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Chapter Nine

Dimitri

Watching Rose whip Tasha to the ground like a WWE smackdown slightly turned me on- scratch that, back up a few seconds- really fucking turned me on.

It's one thing to watch her in battle, fighting for her own life as well as others, it's a whole nother to witness her instinct to protect me. And I will admit, I may have waited for a beat longer than necessary to pull her away, but not only was it sending shockwaves to my dick, but Tasha deserved it.

If Abe and Adrian hadn't both hit me on the back at the same time, pushing me toward the brawl on the floor, I probably would have continued to watch until Rose felt like she had done enough.

Only, 'enough' for Rose would have been when Tasha stopped breathing, and once I pulled her away, I realized we couldn't let that happen. Don't mistake my asking about her well-being as my caring about her, but rather, worrying if Rose would be charged with assault or murder.

My words to her about Abe protecting her were just as much to calm her down as they were for me. He had done it for me, I have no doubt he could do it for his daughter too. I'm just glad she didn't ask how I knew he would be able to negotiate a way around it. I doubt I will ever be ready to have that conversation with her about exactly what happened between me and my father. Or how her father is the only reason I didn't wind up in a cell at the ripe age of thirteen.

Spirits lifted after Tasha was taken to the infirmary, and Rose and Lissa celebrated our engagement. We all sat around in Alberta's office, munching on sandwiches that Alberta had the kitchens bring up. Rose gushed to Lissa and Alberta the details of my proposal, and Lissa started planning a wedding that wouldn't be happening for at least two years. Should have seen that coming.

At some point, Abe and Adrian left the room, and I hadn't even noticed until I heard Adrian's voice through the bond. Giving Roza a quick kiss, I left her to talk with the women, while Eddie joined me and the guys out in the hall.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked as soon as the door shut.

Abe and Adrian both leaned against the opposite wall, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded across their chest, and a smirk pulling at their lips.

"This," I waved a hand between them, "looks suspicious," at the same time, their smirks raised higher into full smiles, "that's even worse." I laughed, "What are you two up to?"

"Well, he," Adrian nodded toward Abe, "just got off the phone with our dear Auntie, and we have some good news."

Hearing Adrian refer to Tatiana as 'our Aunt' honestly threw me for a second. She has never been anything more than my Queen, my Superior, and now, she is my family. Weird. So weird.

"She is expediting your relocation paperwork, and you will officially be assigned to Adrian by the end of the week."

"Damn," Eddie laughed, "guess being part Ivashkov is a good thing, huh."

"Hardly," I scoff, "No offense," I nodded to Adrian.

"None taken, Cousin, trust me, I'm not the biggest fan of our bloodline either," he laughed it off, "But, that's not even the best part." Bouncing on his toes, he looked to Abe, who nodded. "We have been given funding by the Court to track down Spirit users and experiment with the Strigoi vaccination."

"Seriously?" my eyes strained to go wider, "How did you manage that in only a few hours?"

"Uh- favorite nephew," he scoffed, drawing a circle around his face with his index finger. "and… I may or may not have told her how Rose was able to receive information about someone trying to knock her off."

"Ah," Eddie and I said at the same time.

"But I'm sure it was the favorite thing," Adrian defended. "Anyways, Abe smoothed over the whole Tasha thing, so as soon as graduation is over, we just have to make a quick stop at Court, then it's onto Texas."

"Already?" I rose my brow to Abe.

"Do you doubt me, Son?" the light in his eyes countered the tone of his voice.

"No, Sir. Never."

After discussing a few minor details about what will happen once we arrive at court; basics such as what Tatiana wants from us data-wise, and what kind of funding we believe will be needed; we all went our separate ways for the evening. Adrian took Eddie back to his dorm to collect his items that hadn't been cleared after the attack. Abe headed toward the guest quarters in search of Guardian Hathaway, my guess is to have a few words with her about where she fled to when we left for Spokane. And Pavel stayed back to keep Alberta 'company'.

As for Rose and I, it was off to my room to pack the rest of my belongings, and then hers, before heading out to the cabin for one last night at St. Vladimir's Academy. Walking the grounds, hand in hand with the love of my life, was something to be cherished. We always had to hide here, no matter the circumstances, but now, we were free to show our love.

And soon, she will be shouting it.

"Comrade," her low whisper barely registered in my ears, "can we make one more stop?"

Following her eyes, I looked across the trimmed lawn to see the rows of simple marble stones tucked away in the corner. Turning toward them, I silently answered her question, leading her to say one last goodbye to her best friend.

After seeing Ivan in Novosibirsk, I understand why she wanted to talk to Mason every chance she could. When you don't have the opportunity for proper closure, it can and does, leave a mark on your soul. She may not be able to see him anymore, but she can talk to him, and I know all too well that sometimes simply talking to them can make a world of difference.

Reaching the end of the plots, I stayed, letting her approach him alone and have her moment. As she kneeled in front of his headstone, brushing away the fallen leaves and broken sticks, I watched the way her smile reached her eyes, the lack of tears spilling unto his grave, and I realized, she has healed. And it's time I did too.

Even though Ivan had told me it was okay to move on, I still harbor some guilt about his death. And I believe a part of me always will in some way, but I can still move on with my life, without forgetting his part in it.

Rising to her feet, she dusted her hands off against her jeans and drew a deep breath, before turning back toward me. I opened my arms to her, pulling her tightly to my body the second she was within reach.

I held her for several minutes, not saying a word. She needed a moment to finalize her thoughts, her emotions before she can keep going. I get it. So, until she is ready, I will keep my arms locked around her shoulders and back, rubbing soft circles along her spine.

"That was hard," she whispered.

"I know, Roza, just remember that he finally found his peace."

She nodded, leaning back to look up at me, "Alright," she drew a deep breath, and let it out in a quick swoosh, "We only have one night away from the others, and I don't want to spend it crying," she laughed.

"I couldn't agree more," I smirked and turned us toward the cabin.

Picking Roza up, I carried her through the door, walking through the dark to our bed that still laid made from the last time I had been here. Setting her back on her feet, I cupped her face between my hands, letting this moment wash away the memory of the last time we both stood in this spot.

Brushing my lips to hers, I savored the taste of her cherry lip gloss, the smoothness of her lips gliding across mine. I didn't want to rush tonight, to take her hard and fast as many times as possible like we have become accustomed too while in Baia. Alone time hadn't been the easiest with my family, and hers, in the house, but tonight, it's different.

Tonight, it's just her and I.

And I plan to kiss, suck, bite, and lick every inch of her sweet flesh until she can't take anymore.

Trailing my fingers down her ribs, I pull up the hem of her shirt, breaking the kiss momentarily to lift it over her head. Returning my lips to hers, I flick the clasp of her bra and slide the lace straps off her shoulders, and down her arms.

My lips wander across her jaw, to the shell of her ear, and I pulled her lobe between my teeth, grinding the soft flesh before sucking on it to sooth the bite. Turning her back to the bed, she laid herself down and popped the button on her jeans before shimming them down with her panties.

Grabbing the hem of my shirt, I pulled it over my head, the sight before me when the fabric cleared my vision almost killed me. Roza, completely naked, legs spread wide, and her pussy soaking fucking wet.

"What," she giggled.

Dragging my hand over my mouth, I licked my lips, and spoke the honest truth, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Climbing between her legs, I brought my lips back to hers for a quick peck before moving to suckle on her perky nipples. Taking one in my mouth, I tweaked the other between my thumb and index, rolling and pinching in sync with the nips and licks to the other.

"Comrade," my name crossed her lips in a husky drawl.

I bit back a groan at the sound, my dick protesting its confinement in my jeans. Pushing my hips into her, I switched places.

"Dimitri," she called out again, raising her hips to meet mine, "I need you inside of me, please."

Fuck me, this time, I didn't hold back my groan. And as much as I wanted to be seethed inside her tight cunt, I said I would make this last and damn it, that is what I am going to do.

Flicking my tongue over her nipple, I pulled up to look down at her, "All in due time, Roza. I promise."

"I need you," she whined again.

"And I need you to come," I smirked, "preferably at least twice."

Shifting down on the bed, I grabbed the back of her thighs, pushing them toward her chest, "Hold your legs, Roza."

Doing as she was told, I wrapped one arm around her hip to grab her tit, while my other hand worked its way through her folds. Finding her little bundle, I flicked it with my index, before covering her sex with my mouth. A deep moan rumbled through her throat, her hips pushing harder against my tongue.

"Fucking heaven," I mumbled into her. It's the only way I can think to describe her. Heaven. Sweet, yet a hint of salt, and hot.

Working her clit, I slipped a finger inside curling upward to hit that special spot, before adding another. I could feel her body start to tense, I knew she was close, but I wasn't ready to give it to her. Without warning, I withdrew my fingers and tongue.

"What the hell," her eyes snapped to meet mine, hazed over with lust, her face flushed.

"Watch me," I ordered, "I want you to watch me make you come. If you look away, I stop."

She nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and I went back to work. My eyes remained locked on hers as I brought her back to the brink. There is no better sight in the world than watching her face as she loses all control to me. To watch the way her lips part into that perfect little O, or the way her eyes grow wider and wider as she reaches the edge.

Her head fell back, and I stopped instantly, waiting for her to come back to me. It only took half a second before her eyes met mine again and I drove her off the cliff of desire. My name echoed off the walls, over and over, until she came back down.

And then I did it again. Only this time, I laid down and brought her to straddle my head, while I fisted my hard as fuck cock. I don't know that I have ever been this hard, but considering he has been begging for her since the fight, I don't blame him.

"Condom," I pointed Rose to my discarded jeans.

Ripping the foil with her teeth, she kneeled at the end of the bed and wrapped her mouth around my dick.

"Fucking Christ," I groaned, running my fingers through her short hair, I did the best I could to grip it and hold her still while my hips thrust on their own accord.

That familiar tingle reached the base of my spine, and I knew I had to stop her, even if I really didn't want to. If she kept going, I was going bust, and I wanted her to come with me this time.

"Roza," I pulled her hair, and my dick fell from her lips, "ride me."

In two seconds, she sheathed me and climbed on, sinking completely onto me. I let her take control, working at the pace she wanted, and simply rested my hands on her hips to massage her clit.

"Fuck, Dimitri, I feel so full." She leaned forward, letting me take control of the pace.

My thrust grew urgent, frenzied as I chased both her and my own release. Bringing one hand down to smack her ass, I gripped it tightly and pushed her down harder with every lift of my hips.

"Mine," I growled, bringing my other hand down on the other cheek.

I have never been a possessive man or lover, but knowing I am the only one to ever be inside of her, the only one to ever see the vulnerability in her eyes when her legs are spread, and her untouched by any other man perfect and tight sex, it does something to me.

She does something to me.

With every kiss, every touch, and every second spent inside of her, she is ruining every other woman. She has branded herself to me, and I too her, that I will never be able to be with anyone else. And I thank God that she feels the same way.

As if she knew what I was thinking, she lifted, bringing her lips to mine, "yours," she whispered and we soared off together. Her flesh tightened around mine, and pulled me in, deeper, and deeper still, and I was gone.

Forever ruined by the woman of my dreams, the love of my life, and one day, my wife.


Deep Breath.

In. Out.

Simple.

Our bags are packed and loaded onto the plane.

Rose and Lissa are taking one last walk around campus with Christian and Eddie.

Adrian is already at the tarmac, along with Abe and Pavel.

And me.

I am standing outside of Tasha's door.

I have raised my hand a dozen times to knock, but each time I pull back just before my knuckles can meet the thin metal. Stepping back, I run my hand through my hair before gripping the back of my neck and turning my face to the ceiling.

Counting the tiles, I refocus on the reason I am here; to tell my oldest friend goodbye.

It's a different feeling, cutting ties with someone who is still alive, who has been a steady part of your life for years, but it has to be done. From the moment I stepped off the plane, both with my own eyes, and Adrian's reading, I knew she was still holding hope that I would change my mind about guarding her.

And remember, hope is paralyzing. It can destroy you, little by little, but I have found that it can do far worse things. It can consume you. It can twist your mind into believing what it wants to is the truth, when in fact, it's the opposite. It creates delusions.

Have you ever tried to talk someone out of their delusional state? To make them understand that the thoughts they have, the feelings that encompass them are not real?

Me either, but I have heard it's about as easy as fitting a square peg in a round hole. Once their mind has accepted those thoughts as truth, making them see reality is next to impossible.

The only way to make them see light is to take away the source of their obsession. It won't be an overnight transformation, but over time, they will see that what they had thought to be a reality, is actually a dream.

Which is exactly what I plan to do.

Raising my hand once more, I draw a deep breath and shift forward as the door to her room opens.

"Dimka," her eyes grow wide, "What are you doing here?"

"We are leaving soon, and I needed to talk to you," I kept my tone even, hiding the emotion as best as I could, "Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, I was just about to meet Christian," she held up her phone as if to say he had just called. If she is on her way to meet him, Rose must already be on her way to the runway.

"I don't want to keep you, but I just wanted to tell you…" her raised hand cut me off.

"Save it, Dimitri," she bit out with a shake of her head, "you don't need to apologize for her actions."

Taking a step back, I counted to three in my head, before speaking my next words.

"I am not here to apologize for, Rose, because not only was she right to act the way she did, but because she doesn't need me to speak for her."

"Are you really…. You're seriously going… Dimka, how could you..."

"You burned me, Tasha."

"And she broke my jaw!"

"She should have done worse," I mumbled under my breath, "Look, Tasha, I love her, and I am marrying her. I had hoped that you would be supportive, as a friend should be, but it's obvious that you can not."

"I just want what's best for you. I know how you have always wanted to have a family, you can't have that with her, besides, she is a child, Dimitri." She stepped forward, her voice dropping into a husky whisper, "She can't satisfy you the way a real woman can."

Stepping back, I put up a warning hand, repeating a different mantra, you can't hit a woman, you can't hit a woman.

I wanted to correct her, but that would mean letting her in on more than just mine and Rose's relationship. She would ask too many questions that she doesn't need the answers too. Biting the inside of my cheek, I held back the words, and instead spoke of the one time I don't want to remember.

"You couldn't satisfy me."

She raised her hand, but I caught it before she could connect with my face. Lowering her hand back to her side, I looked straight into her fire blue eyes and said the last words I ever hoped to speak to her.

"Goodbye, Lady Ozera." Spinning on my heel, I headed toward the exit.

"You will regret this, Dimitri Belikov, that little blood whore will only entertain you for so long."

I pushed open the steel double door, turning halfway to look back down the hall to where Tasha remained rooted in place, and smiled.

"A lot longer than you could, that's for sure."


Guardian: Dimitri Alexander Belikov

Assignment: Adrian Ivashkov

Age: 21

Date Of Birth: August 3, 1981

Parents: Nathan Ivashkov (Father) Daniella Ivashkov (Mother)

Siblings:

Occupation:

Element: Spirit

Guardian Partner: Rosemarie Mazur

I scanned my new packet a dozen times, even if I already know everything I need to know about Adrian, it's not his information that has me reading the same lines over and over.

Guardian Partner -the half a page section has me perplexed on a multitude of levels.

First and foremost, Rose didn't graduate- she didn't take the promise, and she doesn't bear the mark. Secondly, why is her last name listed as Mazur?

When we met with Tatiana this morning, briefly mind you, she made no mention of Rose's allocation to Adrian along with mine. I knew her hand had laid the card for my assignment, along with Adrian's request, but how does Rose fit into that run?

Reworking the conversation in my mind, I try and try again to find the hidden information.


Eight Hours Earlier…

Guardian Moore opened the door to Tatiana's personal chambers, letting the five of us clear the threshold before closing it and posting himself against it on the inside.

Abe, Rose, Eddie, and I, bowed respectfully, while Adrian walked straight into his Aunt's arms. They shared a few words before her bright smile turned to us.

"You don't have to do that," she chuckled and released Adrian and walked toward us, "Come, come sit down." Taking my hand in hers, she guided us to a set of claw-foot couches.

"Now, we have several things to discuss, and very little time, so," she poured a cup of tea, sat back in the armchair, and looked around, "who would like to start?"

Abe took the lead -surprise- and outlined what happened in Spokane. Rose filled in what blanks she needed to in regards to the information she received from Robert, and Eddie joined in where needed about his restoration process. Adrian and I sat back, as neither of us was in the know about exactly what happened during Robert's proposition to Roza.

Tatiana nodded along, recalling the time Robert came to her, "He had no evidence, or plans to support his theory. I simply couldn't support the idea at the time."

"Why now," Rose asked, "Other than the fact that Adrian is involved."

Tatiana smiled, "Because I have seen in the flesh that a Strigoi can be restored. If the element is powerful enough to bring a lost soul back, it has to be powerful enough to prevent it from being taken in the first place."

Her declaration hung in the air, allowing our minds to absorb the sincerity of her words. But my mind didn't focus on how we could be changing the course of our worlds with this experiment, but rather, the physical exertion, and mental strain it is going to put on Adrian and me.

His constant use of magic is going to drive both of us mad, and there is only one way I can think of to lessen the strain across the board.

"Queen.." Tatiana shot me a look, "Auntie," I corrected myself with a smile, "would it be possible for Vasilisa to join us? I know you had plans for her to attend a local college, but I believe it would be beneficial to the project, as well as Adrian and me if we had another Spirit user present."

"Well, now that sounds like a fantastic idea," she snapped her fingers, and pointed in my direction, "always ahead of the curve."

"What about…" Roza's eyes grew wider, and I laid a hand on her knee.

"It will be okay, Roza, I promise. I am sure, Auntie, has already her Guardians."

"I have," she nodded, "Grant and Serena will begin their assignments at the end of the week. They have already been made aware and should be arriving in the next day or so."

"And they are qualified?" Rose deadpanned.

"I assure you, they are the best of the best," Tatiana grinned, "present company excluded, of course."

Rose opened her mouth to ask, what I am sure to be a dozen questions about their experience and qualifications, however, the front door opened cutting her off.

"I apologize," Nathan bowed, "I wasn't aware you had company."

"We're done," Adrian stood quickly, placing a kiss to Tatiana's cheek, "We will be in touch, Auntie."

"Be good, Adrian," she patted his cheek, and turned to scan over the rest of us, "and all of you, be safe."


"Holy shit!"

Rose's screech drew me back to the present. Before I could chastise her outburst in the presence of her father, I found myself speechless at the sight before me.

Double wrought iron gates opened up to an expansive property, acres, and acres of land surrounded a mesmerizing ranch estate. The driveway wrapped around a large old oak tree, looking much like the eye of a needle, with several freshly planted oak trees lining the drive.

Eight windows spanned the front of the home, with a double iron door sitting in the middle. Cobblestones made up the exterior, and a wooden deck served as the front porch, accented with timber rocking chairs on either side.

If the front is this amazing, what does the inside look like?

Rose jumped from the car as soon as the wheels came to a stop, running toward the front door that had just been opened, and leaped into the arms of the man who walked out.

Fucking Ryder.

Well, this just got interesting.


Author's Note:

Whew... excuse me while I fan myself.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, my family has just arrived and we are doing a Crawfish Boil today.

Anyone else here like Crawfish? I usually don't eat animals that live in water (fish...bleh) but I LOVE CRAWFISH!

Have a blessed Sunday, My Loves,

and as always, leave your thoughts on the way out.

All My Love,

Dream