"How do you know where you're going?"

I smirked and looked at Ellison as we walked through the hall. He rolled his eyes and shoved me playfully as we turned down the hall.

"If I find out that you and Dimitri did some kinky shit in his lecture hall, I'm going to barf," Ellison said with a fake gag.

I shrugged and pulled the door open, gesturing for him to go in. "Not the lecture hall, definitely his office," I said with a devious grin, making an exaggerated shiver. Ellison gaged again and followed me down the stairs. I found a spot right in front of the podium and took my coat off, crossing my legs and setting a notepad on the tablet.

"How exactly did you talk me into auditing a class?" Ellison groaned.

"Because it's a good class. And you have something nice to look at," I chirped.

Ellison raised his brows at me and grinned. "You mean he has something nice to look at? I think he might get distracted."

I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in my chair.

"Tomorrow is Valentine's day. I have the right," I chuckled and turned when more people walked in. There were a few people who looked at us with confusion, probably because we were in their unassigned spot. There was thumping in the row behind me and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Hi!" Mia squealed in my ear as she hugged me, pressing a loud kiss to my cheek.

"Hi," I chuckled and reached my arms up to hug her back awkwardly.

Mia grinned at me when I turned to look at her. "Twenty bucks he stutters because he's too busy looking at your boobs!"

I snorted and ran my fingers through my hair.

"You're on."

Ellison looked between us and I cleared my throat. "Mia, this is Ellison. Ellison, this is Mia."

The two exchanged pleasantries as more people filled in. I was happy to see that Dimitri had a full class. He loved teaching and I was glad that he enjoyed it so much. I smiled to myself when Dimitri walked into the room, looking down at his phone as he did.

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I pulled it out, smiling down at the screen.

Heading in now. Love you. – D

I know. I love you.

I watched Dimitri smile at his phone and then slipped it into his pocket. He looked up and smiled at the room and set his bag on the table before his head snapped up again, looking at me.

"You sneaky devil," Dimitri chuckled at me.

"Surprise."

Dimitri smirked and I watched his eyes move over me, taking in what I was wearing. I wasn't a dress kind of girl, I preferred jeans most days, but he had picked this one out before I went back to school.

Dimitri grinned and started his lecture, pulling out a copy of the book they were analyzing. He set it on the tablet in front of me and I picked it up, grimacing to myself. Dimitri laughed at my expression and he tried to compose himself.

"My apologies. My girlfriend has joined our class this evening. Alice in Wonderland used to be one of her favourite books, but when we flew to Greece during the summer, she got sick while reading it. Now anytime she looks at the book, she gets queasy," Dimitri explained as he took the back from me. Well actually I threw it at him so I didn't have to look at it anymore. Dimitri caught it with ease and set it on the table.

As they talked about the book, Ellison whispered questions to me, and I answered them. He hadn't read the book, but it was one that I had read many times. When Dimitri asked how we could relate to the story personally, I raised my hand with a grin.

Dimitri took a few other responses before landing on me, an uneasy look on his face.

"Roza?"

"I relate because I feel like I'm falling down an endless hole, only to realize that it is school," I chirped with a grin. It gained a few laughs and titers while Dimitri rolled his eyes at me.

"Very funny," he said dryly.

"But really, I relate to the book because in a way wonderland was an escape from reality, and over the last few months, I've felt that I needed an escape from reality. It's easy to make the comparison of wonderland to drug abuse. The potions and the cake, all of them change your body and the whole book was like a massive LSD trip. People use drugs to escape reality all the time," I explained, trailing off at the end. I had used drugs to escape reality to hide from my pain.

"Maybe that's why the song White Rabbit was such a hit," someone called out from the back of the class. I chuckled and smirked, meeting Dimitri's eyes. He knew the message behind my statement. I didn't want to escape reality anymore. I wanted to live in the moment.

There was a lull in discussion as Dimitri set up the next slide. I stretched my neck to the side and rubbed it when a face appeared beside mine.

"How did you land the prof?"

I jumped and turned my head to look at the woman who leaned between Ellison and me.

"Pardon me?"

"Well I mean, you look like you just came out of high school, and Dimitri is like, thirty."

"Brittany, enough," Dimitri said bluntly from where he stood at the table by the podium. I scoffed a laugh and crossed my arms over my chest.

"How did he even hear me?" Brittany muttered after she leaned back in her sleep.

"The man has superhuman hearing. I swear," Mia chuckled and she playfully kicked my chair.

"Tell me about it," I snickered before looking at Dimitri again.

Is there a story behind that?

I heard Dimitri's disgruntled sigh in my head. Yes.

Tell me about it after you're done?

Dimitri didn't respond but he glanced up from the papers he was reading and met my eyes with a subtle nod of his.

"Are you talking to each other telepathically?" Ellison whispered in my ear.

I nodded and smirked at him. Ellison shrugged and went back to looking over Dimitri's copy of the book and I grimaced when Ellison waved it in front of my face.

"Stop, or I'll yack on your shoes."

"Like you did to Spiridon?"

My head snapped around and I looked at him with wide eyes. "What?"

Ellison furrowed his brows. "Spiridon? The nasty bloke that got his ass handed to him?"

"You remember that?"

He nodded "Yeah. The compulsion wasn't strong enough to last, just enough for me to be able to process. I called Dimitri about it last week."

"You have his phone number?"

Ellison snorted. "Oh course I do," he laughed, "I'm living with someone who has a target on their back. I got to have superman on speed dial."

I looked down at my folded hands. "Who told you that?"

"Sydney. I came home one night when she was putting up more protection around the house. She explained everything. Why didn't you tell me all of this? I want to help protect you!"

I smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "I know. But I want to protect you guys," I said quietly.

Ellison rolled his eyes. "I don't need protecting."

"But you do. There is so much happening that I can't explain here, but there are a lot of dangerous things happening. Things that put you in danger for knowing me, for living with me."

I gripped Dimitri's hand as we walked through the corridor, a smile plastered on my face. I came to the end of the hall and knocked on the door.

Lissa looked up from what she was doing and beamed at me, dropping the clothing into the suitcase and wrapping her arms around me.

"Rose!"

"Hey Lissa," I chuckled, "Finally breaking out of this place!"

"Yes, my grandpa is picking me up in a few hours. I'm looking forward to going home," she said with a soft look. "It will be weird, but it's time."

I nodded and she let go of me, only to turn and hug Dimitri. Dimitri smiled and hugged her tight, his relief flooding the bond. He had been worried for Lissa, the same way that Christian had worried for me. They were members of the same coven, we all meant something to one another.

"I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you," Lissa chuckled as she hugged him.

"It sort of has. The last time I saw you was shortly after the accident."

Lissa pulled back and gripped both of our hands. "It feels so strange knowing that there are five months that are completely blank."

I squeezed Lissa's hand gently. "I know, Liss, but things will get better."

Lissa nodded and glanced at me before looking at Dimitri.

"Dimitri? Do you mind asking the nurse for a box? There are more things to pack than anticipated, plus there is something I need to ask Rose."

"Of course," Dimitri said kindly, walking out of the doorway to her room and down to the nurse's station. I smiled at Lissa and sat on her bed, folding her clothes and setting them into piles for her to put into the case.

"What do you want to ask me about?"

Lissa sat down and smiled at me. "Well, it was more talk to you about. I need you to keep a secret, 'cause it's huge and life-changing and… if I don't tell you, my head is going to explode!"

I chuckled. "Okay, you're head already exploded. We don't need that again," I said raising my hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"What if I told you that Vampires were real?" she whispered as she leaned in.

"What?"

"What if vampires were real? Not like you know, Dracula, but another kind. Ones that are immortal and can wield magic and they have soulmates," Lissa said, wonder taking over her eyes.

I smiled at her. "You mean Ekons."

Lissa smiled and was about to speak again before her smile faded. "Wait. How do you know what they're called?"

"Christian finally told you," I smiled.

"Wait. What do you mean?"

"Dimitri's an Ekon too. I've known about Christian since around the same time I started seeing Dimitri," I explained, resting my hand on hers. Lissa's face fell before excitement filled her features and she crawled onto her knees, gripping both my hands and grinned.

"Oh my God! How long have you known?!"

I grinned at her and mimicked her position, careful not to get my boots on the bed.

"I've known since Camilla's party. There was a group of Strigoi, the bad ones, who ambushed the party. Dimitri got us out. Did Christian explain much to you about mates?"

Lissa nodded her head with a loving look. "Yeah. You're Dimitri, right? That's why you said that comment back finding someone like him. Did you know that I was Christian's mate?"

"I did. I didn't feel that it was my place to tell you, that Christian should be the one to explain it all to you," I said with a small nod, "But Christian did a lot to help you."

"What do you mean?"

"He healed you. It's something that Ekons can do for their mates. They can heal them. Dimitri did it for me after the accident."

Lissa crossed her legs on the bed and furrowed her brows at me.

"What happened to you in the accident? The nurses have told me what happened to me, and my parents and Andre, but what about you?"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, turning when Dimitri came back into the doorway. Dimitri smiled at us and set the box on the desk by the door.

"That's a better question for Dimitri. I don't remember much from the accident. The most I remember is being wheeled into the ambulance, finding out about your family, and waking up to Christian standing at the end of my bed. The rest is a blur to me," I explained, reaching out for Dimitri.

Dimitri ran his hand over the back of my head and gave me a tender look.

"Rose died at the scene, and I did what I could to give her a fighting chance. She broke a lot of bones and sustained a lot of injuries, but she healed," Dimitri explained, keeping it short and concise. Neither of us liked to talk about it.

"That must have been so hard. I'm so sorry," Lissa said quietly. I reached out to her and gripped her hand gently.

"It's okay, Liss," I said.

Lissa sniffed and nodded, plastering a happier look on her face. " Well, at least I am going home today. It's better than anyone expected for me," she said, trying to turn the topic into a happier one. I smiled at her and let her change the subject, simply because the topic was making me uncomfortable.

I stood up and continued helping Lissa pack her things while Dimitri put her books and belongings from her desk in the box. Once her suitcase was packed, we put the remainder of her things in the box too. She had left out a pair of jeans and a sweater for her to change into before she left, and her favourite pair of Sperry's, despite it being cold and wet outside.

"I hate to shove you guys out, but there are a few things I still need to take care of before I go," Lissa said softly.

I held my hands up. "Hey, if I don't have to be here longer than necessary, that is fine by me. The disinfectant burns my nose," I said with a chuckle.

Lissa laughed a genuine laugh and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"Promise you'll come and see me once I'm settled?"

"Of course," I promised.

Lissa pulled back and smiled at us. "I hope you two have something fun planned for Valentine's Day," Lissa said with a playful tone.

"I have something planned," Dimitri grinned. I raised my brows at him and tried to prob his mind, but he had his barriers up tight.

I smirked at him and wrapped my arm around his waist, winking at Lissa. She grinned at us and shooed us off, promising to text me the minute she had her phone back. We walked to the car after turning in our visitor badges and I couldn't help but breathe a breath of relief that I would never need to go back in there.

"She's going home," Dimitri whispered with a smile.

I sighed and rested my head against the headrest, looking at him with a smile.

"Finally," I said with relief.

I let Dimitri lead me blindly, his hands covering my eyes. If I wanted, I could just look through his eyes, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise that he worked so hard on.

"Can I know where we are at least?"

"You've been here before," Dimitri chuckled, making me stop walking so that he could open the door. I grinned and was giddy to see what it was. He didn't need to go all out like this. I would have been satisfied with a box of chocolate, pizza, and a movie with him.

Dimitri closed the door and pressed a kiss to the juncture of my neck, moaning quietly to himself when my skin pebbled.

"Ready?"

I nodded and he pulled his hands away and I opened my eyes. We were in his apartment, but it looked completely different. He had moved the coffee table away and pushed the couch against the wall. In their places, were fluffy and plush blankets, and pillows thrown around too. The curtains were pulled back to show the skyline. I smiled to myself and bit my lip.

"This is very cozy and romantic. Plan on having your way with me?" I said, winking at him. Dimitri grinned and dipped his head down, pressing a kiss to my lips and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I do, but I have other things planned first," he said, pulling me into the living room. I quickly toed my shoes off and followed him, settling onto the mountain of blankets with a soft smile. He left me there and went to the fridge, pulling out a board and unwrapping it. There was a variety of meat, cheese, grapes, and crackers on the board.

"Oh you know the way to my heart," I chuckled as I picked a few pieces off the board once he set it in front of me.

"I do," Dimitri said leaning down, cupping my cheek as he kissed me. I hummed and stretched up on my knees, savouring the taste of his lips. I was addicted and I could never get enough of it.

Dimitri chuckled against my lips and pulled away, gesturing for me to stay there. He poured me a glass of red wine, ad then he grabbed a glass for himself and sat with me on the blankets.

"This is a perfect idea," I said softly, sipping my glass. Dimitri smiled and took a few pieces off the board, putting them in his mouth before offering another piece to me.

"I thought so. I didn't think that going to the restaurant was going to be all that special, so I thought it was better to do our own thing."

I hummed and sipped my wine before setting it on the hardwood and crawling toward him.

"I like this much better than any restaurant. I didn't have to do my hair or put on nice clothes, I just get you," I said as I climbed into his lap, steeling myself while wrapping my arms around his neck. I much preferred my attire now; leggings and an oversized sweater.

"I like this too," he whispered, hands slipping under my sweater to rest on my skin. I smirked and rested my forehead against his. Dimitri sighed in contentment and tipped his head to kiss me, the taste of the wine and cheese mixture on his tongue.

"What else do you have on the menu?" I asked while twisting my fingers into his hair, pulling it free from the hair tie.

"Your favourite."

I chuckled. "Which one?"

"Carbonara," he said kissing my cheek and lifting a grape up to me. I smirked and took the grape between my teeth, biting it in half before looking up at him under my lashes. I went for the last of the grape and sucked the juice off his fingers, biting my lip with a smirk.

I loved watching the carnal desire in his eyes, and I could feel it through the bond. We hadn't had sex since the day of the accident, mostly because we wanted to be in a good place before returning to that form of intimacy. But now, now we were in a good place. And I knew that neither of us intended on leaving tonight without that extra bit of intimacy.

I pressed my lips to his and pushed him to lay back, my fingers twisting gin to his hair with a sigh. Dimitri's hands moved up my back, dragging my shirt with them. I smirked against his lips and sat up enough to pull it off. Apparently, we were having dessert first. Once I pulled it off and tossed it in the direction of the TV, I smirked at Dimitri and shimmied my shoulders a bit. I wasn't vain but I knew that I looked hot, and I knew exactly what made him go crazy. Even that little shimmy of my shoulders was enough to get his blood boiling. I toyed with the straps of my bra for a moment before leaning down again, meeting him in a bruising kiss.

I smirked and wrapped my legs around his waist as he rolled us. I grinned at him and rested my head against the blankets, running my hands up his neck. His hair hung down like a curtain and he dipped his head down, kissing the swell of my breasts softly. His hair brushed against my skin and I tried not to squirm, but it tickled anyways. Dimitri glanced up at me before nipping at the skin, making me gasp quietly at the sharp sensation.

He soothes the bite with a kiss, dipping further between my breasts. My stomach clenched as he made his way downwards, nipping every few kisses. I didn't need much foreplay tonight, I could feel myself flushed between my legs. I was excited and it had been far too long since I had been with him.

I bit my lip when Dimitri reached my hips, pressing a long kiss to the small ink on my hip before moving his eyes up to mine. I raised my brows at him and he curled his fingers into the waistband of my pants, pulling them down. I lifted my hips to help him and sat up, crawling onto my knees. I cupped his neck and pulled him back to me, slipping my tongue inside his mouth as my hands started to work on his shirt.

It didn't take me long to rid him of it and then work on the buckle of his pants. I tipped my head to the side as his lips moved to my neck, sucking gently at the soft spot by my ear. If I wasn't careful, I'd turn into putty in his hands. Once I unbuttoned his pants I slipped my hand in, finding his cock hard and warm already. Dimitri grunted quietly in my ear when I wrapped my hand around it, pulling him out of his pants.

I smirked at Dimitri when he pulled away from me, standing up to take his pants off before kneeling in front of me again. I moved closer and pushed him back, indicating that I wanted him to lie down. He complied quickly, smirking up at me as I climbed into his lap. I bit my lip as I pumped my fist over his cock, using my other hand to rub myself softly. My hips jerked against my hand and I couldn't help but revel in the moan that escaped Dimitri's lips as he watched me. Once I was sure I was ready I raised up on my knees enough to slide onto him, sighing in pleasure as I enveloped him.

I sighed and rocked my hips, rolling them in a way that I knew would drive him crazy. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and one hand left my hip, coming up to clutch at my neck. It wasn't tight, but with the feeling of his fingers wrapped around my neck, I could help but give over that control to him. I never feared the loss of control with him, in fact, giving it to him always made me feel lighter than air.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back with a sigh, rising up on my knees and then falling back down. I kept up the momentum, sighing in pleasure. I had forgotten how good he felt. There was only so much my fingers could do for me.

I bit my lip when his thumb pressed against the hollow part of my throat, my hips rising and falling at a fast pace. I didn't want this to be short, but I was getting ahead of myself already. I rested my hands on his chest and changed the angle, moaning loudly when the angle was just right.

I could feel myself tighten, and the dirty whispers that came from Dimitri's mouth were edging me on. I was on the edge of my orgasm when Dimitri lifted me off him. I pouted but Dimitri smirked at me, pulling me in for a kiss.

"Give me one second," Dimitri whispered before standing up and walking stark naked to the kitchen. I had forgotten that the stove was still on.

I rolled onto my stomach and stretched like a cat for a moment before I felt Dimitri kneel behind me, his hands ghosting over my body. I hummed and rocked backwards into him, moaning when I felt his cock brush against my ass. I moaned again when Dimitri grabbed my ass, massaging it in his hands firmly. I knew that he enjoyed the view, and I knew that he enjoyed looking at my ass in general.

"Can I?"

I leaned back into him again and looked over my shoulder. "Maybe not that, but I wouldn't be opposed to the position," I simpered.

Dimitri smirked and rubbed his hands over my skin, massaging the base of my spine before moving to my ass again. I hummed and rested my head on the blankets, arching my back when he slid into me. I gasped and clenched, lifting my head up.

A low moan slipped my lips as Dimitri rocked into me, his hands gripping my hips. I raised up on my hands and rocked into him, moaning at the angle. Dimitri cursed under his breath in Russian and I shivered, loving the sound of the words rolling over his tongue. I clenched around him and silently begged for him to move faster. Whether I projected the request consciously or not, Dimitri obliged. I could barely keep my eyes open and he railed into me, holding my hips to keep me in place.

I screamed and let my head drop and I moaned, gripping the blankets under my hands. I sighed when I felt Dimitri lean over me, pressing kisses to my shoulder and neck, sucking on my skin and nipping with his teeth.

Dimitri's arm slid around my waist and pulled me upwards. I balanced on my knees and wrapped my arm around his neck, tipping my head back so I could press kisses to his neck. The angle was different than what I was used to, and I could feel myself teeming on the edge.

I could tell that Dimitri was close too and I breathed in his ear, moaning as I felt my walls start to flutter. I shifted my knees so they were farther apart and rolled my hips to meet his, my nails scratching over his neck.

Dimitri finished before me, grunting in my ear as his hips jerked, his hands almost too tight on my skin. I followed after him when he pressed a hard kiss on my neck, his fangs sinking into my skin.

I went limp in his arms, disappointed that he pulled away quickly, but he pressed his lips over my bite quickly. I hummed in pleasure and closed my eyes, shivering in the aftershocks.

Dimitri kissed my shoulder again and held me to his chest, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.

"How about dinner now?"

I burst into laughter and tipped my head back, snorting as I tried to compose myself.

I nodded as I laughed. "Food sounds like a great idea," I chuckled.

I sighed and sunk into the bath, resting my head against Dimitri's chest with half-lidded eyes.

"How's the wine?" Dimitri chuckled after a moment.

I snorted a laugh. "I think it's a mix, but I'm feeling it."

Dimitri laughed. "Of?"

I hummed and lifted my glass up with soapy fingers. "A good meal, wine, and mind-blowing sex," I mused, sipping slowly. Dimitri kissed the side of my head and wrapped his arms around my waist, sinking further into the hot water.

The water felt perfect on my skin, and the smell of the bubble bath was light and supple.

"Happy Valentine's Day, comrade," I said tilting my head up to look at him, pursing my lips. Dimitri cupped my chin and kissed me, stroking his thumb over my jaw.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said softly. I smiled at him and let my body go lax against his, closing my eyes.

"If I fall asleep, just know it was because you fucked me 'til exhaustion."

Dimitri choked on his mouthful of wine, coughing to clear it from his throat. I laughed too and reached for my glass, draining the remainder of it and then carefully set it on the step outside the tub.

"What's my excuse then?"

I shifted around in the tub, laying between his legs and rested my head on his chest.

"You helped your girlfriend achieve a fantastic orgasm that she will use as material for her lonely nights for weeks to come," I said with a grin before realizing the double meaning in my words.

Dimitri raised a brow at me and growled deep in his throat, cupping my neck and pulling me up to meet him. I smirked and met him with vigour, moving up to set my knees on either side of him. I grimaced a little when I rested my weight on him, still tender from earlier.

Dimitri rested his hands on my back and pulled me closer to him, when I pulled back to breathe I rested my forehead against his, smiling to myself. I wiggled around and laid back against him, sighing as Dimitri's hands moved slowly over my back, dragging the water up with his hand every so often.

I almost dozed off and I knew that it was time to get out.

"Should I suggest the strawberries for breakfast?"

I raised my brow at him before smiling. "You bought me chocolate-covered strawberries?"

He smirked. "Of course I did. They're your favourite."

"I feel like a bad girlfriend, I didn't have time to get you a gift," I said as I stood up, wringing the ends of my hair out. Dimitri shook his head softly before his eyes wandered over my wet body.

"You being here is all I need," he said. I smiled and stepped out of the tub, forgetting I set my glass on the step. Dimitri remembered the same moment I did, but it was too late. I already stepped on it. I hissed and froze while Dimitri scrambled to get out.

"Don't move," he said urgently. I groaned and waited as Dimitri lifted me off the step and set me on the counter. I frowned at him as he handed me a towel before wrapping one around his waist.

"This is not how I planned to end our night," I whined.

Dimitri chuckled. "At this point, I'm prepared for anything these days," Dimitri said as he collected the pieces of glass off the floor before pulling a box from under the counter. He handed his glass to me that still had some wine left.

"Drink. I'll have to pick the glass out."

I rolled my eyes and took the glass, chugging it down in one mouthful.

This chapter got a little *spicy*! Let me know what you think!

It may not be until the end of the week for another update, I go in for surgery tomorrow morning and I'm not sure what condition I'll be in afterwards.