Just wanted to say that I was having a bit of a writer's block before I wrote this chapter so it might not be my best, but I definitely tried. Hope you enjoy.

Dimitri had walked in to not only witness my friends fighting, but to also see my drunk ass barely being held up by Eddie's strong hands.

"Hiya Comrade!" I gasped out. Eddie almost had no time to react as I puked again.

"Is she drunk?" Dimitri demanded.

"I'm completely sober!" I shouted childishly.

"Rose, be quiet," Eddie said, trying to calm the situation. On the other hand, Dimitri was not having it.

"How," he started, "did she get this intoxicated?"

All eyes started to fall on Adrian who cringed away. Even he was slightly afraid of Dimitri regardless of his arrogant and sarcastic attitude.

"I swear, I didn't think this would—"

"Damn it, Ivashkov! Alcohol is strictly forbidden on campus! Do you have any idea how bad this would be if someone else had found you all in here?"

Adrian cringed at his tone. It was rare for someone who always usually had something to say when being scolded. "We didn't do anything, I swear. We were just talking...and I offered her a sip of vodka. I didn't think things would get this bad."

"Go back to your room," Dimitri ordered. "Go now before I change my mind and have you kicked off campus."

For the first time, Adrian did as he was told for once and left the room. Dimitri turned on Christian and Lissa, struggling to soften his voice.

"I suggest you two go back to your rooms as well before someone else sees any of you here. I'll let you know how she is." Dimitri was a little calmer with them, but I could tell he was still angry. I had no idea what he was going to do with me, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out.

Christian and Lissa left, leaving me with Eddie and Dimitri. I leaned against the wall again, and this time, I was sure I had nothing left to repel from my body. I was simply drained now.

"Are you done?" Eddie asked. I nodded, and he quickly flushed the toilet. He let go of my hair and walked out of the washroom, whispering something to Dimitri. He came in and kneeled in front of me, tipping my chin up to examine my face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"All good, Comrade. You should have seen me earlier! My face was like, super red!"

Dimitri scoffed. "Yeah, well, it won't be the only thing that's red if you do this again."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." He looked down at my shirt, muttering a Russian swear word before pulling it off of my body. "Edison, do you have any extra shirts? She puked on hers."

Eddie was already going through his closet, pulling out a plain grey T-shirt and giving it to Dimitri. He passed him a water bottle too which I assumed was for me. Dimitri pulled me up, but the moment I stood, I started to fall back down. He sighed and instead carried me to Eddie's bed where he sat me down. As soon as I started to falter, his hands were steadying me again.

"Can you hold her for a second?" Dimitri asked. Eddie nodded, making sure I sat upright as Dimitri started to slip the t-shirt over my body. Both of them had to slip my arms through the sleeves as I was so drunk and didn't even have the energy to sit up straight. Eddie kept holding me while Dimitri brought the water bottle up to my lips.

"Drink," Dimitri said.

"I don't wanna!" I whined, moving my head to the side. Dimitri pressed his lips together, exchanging an eye roll with Eddie. Even though I was stubborn, it was unlike me to act like a child. I definitely wouldn't have been acting the way I was if I was sober.

"She's been acting like this all night," Eddie told him.

"I figured," Dimitri said. This time, he held my chin and spoke sternly. "Drink this, Rose. Now."

I did as he asked, taking small sips of the water to let it hydrate me. When I'd had enough, Dimitri and Eddie let me lie down.

"She probably won't even remember this tomorrow morning," Eddie muttered.

"Probably. I'll have to keep a close eye on her though."

"If you can, that'd be great. She drank on an empty stomach. Not only that, but Lissa also mentioned her not eating properly since coming back to the academy. I've never seen her like this."

"I noticed that too," Dimitri said reluctantly. "Every time I try to bring it up, she changes the subject. I didn't want to push her too much, but now...I have to step in. I have to do something. She's putting her health in danger."

"I know. I'm worried about her. I shouldn't have been so angry earlier. I really do care about her and whatever happened to her won't change that." Eddie's voice started to drop. He sounded so worried. Lissa must have told him everything.

"It took her a long time to open up to me too. Don't take it personally. She's just going through a lot, mentally."

"Even you," Eddie whispered. I wasn't watching them as they spoke, but Dimitri must have nodded during that little pause. "Well, if there's anyone in this world she actually listens to, it's you. Please help her. She needs to eat, no matter how stubborn she is."

"Oh, believe me, I'll force her if I have to. I love her, and I won't continue to sit back and watch her do this to herself."

"I trust that you won't," Eddie said. "Hopefully, you can get her to comply. I've known her for a lot of years. She's very stubborn."

"I've had ideas in my head, but she wouldn't like it. There have been moments where she's really needed it, and sometimes, it's hard to hold back. But after what she went through, I can't force it on her."

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Eddie asked curiously.

Dimitri hesitated. "I'd rather not say. I don't think you'd agree with it."

"If it means getting her to finally eat again, I'd honestly be fine with anything at this point."

There was another pause as Dimitri gently tucked a strand of hair away from my face. "She just needs a firm hand, that's all."

"Are you...implying what I think you are?" Eddie didn't sound opposed to whatever Dimitri was telling him, but he also sounded a little confused. Even I was a little confused.

"It doesn't matter," Dimitri said hastily. "Like I said, I can't force it on her. Right now, she needs our support. No matter how much she denies it, she needs help. She needs to heal."

"A firm hand..." Eddie repeated quietly.

"Edison. Just get some sleep. I'll take Rose to her room."

Eddie nodded, dropping the subject as Dimitri swooped me up into his arms.

"Thank you for taking care of her," he said, passing through the doorway.

"Always will. Goodnight, Dimitri."

"Goodnight, Edison."

With that, Dimitri took me to my room and held me tightly against his chest. When we got inside, he carefully laid me onto the bed. For the next few minutes, I barely paid attention to what he was doing. I ended up in only my panties and the big grey T-shirt, and he tucked me in, bringing the comforter up to my chin.

"Comrade," I whispered, reaching out to grab his hand. I practically dragged him down until he was sitting beside me. "Did I ever tell you how pretty you are?"

Dimitri froze, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "What?"

"You're like...so pretty. You know, sometimes I just really want to kiss you, but it's so hard!"

Dimitri looked like he just wanted me to sleep, but he stuck around to listen to me anyways. Perhaps his curiosity was getting the best of him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because of what happened," I said, still slurring on my words. "Because of how I was treated. I mean, it's like, disgusting right? You're kissing a bloodwhore..." I didn't have time to finish as Dimitri practically grabbed my chin.

"You are not a bloodwhore. Don't you ever say that about yourself again." He pulled away from me, running a hand through his hair. "Who am I kidding? You won't even remember this tomorrow."

"But why?" I asked.

"Because you're drunk."

"Drunk?" I said the word as if I were learning it for the first time. "I dunno what you're talking about. I'm totally sober. I think you're the one who's drunk, Comrade."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, smiling slightly as he rubbed my side. "Go to sleep, Roza."

"M'kay." I closed my eyes, letting myself doze off as Dimitri continued to rub the side of my body. I felt his soft kiss on my cheek before finally falling asleep.

Waking up the next morning was awful. There was an unpleasant ache in my head which was accompanied by a feeling of nausea. I moaned, stirring in my bed before sitting up.

"Easy there." A hand touched my shoulder, causing me to jump and back up against the wall. When I saw that it was just Dimitri, I relaxed instantly.

"Sorry," I breathed, rubbing my eyes.

"That's okay," Dimitri said. "How do you feel?"

I sighed miserably. "I feel like I just woke up from my grave."

My comment made Dimitri chuckle. "That's normal for a hangover."

I froze. "How did you...?"

"I didn't really expect you to remember. You were throwing up in Eddie's bathroom."

Memories started to flush into my mind. All I could really remember was getting drunk—very drunk—in Adrian's room. I had gone to Eddie's room, but everything after that was a blur.

I shut my eyes as I was clouded by shame. "How bad was it?"

"Pretty bad, Roza. What you did was...well, it was irresponsible. Not to mention you were on an empty stomach." Dimitri reached over, grabbing a glass of water that had been sitting on my nightstand. I took it willingly, feeling a little relieved as the water refreshed my dry throat.

"I had a not-so-pleasant conversation with Adrian," Dimitri said, eyeing me carefully. "You want to explain to me why you were alone in his room last night?"

I shifted nervously. "Dimitri, I swear we didn't do anything. Last night is a blur, but I remember that much. I was just talking to him to explain what he saw in the feeding department. I promise you nothing happened between us. I don't even feel that way about him."

"Yes, Roza, I'm aware. I know he wouldn't try anything on you. I just don't understand how you could be so irresponsible and get drunk—especially when it's forbidden on campus. You have a very long disciplinary record and if it had been anyone else who found you like that, you'd be serving detention or doing community service. Maybe even suspension. Adrian would have probably been kicked out."

I pinched the bridge of my nose as the reality set in. Dimitri was right. The teachers on this campus already had a bad impression of me due to my previous behavior. It had gotten better in the past year, but my reputation would always be a little damaged. Going into Adrian's dorm alone and getting drunk? Yeah, I could see how it looked bad. If anything, I should have been glad it was Dimitri who had found us. He could punish me in his own ways, but it was better than the alternative.

"I'm sorry," I told him. Dimitri moved closer, grabbing my hand.

"Why did you do it, Rose? I don't believe you were doing that for fun."

I took a deep breath. "I just wanted to forget about things for a bit. I lied to my friends for so long over something I never even asked for. I never asked to get dragged into a prostitution ring. I never asked to wake up on a metal table and kill a moroi. I never asked for a lifetime of blood cravings." By the time I had finished talking, my words came out quicker than they usually would have. I was struggling just to get things off my chest.

"You shouldn't have to listen to me. I'm just ranting now," I muttered. Dimitri leaned down, brushing some of my messy hair away from my face. There was a look of sadness on his face now.

"I'm always going to listen, Roza. I want you to talk to me. I know it can be hard for you, but I'd rather you just talk about things instead of doing what you did yesterday."

I nodded. "It won't happen again," I said, pressing my hands against my forehead. This was definitely one of the worst hangovers I had ever experienced—and I had a good amount of experience from my days in high school.

"I certainly hope so. You've lost a lot of fluids." Dimitri peeled the covers away from my body before slipping his hands under my armpits, pulling me up. "Alright, let's get you up."

"Dimitri!" I squealed. "I can take care of myself!"

He ignored me as he placed me on the edge of my bed and started sorting through the clothes in my closet. He handed me my school uniform, and I groaned and tossed it behind me.

"Come on, can't I just stay in for one day?" I asked.

Dimitri sighed in frustration and walked away for a second before returning with black sweatpants and a hoodie. "Is this better?"

I eyed the clothing items and decided to put them on, basking in the soft material. I still didn't want to get up, so I flopped back down on the bed.

"Rose," Dimitri warned.

"I put on the clothes. I never said I'd go to class." At this point, I was just being a stubborn little shit, and I was well aware of it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any medications to get rid of my hangover.

When I thought Dimitri was just about done putting up with me, he pulled out his phone and made a phone call. The phone rang twice, and I was shocked to hear the voice on the other end.

"Dimitri?"

"Adrian," he greeted. "Do you have any over the counter medicine to cure a hangover?"

"Let me guess. Rose is being difficult."

Dimitri glanced at me. "Very. Just give her something that'll help her feel better."

"I'm on my way."

Dimitri hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"Since when were you and Adrian friends?" I asked him curiously, pressing a hand against my head to relieve some of the ache.

"Since you got kidnapped," Dimitri said solemnly. "At first, I just thought he was a flirt. I didn't really realize how much he actually cared about you until then."

Well, Adrian was still a bit of a flirt, but he respected Dimitri and me as a couple. At the end of the day, he knew how strong my feelings were for Dimitri and kept things mutual between us. The two men used to dislike each other, but they had eventually come to an understanding.

Dimitri rubbed my forehead while we waited in an attempt to comfort me. I still felt like crap, but his hand felt nice on me and distracted me from my headache. Within five minutes, Adrian walked into my room without knocking.

"Yikes," he said. "No offence, little dhampir, but you look like a corpse."

"Feel like one too," I muttered.

Dimitri stood up as Adrian handed him his small pack of pills. "Thanks for these. Just remember not to let this happen again. I'll be watching you," he warned.

"Will do," Adrian said. He must have been in a rush to do something, because he left almost as soon as he walked in.

"Sit up," Dimitri said, holding up a glass of water and two pills. I sat up, moaning as another annoying ache hit my head. I took the pills in an instant and finished the entire glass of water.

"Can I at least skip one class?" I asked, lying back down again. "I can probably just borrow Lissa's notes. I just need this headache to go away."

Dimitri considered it, giving me a look of sympathy. "Fine. When's your next class?"

"12 AM," I answered.

"Alright. You've got two hours to kill. Why don't we get some food in you? It'll help your stomach."

Just the mere thought of eating made me cringe. I wasn't sure if my stomach could even handle food right now. Even so, with all the previous hangovers I'd had before, food always seemed to help in the morning. Mentally though, I just wasn't there.

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled, rolling over to cover my face.

"You excuse isn't going to work on me, Roza. You need to eat. I'm well aware that you haven't been eating properly since coming back."

"W-what?" I stammered, avoiding eye contact. "I have no idea what you're talking about. My eating habits are perfectly fine."

"Really," Dimitri said doubtfully. "That's not what your body tells me. Your friends can see that, and so can I."

I was really hoping Dimitri and the others wouldn't find out, but I should have probably known better. I should have noticed how closely Dimitri had been watching me. When my friends ate with me in the cafeteria, they had regular meals while I usually ate very small portions. It was unusual for me to eat so little even if I was half strigoi.

"Do you really think I'm going to continue to stand back and let you starve yourself?" Dimitri asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he hovered above me.

"It doesn't matter," I said at last, still avoiding his eyes. "I choose what goes into my body. You can't force me to eat."

Dimitri chuckled. "I can't?"

"No. You can't."

"Well, I have another way to get you to cooperate, and it's not very pleasant."

I scoffed. "Like what? You think I'm going to give in that easily? You think—"

Before I even had time to react, Dimitri flipped me over onto my stomach. I was more confused than ever, oddly thinking he was going to fight with me in my own bedroom. Instead, he shocked me when his hand came down on my ass—and it wasn't just a playful slap. This one was, indeed, meant to sting.

"Ow!" I screeched, taken by surprise. "Dimitri, that hurt!" I reached down in an attempt to rub the sting out, but my hopes were let down when he restrained my arms behind my back. His grip was firm, but it didn't hurt.

"Like I said before," he continued, "I will not let you put your health at risk anymore. No matter how difficult you are, I'm going to be here to help you. I'll tan your ass and make sure you don't sit comfortably for a week if I have to."

I blanched. "You wouldn't."

"You really want to test that out?" he asked with a hint of warning in his voice.

Instead of struggling, I dropped my head and tried to reason with myself. There was no doubt that Dimitri cared about me, but I was shocked at how far he was actually willing to go to show that. Knowing how stubborn I was, I expected myself to fight and tell him I didn't need anyone's help. Instead, I felt a much deeper part of me that almost had a sense of yearning in it. I wasn't going to admit that of course, but something told me this was something I needed.

"You don't think I'm a lost cause?" I whispered.

"What? No. I would never think that," Dimitri answered. He released me and let me sit up so that we could face each other. "I don't want you thinking that of yourself either. Do you understand me?"

I didn't have an answer to offer him at first and looked down, shrugging my shoulders.

"Rose..."

"Yes, I understand," I mumbled.

"Good," Dimitri said, holding out his hand. "Let's grab you something to eat."

Sure enough, Dimitri took me to the cafeteria and made sure I had something in my stomach. I didn't eat that much, but it was enough to alleviate my nausea and boost some of my energy. My headache was subsiding as well thanks to whatever Adrian had given me.

I was still eating the rest of my fruits when Eddie walked into the room. Dimitri had been watching me from a distance while he spoke with another guardian, but he seemed to notice Eddie walking in as well. I only had very brief details on what happened last night, but I knew it was bad and curled in on myself, trying to hide my shame and embarrassment.

Eddie walked over, taking the seat in front of me. "Glad to see you're finally eating again."

"Oh god, not you too." Dimitri wasn't the only one bothering me about my health. Lovely.

"Did your boyfriend finally convince you?" Eddie asked, nodding his head towards Dimitri who stood on the other side of the room.

"He's forcing me to eat." He also marked my ass with his hand. I almost laughed at myself. He'd probably do it again if he had to, and it would probably be more than just one little slap. I cringed at the thought of a red bottom.

"Well, whatever he did, it's working. I was really starting to worry about you," Eddie said. I still needed to talk to him about what he had seen last night, and as much as I didn't like to talk about it, I had to bring it up.

"Eddie...about last night—"

"Lissa told us everything," he interrupted. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I'm sorry for how I reacted yesterday."

"Why? You did what you were supposed to do. You protected Adrian. I would've been more disappointed if you hadn't."

"I'm not talking about that," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm talking about how I acted after he left. I was angry and I went off on you."

Eddie had indeed been angry, but I couldn't blame him. He treated me like a little sister, and I had completely disregarded that.

"I don't blame you for being angry," I told him. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you—all of you. I had my reasons, but I should have trusted you more."

Eddie must have seen the guilt and regret in my eyes. He got up and took a seat beside me. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me in closely. "Remember, being this way won't make any of us think any differently of you. You're still the same girl I've known since we were kids and I'll always be here for you. I hope you know that."

I let out a breath of relief as I was engulfed in a bubble of warmth. Eddie and I had finally cleared things, and despite having total hatred for strigoi, he didn't see me as one of them. Like Dimitri, he didn't—couldn't—see me as a monster. I couldn't even see myself as a monster. The thought of taking another person's life just because I had the power to disgusted me. Deep down, I knew I had the potential to become like that, and it terrified me more than anything.

"I'm here for you too, Eddie. Just remember, if I ever go out of control, feel free to pull your guardian skills on me—and don't hold back."

Eddie laughed as he pulled away and rubbed my head, causing my hair to mess up at the top. "I'll see you later, Rose. Say hi to Dimitri for me."

I smiled "Sure thing."

I know I made Dimitri sound just a tiny bit harsh in this but I thought it suited him in this situation. He really loves and cares about Rose and I wanted him to show it in a different way. She's real stubborn too even when it comes to her health and I thought it would be good to bring Dimitri in. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

ALSO I just wanted to put a warning up that the next chapter is going to be a little dark and possibly triggering for some people. It will involve self-harm. I know this can be hard for some people to read (just as hard as it is to write). I'll put another warning up at the beginning of the next chapter though.