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Roses POV

The days all kind of blurred together. Since the fateful night I was screaming for Dimitri in my sleep, things were pretty predictable:

~The cold got worse

~Lissa kept spreading rumours

~Dimitri was holding off the practices until I got better and was increasingly concerned

~Every time I saw Christian I wanted to punch him

~I started hating life

I went around in a daze, doing all my homework on time and to perfection, my grades improved but I didn't care anymore.

I tried to ignore everyone but it was so difficult. I had to ditch my mobile but Lissa new all my weak points and exploited them, my email address also made a circuit of the school, along with my schedule, so I often had an entourage following me around and hurling abuse between classes.

I didn't even see Dimitri that much, but he made a huge difference when I did, the followers dispersed as quickly as sheep when he strode over and in the classes he guarded no one dared to mess with Belikov's personal student. At least while he was around.

And I knew that he was really trying to keep the douches from getting too bad, he had to guard Moroi all morning though which sucked for me.

I was also getting worse at practical training classes, although I tried to fight through the ice that seemed to encase me, it was difficult, made harder by the fact that it was usually 3 on 1 just for me;
and boy were they tough.

Dimitri had questioned me about the increase of bruising I got on my arms and face if we ever got a spare moment together, but I couldn't tell him. I knew he'd take it further or try to mentor that class which would be very unusual and that might make people suspicious.

No, I couldn't do that to him, so I'll grin and bear it, no matter what.

'So Rose, when are you next free? I hear you must be pretty busy what with the entire male student body to go around'

My fists clenched and I turned to glare at the owner of the voice, just who I didn't want to see.

Jesse Zeklos with his friend Ralf nearby

'Jeez, you think you guys would have something that's better for the rest of humanity to do, like, I don't know … Committing suicide?'

Jesses smirk faltered slightly under my gaze but he held firm

'Oh no Rose, you're the best thing to 'do' in the entire school', he retorted in mock surprise;

he walked forward advancing on me. I tensed, my patience was at breaking point; I gritted my teeth and abruptly pivoted so I was facing the opposite direction, towards my dorm room. Dimitri would be proud at my performance in self control.

'Aww come on Rose' Jesses voice was right behind me, his breath was tickling my neck, and he grabbed my ass causing the cold to intensify and me, to test my self control to the limit

I exhaled slowly, although my marks had been great recently I didn't think that that would absolve me if I broke Jesse's skull.

Flexing my fingers, I said in a voice so calm and dangerous I scared myself

'Get your hand off my ass and your ass outta my range ... before I really hurt you' I held perfectly still

Jesse took a step back, perplexed but he still managed to sound cocky and sarcastic in his reply

'Wow, you really are a crazy bitch blood whore. You know I kinda like that in a girl.'

I ignored him and carried on my way

'Hath away, don't run away!' I froze. No way. He did not just go there, slowly I spun around, my fists balled tightly, my knuckles going white, I was going to kill Jesse, I was going to beat him to a bloody pulp, I was going to …

'Mr Zeklos'

A deep slightly accented voice sounded from the shadows, and Dimitri stepped into view, he was glowering at Jesse who visibly cowered

'I trust you and your friend don't need another reminder of male and female interactions. This is the female wing. You should not be here. Go.' He said coldly

Jessie turned and stalked off, Ralf leading the way. But he called back over his shoulder;

'Belikov won't always be there to protect you Rose. And I won't forget about that appointment when it happens.'

My teeth bit my lip, so hard I tasted blood, but I didn't feel the pain; I stared after Jesse, until my vision blurred.

Dimitri was standing near me, obviously waiting for me to respond, to turn away and laugh with him about Jessie and his dumb ass.

But I couldn't, the cold kept me frozen, but it didn't keep me numb. Pain; raw and familiar shot through my body

'Hath away, don't run away'

Those words had been haunting my dreams ever since Spokane.

I hadn't run away, but if he had, Mason would still be alive. My head hung in shame. I was a guardian and I couldn't protect him.

'I … I have to protect him' I had yelled at Dimitri, as I stood over Masons body, wielding a blunt sword.

'You did'

Those words struck me in a place I didn't even know I had. How can I have protected him if he wasn't here; being funny and happy and cute and … Mason?

The answer was simple

I hadn't

I swayed, so caught up in the feeling of loss for Mason that I forgot how to stand, and I would have fallen If Dimitri hadn't wrapped his strong arms around my waist; holding me up, just as he always did.

'Rose?' I looked up at him gratefully, and he half pulled, half carried me to my room.

After he carefully lowered me into a chair, he shut the door.

'What did he say that was so bad? All I heard was 'Hath away, don't run away'. And yet you looked like you were going to rip his throat out and set fire to his grave.'

I gulped, ignoring the joke he made to lighten the mood, he deserved to know.

'Mason. He used to say that to me. And Jesse knew it.'

Dimitri nodded slowly, his eyes kind and sympathetic, but I could see the flame of anger in the depths of his dark irises.

'Oh' was all he said.

It was all he needed to say, he knew me well enough to guess the impact those words would have on me;
and I knew him well enough to know that he understood.

When he lost Ivan, coming here and meeting Jesse must have served as a reminder of his dead friend.

I could tell that this hurt him too. That a relative of Ivan's, maybe the only thing of Ivan he had left, was so God damn evil.

I got an email that night, after Dimitri had gone. It was simple, and unoriginal and I deleted it. But something about it bugged me, like this was no ordinary hate mail, like it meant something.

You will be my blood whore soon bitch. Next time you are alone, you WILL be mine.

JZ xx

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