CHAPTER FOURTEEN: QUEEN OF (BROKEN) HEARTS.

      Izumi sighed once again, contributing to her act of being tired of the attention. Her face rested on her hands as her elbows leaned on the flat surface of her vanity. Through the reflection of the mirror that lay in front of her, she could see Ayato and Laito perfectly. Neither of them had given in to leaving her alone in her room.

      "Can you leave me alone?" she asked for the thousandth time. Her voice was already monotonous, already knowing the answer she was going to get.

      "No."

      "I can fight too," she reminded them, reaching out her hand to take a brush and start running it through her long hair, "I don't need you to be over me all the time."

      "Izumi, even Kanato beats you in strength," Laito scoffed, stealing the brush from her hand and starting to brush her hair. The pink-haired girl shot him an ugly look.

      "That's only because you are that man's children," she shot back, retrieving the brush from Laito's hands, who raised his hands to signal her that he was not going to continue arguing over the possession of the brush. "Those fourth-rate vampires don't stand a chance against me, and they know it. I may not be the King's daughter, but my blood is still as pure as yours."

      "Mhmm, can I check?" Laito purred, already setting the pink hair aside and kneeling behind her. A smile stretched his lips, and his fangs appeared before Izumi even had time to respond.

      Ayato, who had been watching through the reflection of the mirror, wrinkled his face. He immediately got up from his place on the bed, and approached his brother. "You will not do that while I'm here."

      The brunette turned to his brother, snorting through his nose loudly and allowing his brow to show his weariness. "No one forbids you to leave, Ayato."

      "As if I would really leave Izumi's life in your hands, Laito," Ayato denied, "We all know she would disappear in a matter of seconds."

      Laito broke away from the girl and stood up. He approached Ayato, crossing his arms and looking at him in disbelief. "Do you really think you could take better care of her, little brother?"

      "I knew there was a reason why Kanato is my favorite triplet," Izumi muttered from her place, and turned on her heel to look at them, "Please stop fighting for a minute," she begged. The only thing that had been a constant during her stay in her room were the squabbles between them and her requests to leave her alone. "Don't you guys get bored of always doing the same thing? Seriously, you're worse than the girls at school who call me a bitch for no reason."

      "Wouldn't it be because they see you with Ayato, and the next day with Laito and vice versa?" Shu appeared on Izumi's bed.

      "It's none of their business, nor yours," Izumi remarked. She got up from his place to approach her bed, and raised her eyebrows at the blond who stretched out on her bed and made himself comfortable. "Aren't you going to explain what the hell you're doing here? As far as I know, I am not throwing a party in my room."

      "I was coming to ask you to be quiet, but then I remembered that you have the most comfortable bed in the house and decided to stay," Shu replied, as he arranged the pair of pink and black pillows so that it wouldn't be uncomfortable for him. Once he found a pleasant position, he closed his eyes.

      "We're talking about Laito and Ayato, we both know they won't remain silent for even two minutes," the vampiress blurted out, glancing sideways at the two mentioned over her shoulder. To no one's surprise, they were glaring daggers at Shu, but the blond didn't notice, or rather, he pretended not to. "I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep here at all. I recommend you to go back to your room or...."

      "That's what I have this for," Shu raised his music player, opening his eyes a little to just show Izumi the mockery he harbored. She went to protest, but the blond beat her to it and turned up the volume to the maximum. When he noticed that Izumi would no longer try to speak, he closed his eyes, and the small smile of victory did not go unnoticed by the girl.

      Izumi sighed. She knew that this was Shu's way of showing that he was also concerned about her and that, from now on, he would be another one of her personal guards. And, although she appreciated the gesture and normally would have scoffed at it, she really wished he hadn't.

      The discussions in her chamber did not cease for a second. Meanwhile, the vampires they were supposed to be afraid of took the other girl from the house. No one noticed, too busy proving themselves right to even think about it.

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      "Damn it," Ayato cursed, throwing himself on the couch. "Chichinashi is nowhere to be found."

      "Really, where did Bitch-chan go?" Laito wondered as he held Izumi in his arms. The treatment towards her remained the same, only now Kanato had joined the game of being her guard.

      Kanato let out a whimper, "I am so thirsty."

      "Subaru, any ideas?" Laito asked, turning to the white-haired man.

      "How would I know?

      Kanato squeezed Teddy, covering his face with the stuffed animal as he looked around. "I can't forgive our food acting as it pleases."

      "Where has she gone?"

      "Leave her alone," Shu said, "She'll be back."

      Izumi laughed. "Do you think she is a cat, Shu?"

      "She'd better come back," Reiji muttered.