Disclaimer: I do not own VA and thank Richelle Mead for writing such an awesome series.
With only a week to go till their big day, Rose and Dimitri get roped into having their Bachelor parties. Alcohol and wild antics – what could possibly go wrong?
THE BACHELOR PARTY
RPOV
"I'm going to kill him!"
No, wait. That's too easy and too quick.
"No, I change my mind. I am going to torture him, draw out his suffering, and when he is begging for me to end it, that's when I will kill him!"
My hands were shaking with rage, making it difficult for the poor manicurist to apply the nail polish on my hands. My bridal party shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid my glare – well all except the one person who had told me the disturbing news that had caused me to go from a carefree, happy bride-to-be into a raging, jealous bridezilla.
Sydney didn't flinch away from my glare, instead she sighed in frustration.
"Do you think I am happy about this, Rose? I mean, I guess I can't blame him. After all, he didn't get a Bachelor party… so I guess it's understandable that he is using Dimitri's Bachelor party as an excuse to have one he never got".
My jaw tightened in response. I just couldn't believe Adrian, a married man, had the audacity to do exactly what I had not wanted Dimitri to do at his Bachelor party.
This was the weekend before our wedding. I still couldn't believe that in a week's time I would become Mrs. Dimitri Belikov (though I had already told Dimitri that I would still keep my maiden name for some official things – like my guardian title). Neither one of us wanted to have Bachelor parties – it wasn't our thing – but our respective bridal parties insisted on it and the next thing we know we were spending the weekend away from each other.
My girls had planned a relaxing, demure Bachelor party. A weekend of pampering, makeovers, sleepover, lots of food and drink. I had wanted Lissa to be my maid of honour but being the Queen made this difficult, so after discussing it with her I gave that honour to Jill. But to appease Lissa and still make her feel part of the big day I gave her complete control of planning the wedding (and the impromptu Bachelor weekend). I had asked Viktoria, Sydney, Mia and Sonya to be my bridesmaids. So while we were still at Court, starting our weekend celebrations with some pampering, the boys had jet off to Las Vegas.
This was Adrian's doing. I couldn't imagine Dimitri wanting to go off to party in Las Vegas (especially considering what had happened last time we were there when he was a Strigoi). But Adrian was persistent and so the boys had head off last night to start their Bachelor weekend. Even though Dimitri didn't know what was in store for him, he assured me that it would just be a weekend of gambling, paintball and relaxing by the pool. No strippers and no drunken shenanigans. He clearly didn't know Adrian.
We started getting updates on what the boys were up to by one of the groomsmen – Mikhail. He, along with another Court guardian named Ryan (who was dating Mia), were the 'designated' guardians for the weekend, providing protection for Adrian and Christian (Dimitri's other groomsmen). I think Sonya was very happy with this, because it had meant that Mikhail would remain sober the entire time he was there (and so hopefully not partake in any crazy antics). This would allow Dimitri, Eddie (his best man) and Neil (who had reluctantly come back to Court for the wedding) relax and get into the festivities.
They had started off their day with paintball and had lounged around the pool after lunch (Mikhail kept us in the loop via texts and covert photos). After an early dinner the boys (who were staying at the Witching Hour) had headed to the casino, Adrian especially keen to test his skills now that he wasn't actively using Spirit. The drinking hadn't been too bad during the day, with a champagne or beer here and there, but as the night progressed, the groom and groomsmen started to get into it. They had all dressed up (going for a James Bond like attire) sitting there at the Blackjack table, drinking martinis - they looked hilarious.
But then someone (probably Adrian) had ordered shots and the next thing I know we were getting photos of the boys without their jackets, ties undone, laughing and looking rowdy as they took in a show at the theatre, watching scantily dressed Moroi dancers waving feathers on the stage. But this was not what had driven me to my current wrath.
Not satisfied ogling the Moroi dancers, the boys had ventured out to another club, one which had human dancers, dressed in even less clothes gyrating and dancing seductively around the stage and in cages. More shots, and it looked like the boys were really getting into it. At one point it looked like Christian almost came to blows with another patron at the club (but I think either Mikhail or Ryan put a stop to it before anything happened, though Mikhail was still able to take a photo of the event). My rage had been growing as photo after photo came in, showing Dimitri laughing and enjoying the show. I was mad at Dimitri, but I was furious at Adrian – this was all his doing. Corrupting my sweet Dimitri and turning him into a drunk, wild groom-to-be.
A loud buzz shattered the uncomfortable silence in the room. All eyes turned towards Mia, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking at her phone and sneaking glances at me.
"What is it now?! What are the idiots up to!?"
"Hmm, maybe we should just leave them be. You know what they say, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…'"
Mia tried to hide her discomfort with humour, but I was not having any of it. Giving her one of my scariest death stares I motioned her to hand over her phone. She looked at the other girls for support, but they all looked away, too afraid to face my wrath. With a small sigh she passed the phone over to me.
Gritting my teeth I braced myself for the worst.
This time, it wasn't a text or a photo, but an actual video Ryan had tapped. So far the updates had come via Mikhail so I was surprised that Ryan had sent something. But what he had sent made everything else seem like child's play.
The photos had given us a snap-shot of certain moments frozen in time, but the video really painted the true picture of what was happening – it felt like I was right there, watching it firsthand.
Loud music was thumbing in the background, punctuated with rowdy shouts and wolf whistles. The boys sat around one of the side stages in a semi-circle – it seemed like their own personal stage – with countless empty shot glasses surrounding them. Two girls dressed in skimpy, barely-leaving-to-the-imagination outfits, were dancing seductively on the stage. Their focus, the groom. It was no surprise seeing the lust and hunger in their eyes as they eyed Dimitri – most women found him sexy and irresistible. Eddie and Christian, sitting on one side of Dimitri, were whooping loud and cheering the girls on, while Neil and Adrian, flanking his other side, were laughing hard. Adrian's voice could be heard clearly over the noise.
"Come on Belikov! Get on the stage and dance with these fine ladies. I arranged this treat just for you, so you better not waste it!"
I didn't think it was possible, but my anger intensified to pure rage as I saw Dimitri, grinning sheepishly, jump onto the stage. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, as the girls quickly surrounded him and started using him like their personal pole. The song changed (and somehow got louder) to Baby Boy by Beyonce, causing the girls to take their seductive dance to a whole other level.
"Come on, Dimitri! Get into it! Stop standing around like a shy, teenage boy. Show us some killer moves!" Christian shouted.
Keeping his stupid grin, Dimitri started swaying with the girls. He still didn't dance per say, but he did encourage and allowed the girls to rub and caress him. My vision turned red and I almost crushed Mia's phone in my hand.
Lissa cleared her throat, trying to get my attention. "Maybe we should get another round of drinks. What would you like Rose?"
It took all my will-power to look away from the phone and face Lissa.
"I want something strong. I don't care if it's early and if this ruins your plans Liss, but I need to forget what I saw. Otherwise I will do something I may regret…"
Lissa didn't even hesitate and gestured at one of the serving girls to get us a round of shots.
I was no longer angry at Adrian. Oh no, Dimitri was my new target and boy, was he going to pay dearly when he got home.
DPOV
I hadn't drunk this much alcohol since my days at St Basils. The last time I had been this drunk was at our graduation party and only because Ivan had kept supplying me with vodka throughout the night. My head was pounding and I just wanted to curl up somewhere dark and quiet.
Someone stirred next to me, making me freeze in apprehension.
Who was sleeping next to me in my bed?
Slowly I turned, and came face to face with Eddie. The movement made Eddie wake up and we stared at each other, completely stunned.
"What the hell are you doing in my bed!?" I practically shouted, only to wince in pain at the noise.
Eddie also winced at the loudness of my voice but scrambled out of the bed.
"Sorry, sorry… I can't remember much from last night, but I must have fallen asleep here by accident. Sorry, sorry…"
Next to me, on my other side, a loud groan came from somewhere on the floor.
"Will you two shut up! I feel like my head is about to explode!" Christian hissed. His face poked out from under the discarded clothes he had somehow managed to fall asleep under.
I sat up, very slowly, and took in my surroundings. We were back in the penthouse suite at the Witching Hour hotel. I was given one of the bigger rooms in the suite, while the others were to share the three remaining bedrooms amongst them. But it seemed Eddie and Christian had kept me company after last night's events.
"Oh my God! What the hell did we do last night!?" I gasped.
All I could remember was going to the casino downstairs and playing some blackjack. I vaguely remember taking in a show at the theatre (which was only to shut Adrian up, who kept pouting and annoying me to 'get into the Bachelor party spirit'). After that, everything was a blank. I couldn't even remember how I ended up back in my bed.
A soft knock at the door brought me back to the present. Mikhail stood there, with a small grin and take-out coffee.
"Figured you boys would need something strong to knock you back to your senses".
Carefully getting out of bed (and thankful I was wearing sweatpants) I made my way to Mikhail to grab my coffee. Eddie and Christian did the same and the four of us headed back to the living room. I noticed Ryan, standing guard near the main door, a smirk on his face.
"The Three Amigos are finally awake. Had a nice sleep, did we gentlemen?"
We grumbled in response, still not fully awake or feeling well to hold a conversation. The living room looked like a disaster zone. Empty bottles and glasses everywhere, pizza boxes and other food containers spread throughout. And for some strange reason, goose feathers blanketed the entire room, making me wonder if we had gotten into some kind of pillow fight.
"What's going on? Why are you talking so loudly?" a muffled voice came from the lounge. Next minute Adrian peeked over and stared at us. "I need coffee…" was all that he could add before falling back face-down.
Footsteps shuffled over to us from the main bathroom and I saw Neil guiding himself towards us, occasionally touching the walls for support. He looked like he had thrown up everything he had eaten last night.
"That's the last time I drink any kind of alcohol. Not even going to have a glass of wine or beer ever again!"
Mikhail helped him reach the living room and handed him his coffee, and then turned to Adrian to place the coffee into his out-stretched hand.
We all sat in silence for a bit, savouring the coffee and donuts (which Mikhail had also bought). I think we were all trying to remember last night while managing our hangovers.
I finally broke the silence, "What happened last night?"
I got blank stares from Eddie, Neil, Christian and Adrian, which was not a surprise. But I noticed Ryan and Mikhail share a secret look, before Mikhail turned back to me. He walked over and gave me his phone.
The other boys quickly crowded around me, as I flicked through the photos. Everything looked fine until we reached the photos at the theatre. I could feel my heart beating fast as I watched photo after photo, showing us going from this hotel to a club of sorts. Drinking shots, watching scantily dressed dancers, making fools of ourselves. The guy in the photos looked like me but was not behaving like me.
How much alcohol had I consumed last night?
I sensed Ryan shift uncomfortably in his stance. My eyes flicked towards him and I stared him down hard. "Is there more?"
He looked like he was debating something internally, but with a final sigh, came over and gave me his phone. I watched in horror as the video played out before me. I could hear Christian snicker and Eddie gasp in shock.
I felt numb. I could not believe I had behaved in such a manner last night. Guilt and shame racked my body. I was very grateful Rose was not here to witness this.
Adrian gave me a sympathetic pat and whispered, "Don't be so down, Belikov. You know what they say, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…' I am sure none of the boys here will spill the beans on what you got up to last night".
I looked at each of them, and saw their silent promise, allowing me a small sigh of relief. But then, I saw the expressions on Mikhail and Ryan's faces. They looked very guilty.
The others noticed me glaring at them and matched my stare – something was very off.
"What did you do?" I gritted out, dreading their response.
Mikhail cleared his throat and avoided my eyes. "Well…"
After he finished telling me how he had been updating Sonya throughout the day and that Ryan had sent the video to Mia, I felt sick in my stomach. Christian patted my back and whispered, "You're a dead man, Dimitri. Dead man".
No doubt about it – Rose was going to kill me.
RPOV
The original plan was to meet the boys at the airstrip. But I was still furious, so I let the others be the welcoming committee. In fact, the other girls weren't too impressed with the boy's behaviour and so in the end it was only Mia and Sonya who were going to meet up with the boys.
I hadn't meant to, but the rest of my Bachelor weekend had been spent drinking and bitching. After we had finished with the manicures and pedicures (and had partaken in our first round of shots), we had all headed back to Lissa's royal quarters. Surrounded by a large amount of junk food and endless supply of alcohol we had spent the rest of the time complaining about the boys and sharing intimate details about our sex life.
We had woken up with really bad hangovers, but it hadn't taken long (after some food and painkillers) for us to start feeling better. Guess strong emotions like anger are really good at curing hangovers.
I had thanked Lissa for her efforts and saying my goodbyes, headed back to our home. The Royal guards had apartments close to the royal housing, so we could be close incase we were needed at a moment's notice. It was the middle of the Moroi day as I dragged myself up the stairs to our two bedroom apartment. My mind was whirling with various ideas on how I was going to punish Dimitri. I had wanted him to have fun, but not that kind of fun. My jaw clenched tightly thinking back to the video. Yes, Dimitri needed to be punished and I knew just what I was going to do.
DPOV
I dreaded going home.
It was one thing finding out about the events from last night, but a whole other thing being told that Rose was aware of everything that had happened in Vegas.
Shifting the suitcase from one hand to another, I unlocked the door to our apartment. It was eerily quiet and dark, like no one was at home. Mia and Sonya had said Rose had returned home, but it didn't look like anyone was here. I felt anxious, wondering where Rose was.
"Rose? Roza?"
No answer, just endless silence.
Leaving the bags near the entrance, I closed the door and headed further in. I turned the lights on as I made my way through the apartment, looking for Rose, growing more and more worried when I couldn't find her. I finally reached our bedroom and with a deep breath opened the door. "Rose?"
My reply was more silence. I tried to turn the lights on in the room but they didn't seem to be working. Suddenly the floor lamp near the arm chair turned on, making me jump in surprise. Sitting there in all her furious glory was my Roza.
I stared at her, watching her blazing gaze take me in. Her expression was hard and she looked like she was going to kill me. I opened my mouth, about to say something, when I noticed what she was wearing. It looked like one of my dusters, except in her size and she had it buttoned up, with only her bare legs visible in killer heels. She had them crossed seductively, exposing just a little bit of her inner thigh. I couldn't help but lick my lips, as I took in the rest of her appearance. Her dark hair cascaded around her face and shoulders, her eyes dark and dangerous, her lips blood red and luscious – she was a true femme fatale.
She pulled herself up gracefully and sashayed towards me, not once breaking eye contact. I couldn't help but gulp as she came to stand before me.
"You have been a very bad boy, comrade. And now, I am going to have to punish you" she whispered, as her expression changed from one of anger to a more seductive one. She pulled a small remote out of her pocket and pointed towards the stereo. Suddenly the song that had played at the club last night, when the video was taken, came on. Before I could comprehend what was going on, she pushed me hard against the wall and with a quick spin pressed her back into me. Pinning my arms to my side (so I couldn't touch her), she started rubbing herself against me, moving with the music. She swayed gently back and forth, making sure her perfect ass was brushing against me, making me hard. With a flick of her hair, she exposed her soft neck, inviting me to lean in for a kiss.
My lips barely brushed the curve of her neck, when she pulled away, looking at me teasingly.
"Now, now. This is not how it works comrade".
A growl escaped my lips and I struggled to get my arms free. Damn it, she was driving me wild and I wanted her so badly.
Smiling and enjoying my pain, she turned around and bought my hands together in front of me. Leaning in, as if to kiss me, she distracted me long enough to pull out handcuffs from her coat and latch them on. I looked down in utter surprise when I heard the metallic click and watched her pull away in satisfaction.
"Sit", she commanded, pointing towards the arm chair.
I hesitated, deliberating how I could get out my predicament. With a resigned sigh, I obeyed her and sat down.
The seductive smile returned as she started dancing in front of me, swaying and dipping in time to the music. Her eyes held my gaze, the hunger and heat I felt mirrored back in hers. She bit her lower lip and it took every ounce of my self-control to not throw myself at her and push her onto the bed. Her hands went to her hair and she combed and stroked her strands, the way I would have. They did all the things my hands were itching to do to her body – caressing her face, stroking her lips, massaging her neck, embracing her arms, rubbing her breasts, brushing down her stomach and sweeping over her inner thighs. I thought I was going to explode, I couldn't take it anymore.
I think she noticed me shift, getting ready to pounce on her and so made her move before I could. In a blink of an eye she was on my lap, straddling me, pushing me back with her strong arms. If her dance from afar was torture, this was pure agony. Leaning into me, her lips lightly brushed my jawline, making their way to my ears.
"I didn't realise how tight this duster would be… you know I am not wearing anything under this".
I groaned in frustration, trying to not let her win this game, but it was so damn hard. I was so damn hard. She had the audacity to laugh at my pain.
"Roza, this is just plain mean. Do you have any idea what kind of torture you are putting me through?" I growled, closing my eyes.
"I am just getting started, comrade".
She moved one of her hands into my hair, pulling my head back so I would look at her again. With the other hand, she moved my cuffed hands so they were under her duster, resting against her supple, soft thighs and just inches away from her warm centre. I stretched out my fingers, hoping to feel her, but she had them placed strategically so they were close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from her but not close enough to touch her. I couldn't help but moan, as she proceeded to give me a lap dance, making my hardness throb in excruciating pain. At this rate I was going to come in my pants, but I couldn't let this happen. I refused to let this happen – if I did, it would mean she had won.
With the hand she had used to place my hands under her duster she started unbuttoning the coat, starting from the top. Button by button, she exposed more of her magnificent body. She hadn't been lying, she really was naked under that damn duster. Giving me a devilish grin, she moved my head towards her neck, allowing me finally to drink her scent in and release some of my frustration with deep kisses. A soft moan escaped her lips, causing me to only increase my efforts. I sucked and nibbled my way down her jaw, tracing her neck and collarbone. I inched my way towards her breast and was just about to take one of her hard nipples into my mouth when she pulled me back.
I growled in irritation, as she laughed tauntingly.
That's it – no more.
In a flash I pulled my hands out and threw my arms around her (with the added satisfaction of watching a shock expression come across her face). Locking her in a tight embrace, I rocked back once to gain momentum, pulling us both out of the chair and on to the bed. Pinning her down, I devoured her lips in a hungry kiss, causing her to moan deeply as I bit into her bottom lip.
"Enough Roza. You win. I am sorry about last night. Now please un-cuff me", I begged breathless.
For a single heartbeat she laid there, contemplating on her next move. I don't know what made her decision – my begging or her own hunger – but next thing I know she had taken the key out and released me from my restraints. That was all I needed. Grabbing her arms, I pulled them up above her head, causing the duster to spread further apart, revealing more of her gorgeous body. I went to her neck, intending on finishing my trail of exploration that she had so rudely interrupted.
Everything else was either forgotten or discarded - the music playing in the background, the handcuffs, her duster, my clothes.
When we had both achieved the sweet release our bodies had been craving so desperately, I laid down next to her, pulling her into my arms. We waited for our breathing and heartrate to slow down, basking in each other's warmth. Tilting her head up, I gave her a gentle kiss.
"If this is the kind of punishment I have in store for me when I am bad, I think I want to be bad more often".
"Don't get fresh with me, comrade. I am still mad at you. But I wanted to make it very clear that from this day forward no other woman is allowed to touch you like that, nor are you permitted to touch anyone else but me in this manner", Rose replied with a cute scowl.
I smiled at her. This crazy woman, the love of my life. Why would I look or touch another woman when I had this goddess?
"I am truly sorry for what happened last night. But I promise you Roza, you are the only one I want – now and forever".
And with that declaration, I spent the rest of the night showing her just how much I was completely and utterly devoted to her.