Chapter 25

Dimitri supported most of my weight as we walked, or more he walked, and I hobbled, to his room in the staff wing. Thank Vlad, it was only on the second floor. If I had to go up another flight, I would have given up and just slept on the stairs.

Though I wasn't far from my room, no one would look for me here. And if a student were the one threatening me, they would be noticed very quickly wandering around the guardian's rooms.

There were many rooms for guardians but not enough guardians to fill them, so in the hallway in which Dimitri's room was, only every other room had someone living in it. But with the constant shift changes, someone was always awake.

Without releasing me from his hold, Dimitri unlocked his door and shuffled us in. I was so exhausted I didn't even bother with a dirty joke as he walked me to his bed. Though my mind gladly wandered back to memories of the lust charm, how quickly he had undressed me. Us both on his bed, him on top, that hungry gaze in his eyes.

"Rose?"

I blinked away the images, focusing on Dimitri. His eyebrows furrowed in concern as he searched my face. "Sorry, I was thinking," I explained, realising he must have been trying to get my attention for a while. "What did you say?"

He ran his fingers through my hair, brushing it back behind my ears. Now we were alone; he dropped his mask, letting his emotions show. The stress was taking its toll on him. The corners of his eyes strained and pinched. The apprehension on his face had become a permanent fixture.

I ran my fingers down the side of his face, "You look tired."

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning into my touch. Turning his head to kiss my palm. " Roza ." He whispered the word against my skin, feeling his lips brush against me, causing a shiver to run down my spine. My name falling from his lips like a prayer.

"I'm sorry for lying about tonight," I apologised. Though his disapproval had faded, I still felt the need to explain myself.

Looking at me again, he gave me a resigned smile, "I wasn't impressed when I realised why you were there, but you did look like you were having fun."

"It was fun, until…." I trailed off. I didn't want to tell him about Jesse; it would only upset him. He assumed I was referring to the tree, and I didn't tell him otherwise. He leaned down, touching his forehead against mine, eyes closed, a peaceful look on his face.

"I do wish you just told me the truth."

My finger traced shapes on his chest, brushing against the soft material of his shirt, "You would never have let me go," I scoffed.

"True. I am no fun, apparently." Repeating the words I had yelled at him earlier.

I started to laugh but regretted it instantly, clutching at my ribs. His hands were on my body, the peaceful look replaced with panic. Easing me down to the bed, he was gone and back in a blink of an eye, water and my pills in hand.

"I should have taken you back to the infirmary," Mumbling to himself as he helped me, placing a pill in my hand to swallow.

I rolled my eyes. I had a feeling Dimitri was going to enforce my two days of bed rest to a T. "A little sleep, and I'll be fine, comrade."

He shot me a stern look, "I will make you stay in this bed and rest, even if I have to tie you down."

I smirked at him, "Is that a promise?" I couldn't resist; his resulting blush made it well worth it. Rendering the stoic badass guardian wordless was a guilty pleasure of mine, especially when he becomes this flustered.

The look in his eyes turned from surprised to hunger. My body understood what that intense gaze meant, having been pinned with that twice before. Once from the lust charm, and then again in the cabin.

My hands reached for his body where he hovered above me, dragged up my nails his arms and down his chest, feeling each hard muscle as they flexed under my touch. I grinned as he shivered, eyes closing, and his mouth opened in a silent gasp.

Before I could explore more, his fingers wrapped around mine, holding them still, "Roza," He groaned, "You make it very hard to resist you." The heady sound of his voice made me want more. To see the effect I have on him.

I moved forward to catch his lips, only to gasp in pain, reminded of the current condition of my body. I leant back against the pillows, irritated and frustrated. "This isn't fair," I whined, "Stupid ribs."

He chuckled, stepping away from me. He tried to act unaffected, but I could see otherwise. Catching my eye and knowing smile, he turned from me. Gathering up a change of clothes, he disappeared into his bathroom.

Feeling proud of myself, I relaxed against the bed, taking a chance to actually focus on my body. My back was aching from the impact on the ground, most likely bruised. Luckily my ribs didn't feel worse; presumably, they have just been agitated.

Dimitri's mattress was softer and larger than mine. I could feel sleep trying to drag me under. Toeing off my ballet flats, I moved to the button of my jeans. Lissa had helped me into them; they weren't skin tight but were still snug, meaning they were a struggle to remove myself.

Giving up on them, I moved to my shirt. Having planned ahead I chose to wear a black button-up shirt to the party, so it was much easier.

Hearing the bathroom door open, I flicked my eyes over to Dimitri, now dressed in just a pair of low hanging pyjama pants. His expression darkening as he took in the view before him. Me, lounged on his bed, my shirt open, revealing my black bra and jeans undone and pushed down enough to show the red underwear I wore.

A string of Russian swears followed as he clenched his fist.

His eyes swept over me, dark with desire. I raised my hands in my defence, "Hey, I'm just trying to get more comfortable to sleep."

Guilt covered his face before changing to embarrassment, "Sorry." He mumbled as he strode to me. Careful to not linger his fingers, he quickly removed my clothes. Hesitating at my bra.

"Can you grab me a shirt?" I asked. I didn't think it would be good for either of us for me to be practically naked in bed with him. It was already going to be hard enough for me to not caress his bare chest all night.

Once I was somewhat decent again, Dimitri crawled into the bed with me, keeping to his side of the bed. I cocked my head to the side, studying him; he seemed unsure. Noticing the red tint on his ears, I realised he was embarrassed still.

"Dimitri," I called him, gaining his attention, "Are you nervous about me being in your bed?"

His eyes shifted away from mine. I gasped.

"You are!" I smirked, "What's wrong, comrade? Not used to having a girl in your bed?" I teased him. A thought occurred to me, asking without thinking, "Wait have you had any girls in this bed?" As soon as the words left my mouth, my mood soured. I shook my head, "Actually, don't tell me."

Dimitri narrowed his eyes, disgruntled, "I have not had anyone in this bed." His tone was gruff, not liking what I was implying. It only made me smile, knowing I was the only one.

"So what's wrong? You had the same look in Alberta's office."

"I was just caught off guard," He began to explain, looking away from me, "Having you here, it just…." He ran his hand through his hair again.

That was when I guessed why he was so flustered, "It makes you happy, doesn't it?" The surprise on his face tells me I was right, "You like the idea of us being able to spend time together like this. Almost like we are living together."

I watched him swallow before nodding. "When I imagine the future, it's with you." His eyes glazed over, a content smile on his face, "We are together and not having to hide it anymore. I get to be with you," His eyes refocused, locking with mine as his hand covered mine, "get to be like this."

"I was thinking that when you were staying at mine." A pleasant feeling settled over me, knowing that he felt the same way I did. Not that I doubted his affection for me. But hearing him confirm that he still plans a future with me in it, after what happened between him and me when I was Strigoi, it eased an insecurity I didn't realise I had been holding.

"The reasons for why you have to stay with me are bad, but I look forward to having these two days with you." He rolled to his side, pressing his body along mine, "I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Roza."

I scoffed, "Your life may have been easier without me."

He frowned, "No. Rose, you've brought so much to my life. Ever since the day I met you, you are amazing, so passionate about everything you do. You make me a better man."

My lip trembled at his words, unable to form words. I wrapped my hand around his neck, pulling him towards me, to which he gladly complied. Our lips locked in a passionate kiss. We embraced each other, knowing that after the next two days, things would be different.

We will make the most of the time we have, just the two of us.

I sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down at him, his brown hair splayed out on his pillow. I was put in a trance, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He was so relaxed, peaceful. The lines of his face eased as he dreamed.

I lightly trace a finger down his chest, not enough pressure to wake him, but enough that the muscles unconsciously tensed.

A cold hand brushed my hair back and over one shoulder, leaving the side of my neck exposed. A hot breath ghosted across my skin, followed by the pressing of lips. I held back the cringe I felt from his touch.

"You should just kill him."

I rolled my eyes at his suggestion. Each day he would come in here and tell me the same thing, and each day I ignored him.

Nathan hated it when I ignored him.

The hand that had gently touched my hair before now gripped it tightly, tilting my head back until my eyes met his. They were hard, cold. "You can't keep him for much longer. Drink him and be done with it."

I held his glare. He didn't scare me. I allowed him to use his strength on me, letting him believe that he was the one with the power. I knew that I could kill him easily, but it wasn't time for that yet.

I had a plan, and for that, I needed Dimitri to join me. Even as just a dhampir, Dimitri was amazing; he was perfect. As a Strigoi, he would be unstoppable, and together we would bring both the Moroi and Strigoi world to their knees.

But until then, I played along with Nathan's games.

He was still waiting for me to respond, staring hungrily at my lips, eyes travelling further down, enjoying the view of my body he had from this angle. Something that I have denied him.

"Not yet," I spoke; my voice was equally cold.

He ran the back of his hand down my face, caressing the spot on my neck he had bitten in the caves, "The sooner you let him go, the sooner you can take your place as mine." He purred his words, lips pressing to my temple. Slowly he moved to be sitting behind me, lips dragging down to my neck, "You will always be mine, Rose."

I gasped in pain as his fangs sank into my skin.

My eyes frantically shifted to Dimitri; only he wasn't there anymore. I was in the caves, struggling on the hard ground, trying to escape the clutches of the monster on top of me.

Tears leaked from my eyes as I watched a familiar form in a leather duster running away from me.

With the last of my strength, I called his name, "DIMITRI!"

"Roza! Roza, please wake up!"

My eyes flew open. I didn't recognise where I was. This isn't my room . My heartbeat was racing, so intense I heard the thumping in my ears. My breath was coming out in harsh pants.

"Roza," The word was pleaded beside my ear. My eyes snapped to the owner of it, blinking rapidly to focus on the brown ones staring back at me. Slowly the haze of the dream lifted, those eyes never leaving mine as I came back to myself.

"Dimitri," I sobbed out his name, his expression falling at my broken tone.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back more sobs that wanted to escape. I didn't like thinking about Nathan, about being left in that cave with him. There were too many; if Dimitri had tried to save me, he would have died or be turned like I was.

But that didn't stop the hurt and betrayal that I felt when I watched everyone leave me behind.

I couldn't keep looking at him. I didn't want to blame him.

I closed my eyes, angling my head away from him.

No, I didn't blame him. I blamed Nathan .

He tried to control me, wanting to claim my body in every way. Just the memory of his hands on me, his lips—I felt dirty.

I broke from Dimitri's grip. Rolling out of his bed, making it to his bathroom and closing the door behind me. He was calling my name, his muffled voice carrying through the wooden door. He twisted the doorknob, voice rising in panic, discovering I had locked it.

"Please," I begged him, "I need a minute." I stared down at the sink, hands braced on the countertop. Turning on the tap, I splashed water over my face and down my neck, scrubbing at the areas that Nathan had touched.

He liked to caress my neck where he bit me; I was his possession.

I covered my mouth to conceal my choked sobs.

"Roza, please open the door."

I glanced at the door through tear-filled eyes, watching his shadow move underneath the door, pacing. I turned off the tap; it wasn't enough.

I needed to be clean. Knowing that if I left the lock in place, Dimitri would break down the door, so I unlocked it before stripping and climbing into his shower. I turned the water hot, watching the steam rise from it.

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked, taking slow steps towards me, he spoke in a soothing tone, but there was a frantic edge to it.

I couldn't face him yet. I stepped further into the shower standing directly under the showerhead. The scalding water ran down my body, cleansing me.

His hand reached past me, turning the temperature down so it was no longer burning. Paying him no attention, I grabbed the sponge and some soap, lathering it up. With aggressive movements, I scrubbed my skin, my arms, my chest, and my neck. I kept rubbing at the skin until it felt raw.

The sponge was taken from me, making me spin to face him. Dimitri watched me with a look of dismay. "Roza, talk to me."

I reached for the sponge, groaning in frustration as he held it out of my reach, "I need to clean it. I need to not feel it anymore."

"Feel what?"

" Nathan! " I screamed at him.

His eyes widened. Dimitri had seen the way Nathan treated me. At the time, I took pleasure in the hurt and jealously that filled his eyes when Nathan would caress me in front of him. Now I only felt shame.

"It's like I can still feel him touching me. Feel him biting me." I sobbed, my tears mixing with the running water. I stared up into Dimitri's eyes, pleading him, "Please, Dimitri, I don't want to feel him anymore."

For a moment, he didn't react, holding my gaze, emotions flickering across his face. Then his hand came towards me, fingers loosely circling my wrists.

Inch by inch, he dragged his hands up. When he reached the tops of my arms where I had been scrubbing, the skin red, he rubbed his thumb across it before leaning forward and pressing his lips against it. Opening his mouth, he sucked the skin, making me gasp, soothing it with his tongue before switching to the other arm.

"Dimitri?"

Done with my shoulders, he continued, fingers tracing my skin until he reached the irritated skin, then replacing them with his mouth. I let my head tip back as he sucked at the skin of my chest.

"He won't touch you like this again," His voice was commanding, low and rough. "You won't remember his touch, only mine." Standing up, so he was towering over me, pinning me with his eyes, a question in them.

I was unsure until I felt his finger graze against my neck. He was asking for permission. Keeping eyes locked on his, I tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck to him, giving him access.

Dimitri lowered his head to the skin, repeating the same process, kissing and then sucking.

He was leaving marks to replace what Nathan had left, replacing the memory with only ones of him, ones of love.

With one last kiss, he drew back to look at me. His eyes were softer, hands sliding up to cradle my face. "I love you, Roza."

I moved towards him, letting myself be engulfed by his arms, his chin resting on the top of my head.

Though I was naked, there was no sexual motive behind his touches. It wasn't the right time; I still wasn't ready. Dimitri knew what I needed was just him to be there for me, to show me he still loves me.

Letting me lean against him as he washed my hair, massaging my scalp, carefully rinsing it as he brushed his fingers through the long strands. Then with gentle hands, he soaped up my body, lingering kisses on his marks.

Dimitri guided me out of the shower, wrapping a towel around me. He removes his wet pants and retrieves a towel for himself, quickly drying off, tucking it in around his hips before returning to me. I just stood and watched, not moving to dry myself. Dimitri looped his arms around me, lifting me, wary of my injuries, and carrying me out into his room, placing me on the bed.

He kissed my forehead, promising to be right back. After a couple of minutes, he returned, a clean pair of pants on and a small towel in hand, maneuvering himself to be behind me, legs on either side. Dimitri ran his fingers through my wet hair, gathering it out from under the towel, taking the smaller one and using it to dry it.

"He never…"

His hands stopped.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, "I never let him…."

I didn't need to finish my sentence, Dimitri understood what I was telling him—letting him know that he was still the only one to have me.

"I know, Roza," He continued drying my hair. I was surprised when he spoke again, "I could tell you didn't like it whenever he came in."

We haven't spoken much about those days he spent held prisoner, at least not in detail. I don't know if he avoided the topic for my benefit or his.

After I followed him to Vegas, I gained his attention, making him chase me like I knew he would. He wanted to release me from the curse of being Strigoi, and I used that to trap him. Nathan constantly warned me to just forget about Dimitri and focus on Lissa, but I refused. I wanted to take the risk of Dimitri finding me, knowing he wouldn't be able to kill me.

Once I had him, I held him in an abandoned building not far from the Academy so I could still watch for Lissa. I had kept him chained at first, but the more I fed on him, the less fight he had. I could see him giving into me slowly. If Nathan hadn't have given Dimitri an opening to escape, I would have turned him.

Strigoi weren't known for their patience, and mine had been nearing the end.

Nathan's obsession with me grew tenfold once I had Dimitri, was constantly visiting and telling me what to do.

"He wanted me, but I never gave in," I explained, keeping my voice void of emotion, trying to keep myself distant from the memory, "He wanted me to join him, to be his. I just wanted to kill him."

Silence stretched between us.

"Why didn't you?"

I took a breath, steadying myself. "I was waiting until you joined me."

"The plans you spoke about?"

"Yeah," I pulled at a loose thread on the towel. It wasn't comfortable to talk about, but I realised, like with everything else, we needed to talk about it so that we could move past it. "I had a nightmare about it. About when I had you locked up. About him."

Dimitri shuffled closer to press against me; his bare chest warmed my damp skin. He didn't say anything, only bending to kiss my neck. It sent chills down my spine. I lolled my head back to rest on his shoulder, exposing myself more to him. Dimitri had more than Nathan could have ever hoped to have from me. Dimitri will be the one and only man to have me.

I closed my eyes, taking a moment to just focus on him. Feeling my body relax against him.

"Do you think you can sleep some more?"

I blinked up at him. The bags under his eyes telling me he needed to sleep. I wasn't sure if I could. "Will you hold me?"

A smile graced his lips, the first one since I woke up, "Of course."

Removing our wet towels and pulling one of his shirts over my body, he laid us down on the bed. I ignored the pain; wanting to be as close to him as possible, I laid on my side facing him. I snaked my arms around him and he around me, every part of us touching.

"Thank you for everything," I whispered against his skin. Placing a kiss over his heart.

I finally managed to fall into a peaceful sleep, lulled by the sound of his heartbeat.

- I was very iffy about this chapter just because I wasn't sure if it was too OOC. That being said, I also love this chapter.

Let me know what you think, thanks for reading!-