I wasn't sure if was cringing because of the noise Nathan was making, or because I was seeing a side of my father that I didn't think existed. The second half of the basement looked like an interrogation room with a small room separated by a one-way glass.

Dimitri stood just off to the side of Nathan with his arms crossed, a slight tinge of red in his eyes. I jumped when the door beside me opened, my hand fluttering to my chest. Christian gave me an apologetic look and closed the door behind him and came to sit beside me.

I chewed on my thumbnail as I watched the scene unfold before me. As I listen to the sound of my father's fist his Nathan's flesh, a new image took over my sight. It was still Nathan, but he looked deranged and lifted a gun up toward me. I blinked and was back to looking out the mirror.

"Can mates develop abilities? Like how Dimitri has heightened compulsion, can mates develop things too?"

Christian pursed his lips and shrugged. "It's possible, yeah. Why?"

"Before graduation, I saw something. I thought I was daydreaming, but it was more déjà vu."

Christian frowned. "It's possible, I mean, you and Dimitri's bond is stellar. You know who would be better to ask?"

"If you say Tasha, I will slit your throat," I said dryly.

"I was going to say Malcolm Weston," Christian retorted with raised brows.

"Oh," I said and looked away from Baba when his type of interrogation was getting hard for me to stomach. Instead, I moved my eyes to Dimitri and I watched his eyes move to mine.

I wouldn't watch for the next few minutes, Dimitri's voice floated through my head. I looked at Christian and turned my body towards him too.

"How was Lissa when you dropped her off? She seemed to be in such a good mood before you left," I asked, tucking my foot up on the chair.

"She was good. I think that her grandparents are getting ready to take her home. She's improving steadily and holding onto new memories every day. She learned all of the nurses' names, and she asked the nurses for books again. I think that at this point, her mind is healing on its own. It just needed some help," Christian said with a smile, "She told me she loved me last night."

"Had she said it before?"

"In the car before she got in the accident. I had just hung up around the time of the accident," Christian said. I smiled softly and rubbed the side of my neck.

"Have you told her about any of this?"

Christian shook his head and slouched in his chair, running his hand through his hair roughly.

"Not yet. I wasn't sure when I should tell her, but I think I might need to hold out for a little while. Everything is still so overwhelming for her that I don't want to make it worse. Maybe in a month or so? I want to give her time to fully understand. Too much information is not good for a brain that's already not doing so great."

"I think that's a good idea. We don't want to set her back," I agreed with a nod. Christian glanced back out the mirror and his eyes widened.

"Damn. Your dad is good," Christian muttered to himself.

"Do I even want to look?"

"It's more questions now."

Am I going to vomit if I look?

No. It's fine now.

I looked back and felt my eyes widen as well. Nathan's face was bloodied and swollen, his left eye already casting a purple shadow. His lip was split and he can barely hold his head up, but he gave Baba a cocky grin.

"Why is it that you are the one doling out the punches? I can smell that whore on you. Shouldn't he be laying you out?" Nathan asked with a bubbled laugh.

I saw Dimitri's jaw tick and his nostrils flare. Baba chuckled darkly and gripped the back of Nathan's head, jerking his head back roughly.

"I'm laying them out because he might kill you, and we need you alive. And that is my child you are speaking of; have some manners," Baba snarled in Nathan's face.

"How can he smell me on Baba?" I whispered to Christian.

"He's most likely like you. The Strigoi don't usually keep humans around for long. Too tempting. He's most likely a born Dhampir or a created one like you."

I nodded and took a slow breath, crossing my arms over my chest. Baba threw question after question, wanting information about anything and everything. He wanted to know who exactly he worked for, where they were, and what they want. He wanted to know what business they ran behind, what fronts they used. He asked questions that didn't make sense to me, but by the way Dimitri would fire off secondary questions, they were getting somewhere.

"Why are you following Rose?" Dimitri demanded coldly, coming to stand in front of him, his back to me.

"I'm just following orders," Nathan said and I watched his eyes glaze over. I realized that I could feel when Dimitri used compulsion. It felt like a buzz from drinking too much but without all the other lousy side effects.

"What were those orders?"

Nathan swallowed thickly like he was trying to fight the compulsion but it won regardless.

"They want the mates. We've been rounding them up. Regardless if they are aware of who their mates are," Nathan finally admitted.

I sat ramrod straight in my chair and looked at Christian who looked just as stunned as I did.

"Why?!"

"Because they can be used as leverage. Plus, breaking them is fun. They let me do that," Nathan said but I could see that the last part wasn't compulsion, that was for his own sick enjoyment. Dimitri snarled and punched Nathan in the stomach a few times before Baba could rest his hand on him to make him stop.

"Why?"

"They make you vulnerable and easy to manipulate. They've been using them as blood whores. Ekons can feel the bite and abuse, but the venom blocks the bond enough that no communications can get through or be tracked."

"Track?"

Christian grimaced. "We can locate our mates if needed. It only works for the Ekon partner. It mostly happens when our instincts go into overdrive," Christian explained, "We don't usually tell the human counterparts so they don't panic."

I rolled my eyes but felt my brows furrow. I didn't like the idea of Strigoi rounding up mates to taunt and torture Ekons. It made me feel nauseous to know that Nathan had a much more sinister agenda the night of the party. He didn't just want to rape me, he wanted to break me down enough to bring me in.

Hearing that bit of information I stood up, feeling my stomach roll.

"I need some air. I can't watch this anymore," I whispered and slipped out the door. I climbed the stairs two at a time and fled to the living room, sinking down on the couch I crashed on earlier. I bent over and put my head between my legs, breathing slowly. I stayed there for a few minutes before I was on my feet again. I found myself in the library and sank into the leather armchair.

I closed my eyes and curled up in the chair before getting up and grabbed the afghan off the couch and then got back in the chair. I wrapped it around me and rested my cheek against the leather, closing my eyes again.

I smiled softly when the smell of Dimitri lingered on the blanket and let it lull me to sleep.

I was overheating when I woke. I tried to roll away from the source of the heat but was stopped. I blinked groggily and moved my head around.

"Hey, are you okay?" I whispered, reaching up and stroking Dimitri's cheek. Dimitri opened his eyes and loosened his grip around me. I didn't move away because I could feel that he was anxious but just rolled the blanket down so I could cool down.

"I'm fine," Dimitri whispered.

"No, you're not. You were lulled and had me in an iron grip. What happened after I left?"

Dimitri sighed heavily and kissed my forehead, his hand running over my back.

"We got a lot of answers yesterday," Dimitri said grimly.

"Like?"

"Sonya was turned by the same Strigoi Nathan works for. They were trying to lure Mikhail out but he knew better than to leave," Dimitri explained, "Nathan knew that you were a mate when he met you and that's why he took a special interest in you. He wanted to see if he could charm you into going with him willingly.

I shuttered and gripped his shirt tightly. "Disgusting."

Dimitri hummed in the back of his throat and kissed my head again. "I won't let anything happen to you," Dimitri whispered but I wasn't sure if he was promising that to me or himself. Instead of speaking, I pressed my lips to his shoulder softly.

"The biggest problem isn't that the Strigoi are rounding up mates," Dimitri admitted quietly.

"What is?"

"An Ekon is helping them. They are giving locations of mates," Dimitri said with knitted brows.

I shook my head and closed my eyes with a sigh. I couldn't believe that, but I had an inkling that this information was given under compulsion.

"Do you know who?"

Dimitri shook his head. "No. Nathan didn't know, just that it was an Ekon."

"What's going to happen? The Strigoi will know that Nathan has been gone."

"We've sent him back with multiple layers of compulsion with a story to cover it up. It wouldn't be unbelievable for Nathan to get caught up in a bar fight and lose."

I snorted a laugh despite the seriousness of the conversation. He wasn't wrong there. He had been in fights when we were in high school and sometimes looked as bad. I wiggled out of his arms and stood up, tugging my shirt down the cover myself. I had a pair of his boxers over top of my panties and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Dimitri asked, his voice hitching.

I turned and smiled at him softly. "My bladder is calling for my attention," I chuckled. Dimitri nodded and I slipped into the bathroom and did my business and washed my hands before heading back into his room. I climbed up the bed and lifted the covers so I could lay on top of him, rubbing my toes over his shins.

"I hate that I'm a vulnerability to you," I whispered, "I hate it!"

"I know," Dimitri said.

There was a part of me that knew how to not be a vulnerability to him, but it went against what I wanted. I was only eighteen, I hadn't lived yet.

"I know that this is still a touchy subject for us, but how long can I physically handle being Dhampir?" I asked as I sat up so I was sitting over him. Dimitri sat up too and ran his hands over his shoulders.

"Why?"

I quirked a brow at him. "Just curious?"

Dimitri shook his head. "As long as you wanted to. You would just need to repeat the cycle on a frequent basis."

I sighed. "I cannot be the reason you get hurt," I whispered, "And I can't do that if I'm human."

"I know that I said I didn't want to be immortal yet, but I refuse to be the cause of your pain. You can't be there to protect me. You have a job. If I'm Dhampir, I can protect myself, or at least try to. I can be strong enough to fight back."

"I can't ask you to do that, Roza," he said quietly but I stopped him, pressing my lips against his.

"You aren't, but we need a compromise. I age slower as a Dhampir, and right now, it is the best option for us. I want this," I implored.

Dimitri took a slow but deep breath. "Okay. We'll do it in the morning," he said after a moment, "But at the hub."

I nodded and pressed a hard kiss to his lips, cupping his cheeks.

"Okay," I whispered before pushing him to lie down so I could rest m face in the crook of his neck. I rubbed my nose against the skin and pressed my lips there too, grinning at the shudder he made.

"How long was I asleep at the hub before you brought me home?" I muttered.

"About an hour," Dimitri said, "I wanted to keep you close."

I nodded and lifted my head. "What is a blood whore?"

Dimitri's body tensed like stone and I felt the flush of anger ripple through the bond. I figured it wasn't good, but I wasn't sure what it was.

"It was a term used for female Dhampirs. Dhampirs weren't really given the choice of what they did with their lives. They were either Guardians or parents. But women who chose families were labelled as blood whores. Dhampir women would allow Moroi men to feed off of them and trade sexual favours for money because they had no other means. Or Moroi men would force. That's why they called them that. They would get addicted to the bite," Dimitri explained tersely.

"I know that you like the feeling, but it's partly why I don't do it as much as you'd like. The stigma. My sisters were labelled that even though they are Ekons," Dimitri said quietly.

I stroked his chest gently and rested my head on his shoulder. My stomach churned to think that Dhampirs were treated like that in the past, but a part of me chalked it up to why the Dhampir and Moroi were an almost extinct race.

My parents noticed my agitation and kept looking at me but not asking questions. It also didn't help that I was starving and I couldn't seem to get enough.

Baba eyeballed the large serving of pasta on my plate and cleared his throat, pouring a small amount of wine into my glass.

"Is everything alright?" Baba asked cautiously.

I took a sip of the wine and took a bite of food. "Yeah, why?"

"Because you're eating enough for a linebacker," Mom said dryly. I shrugged and took a few bites of my food before answering her.

"I redid the Dhampir transfer thingy," I said, "I don't know what exactly to call it."

"Why?" Baba asked.

I set my fork down at looked at him bluntly. "You know why! Because they fucking hunting us down and I refuse to be used as leverage. If I am stronger I can protect myself."

"I'm surprised Dimitri was okay with it," Mom said quietly as she sipped from her glass.

"He wasn't, but he knew that it was the right thing to do right now," I said with a sigh and started eating again.

Mom looked uncomfortable as she ate her dinner, finishing her glass before she finished her meal. I glanced at Baba a few times and found that he also noticed how Mom was acting. Once I finished eating I collected my plate and went into the kitchen, a set of footsteps following me.

"What did you mean when you said they were rounding you up?" Mom asked hesitantly. I turned to look at her and bit my lip.

"Are you asking because Baba won't tell you?"

Mom nodded her head.

"Remember how Nathan was working for the Gathering?"

"Yes."

"The Gathering is rounding up mates to lure the Ekon partners out into the open. We don't know why, but we know that Nathan was supposed to bring me in and failed. Twice," I explained as I twisted the ends of my hair.

Mom let out a sigh and shook her head. "That's horrible," Mom said in a whisper, running her hand through her hair. She gripped it at the back of her neck and wrapped her other arm around her waist, her brows furrowing.

I walked towards he and wrapped my arms around her, resting my head on her shoulder. Mom wrapped her arm around me and squeezed me tightly.

"I'm going to be okay," I promised.

"I know, but I hate that you aren't protected."

"Mom, the closest hub to my apartment is a three-minute walk, and I'm not completely vulnerable. My roommate Sydney comes from an Alchemist family, I can almost guarantee that she has put up protection around the apartment out of precaution and habit."

Mom nodded and kissed the side of my head before she tensed and pulled my collar away from my shirt.

"What is this from?" Mom asked in alarm.

I frowned and tried to look at what she was talking about but couldn't see.

"What?"

"This bruise on your back!"

I pulled back enough so I could feel around and winced, but I figured out what it was quickly.

"Oh. That's from Dimitri knocking me on my ass for the tenth time the other day. He wants me to learn how to fight, but he isn't being gentle per se. He wants me to fight back as much as I can," I explained with a wave of my hand.

Mom sighed and pulled my shirt away so she could look at the bruise more. I sighed but let her do it, knowing that it was more a habit for her than anything to check the bruising. She went further down and pulled the sleeve of my shirt up, exposing the bruises on my forearms.

"He showed you how to block properly," Mom mused, "Good."

"He's had a long time to learn," I laughed.

Mom canted her head and pulled the sleeves back down, squeezing my wrists.

"I just worry about you. I thought I knew about all the danger that lurked out in the world. Dimitri proved me wrong," she breathed sullenly.

I gripped her hands and nodded. "I know, Mom. But I promise I'm being careful."

Mom nodded and kissed my forehead before heading back into the dining room, picking up her wine glass and refilling it. Baba looked up at raised his brows at me but I waved him off, letting him know that everything was okay.

I stretched out in bed and grinned at Dimitri who lounged at the other end of the bed.

"Don't look so smug," I chuckled, poking his cheek with my big toe. Dimitri grinned at me again and grabbed my foot, nipping the top of it with a growl. I shrieked and clamped my hand over my mouth to silence myself as Dimitri climbed up the bed, the blankets slipping from his waist.

"I will look smug if I feel like it. I was quite proud of myself," Dimitri growled playfully in my ear as he rolled us over. I chuckled and tried to loosen the blanket around my legs but gave up after a moment.

"Why is that?"

Dimitri looked at me predatorily. "Because watching your eyes roll back into your head while I hold my hand over your mouth is enough of a reason."

I felt heat flush to my cheeks and between my legs. "I can't help that," I murmured quietly.

Dimitri laughed and kissed my chin. "I know, but I can."

I rolled my eyes at him and slapped his chest. "Shut up."

Dimitri wagged his brows at me. "What? We couldn't have your parents hearing you scream."

I groaned and let my head drop to his shoulder.

"You're brutal," I giggled into his shoulder.

Dimitri chuckled and rested his hand on my lower back, the other hand tangling into my hair.

"I try. Just be thankful that I won't project those thoughts to you during class," Dimitri laughed, making me blush even harder. My eyes widened and I looked up at him.

"Don't you ever!"

"Now I will have to," Dimitri laughed.

"If you do, I will show up to your class and sit in the front year and wear something to tease you," I threatened.

Dimitri grinned at me and moved his hand lower, cupping my ass firmly. I squeaked and smacked him, wiggling in his arms to get free of the blankets.

"Listen, handsy," I started but all Dimitri allowed was for me to do was straddle his hips. I rested my hands on his chest and looked down at him with a small smile.

"Can I just bring you back with me? I'm going to hate not having you there," I said quietly.

Dimitri reached up and brushed my hair away from my cheek, cupping it in his warm hand.

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