Chapter three is here.

I'm starting to get an idea of where to go with this. It involves lots of chapters, new characters, new settings, old characters, and lots of twists. That is, if I go with this idea.

If you've got any ideas, feel free to PM me. Or Twitter me. KatrynaWilliams is my Twitter.

Okay, enjoy. I'm going to go think about what to write for the next chapter.

IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN FOOLED BEFORE you know where I'm coming from. The feeling of Dimitri's lips on mine… it was electric. But I pushed him away, and backed up.

"No. No. Just no. You just want to get in my pants and then leave me heart-broken. I won't let you do that to me, not again," I turned on my heel, but I had seen a glimpse of his face first.

He looked broken, horrified, awful, like something was ripping him apart, piece by piece. Everything he told me, it was all just a pretty lie, and would all evaporate when he had used me up.

I slammed the door behind me, and ran like hell to my room. I got in, slammed the door, and noticed no one was there. I put my back up against the door, and sobbed.

How stupid was I, to refuse what I wanted so much? I yearned for the touch of his lips, the feel of his hand in mine. But I didn't want to believe him. Didn't want to be fooled again.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there and cried.

It had been so right, so perfect. He'd said he loved me.

If he loved me, he wouldn't give up, I told myself. If he was telling the truth, he'd still chase me. Unless I was some prize he wanted.

No, I told myself, just stop there. If he loved me, he would chase me. If he didn't he would give up.

I dragged myself to bed, and tried to sleep.

When I fell asleep, and Adrian dream came into place.

"Rose!" he shouted.

I turned to face him. I ran into him, and wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "Adrian! I'm so glad to see you!" When he pulled away from the hug, I slapped him. "Why did you do that? Why did you confess?"

"Because they would've executed you. Since I'm a royal, I just get a life in prison. I couldn't let them execute you, Rose," he stared at me. "What's wrong, little dhampir?"

I shook my head and looked down. "Nothing."

"You can't lie to me. Your aura…"

"Is black?" I guessed bitterly.

"Always. But it's… depressing," he stared at what I assumed was my aura.

"Really, it's nothing, I promise."

"You're a bad liar."

"It's Dimitri. That's all. See, I told you it was nothing."
"He wouldn't take you?"

"I wouldn't take him. He's just using me, and I can tell," I shrugged, trying to seem indifferent, unaffected. It wasn't fooling Adrian, not even for a moment. I hated being so transparent.

"He's not using you. I can see his aura, remember? Every time he sees you, his aura flashes a color, the same color Lissa's flashes when she sees Christian. And yours does the same thing, Rose, I've seen it. When you see him with Lissa, when he sees you with me, you both get jealous, but you're too damn proud…"

I stared, mouth open. "Too proud? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, you belong together. Can't you see, Rose? It hurts to know you don't love me, that I'll never be your first choice, but I've sucked it up and dealt with it. I gave you everything, freedom, the chance to be together, and you won't do it. Because you don't want to be weak. Well, suck it up, because you two belong together," he argued. He was furious.

I shook my head, and my arms quaked with anger.

"Let me go. Now," I commanded.

The dream faded.

I dreamt dreams of Dimitri for the rest of the night.

When I woke, there was a sound outside my door. I walked over, and cautiously opened it. Sydney was fumbling with a key, Lissa right beside her.

"Hey, you're awake," Lissa took the sight of me in.

My hair was a mess, my eyes probably still red, and I knew that I had fallen asleep in yesterday's clothes. The dress was wrinkled and tear stained, and I was still wearing the flats.

"Rose, what happened?" Sydney demanded.

I shook my head. "It's the Adrian thing. Just stressed. He didn't do it."

Lissa nodded. "I know. He handed me a letter, right before he stood. He told me not to open it until we had left. Here, take a look."

It was the same messy scrawl from the letter he had given me. I could actually imagine him writing the letter,

Lissa,

I have a plan to save Rose. I'm going to turn myself in, seeing as I'll only get a lifetime in prison. I haven't done it.

Prove me innocent. This buys us time. Instead of having Rose executed, you've got me in prison.

So figure it out.

And help Rose be happy. You know what I mean.

Adrian.

I handed her back the letter, and pulled out the letter Adrian had given me. She took it, read it, and handed it to Sydney while she processed the contents.

"He loves you enough to let you go. That's sweet. You know, for an evil creature of the night," Sydney commented.

Lissa ignored the evil creature of the night comment, and looked to me. "That's what's wrong isn't it? It's Dimitri?"
"Liss, just stop there. Now," I told her.

She pushed onward. "Rose, why won't you just accept that he loves you? You love him! I know it!"
"Liss! Just stop! You don't get it! He hurt me, he used me. I saved him, and he threw it back in my face. I loved him, and I still do, but I won't let my guard down again. I refuse to be weak around him. I'm not in the mood. I'll talk to you later, guys."

The door was shut, and I walked to take a shower. I dressed and started out toward the track. My I-pod was blasting in my ears. It was so loud that I could barely make out the sounds. It was Set Your Goals- Look Closer. After running a few laps, I almost ran into someone. Dimitri.

He ran beside me, staring straight ahead.

I pushed myself harder, feeling the burn in my legs. I tuned it out, commanded my muscles to suck it the hell up, and kept going.

Next time I looked around, Dimitri wasn't anywhere near me. He was standing on the side of the track sitting down, looking tired. I couldn't tell how many laps I had run, but my legs ached, and I felt like collapsing. Sweat ran down my face. I wasn't nearly so angry anymore, I realized distantly.

Running had always helped me calm down. Not sure why. I pulled out my headphones and shoved my I-pod in my pocket.

Finally, I sat down, and closed my eyes. My sore legs didn't seem to obey me, and I knew they hated me with a fiery passion. When I stood, I stumbled to the side, and fell, my traitorous legs giving out beneath me.

An arm held me up, and steadied me. I recognized the electric jolt I got from the touch. Dimitri.

"Doesn't surprise me that you'd fall. I couldn't run anymore after forty laps. I stopped then. You just kept going and going," he told me.

I was still breathing heavily. "How many laps did I run?"

"A hundred or so."
I ran a hand through my hair, and pulled away from his arms, determined to get away from him, to prove I could handle myself. I didn't want to be put in a position near him. I still loved him, I needed that to fade.

Again, I started to fall. Dimitri reached towards me, but I jerked away and fell on my ass.

This time, when I stood, I managed to get up, and walk on my own. I started away, but he pulled me back.

"No, I want to talk to you, Roz—Rose," he corrected himself, clearly remembering last night's conversation. I had made it memorable at least.

"About what? I said everything I have to say last night. I made myself perfectly clear."

Dimitri sighed. "I'm not going to give up that easily. When you were chasing me, you didn't give up. Until now. What changed?"

"Everything."
He turned me to face him, because I hadn't looked at him once.

"That's not an answer, Rose."

"You want the truth?" I demanded, voice taking a cold tone. I shrugged off his hand. "Yeah, I love you. I don't think I'll ever stop. But I won't let myself get hurt again. Get used again. Because that's all you'll do. You'll use me and then spit me back out. Then you'll leave, ignore me, tell me you don't love me, and I'll be broken again."

"Rose it's not—"

"Don't talk to me! You don't get it! I let down my guard, I gave you everything and you threw it right back at me! I hunted you down, and went to the ends of the earth to find some way to save you, and you told me you didn't love me anymore. You treat Lissa like a saint, and me like I'm nothing. Like I'm the one who turned you. That hurts. It really hurts. You have no idea what that feels like."

Then he exploded. "What I did to you, Roza, it's not something I can just get over! Being… one of them, you can't imagine. I was there the entire time, watching, but not being able to stop myself. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I thought it was better that way!"

"How could it have been better when it kept us apart? When it hurt me more than you could ever imagine? You act like this is better, like it makes it all better, and that I can be happy. I can't! You turned me down, pushed me away. And when I start to move on, you come and beg for me back. Do you understand how confused I am right now?" I shouted back.

Suddenly, I looked around. There was no one, and I was glad.

He grabbed my arm pulled me towards him. This time, I didn't resist.

"Rose, I won't hurt you again. I promise you this. I won't hurt you, I'm not able. I'd rather kill myself. Please, just trust me, Roza," his voice was a whisper, a plea.

I shut my eyes, and tried to turn away. "I can't trust anyone. I'm not capable of trusting anyone anymore."

His lips neared mine, and our foreheads touched. "Please," he begged. "Should I get down on my knees?"

I said nothing.

When I opened my eyes, he was on his knees, eyes alone pleading with me.

I forced my mouth open to speak, but before I could, nausea overwhelmed me. I whirled around, almost knocking right into a strigoi. I lunged out, kicking hard, and I heard Dimitri fighting a strigoi of his own. One came up behind me.

I didn't have a stake. I sparred with the two strigoi, trying to keep them off of me, but was unable. Dimitri came to assist me; he was carrying a stake, and had staked the one he had been fighting.

He staked one, but in the moment I took my eyes away from the strigoi I was fighting, I was attacked. Shoved to the ground. I felt my head crack against the pavement and warm, thick, liquid surrounded me.

"Rose!" Dimitri cried out. Then I was lifted up, and jumbled around a lot. Shouting. Lots of noise, temperature changes. I couldn't make out the words, and the world was incoherent. I tried to open my eyes but couldn't. I didn't even remember closing them.

Noise around me couldn't be made into sound, and I was unable to open my eyes. I wanted to look around, see Dimitri's face one more time. I knew this was it, that I was dying.

All I wanted was to be okay.
And then, the world started to make sense, I could make out sounds, and voices.

Lissa was there, I could feel the magic through the bond.

I was going to be okay.

Strigoi had gotten into the royal court. This wasn't good. Someone on the inside had to have let them in. There was no way they could've gotten past that security without an inside contact.

Something was wrong in the royal court. And I had to find out what.

I opened my eyes, and stared into Dimitri's warm brown ones. Lissa sat beside me, peering at me. She looked tired, and Christian was behind her, looking concerned. Sydney was across the room, and Abe and my mother stood on the other side of the hospital bed. Tasha and Mia stood in the background, and Eddie rushed in.

I wanted to talk to Dimitri. Alone. That wasn't really happening.

"Rose, are you okay?" Lissa asked. "I didn't mess anything up, did I?"

I shook my head. "No, you did great." I looked to Christian. "Get her back to her room, and make sure she gets some sleep. I'll be by later, Liss. Thanks, I owe you."

She nodded, and Christian escorted her out.

Two down. Six to go.
"Mom, dad," I nodded to them. "I'm fine. You can go now, you know."

My mother pursed her lips. "I've got duty. I'll take your father, so he doesn't bother you." She came forward and kissed my forehead. "You've got to stop getting into accidents like this."

"Syd, you should go with them. Make sure you don't run into a lot of people," I made eye contact with her. Her tattoo glimmered in the light. She slowly walked away with my parents.

"I'll see you later, Rose," she said, and left.

So I was left with Tasha, Eddie, and Mia.

Tasha's phone rang a moment later. She answered, mumbled a few words and then hung up.

"Sorry, Rose, but I have to go. Royal business," she sighed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks," I smiled.

Two left.

Mia stepped toward me, her blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders when she moved. "Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, I'm really fine."

"I've got a training session, if you don't mind. I'll stop by your room. We'll talk later. I'm late. Eddie, come on. You're supposed to come help, remember?" Mia tried to grab him.

He shook her off. "I'll be there in a minute, Mia. I have to talk to Rose for a minute."

Mia walked out of the room, and Eddie turned to face Dimitri and I.

"Belikov, you hurt her again, and I'll help her and everyone else dismember you," Eddie said plainly. Then he turned and walked out.

Huh.

"Let's go back to my room," I suggested. "We need to finish talking."

Dimitri bit his lip. "I don't know if they'll discharge you yet."
I stared at him, my jaw hanging open. "Do you know anything about me? Anything at all? I can make my way out of a hospital. Trust me."

I looked at my clothes. They were blood stained. At least there was no gown.

"Come on. I'll help you," he held out his arm and I took it.

This was going to be a long talk.