Hey loves, I hope you're all doing well!

*There is a lot of smut in the second half of this chapter with some mild BDSM.*

I just wanted to say that if I put up a million warnings for content including bdsm, spanking, violence, abuse etc, PLEASE take it seriously. If you're not comfortable with this type of content, just don't read it. I'm sorry but I had to say that.

Anyways, this chapter was harder to write but I hope you still enjoy it.

The next morning, I was to meet with Tatiana. I remembered to dress nicely and put on more makeup to look presentable. I tied my hair into a high ponytail, looking into the mirror once last time before meeting with Dimitri outside. He wore his guardian uniform and had his hair tied at the back of his neck.

"Ready?" he asked, taking my hand.

"I don't know. My last conversation with the queen wasn't the brightest."

"Things have changed since then," Dimitri said, trying to ease my nerves as we walked down the pristine staircase. Since this place was so huge, it took us a while to get to Tatiana's office. Her guardians stood outside, only letting us in after we gave them our names.

My parents were already inside, gracefully standing at the side while Adrian sat on one of the couches. Tatiana noticed me and I bowed, seeing Dimitri doing the same thing in my peripheral vision.

"Your Majesty," I greeted.

"Rosemarie," she said, surprising me when she smiled warmly. While we didn't have the cleanest history, she seemed to have forgotten that. "Please, take a seat. I'd like to discuss some things with you."

I didn't say anything as I sat down, clasping my hands together on my lap. Dimitri didn't sit next to me, but I could feel his close presence right behind me and loosened up a little bit.

"I'm aware of the recent events that have occurred at St. Vladimir's Academy," she stated, sliding a cup of tea in front of me. I stared at it, watching the fumes that rose from the hot liquid.

"All of them?" I asked her, sounding more nervous than I would have liked.

"Yes. One of them being an incident with Avery Lazar," she said.

My breath hitched in my throat. Was she about to tell me my punishment for killing a student? She must have been aware that it was an act of defence. She had mentioned wanting to protect me because of my unique inheritances of being half strigoi, but Avery had been like that too. Maybe I had broken some kind of sacred rule by killing her.

Tatiana rose from her seat and sat down right next to me. I half-expected her to yell about how we were supposed to be kept protected, or maybe tell me I should have resorted to something else. Instead, she hugged me. I froze on the spot, opening and closing my mouth a few times. Adrian watched us with a smile on his face, trying to stifle his laughter when he saw my reaction to being hugged by a woman that I thought hated me more than anything.

"Thank you for saving my great-nephew's life," she said sincerely, squeezing tighter before pulling back. "And for protecting yourself too. I have read the reports and listened to everyone who has already spoken to me since this morning. I'm aware of what Avery Lazar's intentions were and I think you did the right thing. That was very brave of you."

"So, I'm not going to jail?"

Tatiana laughed and I heard Mom mutter something under her breath. "No, Rosemarie, you're not. She was no better than a strigoi. I know she attempted to murder a certain someone that I hear you and Guardian Belikov are very close to. Nevaeh, right?"

"You know about that too?" I breathed. She knew about my relationship with Dimitri. Maybe she heard through rumours or maybe Adrian had told her, but she didn't seem opposed.

"Yes," she said. "I understand you have a close relationship with her."

I nodded. "We do. She's like a daughter to me—Dimitri too. I was hoping to adopt her and raise her here, near court during her vacation months."

"I'm sure we can accommodate, and if you wish to adopt, I'll support you. A believe a child like her who has been through too much at her age deserves loving parents."

I was in awe. Unlike the last time we had spoken, she was so kind now. I wondered what had changed her mind. Maybe she was sympathetic. Maybe she didn't want to scare me off considering all the trauma I still dealt with. Was that such a good thing? Did that imply that she thought I was weak?

You're jumping to conclusions, my mind told me.

"Thank you," I said softly, accepting her generosity.

"I'd like to meet her sometime, but that's a discussion for another time. Right now, we need to talk about Natasha Ozera. She's on the run and if we can find her, it'll also help us find what she's a part of. While I can allow you to help, I can't let you get involved with anything dangerous. You are very valuable for several reasons, but you're also very vulnerable—even more than the princess. You'll have to stay within the wards of the court and you must have a guardian with you—preferably Guardian Belikov as he is one of our best."

"Your Majesty, there's another issue. Tasha is the one who killed a guardian after setting the basement of the academy on fire. Even if we catch her and imprison her, she might so the same thing to someone else."

Tatiana nodded, taking another sip of her tea before answering with a certainty. "We have supplements in place that can stop a moroi from being able to use their power. It's rare, but it's effective. We only give it to prisoners at court or in Tarasov Prison if they're using their magic to hurt others."

"That could have helped if we had used that at the academy," I said, my voice laced with irritation. One guardian and two receptionists were dead. It could have all been avoided. "Three people died because of them. Avery may be gone, but we need to find Tasha. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of her."

"We will find her," Tatiana said. "Our officers are already investigating her possible whereabouts. If anything comes up, we will let you know, but for now, you need to sit tight and stay safe."

I looked back down at my lap, taking a deep breath. "Okay."

"Very well," she said, concluding our meeting. "Oh, Rose, one more thing." She pulled me to the side, laying a gentle hand on my arm. "I know we've had our differences in the past, but I want us to move past that. I understand you have been through a lot and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. We'll find Natasha Ozera and make sure you're safe."

I was still surprised that she was being so nice to me, but I found myself feeling a lot more relaxed now than I did before. If that was as close to an apology that I would get for the way she treated me in the past, I would take it. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Tatiana smiled before letting me go. I waited in the doorway while she said some words to Dimitri, and I eavesdropped on their short conversation. "I meant what I said earlier," she whispered to him. "You are one of our best, maybe even the best. I trust that you will protect her."

"With my life," Dimitri replied instantly. "I would do anything to keep her safe. I love her."

"I can see that," Tatiana said warmly. I was beginning to wonder why she wasn't questioning our relationship since he had once been my mentor. I had a feeling it had something to do with how dedicated he was to protect me.

Dimitri bowed once again before returning to me. We quietly left the room, not saying a word until we were out of earshot.

"That wasn't so bad," Dimitri stated.

"No, it wasn't," I agreed. "She was actually nice to me!"

Dimitri chuckled, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail. "Are you that surprised? You saved a member of her family."

"Yeah, and she also implied that I was a cheap whore when I protected Lissa for years. Maybe she just feels bad for me or something."

"Or maybe she just recognizes that you're much stronger than she thought you were. Yes, maybe a part of her feels bad, but she respects you more than she did before. She recognizes that you have dignity and self-worth."

While Dimitri was probably right, I wondered if she was secretly afraid of me. I was, after all, half strigoi. Whatever the reason, I had to take whatever I could get.

"Do you want to grab dinner?" Dimitri asked, stopping in front of a little restaurant on our way back to our room. I could already smell the food from the hallway, and the options that were displayed at the front looked delicious.

"You don't have to ask me twice," I said excitedly, grabbing Dimitri's hand and skipping into the restaurant. The hostess at the front was a dhampir woman in her forties and looked pretty friendly as she smiled at us.

"Table for two?" she asked. I nodded and she grabbed two menus, leading us to an open booth. I sat down, facing Dimitri who sat on the other side. I looked through the large menu and decided what I wanted a few minutes later. We both ordered our food and the waitress took our menus away.

"I can't believe we're going to live here soon," I mused out loud. "Or at least around here."

Dimitri nodded, holding my hand across the table with a smile on his face. "I'm just as excited as you are. I'm thinking of something off the premises but still within the wards, like one of the houses nearby—but only if you want that too."

"I do. I want it for both of us—Nev too. I just want all of this to be over, you know? I don't want to live in fear all the time."

"And you won't," Dimitri said, bringing my hand up to kiss my knuckles. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Roza."

I smiled, loosening my shoulders as I relaxed. Whether he was my guardian or not, I'd protect him just as much regardless of what anyone told me.

The waitress came out with our plates and laid them down carefully on the table. My stomach grumbled and I started eating my food in no time. Dimitri was hungry too and we both were so engaged in our meals that we didn't even talk until our plates were empty.

"It's nice to see that you're eating again," Dimitri voiced, leaning back against the leather booth.

"I was always eating, Comrade."

"No, I mean, you're really eating," he emphasized, cocking his head towards my empty plate. "You're taking care of your body. Just a few months ago, you were starving yourself. I understand it was one of the hardest times in your life, but I worried about your health every day. You're taking steps to recover, and I'm very proud of you for that. You should be proud too."

"I am—a little bit—but it's still taking time for me," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. I felt happy that I was making Dimitri proud and he was right in saying that I should be proud too.

"I understand," he said, his voice laced with warmth and sincerity. "You should take all the time you need, and remember I'll always be by your side."

"Thanks, Comrade." This time, I was the one to kiss our linked hands. The waitress came back when she noticed that we were done with our food.

"How would you like to pay?" she asked. Before I had the chance to answer, Dimitri beat me to it.

"Debit. The same bill please," he said. I glared at him, but he only raised a brow. He knew I couldn't do that and was probably doing it to purposely get on my nerves. He paid for our meals, leaving the waitress a generous tip before taking my hand.

"You didn't have to pay for both of us," I told him once we were out of the restaurant.

"I wanted to," Dimitri pressed, stopping in front of an elevator. "I like treating you, even if it's just a meal." Treating was something you did for someone once in a while, but Dimitri did this pretty often despite my protests.

"Well, you wouldn't mind if I treated you too, would you?" I stepped closer, running a hand over his torso in a way that I knew he liked. He swallowed, looking around to make sure nobody was paying attention to my subtle gesture.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm just treating my man, that's all." The elevator doors opened and I pulled him inside, pleased to see that nobody else was there. "Hey, remember that red silk bathrobe you liked so much? The one with the matching belt that you used to tie my hands?"

Dimitri slowly pushed me up against the wall, pinning my hips with his and leaning down to kiss my neck. "I remember."

"Good," I breathed, pulling him in, "because I brought it with me."

By the time we got into our room, we wasted no time in taking our clothes off as our lust for each other was flying through the roof. Dimitri wrapped his arms around my thighs and he picked me up, holding my ass as I wrapped my legs around his waist. My clit was pressing against his erection as he carried me towards the couch on the side of the room, kissing me the whole way until he sat down with me straddling his lap. I weaved my fingers through his hair as his lips moved down to my neck, sucking greedily on my pulse point.

"You're going to leave a mark," I said breathlessly, although I wasn't complaining.

"Good," he muttered, leaving a trail of wet kisses until his lips reached the center of my breasts. He moved to my left nipple, circling his tongue around the sensitive point. He was giving me slow torture on purpose and I was so tempted to press his face into my chest. I wanted more.

"Dimitri, please," I begged, popping out my chest and leaning closer. Dimitri enclosed his mouth around my nipple, circling his tongue around while sucking gently. I moaned quietly, throwing my head back and pressing his face against my breast. His other hand twisted and tugged on my right nipple before his mouth switched, making me go crazy once again.

He pulled away, kissing the spot above my nipple. I tugged on his hair and lowered myself down, crashing my lips against his again. Our tongues collided, twisting into an endless battle which he won easily as he overpowered me. The way his erection was pressing against me made me want to ride him right then and there, but I had another idea in mind that I had been wanting to try for a while.

As soon as Dimitri broke our kiss, I slid off of his lap, stroking his chest and abs in the process. He watched me tentatively as I moved off of the couch and settled my knees on the ground, my face in perfect alignment with his cock. He groaned, shifting when he realized what I was about to do. I looked up at him, not feeling hesitant, but a little shy. All I wanted to do at that moment was please him.

Dimitri watched me with admiration in his eyes, stroking my cheek with his thumb as I grabbed his hard shaft in my hands. I squeezed him firmly, pumping my hand up and down and I once again felt overwhelmed at how big he was. No matter how many times I had seen him, it was always a shock to me.

Dimitri's hand travelled up to my high ponytail and gripped it, slowly pushing my head down. I kept my eyes on him, looking up at him coyly as I kissed his tip. His abdominal muscles clenched as I lowered myself further down, taking him into my mouth. I took as much of him as I could, only stopping when I nearly gagged. I used my hand for whatever I couldn't take, moving it in sync with my mouth.

The look in Dimitri's eyes told me I was doing a good job, so I kept going. The feeling of him being in my mouth, so fulfilling and satisfying, made me crave some relief myself. The heat in between my legs was starting to burn and I used my other hand to please myself, moaning around Dimitri's shaft.

"Don't touch yourself," he said, noticing me trying to relieve myself. "The only person who'll be making you come tonight is me, is that clear?"

Somehow, this turned me on even more. As frustrating as it was not to touch myself, I nodded and moved my hand away, resting it on his leg. I picked up the pace, using Dimitri's soft moans as a means of encouragement. Not soon enough, his hand started to control my head, pushing me down and pulling me back in a gentle effort. I felt myself longing for more relief and snuck my hand down again to stroke my clit until Dimitri abruptly pulled my head back.

"You're touching yourself again, aren't you?" he asked. I bit my lip, nodding shyly in confirmation. Dimitri cupped my chin in his hands and leaned down.

"Go get the silk belt from your bathrobe," he ordered. My compliance was instant as I stood up and walked over to the closet, finding my red silk robe. I pulled the belt from the loops, gathering the fabric into my hands before returning it to my waiting dom.

"Turn around," he said. I did as I was told, already putting my hands in place as he used the silky material to bind my hands together. It was just as tight as the first time he had tied my hands together, only this time we would be taking a step further. I was comfortable with it nonetheless and I trusted him.

I resumed my position, sliding down to my knees. This time, Dimitri stood up and grabbed my hair again, looking down at me as he slid into my mouth. I relaxed my throat muscles as he thrusted his hips forward, keeping his hands on my head. I let him fuck my mouth and found myself enjoying every second of his pleasure. His tip hit the back of my throat, causing me to gag and he pulled back to let me relax.

"Sorry," I whispered to him.

"Shh. You're doing great, baby."

I smiled at his satisfaction and wrapped my lips around him again, letting him control me. My tongue grazed the smooth skin from base to tip as he moved and he started to pick up the pace, closing his eyes and biting his lip. He looked so seductive and I would do anything to see that look on his face.

"Roza," he gasped out, slowing his movements, "do you want me to stop? If I don't, I'm going to come in your mouth."

I shook my head and moved my head at a rapid pace. It was exactly what I wanted him to do. I wanted to taste him, to feel him releasing everything in my mouth.

Dimitri swore in his native tongue as I hollowed my cheeks, sucking him earnestly. He hissed through his teeth, looking down again to let our eyes lock.

"Roza!" he moaned, holding my head in place as he suddenly shot his load into my mouth. Hearing him say my name as he pulsed was like music to my ears and felt content knowing I had made him come. He pulled away after a few seconds, still watching me as I swallowed everything. As he released my hair and stroked my cheek affectionately, I opened my mouth again and poked my tongue out to show him evidence of my effort.

"Good girl," Dimitri said, sounding proud and slightly out of breath. I was a little tired myself and still felt needy as his hands slid under my armpits, helping me stand. My knees were sore from kneeling for so long, but I felt better once Dimitri sat us down on the couch, my legs spread out across his lap. He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my head, stroking my arm. "You okay?"

I nodded, sighing as he gently rubbed my legs. "I'd like to do that again sometime."

"I'd like that too," he shared. "It wasn't too much for you?"

"No, I liked it. What about you? Was it good?"

"Of course. You always please me, Roza. I'm surprised since it was your first time doing that."

I frowned, tensing up in his arms. I hadn't shared everything from my time in the brothel and that included all those times I was forced to give oral services.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Dimitri asked me, sounding concerned.

"I—um...that wasn't my first time," I confessed. "It was just my first time doing it willingly."

I half-expected Dimitri to ask me why I hadn't told him before. Instead, he hugged me tighter, wrapping his arms around my vulnerable form. One of his hands snuck down to my bound hands, holding them tightly. "That isn't your fault, and it doesn't make me think any less of you."

"Are you sure? I should have told you..."

"Roza," he said, sounding a little more stern this time, "you know better than to shame yourself. Whatever happened in the past doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Okay," I murmured, kissing his cheek and laying my head on his shoulder. He held me like that for a little while, giving me sweet kisses until he spoke up again.

"I haven't forgotten about your needs," he said.

"But I was touching myself without your permission," I mentioned, remembering why my hands were tied in the first place.

"And?" He moved his hands between my thighs. "Did you think I wasn't going to let you come?"

I squirmed, squeezing my legs together at the thought. I had been feeling sexually frustrated for a while now and my body desperately craved a deep release.

"Don't you worry," Dimitri said soothingly. "I'll take care of you, Roza. Just remember, if you feel uncomfortable, you still have every right to stop me."

He kissed me again, cupping my cheek and using his other hand to gently pull the elastic from my hair. All the weight it had been holding came down, offering my head some relief as my hair cascaded down my back and around my face. What started as a soft kiss soon turned into one filled with lust and neediness as Dimitri's hand tangled in my hair, pressing my face impossibly closer to his.

"I want you inside me," I whispered against his mouth, feeling him get harder once again. Dimitri let out a low growl and made me stand, guiding me to the bed. In one swift movement, he pushed me down and rolled me onto my stomach, slapping my ass in the process. His hands slid my thighs forward so that my head rested in the pillows, my back arched. I realized he was about to take me from behind and I eagerly popped my hips out as much as I could.

"Beautiful," he murmured to himself, kneading the soft skin of my ass in his hands. I blushed furiously as he leaned down to kiss one of the cheeks before he gave it another strong squeeze. Even though that was the one part of my body he had punished a few times, I also suspected some kind of adoration that he had for it.

Dimitri's breathing increased once again as he held my lower back with one hand and used his other hand to rub himself against me. I was silently begging him, only being able to rub my hips against his as I didn't have access to my hands. He prolonged my suffering, slowly coating himself with my juices.

"Dimitri, please!" I begged. "I need you now! Please, please fuck me—"

Dimitri slid into my tight heat, cutting off any more words I might have said. I moaned at the feeling of him filling me up until his hips were in contact with mine. He stilled for a second before pulling back and then thrusting back in with more force, hitting a spot inside me that spread a wave of pleasure. Now that he was taking me from behind, the angle was much deeper and he was able to stimulate a spot that I didn't know I had. I was crying out his name in no time as he gripped my hips, slamming into me over and over again. He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of me. He pulled my hair to the side, kissing and sucking on my neck and leaving love marks between my neck and shoulder.

"Harder, please. I want to feel all of you," I breathed. Dimitri moved away from my neck, gripping my hips again as he picked up speed and put more force into his thrusts. The sound of our skin slapping echoed in the room as well as the loud sounds of him occasionally smacking my ass. I couldn't hold it in anymore and opened my mouth, curling my toes.

"Dimitri!" I screamed, moaning loudly as pleasure consumed me. My walls clenched around him, squeezing hard as I came. Dimitri followed me soon after, filling me with his seed before collapsing on top of me. I didn't care that he was crushing me with his weight, because all I wanted in that moment of sheer bonding was close physical contact.

"I love you so much," I murmured.

"I love you too," he responded, kissing my cheek. I winced as he pulled out of me and leaned back on his side, pulling on the silk around my wrists until it loosened. He set my hands free, tossing the belt away and once again focussing all his concern and attention on me. He checked my hands and wrists, making sure the skin was okay and that no blood circulation had been cut off.

"Come here," he said. I crawled up to him, nuzzling close to his side and clinging onto him. He wrapped me up in his arms, rubbing my back. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"I'm okay. I just want to cuddle."

"Okay." Dimitri sighed contentedly, kissing my hair and tangling his legs with mine. Tiredness took over and soon enough we were both on the brink of sleep until Dimitri's phone buzzed on the table. He groaned, picking his phone up to read a recent text message on the screen.

"What is it?" I asked lazily, listening carefully while keeping my eyes closed.

"It's Abe. He wants us to meet him tomorrow morning in one of the conference rooms," he replied, ruffling his hand in my hair to keep me calm. "There's a new lead on Tasha."

Thanks for reading :) I'll admit, Tatiana is a bit of a difficult character to write, so I decided to make her a nicer person in this story. I hope the lemon wasn't too much. Stay safe!