A/N: So this is my first ever VA fanfiction, and I had this AU idea ever since I read Blood Promise. So I thought, why not give it a go? Please do excuse any typos. I did proof-read, but I tend to miss out sometimes.
Disclaimer: VA belongs entirely to Richelle Mead.
Prologue: The Awakening
I stood in the bathroom, glancing at my reflection. My brain still felt somewhat fuzzy because of the Strigoi endorphin in my system, but the high was slowly wearing off.
I could distinctly make out the bite marks on my neck, and in a flash, I recollected the last dream I'd had with Adrian. I had fought with him when I should have been asking him for help. What if he had noticed the bite marks? Was that a good or bad thing?
"Roza," I heard Dimitri's voice call out to me. I froze for a moment. If I ever wanted to make it out of here alive and still a dhampir, I would have to prevent Dimitri from feeding on me anymore. I scoffed. That was easier said than done.
"I'm in here," I answered, not moving from my spot in front of the full length mirror. I covered my neck with my hair, and glancing at my reflection one last time, I turned around and exited the bathroom.
Dimitri was sitting on the couch, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked up at me as I approached, and frowned.
"What?" I asked. It was a wonder how I could still converse normally with him despite knowing what he was and what he could do.
His frown deepened. "I just met with Galina." He replied.
I froze. This couldn't be good. "W-what did she say?" I asked.
"She told me to either awaken you or kill you by today."
I wasn't sure how to respond. "But I thought I had two more days."
Dimitri gave me a piercing look. "Nathan is causing a bit of trouble."
Shit. I turned my face away from him, trying to contemplate what the best course of action was.
Apparently, he thought I was about to cry, because his voice had softened considerably when he spoke. "Roza, I promise, there's nothing to be afraid about."
I blinked a few times, surprised to find that my eyes were actually moist. I was afraid, I realized. I looked up at Dimitri, who was now walking towards me.
"I don't…" I began, but I wasn't sure how to proceed. I did not want to be 'awakened.' I knew that if it came down to it, I'd rather die. But Dimitri wouldn't let me die.
Dimitri said nothing, instead pulled me to him with surprising gentleness. "I am scared." I admitted softly against him.
"It will be painless," Dimitri promised, and then he kissed me. I felt a sudden spark of electricity jolt through me, and I clung to him tighter. He wrapped one arm around my waist, while his other hand was placed on my neck.
As he guided me towards the couch, I knew then that I had lost. It was over. I knew that once he sunk his teeth into my neck, I'd be powerless to stop what happened next. As much as I wished to die, I knew Dimitri wouldn't let that happen. He wanted me by his side. And he was going to seduce me into it.
He gently pushed me down on the couch, and climbed over me. He pulled away for a moment, gazing at me. I tried not to flinch at the intensity of his gaze. I tried to avoid thinking about what was about to happen next.
"I want you so much, Roza." He whispered, and then kissed me on my lips briefly. I closed my eyes as he brought his mouth near my neck, gently brushing my hair away. I cringed when I felt his hot breath on my neck.
This did not excite me, I realized with startling clarity. I did not want to be turned into a monster nor did I want to die. Damn it, I wanted to live. I wanted to get out of here, and go back to Lissa. I desperately wanted to live. I had to fight. I wasn't going to go down without a fight.
With surprising strength, I pushed Dimitri off of me. He was caught off guard, and that was all the time I needed to wiggle out from beneath him and be on my feet. I kicked him hard in the stomach, and he flinched just a little.
I did not have a weapon. I would have to fight him, and try to knock him out. Who was I kidding? I could not knock out a Strigoi and especially not one as strong as Dimitri. Dimitri was recovering from my surprise attack and now I saw a hint of fury and…excitement on his face.
I backed away from him, trying to find something to use as a weapon.
"I knew you wouldn't give up without a fight," Dimitri said, not bothering to approach me. "It's typical of you."
I kept backing away, looking around to see if I could find anything sharp enough to pierce into his heart. It wouldn't kill him like a silver stake would, but it would definitely make him unconscious. And at this point, that would do as good as any.
Except, I really had no time, and instead of planning an escape, I'd been too busy daydreaming about Dimitri and his bites (I inwardly cringed at that).
Dimitri was looking at me with amusement, but once I reached the door, he seemed to realize he'd had enough. In a flash, he had me pinned against the door. "You've disappointed me, Roza." He said softly, menacingly. "I'd have expected you to be ready with an escape plan."
"Yeah, well, I thought I still had two more days to plan." I snapped.
"You need to be prepared for everything, Roza." Dimitri said. "I wish you could've given me a real fight. This attempt of yours, it was pathetic. You were unprepared."
I tried to struggle in his hold, but he was too strong and I was helpless. I hated this. I always fought my way out of tricky situations. And now, I was going without a fight. Dimitri was right. I was pathetic. Briefly, I thought about Adrian and the promise I'd made to him, and of Lissa and even Christian. If I was awakened today, I'd made a resolve to stay as far away from them as possible.
I closed my eyes and felt Dimitri's sharp fangs pierce into my neck. It was agonizing, but a moment later, I fell into a beautiful bliss. Dimitri kept drinking, gradually draining the life away from me, and soon, the world faded, and then there was nothing.
A/N: So that was the first chapter. Please let me know what you think? Should I continue?