Rose POV

After staying in the wild garden for a while, I realised that the cold wasn't just me anymore, the temperature had dropped considerably and mist shrouded the groud like a soft blanket, obscuring my knees. I stood, feeling the stiffness and pain come shooting back before I shook it off and tried to remember the way back. The mist meant I couldn't see my footprints from earlier and the darkness pressed in on my on all sides, there trees bowed like they were praying for me. I felt sick, not strigoi nausea but physically sick, I knew it was Lissa, not me. I allowed myself to slip into her head and found myself staring at worried brown ones. Dimitri was with Lissa, they were apparently discussing me. Worry coursed through Lissa's head and she mentally made a list of all the places that I would go, places that had already been checked.

"Your Highness... is there anywhere in the grove or near there? She ran in that general direction..." Alex spoke that time, clearly agitated. Lissa studied his aura and I felt the same shock she did. Apart from the worry caused by my prolonged absence and the anger I knew was directed at Dimitri, I saw the love and devotion that he held for me. I was a regular man-magnet these days... Lissa thought about the grove, remembering the places she had seen. She knew there was a wild rose garden but it was just outside the wards. Shit! I was outside the wards during dark time. She realised that I didn't know that they had removed it from the court grounds, I had been away when the change had been carried out. I cursed to myself and pulled out of her head, surveying my surroundings. Trees, rose bushes and the misty shadows. I was thankful for my strigoi sensing abilities but I couldnt always rely on it. I saw the giant angel statue at the far end, the knee would be the same height as my head. It was enormous, towering above the surrounding trees. I was Rose Hathaway after all.

I jogged over to the marble feet and inspected the whole base, walking around it until I found what I was looking for. The dress had rough folds at the back, ones I could use to climb up with. I only needed to be a couple of meters up until I could use the wings and arms to hoist my self fully up. I felt the satisfaction of knowing my window escape routes added to my awesome ninja skills and would help me get back to the wards. I started up the angels dress and dodged the dangerous looking patches of moss until my head cracked agianst the underside of the wing. I hissed and a stream of profanities that would probably get me in trouble with Liss. Between taking the lords name in vain, muttering about the ugliness of the strigoi and the promiscuity of their mothers, I managed to swing my legs gracefully over her praying arms. I sat there for a moment, watching the mist curling over the stone benches, almost tentatively covering in with insubstantial tendrils of white. I sighed and clambered atop her head, feet on her shoulders. The grove spread out around me but I saw in the distance to my right they sloping green lawn and guardian buildings of the court, tiny pinpricks of light. Looking around, the road was far to close for comfort and I started to lower myself back down until I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. I managed to dart behind the angels head again, pressed against the wings as I peered around.

I was sure I was fairly hidden and I tensed as I saw a hulking shadow leave the embrace of the weeping willows at my left, barely breathing lest it heard me. A long tail flicked behind it and I instantly knew what I was seeing. Oh boy was it my favourite. A mountain lion prowled across the clearing, pausing before the wards before turning around and heading the other. The wards stopped them entering, but now I knew where they started again. My only problem, the mountian loin now sniffing the statue, unable to see me but still tracing my scent. Well.. damn. I lay back agaisnt the wings and stared up at the stars again, sighing in relief when the lion eventually slipped out of sight. I watched from the top, seeing it dart back across the road before starting my descent again. When my feet finally touched the ground, my knees buckled, sending me face first into the feet of the angel.

"mrumfpg" Was what my next string of curses came out as but I stood up again and headed back towards the wards, jogging over the uneven ground. I felt myself relax when I new I had re-entered the relative safety of the wards. I felt no need to go back and face them, instead going back into my house, close to the grove. I slipped the key into the lock, the door swinging noiselessly inwards, the familiar smell of home making me smile. Shutting the door, I continued to the bathroom, flipping the music on and up before stripping off and climbing in the shower, letting the hot water relax me. I felt all my muscles un-bunch and loosen, the relief flowing with the hot water cascading down over my shoulders. I always felt so much more at peace in the shower, my temper always mellowing, allowing me to regain control. The steam was like heaven.

I tensed up when the door opened but it was not a stranger who poked their head around the door, it was Dimitri. He opened the door fully and stepped in, wearing nothing but his shorts. I dragged my eyes up his body, the tanned, toned legs, the perfectly chiseled abs and then his chest. My god... his chest. Every muscle, every single line of definition, gleaming in the light, mermerising me. His long, strong arms that I longed to be encircled in, his collar bones that curled delicately away from eachother, strong and perfect. The smooth jawline that dissapeared in his long, thick mane of chocolate brown hair. His full lips quirked up into a slight smile, probably at my bemused expression, prefectly sculpted and inviting. Saving his eyes for last took my breath away, there were liquid pools of melted chocolate, shining dark with lust. I'm sure mine were exactly the same.

He held my gaze as he pulled his shorts off and stepped under the stream of hot water, eyes blazing as he traced my mouth with his thumb, staring at them as if they held the answers to life itself. His warm hands cupped my face and tilted my head up as he towered over me, lips meeting mine as firerworks exploded around us. Pressing me againsgt the wall, still locked together with desperate kisses. I gave up trying to remember being mad at him and melted in his arms, kissing him back with passion that made him smile against me. My hands explored his chest and back as his roamed my body as well, rememorising eachother. His lips found my neck, teeth lightly grazing the arch before he continued kissing down my shoulder. His hands pulled me closer, soft on my lower back. I nipped my ear gently, making me look at him instead if the contours of his chest.

"I'm sorry Roza... I love you and I can't even begin to say how sorry I am about everything..." his voice was filled with emotion and I knew he was going to keep apologising. I placed my finger on his lips, marveling at the silky texture and standing on my tiptoes, kissing his chest, the only thing I could reach. He bowed his head, the water darkening his hair and trickling over his face. He held me close and sighed into my neck, my mind was buzzing with ectasy, the feeling of his skin against mine making me shiver. His finger tips ran up my spine and I arched my back, the miniscule space between us disappearing, his hand slipping down to my hip and tracing small circles.

I tangled my fingers in his hair and brought his lips to mine, gently biting his bottom lip. He moaned quietly and kissed me again, pushing us back under the water. I remembered the shampoo that hadn't rinsed itself out yet and sighed in frustration before trying to work the shampoo out. I raised my hands up and started on the tangled mess that Dimitri loved so much. He continued kissing my neck and running his hands down my arms to my waist and up again. He kissed each collar bon and then the hollow between them before going in a straight line over my chin and to my lips. I opened my eyes lazily and smirked at him, running my hand down his chest, to his navel and back up, allowing my nails to drag a little on the way up. He shuddered at my touch, eyes fluttering shut. He opened them, pupils fully dilated, a rim of brown surrounding black, boy did he want me.

Dimitri reached for the body wash and started lathering up my back and shoulders, traveling down my arms, kissing each finger tip before soaping them up too. Then he kneeled, lefting one foot onto his knee and starting at my ankles, continuing up my leg until he reached the top of my thigh, laughing at my wild expression. Gently placing my foot back down and picking the other up to repeat my process, his eyes never left mine. Then his eyes turned to my chest, his hands creeping up to my belly button and drawing bubbly circles. They kept creeping up and my eyes rolled back in my head as I swayed towards him. We stood in eachothers arms as the bubbles swirled around our feet and disappeared before he turned the water off and stepped out, holding my robe. I slipped it on and admired his deeply muscled stomach. I smiled happily. He was mine again, he still loved me. But... I still needed him. I glanced back up at his eyes and saw the same burning desire, unsatiable need for me. I stepped towards him as he reached for me, sweeping me up bridel style and strolling amiably towards the bedroom. He lay me on the bed and sat next to me, opening my robe tauntingly slow.

I pouted at him and he laughed, truly laughed, slipping one hand under my back and rolling so he half hovered above me. This kiss was different, slow, intense, building up to something so much more. We were gaurdians, we were half vampire, we were part animal, predator. The primal instincts of fight went hand in hand with lust and the primal urges reared up with in me. I growled softly and the kiss deepened, getting more urgent. The pace picked up and his hand tightened in my hairm the other pulling me closer. I shrugged out of the robe and wrapped my arms around him. He growled as my nails dug into his back a little pressed himself closer, I could feel him on every line of my body now but we still weren't close enough. I needed him.

"Dimitri..!: I managed to gasp out before the kisses took over, but he understood, or maybe he felt the same. An electric current erupted between us as we fully connected. His hips grinded against mine and I held him closer. He said my name fervently, like a prayer, our skin hot, breathing heavy. There was no defintion of me and him, we were perfect, one person. It felt amazing. The pace quickened and I felt the euphoria creeping up on us both, the tightening of my stomach muscles, the feel of his calloused hands on my hips. So close... it became deeper, harder, needier, his breath warm on my face. I gasped, wrapping my legs around him and moving my hips with his, rewarded with a moan from him. It was one of the most wonderful sounds I had ever heard... we both let go at the same time and I rolled us over, laying on his chest, slightly damp with sweat.

"I love you Roza... so, so much." he voice was like velvet in the night and I wiggled myself up further so my head was under his chin, closing my eyes blissfully. Sleep came quickly, but all I could dream about was the perfect man that I lay in the arms of, the man that I loved with all my heart. My dreams turned then and I saw Dimitri, running slowly, a grin plastered to his face. A little girl ran after him, brown ringlets streaming behind her, brown eyes sparkling mischievously. I saw me in her and I saw Dimitri, but most of all, I saw me, walking towards them, the little girl now having "tackled" Dimitri to the ground. I was older, my stomach huge and round, one hand protectively placed under it. The little girl looked at the dream me and then the real me, brown eyes strangely knowing. Then she smiled and waved before launching herself off him and running towards dream-me. I realised then and there what that might mean. I could have children with dhampirs. Me and Dimitri had just made love and I had fully needed him, just like I had to in order for it to work. My god. I woke with a start and stared suspiciosuly down at my stomach, one side of my mouth quirking up in a half frown, speculation clear on my face. I stared at Dimitri, his face was soft and relaxed. What if he didn't want us?