Been a long ass time since I updated. Sorrrrry. Hopefully this chapter will make it all better.
Note: please read the authors note at the end.
Chapter 20.
Sydney returned to the Strigoi house about ten minutes after she walked out. She didn't say a thing as she walked back through the double French doors and into the entrance hall. She simply went about her work, cleaning up the mass of Strigoi bodies while the rest of us were checked for injuries. After the few minor cuts and scratches I had obtained throughout the epic battle were cleaned and bandaged, Dimitri and I walked outside with the excuse of getting some fresh air. We really just needed some time together and thank god that we were still in one piece.
"You did so well, Roza." He murmured as he stroked my cheek. "I am so, so proud of you." My heart swelled and my cheeks flushed a warm red colour at the compliment he gave me. They were so rare, but when I did get them, I truly felt like I deserved to hear the love, affection, adoration and most importantly the pride that was evident in his voice. Dimitri leaned down and kissed me delicately and briefly before pulling me back with him toward the door. I didn't budge.
"Hey," I called. Dimitri turned to face me questioningly, doing that cool one-eyebrow thingy that I so coverted, but had never been able to achieve no matter how hard i tried. Sometimes life sucks. Bad.
"Yes?" he asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his perfectly shaped cupids bow, rose shaded lips. His lips were one of the best things about Dimitri, along with his gorgeous eyes, flawless body, silky smooth hair, perfectly sculptured biceps and of course his voice. I couldn't vouch for a certain part of the male anatomy having not actually seen it. Hmmm, it would seem I have to change that soon, possibly in the near future.
"I wasn't done kissing you yet." He gave me one of those infrequent, but extraordinary full smiles that lit up his entire face, causing a slightly mischievous glint to form in his brown eyes. He caught me off guard as he closed the couple of steps between us, capturing my face in his large, calloused hands. He stared into my eyes, before I grew tired of the no action thing and brought my mouth crashing down on his, which I might add is a great feat accomplished by me, considering his ungodly height and all. The world around us seemed to disappear and a bubble formed around us. It was as though no one else existed except for me and the love of my life. No scratch that last; Dimitri was the love of my existence. True, undeniable love wasn't something that was present amongst the living, but amongst the dead as well. I always believed that love went beyond the grave. It was something that could never be broken, especially not by distance or anything else for that matter. When I was around Dimitri, I felt like nothing could come between us, and I was dammed if I let being stuffed in a coffin and buried under tonnes of dirt come between us.
Dimitri's hand slipped around my body to rest on my lower back. My hands had a mind of their own, and seemed to have found their own way to Dimitri's head and wound into his silky hair. By now I was gasping for breath. Why was it whenever I was kissing Dimitri, I somehow forgot that I could actually breath through my nose instead of my mouth. But, my mind was too clouded with lust and hormones to think of such trivial things as breathing through my nose.
Ahem.
Dimitri and I jumped apart at the sound interrupting us. I whipped around and came face to face with something scarier than Satan himself. My mother, the infamous Janine Hathaway stood there, hands on her hips, red hair blowing in the slight breeze that filtered through the surrounding trees and a very strained and furious expression on her face. Yeah, she looked pissed. Wait, pissed wasn't the right adjective. She looked enraged, livid and terrifying as shit.
"What the fuck is going on here?" she asked, voice trembling with pent up rage. I knew she was angry, not just from her expression, but from her use of some vulgar language. I didn't often hear my mother swear. That was my specialty.
Instinctively I pushed Dimitri behind me in a defensive manoeuvre. It was something I would have done had there been a Strigoi standing in front of me while I was with a Moroi. It was a built in instinct that I always protect those around me from danger. And yeah, right now, I considered my mother a threat to Dimitri's wellbeing. Hell, I even considered her a threat to my own safety. But, she was my mother and therefore my duty to face her wrath.
"Oh um, hey mom." I said with a wave and a small, tentative smile. Her eyes simply narrowed even more, and I found myself cowering back into Dimitri's chest. I know, I can fight blood sucking undead vampires, but I can't introduce my new boyfriend to my mother. Real brave Rose. Well done. But hey, she was Janine freaking Hathaway, best guardian in living history. I had every right to be quaking in my boots so to speak. "Dimitri and I were just..." my voice trailed off when she took a step toward us. And that's when she started yelling.
Looking back, I honestly have freaking idea what the hell she said as she continued on her raging. I felt my anger reach boiling point when she pointed her finger at Dimitri and screeched; "Fuck you, you fucked up man whore. What? Can't get a slut your own age? Have to go after young innocent girls just to satisfy your need for sex?" Oh to hell with being scared of her. I was the furious one now. I pulled away from Dimitri who was trying to get a word in to no avail.
"STOP!" I yelled. My mother stopped mid word and looked at me, anger still ablaze in her eyes, so similar to my own. "You," I said pointing to Dimitri. "Get inside." He was about to protest so I stopped him before he could get a word in edge wise. "Go!" I said firmly. Dimitri reluctantly strode inside the house, leaving a wide berth around Janine as he went. I turned back to my mother. "You," I started. "You have absolutely no right to dictate what I do and who I see. You can't just waltz back into my life after seventeen years of virtually not seeing you and expect to have authority over what I do with my life. I won't let you do that. And you have no right to go around calling Dimitri inappropriate, vulgar and offensive names when you have no idea of the whole situation." I took a moment to take a deep, soothing breath and collect my thoughts. I was still trembling with anger.
"Then please, enlighten me of this 'situation', Rose."
"No, you don't get to have the privilege of knowing every fact in my life. You gave up that right when you dumped me on the door step of the school as soon as you could palm me off to someone else. Just so you could go back to work, your real baby."
I stormed off then, leaving my mother standing in the driveway of the house. I took off around the corner, and didn't stop running until I couldn't breathe anymore. But I was still so angry. I don't know where the anger came from. I walked over to a tall sycamore tree and punched my fists into the hard trunk. Once I started I couldn't stop. I just kept pounding into the tree, venting out my anger. I was in a haze of fury as I continually took out all those years of pent up anger at my mom out on the poor tree.
"ARRGGGGHH!" I screamed out in frustration beating my fists into the tree once again. The pain had become numb, and I didn't feel anything except bind rage. I was in a complete rage blackout.
I hadn't realised that I was not alone until I felt the strong arms circle around my waist and pull me back from the tree. I screamed and kicked at my captor until I heard his voice.
"Shhh, Roza. It's okay. Stop Rose. Don't be afraid. Shhh." I instantly stopped thrashing around and fell limp in his arms.
"I hate her." I said fervently through clenched teeth.
"Shh, Roza you don't hate her." Dimitri whispered.
"Do not tell me how I feel." I was surprised at the venom in my own voice. I had never spoken to Dimitri like that before. But it didn't faze him in the slightest. He just continued to hold me and run his fingers through my now knotted hair, tugging gently to smooth it out.
"Come on, we have to get back to the hotel. Everyone has gone." Dimitri took my hand in his, and I yelped a little at the stinging it caused. He looked down at my hands. My knuckles were ripped open and bloody, my nails torn and jagged. Blood slowly dripped to the ground. Dimitri swore loudly - in English for once. "Roza," he whispered taking me back into his arms.
"Let's get this cleaned up. I'm not sure how deep the cuts are, but you'll probably need stitches and your fingers will need to be bandaged." This time, instead of taking my hand, he scooped me into his arms in one fluid motion, holding me protectively against his warm body. I sighed and leaned my head into his chest.
=x=
The doctor applied the last of the bandages to my banged up hands and stepped back. I had needed three stitches in each knuckle and my nails had been filed back, disinfected and heavily bandaged to stop infection. But thankfully there was hardly any pain anymore. The doctor – Dr Trajovska – never asked me how it happened, but as she picked the bits of bark and twig from my hands, I realised she probably didn't need to ask to know exactly what I had done.
Dimitri took me back to the hotel. We parted in the hall, me heading to mine and Lissa's room and he off to his own suite. I opened the door to our room, and saw Lissa and Christian curled up together on the bed, legs entangled, he head on his chest, both fast asleep. I crept in, grabbed my bag and left, shutting the door with a soft click. I went to Dimitri's room and knocked lightly. He opened within a few seconds.
"Rose?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Lissa and Christian are asleep, and I thought I would leave them to be alone." I hesitated before asking my question. "Could I maybe stay here?" Dimitri's face split into a breathtaking smile as he stepped back allowing me to pass into his room. I dropped my bag to the floor and turned to face him.
No words were said as he pressed me against the nearest wall and crashed his lips to mine in a burning kiss not meant for innocent eyes. He moved us to the bed, laying me down gently under himself. Everywhere he touched me left a tingling feeling coursing throughout my overheated body. Dimitri tugged at the hem of my t-shirt and ever so slowly, pulled it up and over my head.
"So beautiful." He whispered, tracing his fingers over my toned stomach. I moaned shamelessly at his warm touch. I pulled his face back to mine, pushing my tongue past his soft lips. Our tongues began the age old dance for dominance over the other. As Dimitri's shirt came off, he pulled back breathing heavily.
"Roza, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked in a gentle voice. His voice was giving me the option, but his eyes betrayed his words. They were so full of lust and love that I could see it would kill him to stop now. I couldn't help but feel exactly the same.
"Dimitri," I breathed. "I have never been so sure of anything in my life." That was all he needed. He crushed me to him once again and more clothes started to come off. His hands travelled down my face, down the crevice between my breasts, across my stomach and came to rest at the waist of my jeans. With one hand he popped open the button and moved the zipper down tooth by tooth. I moaned in anticipation arching up to him.
Soon my jeans and his were strewn across the floor. My panties and bra followed suit, until only he was left in his boxers. "I believe you are way over dressed Comrade." I whispered, hooking my fingers in the band and sliding them down his hips.
Dimitri rolled us so he was underneath me and I was in complete control of the situation. I pulled him down on me, as we gave into our long fought off desire.
So this will most likely be the second last chapter in this story. I may squeeze out one more in the aftermath of Dimitri and Rose finally being together and of course to check in with Christian and Jesse.
And tell me what you think of this: maybe a story following Sydney and Adrian? Perhaps? Let me know through reviews or pm me.
Review are better than having Dimitri make sweet, sweet love to you ;)
B. xx