"No." She stood frozen under my touch, not even able to step away. "No!"

"You don't know what it's like!" I would make her understand. She had to. If she could see, she would change her mind. "It's...amazing. Transcendent. All your senses are alive; the world is more alive-"

"Yeah, but you're dead!"

"Am I?" I grabbed her hand as she tried to step away, placing it firmly on my chest. There was a satisfaction in seeing her eyes widen at the steady heartbeat I knew she felt there. "My heart beats. I'm breathing."

"Yeah, but...it's..." her fingers ran through her hair as she struggled with all this new information. I could see her mind reeling, but I knew her conclusions would reach one place: we were taught incorrectly. Strigoi were alive. They, we...I...was more than simply mortal now. "It's not really being alive. It's...It's dark magic reanimating you. It's an illusion of life."

"It's better than life." I cupped her face, forcing her to focus fully on me. "It's like being a god, Rose. Strength. Speed. Able to perceive the world in ways you could never imagine. And...immortality. We could be together forever."

It was something I had wanted once. Something we had both wanted before it had been stolen from us. Now that it was a possibility again, in ways that were inconceivable before. I doubted Rose would just throw all that away.

"No..." she whispered, though the words came loud and clear to me. "We can't be."

"We could." She was just scared. I knew it. She wouldn't give us up. I followed the line of her jaw to the pulsing artery on her neck. I could see some indecision in her eyes as she considered my words. Pushing a little compulsion into my thoughts, I continued. "I could do it quickly. There'd be no pain. It'd be done before you even knew it."

Her breath slowed a little, calming under my touch as the compulsion ran through her. It wasn't enough to fully sway her decision, but it was enough to keep fear from being the only motivator. I didn't want her to blame me for forcing her into this. Rose was headstrong and it would be easier to have her as an ally if she weren't constantly bitter about being coerced into this life.

I was so focused on her that I had dropped my guard on any other potential threats, however. So when the door opened suddenly, I thrusted Rose behind me as I took in our unwelcomed visitors.

Nathan and Inna. I had expected someone to bring Rose food, but Nathan's personal pet was not who I had in mind. The fact that he felt the need to accompany her today was completely unnecessary as well.

Rose seemed to recognize him immediately, if her slight intake of breath and surprisingly unsolicited touch to my back was any indication. How she knew him interested me greatly.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nathan questioned bitterly. "You're keeping some pet up here?" I knew that he had been upset that orders had been flying over his head for a while now, but it was unfortunate that this was the one that seemed to be the last straw for him.

"It's none of your concern, Nathan. Galina gave me permission." The sooner he was gone from this room, the better.

Unfortunately, it seemed that my tactic had the opposite effect, though: rather than discouraging his interest in what was happening, it only made him more curious about the prisoner of this room. The moment he got a good enough glimpse, his eyes widened in shock, and then a second later a form of bloodlust appeared that took on multiple definitions. I shifted further in front of Rose, but the damage was done.

"Her? She was at the school in Montana. We fought..." he bore his fangs threateningly towards her, despite my protection. "I would have tasted her blood if that fire-using Moroi brat hadn't been around."

"This doesn't have anything to do with you." I reminded him, trying to stay where I was rather than paint the room red with his own blood.

"Are you kidding me?" He laughed in my face, speaking slowly in a condescending way. "She can lead us to the Dragomir girl! If we finish that line off, our names will be legendary. How long are you going to keep her?"

"Get out!" Talking of killing Lissa, especially at this point, would win me no favors with Rose. Already I could feel the slim progress I had made slip between my fingers like sand. "That's not a request!"

Nathan pointed to the side of me, where I knew Rose was peeking around my body. "She's valuable. If you are going to keep her around as some blood whore plaything, at least share. Then we'll get the information and finish her."

The thought of him – of anyone – touching Rose made my own blood boil in my veins. The thought of Nathan, the man who had sired me and put her practically outside of my reach in the first place being the one to try such a thing was enough to inspire the cruelest form of torture I could imagine. I stepped forward so that we were nearly chest to chest and he had to look up to meet my eyes while I had the advantage of staring down my nose at him. "Get out of here. If you lay a hand on her, I will destroy you. I will rip your head off with my bare hands and watch it burn in the sun."

Some rare color lit under his skin as his anger got the better of him and a sneer formed between his lips and nose. "Galina won't allow you to play house with this girl. Even you don't have much favor."

"Don't make me tell you to leave again. I'm not in a patient mood today."

He wore his emotions on his face. I knew he hated not being able to read me and the more passive I appeared to remain, the more agitated he got until it seemed like rationality won over his pride and he turned. "This isn't over. I'm talking to Galina."

I couldn't help but think of a child running off to tattle, especially as the door slammed behind him. I waited for the second door before turning to Inna. She was still frozen with the covered dish in her hands.

"Rose speaks English. Learn quickly. It would probably please Nathan too. Now, do you have the food I requested?"

She nodded one quick, nearly-impossible-to-pick-up nod and placed the tray on the coffee table before removing the lid. Underneath was a plate with several slices of pepperoni pizza, and a small side plate of brownie covered in chocolate frosting. There was even a red can of coke, though I'm sure the logo change might have thrown her off slightly.

"Lunch. Not poisoned."

Her eyes spoke of longing as she stared for a moment, but she shook her head vigorously. "I'm not going to eat."

"Do you want something else?" I didn't expect that her stubbornness would actually beat out her appetite. Very few things actually could.

"I don't want anything else because I'm not going to eat anything at all. If you aren't going to kill me, then I'll do it myself."

"By starving to death?" I sincerely doubted she had the will power to do a hunger strike, but it was almost touching that she would try to. Her misplaced convictions would eventually fail when she saw the light of what I had to offer. "I'll awaken you long before then."

"Why aren't you just doing it now?"

"Because I'd rather wait for you to be willing."

"You're going to be waiting a long time." She faced me with all the power and conviction of a toddler trying to defy her bedtime. Sure, I knew she fully meant what she proclaimed, but in the end, my rule would win out. It was adorable how she felt otherwise, though, as if she could somehow by sheer will make it out of this situation. It was laughable and I did just that.

"We'll see." I promised her, rising to meet her stubbornness. I still admired her attitude, even if it made things difficult at times. That fire was what drew me to her and made me burn for her. And I longed to taste it now.

I wrapped my arm around her neck, ignoring her murmur of protest as I pulled her close and catching her hand as she tried to push me away before I pressed my lips against hers in a bruising kiss. She pulled for a moment, forcing me to tug her back until I felt her eventually sigh at my cheek. Then I stepped away, watching her catch up to the sudden movement.

"This is Inna." I gestured to the girl, who glanced up from the wall where she had obviously been trying to blend in and ignore us. "She works for Galina too and will check in on you. If you need anything, let her know. She doesn't speak much English, but she'll figure it out."

I looked toward the mousy haired girl barely older than Rose herself, and gave a quick command for her to follow me.

"Where are you going?" I didn't miss the slight desperation in her voice when she realized I was leaving her here. It was a good sign.

"I have things to do. Besides, you need time to think."

"There's nothing to think about." Her brave face was on, but I could see through it. One sly eyebrow from me and I could already see it starting to crumble before the door shut behind me.

As soon as Inna and I were out of the corridor and I had double checked the locks, I sent her with a list of things to make sure the kitchen had on hand for Rose. I knew typical Russian dishes wouldn't be very appealing to her American senses, but I could make sure that we had a few more recognizable items for her. With international visitors for Galina's business, it wasn't an unusual request, but it was better to be prepared. Getting a pizza on short notice had been a feat unto itself. If Rose insisted on a hunger strike for a day or so, fine, but I was sure she'd break fairly quickly.

Samuel looked up from his magazine again as soon as Inna had scampered off. "Nathan's pissed."

I grunted in reply, already aware of the obvious.

"Not going to lie, I'm happy you're pegging him down a few notches, but you do realize that he's going to make your life a living hell, right?"

"Already did." I muttered blankly.

"Eternal hell, then."

I tried to level his stare at the joke, but he was hiding behind the glossy pages. I could, however, see a small smirk on his face as he enjoyed his own cleverness.

"I'm just warning you. I've been around for a while, and he is smarter than he seems. There's a reason he survives the battlefield and it isn't because of strength. He knows how to target the weak spot, and if I had to hazard a guess...your weak spot lies behind those doors."

"I've already cleared this with Galina," I insisted, falling on the same excuse that I had given Nathan before.

"Which was wise, but remember that Galina's patience only lasts so long as she feels she's getting something out of the deal. Make sure she sees the payoff, or the deal is dead," He pointed ominously towards the door and my end of our deal that was apparently starting to test the security system again. "Piss Galina off too much, and you will be too."

I allowed myself a moment to consider his words before taking a breath and nodding. "Just keep an eye on her."

"Not going anywhere," he smiled.

I made my way up towards my own room, replaying that conversation in my head, coupled with the argument with Nathan. I knew it wasn't going to be easy keeping Rose under this roof, but I had hoped my protection and Galina's permission would be more than enough to secure her safety. It was hard won, after all.

Galina hadn't been thrilled to see her, alive but unconscious, in my arms when I had returned that night. She had ordered me to kill her right there, and it was the first order that I had ignored entirely. For a moment, I thought we both might die, and I think only her curiosity saved us.

"Why?" she asked. "What about this girl would make you risk your immortality to bring her back here? You risk your place here, you openly defy me, you know what could happen, yet you still took the chance knowing the cost. You better have a damn good reason, Dimitri Belikov, because if you don't I will kill your precious girl in front of you and then kill you as an example of what happens to those who seek to overthrow the order here."

I knew this calm woman. Had it been overwhelming rage or a violent tantrum, I might have been more wary, but the calm, calculating Galina was someone I had come to know well during my Academy days and here at the Estate. She had a lesson to teach and she intended to make sure her point came across clearly. Rather than discipline for slacking on my weight training, though, this was something that would cost me so much more if I made the wrong move.

"I don't mean to defy you, Galina. I mean to offer you something that could eventually strengthen you and your ranks. This is Rose Hathaway, someone I mentored. She's one of the best students I have ever seen. You already know that she has been very successful in both capturing and killing several Strigoi, and I believe we could use her among the soldiers."

She considered me with narrowed eyes. "Then why is she mortal still? You hardly need coddling in how to turn someone, unless you want me to do it for you?"

"No," I bit out, a little too fiercely before regaining control. "I'd prefer to awaken her myself. However, she is strong willed. We've seen how others have rebelled against their sires and the Estate when turned against their will. I already know that she would not be willing yet. Let me have some time with her, and I know I can convince her. She'd be a powerful ally much quicker, and I'd take her on myself after her change."

"Where do you intend to keep her? I won't have you let her run around the Estate where she can harm others."

"We have only a few clients scheduled for the month. Certainly few enough to allow her to stay in one of the guest suites. She'll be out of the way, monitored, and I'll take on her care personally."

Galina stepped closer to where I had laid Rose on the chaise lounge in her library. My skin prickled on high alert as she kneeled beside her, tracing the line of her cheek, down her neck, and even past her collar nearly to the curve of her breasts. I knew better than to stop her, though. Any more defiance on my part would most likely get us both killed and defeat the entire point of bringing her back at all.

"She certainly is beautiful, isn't she?" she noted, almost dreamily as Rose turned slightly under her touch.

"She is," I replied vaguely.

"I can see why you fell for her. It would be hard to keep emotions in check with someone like her." She stood again to face me, her face much harder than it had been when she had been gazing at Rose, "But you need to, do you understand? If you let those weak, mortal emotions get the best of you now, I will kill you both without the slightest hesitation and I will make her death particularly painful just to show you that I am not one to be tried with. Betrayal is not something I take lightly, and our history is not something that will grant you any favors in this."

"I understand." I had hoped that our history would earn me something, but I knew that it was limited. Her trust was one thing, excusing mistakes and betrayal was another thing entirely.

"I hope so. I'll allow you two weeks to make your case with the girl. Then you either awaken her or kill her. If you can't do it, I will."

I nodded, already picking Rose up to get her to a room where she could rest more comfortably.

"And Dimitri," I paused, hoisting Rose closer as I turned to face Galina once more, "Remember, you may not like my choice. Work quickly."

So between Galina's vague threat and Nathan's not so vague threat, I knew that I needed to work fast to convince Rose to give herself over to me and the everlasting life I could offer her. Once she was awakened, she would be untouchable. I had no doubts that between her power and my influence, she would be able to rise through the ranks quickly and wouldn't have to worry about the others here who might want to harm her. And if my plan worked, it would only secure my position more with Galina, making Nathan less of a menace to us both.

The fact that he knew her, though, and wanted to use her to get to Lissa was a stumbling block that I hadn't anticipated. I had purposefully not mentioned Vasilisa or the bond to Galina so that she wouldn't be used to track down the Dragomir line. While it wasn't a priority for Galina to kill the Royal lines, she had ties to those who did and contracted out our soldiers to the people who made it their goal to end the Royals. She could sell both the information and the soldiers to kill the Dragomirs. At least the information about the bond between them was still safe, for now.

"Belikov!" I turned my head towards the group of four who were waiting near the end of the hallway. "You're on the list to round up the client whose defaulted today. You still in?"

I could feel the fire in my belly, still raging for a kill after being denied earlier. "Yeah. I'm in. When do we leave?"

"They're not that far. We'll take off about an hour after nightfall."

Several cars took off in secession, with me at the helm of the second one in line. We had taken roads fast, hitting the turns hard and ignoring the speed limits without regard for anyone else who might have on the road. Personal safety was inconsequential and law enforcement was even less worrisome. Anyone who even dared to try to give us some citation would only find themselves as an appetizer to our endeavor. The trip should have taken just over two hours, but by the time we arrived we had easily cut the time in half.

The home of the man we were to collect on was extravagant but surprisingly unwarded. In fact, he seemed to almost be welcoming us with his lack of regard for any personal safety. No wards, no guardians, no security of any kind it seemed. It was enough put us on edge.

"Do you think he's home?" someone asked.

It was a valid question. There didn't appear to be any lights on in the building. Nothing seemed to be disturbed and there wasn't any trace of life to be found.

"We should check. Galina will have our heads if we don't."

The woman was right. Coming back empty handed was unforgivable. Coming back empty handed and with an inexcusable reason for it was a death sentence. Not that I would have dreamed about leaving without giving the home a fair and thorough scan before calling it quits anyways.

We approached it apprehensively, especially when the door unlatched with barely a twist. Unlocked. My mind flashed back instantly to another scene that had brought anxiety like this; one that I had been on the other side of. There was no stake here, no gun, no woman to fear over just outside. There was just me and the unknown.

Around each corner we expected a guardian to ambush us. When it's one of the only ways to die, you are acutely aware of the possibility, just as you are aware of the painful rays of the sun. Nothing came, though. I did hear something, though. Above the strangely quiet air, there was a faint mumbling that guided me upstairs and towards a room near the end of the hall.

Soon, it wasn't the noise that I was following, but the smell. Alcohol, and a lot of it, burned my senses. A man deliriously sang an old drinking song, the words lost in the babbles of drink that rendered his words (and language) unintelligible.

Cautiously, I opened the door to find their target sitting beside a wooden chair, in the center of the room. A practically empty decanter of amber liquid was tilted sideways on a table next to the chair and he held the matching crystal glass in his hand.

The drunkard toasted him upon entry. "Come to finish me off?"

"You've defaulted again. You know what the contract stipulated." This was about business, and I quenched the urge to sneer at his appearance. The man looked like he hadn't showered or eaten anything other than perhaps martini olives in days.

"Yes, death. Not even begging will save me, will it?" He gave a humorless laugh. "And I can't even try to bribe you because I have nothing to offer."

Several others had moved behind me, witnessing the man's breakdown at his reversal of fortune. None of us knew what had caused his sudden bankruptcy and we didn't really care. He could have spent it on gambling, bad investments, women (legally wedded then lawfully divorce or perhaps only bought for the night), or maybe his debtors had all come calling and time had finally run out. Galina lived by the old law, though. In place of money she'd accept a pound of flesh, or in this case, every last drop of blood.

"Where are your guardians?" The last thing we all needed was a sudden assault. While we hadn't come across anyone yet, that didn't guarantee that the cavalry would come calling soon.

"Left three days ago," he lamented. "When they realized what was happening they decided to save themselves. I can't say that I blame them. I'm sure they'll be back to pick up the pieces and call it in soon."

I heard one of the women behind me snicker. It wasn't the first time we had seen a guardian do this. At first I had thought it was a cowardly move for a guardian to abandon his charge, but those who stayed never stood a chance against us when we came to collect on a defaulted client contract. Why should they have to pay the price of their charge's stupidity and die along with them? We would kill or turn them if they stood in the way of our goal. We didn't bother seeking them out if they were long gone.

I couldn't help but think that I would have been one of the guardians to go down with my proverbial ship if it had come to that. No matter the horrible mess my charge had gotten himself into, I would have died to protect my duty and reputation. It seems my idiocy had no bounds back then in the pursuit of making myself a willing and compliant slave to the Moroi system.

I didn't know if his humor was improved or diminished by his situation. "Do I get any last wishes before my death? A final phone call? Last meal?"

"No," I replied. "But we do."

And with that, we pounced.

His blood almost gave a slight burning sensation of its own, as if he had consumed so much liquor that he had become a cocktail himself. It wasn't a pleasant taste, but the rush of death still overcame that minor inconvenience. Even through his screams, we attacked like a pack of hyenas.

We had strict orders to make the death brutal, and several took great pleasure in that fact. Mariana, for instance, took great pride in literally ripping a limb from the victim to drain the blood. That usually threw them into shock, though, so we often made her wait a moment or two. His sudden powerful scream signaled that his left arm was no longer attached. So did the splattering of blood across my face and shoulder.

For my part, I still preferred the neck, but only because I could take a taste and then watch the fear in their eyes before the life drained from their bodies. There was a light that seemed to go out, almost like a candle, followed by a strange sigh like the smoke that was always left once they were extinguished. It never failed to fascinate me time and time again.

I didn't always have this opportunity on joint kills, but as I was the one who had found our man, it was my right to take my prime spot. The kill was over all too quickly, though. Drink seemed to have done him in more than we had, and his heart couldn't take it.

"Almost glad we didn't have to deal with that," Frank sneered, kicking a leg.

I nodded in agreement. I had been close to snapping his neck just so I didn't have to taste anymore of that vile blood. Even now I was contemplating another kill just to rid myself of its flavor.

"Should we call Nathan?"

"Yeah, I'm not done tonight," I turned and started walking out, letting the others follow me if they wished. I could already hear someone dialing while footsteps fell in line. Nobody questioned me.

"Where are we going, Belikov?"

"Don't care, but I need blood and I want it fast. I have better things to do than prowl all night."

Several murmured in agreement, though none of them knew my real reason for wanting to return back to the estate. Rose was more motivation for me to return than ever before.

Author's Note

Hello Again! I hope everyone is doing well. If you haven't done so already, head on over to my bio page and check out the one-shot "A Moment In Time" which was updated with a special Valentine's Day one-shot. It's probably the first time I've written something completely fluffy and I'm almost proud of that fact.

Speaking of Valentines Day...This weeks question of the week is: what is your favorite romantic movie?

I LOVE The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz. It's also probably one of the very few Jack Black movies I enjoy, probably because it's just such a different role for him. I've probably watched the movie a dozen and a half times and I still devour it every single time. A close second it The Quiet Man, but its a toss up if you'd call that a Romance or a Drama. If you guys remember, I did reference that movie way back in Frostbite DPOV :)

Thanks again for all those who were paitent with me on this update. It kills me when life gets in the way but I am thinking about you and this story constantly. Please know that it will never be abandoned. Just hang in there, sign up for the alerts, and keep an eye out for updates. They WILL come.