I love that you guys love my work! Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading.

Let's see how Rose and Dimitri handle what just happened to her…

Song for Chapter 8 – I'd come for you by Nickelback

I was blindfolded, but now I'm seeing
My mind was closing, now I'm believing
I finally know just what it means to let someone in
To see the side of me that no one does or ever will
So if you're ever lost and find yourself all alone
I'd search forever just to bring you home,
Here and now this I vow.

By now you'd know that I'd come for you
No one but you, yes I'd come for you
But only if you told me to
And I'd fight for you
I'd lie, it's true
Give my life for you
You know I'd always come for you.

No matter what gets in my way
As long as there's still life in me
No matter what, remember you know I'll always come for you.

As most of the Guardians are at the party, patrolling or sleeping, we make it to Dimitri's room without being seen.

He puts me down on the side of his bed before going back to lock the door.

My hands run over the deep red silk of his linen as I recall the feel of it underneath my body the last time I was in this room.

I look around, memories of us assaulting my mind. I can still see the look he had in his eyes as he became spellbound by the necklace Victor gave me. I can still feel his big hands unzipping my dress, letting it fall to the ground, his ragged breath as his eyes committed every inch of my body to his memory.

Recollections of our evening together are suddenly invaded by what transpired between me and Jesse and I start crying again. There's that feeling again…weakness. I've always considered myself strong and sure, but not now, not after I couldn't even defend myself against Jesse. I know somewhere deep inside that I'm being silly, that it was the amount of vodka that had left me helpless, but I still hate myself for getting into that situation in the first place.

"Can I get you anything?" Dimitri asks, his voice unsure as he watches me cry, keeping his distance. I can see the conflict he's feeling right now. He wants to be angry; he wants to shout at me for being so stupid and shake some sense into me. But at the same time, he wants to hold me; he wants to pull me to him and keep me safe.

"Would you mind if I have a shower?" I ask as I get up unsteadily, the vodka still affecting my equilibrium slightly. "I feel…dirty," I admit shamefully.

His eyes soften a little at my admission and he wordlessly walks past me and pulls one of his shirts from his closet.

"Thanks," I say as I take it from him and head to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

Deciding that I need to sober up a little more, I only open the cold water, forcing myself to duck under the cold spray. I wash my hair quickly before scrubbing every inch of my body twice, but it doesn't make me feel any cleaner. I can still feel Jesse between my legs. I wonder whether Lissa might be able to use spirit to remove this night from my memory.

I dry myself and pull Dimitri's black t shirt over my head before brushing my hair quickly. I discard my underwear with my dress. There's no way I'm putting it back on after Jesse pushed against me like that. Thinking about it makes my blood run cold, that wintry feeling returning with a vengeance.

I open the door and walk into the room again to find him staring out the window, his Guardian uniform replaced by a black sweatpants and a white t shirt.

"Why?" His voice is low and I know he's trying desperately to hold it together.

"I don't know," I answer, my voice small and fearful.

He turns then and crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall. "You don't know?" he asks menacingly. "What exactly is it that you don't know, Rose?"

I don't answer him, my hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt that hangs above my knees.

"Don't you know why you spent the entire evening hanging on Jesse? Don't you know why you just about had sex with him on the dance floor as if there was no one else there?"

He pushes himself away from the wall with his shoulders and slowly starts walking towards me, his eyes infernos of fury.

"Or maybe you don't know why you got so drunk that you couldn't defend yourself? Which is it, Rose?"

He's right in front of me now. My legs are up against the front of his bed behind me, there's nowhere for me to go. I still don't answer him. What can I possibly say that will make this all better?

"Answer me!" he shouts suddenly and I cringe away from him as tears run down my cheeks again.

"I don't know!" I shout back at him weakly. "I…I just felt so good and Jesse's attention made me feel wanted and…beautiful. I never thought he would go that far."

My words are followed by a silence that seems to go on forever before he steps closer to me, his hand cupping my cheek, tilting my head up to look at him. His voice is calm as he speaks again.

"Don't I make you feel beautiful, Rose? Don't I make you feel wanted?"

I know what I'm going to say is going to hurt him, but I have to say it now or never at all. "Not like that," I whisper, hating myself when I see the hurt in his eyes. "Not so openly. And I know your reasons are valid and that we can't be together, but that doesn't stop me from wanting it."

My confession hangs between us for a while before he breaks the silence.

"This is my fault," he says as he shakes his head.

"What?" I ask confused, seeing the guilt on his face. "No, how can this be your fault? I made the choice to leave with Jesse."

"But I forced your hand, Rose. You're only human and you have…needs that I can't fulfill," he answers miserably.

"Dimitri…"

"Do you know how hard it was to watch him with his hands all over you?" he asks pained. "Flaunting you like you belonged to him? And then when I noticed you were gone…" His voice breaks slightly under the pressure of trying to restrain his emotions. "I was only outside for a few minutes. When I came back in, Eddie and Mason were already asking around if anyone had seen you. I knew you hadn't gone out front because that's where I had been. Mason saw the light from under the door when he looked down the passage. "

His arm winds around my back and pulls me closer to him. "When I saw Jesse laying on you…you were struggling…when I heard what he was saying. I wanted to kill him. I still do." His voice is shaky, tinged with fear of what would have transpired had he not been in time.

I hate that I did this to him. I forced him into a position that could have seen him locked up for the rest of his life, stripped of his guardianship. I could have ruined him. The realization of that fact sends me into a crying fit that I can't stop as it pours out of me.

Dimitri immediately pulls me against his chest, his warm, strong arms wraps me up in the safety I only ever feel when I'm with him. My arms grab him closer to me, my hands holding onto his shirt at the small of his back, my body shivering again uncontrollably.

"I was so scared," I admit through my sobs, my head lying against his chest. "I…all I could think of was how my first time wasn't supposed to be like that. How I was powerless because I drank so much. I tried to push him off…I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't listen." I can't talk any further as my sobs overtake me again.

"Sssh," Dimitri whispers in my hair. "You're safe now. I won't let him near you again, Rose, that's a promise."

We stand caught in our embrace for a long time, neither of us wanting to let go.

After a long while he reluctantly pulls away and gazes down at me.

"I should get you back," he says as he starts pulling away more, but I tighten my grip on him instantly, irrational fear gripping my heart.

"No," I beg, hoping he can see what I'm feeling in my eyes. "Please, I can't be alone right now."

"Rose, you know you can't stay here," he whispers but I hear the wavering in his usual steely resolve and I pounce on it.

"I…I know it's stupid of me to be scared, I mean, we both know I can take Jesse out any day of the week. I just…when I think of what would have happened if you hadn't come for me, it terrifies me. Please let me stay; just for a while. Please…"

He takes my face between his hands, bending down as he does so. His lips are inches away from mine, his ever loving gaze warming me up inside.

"I'll always come for you, Rose," he whispers. "I'd die for you, don't you know that yet?"

Before I can answer him, he closes the small space between us as his lips find mine. His hands leave my face only to wrap around my waist, pulling me flush with him again. I moan into his mouth as his tongue slides along mine sensually and slow, the taste of my tears salty on our lips.

My hands are in his hair, lightly pulling and tugging, which makes him utter a groan of his own, setting my body on fire in a way I know no other man ever could.

I mentally start preparing myself for the moment when he pulls away. I know it will be soon. He never allows us to get carried away.

He does as I suspected, he pulls away, but only by inches. He closes his eyes, concentration evident on his godlike face as he struggles internally with a war I know nothing about. I watch him fixedly, giving him the space he seems to need.

And then something happens. I notice the very moment in time he lays his struggle to rest and makes a decision that might turn out to be so very dangerous for both of us, yet so very much needed. His frown disappears, replaced by the most beatific, soul thieving look of utter serenity. If possible, I think time would have stood still to freeze the utter magnificence that is Dimitri in this very moment.

When his eyes open again, the way he looks at me makes my heart beat that much faster...like he's seeing me for the first time all over again. His eyes darken visibly as he traces my face with his finger and I watch as his breathing hitches slightly before he speaks.

"I love you," he almost breathes, like he's too scared to say it out loud...too scared to break the hypnotic trance between us.

I stare at him for the longest time, lost in his emotions, before I close my eyes and pray that one day, if I lose every memory I have of my life, God lets me keep this one.

So? What do you think? I'm so excited myself right now…lol…

I REALLY can't wait to post tomorrow's chapter!