AN: Hello again and thanks for showing interest and encouraging me to write this story. I intented to have this up much sooner, but I hit a few snags. That being said, I just want to throw it out there that I have extreme difficulty writing in first person. I tried my hardest to write this chapter in that fashion, but I scrapped it and re-wrote it this way. I hope that it works out okay and it's not a total mess. Personally, I think it turned out better and with less rambling. When I write in first person, I tend to write how I talk which doesn't work so well.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.

Black Ink

Chapter 1: Now You're Mine

Her eyes fluttered open and all she could see was one massive blur. It took a moment for the room to stop spinning and for her vision to focus. Rose winced noting the throbbing pain in the back of her head. A heavy throb that dominated her thoughts. Even the dim light of the room irritated her. The blissful, drug-filled, haze that usually followed a Strigoi bite seemed strangely absent. She closed her eyes briefly forcing the pain in her head to the back of her mind. Thankfully that worked. At least, in the meantime it did. Once she managed to accomplish this, she looked around to get her bearings. However, when she moved to sit up, a sharp stabbing pain jolted up her right arm when she put weight on it. This caused her to cease any and all movement. The pain she was experiencing proved one thing, she was not Strigoi. Remaining calm, she looked down at her arm to investigate the cause of her pain. It was encased in a thick, plaster-like substance which kept the limb from shifting out of place. Confused she tossed the soft and fluffy blanket, resting over her form, aside and revealed her battered and bandaged legs. They were badly bruised and lined with cuts and abrasions, some new and some old. She followed the appendages down to her feet. Her left ankle rested on top of a pillow and was wrapped tightly and expertly to keep it from moving in a less than desirable way.

After assessing these injuries, Rose carefully turned sliding her legs off the bed and resting them on the cold, wooden floor. She took a deep breath preparing herself for the pain in her ankle but grimaced at the stab of pain in her ribs instead. That was when she realized that her chest was also wrapped up tightly. Somehow during the events of her escape she had injured her ribs as well. She tried to recall the moment when the injury had occurred but it all came up a jumbled mess. She felt like she was in a fog. Ignoring the pain in her head, she shook it an attempt to clear her thoughts. With her good arm, she reached up to touch her shoulder where Dimitri's fangs had pierced her flesh. Remnants of the puncture wounds remained and she could feel them underneath her finger tips, but they were old and crusted over letting her know that some measure of time had gone by. She hadn't imagined the incident of her escape. It had been real, but it made no sense to her. How was it possible for her to end up in a place like this? Well cared for, and cleaned up, but more or less unharmed. Unchanged. Everything Dimitri had said to her had hinted towards the outcome of her being awakened. It was perplexing that she was still, very much, alive. Maybe this was all just a dream. It certainly felt that way but the pain she felt radiating through her body was a constant reminder that it was all very real.

Looking down at her body, she took note that someone had changed her clothes. The sweater-dress and hooded sweater that she had been wearing were absent and instead she was dressed in a flimsy, and almost sheer black tank top and loose pink pj shorts. Both articles of clothing were soft and very comfortable, but the top left nothing to the imagination since you could almost see straight through it. After examining her own state, she took to inspecting the room that she had found herself in. This was, most definitely, not the apartment that she had been confined in before. Even with her suddenly questionable memory, she was certain of this. Gingerly, she rose to her feet taking great care to keep most of her body's weight on her left side and off of her injured ankle. Her legs shook a little unused to her weight. It had been some time since they were last used. Her legs gave out from under her and she grabbed onto the bedpost to steady herself. She winced at the dull ache that crept up her arm at the sudden movement, the injury forgotten in that instant. Using the post to support her weight, she righted herself waiting until the shaking subsided before releasing it. They settled after remaining fully upright for a few moments. Rose's whole body ached with the effort but she ignored it. There were more important matters at hand.

She carefully stepped away from the bed turning slowly to get a better look at her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that there were no windows. Not surprising considering where she assumed she was. Dim lights lit the room giving it a dreamy and slightly romantic feel. The bed, on which she had been lying, was enormous and took up most the of the room. It was a tall four poster bed surrounded by thin red curtains. The fabric was sheer and soft to the touch. The blanket she had tossed aside was a deep shade of red and the sheets below were smooth like silk. Her fingers gently stroked the bedspread enjoying the coolness of the fabric against her skin. She smiled despite herself. She liked the luxury of it all. The walls were a shade of dark grey and the floors were dark hardwood. The only other furniture in the room was a dresser and a nightstand with a lamp resting on top. All looked like antiques. A mirror hung above the dresser creating a make-shift vanity. Though the room was quite large, it felt small.

Satisfied with her quick assessment, Rose shuffled along quietly to the dresser. As quietly as she could, she searched the doors for a sweater. She shivered as a cold travelled through her body from the floor. It didn't take long for her to find something suitable. She pulled the sweater on, thankful that it was a heavy knit. Although, she didn't bother searching for something to replace the shorts. Now that she was up and about, she felt the need to explore. She moved slowly and carefully being extra diligent to keep pressure off of her obviously sprained ankle. There was no need to cause anymore injury to herself. When she pressed down on the handle of the door, she was met with no resistance. It was unlocked. She half expected to confined to this one room. After opening the door she stepped over the threshold and out into a living area. The walls were a warmer colour in this room. It made it more inviting. They were a cream colour that went well with the floors. The same floors that resided in the bedroom. The temperature seemed to shift a good ten degrees lower from the bedroom to this one. Perhaps it was just her imagination but she didn't think it was. It was of no surprise to her that this room was also completely void of any windows. The apartment reminded her of a hotel room. There was a door to her left which appeared to be a bathroom but it was hard to tell with the door closed. A wooden table was pressed up against the wall to her right. It was small but sturdy with two chairs on either side. Both the table and chairs were crafted into one solid piece. Unbreakable. The sofa was the predominant piece of furniture in this room. The couch was large, plush, and looked both expensive and incredibly comfortable. It was upholstered in a rich green fabric. Mounted on the wall across from it, was a large LCD TV. It was currently turned off filling the room with an eerie silence that set her on edge. There was a bookshelf filled with books next to it. From her position couldn't make out any of the titles but she had a suspicion that they were something that she may like. There were two doors, one across the room, just beyond the couch. There was a keypad next to it, and this she assumed was the exit. The other door was made of steel and stood out against the cream coloured walls. Both doors possessed the same lock as the door to the apartment that she had resided in before. Scanning over the room again, it took her a moment to realize, that throughout her inspection, she had, had company.

Seated on the couch, much to her surprise, was Dimitri. His brown hair was pulled back and tied at the base of his neck keeping it away from his face. He looked almost relaxed, casual, with a book opened in his hands. A western. No surprise there. After a moment, he glanced up and met her gaze. Her heart stopped and a trickle of fear settled into the pit of her stomach. In that moment, she had forgotten that this wasn't a dream. The red-rimmed eyes staring back at her grounded her and brought Rose back to reality. It was like dumping a buck of ice water over yourself. His firm and stoic expression worried her more. The worst part was that she couldn't recall exactly why she was afraid of him. Hadn't she gotten over this feeling and overcome it? In her insecurity, she wrapped her arms around herself forcing out the slight chill in the room. The sweater was helping, but not enough.

This action seemed to distract him and his attention fell back to his book for a moment. He folded the corner of the page to mark his place. "I see you're awake," He commented tossing his book aside and devoting his full attention to his company.

Rose stared at him, too shocked to speak. After escaping and trying to kill him, miraculously, he had let her live. Not only that, but he had bandaged and treated her injuries. The emotions running through her barely registered as she gaped at him. Fear, anger, betrayal, love, and hope. Perhaps there was a small part of the man that she loved buried deep down inside this monster. She swallowed hard erasing these thoughts from her mind as she recalled the vicious glint in his eyes as he had hunted her down. Before she could dwell on it further, it quickly vanished into the mysterious haze that had consumed her memories. "Why am I here?" She questioned taking a cautious step backwards. A quiet nagging voice in the back of her mind said that he couldn't be trusted and to run away. Although it was barely above a whisper, she couldn't ignore it. It was an instinctual response to the potential danger surrounding her.

Rose's apprehension didn't seem to bother Dimitri in the slightest. In fact, he seemed to be expecting it. "We no longer have a deadline," He stated simply answering her question without delay. He shrugged his broad shoulders as he rose onto his feet. He played it off like the answer was so obvious, yet he was patient with her and explained further. "I'm in charge now, so I decided to bide my time. My intention is to keep you here as you are now. At least, until you're ready for me to awaken you." He said it so simply in a matter-of-fact fashion that left her completely baffled. This whole situation was just bizarre. "We have all the time in the world Roza."

The pieces weren't adding up. Nothing made sense. He had been so adamant, so eager and insistent that she make the decision for him awaken her. That she agree to allow him to turn her Strigoi. He had been desperate almost. It was very strange that seemed he was so relaxed about the situation now. What had changed? There were too many inconsistencies with the events in her mind that Rose just couldn't make heads or tales of it all. It felt as though it were all just out of her reach taunting her."But why?" She found herself asking. She tilted her head to the side slightly her confusion clearly evident on her face.

Dimitri sighed but did not seem irritated by her questioning. Slowly, he approached her keeping his body language as non-threatening as possible. She remained rooted to her spot simply watching him intently with apprehension. "Is is not obvious by now Roza," He questioned his tone taking on a gentle note. He stopped his stride a few steps from her and reached out resting his hands on her shoulders. Rose automatically flinched under his touch but he seemed to pay it no mind. "I've grown rather fond of you despite you're rebellious nature."

This didn't satisfy her. All it did was create more questions. "But you tried to kill me," She remarked taking another step back letting his hands fall off her shoulders and back to his sides.

His expression hardened at this accusation, "And you tried to kill me," was his blunt retort. Rose winced as though she were slapped in the face. She wasn't sure why, but those words stung and her heart dropped at the icy tone that had slithered back into his voice. He paused for a moment watching the shift in her expression at his words. It was obvious to him that they had hurt her. He knew her well enough. "It would take a lot for me to kill you. What you've done, isn't enough." He added a smirk spreading across his handsome features.

She looked down unable to hold his gaze any longer. Those red rimmed eyes taunted her, reminding her of what had happened. It was like he knew a secret that she did not and he relished in that knowledge. Rose pushed that aside noticing that his statement seemed oddly familiar but she couldn't recall where from. Her expression fell and she frowned at this observation. Looking down, she caught sight of Herself and once again and recalled the plethora of injuries littering her body. She lifted up my plaster-cast arm inspecting it briefly. "You bandaged me," she stated reluctantly raising her eyes to meet his once more. "Why?" There was a hint of suspicion and accusation in her voice as she spoke.

"You seem so surprised that I would help you," He mused watching her carefully never taking his eyes off of her. Not even for a moment. "You were injured, and I called someone in who owed me a favour. It's the least I could do considering," He explained allowing his sentence to trail off without further explanation assuming that she could piece it all together without his help.

He was wrong. It seemed the longer she remained in his presence, the more muddled her memory became. Rose ran her hands through her hair, wincing at the pain caused from the gentle tug. Her headache was beginning to return at full force. "I don't remember," She mumbled biting her bottom lip. She didn't mean to say it out loud and it didn't go unnoticed by Dimitri.

He reached out and gently grabbed a hold of her wrist gently untangling it from her long chocolate locks. She tensed up at his touch. He seemed unaffected. "You should rest," He informed her releasing his hold on her and allowing her hand to come to rest at her side. "Your body is still healing."

She shook off his statement, bypassing it all together. "How long was I out?" she probed still trying to figure out the strange direction in which this whole ordeal had taken.

He hesitated before responding calmly. "Three days," was his flat response. However, he quickly glossed over this and focused Rose's attention elsewhere. "Is the pain bothering you? I could fetch some more pain killers or sedatives if you wish," He questioned releasing her wrist allowing his fingers linger, slightly longer than they should have, before removing his hand completely.

His diversionary tactic seemed to work as Rose shook her head again. She refused to acknowledge the pain this time. It was nothing that she couldn't handle. "I'm okay, I just feel a little rundown and sore," She admitted finally letting her guard down a bit. If Dimitri was going to hurt her, he would have by now. He had, had ample opportunity to do so therefore, there was no sense being afraid of him. At least, that's what her mind was telling her as the nagging voice that had popped up before began to fade out. It must have been her own insecurities and reservations that had caused such a reaction.

He nodded accepting her dismissal of the idea. Her response was satisfactory. He turned around heading back towards the couch, "It's to be expected. I hurt you more than I originally thought."

Rose winced at his admission. Looking at him now, she had a hard time recalling exactly what had happened when she attempted her escape. Not only that, but everything throughout the whole ordeal since she had been detained was all a blur. Random thoughts and incoherent images flashed,out of sequence and lacking detail, in and out of her mind. It was as if they were glossed over, or partially erased, altered in some way. Certain things remained in full detail. These were mostly snippets of conversations with Dimitri or intimate moments they had shared during the course of her captivity. Her mind was a jumbled mess and trying to sort all the information out was making her headache worse. She sighed rubbing her temple with her good hand to hopefully soothe the dull throb. Considering the facts, Rose believed that she remembered everything, but her usual clarity was absent. Completely missing. What she could recall took her up to the moment that she had pulled off the ring Oksana had given to her. After that, everything simply went black.

'What had happened exactly?' She wondered looking down at her hand. Instantly, she noticed that the ring was missing. There was a faint groove in her finger where the ring had been but that was the only evidence that proved she hadn't imaged that too. 'Did I lose it?' She asked herself inaudibly staring down at her hand. Only vague images came to mind recalling her fight with Dimitri as she was determined to escape. This only compounded with the other inconsistencies making her more confused than she had been moments before. 'Why did I try to escape? Didn't I like it here? Didn't I want to be here?' Her eyebrows furrowed in thought as she sorted through these questions pondering them and trying to put the events in order and recall the holes in her memory. She was unsuccessful.

"What's wrong Roza?" Dimitri asked suddenly appearing beside her. It was like he had materialized out of thin air. Rose jumped in surprise at his sudden closeness. She must have zoned out lost in her own thoughts. He regarded her with curiosity. "You look lost." He commented watching her expression closely.

She glanced up at him expecting concern to be present in his features, but she was disappointed. The softness she had anticipated was no where to be seen. His eyes bore into her and it became obvious that he was studying her. Inspecting her with critical eyes, his face masked of any emotion. Rose shook her head eliminating her numerous questions for the time being. "Nothing," was her slightly delayed reply. She ignored the stab of pain that shot through her skull from the rapid movement of her head. "I just, have a headache," She admitted dropping her hand back down to her side.

He nodded accepting her response although his stare was still intently focused on her. He was searching for something in her expression to reveal what was on her mind. After a moment, he shifted his gaze away from her face. He shrugged his shoulders accepting her reply. "That is to be expected. You've been through quite the ordeal." He remarked resting a hand on her lower back, "You should rest." The subtle touch sent a wave of warmth through her body as he attempted to steer her back into the bedroom.

She shifted away from his touch. Despite the heat it generated inside of her, it felt wrong all at the same time. "I feel fine. I think I've rested enough," Rose disagreed dismissing his suggestion politely. Truly she felt that she could use more sleep but she wasn't about to admit that to him. "What I could really go for right now is some food," She confessed feeling her stomach begin to protest it's empty state. It did not come as a surprise considering the circumstances. If she believed what Dimitri had told her, she hadn't eaten in nearly four days. Not since before her failed escape attempt.

He looked slightly annoyed at this. "You can eat later," He stated coldly his voice firm and commanding. It became obvious that he was unwilling to relent on the matter and allow her to dictate her own needs without an argument.

It was becoming apparent that he wanted her locked back up inside the bedroom. This created more questions for her to ponder. She wasn't overly concerned about her body's condition. She would heal given time and no real amount of rest could speed that process along. She was battered, bruised, and suffering from a rapidly growing headache, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Perhaps it was her stubborn nature or defiant tenancies trying to creep back into her that made her so eager to explore when he wanted to contain her.

Before she could take more than three steps away from her captor, his hand clamped down on her shoulder preventing her from moving any farther. He spun her back around to face him, a displeased look etched into his features. "Why do you insist on being difficult?" He asked lowering his intense gaze to lock with hers once more.

Her breathing hitched at the harsh tone of his voice as he spoke. 'Where have I heard that before?' She wondered growing frustrated with the constant holes popping up within her memories. "I'm not being difficult," She spat back shrugging her shoulder in an effort to dislodge his hand. His grip held firm. "Look I'm hungry, sore, and very confused about this whole situation," She continued her voice rising in volume as she spoke. "If you could feed me, or tell me what's going on I would be more obedient," She remarked changing tactics realizing that being forceful and stubborn wasn't getting her anywhere with him. He was immune.

However, her outburst had only added to his irritated state. It may not have shown in his face but his body language said enough. They stared at one another for a long moment neither refusing to back down and look away. She braced herself preparing for the possibility that he would lash out at her. She was surprised however, when he merely nodded in agreement. "Alright," He spoke up after a small, but heavy, pause. "I will see about getting you something to eat, if you agree to go back to bed afterwards."

It wasn't what she had wanted entirely, but it was a compromise. She could accept that. There was no point in arguing further because it would get her no where. A small smile broke out on her face as she nodded gratefully. "I would like that," She replied accepting his terms. Anything to fill her empty stomach.

He stood to his full height and stepped away from her. His expression shifted and resumed it's usual emotionless state. "I will return in a little while," He announced grabbing his duster, which had been folded over the back of one of the dining chair. He shrugged it on before heading towards the heavier of the two doors. The steel door. He punched in the code and turned back to her. "Feel free to get comfortable. This is your home now." Then he was gone.

Rose stared at the door which he had exited digesting his words. Her thoughts swirled around her head mixing together and becoming entangled forming a large ball of frustration in the process. This wasn't her home. The academy was her home, or was it? The puzzle pieces were too numerous and the shapes wouldn't fit together. It was a never-ending cycles that left her feeling lost and on the verge of losing her mind. She rationalized that she was simply thinking too hard. Over thinking something needlessly that would eventually be explained. There was no sense in stressing herself to sort it out, for that just made it worse. Given time all the information would simply fall into place. After she had talked herself out of her own head, she shuffled over to the couch. She sighed happily sinking into the soft cushions. It was like sitting on a cloud and she was instantly comfortable and unwilling to move. She grabbed the remote off of the small end table beside her and turned on the TV. Shifting through the numerous channels, most of which were in Russian, she felt her eyes beginning to droop and it wasn't long until she fell asleep.

A loud bang yanked Rose out of the comfort of her nap. She awoke with a start bolting up from her relaxed position on the couch instantly alert. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes frantically scanned the room searching for the source of the disturbance. Her eyes fell onto the tall intruder standing by the door and she let out a small sigh of relief. It was Dimitri. Instantly, his eyes were on her. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, but it was only a flash and in a fraction of a second it disappeared. Rose blinked a few times trying to decipher if she had imagined the small display of emotion. It was entirely possible. By this point, she was certain that she was going completely insane. Thankfully, her small nap had one positive effect, her headache had dissipated.

Dimitri said nothing and walked towards the table. He placed a greasy paper bag down onto the surface along with a wax cup. A fast food meal. She had been so distracted by his sudden return and his expression that she had failed to notice the delicious odour of fatty, greasy, foodstuffs that had now consumed the room. Rose's mouth began to salivate and her stomach growled loudly as she eagerly inhaled the heavenly aroma. Her tongue slid across her lips as she closed her eyes to better appreciate the scent.

Dimitri watched her with amusement. She fascinated him. "Are you going to smell it, or eat it?" He spoke up suddenly interrupting her love affair with her sense of smell.

This snapped the brunette out of her daze. Wasting no time, Rose stood up and rushed over to the table. She plopped down onto one of the chairs grabbing the bag tightly in her hands. Dimitri sat down opposite of her and watched as she ripped the bag open and pulled the contents out. Three hamburgers, fries, and what looked like some kind of pie. Food was food. Tearing the wrapper from one of the burgers she bit into the warm and salty sandwich. She moaned in delight at the taste of it. It tasted far better than it smelled. Suddenly realizing how hungry she had become she made quick work of the food. She consumed them so quickly that one would have asked if she had chewed since she practically inhaled the meal that had been provided for her. All the while, Dimitri sat silently and patiently waiting for her to finish.

Afterwards, she leaned back in the chair sighing contently. That was exactly what she had needed. "Fast food never should have been invented," She remarked resting her hand over her full stomach. She was stuffed. "Did you get that yourself?" She wondered tilting her head to the side in her curiosity.

"No, it's the middle of the day," He remarked still studying her every move and gesture. "I had one of the humans retrieve it for me. I would have a hard time passing for human in any capacity," He admitted folding his hands on the table in front of him.

An image of a dark haired woman flashes in front of her eyes at the mention of a human servant. "Inna?" She asked recalling the name with complete confidence. It was one of the few things she could remember.

Dimitri scowled at the name. Anger flickered in his eyes for a moment before disappearing again. "Inna is no longer employed here," He remarked coldly. "She had outworn her usefulness."

Rose frowned. Inna had never really been kind to her, but couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. It was her misguided love for Nathan that had kept her bound to this world. She couldn't hold that against the human woman. She could only imagine what Dimitri's words actually meant. Rose clicked her tongue, "That's too bad," was all she could say to that information. "Why did you keep me, but get ride of her?" She questioned with only a momentary pause.

"I'm keeping you safe," He informed her unperturbed by her enquiry. He had anticipated as much. "You've made a lot of enemies amongst the Strigoi," He began taking this time to clean up after her. He rose from the chair gathering up the discarded food wrappers and shoving them inside the ripped paper bag. "I can protect you only if you remain here with me. You want to be here with me don't you?" He asked glancing at her in his peripheral vision.

The way he was constantly staring at her was completely unnerving. Despite this, and his frequents shifts of temperament, she still felt completely at ease with him. It was strange how she no longer felt threatened by his presence as she had when she had first laid eyes on him. It felt comfortable, as if he were a Dhampir again. She liked that. It made her feel safe. She considered his words and nodded meekly suddenly feeling tired once more. It seemed her short nap didn't have a long lasting effect. "I do," She informed him before yawning.

This did not do unnoticed by Dimitri. "Are you ready to head back to bed?" He suggested sensing the shift in her mood.

She nodded wordlessly and rose to her feet as well. She recalled her time hunting the Strigoi with the unpromised and torturing them for information on Dimitri and she did not doubt his words. Something in her expression must have given away her train of thought because she was pulled out of her thoughts by Dimitri's hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly at the unexpected contact.

"Are you alright?"

She took a deep breath steadying herself. She was far too jumpy for her liking. "Yes, just thinking is all," She replied running her fingers through her hair.

"You spend far too much time in your head," He commented a smirk tugging at his lips.

She looked up at him surprised by his words. In that moment she had the answer to her failing memory fall into her lap.'Is he using compulsion on me?' She wonderedbriefly. As quickly as this thought processed through her mind, it vanished. Wiped clean as if it had never existed. She blinked a few times simply staring up at Dimitri with a blank look on her face.

"Is something wrong Roza?" He asked reaching out and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears.

She shook her head looking down at the floor, "No, just can't seem to remember something," was her mumbled response.

He cupped her face, tilting her head back up to meet his gaze. "Forget about it and focus on me now Roza," He reasoned his voice suddenly changing to a more seductive tone. His voice was low and thick with desire.

She stared up at him feeling her body heat up from the way he had spoken her nickname. He was the only one who had ever called her that, and she loved it. Suddenly, she felt drawn in to him desire flooding through her veins. As if sensing this he leaned down capturing her lips in a firm and dominating kiss. She couldn't help but yield to him and return it. There was a strange warmth about him that had been missing before. It wasn't like it had been back at the Academy, when he was alive, but it was more than it had been the last time that she had kissed him. Before she had plunged the chair leg into his heart. 'Why had I done that?' She asked herself. Something didn't seem right about this. However, she pushed that thought from her mind and focused herself on the moment at hand. Whatever it was, it wasn't important right at this particular moment. The only thing she cared about was the feel of his lips, and body, pressed against hers. His tongue ran across her bottom lip and she eagerly parted them to allow him access.

Deepening the kiss, he lifted her into his arms, resting his hands underneath her bottom easily supporting her weight. In return, she wrapped her legs around his waist pressing herself against his hard muscled body. She molded to him perfectly. He manoeuvred them through the opened doorway and back into the bedroom where she had been resting. Supporting her with only one arm, he closed the door behind them. It wouldn't have mattered since they didn't really need the privacy. They were completely alone.

Immediately he brought her over to the bed and laid her down gently. In doing so he pulled his lips from hers earning a whine from Rose at the loss of contact. She almost felt as if he were merely teasing her with his touch like he had been doing before she had tried escape. He would only let it go on for so long before pulling back and it had been extremely disappointing. He'd get her all hot and bothered and just leave her like without giving her the satisfaction she desired. She craved his touch. She needed and desired it so badly that it was all her mind could focus on. He seemed to sense this and smirked at the small complaint that floated from her lips, but he said nothing in response. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her again. This time it was more urgent than before. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck in an effort to hold him there. His hands made quick work of the buttons on her sweater sliding them past the fabric and underneath the thin shirt below. She gasped at the electric shock that she felt as his bare skin came into contact with hers. It excited her and sent a wave of heat in between her legs. It made her shiver. It was strange how his mere touch could have such a profound effect on her body. His hand slipped underneath her supporting her back. With little effort he lifted her off the bed and made quick work of her clothing. He tossed it aside with no regard as to where the assorted garments landed. He laid her back down on the bed leaving the bandages across her ribs in place.

His hands caressed her body sensuously trailing kisses down her neck to her collar bone. Deciding to return his attentions, Rose tugged at the hem of his shirt eager to be rid of it. He pulled away from her in order to remove the useless article of clothing. In seconds it disappeared along with the rest of his clothes. He was just as naked as she was and she couldn't help but blush at this. It was nothing she hadn't seen before but it just seemed different somehow. Her fingers slid up the muscular planes of his chest enjoying the feel of the hard flesh beneath her finger tips.

He hovered over her, kissing her again before whispering in her ear. "Do you want this?"

She paused briefly at this. She recalled him asking her that question before. She had said no, and quite adamantly. 'Why?' She wondered looking up at the man she loved. 'Love? Why would I refuse him? If loved him why wouldn't I want this?' She thought her foggy memories making it nearly impossible to recall the event or bring any reasoning to mind. The matter was slightly disconcerting. Her memory had never been this bad before. It was nagging at her, but his lips against pressing against her skin provided a good distraction from her wandering mind, and forced her to push it aside and focus on his roaming hands. He lifted his gaze locking eyes with her once again. Any and all thoughts apart from him instantly left her mind. Nothing else was important. The only thing that mattered was him and her together and the way he made her feel. She knew her answer this time.

"More than anything," She breathed leaning into his touch desperate for more. He had a strange magnetizing and hypnotic effect on her. There was no way she could even begin to explain it.

He smirked at her reply, and said nothing further. He spread her legs apart sliding his cold hands down her thighs. The action made her shiver both from the cold and from the delightful anticipation. He positioned himself between her legs placing them on either side of his hips. It appeared he was just as eager as she was. She gasped loudly as he slid into her. Her eyes fluttered closed as an intense wave of both excitement and pleasure rushed through her body. It was everything she had anticipated, and more. She relished in the feel of him. It was almost exactly as she remembered and she quickly found that the absence of warmth no longer bothered her. The cooling touch of his skin felt so right against her heated flesh. It was perfect. He paused for a moment giving her some time to adjust before he began to thrust. She could tell he was holding back, but surprisingly it didn't bother her. He knew exactly what to do in order to make her body sing. The pleasure completely eliminated any pain her body had previously been experiencing.

Their rhythm started slow as they reacquainted themselves with one another and adjusted to the changes that had taken place. His one hand gripped her thigh keeping her exactly where he wanted her. It wasn't long before he picked up the pace and the pleasure coursing through her intensified. She moved with his rolling her hips to meet with his eliciting moans and groans from both parties. It seemed to last only moments before she felt herself winding up for her release. Her breath came out in small gasps as his speed increased again. His back arched and his lips brushed against the veins in her neck. She shuddered at sensation. A rush flowed through her as she felt his fangs graze against her skin. It was the exact feeling she needed to push her over the edge. She cried out as her orgasm began to take hold. In an instant, his fangs plunged into her flesh.

She sighed with happiness as he bit into her neck, drawing blood in a slow and sensuous way. She moaned feeling her body high mixing with the endorphins creating a mind high as well. She was lost in the bliss of it all. No wonder blood whores enjoyed this so much. She was on cloud nine, soaring through the air above the world. It made her feel like she could conquer anything, like she was unstoppable. His thrusts continued as he fed reaching his own release shortly after hers. When his movements stilled, pulled his lips away from her neck licking the excess blood off of his lips. He paused for a moment looking down at Rose's glazed expression a look of triumph on his face. He had conquered and tamed the wild girl. She was no threat to him and controlling her was proving to be way too easy. Much easier than he had originally anticipated. She was his.

She could barely focus, but she let out a cry of disappointment as he separated his body from hers. He chuckled in amusement at this response. He ran his fingers through her hair, leaning down and kissing her cheek softly. His gaze locked onto hers again and she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine. "Sleep now my Roza." His voice was soft and smooth like velvet.

She couldn't help but comply to his gentle urgings. She curled up in the comfort of the numerous pillows ans blankets, completely content with the happy and numb feeling coursing through her buzzing body. Suddenly, she felt completely exhausted.. It could have been a lasting effect of her injuries, the activity they had just engaged in, or the blood loss but she didn't care which. She was happy. Dimitri pulled the blanket over her and she sighed contently as her head came to rest on the pillow. His fingers ran through her hair again and it had an intense calming effect. Immediately, she felt herself nodding off into sleep. She lost track of the world as she fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

"Numbness surrounding your senses,

I coil around you, now you're mine.

And you can't escape from the reason,

Bursting throughout you now you're gone."

- Black Ink ~ Onision


AN: What has Dimitri done to Rose? I think this turned out way better than my original piece. I kept the same framework, just fiddled with the words and what not. I hope this gives you a hint as to what Dimitri's intentions with Rose may be.