My blood ran cold, strigoi were outside the house? Shit. That means we're all in danger. I flicked my eyes around the room, Lissa and Adrian stood panting in the middle of the room, Vika was paused on the stairs, her eyes wide and Tasha sat on the armchair looking Scared.

"Lissa take Alex, go upstairs find mama and babushka and keep hidden, you too Adrian, Vika and Tasha I need you to guard this room, I dont know how many are out there, but if any manage to get in, kill them." I said, handing my son to Lissa and making my way to the door.

I paused glancing back, "please Lissa, please protect him." I said, letting my fear and worry onto my face before slipping my guardian mask back on.

She nodded once and bolted upstairs with Adrian hot on her heels.

I turned and slunk out the door, scanning the front yard for any signs of a threat, the sun had gone down enough that strigoi could venture out anywhere they wanted. Not a good thing at all in a situation like this. I listened carefully as I slowly made my way down the front steps, the last thing I needed was for one of them to sneak up on me.

I could hear the sounds of struggling, groaning and flesh hitting flesh, it was coming from around the side of the house. Just as I got to the corner of the house and was about to step around I narrowly dodged backwards as Eddie was thrown a few meters, almost knocking me down with him. He landed on his back with a heavy thud, and a loud groan but thankfully he was able to pull himself up straight away. I turned my attention from him back to the corner of the house and was able to flick my stake out and drive it into the chest of a very surprised strigoi as he ran around the corner after Eddie. His eyes drained of life and he sunk to the ground as I tore my stake back out, turning to help Eddie get to his feet.

"thanks Dimitri, he was a bastard of a guy to try and get a hit on." He said brushing the dirt off and stretching one arm behind his back as he spoke.

"how many are we dealing with?" I asked as I peered around the corner, I ended up answering my own question as I saw guardians Lorenza and Torrance locked in battle with two strigoi each and was shocked to see Chrisitan standing not far off with his own two strigoi, one of which was currently on fire whilst the other was looking on in horror, backing slightly away.

My gaze was torn back to guardian lorenza who had been knocked off balance and let out a scream as she hit the ground, one of the strigoi throwing himself at her. I raced foreward and charged the other strigoi that was advancing on them, I know she can handle one, but the second one will definitely be trouble.

The strigois eyes flicked up to me as I approached, a smirk making its way on his lips as he changed course and braced himself for my attack. I barrelled straight into him, using my shoulder to ram his chest. It wasnt enough, even with my size and weight, it only just pushed him slightly backwards and I was able to swing my fist around and connect to his face. He barely even flinched, bringing both of his hands up aiming for my throat I presume. I wasnt about to stand there and let him though, I dodged to the side flicking my leg out as I did, catching his leg and making him lose balance.

It was enough that I was able to get out of his reach. I used the few seconds to glance in my peripheral vision at the scene around me. Christian was in the process of burning his second strigoi to a crisp, guardian Torrance and Eddie were tag-teaming against a buff big guy and guardian Lorenza was still engaged in combat with the one that had knocked her down.

As I dragged my gaze back to the guy I was dealing with, a flash of black and grey streaked across my vision distracting me. The strigoi was able to step foreward and in the same second he wrapped his cold, claw like fingers around my throat.

I automatically started scratching against his hands trying to get some release of the pressure. Using my legs to try and knock him off bakance. He smirked triumphantly at me, obviously presuming it was the end, which it easily could have been... Had it not been for his head going up in flames. His shock was so evident that his grip loosened and I was able to grip my stake and force it into his chest before he could even let out a sound, Watching as his features twisted in pain and then he crumpled to the ground.

I turned and sent a greatful smile to Christian as he stood breathing heavily from the over exertion of energy. Moving my attention to the last two strigoi I noted that they were both now laying in heaps on the ground, having been killed by The guardians.

"well... That made for an...interesting end of...the day..." Christian puffed as he made his way slowly toward the house.

"im going to do a quick check and make sure there are none hiding elsewhere around here, you guys go inside and make sure everyones ok in there." I said to the others as I turned slightly towards the backyard. To be truthful, I was more interested in trying to find out what the black and grey blur was that had distracted me, it had looked like a person...

They nodded and made there was inside as I walked toward the spot I had seen it, making sure that the strigoi bodies were definitely dead as I went. I noted how quiet it was as I got nearer to the line of thin trees that border the property and run along the small fence line, usually you can hear noises from animals foraging around in there, but tonight. Nothing. Not even the crickets were chirping... It was odd...

As I reached the very far end of the yard I was about to give up, I hadnt seen any sign of anything really... untill I heard a single twig snap. I whirled around to the sound, and came face to face with the deepest, most beautiful set of brown eyes, the very same that have haunted my dreams for the last 2 months...I sucked in a breath... And then the cloud moved off its position over the moon, lighting up the area and her face, highlighting the red ring that surrounded them.

She was standing literally an arms length away, her waist length dark brown hair hung down in little wavy ringlets, a halo of silvery light surrounded her making her look like an angel... A deadly beautiful angel, but still my angel. My Roza.

"Dimitri..." she murmured moving her gaze to mine.

Hearing her voice again, it took everything in me not to rush foreward and pull her to me. That would be going against everything I had ever been taught, everything that had been drilled into me since I was a child. Once someone became strigoi it was our duty as dhampir, as guardians, to destroy them, we were taught to believe that once they turned they were no longer the people they used to be, there was no more of that person anywhere within them... They became killing monsters and nothing more.

Without even thinking, My hand moved of its own accord down to my waist, resting on the stake that I had put back in its holster. Her eyes flickered down as she caught the movement, hurt crossed her features.

All of those teachings about people losing themselves as strigoi went out of the window as I stared at her, my brain just would not comprehend that she was dangerous, that with one flick of her wrist she could easily snap my neck and I would never see it coming.

"Im sorry... I shouldnt be here..." she said as she scrutinized my face, watching my reaction I presume. She turned slowly to leave, and without even really comprehending what I was doing I reached out. Gripping her wrist in mine, I felt the unnatural cool feel of her skin, but I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug.

She stiffened for only a millisecond before hugging me back. I felt her body shudder as she breathed in. This was like a bitter sweet dream, she wasnt my Roza, she was a strigoi, a monster... But I couldnt make my heart believe that... she would always be my Rose, no matter how she changed physically.

"Ive missed you so much Roza... You have no idea..." I whispered into her hair, placing a soft kiss there as I spoke. She hugged me tighter and then released me, looking up into my face. She looked hesitant for a moment before she leaned up and placed her lips on mine.

It was like we were transported back in time, like the last 2 months had never happened. She was dhampir, we were together and everything was absolutely perfect. She moaned slightly against my lips and thats when I stiffened,I felt a prick and realised her fangs had brushed my lip. The sensation was so odd that it ripped me from my thoughts and for a split second I forgot that it was her I was kissing.

She sensed my change and abruptly ripped herself from me with strigoi speed and strength. She was immediately two arms lengths from me, looking at me with wide eyes. I didnt understand the look on her face until I ran my tongue over my lip and realised that her fang had cut me, blood was barely tasted on my lip, but it was still there.

"im... dimitri im sorry..." she said quietly as she turned from me. She looked like she was struggling with herself, It was like I could see the fight, the war, that was going on in her mind.

"Roza wait." I said moving foreward going to grab her wrist again, she paused but wouldnt let me touch her. I could see so much torment and pain in her eyes that I couldnt bare it, I wanted nothing more than to save her from it, to help her..."Roza, we know how to save you." I said with as much confidence and certainty as I could.

Her expression changed, turning to one of confusion and shock. "wh...what?" she stuttered, her brows knitting together slightly.

"We've been searching for a way since you were taken... We think we've found a way to turn you back into a dhampir." I pulled her hand into both of mine as I spoke.

She was silent for a moment, looking down at the ground, trying to process my words, when she looked back up the look on her face shocked me.

She was angry. There was a fierce, scarey anger radiating off of her now. She ripped her hand from mine, "Im fine, I dont need help. Not from you. Not from anyone. Im stronger now than I ever was, why would I want to be changed back into... In to a weakling!" she practically spat at me.

I was shocked at the sudden change in her, she was glaring at me with a look so cold that anyone else would have been shaking in their boots. I noticed how the red ring in her eyes was brighter than Id ever seen, it was crimson red almost overpowering the brown of her iris's.

Before its too late for her... babushkas words swirled around in my mind. Was this what she meant? That Rozas control was breaking, she was turning into a monster... Into one of them...she was losing the little bit of her humanity that she had left from her bond with Lissa... Thats all that is holding her here I realised.

"Roza, you dont mean that. We NEED you back, I need you... Alexavier needs you..." I said almost desperately. Her expression dropped when she heard her sons name.

"Alexavier...my son... Oh my god, Dimitri... I dont know what to do... I cant keep fighting it, its getting too strong..." she spoke with so much intense fear that I wanted to cradle her to me again, but I could tell she didnt want me any closer. "I... I have to go.." she said hurriedly

"Roz-" I was going to beg her to wait... until her back suddenly shot up in flames. It completely took me by surprise, as well as Rose.

"Dimka!" I heard Tasha scream at me and I saw her standing just off the back porch, her arm raised at Rose. She was doing this, she was going to kill Roza!

"No! Tasha stop!" I yelled at her, pushing Roza behind me and standing in Tashas line of sight.

"Dimka, shes strigoi! She has to die, move I can do it now while shes down." She growled moving closer towards us.

"No Tasha, stop. Leave her alone. We know how to help her!" I yelled walking over and grabbing her hand to stop her. She looked shocked at the fact that I had grabbed her as roughly as I had, but I needed to make her stop, I couldnt let her hurt Roza, not when theres a chance I can get her back.

"shes not the Rose you knew Dimitri. Shes a strigoi! An evil monster." she said looking at me like I was stupid,

I shook my head at her, "no, shes not. She hasnt laid a hand on me since Ive been out here. She wont hurt me. I know how to turn her back into a dhampir Tasha, so you. Will. Not. Touch. Her." I growled the last part and pushed her back lightly.

I turned back around to see Roza watching me with wide, shocked eyes. She quickly composed herself, her eyes searching mine for a second before she smiled a small sad smile and nodded her head once as she whispered "thankyou Comrade... "

and then she disappeared.

Review please :)

Im finding it kind of hard to keep writing this :( I like the story line but sometimes i feel as though im repeating myself too much...

Oh well, next chapter will be Roses POV so we can see what was going through her tortured mind during this bit :)