I smile bitterly as I watch them dance away in the ball room, shining like gold, and not having a care in the world. I wish I had been like that, carefree, I never got that. I might as well have had no parents until I was seventeen, she lost hers at fifteen and her brother, we both only had each other and that's all we relied on. We ran, but they eventually caught us two years later. She begged; pleaded for Kirova to keep me, but she cast me away like trash. I lost everything that I was meant to protect. Now here we are I'm twenty-one and so is she, I work for a man named Ibrahim Mazur aka my long-lost father. He took me in a couple years after I was kicked to the street and I trained with his guardians; became the name that everyone lives to fear. I'm the infamous ghost like my father. My mother never cared to know what I was doing until she found out that I was doing well with myself. All she told me through email was that I have done well, but she is disappointed about the career I'm in. I again looked out at my old best friend Vasilisa Dragomir and her fiancé Christian Ozera dance with her pretty emerald green sheer lace tops a darted sweetheart bodice, long sleeves made of lace, and a mermaid maxi skirt with beautiful golden ankle strap heels. Her crown in place on her beautiful blond hair in a braided crown. The image of a true queen. We lost touch after three years of being apart when the night I had a bad run in when dealing with some business and got shot. I ended up dead for five minutes, but I managed, by some miracle they said, to bring myself back. That's when I noticed the bond was gone. I talked to her once after that and she had been too busy with queenly preparations to notice. That's when I saw how far we drifted apart and the two different worlds we lived in. I was basically an untouchable criminal and she was a ruler over all of us.
"lyi mi kizim? (You alright?)" My father asked. I just nod and looked down at myself. Baba always says you need to dress to impress. Not that we care what people think of us. We only do it to let people know that we do hold a power that no one wants to mess with. My smiled at how much different my dress was to hers. Mine was a burgundy velvet crisscross back with a slit in the front showing off my natural D's stopping a little below my sternum. My hair half down half clipped up to look like a messy ponytail with long thick pieces of my bangs framing my face. All co-existing to make it into one look instead of two separate parts divided. My black stiletto heels that lace up all the way to my mid-calf. I was stunning, and I knew it.
"Kiz can you go get me a drink really quick plus you look like you need one too." Abe asked, and I nodded. I walked over to the bar with male moroi and some dhampir staring. I sighed and order two whiskeys neat, when finally getting them I turned around I bumped into a chest spilling the alcohol all over the male chest.
"дерьмо (Shit!) I'm sorry." I looked up to see and hear the person known as the Russian God. Dimitri Belikov is known very well in the vampire world like my mother. He guards around court never taking up any offers from royals after Ivan Zelkos died from an attack while Dimitri was away on a week off that was order by Ivan. He never did forgive himself for leaving Ivan there alone.
"It's fine. I can get new ones." I told him and took the glasses back to the bar and re-ordered them. Dimitri followed me and ordered a vodka neat. He sat down while I waited.
"Sorry about the shirt." I said as I looked at his black and white guardian outfit with the front wet from the alcohol. He just shrugged.
"Didn't like this outfit anyway. No point in changing when I have nothing else." Dimitri told me.
"Whatever." I just shrug.
"You're Rosemarie Hathaway, aren't you?" Dimitri finally asked.
"Mazur. I go by Mazur. I don't like the relation in Hathaway."
"I heard that you don't acknowledge your mother, but didn't know you disowned her too. She is an amazing guardian." I heard a scolding note in his voice. I laughed bitterly and looked over at him, in the eyes.
"You can chide me when you actually know why I do what I do. Don't judge a person by the path they walk because you don't know why their walking it in the first place. Looks are deceiving; especially with one slip up it could be the end of you." I said bitterly.
"You have such a cold outlook on the world. It may be a bad place with bad people, but there's good in this world. Take you for example; you do dark deeds and shady dealings, but there's that loyalty and protective nature in those eyes that I can see and in your body language. You'd do anything for the ones you love even if it meant breaking the rules and dying to do it. You're a rose that has its thorny vines."
"Well I hate roses so give me a different lecture."
"You're very stubborn."
"Thanks for noticing. Now don't you have guarding to do?"
"Don't YOU have guarding to do?" I glared at him.
"Baba has plenty of guards around him. More than a royal would."
"The moroi have plenty of guards around them so they're fine." He smirked at me.
"What's that saying your government guardians have? They come first, that's right! So, listen to it and leave me alone."
"Dance with me." He stated out of nowhere. I was shocked for a second, but quickly recovered.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't like you." I sneered at him.
"Fine. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Dimitri Belikov and I'm a guardian at court. I like to read western novels and listen to eighties rock. And I'm not trying to get into your pants or trying to get under your skin to make you upset." He grinned and stuck his hand out. I glared at his hand then him for a good minute before shaking it.
"You win. My name is Rosemarie Mazur. I go by Rose because Rosemarie sucks. I work with my shady dealing and powerful father. I don't talk to my mother. I hate roses, and anything related. I am not a total bitch, I just don't trust people around here. And I like to shop, and I like modern music." I smiled at him.
"May I have this dance then Roza?" I just nodded forgetting about our drinks and walking out to the dance floor. I put my hand on his shoulder while he put his hand on my waist in a proper distance away from my butt and he took my free hand into his. We swayed to the slow music and just got lost into each other's gaze. Finally, what seemed like forever we were interrupted by the one and only yours truly Lissa and Christian.
"Rosemarie! It's so good to see you!" I winced internally at the name. She knew I hated that name but shows you how far we gone away from each other.
"Queen Vasilisa. Hello." I forced out.
"How have you been? How's your father, Abe?" She smiled brightly.
"You know the usual business. He's fine; healthy as a horse." I bit my tongue from any smartass remarks.
"That's great and how's your mother?" I grit my teeth and smiled.
"You would probably know more than I would." I bit out.
"Ever so the child of the situation as always. Some of us eventually must grow up Rose. You haven't yet obviously." Lissa smiled turned strained.
"Talk about two people kicking a horse in the ass and one saying that they don't even have a bruise from the back lash. You're ever so politically perfect and yet you demean others that you see have done you wrong. Yet; what did I do? Oh, that's right! Nothing. So, call me immature all you want, but in the end, you are just the same with all the royalty stripped away from you and leaving you with nothing, but that. Want to know the difference between me and you? I've lived my life in total darkness and shadows with no one to support except you at the time. I got kick out of society and left on the street for two years getting by. Getting some shabby jobs until one of my parents decided I was worth saving. Even after that I still live in the shadows and darkness. I don't trust anyone and to be honest; I don't trust you either. We used to be these besties, but I realize something; You aren't untouchable. You aren't perfect. You hide your faults behind this curtain to please people to make them see what you want them to see. You became so used to it that you did it to me. Your best friend who should know all your faults to help support you. I always be stronger than you mentally because at least I can admit them to my close family and friends." I finished and walked away from her and all of this. Baba was always right when he said, "A single lie can destroy an entire reputation. That is why in this family; we don't lie."
"Rose!" I heard Dimitri yell for me. I just kept walking trying to get away from it all. I finally managed to get out before Dimitri stopped me.
"You can't just talk to Queen Vasilisa like that. Even your family has limitations with the government."
"I don't care. I won't allow myself to be judged and put down by anyone; especially my old so-called best friend!" I yelled at him.
"I get that, but you have to be the mature one of the situation." Dimitri told me calmly.
"Who the fuck are you to tell me to be mature! You DON'T know me! You just met me! So, don't even try to give me a SHIT Zen lessons! So, fuck you and fuck off!" I yelled. By then I was up in his face while he had this impassive stone face.
"Küçük ateş?(little fire)? Everything okay?" My fathers Head Guardian Pavel asked as he walked towards us. I glared at Dimitri for a few moments longer then looked over at Pavel to seem him watching Dimitri with a dangerous look in his eyes. Pavel has been like the second father to me since my father took me in. He is the reason behind baba's madness and everyone knows it. If you piss off baba then Pavel is the one to be reasonable and if you piss off Pavel, then your fucked; especially if you fuck with me. I'm baba's little girl that you don't want to fuck with and Pavel's little shit head that you don't want to piss off. That's why he was giving Dimitri the evil eye was because of me being so close in anger.
"Yeah. Everything is fine. I'm done being here." I turned and started walking back inside.
"Guardian Belikov. Hope you have a better night. I would advise you to not make Rosemarie anymore upset. Abe is not a pleasant man when you make her upset and me, I'm not pleasant either. So, have a good night and give your mother my best wishes on her new grandchild." I heard Pavel say and strode over to me.
"He is a very pleasant man. Why must you make me threaten him like that?" I heard Pavel sigh. I chuckled and looked at him.
"He is pleasant. Just not when he opens his mouth." I sighed and looked back to see Dimitri staring at me with a look I couldn't place.
"Belikov likes you." Pavel stated clearly. I shrugged and followed him to the car while he said that he gestured for my father that it was time to go.
"He's defiantly nice to look at, but I can't." I barely whisper out.
"You can still be loved even with this type of lifestyle." Baba told me and got in the car.
"Yes. Abe and I are an example of that." Pavel winked at me.
"Yeah cause having two crazy psycho fathers that like to fuck each other's brains out, which can be heard threw out the house mind you, are an amazing example for a healthy loving relationship." I gagged. Abe just looked lustfully at Pavel and Pavel winked at Abe.
"What can I say. Pavel just knows how work my body to this intense orgasm and I can't hold my vocals even if I tried." Abe grinned. I pretended to throw up, making baba and Pavel laugh.
"It's sad when your dad's have more of a sex life then their twenty-one-year-old daughter." I grumbled at them.
"Hey, you choose to have no sex life. Guys aren't a problem for you." Baba chuckled.
"You know most dads wouldn't even so much as bring up their daughter's sex life; much less encourage it." I cringed at Baba while Pavel laughed at my expression.
"Who did you have sex with last? Adrian Ivashkov? Kind of a let down from what I heard. Just pull a few shakes of your ass, show a little cleavage and Dimitri will fall right into your lap. I mean if he's known as 'The Russian God' in the vampire world, what do you think he's like in bed?" I laughed and shook my head at Baba.
"You are one of those special fathers, aren't you?" I asked in all seriousness.
"Trust me Rose, I have known this for a while." Pavel laughed, and I giggled.
"You might as well try since we'll be here for another two days here. I'd get it in before then." Baba grinned and leaned back in his seat, letting us know that his teasing was over.
"Whatever old man." I grinned and shook my head. I managed to doze on the drive and I felt someone, most likely Pavel, pick me and carry me into our temporary home. He walked up the stairs and carried me into my room, set me on my bed, took off my shoes, jewelry, and unzipped my dress taking it off. He pulled my comforters over me and kissed my forehead whispering, "Goodnight, Little Fire." I smiled and dozed off into a dreamless sleep.
*In the Morning*
I groaned as a sudden light penetrated my eyes behind my eyelids.
"Come on lazy ass! It's time to get up! Your father has been summoned by the queen for who knows what. Take a shower, get dressed in your formal attire, and get downstairs. Breakfast will be waiting." Pavel quickly instructed me and walked out of the room, but not before he mentioned that he had fresh donuts down there which woke me up quickly. I got up and took off into the shower, quickly washing my hair, body and shaved as fast as I could. I got out and dried my body and hair. I put my hair up into a high and tight ponytail knowing that I wouldn't have time to blow dry it. I walked out of the bathroom into the closet where I got my formal attire. One thing I'm happy about not working for the government guardians I got to wear whatever I wanted for a uniform even with formal wear which consisted of all black attire. I chose my tight black v neck, my tight black bootcut jeans, black lacey bra and underwear, with black socks. I threw it all on and grabbed my black combat boots that Pavel got me when I first came here. I slipped them on, laced them up, and tied them then took off into the bathroom again. I grabbed the eyeliner, foundation, and mascara, putting them all on carefully adding a little wing to the eyeliner, and grabbed my favorite lip gloss, putting it on.
I walked out, grabbing my phone on the night stand, reaching for my holsters for my handgun and stake I put them on while grabbing my handgun in my nightstand drawer and stake under my pillow. I put them in the holsters, grabbed my leather jacket and my suit jacket both black and walked downstairs to hear laughing and the smell of bacon. I grinned while walking into the kitchen to see Baba with Pavel and all his other guardians around him all laughing. Pavel noticed me first, of course, and nodded at me while I took my seat next to Baba at the island. Pavel slide me a plate of bacon and donuts with hot chocolate.
"Thank you!" I said while digging in and scarfing everything down.
"I'm impressed. Only forty-five minutes for you to get ready." Baba chuckled at me.
"Yes, be happy I didn't take longer for you waking me up early." I mumbled in between bites.
"It's almost noon Rose." Pavel pointed out. I shrugged and finished the last of everything.
"Oh, by the way! Suit or leather?" I asked as I showed them all my two options.
"Well the leather is defiantly you, but we're seeing the queen. Hmm. Leather. We Mazurs don't dress down for anyone no matter who they are." Abe grinned and nodded to everyone. They started to file out and I threw on my leather jacket and followed behind baba. We got into the cars and drove over to the palace where the council room was held. We all were making small talk on the way and when we finally arrived there was royal moroi all over the place as well as guardians walking in and out. We all filed out and everyone looked at us especially the guardians we passed by that knew exactly who we were. We weren't exactly as welcome by some guardians that didn't agree with our lifestyle. We worked under dirty money that was earned through blood shed and didn't live to serve moroi. We took down anyone that goes against my father; whether it was a moroi, dhampir, strigoi or human, we don't care. Hence the fact we got some dirty looks from everyone. We didn't care though we just walked through the front doors and entered the grand area. We walked down to the doors at the very end where the meeting room was. Abe announced to the guardians that he was here for the queens arranged meeting. They nodded and let us into the room. There were all twelve royal representatives of each family including the queen from the last of the Dragomir line and Christian. They all looked at us and I so happen to notice Dimitri standing close to me near the doors with his impassive guardian face.
"Ah. Ibrahim, you made it on time. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me." Lissa smiled sweetly and nodded at him. Pavel and I kept our hands on our stakes and guns until baba said differently.
"Of course, my queen. I could never reject such a humble meeting like this and it is a blessing to have this opportunity cross my line of life." I had to fight the urge to role my eyes at his sweet talking. "Nothing is wrong with sweet talking the one that stands in your way because in the end the one who truly is naive is the one with a knife in their back." He always said. I kept my impassive face waiting for my father to give us the word. I also noticed my mother by the Slezsky Prince and she glanced with a bit of disapproval in her eyes. I just glanced away and tried to snort, 'She doesn't get to have an opinion when she didn't even take a second glance when I got kicked out of the academy.' I thought.
"Thank you, Abe. If you could please step forward without your guardians?" Lissa asked. I looked at my father not bothering to listen to the authority behind the question, waiting for him. He glanced at me then Pavel and both of us read his expression that said, 'Keep your guard up. Trust no one.' Pavel and I shared a glance and nodded while stepping two steps back while my father moved forward.
"Of course. How can I be of your assistance my highness?" It was not a question from him but worded as one.
"We have been hearing of strigoi attacks at the St. Basils at an all-time high. I'm asking because you have connections in Russia and in which means you have more information than our people do." Abe grinned and looked over at me.
"Rose, do mind calling Headmaster Alexeev?" My father asked me. He wanted Pavel on his full guard because truth be told he still is a better guardian then me. I nodded and took out my phone. I dialed Alexeev number and waited, putting it on speaker when I was asked to by Lissa.
"Ах, горячая голова, для чего я обязан этим призывом?(Ah hot head, what do I owe this call for?)" Alexeev asked you could hear amusement in his voice.
"Мне жаль, что это не в хороших отношениях, но у королевы мой отец спрашивает о наступлении нападений на святого Василия. Он попросил меня позвонить вам за информацией, и вы в настоящее время находитесь на дикторах по делам королевы.( I'm sorry that is not in good terms, but the queen has my father asking about the rise of attacks at St. Basil's. He asked me to call you for information and you are currently on speaker per queen's orders.)" I swiftly told him, a frown on my face at having to speak to him this way. I could tell people were surprised that I could speak Russian, I mean the best fighters come from St. Basils, so I had to learn Russian to be able to get along from day to day in Russia, where my father does most of his business. I personally learned from Alexeev when he wasn't working in his office. He was an amazing guardian like famous as Dimitri Belikov and funny thing is he was second to Dimitri's graduation score. Funny how he is Dimitri's age and runs an academy that is the best in the world.
"Конечно. Я сейчас поговорю с ней.(Of course. I'll speak to her now.) Hello Queen Vasilisa. What can I offer about our attacks as of lately?" He said through the phone.
"Yes. What are the consistency of these attacks on St. Basils?" Lissa asked. I heard some ruffling of paper.
"Three attacks in the duration of two months. We have dealing with them fine. We have a high quantity of guardians here that are well trained. We have sadly lost a couple of guardians, but other than that we have little to no casualties." Alexeev stated. Lissa nodded and wrote something down.
"Sad to hear the loss of them. Any motives found? Repetitive natures?" 'No, you're not…' I thought.
"No, Your Highness. Their all random attacks." He said.
"Alright, thank you Headmaster Alexeev." She dismissed.
"Of course, Your Highness." I took him off speaker and held the phone to my ear.
"Еще раз спасибо Алексеев. Я надеюсь увидеть вас через пару дней. Может быть, немного лопнуть. (Thank you again Alexeev. I hope to see you in a couple of days. Maybe spar a bit.)" I kept my stone face but had that light tone of voice. He chuckled.
"Конечно, королева умная задница. До свидания и удачи. (Of course, queen smart ass. Goodbye and good luck.)" He hung up and I put my phone away.
"Not to speak out of term my queen, but why have me call him when you have the resources to do the exact same?" My father asked her. I read right through her. 'Because she's testing our loyalty her. Sure, she can do it, but she needs to know even if she does have the access, she needs to know that he will do as she says and not go against her.' I observed in my head.
"Of no reason. I just haven't had the time to get to talk to the man. Though Rosemarie seems to know him very well." Lissa observed very quickly.
"Ah yes. He was her mentor when I took her in two years ago after the unfortunate incident of being kicked out of the academy and left on the streets for two years. I mean as a parent, no one would want their children to rot in the streets, so I took her in and we left for Russia in which I gave her the best mentor there was. Never did graduate and get her promise mark, but still is remarkably one of the best I have. Not just because I'm her father am I saying this. She has trained with all my guardians; especially my head guardian Pavel. Quite a smart and strong-willed girl you all lost." He secretly insulted their intelligence, but they all noticed the insult. Lissa chose to ignore it.
"Of course. Something that has been over due for a long time. Rosemarie Hathaway. I would like to offer you a promise mark that has been long overdue and become a full-fledged guardian." Vasilisa offered me. I couldn't help it. I had been holding my tongue this entire time, but this just topped the cake of 'shit is about to hit the fan'. I laughed. Not the joyous kind or relief kind. No this was the cold and flat out 'who the fuck do you think you are' kind. Everyone, but our group, mouths dropped open some literally more than others. My father just grinned and Pavel shook his head at my outburst.
"Oh god. Well you see I may have taken that offer, maybe, a year and a half ago, but to be honest I don't need; nor do want it. I can tell you one thing I'm happy I got kicked out and never did become your guardian. It gave me a whole new perspective this world front of me. I've got my own promise mark and that is to only my father. I won't promise myself to anyone else other than him." Proving my point turned back to them and moved away from my neck, showing all my molnija and in the place of the regular promise mark they give was a serpent, aka Zmey. Some of us that didn't graduate under the government chose to brand with baba's promise mark instead seeing it as turning our backs to the very people that cast us out. No connection, no rules, no government to tell us what to do. There were a couple men of my fathers that have the same brand when they found my father on their rage to be guardians outside of the government control. I turned around and laughed at everyone's faces. They looked so horrified that I insulted the offer.
"So, I will tell you where you can shove that offer and everything you offer me. Right up your royal stuck up asses where everything wrong with you guys is. So, kiss my ass and don't let the door to life hit you on the way out." I blew a kiss and winked at them.
"Alright. That's enough of you for now." Pavel grunted and swiftly carried me out of the meeting room as I waved at them and smirked. Abe was laughing while his other guardians just shook their heads, used to my antics. When we got out of the room Pavel set me down on one of the couch and gave me a look that told me that he was disappointed with my outburst.
"What? You think it wasn't going to come out eventually?" I pouted. He shook his head and sighed. He sat down next to me and gave me a side hug.
"No. I knew it was going to happen with you being in the same room as all of them, but you do realize when the meeting is over that your mother will be talking to you when she gets out of there." I just shrugged.
"Not like I care what she thinks. She hasn't seemed to want to be a mother for most of my life. What makes her think she can after this one incident out of the many I've done? I won't let her." I said.
"I know, but at least know that you have your father and me. We love you for who you are, and we expect nothing less from you." He kissed my forehead, got up and went back into the meeting room. I waited there for about twenty minutes before everyone start piling out and immediately I saw Baba and Pavel with my mother heatedly talking to Baba. Dimitri was right behind them with his usual guardian impassive. My mother looked over at me and locked eyes with me and I knew I was in for it. She marched over to me and I remained in my seat while I looked at her with a bored expression.
"You have a lot of nerve Rosemarie speaking to the council. You're so immature it's unbelievable! I can't believe you! I'm so disappointed in you. It's obvious whose daughter you are and it's not me." Janine ranted on. I swiftly stood up and I didn't have more than an inch on her, but that didn't stop me from giving her my famous death glare.
"I personally don't care about your opinion or about your reputation to other guardians or the moroi world. I am who I am. I don't take shit from anyone and I don't bend my back backwards for people that doesn't deserve it. I cuss, I pick fights, I flirt with guys then break their noses when they try shit, I blow off people's opinions of me and I don't want to be anyone else, but me. In that meeting was me. The person in front of you is me. Take it or leave it, I don't care. Nothing you say will change my mind. You don't get to be a mother when you decide that I've embarrassed you. Baba accepts me for who I am; so, does Pavel and all the other guardians of Baba's. That's all I need. Now if we're done here I'd like to go to the bar to waste my afternoon away forgetting we had this conversation." I nodded at her and walked off waving to my father and Pavel.
"See you later tonight Baba! You know where I'll be." I started walking towards the bars. Now bars are open on our time schedule considering most bartenders are moroi and no moroi wants work during the daylight hours. I slipped into a well known dhampir bar on the dhampir side of court. The dhampir on duty just nodded to me and I walked in taking a seat at the bar. A moroi bartender walked over to me and leaned on the bar counter.
"What can I get you sweetheart?" Normally I'd punch a guy for calling me that, but I looked at him and his outfit and decided he was defiantly gay (that and he kept eyeing a guy at the end of the bar), so I just shrugged it off.
"Can I get a whiskey neat? Choose whatever." I grumbled, and he nodded. He quickly grabbed a glass set it in front of me and poured Jack Daniels in it and walked off after nodding to me. I took a small sip and welcomed the pleasant burn of the alcohol.
"Is this how you waste your time when you decide to mope around?" I heard that Russian voice and I knew I wasn't going to have a pleasant time here.
"Well I wouldn't call it moping, but since you decided to be my father is fun, why don't you come and join while I mope about me caring less that I basically don't have a mother." I threw at him.
"I'm not trying be your father. You have two of them already. I'm just trying understand you." Dimitri explained. I scoffed and took another sip.
"Well I'm trying to understand why your always in the same room as me ever since we met last night. So, we're even." I told him.
"Coincidence. I don't stalk if that's what your implying. Purely by luck." He told me. I took another sip. 'This is going to be a long conversation' I thought.
"Well who's lucky between the two of us because I don't feel lucky." Truthfully, I was telling a white lie, but he didn't need to know that I loved his accented voice that made me shift in my seat from the pooling wetness starting to form.
"Stop being dramatic. Now come on. If you want to mope you can come to my place. I have better alcohol there then what they serve here." I rolled my eyes and went to sip of my whiskey. But Dimitri had different plans. He sighed and grabbed the whiskey from my hand and took it straight. My mouth dropped when he put the glass on the bar and threw cash covering the drink and a tip. I grumbled, shaking off the surprise, and got up, following him out. We walked towards the guardian dorms while making small talk which consisted of him talking and me giving out grunting answers still annoyed I was doing this. We arrived at his room door and he unlocked it letting me in first. It was a typical guardian room. White walls, a small kitchen, a small living room and I noticed how neat it was. The door closed, and Dimitri walked passed me into the kitchen.
"Welcome to my home. Sit anywhere and I'll get you something better then that awful tasting whiskey." He ruffled through one of the cabinets while I sat down on his brown loveseat. He came out of the kitchen with two shot glasses and a bottle of either tequila or vodka. I'm assuming the last option considering his Russian decedents. He popped the top off and poured it into the glasses.
"This is Russian Standard Gold Vodka. It is very expensive and only used on special occasions in Russia. My grandmother bartered this for me before I left Russia saying I would need it in the future and now I understand why. Meeting you as been an opportunity of a life time and I know we just met, but I can't seem to be able to get you off my mind since last night. Your loyal, dedicated, fierce, beautiful, and so strong. Everything that is amazing to me. I'm not a man who says this stuff to any woman, but your different. You give off this aura that draws me in like a moth to fire and I love it. That's why I want to make a toast to our meeting." He grabbed his shot and raised it halfway and I did the same.
"На нашу встречу(To our meeting)." He toasted, and I smiled at him.
"На нашу встречу." I repeated, and we clinked the glasses and shot them. I coughed harshly and grimaced.
"That shit is like drinking gasoline." I looked at him while he tried to keep from laughing.
"I'm used to it. We drink vodka regularly in Russia. It's our dinner drink." He grinned and took the glasses and vodka into the kitchen and put them away.
"I thought you lived in Russia for a couple of years. I would think that you would be the one to drink even if you were underage. Russian vodka is everywhere. Not that I condone underage drinking." He said as he came back in and sat down next to me.
"Well Pavel was pretty keen on me working on my studies than me out partying plus after living on the streets for two years kind of sobers all the fun in you. When I was in Russia all I did was study and work hard. I thought maybe I still had a chance to protect Lissa, but that ship went south after she became queen. We grew apart after awhile she needed to rule a country and I lived in the dark world my father lived in. We were never set to become anything more than memories to each other. Maybe someday we'll reconnect, but I did nothing wrong. Well I chose not to be the bigger person and apologize for some choice words to her. I do regret it, but I want an apology first. She dropped and treated me as if I wasn't worth putting on her priority list unlike Mia, Christian, Eddie, and Mason were on. I felt hurt that she either intentionally or unintentionally did it. It's hard for me to let people in now because I have few people that ever had my back at my worst. My mom didn't, neither did Lissa, Mia, Adrian, not even Alberta spoke up to stop it. I won't rely on people to have my back anymore because in the end all I ever will have is a knife there. And then there is you, who just won't leave me alone for unknown reasons and I hate it because I starting to feel something, and I can't bring a person into this dark and horrible world that fucks me up in so many ways. I'm broken and will never be right in the mind." I tried so hard to push him away. I couldn't bring him into this life I lived. He lived as a guardian; protecting moroi that's the modo he should live by not me who spills blood no matter the person.
"Listen I don't care that you do shading dealings. You made a living the way you had to. I understand that, and I don't care that you think your broken and unfixable. I'll help you put yourself back together and I'll treat you like the beautiful and strong woman you are." I shook my head while he stroked my hand.
"I'm leaving in a few days. I can't ask you to leave being a guardian behind. We only met yesterday, and we haven't even had a date. How do you think things will turn out if start this off long distance?" I tried to deny him.
"I'll take time off. I have plenty and we can go on a few dates when you go to Russia. I haven't seen my family in a long time anyway. Think of it as me tagging along at a convenience. If things don't work out that's fine when it's time for me to leave, I'll leave and I won't bug you again. Roza, I remember before I left Russia my babushka told me that 'In the future there lies a soul that may seem tainted by others, but all it needs is a little light in it's darkness. Be that light.' I understand what she meant now." He stroked my cheek and leaned in slowly. I closed my eyes and leaned in meeting his lips. It started slow and light than it turned more heated. I groaned and swiftly straddled his lap, grinding against him. Dimitri groaned and tilted my head to deepen the kiss; his tongue asking for entrance and returned with my own tongue. I heard Dimitri swear in Russian and took me to his room that we shared for the night.
*After*
"You know I haven't been with someone in almost three years." Dimitri stated.
"Damn. No wonder I was noticing your lacking performance." I joked around. He just raised his damn eyebrow, that which made me green with envy and chuckled.
"Must be." He chuckled. I sighed and snuggled into his chest. He relaxed under me and loosely draped his arm around my waist and with that we both mumbled a goodnight and fell into a blissful sleep.
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