I am so sorry for this year wait of an update of this fanfic. I had been so busy, and I will continue to be so. I haven't forgotten about it. I really do want to continue and finish it, but It will be slow. I will try my hardest to make the wait worth it though. So, I hope this is a good chapter to read for you all! Please enjoy. ^^


"What? No hug?" Atrix's father asked with mock hurt in his voice. There was a harsh gleam in his crystal eyes as he spoke. The atmosphere within the room was tense, giving no room for ease.

Atrix had no kind words to say, and she kept in mind that this was not the place to say them. She kept her mouth shut as the result. Dimitri was more than aware that this was not a happy reunion, though he too remained quiet, watching the scene before him, doing his best to get the big picture.

Ichida had another idea, however. The female vampire approached Atrix and stopped right in front of her. Her crystal clear eyes peered straight into the other's, her smugness showing quite clearly. "I say, you're being pretty disrespectful to our father right now, don't you think?" The female questioned, a light smirk present. There wasn't much to say, but that was certainly not a good sign. Ichida was trying to start something.

Atrix knew it. She knew it and knew it was up to her to not take the bait. The hybrid wasn't going to say anything. Silence was going to be the key in getting out of this. While things weren't completely in her favor, her biological family couldn't harm her here. The Academy wouldn't allow it. Or that was what she wanted to believe. If anything, she could always run once more.

The sister gave a pout when her words received no reaction. Her gaze turned towards Dimitri, a hotness in them that even Atrix could recognize as desire. Whether the Guardian noticed, he didn't give it away. Actually, he wasn't even directly looking at any of them. Having received training, Atrix knew he was listening, and watching through his peripheral vision. If she were to be honest with herself, she felt a bit of relief and rather safe, even if it wasn't completely. It was better than anything she had considered as such before.

"I would have expected more things out of you, Young Lady," Her father's words were dipped in venom that only she could hear. To any other person, it would have just been a disappointed indication. Atrix watched as he gracefully looked at his pocket watch, a grim expression spreading over his festers as he turned towards the door. "I plan on talking to you later, for now... I expect you to behave," he finished speaking as he reached the door. Ichida followed after him, casting her sister a momentary glare.

The moment the door closed, the breath Atrix had been holding in was released all that once. Her shoulders slumping in the same relief. The threat wasn't over, but it had passed for now. Except for another obstacle to arrive.

"What happened there?" Dimitri's voice pierced through her bubble of thought. She raised her blue-green eyes to look into his brown ones. She couldn't tell him. Not yet, or not ever.

"It would be better if you didn't know," The female hybrid responded in a hushed tone, one that says not to ask any further questions. This would concern Dimitri, yet he would oblige for the time being at her request. "Fine." He kept his arms crossed.

Atrix lowered her eyes before taking her leave. Her mentor's voice called out from behind her. "I'm on your side, Atrix. Don't forget that," he spoke with a certain tone the female had t heard before. One she couldn't place her finger on. To show she had heard, she gave a short nod before heading out.

Atrix's footsteps purposely landed on the leaves, creating the favorable crunch it gave off. It was a means of a distraction from that day's event. When she was in a middle of a step, she felt a powerful smack hit her back.

"Why the long face?" The hand belonged to Rose. The strength didn't surprise her, seeing how well matched the two are in a practice match. Seeing her new found friend caused a small smile to tug at her lips.

"It's nothing to be concerned about. I guess you could say that I was scolded?" Atrix answered as vaguely as possible. She may see Rose as a friend, yet that didn't mean she felt comfortable sharing her secrets with the other.

"Scolded? For what? Attending classes on time?" Rose snorted at the hybrid's words. The girl shook her head, mystified at that possible reason. "I wouldn't worry. I've seen worse," she added before getting to a whole new topic in general. "Say, are you free tonight- I mean this morning, I should say?"

"I would say I mean... Why?" Atrix answered curiously to the other girl's question. The only plan she had going on was to do go to bed early as she always does.

"Good, because you're going to be my 'date' to the party later," Rose smirked at her own choice of words. Atrix was anything but pleased. "A party?" Her voice held a tinge of hardness to them, much of which Rose didn't pick up on.

"Yes, a party." She confirmed. "A party which will begin in a couple of hours, so we should get back to our dorm rooms and prepare for the fun that is to come!" Rose smiled as she wrapped an arm around the hybrid's shoulders. It was as though it was a means to not allow her to escape and evade it all together.

With no choice but to go along, Atrix mumbled a "Fine. Just for a little bit."

During the two hours they had to get ready, Rose was amused in a way at how there was a woman out there that didn't know what it was like being a girl for a day. "When was the last time you wore a dress?" The girl asked bluntly. Atrix, however, casted her eyes away from her. "I don't recall," she mumbled.

Rose shook her head in displeasure. "That is going to have to change for tonight," the guardian in training murmured, her brown eyes observing the other, thinking of any possibly combinations to set the hybrid in. The thought of wearing a dress peeved Atrix, but it was also something she couldn't fight. The look the other female wore on her face stopped her from it.

After digging through what would appear to be a ton of clothes combinations, a mixture of dressed and skirts; Rose smirked in triumph. Holding the dress up against the Hybrid's body, she forced it into Atrix's hands. "Go try this on," Rose said as she gently nudged her towards the door of the bathroom.

Reluctantly, Atrix gripped the fabric in her hands and went to change. A heavy sigh escaped her throat as she took off her current apparel and put on the dress. A choked squeak came out of her mouth in surprise. It was hard to tell if it was a good or bad thing. One thing that was for sure, the dress was something she would never wear ever again. It revealed far too much skin for her taste. Yet, even she couldn't deny how well it fit her.

The color of the dress was a very dark blue. It had straps going over the shoulders, and the neckline slightly dipped towards her cleavage, yet not exactly reaching it. The back and a zipper running up the middle, surrounded with an elaborate design of its own. The design wrapped around to the front, lacing black throughout the material. While that may not show from a distance, up close, it really revealed a lot about the design.

A small blush heated her cheeks as she opened the bathroom door, to appear in front of a too pleased Rose.

"That looks far more appealing than I had though. Damn, I'm good!" Rose grinned as she spoke. "Now onto accessories and hair," she moved onto the next part. It didn't take too long for Rose to pick out a necklace and style Atrix's hair, which was the only thing Rose could think to do with short hair. Regardless, she still took pride in how well Atrix was looking. The last touch she made on the female was a dab of lip-gloss. "You're going to blow everyone out of the water," Rose remarked. It was her turn now.

An hour passed by the time Rose finished getting ready. It was by that time when the party had started.

The closer Atrix got to the party, the more her nerves started to eat at her. This was her first party. So many things could go wrong, or at least that was what she believed in her mind. Not being able to voice any of her thoughts, Atrix simply trailed behind Rose as she led the way. Her friend wasted no time and barged her way through the already crowded room, making sure Atrix was following along.

From what Atrix could tell, her friend was leading them to a table that was covered with bowls of a variety of drinks and several plates of different kinds of finger foods. Food from the get go? The Hybrid pondered before realizing it was a drink Rose was after. She watched as the young woman poured two plastic cups with the same beverage. Rose handed one to her and took a huge gulp of the contents. Atrix cautiously sniffed the liquid, taking in a strong scent. It had been spiked. Not exactly surprising when the room was filled with teenagers, many of which were close to adulthood. Even with her lack of being around too many of them, she knew how many get in this kind of trouble.

Under the watchful eyes of Rose, she took a sip of the alcohol-tainted punch. The taste was just as sharp as the smell. The first few sips hit the female's throat hard. By the fourth, it wasn't as bad.

A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a sea of dancing bodies. Dancing was another thing Atrix didn't know about. That didn't seem to stop the ones surrounding her to help get her to dance. The strange part was how it didn't seemed to have been Rose who has pulled her onto the dance floor. Who had?

"Here!" A cold cup was thrust into her hand. Atrix's blue-green eyes clashed against the crystal blue of her sister's. The atmosphere shifted from harmless fun to a heavy and unsteady one. Only a few others seemed to have sensed the tension between the two.

Ichida smiled in a sickly sweet way. "You looked as though you were having a blast, so I did the honor of personally pouring and bringing you a drink. It'll refreshed you up again!" She said as she made a motion towards the cup. Some of the Dhampirs turned their heads toward them.

Atrix's jaw clenched at her sister's words. Instantly, warning bells went off in her head. Accepting a drink from her was like a death wish. A dreadful feeling swept through her, suggesting she wouldn't be as to get away from this.

"Come on, take a sip~!" Ichida urged her. Atrix looked towards someone, anyone, for help. There were a few other Moroi present, each were surrounded by their own group of Dhampirs. Not a single one was going to help her. Most of the Moroi really were treated like royalty. It didn't look good for her. This leads her to ask 'Where was Rose?' Though, she wouldn't put it beside her to be with a guy. Atrix was alone for this.

Having no choice, the female Hybrid brought the cup to her lips and let the cool liquid wash over her tongue. Not only was the drink spiked, it had the taste of something else that didn't belong in the blend. Atrix just didn't know what. In the corner of her eye, Ichida smiled wickedly. What was going to happen to her? So far, nothing was changing; but it was just the beginning. Her sister mentioned checking on her later and disappeared into the mass of bodies.

Sometime later, Atrix started to feel dizzy and out of breath. It would appear to be the effects of what Ichida had given her. The nausea increased to where she went outside. The chilled air felt nice on her burning skin. It didn't make the sick feeling go away, but at least it felt nice. Until that dreadful voice announced itself again.

"It's about time!" Ichida giggled from behind her. Atrix really wasn't in the mood to deal with her antics. As a result, she allowed herself to show it. Her eyes brightened with anger. "Leave me alone," Atrix muttered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Ichida mocked. She had heard her perfectly clear. All vampires had good hearing.

"I said... Leave me alone!" Atrix's words came out as a growl, her glare set on the other female.

"Not that it matters. Do anything to me and you will get into so much trouble. Not just with the school, but with dad too," Ichida responded, a small shrug shaking her shoulders. She really believed the Hybrid couldn't harm her. Truth be told, she could. She just didn't want to cause trouble or possibly bloodshed; however, with her mind clouded, and the nausea getting to her, her mindful judgement was affected as a result.

A fiery anger flashed through Atrix. "No more...," she cried out as she crouched down. The position she got into was nothing short of an animal. It wasn't a perfect image, but it was clear on what it was. A predator getting ready to pounce on its targeted prey. She watched as Ichida faltered for a moment before resuming her arrogant take on the situation. "Attack me and I'll make sure you aren't going to be able to graduate. However, I doubt anyone would hire you anyway. Even mother and father didn't want you, after all." It was those final words that for to the Hybrid to snap.

Atrix lunged at Ichida, who helped in surprise. With her fangs drawn out. She really did look like a beast. A loud growl sounded deeply from her throat. A voice whispering in the back of her mind was the only thing that was preventing her from making the final leap to transition into her wolf skin. That didn't stop the aggression from going rampant.

Atrix had easily toppled the other girl over, making her land on her back with the air being knocked out of her. She didn't take much time to recover, her eyes reflect the fear she was feeling now. It didn't stop her from letting out a loud scream either. Someone must have been close, as shouts aimed their way.

Atrix wasn't finished. She grabbed ahold of the front of her sister's dress and yanked her closer. "It's your fault!" the female angrily cried. The dress Rose had helped her choose was ripped along the seams, revealing more skin. At this moment, she didn't care. All of her unexpressed anger was directed at Ichida. The mixture that was traveling through her veins was creating a chemical reaction.

Just as Atrix was about to punch her now terrified sister, an arm circled around her wrist and forcefully yanked the angered girl off of the other. Stuck in this blind rage, Atrix squirmed and struggled to get away. "Let me go!" She cried.

It was when someone's arm reached out in front of her, an attempt to use it as a means of restraint, just like with their other arm, the Hybrid bit down hard. Her exposed fangs sinking into the skin that was available. The sudden taste of blood resulted Atrix to jolt. Her body stiffened as she heard a familiar voice speak her name.

"Atrix." It belonged to Dimitri, and judging from how close it was, it must be his arm that was holding her back, as well as the owner of the arm who she had bitten. The blood in her veins went cold. Her eyes directed to where her sister had been, a spot that was now vacant. During the distraction, they must have moved Ichida somewhere else. Due to the blood filling her mouth, Atrix swallowed before she released her grip on the male's arm. What was she supposed to do now? How should she react? How could she even explain herself without letting her secret known? A silent panic took ahold of her. Pressing her lips into a thin line, her blue-green eyes met with Dimitri's concerned brown ones.

No words were spoken as the guardian gently guided her away from the scene. Atrix had done something that was frowned upon here at the academy. She knew she will be getting in trouble regardless of what she say. Not that it mattered, no words came out anyway.

Several minutes went by before Dimitri led her to an unfamiliar room. A bedroom was the only guess the female could manage, seeing how there was a bed in the room.

When they were both inside, Dimitri closed the door, suggesting for her to take a seat. Atrix took a seat on the bed, the only place available, besides the floor. She had castes her wary eyes down towards the ground. The male took his time in taking a seat in front of her, having had grabbed a chair from a place she hadn't seen.

"Atrix," Dimitri's Russian accent filled the room. He didn't sound angry. His voice has a gentle, yet stern edge to it. When she kept her gaze down, his hand reached up and cupped her chin. "Atrix," he called again as he raised her head up to make her look at him. When he had her attention, he continued onto his next set of words.

"What happened? That wasn't like you," Dimitri asked in the same tone be used to call her name.

Atrix's eyes reflected sadness. None of that anger from just a handful of minutes ago was there anymore. "I..," the words wouldn't come out easily. The male noticed this and moved his hand down to her bare knee. Both were too concerned about different things to notice much of anything else.

"You can trust me," He coaxed softly. Interesting how someone who was so stern and serious, as well as didn't often show emotion, could be so gentle.

Looking deeply into Dimitri's eyes, Atrix decided to tell him everything.