Author's note: And here is the next one! Sorry for the wait! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Richelle Mead, the most brilliant woman in the world.

Warning: Nothing, except maybe language.

Word Count: 5,139

The first couple of days, I was shown a different, much more civilized part of the Strigoi (although I wouldn't quite call it "civilized."). They lounged around the house, ripped each other new ones when they got the chance, and would occasionally hiss at one another for getting in their way. But it wasn't until day 4 after waking up from the turn (and 10 days after being taken from Gerard's house, I realized) that we finally did something really Strigoi.

We went out hunting. And it wasn't like, go out, find someone, kill them, then leave. No, it was go out, hunt six or seven people each, drain them dry, and then keep going until morning. Each and every time I held a squealing, shriveling, whimpering mess of a man, or a woman, and I fed on them... I felt horrible afterward but I couldn't stop myself. It's much like what Gillian had said, I couldn't control it. I was just suddenly so thirsty for blood and nothing would sate it. After I would drink from someone, I would look up to see if Gillian was looking at me displeased.

But no, she looked at me with understanding. Like she was in my place before, and I don't understand it.

Hannah ended up being okay. I didn't seriously hurt her when I fed from her. But Mattias has yet to turn her and keeps her around to play around with. It reminds me of the humans that were with the Strigoi that Dimitri was with. She stared at me with these strange dazed eyes and wouldn't say anything but I saw her often go into Mattias' room. Her and Taylor. And they wouldn't come out for a long time.

Gillian leaned over and told me that Hannah was Mattias' blood whore and Taylor was just a whore. After we both laughed at that I remembered that I needed to ask her about her strange knowledge.

So I asked her after the hunt that night was over, about why she knew the Moroi and Dhampir names for -well- Moroi and Dhmapir, she just shrugged and said, "I've been Strigoi for two years, I was bound to learn the lingo." For some reason, I wanted to call her out on bullshit but I had no proof. It was a legitimate reason, but there was something in my gut that made me want to pursue it.

But I can't. It doesn't matter anymore. I am Strigoi now. I shouldn't care about anything other than eating humans, Dhampir and Moroi.

So why do I?

"Get ready for the really fun hunt, Rosemarie," Mattias says, stalking up beside me, putting his arm across my shoulders. This night, which would normally be too hot and sticky for someone like me, is just warm and only slightly unbearable. In fact, Mattias in close proximity gave me the slight cool down that I needed. Which is the only good thing I can say about Mattias.

"Oh yeah?" I say, not really listening. All of us girls surround him like a protective bubble. Not that most of us like to, but it's dangerous being a lone Strigoi out there, especially with Alchemists and other rapidly changing technology that can aid the Guardians. It's a lot harder to move around the world and keep up with the times when you can only survive in darkness.

Mattias bumps me with his hip, grinning with a chill. "Tonight, we've got a real treat. Right, Libby?"

The only ex-Dhampir in the group besides me is about five or six years older than myself. She's been with Mattias the longest of anyone. Almost ten years, or so I've heard. She's taller than me, but quiet. I've barely heard her speak two words since I've arrived. Someone else had to tell me her name. She is silent through almost every situation, always staring on with neutral, impassive face. Nothing in the world seemed to phase her. But if I've learned anything about her during my relatively short stay thus far, it's that she's fiercely protective of Mattias.

Not in love, like Taylor, but she gives everyone this fiery hot stare at those that even so much as look at him aggressively. I never noticed it before but Mattias was a Moroi before this and Libby is believed to be a close friend of his before he turned, and her loyalty leading her to also change in order to stay with him, but they are tight lipped about their relationship.

In fact, if anything, they treat each other with a stranger's indifference but there is without a doubt a connection.

Libby nods. "A group of Moroi and Guardians have entered this city this late last night. I caught their scent in the wind before sunrise after the hunt yesterday."

"Well aren't you special?" another girl grumbles.

Libby doesn't respond. She just stared back at the girl for a long, drawn out moment before turning away. I falter slightly while walking but Mattias manages to continue to pull me along.

"I haven't had Dhampir in two months! They are the best," another girl gushes, licking her lips. I crinkle my nose in disgust.

"Don't be like that, Rosemarie," Mattias says, finally pulling his arm away. "It's strange to think of it at first but totally worth it in the end." He sighs dreamily, eyes rolling around in his head before landing on me and and grinning coldly.

Together, our little group climb up to the roof and jump from roof top to roof top, Libby leading the way. The night is young and it's still cooling down from the hot weather from earlier today. A storm is rolling in and it's only fitting, that tonight we spill Moroi and Dhampir blood, and the sky cries for them. If I was into that sort of poetic stuff.

"Where are they?" Gillian asks, staying close to my side. She's still in that hoodie she was in a couple days ago. I'm starting to see a pattern. Every time she leaves the house, she wears that jacket. It's a faded blood red jacket. I'm not sure why.

"Who are they?" I ask, not missing the look Gillian sends me.

Taylor looks at me with unreadable red eyes. "Why does it matter? Food is food." For some reason, those words rubbed me the wrong way. They aren't food. They are Moroi -they come first- and Dhampir that have spent their entire lives with a single mantra. They would think of that single phrase as they worked out, went to class, trained, and got their first Moroi to protect.

They come first.

And here we are, hunting for them. My stomach twists uncomfortably.

"Food is food, what a bitch," Gillian says to me after the others went on ahead. She rolls her eyes and grabs the crook of my elbow. "Come on, let's go. Might as well go see who it is... or not?" she says, tilting her head to look at me. She probably sees the strained look on my face. "Look, if it's too soon, we don't have to join them. We can just go hunt someone else."

Mattias stops, turning back to us. "Come on, Rosemarie, Gillian, we need you. Libby smelled a lot of them, so we need the extra girl power." He does a fist pump, which only looks silly. "Besides, Rosemarie was a Guardian, like Libs. She'll be a good asset to have."

"But if she doesn't want to, you can't force her, Mattias," Gillian says chillingly. "And you're right, other than Libby, she's the only one here who's trained her entire life to kill."

"No, it's fine," I shrug, not wanting to remember, once more, that I am going against everything that I have ever been taught. If my soul is going to burn in hell for eternity, might as well light a few matches myself...right? "I need... I need to get over this. Don't I? The chance of me ever changing back to normal is slim to none and there is no way I'd ever go looking for-" I stop, swallowing their names like stones in the throat. Alina. Oksana. Adrian. Lissa. No. I would never go looking for them. I have no idea if I would be able to stop myself from hurting them and I would never take that risk.

Gillian nods, looking impassive, while Mattias looks pleased. With Taylor tugging at his arm and insisting he hurry, he turns back around and leads the way back toward the hotel. Libby follows closely in his shadow, long chestnut colored braid swaying at her waist.

I shouldn't care. I really shouldn't. But I do. A part of me still doesn't want my friends to get hurt, especially by me. They are still important to me, even if I'll never seen any of my important people again, it doesn't mean I don't want them to be safe and happy. Maybe I'm not fully Strigoi yet. I'm not sure if it's suppose to take time or something if it just happens immediately. Maybe Dhampir and Moroi just let off some kind of pheromone that drives Strigoi stir-crazy. I don't really know. This will be the first time I'll be around either since my turning.

I guess I'll figure it out soon.

I recognized the hotel that the Moroi and Guardians are staying at. I saw it the night Gillian and I came walking around here after I kicked the shit out of Taylor. It was just a sideways glance, not something that I really register, only now I notice it, staring at it again. It's big and bright and illuminates the street with its checkered board lights.

We all jump down into an alley and stalk our way to the hospital.

"Is this smart?" I ask. "Just attacking where so many humans can see us?"

Taylor turns and gives me a deadpan look. "What do we care? Let that be a Moroi problem. It's them who care so much about whether we are known about or not." She shrugs and turns away, perfectly healed nose turned up. Suddenly, I don't feel so bad about busting it a couple days ago.

As I expected, Libby is a well trained Novice (since I don't know if she graduated or not. I'm assuming she did because she looks to maybe be 22 or 23 but who knows?) because she moves a lot like I do. Even after years of being a Strigoi under her belt, there is something distinguishable about the way she moves that just screams 'trained Dhampir'. She sticks close to Mattias, like he's her Moroi, which I bet he was, and watches him even closer.

I pull my hair up to the top of my head and into a ponytail to get it out of my face. I don't bother with the few loose strands, just tuck them behind my ear and follow the others smoothly into the bright hotel. It hurts my eyes a little but I adjust. Immediately, everyone breaks up into somehow pre-established groups. As an after-thought, Gillian grabs my arm and tugs me along with her into the lobby, passed the front desk which Libby, Taylor and Mattias head straight for.

Gillian, a girl named Haley, and I walk into a lounging area just off the main office. There is a small sit in restaurant provided by the hotel and a comfy living room like area just next to it. There is a few definite humans meandering around, reading, talking, checking in. Families. People who have driven for miles to get from one place to another and just here for a pit stop. They have no idea how their lives are going to change tonight. I have to physically stop myself from just spinning around and screaming at them to run, especially when one of the little boys lifts his head from his dad's shoulder where he was dozing to smile at me sleepily.

I have to look away. I can't let myself be distracted by these people. They aren't the real target. If anything, they will probably be able to escape in the chaos. It's the Moroi and Dhampir that have stuff to seriously worry about.

My eyes scan the room over Gillian's shoulder who skillfully put herself between me and the Guardians and Moroi sitting around the table. There is seven Guardians and three Moroi and two male humans. Alchemists, my brian tells me. I see the lily tattoo on each of their left cheeks. Both are stiff and uncomfortable. Of the seven Guardians only one is a woman. One of the Moroi is a young man with white blond hair and the other is an older woman with her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun. She's dressed up all fancy, pencil skirt and blazer while the boy is in jeans and a button up.

It's the last Moroi that catches my attention and makes my blood run colder than usual. I feel like my entire life is crashing down around me.

Gillian is also gazing over at them with an unreadable look on her face. It's a mixture of confusion and surprise. She's so focused on them that her grip on my elbow loosened so I could pull away from her and cross the room toward Mattias. I grab his arm and, while going up onto my tip toes, I hiss into his ear, "I want the Moroi in the middle. Between the boy and the woman. Let me have him."

Mattias turns ever so slightly to look over at them before turning back to me, grinning revealing his fangs. "Is my beloved Rosemarie asking me, or ordering me?"

"Ordering," I snap. "If you want me to participate, he's mine."

Mattias looks positively thrilled by the prospect. His look is chilling, even to me, even now. I feel like I should be getting used to it by now but that's not happening. I stare at him with as cold and as hard a look as I can muster. Mattias stares back with an amused half smile. After a few long moments, he nods.

"Alright, darling, if you want him, he's yours." He reaches out and caresses my cheek. It takes all of my will power not to jerk away. "Just enjoy the treat."

"Thanks." With that, I turn on my heel and, as inconspicuous as possible, I make my way back to Gillian and Haley. They both look at me curiously. "The Moroi in the middle is mine. Mattias said it was okay."

Haley nods. "Whatever. I want that cute Guardian with the Cry Baby Walker haircut." She grins, eyeing one of the Guardians.

Gillian looks at me with the same unreadable expression. Her eyes lower to the floor for a moment before rising to my eyes again. She nods slowly. The three of us put our heads together and I peak at the Guardians, seeing one of them staring at us, his youthful face twisted into one of confusion. He knows that there is something wrong with us, but I can't tell if he understands just what that is.

"We are being watched," I mumble, keeping my eyes down.

Gillian shrugs. "Mattias is moving." She must have eyes on the back of her head because right as she says that, I spot Mattias walking casually toward them, totally uncaring that there are seven Guardians watching the room. My eyes flash over to where Libby was just a few moments ago only to see Taylor standing there, as if she was still going to check in.

Libby had made her way to the female Guardian and faster than I expected, she broke into a sprint toward her, hissing loudly. All the Guardians jump up, stakes in their hands. That's when we all move in. Gillian zooms past me to get to the young Moroi man, snatching him from his seat and tossing him across the room onto one of the couches, cushioning his fall. The couch falls backward, hiding him and her and she leaps over on top of him.

Mattias kills a Guardian right away and moves on to the next one. People are screaming, running out of the room. I slink my way through the bodies to my prey. He's already on his feet, trying to get away. Two Guardians flank him. I charge. I manage to jump onto the broader Guardian's back, casing him to stumble into the wall. I reach up, grab his head and bash it into the wall twice to knock him out before spinning around and narrowing avoiding a stake to the heart. It scratches my arm and instead of just cutting, it burns and stings. Like a paper cut, but much more painful.

I back up, look around. I grab a picture off the wall and swing it at his head. He barely avoids it. I drop it and rush him. He jabs at me with his stake which I back step before dropping down and swiping his feet out from under him. I hop on top of him, pull my hand back and punch him hard on the jaw three times. Left, right, left and then pull back slightly to see if he'll get up again. He's out cold.

I look around but my Moroi is gone. I look down the hall he tried to escape from and snarl. He's at the end, going out the exit. I jump up and sprint down the hall as fast as I can. I throw the door open and rush after him, catching him before he can get to his rental car. I catch him and press him tightly against the car door, my hand on his chest. By the slightly pained look on his face I must have hit him harder than I thought. A bit of shame fills my gut and I loosen my grip automatically.

Dark eyes widen at the sight of me in the light. "Rose?"

"Hi, old man." An evil smile curls across my lip.

Ibrahim Mazur stares back at me with the most surprised look I have ever seen on him. Something in his eyes leaves me a bit confused. Is he happy? Is he relieved? I can't tell.

"What are you doing here, old man?" I ask, loosening my grip even more when I notice it's hard for him to breath.

"An informant told me that someone matching your description was seen near here a few days ago. I needed to see for myself," Abe says, straightening his mint colored shirt. I finally step back, feeling like I have to put a bit of distance between us.

"That was really stupid of you. You had to know that if I was here and not back home that I would be Strigoi and you came all the way out here anyway. Are you out of your mind!" I snap, spinning around and stomping away from him a few steps before spinning back around to jab a finger at him. "I almost didn't come tonight and you would have been dead! What the hell is wrong with you? What was so important?"

His shocked expression is gone, replaced by an unreadable expression. He looks me up and down a few moments. Taking in my blue tank top and black leather jacked, my ripped jeans and the boots that Lissa gave me. I can't bring myself to part from them. It's like they are my only tangible connection to her now. I don't trust myself to ever be near her again. Not that I would be able to get near her, being Strigoi.

His dark brown eyes, so much like my own, pause at my longer finger nails, meant for scratching the shit out of people and my mouth, which I know he knows has two fangs, much like his, hiding beneath my lips, and my eyes... my eyes now red, staring back at him.

"You are, Rose. I had to know if coming here, I would find a body." His words are so plain, so matter of fact, I flinch. "But I didn't. You are alive."

"I'm Strigoi," I snarl, taking a threatening step toward him, but he's unfazed, which only boils my blood more. "I'm a monster and you are my prey. You were an idiot to come out here. You had to of known. So why did you risk it? Huh? If your informant saw me, you knew I was up and about. And since I gave no word to Lissa, you had to know I was Strigoi, so why? Why risk figuring out what you already knew?"

My fists were clenched so tight they hurt. My nails bit into my skin and I was trembling in anger, but Abe moved as if he wasn't concerned in the slightest. He reached out and touched my cheek in such an affectionate way, it was strange to see from him. Odd, even. Since turning, the only person to touch me so affectionately was Mattias and that always left me feeling sickened but not here, not now, not with Abe.

It's like Abe Mazur has some kind of magical power in his finger tips that when they touched my cheek, all of the anger is just sucked right out of my body, making me feel boneless.

"You are my daughter, Rose. Why must you insist on asking such silly questions?" Abe says simply, staring at me intently. I unclench my fists and just stare at him.

"How could you possibly know I wouldn't hurt you? For all you knew I was chasing you don't to rip your throat open and watch the dust come out." It was a poor excuse for a joke but Abe smiles, bemused. It's the first, genuinely kind smile I've seen since awakening. It makes me think back to when I was going to turn. I thought of my old man and how just before I came to Nevada, he was trying to be close to me, be in my life.

Abe Mazur wanted to know his daughter. He wanted to know me.

"I know you, Rose," he says. "And as complex as I'm sure you'd like to believe you are, I make a living off of reading people and their intentions. I knew, if you became Strigoi, I was going to do what I could to save you."

His words, although matter-of-fact sounding, still make my chest ache and make me wonder if this was truly what it's like to have a father that really and truly cares for you. I swallow the feeling though, not sure what to think of it.

"But what if you were wrong?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shrugs, like that wasn't his issue. "But I wasn't. Here you are."

I narrow my eyes. "I could still chew on your neck if I wanted."

Abe gives me a patient, knowing look, like he's dealing with... well... a child. His child, more specifically, I guess. Which he is. "True. But you don't want to, do you? I know you, Rose, there isn't anyone in the world that can make you do something you are adamant about not doing. Turning Strigoi means nothing."

I stare at him for a long time, wondering if there was some validity to what he said. "You think so?" I ask quietly, shifting uncomfortably. I'm not usually the weak one. But I think I've been really weak these last few days. Turning Strigoi has put me on my head, I don't know what to do.

He nods once, sharply. "And I can see now, just standing in front of you, that you are different. Having been Shadow-kissed before turning really did affect you. You are different from any Strigoi I've ever seen. You're eyes aren't very red and you seem very calm even in the presences of your so called 'prey'." He makes air quotes around the words prey.

He was right. Here I was, standing in front of a Moroi, and I felt... nothing. I wasn't itching to break his neck or drink his blood. It wasn't like I was a Strigoi standing in front of a Moroi. I was a daughter standing before her father. I wasn't even the slightest bit hungry for him.

My surprise must have shown on my face, because he nods, more to himself than me. "Now that I know that, I'm going to save you. Wait for me."

"Old man-"

"I wonder if another Spirit user could save you..." he murmurs, mind working.

"Old m-"

"I'll have to pull a couple of strings and get some more help..."

"Old-"

"Perhaps Vasilisa-"

"Dad!" I yell, making him stop. He looks at me, surprise. I am too. I think this is the first time I've actually called him dad. Really admitted our relationship. Yeah, he and I would often make jokes around the subject of us being father and daughter, but we've never really fully acknowledge it. I feel my jaw working as I search for the words. Finally, I continue, "Don't bring in Lissa. I can't..." I shake my head. I can't bring her into this.

"I will save you," Abe says. He sounds so sure.

"Don't tell anyone about this. If you are adamant about helping me, do it on the down-low. I don't want to give Lissa any false hope. Okay?" I sigh.

Abe looks about to protest but sighs as well, nodding. "Fine, Rosemarie, fine."

I send a quick look toward the hotel, the sounds of fighting is gone. I reach past Abe and open the door to his rental. "Get out of here, we've spent too much time talking. Go."

Abe turns away for a moment but then he hesitates and I wonder if he's worried about turning his back to a Strigoi but then he turns back around and hugs me tightly, slipping something into the back pocket of my jeans before pulling away uncomfortably and getting in. He doesn't wait, he starts the car and drives off, leaving me standing there.

I hesitate a moment before rushing back inside. I hope I'm not too late. I run back to the two Dhampir that I knocked out earlier. A quick look around the room shows meme that the other are around, drinking from their spoils, completely oblivious to me. I flip over one of them. I don't recognize him. I move over to the other and flip him over. It's Pavel.

I grab him under the arms and drag him down the hall, watching the others with their faces buried into the necks of their victims. I drag him out the door and into the bushes at the end of the parking lot. I kneel over his and slap him a few times until he starts to wake up. He looks around blearily, eyes half open. As soon as he focuses on me, he makes to jump up, reaching for a stake that is no longer there.

"There are still Strigoi nearby so shut up!" I snap. He stares back, tense, looking like this is the last place he'd want to be. But I think he recognizes me. I am his Moroi's daughter after all. "My old man is gone, he's safe, hopefully. I hope you know where he's going. He took the rental." Pavel opens his mouth but I shake my head. "No, don't tell me, just go to him. Make sure he gets out of here safely." I stand up and back away from him.

He stands up slowly, a little uneven. He manages his footing and then looks around, surveying the area. He's hesitant to turn away from me, probably worried I'll stop being so friendly.

"Keep him safe," I say, turning and heading back to the hotel. I hear sirens off in the distance. I go inside and stand by the door, watching as he gets his bearings before finally heading off down the street. His jaw is definitely going to be hurting for a while. I'm surprised I didn't even notice it was him when I was punching the shit out of him earlier. I guess I was so focused on getting to Abe, I didn't really think about it.

I step back into the room, scanning it until I find Mattias with his face buried in the neck of the female Guardian, her eyes are wide and staring blankly at the ceiling. I step over to him. "Mattias, the cops are coming, we should go." He pulls away after a few more swallows, licking the blood from his lips. He nods.

"Alright, ladies, take your prize, let's get out of here." He walks over to another of the female Moroi and tosses her over his shoulder. The other girls grab someone to bring home as a pet. I stop on my way to the door to see one of the girls making her way over to the other Guardian that I knocked out. I beat her to him. I grab him from under the arms and much like with Pavel, I drag him toward the door. He's bleeding a little from his head where I beat it against the wall. Oops.

When she gives me a dirty look, I snarl, "He's mine. Get your own." She hisses and me and turns away. I sigh, looking down at him, wondering what in the world I'm doing. It's my fault I knocked him out. I should at least try to save his life.

As one Dhampir to a remnant other, I owe him that much.