Hey guys thanks for being so patient and supportive. I had to drive seven hours and then unpack for college again so I've been wrecked but I really wanted to update for you guys so you better let me know what you think.

Thanks for the support and you better review if you want more!

Val

Chapter Fourteen

We went over the details a million times, what had happened during the attacks and taking every angle even though it didn't really get us anywhere. The truth of the matter was –what no one really wanted to admit and said in harsh whispers was that the Strigoi were working with humans which meant hiding behind wards wasn't going to cut it.

I was getting pretty annoyed because the truth was I felt just like Rose. I wanted to go to Spokane with a team and eliminate these murderous Strigoi which would continue to feed on the innocent. They were something so unnatural, so repulsive and needed to be wiped off the world.

It wasn't right; we lived our whole lives trying to protect our Moroi to protect both the Dhampir and Moroi race. But the reality was, while Moroi and Dhampir numbers were declining, Strigoi numbers were at an all time high.

Tasha was right. Things should be how they were in the old days. It didn't make sense for Moroi to not use magic against Strigoi, considering all they could accomplish.

Janine continued on about the "incident" and I sort of tuned her out.

Everything was just getting really messy right now.

Rose was angry with me, sort of. All we ever did anymore was fight. It angered me because all I really wanted was to be with her and it tormented me, knowing, that it just would never be.

"Dimitri?" Janine suddenly asked catching my attention immediately.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Will you be able to attend the Pricilla's banquet tonight, we are short of staff and we want the most Guardian numbers there?" she insisted.

I was technically supposed to be off my shift, and Tasha was going to kill me, but I said, "Of course," because that's what we're supposed to do.

They come first had been drilled in my head since as long as I can remember.

I quickly got dressed into the typical black attire Guardians wear after that and headed for the banquet.

It seemed like all Moroi royals ever did was go to these sorts of parties. They hardly ever even worked. It must be nice being able to do whatever the hell you want and be free to date whoever you want. It must be nice to come first.

I quickly got to the banquet and tried to blend in with the other Guardians, do that thing where we're there but not really there. It's a little hard when you're 6'7" but I tried my best.

I was simply keeping an eye on things when I saw that idiot Adrian walking around.

Could I ever be free of this bastard? There goes the mental patient. He walked by and nodded. What an idiot?

Wanting the same girl didn't put us at some type of equal respect for the opponent.

I noticed his expression change though from a knowing smart ass to an excited one –eyes widened. I noticed a few other guys do the same and quickly turned to see what was causing the commotion.

Better yet –who.

Rose walked in accompanied by Lissa and there was no wonder why they were staring. For once, Rose wasn't in her normal jeans and t-shirt and pony tail. She was actually wearing make-up and I could tell she actually brushed her hair really nice this time. She wore the dress that Tasha had gotten her –and I had been right in warning Tasha that getting that dress for Rose would attract too many eyes –mine were practically glued. As she walked past people turned around to stare at her.

Rose was always extremely beautiful but today –she was drop dead gorgeous. While the dress she had on covered a lot of skin with its high neck, the material clung to her body exposing every single curve making her look dead sexy –especially in a room with a bunch of anorexic Moroi girls.

I wouldn't have minded her wearing the dress if it was just us.

I mentally cursed myself for thinking that way.

I really needed to get it into my head that Rose was something that I would never have.

They all then sat for dinner and my stomach grumbled at seeing so much food. I was starving having not had the chance to eat and I just wanted to walk over and steal a plate –but that would be inappropriate. Some Moroi would have a bitch fit but hey how much do you really have to eat when you're that skinny.

After dinner I expected Rose and Lissa to leave, but they didn't. Instead, Lissa seemed to go mingle with the other royal guests while Rose, for once, seemed quiet and out of place. Well, with that red dress she shown like the fourth of July in a black and white room.

At least I got to enjoy to watch Rose, I had barely seen her these past few days and I could hardly stand it. In fact, all that we had been doing was fighting for the past few weeks and truthfully, I really missed her. She might be a kid but she understood me better than probably anybody else. My innermost desires she wore on her sleeve and it was nice to be with someone so… real. So ready to conquer the world and say this is who I am, take it or fuck off.

I noticed Lissa talked to the other royals while Rose slowly slipped away to the back of the room. It was the first time I ever saw Rose be almost shadowed by someone else. For once, all the attention was on Lissa and not her. I wonder how Rose felt about that. It was tough to get used to but she was just going to have to.

My eyes continued to follow Rose, they couldn't help it. I noticed that she stopped a waitress going around with snacks on a tray and begin talking to her, I think asking about the food.

Then I saw psychopath cut across the room clearly eyeing his prey.

Goddamit.

What the hell did I saw about Adrian Ivashkov?

Rose better walk away right now or I'll make her.

She didn't walk away there, she just continued to talk to him. Everything started to burn inside of me, it wasn't just that she was talking to another guy, it was that I think she really did like Adrian. She was all smiles and giddy around him. She'd smile seductively and flirt. It wasn't like with Mason, that attraction was clearly one sided, this was something more.

Suddenly, the thought of Rose being with someone else made me want to rip someone's throat.

It wasn't in the least bit reasonable, but blame in on testosterone or whatever messed up thing, I didn't want Roza anywhere near that idiot.

I'd say I had the biggest look of bloody murder in the world right now, that was until I saw Janine Hathaway's face. Something told me the fact that her daughter was flirting with Adrian Ivashkov didn't please her anymore than it did me.

Good –someone else on my side.

When a waiter passed by and Adrian grabbed two drinks, one for him and one for Rose –I think it was the breaking point.

The minute that Rose took a sip of champagne; I saw a vein pop out of Janine's forehead a little further.

Adrian got closer, too close and I swear I was about to yank Rose right out of the room except Janine beat me to the punch.

She cut across the room and yelled, "Rose!" voice filled with sharpness.

A few people stared at the commotion since most Guardians never even existed on their radars but they didn't dare say a word.

Nothing like an angry mother.

The little short woman -five feet and all –stormed up like a category five hurricane.

I moved closer because I seriously wanted to hear this.

"What do you think you're doing?" Janine demanded to Rose.

"Nothing, I-" Rose began.

That wasn't going to work on Janine though, it wasn't like she had a soft spot for the girl.

"Excuse us, Lord Ivashkov," growled Janine and grabbed Rose by the arm jerking her out of the room.

Dammit I was going to miss this.

Well, at least asshole hadn't gotten away this time.

Now it was my turn.

I walked over to Adrian then as he stared at the doorway, amusement written all over his face.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Rose," I said, voice not loud enough for anyone to hear, but menacing in all the sense. While Adrian wasn't short in the least, I still had a good five inches on him and I could basically look down to talk to him.

I hoped it added a fear factor.

"Oh Dhampir, what's the matter? Don't want to let your cub make her own decisions?"

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Look, men who treat women abusively in their relationships can face some serious jail time. Trying to control her isn't going to work," he continued, smile all over his face. Sure he felt real comfortable in this environment.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you need to stay away from my student."

"Why? Because I'm too old for her?" he teased, then whispered, "Hypocrisy at his finest."

"No, because you're just another royal Moroi trying to take advantage of a Dhampir girl," I answered.

"How do you know that? Maybe I really do care about her? I'm not the one running around with another woman, then coming back and trying to control Rose. Seems to me that you're the one with the bad intentions," he continued.

"You're an idiot. Stay away from Rose," I said noticing that some of the other Guardians were growing wary of our little interaction.

Janine came back then and I went to meet her.

"What were you and Lord Ivashkov speaking about?" she asked immediately.

"I just told him he should stay away from Rose," I answered truthfully.

"Good," she answered.

"So how'd she take it?" I asked.

"As usual. Melodramatic. Insisted that I was causing a scene, went on about how bad of a mother I am," she answered.

"Would you mind if I went and spoke to her?" I asked.

"Not at all, just, try to get her to see reason. Try to get her to understand me. I'm not trying to ruin her fun, I care about my daughter and I don't want her to end up making the same mistakes I made," Janine answered.

I nodded and walked out the door.

I couldn't find Rose immediately but knowing her; she'd probably go where she wasn't supposed to. I tried a few doors and finally went one where the hall ended and that there were some stairs and then a door.

I saw her then, sitting on a ventilation system covered with snow and arms wrapped around herself, clearly freezing her ass off.

I immediately took my coat off and placed it on her shoulders and then sat down, "You must be freezing," I commented.

"The sun's out." Rose assured.

I looked up then, realizing that it'd been a while since I got some sunlight.

"It is," I admitted. "But we're still on a mountain in the middle of winter."

Rose didn't answer. Instead, we sat there in a comfortable silence for a while. Occasionally, a light wind blew clouds of snow around. It was night for Moroi, and most would be going to bed soon, so the ski runs were quiet.
"My life is a disaster," Rose finally said breaking the silence.

"It's not a disaster," I said automatically.

"Did you follow me from the party?"

"Yes."

"I didn't even know you were there." Must be hard to miss when your all busy looking at pretty boy Ivashkov. "So you saw the illustrious Janine cause a commotion by dragging me out," Rose continued.

"It wasn't a commotion. Hardly anyone noticed. I saw because I was watching you," I admitted, wondering if I should have let slip the last part.

That's not what she said," Rose responded angrily, clearly unaffected by the admission, "I might as well have been working a corner as far as she was concerned."

"She's just worried about you," I assured her.

"She overreacted."

"Sometimes mothers are overprotective."

Rose then stared at me for a brief moment. "Yeah, but this is my mother. And she didn't seem that protective, really. I think she was more worried I'd embarrass her or something. And all that becoming-a-mother-too-young stuff was stupid. I'm not going to do anything like that."

"Maybe she wasn't talking about you," I said.

Rose didn't say anything after that and just seemed to contemplate that fact, I guessed she hadn't really thought of it like that.

Finally, she sighed sounding very tired.

"We aren't fighting right now." Rose finally blurted out, out of the blue.

I gave her a sidelong look. "Do you want to fight?"

"No. I hate fighting with you. Verbally, I mean. I don't mind in the gym."

I wanted to smile at that, but I tried to contain myself."I don't like fighting with you either," I admitted.

"You should take it," Rose said suddenly.

I flinched. "What?" Did that mean, she didn't love me anymore? Had she really fallen for someone else? Had us really meant nothing to her.

"Tasha's offer. You should take her up on it. It's a really great chance," Rose elaborated.

Or maybe, maybe she was willing to sacrifice what she wanted, for me.

"I never expected to hear you say anything like that," I told her, voice tight. "Especially after-"

"What a bitch I've been? Yeah." Rose said, tugging at my coat. And then I realized something, she'd only acted that way because she was jealous. "Well. Like I said, I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want us to hate each other. And...well ..." Rose squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them. "No matter how I feel about us ... I want you to be happy."

The made my chest ache. This whole time I'd been doubting our love but there it was, out in the open, Rose loved me as much as I loved her.

This new realization emboldened me and I reached out and put my arm around her. I pulled Rose close to me, and she rested her head on my chest.

"Roza," was all I could manage to saw..

It was the first time I'd really touched her since the lust charm night.

I realized then that I could never feel about anyone the way I felt about Rose.

Could something be so wrong?When it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

I wanted to stay like this forever.

Rose had other plans though. She reluctantly, I must note, pulled away and hanged me my jacket. I noticed her unease and regarded her curiously. What the hell was going on in the pretty little head of hers.

"Where you going?" I asked.

"To break someone's heart," Rose replied.

We stared at each other for one more moment, and I realized then that I had to do the same thing. Because the truth was, I could never love anyone else again. Not after I felt this way for Rose and leading Tasha on was completely wrong.