Chapter 14:

DPOV

That afternoon after everyone had settled down and weren't concerned anymore about Rose eating them alive, I called Sydney.

"Dimitri. How are things in Russia?"

I took a deep breath.

"Fine, fine. Sydney I need a favor."

"Okay." Her voice was a little startled. I am not usually the one asking for favors.

"I need you to figure out if there is a way to get rid of these tattoo's. We have come across some unwanted side effects."

"Okay I'll look into it, but I wouldn't recommend the usual methods. What kind of side effects?"

I took another deep breath and relayed the events of the past few days to Sydney.

"Sydney?"

I asked after a few moments of silence.

"Uh yeah. I'll look into it."

"Oh and Sydney, please keep it between us for now. Adrian already knows some of it so I don't mind you discussing it with him, but no Lissa."

"Alright."

I hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen where my mother was busy preparing God knows what.

"Mama, do you have the number of the local alchemist?"

She looked at me funny but she shook her head. Great now how was I going to get that number. I had the answer but I was dreading that call. We had discussed Rose's parents last night. We still needed to tell them we were pregnant and I think they should also know about our new found strength. We had avoided telling them anything about the experiments until Nathan was moved away from court. It would be way too easy for Abe to pull some strings at court and have Nathan die a horrible horrible death. Abe was all over the place mostly and Janine had actually been traveling a bit as well. They both made it to court a few weeks at a time to visit us. Rose and I had discussed them coming here. At that point we only knew the tattoo affected me but I was already preparing to extend out vacation so that I could get this under control before we would go back to court.

So I picked up my phone and dialed Abe's private number.

"Dimitri, son, how are you."

Already off to a good start. He only called me son if something was not right. The nicer he became the more I would worry.

"Abe I need a favor."

"Oh dangerous words, Belikov. This doesn't have anything to do with the fact you two went missing for over a week and forget to tell your poor inlaws, now would it?"

Shit. Abe and his sources. I was actually surprised he didn't already know we were pregnant.

"Sort of. I need the number for the local alchemist here in Baia. As a matter of fact, why don't you and Janine head over here. I don't want to have this conversation over the phone."

Abe sobered up quite fast.

"You're in Baia and are willingly inviting your inlaws, it must be serious."

"We are fine, but yeah, we need to discuss a few things."

"Alright. I'll send you the contact details for the alchemist and I'll pick Janine up and come your way. We'll be there in a day or two."

We hung up and I saw my phone flash which indicated Abe had send the details. Now for my last call.

The phone rang and a Russian voice answered on the other side of the line.

"Hello this is guardian Dimitri Belikov. I need information about local Strigoi sightings near Baia."

The alchemist was actually helpful. Although Baia was too protected by numbers to be much of a Strigoi hideout there were several places around here were I could look, but I needed to know recent sightings. I thought about going back to the diner, but mostly Strigoi had their own hunting ground. It would be a while before other's took the place of the two I killed.

After dinner and after the sun had gone down I packed a few things for the road and Rose and I were off. I didn't like bringing Rose into danger but she needed to feed. And I couldn't really bring a Strigoi to the house now could I. We had discussed it. I would go in and subdue the Strigoi and after I did she would come in and feed. I was wondering if she would be able to turn the Strigoi-like state on.

The drive to where the alchemists had led me was at least an hour. It was deep into the wilderness and only a few people came here. But there were some tourists that came by during this season so there was enough food for Strigoi that wanted easy prey. I hoped them going after easy prey would mean they weren't very strong, but one could only hope.

I parked the car at a small cabin and motioned Rose to stay inside. I didn't bother to lock the doors. It wouldn't stop the Strigoi anyway. I kicked the door in and saw two Strigoi startled but regaining their focus quickly. I didn't know if I was doing it on purpose or if it was a reaction to danger but I could feel the strength coming from the tattoo radiate through my body and granting me the strength I needed to subdue them. And if I hadn't felt it, their reactions said enough. The transformation to a more Strigoi like state with red eyes and fangs wasn't lost on my prey. They were clearly confused. It gave me the necessary edge and I was able to snap the first one's neck. I had the other pinned to my body in a few more seconds. I would never admit it out loud but having Strigoi strength did have its uses. Once I had him fully secured I called out to Rose. She came in and honed in on the Strigoi I was keeping close to my body. His arms pinned behind his back.

When I had incapacitated him I had drawn a little blood and I could feel the pull of that blood. Of that power. Rose seemed to notice it too. Because she transformed after she smelled it. She took one last look at and then sank her teeth into the neck of the Strigoi. He whimpered in pain. I suppose that had been one thing we hadn't inherited from them, their endorphin filled saliva. Good, let him suffer.

I felt the strength in the man go and all that was holding him up was me. Rose was about half way through when I joined her, sinking my teeth into the other side of his neck. It was a strange sensation. I could almost feel Rose being connected to me through the Strigoi. The connection only wavering after the body was drained. Rose moved over to the other body and pulled him up towards her. He was still unconscious but it wouldn't be long. She drained the other body while I watched her. There was a strange pull towards her I had never felt. She had always been beautiful and I had always seen her beauty as a true warrior even covered in blood, but as I was staring at her now, her teeth sunk into the neck of the Strigoi it's small whimpered the only sign of life left, which would soon fade as well, blood spilling from the corners of her mouth and following a trail on her chin her neck and over her breast I felt drawn to her in a primal way. A like calling to like.

When she was done and stood up from the body I didn't hesitate at all. I kissed her. I could still taste the blood of her victim on her lips and relished in the sweet nectar combined with the taste of her mouth. It was different kissing her with fangs but I didn't mind. I would find uses for them yet. I picked her up and her legs wrapped around my waist. I pushed her up against the wall for support and started to unbutton her coat. She did the same with mine. I didn't have the patience to remove all her clothing so I only took off the one that would get in my way. She unbuckled my pants and simply slid it down my legs. The moment I claimed her I growled in ecstasy. We have had our share of wild rides. Somehow we always get worked up after a fight. But this was different. This wasn't rough sex, this was primal and brutal. But as always she was matching me toe to toe. Her rhythm matched my own as she grabbed a pipe hanging over her for support. The sounds coming from both of us couldn't even be classified as moans anymore. I knew from my Strigoi days that every sensation was heightened, it was the same now. I felt her breathing against my chest. I felt the sweat on her skin. I felt her walls around my member stimulating me and sending shivers up my spine. I could almost feel the electricity move along my neurons sending pleasure to my brain. The experience was amazing. In the brutality of it all I had one more desire I wanted to fulfill but I was resisting hard. That was until I felt Rose's fangs pierce my skin and exchange the power between us. It wasn't out of hunger. I knew that. It was the same thing I had felt when we were feeding on the Strigoi together. It was a connection between us two. I could no longer hold back my own desire and sunk my teeth into her delicate neck completing the circle. When I finished I held her in place. Allowing me to spill into her and fill her completely. Her own orgasm wasn't far behind as I felt her entire body clench around me. I let go of her neck and she did the same. We were looking into each other's eyes and I could still see every single drop of sweat, feel every single hitch in her breath. As we both came down from our highs I could no longer focus on every detail of her. It was like she was becoming blurry. I saw her eyes return to their normal brown color and was almost sad to feel the power drain away. I could see the wound that was on her neck from my bite but it was already dissipating. It was healing itself. I didn't feel any pain in my neck either so I assumed the same was happening to me. I placed her down on the ground and held her there for a moment until her own legs could carry her again.

There was almost an awkward silence once we got into the car.

"So that was…" I began

"Yeah." She eloquently responded

"I mean I enjoyed it greatly but it was…"

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling?"

She looked at me and gave a thousand watt smile.

"Thoroughly satisfied."

I laughed. I know she meant that feeding off of them had done its job but we couldn't exactly ignore what happened afterwards.

RPOV

The day after Abe and Janine were on our doorstep. I was nervous. We discussed we would first share the good news and hope they reacted different from Dimitri's family.

"So tell me what you couldn't tell us over the phone." He barked at Dimitri.

"Hello to you too old man. Nice to see you Rose. How have you been Rose. Very good old man, how about you?"

I asked mimicking his voice, or at least an attempt to mimic his voice, on his parts of the conversation.

He smiled and walked over to me and kissed me on the check.

"Hello little girl. How have you been. Any news? Getting kidnapped maybe?"

I rolled my eyes. My father could be very dramatic. Not like me at all.

"Actually we have a lot of news. Why don't you sit down first and have some coffee."

He gave me a glare but did sit down. Olena had made coffee and tea for everyone but left to go outside with the others giving us some privacy.'

"So care to tell us what happened?"

My mother was now the one taking the lead. Where my father was openly hurt we didn't contact him I knew my mother was just seething on the inside. I looked down at my hands. I wanted to tell them about the twins first.

"Well, we will get to that in a minute. But on a slightly related topic… We are pregnant."

It was almost funny to see the infamous Abe Mazur and well renowned Guardian Janine Hathaway speechless. Not only that but their mouths had dropped open. I was tempted to throw a cookie Olena had provided to see if I could aim true.

"How is that related to you guys missing?"

"Well it sort of happened while we were… away."

I actually turned a little red. Although I had no trouble discussing my active sex life with just about anyone much to the dismay of Dimitri and most recently Hans, I had always been a little reluctant to share that specific detail of my life with my parents.

"What is the world happened for you to get pregnant?"

Now I just stared at my mother.

"Well mom, when a boy and a girl like each other very much…"

She rolled her eyes.

"I know how babies are made, Rose. I had you. But I mean how did you two make a baby?"

Well at least my parents believed it was Dimitri's. That was a step up from the Belikovs.

"Babies, not baby. Twins. But we think it is because Dimitri was turned back from Strigoi. He has spirit running through him all the time. It is why he is immune to turning again. And probably what made it possible for us to conceive. I was off of birth control for a week before it happened."

I saw both my parents looking shocked. Still Abe hasn't said anything. My mother was asking the right questions and wasn't calling me whore so all was good but I couldn't determine how they felt. That was until my father had the biggest goofiest smile on his face I have ever seen.

"I am going to be a grandfather?"

I nodded vigorously. I was very happy he was reacting this way. We had disserved a happy response.

However, there was a gleem in his eyes I didn't like. It was the same look Olena had and although she can be a handful Olena was at least restricted by funds and delivery possibilities. Abe however had no such restrictions. I shuddered at the thought. We would need a bigger apartment at the palace.

"Rose, not that I am not happy to be a grandmother but what happened? You two were kidnapped and I don't even here about it?"

"Well mom, it isn't so much that you didn't hear about it, it was more dad we were trying to keep in the dark. Nathan Ivashkov was the one who had us kidnapped and despite all the things he has done he is still Adrian's father and I would like for him to at least have the option to visit his father in jail instead of at the graveyard."

I made a pointed look towards my father. His eyes only narrowed.

"What did that idiot do that would warrant such a reaction from me."

His tone was dangerous. I often forgot Abe was who he was because he was always kind and gentle with me. Even with Dimitri is was mostly fun and empty threats but his voice left no doubt as to his intentions towards Nathan should he not like the answer. And he was certainly not going to like the answer.

"Well dad…"

This time I told the story. And which each passing minute both my parents got more and more angry. When I got to the events of the past few days and told them what happened last night, the hunting part, not the part after, they had become so silent I was beginning to worry. They weren't even trying to hide their rage. It just prevented them for forming any response. Not good.

"He did what? To my daughter, to my grandchildren."

"Hey, what about Dimitri."

"To my son in law!"

They kept raging on and on. Dimitri and I just sat there waiting for them to stop fuming.

"It's alright, we are alright. We were never like everybody else and this is just an extension of that. Yeva assured us the twins will be fine. They have already survived so much in their very short life span, and they have saved their mother, they can handle this."

"But honey…"

My mother started and I knew what she wanted to say, but there wasn't anything we could do about this. It happened, we are alive and that is what matters.

Afterwards we went back to more pleasant conversations and Olena and Yeva joined us in the living room. My parents stayed for dinner and I tried very hard to ignore Abe whispering with Olena. God knows what they were talking about. I got really scared when Olena started to get the baby catalogs and Abe very enthusiastically was reading it with her.

Half way through dinner Dimitri got a call and walked away from the table. I hadn't seen who was on the phone but his mood was a little lighter when he came back. I cast him a curious glance and he mouthed he would tell me later. It was a long sit after that. I couldn't even appreciate the desert. I was just too curious. After dinner I practically dragged Dimitri upstairs.

"So who was that?"

"Sydney. I asked her to look into the tattoos a bit more. I had explained to her some of the side effects and she thinks she found a way to reverse the tattoos. She believed the alchemist that made the tattoos had to adapt the formula to accommodate the Strigoi blood."

I saw he was excited. It was hard for me to crush his dreams. I know this bothered him a lot. I can only imagine how it feels for him. But we couldn't get rid of the tattoos.

"Dimitri, I don't want her to take it away."

He looked at me shocked.

"Roza, I know it gives us an advantage in the field but it isn't worth it."

I shook my head,

"It's not like that. It's just… I don't want them to be alone."

He looked very confused.

"Dimitri, even if we are somehow able to negate the effects of the tattoo it will be different for the twins. It is engrained into them. The fact I need Strigoi blood to support them proves that. I don't want them to be the only one of their kind."

There was a warm expression on his face. He hadn't considered it like that but I knew in the moment he agreed. They would already be special because they were sired by two Dhampirs. Even if somehow we could hide that fact they would still be raised by two Dhampirs a thing in itself which didn't happen very often.

"Okay. I'll call Sydney and tell her it won't be necessary. But if this is how it going to be from now on. We need to know that we are in complete control. We can't go transforming at any time. I think we should extend our vacation and train here."

I nodded. He was right. If we were going to do this we needed to be in control. Both of the transformation and the need for blood. So far I hadn't had the urge for any other kind of blood and it needed to stay that way.

I watched as he made the call to Sydney, explaining the situation to her and thanking her for her time and effort.