and Zero finally approached him, as Kaname took a seat on an elegant sofa on the porch.

We were out in the courtyard next to the Moon Dorm, where the Night Class celebrated Takuma's birthday. Quite drolly, I have to say. All of them clustered in their little groups and pairs, chatting quietly or doing whatever else I had no idea.

Parties I've been to would normally be wild. I knew because I've been to some. Most were actually fun, where we played party games and ate cake. The rest were a wild affair, where guys flirted with girls who already had boyfriends and vice versa. I'd witnessed more than one break ups that way.

Several times a guy who had too much sugar or alcohol had stumbled his way to me and tried to drag me onto his lap. Several times I had to escape.

Despite the calm and peaceful air this courtyard had, it was stifling, cloaking me heavily, like a waterfall cascading down on me. Kaname's presence, and the power he dictated no less. His reaction to Yuki and Zero did nothing to lighten the atmosphere.

"Come, sit next to me," Kaname gestured to the seat next to him on the sofa, his eyes cool and emotionless.

"It's not necessary," Yuki began to protest. "I'm fine standing."

"Sit down," Kaname's voice was insistent and piercing. I felt sorry for Yuki then. To have a pureblood ordering you to sit next to him sounded like he was trying to give you a death sentence.

Yuki had no choice but to sit down, balancing nervously on the edge of the sofa.

Kaname's arm suddenly looped around her, pulling her in tightly, so she ended up pressed against him. She let out a small gasp, and the rest of us were equally shocked. Just what was Kaname doing?

"Next to me is the safest place you can be," he told her, to the surprise of us all.