Chapter 13:

DPOV

I loved my home. For many reasons, some obvious, some obscure but right now I loved my home because they run on human time.

I was sitting outside in the sun. Just enjoying the warmth on my face. Our normal nocturnal schedule didn't leave much room for sunlight. Most of the time I didn't mind, until I would be outside again and welcome the sun's rays on my skin. I was glad to notice it didn't sting. After what happened at the diner I was trying to figure out what parts of me were still me and what parts weren't. But so far I seemed to be normal. I could do all things Dhampirs do. I wasn't hungry for blood. I didn't have increased strength. It was as if it never happened. But it did.

Rose joined me on the bench with a heavy sigh.

"rough morning?"

I asked with a smile on my face. After breakfast mama had highjacked her and I hadn't seen her since.

"Oh God. Baby names, Baby clothes, baby cribs. She has magazines upon magazines not to mention Olena knows how to do some internet shopping. I had a hard time saying no to her. It is still way too early to be thinking about that kind of stuff."

I chuckled. My mother could be a bit much, certainly when grandchildren were involved.

"Sometimes I am glad I have an emotionless drone for a mother. At least when we tell her she wouldn't be like this."

"Roza, Janine is not an emotionless drone, just maybe not so over the top as my mother."

"Just saying if my mother starts doing stuff like this, I am out."

I laughed. I could only imagine Janine being a proper grandmother. For one she was a bit younger then my mother and two she didn't strike me as the grandmother that knitted sweaters and would buy adorable baby clothes. Now training the twins when they got older that would be more up her alley. I would imagine Abe be more likely to spoil the children with stuff before Janine would.

"So why are you brooding in the lovely morning sun?"

Rose had her eyes closed and was enjoying the sun just like me. I often wondered if she needed the sun more than the average Dhampir because of her heritage. Her whole body and complexion being more built for warm and sunny weather.

"I wasn't brooding."

I pouted at her. She just raised her eyebrows in question.

"I was just wondering if I could."

I know my voice sounded small. I had dreaded the answer. I knew I could still tolerate the sun. I hadn't burst into flames after the diner incident but maybe it would seep through. Maybe more like Moroi would experience the sun.

She grabbed my hand after my admission.

"And?"

"Still love it."

"Do you feel any different?"

"Right now? No. It is as if it didn't happen."

"How did it feel at the diner."

I sighed.

"Honestly I didn't realize something was wrong until I sank my teeth into him and saw the fear on your face. Before that I was just surprised at how slow they were. I had felt that strength before, my body recognized it and knew how to handle it. But it was strange having that strength and still have my soul. After I realized what was happening I was mostly just scared. I associate that strength with all the horrible things I have done but I was still in control here. The juxtaposition was strange."

"The what now?"

"the contrast."

"Oh."

"What did you feel before you fed off of him?"

"I felt weakened. It was different from the bloodlust as Strigoi. It wasn't necessarily his blood I was after. It was his strength. I have thought about it and I think I needed to replenish the strength I used up fighting the other one. Strigoi can handle that sort of strength because their bodies are undead and they are immortal, but this kind of power cannot be handled by our bodies so I needed his power to recuperate. I think it is why I haven't felt it since and why I don't feel the need for anybody else's blood. It is specifically Strigoi blood that can restore that power. It is why after I drank from him I was able to return back to normal."

I saw Rose was contemplating my words. Usually she was the one coming up with crazy theories.

"What about you? Have you felt any changes?"

"No, but if you are right I wouldn't. I would have to transform first, use up some strength and then see if I would need to feed off of a Strigoi."

I nodded. That at least was something I liked about this theory and hoped it was true. As long as we didn't transform we didn't have to prey on Strigoi.

"I think it is kind of poetic."

"Poetic how?"

I could think of a lot of things but poetic wasn't what first came to mind.

"The hunted become the hunters and the predator the prey."

I smiled. That was poetic. I hated what Nathan had done to me. Me especially had a problem with having Strigoi attributes again but in the end it did mean we would be stronger in battle. The two Strigoi at the diner were childsplay for me. But it wasn't like Nathan had wanted. It only worked on me because I was turned back and Rose only survived because she was pregnant with the twins. I wondered if the twins would also become like this? They didn't get tattooed but the fact they were able to save their mother was testimony that they were exposed to the Strigoi blood.

I pulled Rose close and just enjoyed being with her in the sun. I brought her head close to mine and I smelled her hair. It has always smelled good but I was now able to pick out every different fragrance note from her shampoo and I could distinguish what was coming from her shampoo and what was coming from her. I pulled back slightly the smell overwhelming my senses.

Rose looked up at me a bit worried.

"It's fine Roza, just fine."

She didn't believe me, I could tell, but she was letting it go.

RPOV

I knew it was bothering Dimitri. I could only imagine how he felt about this. Between the major news of his father, the twins and now him being able to turn in and back from a Strigoi like state I could see the cracks forming in his exterior. He looked tired. He was tired. I was glad Lissa send us on a little vacation. It would do us both some good just hanging with the family.

I was currently on the couch reading a book. A book Olena had so graciously got me in English and said it was the best pregnancy book. I didn't really want to read it but I was making an effort not to slight her. I was still on the 'your baby is the size of a grain of rice' page. I was seriously avoiding the 'your baby will destroy you nether regions as it comes out of you' pages. After a few pages I saw Sonya standing in the doorway looking a little hesitant.

"Can I sit with you?"

Sonya had never asked before and well it is her house so I was wondering what it was that had her so nervous and polite.

"Sure."

"Roza, I… I mean… about yesterday… I shouldn't have… I am sorry."

Dimitri had informed me of Sonya's softening circumstances and I wasn't mad at her anymore.

"It's okay, Sonya, I can understand how you came to that conclusion when you have experiences something like that yourself, but I need you to believe I would never do that to Dimitri."

She nodded still not looking me in the eye.

"I know. Deep down I know. What you two have is the real thing. Maybe I was jealous because no matter how hard I try there doesn't seem to be a happily ever after for me."

I laughed.

"Well I don't know about the happily ever after. We went through a lot of shit together. And maybe that is part of what makes us, us. I don't just love Dimitri. I don't just get Dimitri. I have history with Dimitri. So many challenges we had to overcome to be here, so many challenges still to come. I know that there is a special someone out there for everyone. Just don't be in too much rush to get there. Not all of us can find their soul mate at seventeen. Although to be fair that was part of the challenges."

We both laughed at that.

"You are right. I shouldn't have doubted you Roza. You are like my sister even if we don't always get along."

There was an awkward hug after those words and we actually chatted about the pregnancy a little.

"Actually right now is their biggest growth spurt. They were only a few cells a few weeks ago and now they are already have tiny bodies and forming a circulatory system. It is why women get so tired now. Don't feel anything like that yet?"

As she was asking I was considering it. I didn't feel particularly tired but I did notice my body was a bit more sluggish it just wasn't sleep tired, it was more several hours of training tired. As I focused on that feeling, I felt the edge. I felt it and before I could stop myself, I fell over. My whole body changed. It was hard wired with electricity as it seemed. I didn't like the feeling as it was washing over me. I was gripping the couch and felt the wood in the couch break under my touch. I vaguely registered Sonya's screams as she ran out of the living room.

I didn't know what I was feeling but I knew one thing. I was hungry. I felt like I hadn't eaten in weeks. It was as if the hunger was consuming me.

Dimitri came running into the living room probably as a reaction to her screaming. Viktoria was behind him and I could hear a collective intake of breathe.

"Oh Roza."

Viktoria looked absolutely terrified and was holding everyone back. I saw she was pulling a stake from her purse.

"No, don't, I'll take care of this. Just stay back."

Dimitri all but growled to Viktoria. I would agree with him though. I didn't want that stake anywhere near me.

"Roza? How are you feeling?"

"Hungry."

"Are you still with me?"

I didn't understand the question. Where would I go?

"What? Why?"

"Roza, your eyes are red."

I groaned. Of course they were. That was the hunger. But I hadn't used any Strigoi like strength like Dimitri had. Maybe his theory was wrong. I mean I didn't even know I had Strigoi strength. Although maybe the couch thought differently.

"What happened to set this off?"

"I don't know comrade. Sonya and I were talking. Baby stuff. Apparently the twins are going through a growth spurt now."

As the words left my mouth I understood what was happening. Dimitri came to the same conclusion. The twins were using Strigoi strength to grow. The tattoo had affected them. The Strigoi blood was in their system now, helping them grow. Even if I wasn't using it personally, my body was losing strength.

I saw Dimitri pick up the letter opener on the desk next to the couch. He made a gash across his wrists.

"Roza, you need to feed."

"That won't work Dimitri. Even if it did it would mean you would lose some as well and would have to feed again."

"I know, we can go hunting tonight but for now you need something to curp the hunger even if it only a little."

I nodded. I hesitated to move to his wrist but Dimitri didn't allow me to pull back. He closed the distance and held it inches from my mouth. I smelled the blood. Blood used to smell like iron to me. Like rust, but now it smelled amazing. Sweet and rich. I brought my mouth to his wrist and sank my teeth in his flesh. I didn't even notice I had fangs but it made sense. I only took a few sips. I wanted more, a lot more. But I needed to pace myself. If I took too much not only would it hurt Dimitri it would just transfer the Strigoi state and Dimitri would have to feed.

I pulled back and licked my lips. I closed my eyes and took a few cleansing breathes before I opened them again. I saw visual relief on Dimitri's face. I moved my hand to my mouth to feel my teeth but my fangs were gone.

"How are you feeling?"

"I am okay. It is weird. I know what it is like to lose control or be on the brink of losing control. Even if I recognized that strength was not my own, it didn't feel like it did with the spirit darkness. I was in control just ravenous."

"I know. It was the same for me. It was the associating I had with that kind of power that set me on edge but I never felt like I wasn't in control. That is good though."

"Well in control yes, but I did feel less like myself, or more like me in battle mode. It was as if I was ready to storm a Strigoi hide-out. The adrenaline was pumping through my body willing me into action."

Dimitri was nodding. I knew we both had our brushes with the darkside of power but somehow this was different. But the whole drinking blood thing still bothered me.

"What the hell is going on?"

I looked over to see Viktoria still standing in the doorway holding her stake all the other Belikova women behind her.

Dimitri sighed deeply.

"Mama would you put some tea on, this is going to be a long story."

Dimitri helped me up and together we sat at the dining room table. Dimitri and I on one side, the rest of them on the other. Only Yeva dared to sit in the middle close to us.

"Okay so a few weeks ago…"

After we iterated the story as we knew it I saw all four women look at us in shock. Yeva however had gone back to her knitting half way through the story.

Olena was the first to speak.

"So whatever Nathan did to you, it is happening to the twins too?"

I nodded but looked down at my fingers. I was angry with Nathan for not only doing this to us but to them even if he didn't know it. As far as I could tell we wouldn't be turning into a soulless monster anytime soon and neither would the twins but they were already different because they had two Dhampir parents. This wasn't helping matters.

"They will be fine. Better than fine. They will be legendary, just like their parents."

Yeva's words were an odd mix between comforting and a feeling of dread. I am glad they will be fine, but I didn't want them legendary. I wanted them to be happy. And although the two weren't mutually exclusive they usually did get in the way of each other. And I didn't know if I wanted to be legendary either. I mean we already had kick-ass reputation but I didn't want to know what would happen for us to become legendary. Usually though, it involved dying.