I wake up when the annoying sound of the alarm reaches my ears; I check the time and then I curse loudly

knowing that I will be late once more for training...

Today I'm not in the mood for another lesson on responsibility from Mr. God-forbid-if-I-ever-laugh!

I quickly get in the shower, get on some clothes. Once I'm outside my room, I'm slamming the door a little harder

than I anticipated. I curse one more time, hoping that nobody woke up from their peaceful slumber because of me.

I'm running down the stairs, hoping that I won't run into anybody at this ungodly hour.

Apparently I'm wrong and luck isn't on my side, because the minute that I come around the corner, I slam into somebody.

This causes the contents of my bag to scatter across the floor.

Focusing on getting my things back into my bag, I don't even look at the person who's the reason for all of this.

At least until he decides to speak.

"You're weird!" He tells me with a slurred voice that causes me to think the guy is drunk.

I follow the sound of his voice and I found myself looking into a pair of amazing green eyes. I have to admit that the guy is not half bad:

brown hair, amazing body and clothes that probably cost more than my last car.

"Thank you... I'll take that as a compliment!" I reply, taking a step back the moment a strong smell of alcohol and clove cigarettes reaches my nose.

"No.. I meant to say that your aura is all wrong."

Well... when you put it that way, it's perfectly clear! Could this day get any worse?

"What are you?" he asks me, focusing his beautiful green eyes on me.

I know I should be offended by the question but I decided to cut him some slack because of the state he is in.

"I'm human." I answer dryly; he takes a step closer to me and I'm pretty sure, by now, that he's not looking at me, but around me...

He grabs my hand, and momentarily confused, I don't pull away.

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

"That explains why your aura is so different, but something still doesn't add up! Something is still different about your aura."

I get into his head to try understand what he is talking about and I can see different colored lights all around me; I'm still focused on his

thoughts when a russian accented voice brings me back to reality.

"Rose, what is going on here? You're late for practice." Dimitri tells me while focusing his gaze on the guy besides me.

He takes a step back but doesn't let go of my hand...Bold choice!

Dimitri's still wearing his guardian mask, but the moment I get inside his head, I can see that he is imagining all the most violent ways

in which he could force the drunk to let me go.

Trying to avoid a bloodbath, since I'm really not in the mood for one, I walk away from the stranger and start talking to my russian god.

"Sorry comrade! I bumped into..."

"Adrian Ivashkov" suggests the drunk guy behind me.

"Adrian here and since he's barely standing at the moment, I thought he might need my help."

"Hey! I want you to know that I'm a fantastic drunk, but if you really want to help me, who am I to deny you that honor?" replays Adrian

with a playboy grin on his face.

Right now Dimitri's thoughts are slightly disturbing: he's thinking about all the way that he can kill Adrian and make it look like an accident.

"It looks to me that Lord Ivashkov is perfectly capable of going back to his room on his own" says Dimitri with an icy voice that would terrified anyone...

Well anyone except Adrian, who is currently leaning on the wall with a wicked smile on his face, observing something around my teacher.

I walk closer to Dimitri, giving him a little smile and, putting my hand on his forearm, trying to calm him down.

"Come on Comrade, look at him! I felt obliged to help him"

He relaxed at my touch and, from the look on his face, I'm pretty sure that the bomb has been defused, for now at least.

I turned around to see Adrian with an amazed expression on his face, and I hurry back into his thoughts, because I don't understand why he's so shocked.

Whereas before I was surrounded by confused and colorful lights, right now, I can only see a blinding gold light surrounding both me and Dimitri.

I'm still slightly confused.

"Well Adrian, it's been a pleasure... more or less" I tell him, trying to get away from his inquisitive gaze.

"Likewise, little human. Why don't you look for me after you're done with your... training? I'd love

to continue our conversation." I just nod, and then I hurry towards the gym with a very pissed off russian.

"What were you doing with him?" asks Dimitri, trying to contain his anger.

"I just casually bumped into him on my way to the gym. Why? What's the problem?"

If he's not stupid, he'll be able to notice the irritation in my voice.

"Adrian is a player: he sleeps with everything that moves and being seen with him is not good for your reputation."

"And why would you care who I sleep with?"

Come on Comrade, let's see what lie you're gonna feed me this time!

After my last sentence, Dimitri's thoughts are all over the place: he really cannot understand it but he has this strong need to kill anyone who stands

a little too close to me.

I would laugh at this, if the situation wasn't so serious: seriously, just because you don't want to be with me, that doesn't mean that nobody else shouldn't.

"I'm your mentor. Everything you do reflects on me as well: that's the only reason why I care about how you spend your free time"

He mentally congratulates himself for being able to find what he thinks is such a good excuse in a matter of seconds, but I know it isn't true and, right now,

my anger is out of my control.

The words are out of my mouth before I could even think about the consequences of my actions.

"Please Dimitri! Would you just stop with the bullshit and the lying to me? You and I both know that that's not the reason why you got so angry!"

"And what would that reasons be?" he asks me with a tone of voice that only fueled my anger.

"You're jealous.. that's it! Pure and simple jealousy"

"Jealous? Of you? You're just my student, why would I be jealous of you?"

I know he didn't mean any of that, but still... Why don't you just slap me in

the face?

Damn lying russian!

My anger is rising and getting out of control. I couldn't stop myself, even if I wanted to.

"Really? Just your student? You didn't seem to have a problem with me being your student three days ago when you couldn't stop thinking about kissing me..

or yesterday for that matter when you couldn't stop picturing us making love right here on this floor! I have to admit, not a very original fantasy! Couldn't you

think of another place?"

After my ranting is over, I realize what I just did. Holy...

Now what do I do? Do I tell him that I made it all up, which is clearly a lie, or do I tell him the truth?

We keep staring at each other and for a moment, neither us has the courage to say anything; the silence

is getting pretty awkward.

I'm just waiting for Dimitri to deny all of it, but when he opens his mouth to speak, I'm shocked by his words

"How do you know what I was thinking?" he asks, keeping his gaze on me.

"It's a long story..." I reply nonchalantly, while fighting the urge to be anywhere but here.

"We have time" he says dryly.

Releasing a breath I didn't know I've been holding, I sit down on the floor and then I wait for him to do the same.

"I'm a mind reader. I've always been able to do it, but I have no idea why. That's the reason why when you came for Lissa, I was ready for you.

I heard your thoughts and I knew who I was dealing with."

His eyes narrow but then a smile lights up his face.

"I thought it was really strange that a human was able to detect us so easily."

"Hey! This human kept your princess safe for two years... I think I deserve a

little credit for that" I reply, a bit offended

"You're right" he says, although I'm pretty sure he's thinking about something else.

I get into his head and answer his question before the words even leave his mouth.

"No, I can't avoid reading people's thoughts; it requires lots of energy and the usual outcome is a terrible headache. The same thing happens when I try

reading different people's thoughts at the same time. Apparently my powers are limited and my weak human body cannot handle using that much

energy all at once."

I can see the shock in his eyes and I'm pretty sure that he will need sometime to get used to all of this.

'This is why you spend all of you spare time in the library?' he asks me telepathically

"I'm trying to find out if there are other people like me out there and I came to the conclusion that if there were, they would be closer to your world than

the human one"

'Did you manage to find anything?'

"No. Christian's been helping me, but we weren't able to find anything, just a few pages about a Moroi who had a similar power centuries ago"

'Do you want me to ask around?'

"Thank you, but I'd rather keep this between us... Right now only Lissa and Christian know about this and... well, now you! I'd like to keep it that way.

People don't tend to react well when you tell them that you know their deepest, darkest secrets."

He ponders my words and then he mentally curses in russian. I laugh at his mental tirade of curse words: who would have thought that

Guardian Dimitri-bad ass-Belikov could say such a thing?

'You said you speak ten languages... Is russian one of those?'

I nod in response but snicker at the panic in his mental voice and then I'm full on laughing because he cursed again.

'I'm sorry... I didn't mean for you to hear that' I can hear the sincerity in his voice, which forces me to regain my composure.

"Don't! Don't ever apologize for your thoughts, they should be private. I'm the one who's in the wrong,

the one who invades your mind! I assure you that if I could avoid all of this, I'd be the happiest person in the world. Not only that but there are some minds

that should be left alone. Some people are just sick!" I tell him, believing every word.

'Like me?'

"Dimitri, your thoughts are nothing out of the ordinary! Even though you look older, you're still a 24 year old guy. Everything I've heard run through your mind

is all completely normal! Just because I'm seventeen that doesn't make you sick or a maniac. Oh, and please stop thinking that you're a pedophile;

you're making me regret coming here. Maybe I should just go back..."

'No'

"If you're so against me going back to my previous life, why are you doing your best to keep me at arm's

length? There's nothing wrong with all of this. In two weeks I'll be eighteen. Will that make you feel better?

Will that make you feel less guilty about kissing me or doing... other things with me?"

Right now, my face is probably bright red; I'm a little embarrassed at the thought of talking to him about sex.

I'm still seventeen people... cut me some slack!

Apparently, I'm not the only one because I notice the panic inside his head quite clearly, but he manages to

regain control fairly quickly.

'It's not just that: you're my student, and I'm your teacher.'

I don't know why, but it feels like he's trying to convince himself more than me.

"Dimitri, I might be your student, but I'm not an official part of this academy; the rules don't apply to me. I can do whatever I want,

as long as I don't attack one of Kirova's precious Moroi and as long as I don't get in the way of the Damphirs. That's it"

I look at the clock and I notice that it's almost time for lunch. I get up and get my bag, before turning around and

facing Dimitri.

"I think it will be best if I go now. I'm pretty sure that you have to think things over, and I know, from experience,

that it may take a while to digest all of this."

I take a step forward, invading his personal space, and I'm glad to see that he didn't recoil.

In a matter of seconds my lips are on his cheek, and I have to admit that his smell and his nearness are actually

making me dizzy.

I almost laugh when I notice that his thoughts are a complete mess right now. I have to admit that I'm quite proud of myself...

I'm the one who has this effect on him!

I turn around and walk towards the door, but before going out, I face him again.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, comrade! And don't even think about making another excuse to skip training

like today... You know I'm a very dedicated person! I wish I could say the same for you." I tell him with a grin on my face.

I'm rewarded with the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, the one that makes my knees go weak, and

while I walk outside, I think that today turned out to be a pretty amazing day!


Author's note:

Hello people! Here was another chapter... Hope you liked it!

I want to thank you all the people that are reading my story and all the new guys who added it to their

followed/favorite stories list

Thank you so much!

A big thank you goes to my new-found beta: Ilovesos9467!

Thank you for your patience and for being so fast!

And if you can spare two minutes of your time, boys and girls, I would love to hear your thoughts about this chapter!

Have a great weekend guys...