Wow! This took kind of long to type, and my wrist hurts! *thumbs up*
Here's the third chapter for you, where Rose and Dimitri finally meet, and all the stuff before it ;)
The next chapter is going to be VERY interesting, so heads up for that.

Oh, and yeah, my Strigoi have heart beats, because how does all the blood circulate around the
body without the blood dropping to their feet?

I laboriously stayed in Nathan's lair for a whole agonizing week and I couldn't take it! I was leaving. Nathan was just too damn haughty, pushy and irritating! I'd gotten into tens of arguments him, but the last one we had ended up in a fist fight. That was yesterday. Even if he was a Strigoi for longer than I had been, I was still much stronger, and he had ended up cowering into his room, blood trickling from his lip.

Instead of packing the bag I didn't have, I wore a few layers of clothing and none of that worthless jewellery. Nathan hadn't informed me when he left and had already gone to hunt. Before I left, though, I felt as if I had to 'thank' him. I took out a marker from Nathan's room, and in huge letters on his wall, I wrote 'FUCK YOU'. I laughed gleefully and added a big, smiling face beside my short message. I also found a small cell phone on the ground beside me and knew immediately that it was mine. I picked it up and sorted through the contacts, and stopped on one contact, crushing the keys so hard they almost broke. I heard muffled rings and froze. It was calling Rose, but a machine soon said in a monotone that she was unavailable. I was partly glad that she couldn't answer, but I did want to her voice, and the beautiful way it would sound if I threatened her. I threw the marker on the ground and stole out to that sordid town to kill. I took a young teenage girl, hoping not to see Nathan there. When I finished the girl up, I sprinted as fast as I could – which is very fast – to the end of Missoula. When I found the location I was searching for, I abruptly stopped, skidding for another meter ahead of me. I turned and stared up at the building I'd seen days ago. It was made entirely of concrete; there was few windows and, fortunately, they were boarded up. A Strigoi had to have lived here previously. I sighed in content and strode up the small flight of rickety stairs that led to the first story. I opened the unlocked door and glanced around my new home. It was rather boring, but hey, it worked; that's what mattered. I didn't know why the humans constructed it, and how they could possible find a use for this, but it seemed like they'd built it, implying it to be a home. It was pretty much solely made out of teak, and many different woods everywhere. I ascended another set of stairs to the second story that I immediately preferred. It mainly consisted of dark rooms with small amounts of furniture. My favourite was a room down the back right area of the hallway. It only had a gold couch that sat against the wall and a large window that had a lovely view of...timber boards.

I stripped of the extra layers of clothing, leaving myself in a red shirt and jeans. I settled down on the couch and let myself drift off to sleep, finally by myself.

*

The sun set, and as soon as my eyes flicked open, I was out the door, returning to that horrid town I had to hunt in for the time being. I needed a big city that I could feed in. Somewhere like Novosibirsk, Russia. My home. Ah, the memories I recollected then... Russia with its cold weather and artistic buildings. And what pure, innocent, mouth-watering the kills would be! I couldn't even muster the imagination for how delightful the taste would be. I wanted to move there, and stay there forever. But for the next few days, I needed to lay low.

To pass the time, I trekked out to the other side of Missoula and past the entry into the city. I took a walk through the trees, but got bored and climbed the tallest tree – feeling very much like Spiderman – to look at the view in detail.
I didn't see the view.

And, boy, I saw detail.

I saw Rose.

She was stomping through the snow and damp grass, staring wistfully at the road ahead of her, her hair blowing around her face and some of the sudden bursts of wind. She was already miles from the Academy. Why?
She was coming to capture and murder me.

I went closer, while still trying to keep my distance. I hadn't forgotten about her bond with Lissa, and the side-effects that accompanied it. She had a backpack strapped on with a few things stuffed in it, I guessed. I had no clue of what to do, so I followed her, concealing myself behind the trees. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. They dragged longingly up her slender legs, past her slim waist – the man in me taking over – slowing my pace up from her supple breasts and her pulsing neck. I stopped at her face.

I'd totally forgotten how beautiful she was.

her features weren't hard or brutal. They were sad and soft. Her lush, full lips looked so sweet, like the finest candy in the world, although slightly purple from the cold. Her small, simple nose and slightly puffed cheeks lessened my hate. Remembering the gentle kisses I'd given them. Her eyes. Oh, her eyes were like two beautiful gems, swirling about in shades of chocolate and chestnut brown. Her skin was so pale and smooth, that I suddenly felt guilty. If I wasn't a Strigoi, her skin wouldn't be so translucent, her eyes wouldn't seem so sunken and her mouth wouldn't turn down in such a depressing manner. I loved this woman. I did. She was still mine.

Because she wanted to kill me?

I didn't know whether to be happy that she loved me enough to leave her life behind for me, or to be infuriated that she wanted me dead. It was hard to choose. I kept watching her and now she started to hold her stomach and look around. Rose stopped walking and looked defeated and embarrassed as she stuck her hand out towards the road. Less than two minutes after, a flashy looking car pulled up beside her. I listened hard. She stepped towards the door, and her eyes widened.

"Do you need a lift?" a man's voice said, muffled by the car.

"Yeah." I'd finally heard her voice that I'd long forgotten. It was so sweet and shocked. She quickly jumped into the car and the man sped off. I decided to give up for the night, not bothering to follow them, and return back home. That day, when I dreamed, it was of Rose. Nothing much, just her walking with me, talking to me, gazing at me the way I did to her, and kissing me. Gentle little kisses everywhere. It was, by far, the most satisfying dream I'd had since becoming awakened.

I hadn't seen Rose again for the next two nights and I just couldn't give up. I wouldn't be able to fend her off until she found. Then, I would convince her to leave me alone. I was holding back my plans for Russia just to protect her. It seemed worthless, but I couldn't stop. When I did see Rose again, she looked cleaner and a little happier. She was stopping and scrutinising a small cave more likely suited for ears than Strigoi. Smart. She disappeared into the darkness, and I wanted a closer look. I still hadn't forgotten her extraordinary Strigoi senses, but I wanted to take the risk just to see her face. I ripped branches out of the pine trees for a half hour, testing my strength, before sneaking around the cave and entering it hesitantly. Bout a meter back, Rose was lying on her side underneath a small blue quilt. She appeared to be in a very deep sleep, so I crouched down right beside her, longing to wrap my arms around her and give her the comforting warmth I used to possess. I wished I had one day to somehow change back into a dhampir, and tell her all the things I couldn't back then without being staked. Only for one day, though, because I also loved being a Strigoi. The freedom was amazing. The only thing I could do was kiss Rose's cheek. Her hand flittered to her stomach, but she smiled in her sleep, probably thinking about someone. My blood ran cold when she turned around to face me, her lips pouted. I thought she was awake, but soon noticed that she was still very asleep. After some thought, I leaned down and gave her a long kiss on her warm lips. Somehow, someway, they were much better than any kill I'd made. And I also couldn't believe that she responded also – some form of a sleepwalk, without actually walking – as if she were awake, giving me passionate kisses and literally mumbling my name, dreaming of me. Her hot tongue collided with my own, and I swear they sizzled, like fire and ice. She reached out blindly, grabbing only air and when she attempted again, one hand caught my arm, and the other, my crotch. Her hands tightened their grip on me and I gasped in pain. The hand on my arm wasn't hurting me in the slightest, but her other hand was sending nausea through my body and up my throat. I pulled her hands away, a shudder riding down my body, and looked outside. It was almost dawn.
"Roza, I have to go...I love you," I said earnestly with all of the light trapped inside my gloomy heart. I did love her. I loved this girl. She was...my life. Still was.

"Love you, too, Dimitri," she murmured, her words slurred. It was amazing how dreams could so easily collide with reality. I finally heaved myself up and left Rose again.

But not for long.

I followed Rose through Missoula for five nights after that encounter, becoming more wound up by the day, organising what I would say to her once she found me. Would she look at me lovingly or menacingly? I didn't know. I would never know with her. I also wondered if she thought as I. Probably not. After I woke on the sixth night, I flew down the stairs without delay and checked outside the front door.

"Oh. Shit." Rose was coming, I saw her. She looked even more sullen than when she started. I knew she'd perk up when she felt my presence. I very quietly closed the door and bolted up the stairs and into my room in a flash, starting to panic a little. I tuned in my ears and all I heard was a gasp and a sob, then I heard Rose approaching the house, dropping something to the ground and cautiously climbing the stairs to the front door, opening it. She walked a few steps up the second flight of stairs, when I suddenly remembered an earlier plan that I'd forgotten in my frantic haste. I needed to move the couch to the edge of the room to match the trajectory of my throw, because I knew Rose would jump at me. It was her nature. I sped over to the sofa, and yanked it up easily over my head, placing it where it should have been. Before Rose arrived, I turned to face the boarded window so I wouldn't have to see her expression when she set her eyes on me. My heart was beating in my ears when Rose finally came to the door and obviously stopped instantly. Everything after that pretty much occurred in slow motion as far as I could tell. I tucked away my feelings, hardened my features and turned to see her about to plunge her stake into my flesh. I pushed her arms away from me and then her whole body effortlessly, sending her flying exactly where I wanted her. She gripped the couch harder when she saw me.

"Rose, nice to see you again," I greeted coldly. She said nothing. "Don't want to talk?" She took in a deep breath.

"Do you? Do you want to kill me?" she spoke in a trembling, scared voice that broke my heart. I kept up my act, though. But I was having second thoughts. Was bitterness going to send her off?

"Well, that all depends on how you feel. Are you trying to kill me?"

"I have to!"

"No," I honestly protested, "you don't. I'm fine."

"I promised." I was beginning to grow angry with her and her promises.

"Promises can be broken, different decisions can be made. I've changed. I don't love you," I lied angrily. But I just wanted her to leave me to live. She was so dedicated in her little mission, but maybe I could fob her off. I knew how to lie.

"I haven't! You don't want this, Dimitri, you don't want to kill innocent people! I know you don't! You've lost everything in your soul that's good! It's evil you want!" she shouted, and it got to me. Was evil all I wanted? I lost my guard. Maybe evil didn't fend her off; what if it was my true emotions. She was just so damn hard to deal with! I was getting angry at her, and I didn't want to. I hated the whole sharing my emotions subject, but it might save her – us.

"Not everything." I sat beside her on the couch.

"What?" Rose looked incredulous and hurt.

"I haven't lost all innocence... all love. Because of you."

"Stop screwing with me, or I'll do it now. I'll kill you," she threatened in a tone that I loved. Now I was prepared to pour out my deepest confessions just for her to leave me.

"No... Roza, I've realized over the past couple of weeks that I feel, well, I feel like my old self about you. I'm not controlled and civilized which is expected, but I am right now, because I'm sitting here with you. The Strigoi that turned me, we didn't get along at all, so I ran away from him before he could catch me. I knew you were looking for me, and I knew where you were going. I watched you at night, sleeping, or maybe still walking. I was usually far away so you feel me, but I was close enough to see you, and sometimes, I went close to you. I knew you cared about me, so I'm here to tell you that I don't need anything done. And I'm glad that you're alive." I felt lighter, a little better, after that.

"Dimitri." Nothing else.

"Roza, I love you."

"How? You can't!" she sounded as if she didn't know that I have for so long and it was some form of blasphemy. I tried to ignore that.

"Yes, Rose, I can. I don't know how, but I can. When I look at you, I still see...you. You still make me happy to be with you, and it doesn't make that humane part of my soul feel so alone and evil and miserable. I still want you forever, but you think I'm evil and I notice it –" that part was a lie, but I knew it got worse than me – "When I said to you I was fine – I'm not. I was lying so I could get you to go, but I really don't want to die. I'm – I'm afraid of it, Rose." Most of it actually was the truth, but I hadn't realised it until now.

"Please, Dimitri!" she begged. "I need to do this. I'm doing it because I love you and you deserve better." Did I? Rose took my hand. I gripped it tighter.

"I can't, it's too hard."

"No! You can't back out. You can do it." Oh, the tables had turned, now Rose was convincing me.

"I don't want to die," I protested. How would this turn out? Would she end up dead?

"You'll be grateful."

"You'll be gone forever." I pulled in a deep breath, trying not to be weak and cry. Rose's face look sympathetic and one corner of her mouth tugged up the slightest bit. I just loved that smile so damn much. I folded her in my embrace and kissed her full, beautiful lips. I stared into her eyes for what felt like forever.

"I love you, Dimitri," Rose murmured quietly, a sob caught in her throat.

"I love you, too, Roza." I kissed her rosy cheek, truly meaning what I said. I loved her with everything I had and –

PAIN!


Total, excruciating pain!

I couldn't utter a single word when I felt the blood flow profusely onto my shirt. I tried to scream, but hardly anything came out. I fell to the floor.

"Sorry, Dimitri, it's for your own good," she whispered and kneeled on the floor, turning away from me. Before I faded away the Strigoi left my body and I was warm, pure. It felt so good. I looked up at Roza. She was crying more than I had seen any being cry, small moans and screams coming from her mouth. Her body shook all over. My eyes were closing, and I was leaving this world.

"It's no world without you, Roza," I breathed, and let my life drop away with tears welling up in my eyes.

:'( Sadness, I know. But I wouldn't end Dimitri like this!

I need your help! What was your favorite line of the chapter, because I need to know how to write it!

If there's any mistakes, sorry, I was in a rush!

(I'LL BE TRYING TO UPDATE DIMITRI'S SICK DAY & SLEEPWALKING SOON!)
Yes, I'm continuing with Sleepwalking ;)