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Dimitri and I fought for about an hour. I seemed to be improving, because I had been able to take him down a good couple of times. We were both panting at the end, trying to catch our breaths as we laid on the floor.

"You've gotten much better," he acknowledged. "Still need some more training, but you're doing well. Even better than most of the trained guardians here."

I felt flattered that he was impressed with me, but I couldn't help but notice a small cut on his arm. I must have accidentally scratched him while we were fighting. Blood was leaking from the wound, causing my body to instantly react. I already had a burning sensation in my throat from earlier which I had been trying to ignore. The spirit-induced anger from earlier had also burned me out a little bit and left me feeling slightly thirsty. It wasn't anything urgent, but the urge to drink blood was nagging me.

Carefully, I held his arm and analyzed the cut. "I'm sorry. I must have scratched you by accident."

"What? Oh. I didn't even notice," he said, looking at his arm. "Don't worry about it."

The more I looked at it, the thirstier I became. Something about Dimitri's blood was...really intoxicating, and I felt my eyes start to change colour. I turned away as my fangs came out and quickly covered my face.

"You okay?" Dimitri asked me, seeming genuinely concerned.

"Yeah," I said, clearing my throat even though it did nothing. "It's just…the blood."

Dimitri walked around me and stood there for several moments. I could hear his steady heartbeat, and I wasn't sure if it comforted me or if it scared me. He wasn't afraid of me at all. I flinched when his hands gently grabbed my wrists and pulled them away from my face. I kept my eyes closed, but I knew he could see my fangs as I had been breathing out of my mouth.

"Show me your eyes," he said. "I'm not afraid of you, Roza."

I exhaled deeply and opened my eyes but avoided looking directly into his. I hadn't really shown anyone my face when I was thirsty for blood. Dimitri caressed my cheek, and I was surprised at how calm he actually was. I didn't smell fear on him at all. His heartbeat was steady, and his breathing was calm.

"You're beautiful," he said, cupping my face. "There's no need to hide yourself."

I had never felt so vulnerable in my life. I never thought he could possibly accept this part of me based on his life training, but I was wrong. He loved me no matter what.

"Control yourself, Roza. You can do it," he said. Despite not making eye contact, I could tell he was still watching me. I finally looked up at him, and although it was difficult, I managed to hold back my impulses. I shut my eyes a couple times as my eyes started going back to normal and my fangs retracted.

"Very good," he said. Although I could get my thirst under control, I still wanted to heal his cut. With all the healing factors in my saliva, it would be gone within an hour.

"I-I can heal you," I offered, but before my mouth could even get close to his arm, he stopped me.

"Don't," he said. "I appreciate it, but I'll be fine."

As much as I wanted that cut on his arm to go away, I didn't push him. I had to remind myself that this was all still new to him, and he probably wasn't entirely comfortable with letting me use my new abilities on him.

My thirst was bothering me again, so I quickly picked up my things. "Hey, I just remembered I had to go see Adrian for a study thing. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

"A...study thing?" Dimitri's brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Yeah. There's a test coming up soon. I gotta go," I said in a rush. Before I could give Dimitri the chance to say anything else, I left the room, stepping out into the hallway. I realized I should have probably given him a better excuse considering I didn't actually study much, let alone with Adrian of all people. Was he even taking any actual courses here?

Since classes were over, I took a stroll on campus until almost everyone had gone to their dorms. I still tried to stay lowkey, giving nothing more than a wave and a smile when I passed by some friends. When I reached the feeding rooms, I waited from a distance until the last staff member turned off the lights and left.

When everything was clear, I quickly snuck through the open doorway and made my way into the back of the feeding department. I was relieved to find the rooms unlocked and stepped into the very back room, closing the door behind me. I didn't even bother turning on the lights as my night vision had been enhanced to a whole new level. I couldn't see everything, but I could see a lot more than I could as a normal dhampir. It amazed me, because dhampirs already had pretty good night vision.

When I saw the fridge full of blood bags, I didn't waste any time. My initial plan here was to grab some bags and go back to my dorm, but instead, I devoured them right then and there. I ended up on the floor as I drained the bags over and over again and had completely taken advantage of my time alone.

I should have probably paid closer attention to my surroundings, but I had gotten so lost in the feed that it was all I could really focus on. When the door burst open, I froze on the spot. I expected it to be a nurse, or maybe even a guardian who just so happened to see me walk in. I thought they would start yelling, maybe order backup and have me taken away. Hell, maybe it was another student coming in to steal blood too.

What I did not expect was Adrian.

Staring through Adrian's eyes, I started thinking of every possible way this could turn out. Maybe he'd laugh this off and think it was some sick joke. Maybe he'd run and think he was just going crazy from the spirit's side effects. Honestly, I wished that was the case here. That might have made me a horrible person, but maybe it was better than the ugly truth: that I was half-strigoi and indulging in blood.

"Little dhampir...or whatever you are," Adrian said. Behind his fake half-smile, I could see fear in his eyes as he gulped. It was written all over him even if he tried to hide it. His pulse was racing. I thought about compelling him, but the idea was wiped away when another person walked into the room: Eddie.

He looked totally shocked at first, his eyes widening the moment he saw me. His dhampir instincts started to kick in a moment later as he quickly reached an arm out and shoved Adrian behind him. It didn't matter that we were in school or how close our friendship was. Despite being a university student, Eddie might as well have been a guardian. His first instinct was to protect Adrian, and it only made me respect him that much more despite the fact that he was protecting him from me.

I only then realized how bad I actually looked. I had been so careless that some of the blood had spilled onto the ground and over my hands. I had drained a total of three bags—more than my usual amount—and my eyes were definitely a dark shade of red. Eddie was in his protective mode, but even I could see a hint of confusion as he looked me over. I didn't completely look like a strigoi.

I stood up very slowly, gesturing my hands in a very non-threatening way. "Eddie..."

"Stay back," he growled, throwing a hand out while keeping the other one on Adrian. Eddie didn't have any weapons on him, but he fought almost as well as Dimitri, and I didn't want to have to fight him.

"I know this looks bad," I said quietly. "Just please, let me explain."

"Adrian," Eddie said warningly, keeping his eyes on me. "Get out now."

Adrian still had his gaze lingered on me, and although he was hesitant to leave, Eddie's voice had become so hard and determined that he didn't question it. I wanted to call after him as he left, fearing he might tell someone else, but resisted the urge to move.

Focussing back on Eddie who now looked like he would jump out at any moment, I threw my hands up in surrender. "I'm not going to hurt you, Eddie."

"What the hell are you?" he asked, keeping his voice scarily low. When I didn't answer at first, he broke, shoving me against the wall and pinning my arms beside my head.

"What are you?!" he demanded. I flinched at his tone. I hadn't seen him this angry and upset since Mason's death, and it broke my heart.

"I'm still a dhampir," I gasped out. "Just different. I'm half strigoi."

"What?" he asked, releasing his hold on me. He stepped back, looking at me again. My eyes had gone back to normal now. "This isn't a very good time to joke around, Rose!"

"I'm serious," I said, now sounding desperate.

"No." Eddie shook his head. "No, that's impossible. You were born half moroi, half human. We both were!"

"I know it sounds impossible, but it's not. It happened when I was kidnapped. Those experiments Adrian mentioned after seeing me in my dreams—he wasn't lying."

"What are you talking about? That has nothing to do with...whatever the fuck you are."

"It's complicated, okay? If you could just calm down and let me explain—"

"Calm down? Are you serious? I just watched my best friend drink three blood bags!"

I knew I could have just compelled Eddie to stay calm, but that would surely break any trust we had between each other, and I didn't want to resort to mind control on my own friend. At this point, I couldn't tell if he was angrier at what he'd just seen or the fact that I had lied to him about it for so long.

I heard footsteps coming down the hall before two people walked into the room. There stood Dimitri with Lissa in tow.

"What hap—" Lissa started, shutting her mouth when she saw me. Her eyes flickered over to the blood on the floor before glancing between Eddie and me.

"Eddie," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder so that she could face him. "Come with me. Everything will be okay. I'll explain everything." Immediately, I knew what she was doing. I could feel it through our bond, and her magic coursed through me instantly. Eddie's eyes twitched, but he relaxed a moment later.

"Okay," he said. Lissa gave me a worried glance before taking Eddie out of the room, leaving me alone with Dimitri. He had been watching me closely, checking my body as if I had gotten hurt.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I didn't know how to respond, so I ignored his question and picked up the now empty blood bags. "I need to clean this up."

Instead of arguing, Dimitri helped me clean the blood off the ground. After a few minutes of scrubbing the floor, I spoke. "Did you see Adrian?"

Dimitri sighed. "Yes. I asked him if he was okay, but he said something about needing a drink. I think he's in his room now."

I tossed the paper towels in the trash and sat on the ground, shutting my eyes. "He saw me earlier. With Eddie."

"Yes, I figured."

"I have to talk to him," I said, my voice nearly breaking. "Both of them...they've seen it all. I can't hide it from them anymore. Christian too."

"Rose, while I'm not opposed to you speaking to Adrian about this, I think you should give him space right now. He's probably overwhelmed. So is Eddie."

"What if they tell someone else?" I sounded so selfish right now, but I didn't want anyone other than my closest friends knowing about the experiments.

"They won't. No matter how angry or confused they are, they're still your friends."

I sighed, realizing he was right. I should have had more faith in my friends. They cared about me just as much as I cared about them. I had to trust that they wouldn't spill anything about what they saw.

"Do you want to take anymore of these to your room?" Dimitri asked, nodding towards the fridge.

"I just drank, like, three bags. I should be fine."

Dimitri nodded and extended his hand. He pulled me up off the floor, making sure the area looked untouched before we left the room.

"You should go to your room and get some sleep," he said as we walked through the hallways.

"Yeah," I mumbled, though I had another idea in mind. Before Dimitri and I parted, he looked at me again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine." I didn't really feel fine at the moment, but if I could just work things out with my friends, I would eventually feel better. Lissa was probably handling Eddie—and maybe telling Christian too—but I needed to clear things up with Adrian. He was probably confused from what he'd seen and also pissed off that I was keeping it from him.

"Alright." Dimitri leaned forward, quickly kissing my cheek. "Goodnight, Roza."

"Adrian!" I called, knocking rapidly on his door. "I need to talk to you. I know you're probably mad at me, but...please hear me out."

I heard some shuffling in his room before Adrian finally opened the door. I could smell alcohol on his breath, but he wasn't drunk. He rolled his eyes, moving to the side to let me in.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked, holding up a bottle of vodka.

"I need to be sober to tell you this." I sat down on his couch, trying to ignore the mess of clothing that seemed to be scattered just about everywhere.

Adrian shrugged, closing his door. "Suit yourself, little...whatever."

"Adrian, I'm still a dhampir."

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." He scowled at me before taking another sip from his bottle. "However, I'm willing to listen to you. I always knew something was off about you, but this—this is unheard of. For a second back there, I thought you really were a strigoi. Only, there was something strange about how you looked. I wish I'd imagined the whole thing, but the fact that you're here tells me otherwise."

While I never wanted anyone to find out about my secret, it was kind of pointless now. I was stupid for thinking I could hide it from my closest friends. After being kidnapped, they had kept a very watchful eye on me to see how I was doing. Dimitri did the same too, and even though Alberta didn't know about my secret, she probably had her suspicions as well.

"Remember the experiments I was talking about in our dreams?" I asked.

"How could I forget? You looked so scared...I'd never seen you so scared before," Adrian said, shivering as he replayed the memory in his head. I was a little bothered that he had to see such a weak side of me, but it was understandable under those horrible circumstances.

"Well, you see..." And I went on. I wished Eddie and Christian were there so that I could explain everything all at once instead of constantly having to repeat myself. I hated going through the memories.

"Hold on," Adrian interrupted. "You're like this because you're shadow-kissed?"

"Actually, I'm like this because my kidnappers used me as a fucking lab rat."

"You know what I mean," Adrian said, clearly showing off his annoyance.

"Ugh. Yes, it's because I'm shadow-kissed. Anyone—living or undead—can become like me. The transition just works differently depending on what you are."

Adrian usually had some annoying comments, but this new information was so unexpected and probably hard for him to understand. If he hadn't seen me feasting on blood bags with red eyes and fangs, he probably wouldn't believe a single word I just said. In fact, he'd probably be laughing at me.

Finally, the silence broke. Adrian offered me his bottle again. "You sure you don't want a sip?"

I eyed the vodka dubiously before taking it from his hand. "You know what? I do want some." Adrian probably expected me to only have a sip or two, but what he didn't expect was for me to start chugging it down. The liquid burned my throat, and it almost reminded me of those blood whore clubs where I'd be forced to drink until I passed out. This time, it was willing. With all the stress I'd been through, I needed an escape even if it was temporary. I used to get drunk for fun with my friends, but now I was using it as an escape.

"Woah, slow down there," Adrian said, tipping the bottle down. "I might have a tolerance, but you don't."

"Why don't I test that out?" I jumped up from the couch, walking over to his collection of drinks. There were some light ones including coolers, and at the back were the heavier drinks. I pulled one out, not bothering to even look at the label before I started drinking again.

An hour later, I was yapping away. "You know, I am so sick of child molesters. Those damn guys all deserve to have their dicks chopped off!"

Adrian wasn't anywhere near as drunk as me. In fact, he wasn't even drunk at all. His intention was probably to feel a slight buzz until he fell asleep, but seeing that I was out of line, he decided to watch over me instead.

"Yes, Rose, they do," Adrian agreed.

"Maybe I should buy an axe and chop them off myself!"

Adrian laughed. "Sure."

"I will find those girls," I slurred, holding a finger up. "And we can all...team up...and settle things once and for all...ya know?"

"Yes, yes I know. Listen Rose, you should—"

"Do you think Eddie hates me now?" I interrupted, leaning against the wall. "I think he hates me."

"Eddie doesn't hate you."

"Well...do you hate me?"

Adrian's brows furrowed. "What?"

"I kept this a secret from you too. And I don't..." I stepped forward and hugged him a little too tightly. "I don't want you to hate me."

"I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to," he told me. I pulled away and took another sip of whatever I was drinking. I nearly stumbled where I was, but Adrian was quick to react and put his hands on my arms.

"I think we should get you to your dorm," he said, opening his door.

"Oh, come on, don't be boring now. I'm having fun! Let's go for a walk! I need to find Eddie and explain the thing..."

"Rose, wait!"

I was already running through the campus halls, heading for Eddie's dorm. I stumbled just about everywhere, but I was still faster than Adrian. There was nothing he could do to stop me, and before I knew it, I was knocking on Eddie's door. He didn't answer, so I kept knocking until his door flew open.

"What?!" Eddie seemed angry and annoyed at first, but his expression softened when he saw me. "Rose? What are you—are you drunk?"

I giggled. "Maybe a little."

"How the hell did you..." He trailed off, scowling at Adrian who stood behind me. "Of course."

"Hey man, I didn't think she would end up like this."

I slapped my hands onto Eddie's chest, grabbing his shirt. "Eddie! I am like, so sorry for lying to you. I mean, you're like, such a good friend and I totally blew it!" I fell into his room, nearly running into the bed where Lissa and Christian both sat.

"Never thought I'd see this again," Lissa commented. I slid to the ground, peering my head up on the edge of the bed.

"Pyro!" I squealed. "I'm sorry for lying to you too. But from now on, you can trust me because I'm—" I shut up as bile started to rise in my throat. As soon as I covered my mouth, Adrian and Eddie both rushed to my side.

"Now that's not a good sign," Christian said. "Get her into the bathroom."

"What? I'm perfectly fine! I just need another drink and I'll be good as new..." Before I could even finish, Eddie was already dragging me to his washroom. A wave of nausea hit me, and my stomach convulsed as I vomited into the toilet. Eddie held my hair back and gently rubbed the back of my shoulder.

"Is she okay?" Lissa asked from behind him.

"Does she look okay?" Eddie snapped. I leaned back, still feeling more drunk than I'd ever been in my life. Most of my energy, however, was now gone.

"She probably won't even remember this in the morning," Adrian muttered. Just when I thought I was fine, I vomited again. It was absolutely horrible.

"Should we take her to the infirmary?" Lissa asked. I couldn't tell what she was feeling through the bond since everything was buzzed out, but her face gave her concern away.

"Don't you dare, blondie!" I protested. "Alcohol isn't...allowed on...thing."

"Campus," Adrian corrected. "It's not allowed on campus, and I have a whole collection of it. I'm screwed if they find out."

Eddie spoke up again. "Maybe that's a good thing."

"Hey, this was her choice," Adrian defended, throwing his arms up despite looking slightly guilty. Eddie rolled his eyes before focussing his attention back onto me.

"Are you good?" he asked. I giggled, smiling up at him.

"Never better!" Just then, my stomach convulsed again. When was this ever going to end?

Lissa stepped into the washroom, leaning down to rub my back. "Eddie, I'm starting to worry. What the hell are we going to do with her? She'll be like this all night!"

"I don't know," Eddie said. I could hear the stress and indecision in his voice now. "I can stay with her until she stops puking."

"She didn't even drink...that much," Adrian said. "I don't know why she's this bad." To be honest, Adrian's idea of "that much" was probably different from the rest of us.

"Can she even go to class tomorrow?" Christian asked. At this point, I stopped paying attention to who said what as an argument started to unravel.

"She won't even be able to get up."

"And who's fault is that?"

"I thought she was only going to take a sip! I didn't expect her to go off the rails like that!"

"You know how she is."

"Guys, please, Rose is going through a lot right now—"

"Well, drinking shouldn't be her main coping mechanism."

"And you shouldn't have shut her out just because she wasn't comfortable with talking yet!"

"I was angry! She's one of my closest friends and she didn't trust me!"

"Can you blame her? Look at how you reacted! How all of you reacted! You just left her there to feel guilty when she probably wasn't ready to open up!"

I couldn't even make out words after that. Everyone started talking over each other, yelling out angry words that seemed to go on forever—until another voice joined in.

"What in the world is going on in here?"

As soon as the new voice came in, everyone froze. Even when I was totally out of my mind, I recognized that Russian accent anywhere. We were so screwed.

I wanted to bring Rose's friends into the picture a little more on how they found out about Rose's secret (because honestly, I thought it was pointless to hide it from them anymore). I didn't really know where I was going with it afterwards which is why it might seem weird (getting drunk and all). Anyways, let me know what you think :)