A/N: I read the entire Vampire Academy series in 16 days - while working a full-time job and raising two children and a husband. LOL. That's just how good it is. #priorities

But hands DOWN the best part of this series (to me) was psychotic Strigoi Dimitri taunting Rose. Which is where this comes from. This is for my "Friend" who managed to finally convince me to read these books and love the OTP to end all OTP's as much as she did. :)

Today was a bad day. To be fair I lived in such a fog that it was hard to tell what good felt like anymore. But today was most decidedly bad. Dimitri had sent me jewelry.

His weekly 'love letters' had become pretty easy to ignore after the seventh week. The initial shock of the stake delivery had worn off as my life had continued to happen around me in the aftermath of Russia. I was still stuck back there, in that room or on that bridge. This was only compounded by his neatly handwritten notes delivered to me every week. They had become so regular they were hardly sensational anymore, they'd just become part of my life. I had history homework to turn in and my Strigoi ex-boyfriend had sent me another postcard from the edge.

They'd devolved so quickly into that maniacal super villain monologue speak that I hardly glanced at them a second time. Though I'm sure he meant them to intimidate me by proving he was on the move. I would have considered them endearing if they didn't always end in my death.

I haven't been to Prague since I was in school. I forgot about the beauty of the architecture here. The red of the rococo motifs reminds me exactly of the color your heart would look like as I ripped it from your chest.

The bridges in Paris are so much more enticing to behold than the one you failed to kill me on in Russia. Though I doubt a drop from one of these would snap your neck. You'd most likely drown first.

I flew over Montana today on my way to the west and thought of you. The shape of the mountains mimics that of your beautiful spine. I'd imagine I could break the slate and sediment of the Rockies just as easily as each of your vertebrae.

Predator. Prey. Predator. Prey.

He'd been lulling me into complacency. He'd lured me into thinking I was safe. That he was just bravado and egomania now. He'd trapped me in the illusion of a refractory period. Predator. So he could unleash this letter today on me. Prey.

My Roza,

Before I was awakened I was painfully aware of how mediocre a life I could have given you. A love such as yours deserves everything this world could offer. I had been prepared to make myself worthy of this task. After our time together I was resolved to unlock some mystery of the universe to allow this for you.

It pains me now to know I've found this answer and yet you refused my offer. The things I could have given you. The life we could have shared together. Forever.

This trinket could never compare to you my Roza. But I hope you will wear it and think of me. As I shall think of how the blood would spill across the diamonds when I drain your body and claim your life. Our time will come soon and I relish this wait to rejoin you.

Love,

Dimitri

It was always the long ones that got to me. Give me a rambling recounting of your killing spree in Milan any day over this. It was too close to what my Dimitri would have said. And he knew it. He could still get to me, even if he couldn't touch me. Predator. Prey.

I quickly folded the letter back up as Lissa shifted next to me. She'd skimmed the letter, it was all she could really stomach anymore, but her eyes were still transfixed on the necklace. I could hardly blame her - it was absolutely ridiculous.

"Rose! This is insane. These are Burmese rubies and yellow diamonds! How could he get something like this?" She turned to look at me but I just continued to glare at the necklace. I'd tossed it at the desk like it was white hot when it'd slid out of the envelope with the letter. I shrugged,

"He's probably the Czar of Strigoi Russia at this point."

"Are you kidding?" Her voice ticked up a little with alarm.

I gave her a look. Her eyes widened a bit before she blinked back down at it running her fingers over all the rubies and diamonds. She was quiet for a long moment, calculating just how much this could have possibly cost. Or if, perhaps, he'd stolen something historically relevant and sent it to me. As the silence grew between us she looked at my profile before the blast of concern came through the bond. She was worried, she wanted to know why jewelry would upset me so much - other than the reason it was coming from my psychotic undead ex-boyfriend. She wasn't going to let it go either, her curiosity was too strong about it.

"He used to bring me jewelry." I exhaled. "In Russia."

Her surprised intake of breath spoke more than the scattered feelings of shock and disgust. They were quickly replaced with fear.

"Rose, we have to tell someone."

"No." I shoved the letter into my desk drawer and handed her the necklace. Almost dropping it to the ground in my haste to get rid of it. Touching it, even for those few moments made a swell of that volatile mix inside me push against the containment walls I'd built to fool everyone. They thought I was fine. They thought I'd moved on. I intended to keep it that way. Only Lissa had an inclination as to how not fine I still was.

"We can't keep this a secret." She reached out and grabbed my arm. "Look at your hands - they're shaking. Rose, please."

I clenched them into fists. Took a settling breath and then met her eyes, collected,

"That's what he wants. He's trying to get to me. I can't let him. If I tell someone it's…"

"Weakness." She finished for me squeezing my arm in reassurance. She slid the necklace through her fingers, trying to tell if it was charmed in any way. It wasn't. Of course it wouldn't be, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to touch it.

"Just," I paused and looked at the jewels shimming in the low lights of my room, "get it away from me. I don't care what you do with it. Throw it away."

"Okay," She quietly said and tried to hide it in her hands. A dark laugh bubbled up through all the tension in my chest and I suppressed it. This necklace probably cost more than what I'd make in my entire life. He would have known that too. Sensing my mood shift she shoved it into the pocket of her jacket and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you." I gave her a blank smile. She frowned. She could tell I was holding back from her, that maybe I hadn't told her the whole story. A twist of dark spirit spurred her to think of what that could mean, what he could have done to me. Horrible things. Unforgivable things. She tried to push the thoughts out and I exhaled with relief. He had done horrible things to me - but at least he hadn't done...that. She didn't know if she could ask, and she rationalized she probably shouldn't if I hadn't been willing to share. She was right. I wasn't.

"I'm here for you." She finally resolved. Strength. That's what she needed to give me. She needed to be strong for me, to lend it to me as I continued to recover. "No matter what. You know that, right?"

"I do." I pulled her into a hug.