CHAPTER NINE!!
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AVERY POV

Everything was in place. Simon and I were waiting in the middle of the alley, towards the back, and Tasha, Reed and Khristina were hidden for backup. We were going to get her, and I was going to make her suffer. I heard footfalls approaching and my muscles tensed in anticipation. This would be fun.

ROSE POV

I had fallen asleep soon after we got in the car; but I dreamed of Dimitri.

I looked up, and saw Dimitri, with his hair damp and curling at the ends, like he had just gotten out of the shower. My hand flew to my mouth, and I ran at him and locked my arms around him and buried my head in his chest.

"Dimitri," I sighed. It was so good to see him, to know he was safe.

He chuckled and stroked my hair. "Hi, Roza. What's the matter?"

"Nothing." I said. I wanted to enjoy the moment...even if it was just a dream.

"Are you sure?" He asked, ever so persistent.

"I just...missed you." I said.

"I was in the shower, my love." He joked.

"I know." He tilted my face up to kiss me...and my surroundings changed into a garden...it looked really familiar...and then I saw Adrian.

"What the hell do you want, Adrian?" I snapped. He had ruined a nearly perfect dream.

"To...apologize. I had no right to do what I did." He said, actually sounding serious.

"You sure as hell didn't!! Now let me out!!" I yelled. I did not want to see him ever again.

"I...ok. Just know that I'm sorry...and I never want to hurt you." The garden slowly faded away and my eyes snapped open.

"What?" I asked, disoriented.

"Oh. Rose. You're awake," Said Eddie. "We're almost there. Like five minutes." He said.

"Oh. Ok." I looked back and saw that Melanie was still asleep.

When we parked in the mall's parking lot, we woke up Melanie and I shakily stepped out of the car to get some fresh air. I was feeling major butterflies - the bad kind. I was worried I would start hyperventilating out of fear. I couldn't lose Dimitri.

Melanie yawned. "Let's go." She said.

"Yeah." Said Eddie. They started off at a brisk pace, and, right as we approached the alley, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw Dimitri's number. Good. Now I could find out who the Strigoi was.

"Good you finally had the courage to call me, you cowardly bastard." I spat.

"Roza?" Asked Dimitri's voice.

"Dimitri?" I yelled into the phone. "But...you...what?"

"Roza, what's the matter?" It was Dimitri. I had no doubt about it.

"You...were captured. By Strigoi."

"Roza, a Strigoi took my phone...oh, no. Rose, where are you exactly?" He said, putting the pieces together.

"In Bismarck. In an alley next to the mall. Saving you-" But I was cut off, because a Strigoi had pulled me back into the shadowed area.

"Rose!" I heard Eddie yell. I heard a thud and some muted voices, and I assumed that Eddie had staked a Strigoi. The one who had me had it's arm around my neck.

"Ok," I said, gasping for air. "Who the hell are you?"

"You don't remember me, Rose?" Asked a cold voice. "I'm Tasha Ozera."

DIMITRI POV

"In Bismarck. In an alley next to the mall saving you-" Said Rose as she was cut off. By what? A Strigoi? I had to save her. Nothing, nothing was going to take her from me. I sprinted down the stairs and ran over to the alley where I saw Eddie Castile staking a Strigoi.

"Castile!" I yelled. He did a double-take when he saw me.

"How..." He started. "Never mind. A Strigoi just got Rose."

"What? Which way did he go?" Eddie pointed to the back of the alley.

"That way." I swiftly turned around, and came face to face with another Strigoi. He looked as if he had been Moroi before, so I was able to stake him with ease. He fell to the ground, and I continued down the alley, searching for Rose. I barely heard footsteps behind me, and I spun around, stake out, and almost staked Melanie Moone. I had heard about her, but never met her. She motioned for me to be quiet, and then waved me to follow her. I did, assuming she would help. We turned a corner and saw two female Strigoi, and Tasha Ozera was approaching, holding Rose.

"Go around the other way," I mouthed to Melanie, "And go for the one who was Moroi. I'll get Tasha." She nodded, and moved silently to the other side of the alley. I slipped out of the shadows and pulled Tasha back by her hair. She fell with a yell, and Rose collapsed on the ground. I quickly pinned Tasha.

"Could you really kill me, Dimka?" She asked.

"Yes." If she was going to hurt Rose, she was as good as dead to me.

"N-" She started as I drove my stake through her heart. The life faded from her eyes, and I quickly ran over to Rose.

"Roza," I breathed, "Are you ok?" I pulled her into my arms and into a passionate kiss. Her arms locked around my neck, but I pushed her away after about ten seconds. "Sorry, love, but there are two more Strigoi here." She nodded in understanding, and I helped her to her feet. She took out my old stake - the one I had given her - and analyzed the situation. Melanie was facing off with one of the Strigoi, and I didn't see the body of the other one, so I assumed she ran off.

"Avery." Rose said, glaring at the Strigoi.

"You!" She screamed, pushing past Melanie and coming at Rose. She managed to knock me out of the way and throw Rose into a wall.

Unacceptable.

I ran at her, pulled her off of Rose, and staked her. No one hurt my Roza.

No one.

ROSE POV

It hurt everywhere. I was on the edge of unconsciousness when I saw Dimitri run over to me, after staking Avery.

"Dimitri..." I sighed. My vision was blurring, and he was frantic.

"Roza, Rose! Roza, do not leave me. Oh, God, Roza, wake up!" He picked me up and I heard him talking with Melanie. I saw some fire about ten feet away, and I assumed they burned another one of the Strigoi. All of a sudden, it was like a switch flipped, and I was alert again. I burst into sobs, clinging to Dimitri's shirt.

"Dimitri!" I said. I had thought he was dead or being hurt for so long. It had been killing me.

"Oh, God, Roza," He said, setting me down before pulling me into a kiss. It was filled with love and desire and the taste of sweet reunion. Tears were still flowing down my cheeks, but they were out of joy now, joy that I could finally be with the man I loved. After a few minutes, we broke apart, breathing heavily. He pressed his forehead to mine, and looked into my eyes.

"I love you, Roza." He said.

"I love you too, Dimitri. God I love you, so much." I kissed him again, but Melanie cleared her throat. Dimitri sighed and picked me up again.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I think your ankle is hurt." He said. I poked it.

"Ow!" How did he know that? "You're right." We walked over to where Eddie had just staked a Strigoi. He was sitting on a bench, breathing heavily.

"Rose!" He said when he saw us.

DIMITRI POV

"Hey, Eddie." She said.

"Is she ok?" He asked me.

"Yes. Her ankle is hurt, though, so we'll get it checked on when...we get back to the academy?" I asked Melanie the last part.

"Yeah. And we need to pick up Clarissa, Lissa, Christian, and Mia. But they're in Missoula, so that's a while from now.

"Ok." I set Rose carfully in the back seat, then climbed in after her.

"Hey, comrade," She teased. Eddie got in the row in front of us, and Rose decided to sit on my lap.

"I missed you," She said, looking down.

"I know. I missed you too." So, so much. It had hurt sometimes.

"Let's never, never be separated again, ok?" She suggested.

"Sounds great." I leaned in to kiss her.

phew! that was a long chapter!! did you like it? Sorry it took a while to update!!

oh, and the story is not over!! trust me!! it has a few more chapters left!!

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