Tasha is Christian's aunt, but also Roses, from her other side of the family, so Rose and Christian are not related. Rose knows who her father is but has never met him. When Rose's mother gets killed she goes to live with her Aunt Tasha, and her hunky Russian boyfriend Dimitri. What will happen? Rose has met Lissa, but when Lissas parents where killed and Rose nearly killed, her mother withdrew her from the Academy. But now she is back!

Enjoy! I'm a very Big Dimitri Fan.

Chapter 1

I'm standing at the edge of the hole, that my mothers coffin has just been lowered into, surrounded by a lot of people. Some of them I knew and some of them I didn't. I hadn't expected such a large turn-out, then again, my mother had been an amazing Guardian. But now she was gone. She had been murdered by a Strigoi. He snapped her neck, as if it was nothing more than a twig. I'll never forget that monsters face as long as I live, long blonde hair, bright red eyes. I've had nightmares about that face, every night for the last week!

My mother, and a friend, Alberta, who was a fellow Guardian had taken me to the movies and a meal for my seventeenth birthday. It had been an amazing night. But then on the way home, the attack had happened, and I had lost the only person that ever meant anything to me. She had been more than a mother, a lot more. She was my best friend too. I had nearly been killed when I was ten, in a car accident that claimed the lives of the whole Dragomir line, well... apart from one of them. My best friend, Vasilisa, or Lissa, as I called her. My mother had been so scared by the thought of losing me that she had resigned from her Guardianship, and she had become a full time mother, since then we had become inseparable. But now she was gone, and I was all alone.

Alberta put a loving hand on my shoulder, she had been injured the night of the attack, But as selfish as it sounds, I couldn't help but wish that it had been her and not my mother that had been killed, but then I always felt such intense guilt, because Alberta had been my mothers best friend, and she was the nicest woman that I had ever met.

"How are you coping Rose" She asked, she knew it was a stupid question, but she was desperate to get me to open up. I hadn't shed a tear yet over my mother's death, I would always blame myself because she had died. She had been so distracted trying to keep the Strigoi away from me that she hadn't noticed how close he had gotten to her and all because she had been trying to protect me.

"I'm surviving" I said, truthfully. Even though I didn't want to be. "Everything is in order. The will and the house". I added. Everything that my mother had has been left to me and a very nice bank account, she had been saving ever penny by the looks of it and had invested some money in some very lucrative shares, so I was now a very wealthy eighteen year old. I would give it all up just like that, if I could rewind time so that this nightmare had never happened. The only thing that I couldn't part with was her red convertable. She loved us going for drives in it, the roof down and the wind blowing our hair around. No. This car was staying with me. I had my driver's license, so it had become my car. I treasured it, because of the happy memories that it held.

"What about the nightmares Rose?" I smiled a sad smile at her. "Yeah. I'm still getting those" I told her. "I guess, they'll get better in time.

People came and hugged me, and said their condolences then left. Alberta turned to me as a lady with long black hair walked in my direction. This was the moment that I had been dreading. The moment that I had to leave my home and move into a house with my Aunt; Natasha Ozera, and her boyfriend, who was totally gorgeous, Dimitri Belikov. I didn't want to live with them, but I didn't want to be alone either and they were the only Family I had.

I would be attending St Vladimirs Academy again next month, when the new term started. And that was the only thing out of this whole nightmare that I actually looked forward to. I had missed Lissa. I wondered if she still remembered me, I certainly hadn't forgotten her, she had been my best friend, and we cried and cried the day I had to leave the academy. I was looking forward to seeing her again, even if it had been eight years since we'd last seen each other.

I had been told by Alberta that Dimitri was also a Guardian at the Academy, and was only at home with Tasha because it was school holidays. When I returned to the Academy he would be returning with me. That made me a little happier; at Least I'd know him and Lissa, not to mention Christian. Aunt Tasha's nephew.

My mother and Tasha didn't really see eye to eye. My mother's father had been married to Tasha's mother, but he had had an affair with a Dhampir, resulting in my mother being conceived, I think Tasha blamed my mother somehow for the crumble of her parents marriage, like it had been my mothers fault. So apart from my father, who I had never once met, Tasha was the only family that I had. Oh joy!

"Rose" Tasha screeched as she came nearer to me. She kissed me lightly on either cheek, where the fuck did she think we were, France or something. I mean... did people actually kiss that way still. It grossed me out.

"Hi Aunt Tasha" I said, with a fake smile on my face. You see I didn't like her, because of the way she had treated my mother, she had been okay with me though, sending birthday and Christmas cards at least.

"Are you ready to leave honey" she said, warily as if trying not to hurt my feelings. I nodded. "I am. I just need to grab my suitcase. Then I'm good to go. I'll follow you, if that's okay" I told her. "I don't want to leave my car behind" I added, she smiled at me. "That's fine. I'll just have to let Dimitri know, so that he doesn't drive to fast and lose you" she said, with a laugh. "Oh... here he is now" she said, as he walked over to us with a smile on his face. He was still gorgeous, Beautiful deep brown eyes and shoulder length light brown wavy hair, with a few curls at the ends, tied back at the nape of his neck, how god thought one man deserved to be so perfect, was beyond me. Surely it wasn't fair to all the other - Stop it Rose! I thought. He's dating your Aunt for god sake. Still, if one day he isn't... Stop, stop, the crazy talk.

"Rose. Do you remember Dimitri" she asked. I nodded my head. "Yeah I do" I said. "It's nice to see you again Guardian Belikov" I said. He smiled at me, "Please Rose. Call me Dimitri" he said. I smiled "Okay Dimitri" I said.

We all drove back to my house while I grabbed my suit cases. Dimitri loaded them into the car. "Are you sure you don't want to bring the kitchen sink Rose" he teased. I smiled. "I'm sorry! There was a lot I wanted to keep. I can leave some of it if it's too much" I said. He looked at me for a moment. "Don't be silly Rose. I was only joking with you" he said sincerely. I smiled a small smile and nodded then I went to get into car while he climbed into his, I waited patiently while he finished talking to Alberta through the window. Then she walked over to me. I had the roof down so I didn't have to roll the window down. "Take care of yourself Rose. I'll see you at the Academy" she said, she put her hand against my cheek. "And don't be afraid of calling me if you want to. "Okay" she added. I smiled at her. Thank you Alberta" I told her. Then she walked away. Dimitri pulled out when he saw that I was ready. And I pulled out after him, leaving behind my old life, and beginning my new one.