"He seemed nice?" Lissa said optimistically once Rose and Christian were back in her dorm room. Eddie had returned to the Novice dorm block to tell Mason all about the new Guardian.

Christian shrugged, unwilling to form an opinion. "He barely said anything."

"Saying nothing is better than barking orders at people," Rose murmured, thinking about Lissa's new lead Guardian. He was handsome—disarmingly so. Yet he didn't appear to have the rampant ego some Alpha's were renowned for. Yes, Guardian Dimitri Belikov was an Alpha, and hot hot hot, but he didn't give off the vibe that he knew it. "It will be interesting to see what he's like in training."

"When are you working with him?" Christian asked.

"Not sure, yet. Alberta was suggesting five to six pm each weekday then five to six am, but she needs to check with Dimitri first."

With a start, Rose noticed she'd used his first name, omitting his surname and title. Mentally chastising herself, she quickly reminded herself to call him Guardian Belikov in the future. Sure, she'd call Alto 'Stan', but Stan wasn't the one who'd be handpicking Guardians for Lissa's guarding team in a few months!

Catching a meaningful look from Christian, Rose made her excuses to leave. Christian had a range of activities planned to distract Lissa from the anniversary of her family's death. Happy to hand over that responsibility, Rose kissed Lissa goodbye, wandering back to her dorm room. Now 7:00 pm, it was still early. The start of the day. Flopping back onto her bed, she savored the prospect of a full day off. Being Sunday, there were no classes, no training and—thanks to Christian—no Lissa.

Lying in bed and napping all day was appealing, and Rose lounged about until lunchtime, but after a quick meal, she went for a run. It had been a while since she'd ran just for the joy of it, so changing into a set of skins, a sports bra, and a hoody, Rose set off to run the ward line. She could have run anywhere, but with the wards so poorly protected, it made sense to set a path that would also allow her to protect the campus. Also being 1:00 am, the ward line would be illuminated by lights so she could see where she was going.

Rose had been running for less than half an hour when she heard footfalls behind her. Not fast enough to alarm, the person following her was steadily catching up. Refusing to turn around, it surprised Rose when a few minutes later Guardian Belikov pulled up alongside her, matching his pace to hers.

"Guardian Belikov," Rose greeted professionally. "I thought you'd be resting after your long journey?"

"Switching time-zones," he explained brusquely. "I'm tired but I can't sleep." It wasn't that Dimitri wanted to be curt. Just something about Rose disconcerted him.

"That must be hard," Rose replied, not knowing what else to say. "I've heard jet-lag is a bitch."

"You've not experienced it?" Dimitri asked, just to have something to say.

"Afraid not. I came to the Academy at four years old and other than the odd day-trip to Billings, I haven't left it since."

"Yet you know of jet-lag?"

"Lissa—Princess Vasilisa I mean—is my best friend. Before her family passed away, they traveled to Europe every summer. Liss always enjoyed it, but complained about the jet-lag when she returned."

"It can be trying," Dimitri commented, matching Rose's speed as they ran alongside one another. "Is there a reason you chose this course? It's a long way from campus." The silence had stretched between them, and he felt he needed to say something.

"Not really. I mean—there's not enough Guardians to patrol the wards properly. If I am going to run, I might as well run here where I can help keep an eye on things."

"I understand," Dimitri replied, discreetly taking in a long breath and savoring Rose's scent. If it had been good before, it was even better now the exercise meant he could smell more of her natural essence. "I run the wards for the same reason."

They ran silently side by side for half an hour before Rose dared to ask another question.

"Alberta said you're from Russia? What's it like there?" Rose snuck a look at the Guardian running beside her. With his dark hair tied at his nape, his profile was on display. Thick sensuous lips, a strong jaw and wispy tendrils of hair that had escaped his hair tie—there was no denying Guardian Belikov was one hell of a manly specimen.

"Russia is a big place," Dimitri replied, wondering how to explain to someone who'd never left Montana the size and diversity of his homeland. "The landmass is around twice the size of the USA with less than half the population."

"Yes, but what's it like?" Rose pressed.

"I am from a small village an hour's drive away from Omsk; a city of around a million people in Siberia. Everyone thinks Siberia is cold, and it is in winter, but in summer it is lush and green. Baia, the town where I grew up, is mostly a dhampir town."

"Is it a commune?" Rose asked carefully, turning to look at Dimitri. She immediately regretted it when his jaw tensed.

"No," he snapped, clamming up. They continued to run, but there was now a tension between them that hadn't been there before.

"I'm sorry," Rose offered a few minutes later, regretting her words. "I didn't mean to offend. Like I said, I have no experience of life out of the Academy walls. I insulted you, but I didn't mean to."

They ran for another minute or so before Dimitri let out a huge sigh.

"It's ok… I understand where you're coming from. Many people in America assume a dhampir town must be a commune… I won't deny there are a few women who take part in that activity," Dimitri grimaced, collecting his thoughts before he continued. "In my town, it is mostly dhampir families trying to make their way along. In Russia, there are fewer Academies, so many dhampirs do not attend until high school because they are far away. And some chose not to serve or even live within the Moroi world."

Not serving was a foreign concept to Rose. In America, it was all but a given. If you were dhampir you served Moroi—in one capacity or another.

"So you have family in Baia?" Rose asked. Dimitri smiled, pleased that Rose had listened well enough that she recalled the name of the town he grew up in.

"My mother, grandmother, two sisters, and a nephew. I have another sister—she trains at St. Basil's where I did."

"Three siblings! That sounds wonderful!" Rose replied without thinking. Something about running beside Dimitri was distracting. His mere presence, plus his strong manly scent, was confusing and caused her to be less guarded than she should be. "Tell me about them!"

Dimitri's lips curled into a smile as he told Rose about his mother, babushka, Karo, Sonya, and Viktoria. With an endless number of stories, they'd run the full circumference of the Academy when Dimitri realized he'd dominated the conversation. "Enough about my family. Please tell me about yours."

"There's not much to tell," Rose explained matter-of-factly. "My mother signed me over to the Academy in kindergarten; I've seen her a handful of times since. I consider Lissa my sister—we've been best friends since we were four. Other than her, I have no family."

"No boyfriend?" Dimitri teased. His tone was light, but he was interested in her answer.

"Nope," Rose declared, popping the p.

"No time? Or is there no one that interests you?" Dimitri pushed coyly, wondering why he was so intrigued.

"A bit from A and a bit from B," Rose admitted, flushing just a bit, trying not to read too much into his question.


They'd completed their third circuit of the wards when they said farewell, parting to shower then have dinner. Separately. Both embarrassed by their candor, although they'd enjoyed each other's company.

Dimitri had never been so open with anyone about his upbringing and family. However, sharing amusing reminiscences with Rose felt natural. Similarly, Rose had not confided in anyone about her disappointment and sadness concerning her mother, yet it easily spilled from her lips during their long run around the campus.

Despite not yet officially receiving Alberta's request to train with Rose and Eddie at 5:00 pm weekdays, Dimitri arranged to meet Rose at the gym tomorrow morning. Rostered, or not, he wanted to see whether Rose lived up to Alberta's recommendation. The fact they'd run for hours, and she'd not needed a break, was already promising.

"Have you had a good day?" Lissa asked when Rose joined Christian and her at dinner.

"Great, actually," Rose chirped. "I spent almost five hours running the campus perimeter."

"Only you could find exercising for hours on your day off enjoyable," Christian jeered.

"Each to their own," Rose replied, refusing to rise to Christian's barb. She didn't want to risk aggravating her best friend on today of all days. "I'd ask what you two have been up to, but I can see Lissa's flushed expression."

Lissa often joked that she and Rose must share some sort of psychic connection, as Lissa could hide nothing from her best friend of thirteen years.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your run," Lissa said to Rose primly, giving Christian a reproving glance. Rose suspecting she'd spent the afternoon being intimate with Christian was one thing. Him confirming it was quite another! "Did you run with anyone?"

"I set off alone," Rose said, unwilling to lie, yet not prepared to admit the truth. "But I really enjoyed myself."

"I'm glad. Do you have plans for tomorrow?" Lissa checked.

"Not sure. Alberta said there might be training with Guardian Belikov in the morning—I expect I'll find out tonight."


Up and ready at 4:45 pm, Rose took extra time to brush her hair and put it into a high ponytail, checking her appearance twice before heading to the gym. She'd not had any message from Alberta confirming a training session today with Dimitri, however, given their own arrangements, Rose set off from her dorm ready to be there by 5:00.

"I wondered if you'd come," Dimitri commented when Rose walked into the otherwise abandoned gym at 4:50, giving her a small smile.

"Did you think I'd forget?" Rose teased, with just the slightest inflection. Turning her back to Belikov while placing her duffel on the lacquered timber benches, she took a fortifying breath before facing the man who held her working future in his hands.

"I hoped you'd remember," he replied, his voice husky. Unfamiliar with his typical cadence, Rose was unsure what to make of his words and tone.

"How would you like to start today's session?" Rose asked, nescient to the double entendre.

"The first lesson is to run," Dimitri declared, more than a small part of him relishing running alone again alongside such a beautiful young woman. "It's not too cold—shall we follow the wards again?"


By the time Rose and Dimitri made it back to the gym by 5:50 pm, Eddie was there.

"Hey… I didn't get a message, so I came down at five just in case we were working out. I guessed I missed you," he said.

Noticing Eddie's slightly hurt expression, Dimitri replied, "My apologies, Novice Castile. I was out for a warmup run ahead of my personal workout when I came across Novice Hathaway who obviously had the same idea. I'll need to clear it with your Guardian Petrov, but unless she says otherwise, let's meet here at five am and pm every day to train together."

Rose turned to her bag to fetch her water bottle. She should have realized Eddie would come down on the off chance they were training. Now she felt bad she hadn't thought to wait for him. Had the positions been reversed, Eddie would have. Also, why had Dimitri lied, making it sound as though they'd met accidentally? That had been the case yesterday, but not today. Was it to save Eddie's feelings? Or was there something more to it?

"Since you're both here, now, how about I watch you spar? I'd like to get an idea of your form so I know where I can extend your training," Dimitri suggested.

"I'm game if you are, Rose," Eddie replied with an easy grin.

"Sure thing," she replied, putting down her water bottle and walking across to the sparring squares.

As close friends and the top two in their year, Eddie and Rose were used to fighting one another. They were well matched; Eddie stronger but Rose faster. There was no picking who'd win on any given day—and today they'd be going hell for leather, each wanting to impress the new Guardian on campus.

"Do you mind if I put on some music?" Rose asked Dimitri shyly, the easy interaction from their earlier run now absent.

"If you like," Dimitri answered before drinking from his water bottle, dragging his eyes away from Rose's ass as she walked across to bond her phone with the speaker system. He'd been on campus less than forty-eight hours, but already he had a connection with the pretty brunette dhampir. Shaking his head and reminding himself she was seventeen, and technically his student, Dimitri prepared to assess the Academy's top Novices.

He started them off, Rose surprising him by going on the offensive from the aft. She obviously knew Castile's style, and he hers. They were both good—better than he'd expected. Neither had the natural strength of an Alpha, but Castile still packed quite a punch and even Rose had some power. Rose's asset, though, was her speed. Smaller and lighter than Castile, she could respond to his moves before he had a chance to execute them fully. In a fight with Strigoi, Rose had no chance of winning by brute force, so she would have to compensate by being fast enough to keep herself safe and to take advantage of openings when she saw them.

Turning his attention to Castile, Dimitri realized he needed to focus on essentially the same thing with them both; Rose would benefit from learning to better read cues so she could anticipate her opponents, while Castile needed help to disguise his tells to hide his intentions when fighting. Both were using Academy techniques well; however, he'd introduce them to a broader range of moves.

The two were still sparring after ten minutes, and Dimitri was wondering whether he'd have to call it a draw when Rose saw an opening and took Eddie down. Landing straddled across her fellow Novice's hips, and promptly 'staking' him, Dimitri experienced a momentary surge of anger toward Castile. The position Castile found himself in, his hips pinned beneath Rose's, was too intimate for Dimitri's liking. Forcing the errant feeling aside, Dimitri held his hand out to help Rose up before doing likewise with Castile.

"You got me this time!" Castile said to Rose, shaking his head with good humor. Observing them, Dimitri did not detect any sexual interest on Castile or Rose's part.

"You both did well," Dimitri offered. "We'll train again at five am. Castile, you'd better hit the shower. Hathaway? A moment please?"

Castile gave Rose an odd look before picking up his gym bag and setting off to the men's locker room. Dimitri waited until the door closed before he volunteered "I didn't want Castile to be offended we went running without him. I was not aware he might be here this morning."

"Neither was I, but it was thoughtless of me," Rose admitted. "It should have occurred to me to wait just in case."

"No harm done," Dimitri said lightly. "I enjoyed our run together. What time do your classes finish today?"

"Three am," Rose said, slightly breathless. Was he asking this because of training, or…?

"If you don't have other plans, perhaps you'd be free to show me around campus before we train this afternoon? So far I've only found the Guardian building and the gym." It wasn't a lie, however St. Vladimir's wasn't really big enough to necessitate a guided tour.

"I'd be happy to," Rose said, blushing slightly.

"Then I'll see you here at three-thirty?"

"Sure thing," Rose replied, turning to get her bag.

"I'm looking forward to it… And Rose?" She turned to meet Dimitri's chocolate brown eyes with her own. "Have a pleasant shower."

"What did Belikov want with you after we sparred?" Eddie asked curiously as they walked across to breakfast after their showers. Caught on the spot, Rose struggled to come up with something plausible.

"He asked a few things about Lissa. When we met up running, I told him how Liss and I are best friends." At least that part wasn't a lie. Rose and Dimitri had talked about Lissa during their run. Briefly. "Since she's his new charge, he wanted to get a bit of background."

"That makes sense. I can't believe he will mentor us. I thought, being Alpha, he'd mentor Shane for sure!"

"Shane still needs to get used to being Alpha," Rose replied thoughtfully. Despite being the tallest and strongest Novice, he'd yet to become accustomed to the benefits it gave him fighting. She'd noticed in classes he was almost having to relearn moves they'd mastered years ago taking into account his new size.

"I guess being Alpha isn't everything," Eddie remarked ruefully. "Although I suspect Belikov will get his fair share of interest from the ladies on campus."

Rose shrugged feigning disinterest. She wouldn't let on to Eddie, but Dimitri as the object of amorous attention made her seriously stabby.