Hey loves! Sorry this chapter took so long. There's a lot of fluff in this chapter, but there is also smut. I hope you like it and I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

The next morning, Lissa came by our suite to talk to me about the bracelet. It wasn't ready yet, but Dimitri would hopefully have it by the end of the night or tomorrow morning.

"We had to put two silver beads on it to infuse the magic," Lissa said. "They're secured tightly, so you don't have to worry about them falling off."

"That's perfect. How are you feeling so far? It's been a little difficult for me to feel you today." There was something off about my bond with Lissa. I still thought it was just a fluke, but our bond had weakened a little since Dimitri had woken up. After he fed on me yesterday, it weakened even more while my bond with him had strengthened.

"Yeah, I felt that too since Dimitri was turned. Maybe you can't be bonded to two people at once. It's strange how it all works, but I'm surprisingly okay," Lissa admitted. "So far, there aren't any dark thoughts. I'm getting better at controlling how much magic I use. I think I depended on you for so long to pull it out of me, but I'm starting to handle it on my own."

"That's amazing. I'm proud of you, Lissa. Thank you for this," I said gratefully, pulling her into a hug. "How's Christian doing? Is Tasha still..." I trailed off. Lissa already knew what I meant.

"Paralyzed? Yeah. And I'm not healing her," she said, taking me by surprise. "That might make me sound like a horrible person, but Christian hasn't asked me to, and even if he does...I don't think I can. Not only would that put a strain on us, but I can't trust her if she's fully mobile. She could set this whole place on fire for all I know. Plus, she murdered Nevaeh and Dimitri. You brought them back, but if you hadn't, they'd still be dead. She's hurt all of us, but she hurt you the most. You're my best friend and I can't take the chance to let it happen again. She needs to serve her punishment for the crimes she's committed."

"She's right," Dimitri said, coming up behind me. I watched him carefully for any signs of thirst, but he was doing okay. Lissa's presence wasn't affecting him at all.

"Tasha was my friend once," he said remorsefully, "but not anymore. The person I knew years ago is long gone."

"Dimitri," Lissa breathed, taking in his appearance. He wasn't as ghostly as he was the day he woke up, but he still looked different to anyone who hadn't seen him recently.

"Princ—Lissa," Dimitri corrected, remembering her several orders to call her by her name. "It's nice to see you."

"You look so...different." Lissa couldn't stop staring. "I'm not, like, triggering your thirst, right?"

Dimitri chuckled. "No, you're fine. For the first time since waking up, I feel good. I feel like I can control my impulses now." I had a feeling it had something to do with our blood sharing and I was pleased to know it had helped him. Dimitri's thirst wasn't persistent and his temper was vanishing.

"Good, because we were all starting to worry. Plus, we want you to be able to see Nevaeh as soon as possible. Your progression is a good thing."

"She's okay, right? I haven't been able to see her," Dimitri sighed. "She's very clingy. I don't want her to think I've abandoned her."

"She's still bubbly," Lissa reassured him. "I would stay to talk, but I have to go. Her Majesty has requested to speak to me about moving to Lehigh and my guardian's allocations."

"While you do that, I think I'm going to take Dimitri down to a café around here. It's been a while since he's had human food in his stomach." Dimitri had been relying on blood and water during the past couple of days. His body was adjusting so it was understandable, but he still needed to eat food.

"Come on," I encouraged. "You practically shoved food down my throat when I wasn't eating."

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" he asked.

"Yes. Your tummy won't be happy if it's full of acid," I said sweetly, rubbing his abdomen in circles.

"Oh, stop it," Dimitri chuckled. He grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it affectionately.

"I'm really happy for you two," Lissa said sincerely. A blush was spreading across her cheeks before she turned on her heels and left. Dimitri's stomach growled loudly behind me and he tried to turn around to hide it, but I could probably hear that from outside the room.

"Don't run away, Comrade."

"I'm not running away," he scoffed, walking into the large bathroom. With his back still facing me, I eyed his toned backside and suddenly had an idea. I silently approached him, and before I could give him a chance to turn around, I slapped his ass.

Dimitri froze for a second, taken by surprise before he slowly turned around and faced me. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing, but my cheeks rose as I blushed mischievously.

"Oh, so you want to play that game, do you?" he asked, walking towards me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said innocently, walking backwards. I felt the back of my thighs bump into the bed as Dimitri leaned over me. His facial expression indicated that he knew I was just playing. I expected him to spank me back, but instead, he pushed me onto the bed and peppered my neck with lighthearted kisses which had me giggling instantly.

"Dimitri! That tickles!" I squeaked, squirming around in his arms as my muscles jerked in reaction. Although it tickled, I was overwhelmed with love. With all my laughter and high-pitched giggles, anyone who could hear us would have never guessed it was me. I wasn't this carefree with anyone else and I never would be. Dimitri was the only person who could make me laugh like this. I could drop my tough mask around him and be free.

"Okay, seriously. Food. Now," I demanded when I heard his stomach growl again.

"You're so adorable," he chuckled, pecking my lips. He climbed off, pulling me up with him. I smoothed out my clothes and hair, walking towards our door when I felt a sharp smack come down on my backside. I reached back to cover my cheeks and spun my head around with my mouth gaping open.

"Did you think I was going to let you walk away without getting you back first?" he asked, raising a brow. I grinned and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing my back against his chest. He kissed my cheek with a loud sound and swung the door open. "After you, Milaya."

Getting out of the suite felt like a breath of fresh air on Dimitri's part, but we had to be followed by two guardians for "safety precautions". It was the most he was going to get, but it was better than nothing. We started with the most basic food—a toasted bagel with butter. It was plain and simple, so it would be easy on his stomach.

"Go on, take a bite," I insisted. Dimitri only stared at his food, feeling dubious. It had been five minutes and all he had was a small bottle of apple juice. Dimitri's dhampir appetite usually made him devour food in seconds when he was hungry. This was concerning me and I suddenly understood why he had been so worried about me when I had starved myself.

"You know, if this was me, you'd be tanning my ass."

Dimitri chuckled. "Okay. Fair enough." He picked up one half of the bagel and finally took a bite, chewing slowly. He didn't seem to like nor dislike the taste.

"Not bad," he admitted. "But it's strange."

"Yeah, I know. I've been there. The only human food I enjoyed when I first turned was fruit because of how juicy and sweet it was. I could just suck the juice out and it helped with the thirst."

"We might have to make a trip to the grocery store later," Dimitri noted, and I agreed with him. Although he took a while, he managed to finish the rest of his bagel. We left the café and I held his hand, keeping him as far away from other people as possible. He was doing okay so far, but I still didn't want to ruin any progress.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked curiously.

"A gym that's hopefully private. I want you to touch a stake."

Dimitri felt unsure of the idea, but he only nodded and put his trust in my hands. I would have liked more privacy, but at least the guardians behind us were minding their business.

I walked into an empty room and picked up one of the free stakes that were lined up near the walls. Dimitri's stake hadn't been given back yet and neither had mine. I held out the silver weapon, pointing the thick end towards him. Dimitri had never been intimidated by a stake—or anything, really—but right now, he was acting like I was pointing a gun at him. It had taken me weeks to touch a silver stake because I had been scared. It was the only weapon that could kill us and there was something about them that made us doubt ourselves at first. It was pure strigoi instinct.

"It's okay. I was afraid too," I shared. "I promise you it won't hurt."

Dimitri nodded and reached out, touching the silver as if it would burn his hand. When it dawned on him that it wasn't harmful, he wrapped his hand around it and gently pulled it out of my grasp. He turned it over and laughed at himself.

"It feels like being a teenager all over again," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was only a few years younger than you, I held a stake for the first time. It just reminded me of that. How cold and heavy it feels, how different it is from any other weapon. Even the things I touch feel different now."

"How does it feel to touch me?" I asked. I couldn't tell if my question sounded sexual or not. We hadn't had sex since coming back, but I could only assume it would feel even better now.

"I've always loved touching your skin. Now, I can feel just how soft it really is. When I'm stressed out or anxious, feeling your arms around me makes me feel better. It makes me feel safe. And when I caress you like this," he continued, stroking my cheek with his thumb, "I feel like I'm touching an angel. I know it sounds cheesy and stupid, but since the moment I woke up, I've thought about you like that."

I remembered his words when he had opened his eyes. He had asked me if I was his angel. I thought it was sweet at the time, and the fact that he still admired me that much stirred a certain feeling inside that made my heart flutter.

"I didn't think someone like me could be angelic," I whispered.

"I think you are. You just don't realize it," Dimitri said softly. I placed my hand over his, leaning my cheek into his palm. I hardly noticed him coming closer and pressing his lips to mine, sharing a small clutter of comforting feelings in the bond.

"There's one more thing I want to show you," I whispered against his mouth.

"And what would that be?" he asked. I smiled and took his hand again, pulling him towards the back doors in the room. As soon as I opened the door, the sun from outside shined in the room and Dimitri took a step back.

"Come on," I told him. "It won't hurt you."

"Rose, I can barely even look at it from here without it blinding my eyes."

"Your eyes will adjust. It might be a bit bright, but it's not unbearable. Here, look." I reached over and pulled his hand out, revealing it in the sun before he could protest. His first instinct was to pull away, but I refused to let his fears overpower him.

"See? You're not burning." I let go of his hand, and he turned it over curiously, spreading his fingers out.

"Want to come out?" I asked, waiting for his reply in anticipation. Dimitri had always loved the sun, but this was a new experience for him.

Slowly, he stepped into the light. I'd always found him beautiful in the sun, but I had to admit he was even more beautiful now. The light made his skin glow perfectly.

"You would look so good with highlighter," I blurted out.

"Um...what?"

"Oh, you know, the shiny stuff girls put on their cheekbones. Maybe I'll put it on you and make you look all pretty."

"Sounds like fun," he joked, wrapping his arms around my waist. He lifted me in the air, twirling me around. I laughed at his sudden enthusiasm and he started to let me down. I lost my footing and fell back, taking him down with me until he was lying on top of me in the grass. It was cold out and there was some snow on the ground, but it didn't even bother us.

Dimitri's head blocked off the sun, offering me some shade so that I could look up at him comfortably. With the sun rays shining off the sides of his head, his long hair framing his face while the wind made the strands brush across his cheek, he truly looked like a god.

"What?" he asked when I stared for too long.

"You're breathtaking," I whispered. "I don't think you realize how beautiful and strong you are. You're taking this whole transition so well."

Dimitri chuckled. "Let's face it, Rose, I'd be having a much harder time without your help. If it weren't for you, I'd still be hiding in the suite. I'd be unstable and I wouldn't know how to handle anything. You've given me so much strength. You hold me down when I'm out of control, but you also lift me up when I doubt myself. I'm not just talking about the last few days. I'm talking about the past year and a half that I've known you. You're my other half, Roza."

I would have said he was being corny, but I felt the same way. Dimitri and I completed each other. I loved him with all my heart and I couldn't imagine myself being this happy with anyone else.

The next few words that came out of Dimitri's mouth shocked me. "I want to marry you, Roza."

I was speechless. He wanted to marry me! I shouldn't have been so surprised considering how in love we were, but he was set. He wanted to be tied to me forever...and so did I.

"I wanted to ask you in a more romantic setting. I know I don't have a fancy ring right now since I'm not even allowed to leave the suite without supervision, and you don't have to say yes right away if you don't want to, but—"

I crashed my lips into his, silencing the rest of his words. I was going to burst into tears of happiness any second now. Dimitri didn't need to take me to an expensive place to ask me to marry him. Right now, with the two of us lying in the grass with the sun shining over our skin, I was beyond happy.

"You don't need to have a fancy setting or a luxurious ring to propose. I love you, Dimitri, and I want to be yours officially. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, to grow old and have a family."

"So...that's a yes?" he asked, a happy smile starting to tug at his lips.

"Yes," I said. Dimitri's smile got wider and he kissed me deeply, rolling us over until I was lying on top of him. His lips never broke away from mine as his fingers tangled through my hair. I was so excited and overwhelmed that I could feel myself becoming aroused and soon started rubbing my hips against his, trying to get some more friction.

"Not here, Roza," Dimitri whispered in my ear. "We aren't alone."

I groaned in annoyance when I saw our guards standing awkwardly against the building. "Let's go back to our room."

Dimitri's lips were moving fiercely against mine, his hand holding my neck as we barged into the room and slammed the door. With inhuman speed, he tore my clothes off, and within seconds, I was completely naked in his arms. I took his clothes off just as fast, hearing the fabric rip in the process. I wasn't sure who was hungrier for the other, but we were both filled with lust and love for each other.

Dimitri slid his hands under my thighs and hoisted me up, carrying me while I kissed him until I felt my bare ass touch the mattress. He laid us down, rolling onto his back so that I was on top again. I straddled his hips, running my hands over his chest just the way he liked it while keeping my eyes on him. He bit his lip as he watched me and moved his hips up to press his hard erection against my soaking core. He wanted me to take him like this, and I was more than happy to do so. Anything that I could do to please him would please me just as much, and I was desperate to have him inside me.

I grabbed his hard shaft and lined it up with myself, and in one swift motion, I lowered myself onto him, filling myself up until my hips fully rested on his. The sight of his cock entering my tight heat from that angle was enough to make me moan. I placed my palms on Dimitri's chest for support, moving up and down while he gripped my hips to help.

"You look so beautiful like this," he gasped out, staring up at me through his now red eyes in admiration. My eyes had changed colour too. Something interesting about our eyes was that they didn't just change when we were thirsty. They also changed when we experienced any intense feelings or emotions such as anger, hatred, sadness, fear, happiness, love, and lust. Our emotions were insanely high right now which allowed the other side of us to come out.

The look in Dimitri's eyes spoke volumes. He loved and adored every part of my body, just as much as I loved his. His face was flushed, his swollen lips were slightly parted, and his toned muscles were flexing with every move he made with my body. His beauty was astonishing and I loved knowing that only I would get to see him like this. Dimitri was mine.

I bit my lip as his hand travelled up to my chest, squeezing and teasing my right nipple while his other hand snuck between our moving hips to rub ferociously at my clit.

"Oh, fuck," I growled through gritted teeth, and a few thrusts later, I came all over him. My orgasm was sudden, but I couldn't hold back. I was so lost in our lovemaking that I kept going even after I came.

Dimitri sat up, moving my legs so that they were wrapped around his waist. I held onto his shoulders and brought him closer until our sweating bodies were pressed firmly together. He slammed into me, making me lose myself as he hit a sensitive spot inside. His hand snuck around me, and he spanked me over and over again, making me cry out as pleasure and pain mixed together. By the time his hand left a pink blush on the skin, he gripped the cheeks and helped guide my movements as I bounced on his lap. I felt sorry for anyone who was staying in a room beside us as well as the guardians outside because we weren't even trying to keep quiet anymore. Tonight, our moans were loud and clear.

This had to be the most intimate position we had ever been in and with our fronts being so close, Dimitri had a clear view of my neck. He had been staring at it for a while and I knew he had a strong urge to bite me. Every time we had sex, he would suck on my neck and mark me as his own, but he wasn't doing that now because he was afraid of biting me while I was vulnerable. Little did he know just how much I wanted him to. Out of all the times I'd been fed on in my life, only Dimitri could make me feel that good. I didn't feel ashamed or dirty when he fed on me. Blood sharing felt far more intimate than anything else and I wanted us to have the full experience.

"Do it," I told him, slowing my movements. He moved my hair away and I tilted my head to the side to expose my neck. "Dimitri, please. Please bite me."

Without giving it another thought, Dimitri gave in to my request and sank his fangs into my skin. The familiar feeling of euphoria washed over me, and I gripped his hair to keep myself steady. With the pleasure in my core and the endorphins from his bite, I felt like I was on cloud nine.

Just like last time, our bond strengthened once again. It was even stronger now, almost to the point where I could reach deeply into Dimitri's mind. I grazed my own fangs against his neck as I had the sudden urge to bite him too, but I resisted until he pushed my head forward. It was more than enough encouragement, so I bit him too, hearing him moan with his mouth still attached to my neck.

I hadn't forgotten how exquisite he tasted. If I could live solely off of his blood, I would. He gave me more strength than the feeders and it was pleasurable for both of us. I was aware that sharing blood during intimacy was considered dirty and wrong, but I didn't care anymore. As long as we were happy, that was all that mattered.

I love you, I heard him say in our minds. That was how close we were now. I could hear his thoughts. I wondered if he could hear mine.

I love you too, I replied. His soft moan and tightening of his arms around my waist were an indication that he had heard me. He increased the pace of his thrusts again and I started bouncing, meeting his hips in perfect synchronization. I was right on the edge of falling apart, waiting for the deep release that I so desperately needed.

Dimitri spoke in my mind again. His voice was soft but no less of a command. Come for me, Roza.

His thrusts were relentless. He continuously hit the sweet spot deep inside me, and I exploded around him, completely shattering as my walls clamped down. My spasms were enough to set him off and he shot his load inside, growling deeply.

Just like that, with our orgasms prolonging, our minds connected again. I burst into tears of happiness, and Dimitri finally pulled his mouth away. I retracted my mouth from his neck right after, and he rested his head on my chest while I held him. Our bodies were hot and covered in sweat, but neither one of us wanted to break away. This was the closest I'd ever felt to him in my life. I loved him so much that it hurt. He was mine, and I was his.

I briefly slipped into his mind to see myself through his eyes and could suddenly understand why he thought I was an angel. In Dimitri's eyes, I was really beautiful. I was the center of his world. There was an indescribable love and protectiveness he had for me, and he cherished both my mind and soul. I had never thought of myself that way, but now that I was seeing it all through his perspective, I could understand his feelings clearly.

I returned to my head and pulled away, cupping his face in my hands. He had been in my head too. I'd never had a two-way bond, let alone something this strong with anyone, but it was exhilarating. Perhaps sharing each other's blood had completed everything.

"I heard you," Dimitri panted, bringing us out of our trance. "I didn't know we could speak through our minds. I don't even know how I did it in the first place."

"I don't know either. It's new for me too," I admitted. Dimitri eyed my neck again. Some remaining blood was still coming out.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, wiping a tear from my cheek. My sudden crying had him worried.

"No, it felt amazing. I'm just crying because I'm happy," I reassured him. "What about you?"

"Same here," he said. "I think we should heal each other."

I nodded and pressed my lips to his puncture wounds, swirling my tongue around to clean the area. I finished off by coating the small holes with my saliva to help them heal faster. Dimitri repeated the same thing on my bite wound to heal me.

"We should shower," he said, stroking my glistening back with his hand. I agreed with him, but none of us moved yet.

"You have no idea how happy I am," I whispered.

"Oh, believe me, I do. I can feel everything now. I can hear your thoughts too."

I tittered in his arms, pressing another soft kiss to his forehead before sliding off of him. I forgot he had still been inside me this whole time and I winced when he pulled out. Taking his hand, I headed towards the bathroom. "Let's go take care of each other."