There he was, not ten feet in front of me. I didn't expect him to look so glad to see me. He stared to walk towards me and I stared to take a step back and he stopped.
"Roza" he said. "I love you. I'm not going to hurt you, Roza."
Something in the way he said that, and the look in his eyes made me believe him. I nodded and took a step forward and then he was right in front of me in barely a second. He startled me a bit and seemed to realize it.
"Sorry." said Dimitri.
I raised my hand and put it on his cheek. He kissed me once very lightly and said," I love you," again.
"There's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?" he replied.
I was sure he wouldn't but I had to ask.
"Do you promise you won't hurt me?" I asked.
"Yes of course Roza," Dimitri replied, sounding almost shocked.
I nodded and said, "All right. Give me your hand."
He didn't look nervous, but was not quite sure what I was going to do. Which is understandable considering what I was about to tell him was so impossible. I took his hand and placed it on my stomach. He just stared at his hand on my stomach until his head shot up in surprise. Because he new I loved only him, he started to understand what I was telling him. But he asked anyway.
"Is it mine?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded and he smiled too.
"I guess I'm more different from a normal dhampir then I thought," I said.
"Well I always new that," he teased.
We both laughed at that. Then I had to ask.
"Dimitri, why are you like this. You're not like other strigoi. I should be dead right now," I asked.
He seemed to think about that for what seemed ages.
"I don't really know how, but when I heard you scream, and I realized I couldn't stop it, well, I just held on so to speak, how much I loved you and hoped I would be different. That I would still love you even like I am now," he replied. "I'm glad it worked because, otherwise, I probably never would have known about our baby or be with you."
"I can honestly say that I am scared right now," I said.
"About what? I promise I would never hurt you, or the baby," he said.
"Oh, no, I'm not scared of you," I assured him.
"Then what are you scared about?" he asked.
It took me a moment to answer because I wasn't sure how to tell him I was scared of the baby, so I just said it.
"The baby."
"You're scared of the baby?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Why?"
"Well, not really scared, more worried really."
He looked confused.
"Dimitri, I have no idea what this baby will be like. No dhampir has ever had a baby with another dhampir. Plus I'm only eighteen," I said, on the edge of being hysterical.
He finally seemed to understand and pulled me close to hug me. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, with my head on his chest, he kept me close. He finally pulled back, but only to kiss my forehead.
"Don't worry. Like I said before, you're so strong. You'll be fine. Besides, I'll be with you the whole time." he said.
"But will it be safe out here?"
He looked like he was about to say something and I realized he must think I mean not safe from him, so I quickly interrupted before he could say anything.
"I don't mean from you, I mean from the rest of the strigoi."
He thought about that for a moment.
"Your right," he said. "It probably would be safer for you to go back to St. Vladimir's Academy, but I can't go back there and I don't want to lose you. I will protect you. I promise."
"Well, you don't have worry about losing me because I can't go back there anyway."
"Why?"
"Well for a couple of reasons. One, I'm no longer a student there, and if I show up now, I don't know what to expect. Second, it will take me a while to get back and it'll be obvious that I'm pregnant, and even it isn't it soon will be. And you can bet everyone will jump to conclusions and assume it's Adrian's because he's just another Moroi padding after a dhampir girl. Nobody will believe it's yours." I nearly ranted.
"Why are you no longer a student?" he asked
"I had to withdraw from the academy to come find you." I replied.
He didn't say anything for while and I could see he was trying to think of a solution.
"Don't worry about it right now. We'll think of something. But you look tired so let's get you some sleep." Dimitri said at last.
"But where will you go?" I asked not wanting to leave him but he was right. I was practically dead on my feet.
"I'll stay with you, promise." he replied.
Knowing that I could trust him, I simply nodded and he carried me in his arms to find someplace for me to sleep.
I woke up a few hours later and he was still with me. I recognized a hotel room. I was about to ask how he got a hotel room but right then my stomach growled and I flushed with embarrassment. It didn't help when he chuckled under his breath.
"Hey! You try carrying around a baby and trying to hunt down its father and see how hungry you get." I said defensively.
"Alright, alright." He said, still laughing a bit. "But you're going to have to wait a few more hours." he said.
"Why?" I asked
He looked toward the closed window.
"Because it's still light out."
At first I was confused. Why should it have to be dark out to get food? Then I remembered. He was a strigoi, and they can't be out in sunlight. I sighed and settled back down and fell asleep again. It was dark out when he woke me up. By now I was starving. We headed out but didn't get far before I had to stop at a bench. After all the laps Dimitri had had me run, they didn't help me much right now. As usual, he seemed to guess my thoughts.
"Apparently all the laps I had you run didn't do you much good." He teased.
"They did me plenty of good." I replied defensively. "Just not when I'm starving and pregnant. Still you're right though. I should be able to do better than this."
I started to feel something that reminded me of when Lissa was trying to hide her emotions from me so I couldn't find her. I let myself be pulled into her head and realized she was looking for me only a few yards away. Back in my own head, I wondered if Dimitri could tell she was there.
"I know you I'm safe with you, but would Lissa be safe with you right now?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. I would think so but I haven't been near any Moroi lately. Only humans and other strigoi. Why?" he said.
"Because she, Christian, and Adrian are looking for me just a few yards away. Apparently she has figured out a way to find me." I said
He seemed to think a minute, but then nodded.
"Yes they will be safe. I won't hurt them either." he replied.
I nodded believing him started to get up. He reached for me helped me up and we walked out so I could call to her. He kept his arm around my waist.
"Lissa!" I yelled.
I looked around not seeing her. But I herd something like yelling and grunts. I went back into her head and saw that she was a block away. But that was not what startled me; she was being attacked by a strigoi. I pulled back into my own head and took off running towards her with Dimitri right beside me. When I saw them, all that was left of the strigoi was a pill of ashes.
"Rose!" Lissa cried.
She started towards me but Christian graded her arm. She stared at him confused until she looked back at me and saw Dimitri standing beside me. Her eyes widened in surprise. I looked at him and he was looking at Lissa just the same as he always did.
"It's alright. I won't hurt any of you." he said.
Lissa looked a little startled and I could feel it through our bond that she was unsure and looked at me. I nodded and she seemed to relax. I walked towards them but Dimitri stayed where he was. Lissa pulled away from Christian and hugged me. I pulled back and hugged Christian too.
"You know, I've kind of missed you Rose. Without you there was no one to get mad." Christian said.
"Little dhampir, I've missed you!" Adrian said just as he pulled me into a tight hug.
When he let me go he kind of took a step back. I turned around and Dimitri had come forward a little.
"Guys it's ok." I said
"Rose's right. I would never hurt any of you or the-"
"Or me." I interrupted quickly knowing he was about to say the baby.
They all looked at me and I knew I was going to have to tell right then. I looked up at Dimitri. His expression said that he knew I was nervous about telling them. He put his arm around my waist again and nodded in encouragement. I turned back to them and their expressions was a bit shocked.
"Rose, what is it?" Lissa asked.
I sighed not knowing how to tell them. I was about to tell them the same way I told Dimitri until I herd Lissa's voice in my head.
It's ok Rose. Just tell us.
Her voice was reassuring so I nodded.
"I'm pregnant with Dimitri's baby." I said
They all just stared at us. Eyes wide with shock. I thought I heard a little gasp from someone. I was pretty sure it was Lissa or Adrian. Dimitri tightened his arm around me a little when I leaned into him. I looked up at him and he kissed my forehead.
"Well that might explain your aura." Adrian said.
"What? It's not black?"
"No still black, but it's like there is a little glow more towards your stomach."
I felt Lissa starting to worry about me again.
"Liss I'm fine, really." I said to reassure her.
"But Rose, your only eighteen!" she cried obviously worried about me.
"I know," was all I could say. I knew I was way too young to have a baby. But what could I do.
Christian spoke up now. "Come on. Let's go back to the academy."
"I'm not going back."
"Why not?" Lissa asked
"I'm not a student there anymore, and you know Dimitri can't go back there like this. I'm staying with him."
"You should go back with them Roza. It's the safest place for you right now." Dimitri said.
I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. He was just thinking of me and the baby, but it still hurt at the thought of leaving him.
"No! I'm not leaving you!" I cried.
He leaned down and kissed me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. When he pulled back, he kissed my forehead.
"You have to go with them." he said.
"No. Not without you." I said calmly this time.
I felt something swelling up inside me. Kind of like when Lissa was going to heal someone, but a little darker. I heard Adrian gasp and guessed he could see something happening to my aura. I didn't know what I was doing, but I reach out and touched Dimitri. All of a sudden, his red eyes turned back to their normal dark color. His skin darkened and I could feel his heart beat under my hand. I realized somehow I just turned him back into a dhampir. Lissa, Christian, and Adrian all gasped. Unfortunately, also like Lissa I felt weaker. I looked at my friends and then back to Dimitri. Lissa, Adrian, and Christian just stared. It looked like Lissa was about to ask me something but I collapsed.