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Satisfying my hunger had put me in a better mood despite being annoyed earlier at Tasha's touchiness. I had to remind myself that it was probably just in her nature and to stop being so insecure about it. I was never one to be insecure, but the last time I had an encounter with Tasha, she had asked Dimitri to be her guardian and potentially have a child—and he had turned her down because of his feelings for me. She treated him like a close friend, but I wondered if she still had feelings for him.

"So, tell me, Rose," Abe started, pulling me out of my thoughts. He was sitting on the other side of Dimitri. "How's school going?"

"It's alright," I admitted. "Combat's fun. Russian Linguistics is a little tricky, but Dimitri's been helping me."

"Interesting. I take it you're going easy in those combat classes though, right?"

"Oh, totally," I lied, hearing Eddie cover his laugh with a fake cough beside me.

"And what about you, Nevaeh?" Abe asked, leaning over to see her small figure. She was probably the only person he spoke that softly with.

"Kinda boring," she said, grabbing a bean with her hand. "But at least I have Nick."

Abe raised his fork to his mouth, ready to take a bite of his food. "Nick? Who's that?"

Nevaeh smiled. "My boyfriend."

Dimitri choked on his water, coughing a few times before putting his glass down. "Your what?"

"My boyfriend," Nevaeh repeated, completely oblivious to what everyone else was thinking. She probably meant to say he was just a friend, but she didn't seem to recognize the difference.

"And is this boyfriend nice to you?" Dimitri asked with a slight smile playing at his lips. He was always protective of her, but right now, he was just as amused as I was. I wondered how he would react when she grew up and had a real boyfriend. He was protective in his fatherly ways.

"Oh, yes. Very nice to me," Nevaeh said, popping another bean into her mouth. "He wants to take me out on a date!" I could hear everyone else start to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded.

"A date, huh?" Dimitri said apprehensively. "Where does he plan to take you? The playground?"

Nevaeh giggled and Dimitri laughed along with her as he ruffled her hair. "You're so cute. No boyfriend for you, Nev. Believe me, you'll have plenty of time for that when you're older."

Eddie elbowed my arm beside me, speaking so quietly that only I could hear him while everyone else started getting back into their conversations. "What are you going to do when she starts dating?"

"I'll be pulling my hair out," I whispered under my breath, making him chuckle and shake his head. On the other side of me, Avery started talking as well.

"You guys seem pretty close," she said as she cut her food. "I know you're just her tutor, but she lights up when she talks to you. Dimitri too."

"Well, it's pretty hard not to get attached. You know how kids are," I said, taking a sip of my water.

"Some of them, yes." She took a bite of her food, looking slightly over at my plate which was still half-full. "Other kids might not be so joyful though. Some kids are evil—using manipulation to get what they want, guilting a parent until it drives them straight into insanity. And have you ever heard of kids killing their parents? I mean, sometimes I want to do the same, so I can't really blame them for wanting to get revenge on those pathetic control freaks. Then, those children that people think are so bloody cute grow up and become a lousy, angsty teenager that makes mothers wonder if their pregnancy was a mistake all those years ago. At that point, you have to question whether a child is actually worth the hassle or if you should just kick them to the curb."

At this point, I had stopped eating and was now staring at Avery in horror. How the fuck was I even supposed to respond to that? Kids may not have been for everyone, but Avery's words were twisted and unnecessary. She didn't even look slightly bothered by what she was saying. For once, I was glad Dimitri was busy talking to Tasha. He didn't need to hear what Avery was saying.

When she saw my eyes, her solemn expression broke. She started laughing and threw a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, I'm kidding! Don't be so serious, dhampir."

I have a name, I thought, rolling my eyes. The only person who could get away with calling me that was Adrian—and his version sounded better.

"I've been told I need to watch what I say, but I can't help—ah!" Avery screeched, dropping the knife she had been using. She grabbed her fingers in her other hand and hissed before she pulled her hands apart. I could now smell blood.

"What happened?" I asked her as she stepped away from the table.

"Are you okay?" I heard my mother ask as Avery headed towards the sink.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I just cut myself with the knife by accident. It's just a scratch."

Just a scratch? I could still smell her blood from here. Dimitri's expression faltered and he looked at me for a second to watch for signs of thirst or bloodlust. I had my spirit-charmed bracelet on which helped with my urges, but they were still noticeable.

I got up from the table and stood beside Avery who was looking at her index finger. It was coated with red streaks and there was a long cut on the side. I had no idea how she missed if she was simply cutting a steak. Maybe she wasn't paying attention.

"Are you okay?" I asked hesitantly. Avery reached out and moved her hand in my direction. The blood was even stronger now and it took everything in me not to react.

"Do you mind looking at it? It looks a little deep," she said. I simply stared at it, holding my breath to help myself. If I wasn't wearing my bracelet, I would have been going crazy.

"U-um...I think you should just...bandage it up," I said, pushing her hand away.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Avery asked, keeping her voice down. "Does blood make you queasy?"

My eyebrows creased together and I looked up to find her staring at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. Her voices almost sounded...taunting—like she was expecting some kind of reaction. She noticed my mood and quickly lightened up the same way she had before. "Kidding! You're a dhampir, it's not like you drink this stuff anyways. Isn't that right, Rose?"

Oh, you have no idea. "Right."

Avery turned the tap on, running some cold water over the wound and letting the blood go down the drain. I grabbed a little first aid kit for her and pulled out a bandage with some medical cream. I was surprised to see that the blood was already starting to clot. I didn't expect her to heal so fast.

"Thanks," she murmured, cleaning herself up. Both of us sat back down afterwards, resuming our time at the table. The rest of the dinner was fine, and although Avery's words from earlier were still bothering me a bit, I tried to push it away from my mind. By the time I had finished eating, my stomach felt full and satisfied.

My parents told the others that they didn't need to stay back to help, but Dimitri and I still offered to stay. Tasha stayed back too, but she was still talking to Dimitri. I spotted Lissa at the door and grabbed her hand before she could go.

"I'm going to stay back to help clean up, but I'll be in our dorm soon," I ensured her.

"Actually, I was planning to stay with Christian tonight, if that's okay. We were thinking of trying something new together." She winked and I had a good idea of what she was implying.

"You can tell me all about it tomorrow in class, but if you could block me off from your head while you two have fun, that'd be great. Almost every time you guys have sex, I'm pulled in and suddenly it's like I'm kissing Christian myself. It's disturbing." I looked over at Christian who had his arms crossed. "No offence."

"Offence taken," he joked, taking Lissa's hand. "Shall we?"

Lissa's cheeks flushed as she took his hand and I caught him sliding his hand towards her ass before they left. I scrunched my nose up before bumping into Avery again, jumping on the spot. She was smiling at me.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," she said with a bright smile. "Have you thought about that party I told you about?"

"Look, Avery, I appreciate it, but as I said, I'm not really into parties anymore—"

"Come on, please?" she asked. "For me, at least? I need someone to look after me. If you're really my friend, you'd do that for me, wouldn't you?"

There was something off about the way she was talking to me and I couldn't seem to figure it out. She sounded desperate and needy. I felt like if I didn't give in, she'd get upset and start begging me until I lost my mind. "I said I'd think about it. I think I already have plans with my friends on that day."

"Rose," she started, placing her hands on my shoulder, "have you ever wondered if they are the ones preventing you from having fun? Maybe it's time you question who your real friends are."

I was getting annoyed now. I pushed her hands away from me and moved past her, bumping her shoulder in the process. "It's late, Avery. I think you should go."

"Very well. I'll see you in class tomorrow," she said, noticing my change in mood. Right before she left, she looked over her shoulder and said, "Sweet dreams."

I watched her walk out, shaking my head. Whatever she had gone through in the past must have affected her to be acting so strangely.

"Who is she? A new friend?" Abe asked me, taking his plate up to the counter. I could still see Tasha talking to Dimitri at the table, but I ignored the annoyed feeling I had inside and answered Abe's question.

"Sort of. We're not close or anything. She said she was part of..." I paused, lowering my voice. "That business."

Abe had a curious look on his face now as he leaned back against the counter. "I don't recall seeing her that night. What's her name again?"

"Avery Lazar," I replied.

"Avery Lazar..." Abe repeated to himself, trying to remember her name. "Doesn't ring a bell. I don't recognize her face either."

I sighed, crossing my arms. "That's what I thought too. I've spoken to some of the other girls too and they say the same thing. She was probably just hiding. Maybe the authorities forgot to get her name down that night."

"I can assure you we didn't leave anyone out," Abe said. "I'd be careful if I were you. Try not to get too close to someone you don't know."

"Are you saying I can't have new friends?" I asked.

"No. I'm saying not to trust people so easily." He moved away from the counter and picked up his jacket, slipping his arms through the sleeves. "I'm going to go see Janine before I head back to my place. Are you sure you don't just want me to call a staff member to clean this all up?" he asked, gesturing towards the dishes on the table.

"No, it's fine," I said, shaking my head. "I need a distraction to clear my head. Thanks though."

"Alright," he sighed, still sounding doubtful. "Goodnight, Rose."

"Goodnight, Dad," I whispered, opening the door for him to walk through. Dimitri had stepped away from the table while Nevaeh sat on the couch with her arms crossed. She didn't look too happy.

"So, Dimitri," Tasha began, "I was just wondering if you wanted to spend some time with me when you're done here. We need to catch up. It's been so long and it'd be nice to have some company."

Dimitri pulled his eyes away from the dishes he was cleaning in the sink, briefly flickering his eyes to me. "Actually, Tasha, I already have plans with someone else, but maybe another time."

"Plans? With who?" she asked, barely noticing me pass by to sit on the couch.

"Someone special," he said, inconspicuously flashing his eyes at me again.

"Oh. I see," she said, sounding disappointed. "Well, what about sometime this week?"

Beside me, Nevaeh poked my arm, whispering, "I don't like her."

I chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I don't either."

"I'm busy, but I'll see if I have time." Dimitri's answer sounded a little dry and Tasha went quiet, sighing in defeat before he continued. "Listen, Tasha, it's getting late. It was nice to see you, but I think you should head back to your room."

"Will you walk me there?" she asked, looking up at him through her lashes. For fuck's sake, can she just leave already?

"I think she likes him," Nevaeh said.

"Oh, she does," I muttered reluctantly, playing with strands of Nevaeh's hair.

"I need to clean up here," Dimitri said hastily. "I also have a kid to watch. I think you're perfectly able to walk there yourself."

"Right," Tasha said with a sigh. "I guess I'll just see you whenever you have time." I caught her giving me and Nevaeh a dubious stare, but she quickly looked away and smiled. She threw her arms around Dimitri and gave him a tight hug, pressing her face a little too closely against his neck and inhaling his scent.

"Oh, hell no," Nevaeh said loudly, jumping up from the couch.

"Hey, where the hell did you learn that?" I asked stupidly, realizing I had pretty much just answered my own question. I seriously needed to watch my mouth around her.

Nevaeh ran up to them before I could stop her and squeezed herself in between them to hug Dimitri's legs. Tasha backed away, surprised to see her again. "Oh. You again," she said, forcing a smile. Underneath her fake smile, I could tell she was annoyed. On the other hand, I was beaming.

Nevaeh turned around and looked up at Tasha, crossing her arms. "Mine."

Tasha laughed at her. "You know, you can't always get what you want, kid. Not when you're greedy, anyway." She turned and looked at me, giving me a skeptical skim of my body before smiling again. "It was nice seeing you again, Rose."

"You too," I said, faking a smile of my own. As soon as she was gone, Dimitri let out a sigh of relief. Nevaeh had a smug look on her face as she skipped back to the couches and jumped on one of them.

"I'm sorry about that," he said.

I stood up, shaking my head. "Don't be. She's your friend."

"Yeah, well, I don't think she gets that. I don't want to come off as rude, but she's constantly touching me," Dimitri said, heading back to the counter.

"Believe me, I noticed." I left the couches before walking over and clasping my hands together behind me, rocking back and forth on my feet. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

There was a certain tone in my voice that I only used with Dimitri and he recognized it instantly. Now that nobody else was here—except Nevaeh who was too busy crawling on the couches—I could be submissive without judgement.

Dimitri looked at me in admiration from my eagerness and cocked his head towards the table. "I want you to gather all those plates and bring them to me so that I can wash them. When you're done, make sure to clean the table."

"That's all?" I asked.

"That's all," Dimitri confirmed, gently patting my backside. "Get to work."

I grinned, going up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Yes, sir."

Dimitri smirked before returning to the little kitchen area to remove the excess remnants of food from the plates. Every time he rinsed them off with water, he placed them into the dishwasher. He had a habit of keeping things extra clean.

My task was very simple, so it didn't take long for me to bring him the plates. By the time the table was cleared, I wiped it down with a wet cloth, making sure every inch was spotless. I rearranged the flower vase so that it sat in the middle of the table before tucking all the chairs in, making sure it looked well presented again. Dimitri was finished with the plates at this point and turned around to see my work.

"Is it...okay?" I asked hesitantly, scratching the back of my neck.

"It's perfect. Good girl," he said proudly, pulling me close. My cheeks flushed as he cupped my face in his hands, bringing his lips down to mine. I hugged his waist, pressing up against him as I deepened the kiss. Dimitri pulled away for a moment, chuckling at my pout.

"I want to try something with you," he said.

"Oh? What is it?" I asked curiously.

Dimitri cleared his throat. "It's not appropriate for children."

I looked over at the young child who was now climbing over the edge of the couch with her legs dangling in the air. Dimitri and I laughed, breaking apart from each other.

"Careful, Nev. You're going to hurt yourself," he scolded, walking over to lift her off the edge.

"Hey, wait," she said, draping an arm on his shoulder. "You said you'd give me chocolate."

"I did," Dimitri acknowledged. He put her down before walking over to the coat rack and pulling something out of the pocket of his winter coat, revealing a small chocolate bar. Nevaeh started to reach for it already, but he held it out of her reach. "What do we say?"

"Please?" she said sweetly. Dimitri gave her the bar, but he didn't let go right away.

"And?" he prompted.

"Thank you."

"Good," he said, kissing the top of her head. I watched her smile in excitement and it didn't take her long to devour the treat. I grabbed my coat from the rack, holding it in my arm.

"I think it's time I let her sleep on her own again. Are you okay with that, Nev?"

Nevaeh frowned slightly as I grabbed her winter coat. "Will you still visit me?"

"Of course I will," I said, bending down to help her put the coat on. I started zipping it up, making sure she was bundled up. "Remember, if you ever feel scared, you can always call me or Dimitri. All you have to do is alert one of the guardians in the hallway."

"Okay," she said softly, giving me one of her cute smiles.

After Dimitri and I walked her to her dorm, we made sure she did her usual night routine and tucked her into bed. She still had the teddy bear we had gotten for her not too long ago and it looked like she slept with it quite often.

"Your place or mine?" I asked as soon as we got out of the building.

"Yours," Dimitri decided, taking my hand and leading me there. There was something oddly satisfying about holding a warm hand in the winter. It almost felt like stepping into a hot tub when everything else was covered in snow.

Once we reached my dorm, I stepped out of my boots which were now covered in snow and left them on the mat to dry. I hung my coat up and quickly pulled Dimitri's coat off, hanging it up for him as well. Sometimes, I liked to do little things for him even when he never asked me to.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, taking my hand again and leading me to my bedroom. He closed the door behind him, leaning back against it.

I sat down on the bed, looking up at him. There was a look in his eyes that sparked my curiosity even more. "What was it that you wanted to try?"

Dimitri hesitated for a moment before turning around and pulling on my red silk bathrobe that hung on the door. He tugged on the belt, pulling it out of the loops.

"You're going to fuck me with that around my limbs?" I blurted out. I realized how abrupt I sounded, but Dimitri only chuckled.

"No, Roza, I'm not. We won't be having sex while you're restrained. Well, not for a while; not until you're absolutely ready. For now, I wanted to try it out and see how you feel. If you're okay to go through with it, we'll take everything slow and you can tell me whatever you need to tell me. This isn't just for pleasure or for the sake of having fun—it's to help you too."

Dimitri and I had discussed doing light bondage a few times, but we had never actually gone through with it until now. The fact that he only wanted to try to see how I felt instead of diving into things only proved how much he cared about me. As he had once said before, I had a lot of power as a submissive and he wanted me to move at my own pace. He always reassured me that it wasn't like what I went through before in the brothel where I had been powerless and had no voice. With Dimitri, I always had a voice and he had the utmost respect for me—just as I did for him.

"Okay," I finally said, pulling on the bottom of my shirt. Dimitri didn't move—he just watched me.

"If you feel uncomfortable at any moment, remember you can stop me whenever you need to. I won't be disappointed and I need you to be honest with me. Can you promise me that?" he asked, weaving the silky fabric through his fingers while keeping his eyes on me.

I nodded, standing up and gathering my fingers together in a clasp. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Dimitri said, shifting his stance. "Take off your clothes and kneel for me on the bed, Roza."

With a spark of enthusiasm, I obeyed his every command.

Thank you for reading! I just wanted to put a heads up that there is BDSM in the next chapter. It's nothing crazy, but I still have to warn everyone. I'll put another warning up at the beginning just in case. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one!