Hi guys, so sorry about the delayed update. This is the longest chapter I've posted to date (11 pages on my MSWord) so I hope it more than makes up for the delay. Thanks everyone for the reviews, I know it's taking a while for Dimitri and Rose to get together, but they're nearly there. Besides, I think if they go through a couple of challenges/misunderstandings, it makes their reunion sweeter. Anyway, the usual disclaimers apply and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8

Rose's Point of View

I was discharged the next day, after the doctors had cleared all routine medical checks. Dimitri always hovered around the entrance of my room, as if standing guard but I never got a chance to speak to him alone again. It was probably for the better. I didn't know what I would say to him anyway. We would nod and grunt our responses at each other if there was any need for us to communicate and I sought solace and comfort in Lissa and my parents.

Adrian brought bouquets of fresh flowers and tended to my every need. I often felt suffocated by his constant attention, but it may have been because I was guilt-ridden for not being able to return his feelings and sentiments.

The hospital gardens served as a place for Lissa and I to reconnect, as we strolled through them together. We were waiting for the doctors to process the paperwork so I could be officially discharged. Lissa told me that ever since the attack, Mia had been spending more and more time with Eddie. I told her my suspicions and she agreed that they must be hooking up secretly behind our backs.

'Why would he do that though?' I asked, confused, 'It's not like its forbidden or anything,'

Lissa shrugged as she contemplated the possibilities, 'Maybe because we're going to Australia?'

'But Mia is more than welcome to come along,'

Lissa shrugged and as we chatted, I briefly told her about what happened with Dimitri and she couldn't understand why one minute he was rushing to my rescue, the next he was brushing me off like I didn't mean a thing to him. I offered her my hypotheses but she still seemed skeptical. I didn't want to talk about it so Lissa dropped it after sensing resistance from me. We continued to walk in silence and I made a mental note to do this more often with Lissa. I often got caught up in my Guardian duties that I sometimes would forget to take time off to reconnect with her emotionally.

'I'm going to spend the next holiday period with my parents again,' I said, finally breaking the silence, 'I hope that's not when your wedding is. I'd love for you to come along but Christian might not allow it,'

She looked at me, amused. 'I'm thinking of a June wedding, but we haven't decided yet. And I would love to holiday with you. I'm sure Christian wouldn't mind. He can go spend it with Ta-…' she gasped and brought her hands to her mouth, looking at me anxiously.

I looked at her and laughed, 'It's okay. You can say her name. I'm not that fragile, I promise,'

'Rose!' we heard a familiar voice call out. We turned around to see Adrian jogging towards us. Lissa frowned, annoyed at the intrusion.

'We're having a little girl time,' Lissa said, her hands on her hips. I laughed. I don't think I would ever get used to an assertive Lissa. Adrian stuck his tongue out at her and grabbed my arm.

'Hey!' Lissa called out, 'Be careful with her!'

Adrian rolled his eyes at her, 'She's not made of glass. She's a badass Guardian! Besides, you always have her to yourself. It's my turn,'

Lissa glared at him but finally conceded. I laughed, 'Don't I have any say in this?'

Adrian had a funny look on his face. I smiled at him, amused. Then he leaned in and kissed me softly. I blinked my eyes in shock. The feel of his lips on mine felt surprisingly nice. There was no hint of tobacco or alcohol, which I was silently grateful for. I felt his gentle tenderness and was taken aback. I often associated Adrian with sexual conquests and hedonistic pleasures. I kissed him back and could almost feel him relax in relief. I closed my eyes and decided to enjoy the moment. It didn't have the same rippling effect that Dimitri's kisses sent through me, but it was comfortable and nice, something I could definitely get used to.

'I'll always keep you safe, Little Dhampir,' Adrian whispered hoarsely, barely breaking away from my lips. I wasn't sure how he planned on keeping me safe, it would be more a matter of me keeping him safe, but I decided to let him have his masculine moment.

I looked into his eyes and realized that I was never going to be another conquest for him; I held a special place in his heart. Then, through the corner of my eyes, I saw something move and I briefly turned to glance at it. It was Dimitri. I saw a slight flicker of anger flash across his eyes before he returned to being stoically unreadable. I quickly shifted my gaze and brought it back to look at Adrian. I smiled at him and kissed him again, only this time, harder.

'Oh guys!' Lissa groaned. I broke away from Adrian's lips and gave him a cheeky wink.

He grinned delightfully, 'If that's just a taste of what's to come, I sure can't wait for the rest!'

'It's time for Rose to go back,' Dimitri announced flatly as he approached us. I nodded, avoiding his eyes and walked back to the main building of the hospital. Adrian reached out for my hands and held them protectively. I smiled at him and squeezed his hands. Maybe I will be happy with Adrian. I may not experience the same intense pleasure when I kiss him, may not feel the same exuberant joy, but maybe that's not love. Maybe that kind of love isn't sustainable. Maybe that kind of love can only lead to heartbreak. Adrian was handsome in his own boyish way. He makes me laugh, he cares about me and I enjoy a deep friendship with him. Maybe that will be enough for a relationship to work. A little voice screamed that I was fooling myself, but I tried to strangle it as much as possible. I couldn't afford not to.

--

I was back in my shed, lifting weights, punching bags and running laps the day after I was discharged. The exercise cleared my head and the nagging voice in my head that kept telling me that what I feel for Adrian isn't love only shuts up when I'm exercising. Lissa was dismayed at my decision. She insisted that I should be resting, and seemed to believe that I will collapse under excessive physical exertion.

'I'll show you what excessive physical exertion is,' Adrian said to me. I merely smiled at him, trying hard not to let my annoyance show. Dimitri looked like he was going to take him out. It was times like this that the nagging voice in my head would pipe up again. If Dimitri said that, you'd be dragging him to your room already! Shut up, I urged myself as my heart squeezed painfully; Dimitri will never see the insides of my room.

Other times, I felt like I was able to connect with Adrian on a deeper level. Yesterday, we sat in the garden and talked about Moroi politics, debated about Dhampir rights and discussed our respective training regimes. I talked about wanting to be the best Guardian for Lissa; he talked about his frustration at his Aunt Tatiana, who refused to take him seriously. These were the times when I was convinced that it would work.

Since being discharged, I haven't eaten at the villa. It was easier to go out for lunch or dinner with Adrian. As such, I was able to easily avoid seeing Dimitri and Tasha. It was a cowardly way out, but I wasn't quite sure how else to handle the situation. I once saw her give Dimitri a brief kiss on the cheek. It looked friendly instead of romantic, but I still felt murderous. I took it out on the punching bags that day. Dimitri caught my eye then, and I quickly shifted my gaze away. It was awkward. Our relationship had been reduced to an awkward avoidance, always feeling embarrassed if one of us caught the other doing something intimate with their partners. Legitimate partners, may I add.

My parents had to leave the day that I was discharged from hospital. Mum had to go back to guarding her charge, and Dad had some 'important business' that had to be attended to immediately. I rolled my eyes at this, there was always something more important than me, but to their credit, they fussed over me and made sure that I was okay before leaving. It wasn't much, but it was a slight improvement. They even made Dimitri promise that he would keep an extra eye out for me. Parents can be so embarrassing when they have no clue what's going on. After the rescue, Mum had been treating Dimitri like he was the Angel Gabriel. I don't think Dimitri could ever do any wrong in her eyes after that. To make things worse for me, she kept telling me how lucky I was to have him look after me like that. It sure didn't help my case at all.

I stretched in my bed. 3 more days until we leave for Australia, I thought as I yawned. The golden rays of the sun setting streamed through my window. It was only 3.00 p.m. Adrian, Lissa and the other Morois were probably still be asleep. I decided to head out for a run. The view would be spectacular, and I missed the sun. I don't get to see much of the sun as Morois tend to avoid the sunlight. I was secretly sad for Lissa and Adrian as they rarely got to experience the beauty or the warmth of the sun. There are downsides to being Moroi too, I smiled to myself and laced up my running shoes.

I tiptoed downstairs, so as to not wake anyone and headed to the kitchen for a glass of milk before starting my run. I stopped at the kitchen door when I saw Dimitri standing at the kitchen sink, gazing out into the sunset. He looked sad and wistful, possibly lost in his memories. I can only hope they were memories of me. I stood there watching him for a while, he seemed oblivious to me.

So much for always being on guard, I smirked inwardly.

He was so handsome and the sun rays tinged his dark hair a slight orange. My heart began to thump again but I willed it to be quiet. I felt an overwhelming urge to hold him, to feel his arms around me again, to run my fingers through his hair. It was a shame we were both Dhampirs.

'See something you like?' he asked suddenly, jolting me out of my thoughts, echoing the same words I had said to him a while ago, when we were back in the Academy. He turned around to smile at me. He was devastatingly handsome. He could have any woman with that smile, 'You've been watching me,'

I blushed deeply. I should have known better – Dimitri always knows who's around him. 'I uh… just came down for some milk,' I said hurriedly, lunging for the fridge, avoiding his gaze.

'You're up early,' he commented, turning back to the sun. I grunted my reply as I poured the milk into a glass. I quickly downed it and headed towards the door.

'Are you going for a run?' he called after me. I grunted my reply again.

'It's getting dark, it may be dangerous. I'll come with you,' he announced, striding towards me. I suddenly felt annoyed, 'I can look after myself. I go running in the dark all the time,'

'I'm coming with you,' he said stubbornly, heading towards the door. I sighed in defeat, might as well start running.

We ran in silence, concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other, on steadying our breathing. We ran towards the sun, its warmth briefly kissing our faces. The colours of twilight exploded in the sky in front of us as we neared the end of our course. It was breathtaking and magical. The snow capped mountains were flooded with a dance of purple, orange and pink. We had just run 15 km, and stopped at the edge of the mountain, just in time to see the winter sun set behind the mountains. We stood in silence, watching the show nature was putting on for us.

'It's one of the rare things that give me peace,' Dimitri said softly. I turned to look at him and he smiled at me, tenderly.

'It's beautiful,' I offered.

'Not as beautiful as you,' he replied. His eyes were dancing when I looked into them. I found myself drowning in them and the rest of the world faded away. Maybe it was the magic of nature, maybe it was the isolation of the mountain, or maybe he was just tired of denying himself. Whatever it was, he closed the distance between us and leaned down to kiss me. A jolt of electricity went through me and I kissed him back hungrily as he wrapped his arms around me. I ran my fingers through his hair and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him towards me. He groaned as he nipped at my bottom lip and I sank into blissful oblivion. It felt right. It felt so right and I wanted more. We broke apart for a second and looked into each other's eyes before he lowered his lips onto my neck, his teeth slowly grazing it. I gasped. It felt better than any Moroi bite and I pressed myself against him. I wanted him to take me then and there, on the snow, on the edge of the mountain. His lips moved up to nip gently at my ears. I melted in his arms as my heart soared.

He pulled away slowly, still holding on to me. 'Enough,' he said gruffly, looking at me with passion in his eyes. I searched his eyes, silently begging him not to stop. It looked like he was going to break for a minute, but he shook his head and released me from his grasp. I suddenly felt cold.

'We better head back, they're probably looking for us,' he shifted his eyes to the ground and he started to run.

'Hey!' I called out after him, 'What the fuck just happened?'

I was confused and hurt. One minute he was hot and ready, the next he was cold and impassioned. What was he trying to do to me? He turned around and looked at me stiffly, 'I'm sorry,'

'You're sorry?' I barked bitterly, 'And would you care to explain because I'm a little lost here!'

He sighed and walked towards me. 'You're beautiful Rose. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. But you're not just beautiful. You're strong and fiercely loyal. You're kind and compassionate. You ooze sex appeal but you carry yourself with grace. You're intelligent and quick with words. You're fiery, you're passionate, you're everything that I want. I dream of you, of holding you, of kissing you, of touching you. But most of all, I dream of running with you, training with you, talking to you, laughing with you,'

I looked at him, not believing what I just heard. My heart thumped faster with each word he said. It was the closest he came to telling me he loved me since he barged into my life again. I knew he always had trouble confessing his feelings and saying 'I love you' was just not his style and though I needed to hear those words from him, I knew that for now, this was more than enough.

'I dream of the same things,' I barely whispered in response.

He smiled sadly at me and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, 'I wish you were mine,'

I looked at him and my heart squeezed with longing. Why can't I be? I wanted to ask but I already knew the answer.

Suddenly, I had a crazy idea. I didn't care about consequences, or who I hurt anymore. I wanted to be with him. I've been denied this for way too long. So I said, 'I'll see you tomorrow at 3.00 p.m.,' as I smiled broadly at him.

He looked confused for a second, before understanding what I was trying to say. He looked concerned for a while, but then returned my broad smile, 'I hope you're up for it,'

'Always,' I said cheerily and we began our jog back to the house. I could've floated back.

--

Our secret rendezvous happened the next morning again and I came back feeling on top of the world. The day went by in a dreamy blur for me and it took extra effort to monitor myself, making sure that I wasn't grinning foolishly at inappropriate times. A small voice inside me told me that what Dimitri and I were doing was the same as what we did when we were back in the Academy – stolen kisses, secret meetings, hidden glances at each other. He lusts for you, but will never love you. If he loves you, why doesn't he come out and be with you? I pushed that thought away. I was soaring on the feel of his lips on mine. He's leaving soon. Another voice told me. I blocked it out. I didn't want to think about the future. If living in the present meant that I could feel his touch again, I'd happily live from day to day, not caring what tomorrow brought.

I avoided Adrian that day; his kisses just couldn't compare, and guilt wracked through me every time I thought about him. It was something I didn't want to deal with yet. I had been content with him, until Dimitri kissed me again. From that moment, I knew I belonged with him. I was selfish. But I didn't care anymore. I was always taught that they came first. I had been selfless all my life. For once, I wanted to be selfish. And, more than anything, Dimitri was what I wanted.

I mostly kept to my room, hiding behind the guise of recuperating from the last Strigoi attack. I willed the next morning to come quickly as I daydreamed about Dimitri's dashing smile and passionate kisses. If Lissa noticed my odd behavior, she didn't say anything, although I was certain there was a hint of curiosity that came through the bond. On the morning of our second meeting, by the time we reached the house, Lissa was already making breakfast. She raised an eyebrow at me, but when I scowled at her, she dropped any questions she may have previously had.

It wasn't that I didn't have questions for Dimitri. I had many – why does he constantly oscillate between yelling and scowling at me, and kissing and holding me; why is he kissing me when he's clearly with Tasha; what does he want from me; was I just a temporary infatuation; what will happen when he leaves… But I wasn't ready to face the answers. What if I was just a temporary infatuation? What if he truly loves Tasha but merely lusts for me? Each time fear crept into my heart, I quickly beat it away, deciding to ask him those questions the next day. Only, the next day, I would lose myself wholly to his touch, and asking questions would only ruin the moment.

--

It was Thursday evening, exactly two days until Dimitri would walk out of my life once again. I hardly slept a wink throughout the day and 3.00 p.m. couldn't have approached any slower. As usual, I tiptoed downstairs quietly into the kitchen and there was my Russian God, his face turned towards the sun again. I smiled to myself, 'Hello sunshine,'

He turned and smiled back at me, 'Good evening, Roza.' My heart fluttered and I ached to be in his arms. We headed out silently, and commenced our run to the edge of the mountain. The cool air was refreshing and every now and then, I would catch a brief wisp of his aftershave. I inhaled it deeply, as if willing myself to etch it into my memory. I was in so deep I couldn't pull myself back out even if I wanted to. I sneaked a glance at him. His eyes were focused on the path in front of us and his muscles tensed and relaxed as he ran through the crisp evening air. The golden rays of the sun made him look tanner than he was. I would never tire of this view.

'Shouldn't you be concentrating on running?' he turned, arching an eyebrow at me, smiling that knowing smile of his. I blushed and picked up my pace, racing in front of him. I heard him chuckle behind me.

We finally reached the end of our run and we silently gazed out at the sun setting in the distance, both lost in our own thoughts.

'Have you ever wondered how different it would be if we were both Moroi?' Dimitri said, breaking the silence. He continued to gaze out at the setting sun. He didn't sound bitter, but there was a hint of wistfulness in his voice. I knew he was talking about us.

I sighed, 'I've stopped wondering about things like that. There's no point,'

He chuckled softly, 'Ah, Rose, sometimes I think you've grown up faster than I have,'

We lapsed back into a comfortable silence. My mind swirled with all the questions I wanted to ask him but every time I opened my mouth to say something, the knot in my stomach grew larger.

'I'm going to miss you when you leave,' I finally said softly, my heart already aching at the thought of saying goodbye. He looked at me with a funny expression on his sharp features.

He pulled me in for a hug and sighed deeply as he held me, 'I'm going to miss you too, more than you know,'

My heart dropped. He was leaving. I didn't expect that he would stay, after all, the week was coming to a close and I have to follow Lissa to Australia, whilst Dimitri… Well, he had to return to Tasha. But now, the impending date of his departure loomed heavily over us and I was surprised at how disappointed I felt. Of course he's leaving, I chided myself, it's not like you just found out.

He tugged at my ponytail and released my hair from its confines. A soft wind blew through it and he buried his face in it. I rested my cheek on his chest and listened to his heart beat. We were both mourning for each other, for having found love and for having to let it go again. At least we have today and the next two days, I told myself, trying to bring some comfort to my breaking heart.

I felt his lips on my neck and I welcomed the wave of ecstasy that pulsed through me. This time though, it was different. It was as if he was trying to take my sorrow away from me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, giving him more access. I felt his tongue gently trail down my neck, and I shuddered blissfully from it, closing my eyes to savour the moment fully. I dug my fingers lightly into his back and he gently bit my neck. I sighed with pleasure and brought my lips to his. Our tongues battled as we kissed, occasionally sucking and biting, teasing and succumbing. His hands snaked under my t-shirt and I gasped in surprise. His hands were cold against my hot skin, but I quickly got used to it. I burned under his touch, willing his hands to move further up my shirt by kissing him harder. He groaned and mumbled something incomprehensible in Russian before moving his hands closer to my breasts.

My heart was beating rapidly, as though I had just finished a marathon. I arched my body towards him and he pressed himself against me. I felt him between my legs and that excited me further. We were stumbling about, kissing each other blindly, lost in our passions. He pushed me against a tree and lifted me up slightly. I wrapped my legs around him instinctively and pulled him closer to my body. He groaned again and sneaked his fingers under my sports bra. I nearly stopped breathing as his fingers grazed a nipple. I was aching for him everywhere and pressed myself harder against him. A few pieces of clothing separated us, but I could feel him distinctly. I moaned in ecstasy as he continued to pinch my nipples and kiss my neck.

'Dimitri…' I pleaded, 'Please…'

'Please what, Roza?' he whispered hoarsely into my ear, flicking his tongue at it, sending waves of pleasure through me again.

'I need to have you,'

He took my shirt and bra off. The cold air pinched at my nipples, making them more sensitive to his touch.

'You're so beautiful, Roza,' he murmured, before covering my nipples with his wet mouth. I gasped with pleasure and grabbed onto his hair. His tongue flicked at the hard nub of my right nipple and I felt like I was going to die from the intense pleasure that ensued. I lowered myself to the ground as I grabbed at his shirt, yanking it off, wanting to give him the same amount of pleasure he was giving me. I brought my mouth to his nipples and he groaned loudly, running his fingers gently across my back, sending shivers down my spine. I smiled at my ability to tease him and gently grazed my teeth against his erect nipple.

'Roza,' his voice was thick with passion, 'You're going to be the end of me,'

Suddenly, we heard a rustle in the shrubs and instinctively, we jumped away from each other, grabbing at our discarded clothes. A rabbit hopped out and looked at us curiously. I let out a nervous laugh, but the mood had already gone. I was painfully aware of feeling guilty and on edge, like how I felt when we would steal kisses from each other back in the Academy. I was 20 and a full-fledged Guardian, and yet I felt like I was 17 again, and having an illicit relationship with my mentor. Well, I was still having an illicit relationship. I swallowed the bitterness that was starting to rise in my throat and quickly pulled on my clothes. Dimitri looked at me, confused as he too, pulled his shirt back on.

'Rose…' he started, reaching out to touch my arm, 'What's wrong?'

I shook my head fiercely, refusing to look at him, wanting to desperately cling onto the blind passion that had engulfed the both of us not long before.

He spun me around and tilted my chin so he looked into my eyes, 'Something is wrong and you're not telling me,'

I looked at him sorrowfully. 'Something is wrong,' I choked, 'but is there anything you can do about it?'

'I can try,' he said tentatively, as if already sensing what I was going to tell him.

'You're leaving in two days. Why are we doing this?' I blurted out. My eyes searched his for answers. He looked pained and conflicted. 'I keep telling myself that I'll just be content with meeting up with you every day at 3 in the evening for a run, until you have to go. I keep telling myself that that's enough. But it's not. It will never be enough,' I continued.

I took in a deep breath and stared out at the mountains behind him, 'You're being unfaithful to Tasha; and I to Adrian,' I saw him flinch at the mention of Adrian, 'I told myself that I could live with the guilt, that as long as I got to be in your arms again, I didn't care what happened to anyone. But…'

'I can't,' I continued sadly, focusing on the mountains darkening in the distance, 'Adrian's my friend and I care about him. And you and Tasha are so happy together, you can have a family with her,'

'If we were happy, I wouldn't be out here with you, would I?' he said bitterly.

I stared at him in horror. 'If you're not happy, shouldn't you be working things out with her? Instead of seeking comfort in another woman's arms?' I was shaking by now. This was worse than being a temporary infatuation, 'Why does everything we do always have to feel so wrong?'

But I didn't wait to hear his answer as I was hit with a wave of intense nausea. Strigoi! I turned around frantically, my eyes darting around at the nearby trees to seek them out. Dimitri's voice droned out and all I heard was my heart pumping. Another wave of nausea hit me, this time harder. They're approaching, I thought as I keeled over. I felt Dimitri wrap his arms around me, possibly thinking that I was extremely distressed.

I turned to face him and whispered frantically, 'Strigoi! They're here,'

I saw his eyes darken, 'How do yo-?'

It was too late. We heard their screeching laughter and we turned to face them. Dimitri shoved me behind him and pulled out his silver stake. Instinctively, I pulled mine out too. I was annoyed at Dimitri for being so over-protective but this wasn't the time to bring it up. We had some serious Strigoi ass to kick.

'Ah, I love the smell of lovebirds in the evening!' the blonde Strigoi said, as he stepped out of the trees. It was the same one from New Year's Eve. Dimitri and I both took our stance as more Strigoi stepped out of the foliage.

'D, I don't know what you're playing at. I never thought you were the type to be unfaithful, but maybe I was wrong,' the blonde Strigoi smirked, 'I suppose when you're looking at a fine piece of meat like her… Well, I'm not blaming you. I think Adam might have some taste after all,' referring to my assaulter. A chuckle rippled through the other Strigois – there were 4 of them, but I wasn't sure if more were coming.

A bitter taste crept into my mouth when he referred to Dimitri being unfaithful. I was the third person and I felt like I was going to be sick. Then, I heard Dimitri let out a low growl and his knuckles cracked as he gripped his stake tighter, 'Let's dance, buttercup,'

I felt a slight movement beside me, only to find that it was Dimitri rushing forward to stake the blonde Strigoi. Wow, he's fast, I admired silently as I advanced to tackle the others. I landed a punch to one of the Strigoi's face and I felt his cheekbone crack underneath my fist. I silently congratulated myself before delivering a kick to his face, breaking his nose. A second Strigoi lunged at me and I barely managed to dodge him. I delivered a turning kick to his face and as he stumbled backwards, Dimitri plunged his silver stake into the Strigoi's heart. I loved team work, especially if my team was Dimitri.

I turned back to the other Strigoi whose face I had previously disfigured. He snarled menacingly at me and I narrowed my eyes at him. As he lunged at me, I quickly side stepped him, but unfortunately, the ground was slippery and I slipped. As I fell, the Strigoi grabbed at me and threw me at a tree. My newly healed wounds burned but I quickly stood up and dodged him as he tried to reach for me again. I skidded towards him and at a speed that surprised myself, elbowed him in the right eye. He let out a scream and I took the opportunity to throw in a few more punches before staking him to the ground. His body let out one final shudder as I held the stake steadily in place. Content that he was dead, I turned to Dimitri who was still fighting the blonde Strigoi, whilst another lay dead on the ground.

3 dead, 1 to go, I thought to myself, approaching Dimitri. If he wasn't fighting a Strigoi, and this was just a sparring competition, I would have marveled at their skills. The blonde Strigoi blocked each move that Dimitri threw at him and Dimitri in turn easily avoided each advance that the blonde Strigoi made. They looked like they were dancing. But it was time to end this game. I took my position beside Dimitri and the blonde Strigoi, seeing that he was outnumbered, quickly jumped into a tree and flipped away. I started towards him, but Dimitri stopped me, 'Let him go,'

'But we can get him!' I cried, struggling against Dimitri's hold on my arms.

'No, I'm not risking your life,'

'Dimitri! It's the two of us against the one,' I was exasperated. I didn't have a reputation amongst Guardians for nothing. And Dimitri was the best Guardian out there, better than my mum, I secretly thought, although I would never tell her that.

'No, he's going to get reinforcements; we need to get back to the villa where the wards can shield us. We should have done our runs within the wards,'

I thought about it for a second and then agreed with him. If indeed he was going for reinforcements, we wouldn't be able to face them. No matter how good I thought we were, the Strigoi were fast and strong. Their heightened senses gave them a strong edge in our battles. Dimitri grabbed at my arm and we sped back to the villa. I was grateful for keeping up with my training.

Dimitri was still holding onto my hand as we burst into the house. Everyone was up and at the breakfast table. They stared at us – disheveled, clothes in disarray, part of my right sleeve was torn, panting. We looked like we had just been fighting Strigoi. That or we had just made passionate love. I wished it was the latter. Lissa looked at us suspiciously, Adrian stared at Dimitri angrily, and Tasha raised an eyebrow at us.

I squeezed my hand out of Dimitri's grip. He looked at me as if wanting to say something but decided against it. 'Strigoi,' he announced, breathless, 'They attacked us, there may be more,'

A collective gasp went around the room. Lissa's eyes widened with fear and the Guardians scraped back their chairs and moved towards the doorway. Adrian leaped out of his seat and headed towards me.

'What happened? Where?' Alberta demanded from Dimitri and I.

'We went out for a run before. I couldn't sleep,' I felt like I had to justify why I was alone with Dimitri so early in the evening, 'At the end of the our run, we were just… Catching our breaths when I was hit by an incredible wave of nausea. I knew the Strigoi were near,'

Dimitri had a funny look on his face when I told Alberta that we were just catching our breaths but he continued smoothly, 'There were 4 of them. Alex was there,' Alberta's eyes widened.

'Who's Alex?' I asked, confused why he was the only one that Dimitri had singled out.

'The blonde one,' Dimitri informed, he seemed to want to say more but stopped himself. I looked at him curiously, but decided to drop it.

'What did he want? There were no Morois around with you,' Alberta paced, wracking her brains for a reason. Dimitri frowned in contemplation. Alberta had a point. Strigois usually attacked when there were Morois, especially Royal Morois.

'They want you,' Dimitri said stiffly, looking at me. I stared back at him, mouth opened wide in shock. Why me? Adrian held my hand protectively, as if he could protect me like that. 'Why me?' I echoed my thoughts.

'They probably think that to be able to get through to Lissa, they'd have to take you down first,' Dimitri explained. I turned to look at Lissa as her fear was emanating through our bond. Christian had a protective arm around her. I walked towards her and said as reassuringly as possible, 'I won't let them hurt you,'

'No… But they may hurt you,'

I shook my head, 'Don't worry about me. If they ever get me, remember to not turn back and to keep running,'

She stared at me with tears in her eyes, 'It's me they want Rose, not you. Why should I get to be safe anymore than you do?' Because you come first, I wanted to say but I knew that it would make her feel worse. I was grateful that the bond did not work both ways. I avoided her gaze and caught Dimitri's instead. He knew what I was thinking and there was anguish in his eyes.

'Don't worry Lissa, I'll be fine,' I turned back to reassure her, 'I'm a badass Guardian remember?'

She managed to crack a small smile at me and I decided that for the meantime, that was enough from her. I needed to get cleaned up and change out of my torn clothes. The other Guardians decided to surround the lodge and keep a constant eye out for Strigoi.

'You're hurt,' Adrian said, looking at a gash on my arm. Dimitri turned to look too. It was bleeding but between the fighting and our haste to make it back to the lodge before more Strigoi arrived, I had managed to ignore it. Dimitri started towards me but stopped when Adrian said, 'Come, let me dress it,'

He pulled me towards the first aid kit in the kitchen and Lissa moved to heal me, but Adrian stopped her. He looked at her pointedly and she seemed to understand what he was trying to say – to let him dress my wounds, it was the least he could do as he wasn't there to help me.

I winced as he applied the disinfectant. He cleaned the wound gently, looking at me anxiously each time I winced in pain. 'Okay, I've cleaned the wound. You go shower and when you come back down, I'll dress it for you,' he said tenderly.

I smiled at him, 'Thanks Adrian, you're the best,'

He grinned back at me and hugged me tightly, 'I'm so glad you're okay,' before kissing me briefly on my lips. It felt more like a breath that had gently passed my lips, so light I barely felt it. I blushed and quickly stole a glance at Dimitri. He looked like he was scowling at Adrian, but his eyes were directed at the wall behind him, as if it was Strigoi.

'Of course I'm okay, I'm badass Guardian Hathaway,' I said cheekily.

Adrian laughed, sparkle returning to his eyes, 'I'd like to see how badass you can get,' he ended with a wink and I rolled my eyes at him, laughing. I stood up and headed towards the stairs, 'I'm going to get cleaned up,' Adrian's eyes sparkled again and I knew what he was thinking. I laughed and shook my head again, 'I'll see you soon, Dr. Ivashkov,'

'Anytime, Little Dhampir,' he called out and from the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri wear an angry scowl as he stared out of a window.

What did you think of the chapter? Please write to me!
I'm not sure when I can update next, but will try to do so as soon as possible. I hope this chapter holds you over until then. :) Happy Easter everyone!