"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. Her voice was still too loud as far as I was concerned.

"Nothing, I-"

"Excuse us, Lord Ivashkov," she growled. Then like I was a five-year old, she grabbed me by my arm and jerked me out of the room. "Champagne sloshed –out of my glass and splashed onto the skirt of my dress.

"What do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed, once we were out in the hall. Mournfully, I looked down at my dress. "This is silk. You could have ruined it."

She grabbed the champagne flute and set it down on a nearby table. "Good. Maybe it'll stop you from dressing up like a cheap whore."

"Whoa," I said, shocked. "That's kind of harsh. And where do you get off turning motherly all of a sudden?" I gestured to the dress. "This isn't exactly cheap."

"Let me guess, Lord Ivashkov gave it to you, and you decided to wear it out with Moroi and make a spectacle of yourself."

"I'm not making a spectacle of myself. And anyway, it covers everything up."

"A dress that tight might as well be showing everything," she retorted. "Especially when you're with a group like that. Your body's…conspicuous. And flirting with Moroi doesn't really help."

"That isn't your business, and besides, isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Hook up with a Moroi and further my race? It's what you did."

She growled. "Not when I was your age."

"you were only a few years older than me"

"Don't do anything stupid, Rose," she said. "You're too young for a baby. You don't haven't even lived your life yet."

I groaned, mortified. "are we really discussing this? You make it sound like I was giving him a lap dance in there," I told her.

"You'd be surprised what things can spark rumors," she warned. "especially with Adrian Ivashkov."

With that she turned and headed off down the hall. Overreact much?

I headed in the opposite direction, until the hall eventually ended, but a door leading to some stairs sat on the left. I climbed the stairs to find a small rooftop deck with a blanket of snow laying over it all. I brushed snow off a large, box-like object. A moment later, a long coat was draped over my shoulders. I was startled and looked back and was even more startled to see Adrian sitting down next to me.

"You must be freezing." I was but I decided not to answer.

"My life is a disaster," I finally said.

"it's not a disaster," he said automatically.

"Did you follow me from the party?"

"Yeah."

"so how did you enjoy the illustrious Janine cause a commotion by dragging me out?"

"it wasn't a commotion. Hardly anyone noticed. She's just worried about you."

"she overreacted."

"sometimes mothers overreact. If I had the pleasure of seeing you again, I'd be more than happy to tell you the embarrassing stories that my mother did to me. Believe me they are far more humiliating that the little run in with Janine." He said to me trying to lift my mood. I couldn't help but chuckle at his words.

"I have to tell you something. My boy drama right now is at what I think is the maximum."

He laughed and said "oh I can't wait to hear this. Enlighten me Miss Hathaway."

"well you see, I've got this weird crush on my mentor who's a Dhampir and 7 years older than me and will probably end up running off with Tasha ozera to be her guardian with benefits, I've got one of my best friends since childhood who's also a Dhampir crushing on me but my nemesis crushing on him and giving me hell for it, and I've got you an older Royal Moroi who I have confusing emotions towards."

"Wow…" was all Adrian said.

"I rendered the great witty Adrian Ivashkov speechless."

"no, it's just a lot to take in. I…I want you to know that, for when you figure out all your boy drama, that I really like you Rose, I'm not trying to get in your pants as I know you're thinking, I actually really like you and I barely know you. I have never felt this way with anyone Rose."

For some reason I believed him, I couldn't even think about doubting him when his emerald eyes practically shone with sincerity.

"I like you too Adrian, I know that much." At my words, he released a relieved sigh.

I cared about mason. But I would probably never love him.

Dimitri might run off with Tasha. So I did the only thing that I thought would help everyone and loosen some of the heartbreak of Dimitri leaving. I kissed Adrian.

I just dived in and crashed my lips onto his, he was shocked for a few moments then responded. The kiss was the best I've ever experienced. It was better than I ever anticipated, both our eyes were closed from the passion as our mouths collided. His tongue passing between my lips. We were both too far gone, the desire and lust consuming every cell within us. I forced myself to stop the kiss as painful as it was, and asked. "Can we take this to your room?"

"are you sure Rose? With everything that's going on?" he asked. So I told him what I concluded.

"i care about mason, but I will probably never love him. Dimitri Cares about Tasha too much and I know that he will most likely leave with Tasha and I know he never loved me to begin with. And you, I like you Adrian a lot and I know that we barely know each other, but I don't care, I just want to be with you right now. All of you."

That's all it took for him to guide me back to his room. That night Adrian Ivashkov stole my virginity. The rom was filled with the sounds of skin on skin and ragged breathing. Moans and obscenities would fall from my lips so often, but other than that, I was too worn for words. I gripped the sheets, my back pressed don into the mattress as Adrian pounded into me. I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as I felt myself growing closer and closer. "Ad..Adrian" I whimpered. He bit the inside of his lip as our eyes met again, darkened with desire. His hands that were gripping my hips tightened. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he moved his hand up to cup one of my breasts, kneading it as his other hand traveled down to my clit. Lips at my ear, he breathed out "Say my name." I began to convulse, clenching around him as I cried out. "Fuck, Adrian… Adrian…I.." I screamed as I came, and clenched around him, and that's all it took for him to spill his seed inside of me. He nuzzled his face into my neck and pressed his lips to my shoulder, as we both came down from our high. That's the last thing I saw before drifting odd to sleep with Adrian still in and on me.