A:N:: I would like to apologise for the lack of updates, I have been having trouble feeling inspiration for this story - or inspiration period, I guess. However hopefully that has changed and hopefully you enjoy this next installment of "Vampire Academy: Bite Me" I would also like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has reviewed, your words of encouragement are the best tools for inspiration and without them I probably wouldnt have found my feet, so thank you...
As always please excuse spelling, story and grammatical errors!
The more I drank the hazier the day's events became; they no longer stood alone as a single memory but blurred together. I could see why people became addicts besides the cool adrenaline rush, it was quite possibly the easiest way to lose yourself and if I needed anything at this moment in time, it was to be completely lost; to be one of the many.
And if I was going to get completely wasted, who'd better to get wasted with than a professional.
"Where are we going?" I asked, clutching onto the half empty Russian vodka bottle as though I were a five year old holding onto a favourite teddy. Adrian had taken a hold of one my wrists and was leading me down the school hallway, past classrooms filled with both Moroi and Dhamphir students. Another perk of being slightly tipsy, was not caring that I was technically supposed to be in class. "Wait…wait," I shrieked and pulled myself from Adrian's grip. I stumbled forward and pressed my head against the classroom door, looking through the little glass window. Lissa was in the classroom along with Christian and a few other Moroi and they were practising their magic. "UGH," I frowned and watched as Natasha Ozera hovered around Lissa, watching her attempts. "Why does she keep trying to take what's mine?" I complained in a whiny voice, now both sounding and acting like an adolescent child. Lissa turned her head and locked eyes with me.
I was about to wave when suddenly a tall, deliciously looking Dimitri stepped up beside Natasha. She turned into him unaware of his presence and with his quick reflexes he rested his hands on her shoulders to steady her. Unaware of his presence? Yeah right, I scoffed to myself, she probably had orchestrated that little fumble so he could touch her. "Bitch!" I exclaimed just as Adrian took a hold of my wrist again, pulling me from the door. I stumbled from the lack of balance. into the glass just as Adrian took a hold of my wrist and pulled me away from the door.
"Lissa?" Adrian turned and looked at me questioningly.
"Nooo!" I cried, and looked back towards the classroom. "Natasha…Natasha Ozera," I sighed and continued to walk along side him, though dragging my feet slightly out of protest. I pouted "Why does she have to be so fricken nice? I wanna hate her, I really do…but I don't," I babbled on, still clutching onto the bottle of vodka. "Wait, where are we going?" I asked again, both confused by the direction he was taking us in and trying to distract myself from imagining the two of them together, her accidentally brushing his shoulder, touching his hand, smiling at him…ugh, bitch.
"You said you wanted to do something...." He stopped us a few feet away from the gymnasium. He turned and looked at me, a small smirk touching his lips as he leaned in towards me, his emerald coloured eyes watching me closely. He was standing a little too close and if I had been sober I would have pushed him away but as I was hovering the line of tipsiness, I found myself strangely enjoying his company. "So we're doing something."
He turned around and continued towards the gymnasium. "You're not going to take advantage of me, are you?"
Again he stopped but this time he backed me up against the wall, much like Dimitri had done during our sparing session back at the warehouse. Only this time butterflies weren't floating around crazily in my stomach, they were barely fluttering. "I don't think you would ever let me take advantage of you, Rose." He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to indent of my neck and took in a deep breath. He was getting brave. "Sober or drunk."
My pulse quickened by the pure thought of his mouth or more precisely his teeth being that close to my neck. "I wouldn't…" It wasn't meant to be a question and yet it sounded like one
Adrian dropped a kiss on my neck before pulling back to look into my eyes, "I don't know why you waste your time with Belikov…" His voice was strained and frustrated and if I didn't know any better I would have thought he sounded a little jealous.
The mention of Dimitri's named pulled me out from under the heavy haze of alcohol…for a moment. My hands reached up and pressed against Adrian's chest. He took it as a sign – the wrong sign. I pushed on his chest just after his body pressed deeper into mine, making me feel a somewhat strong, toned torso. "…I'll never be that drunk!" I scolded and then grinned wickedly up at him.
"Alright," Adrian rebounded quickly from my rebuff. He turned and made his way towards the gymnasium. I was the one to stop him this time; my hand reached out and grabbed a hold of his arm stopping him in his tracks.
"I'm not going in there," I frowned at the closed door. The truth was that I couldn't go in there. I released my grip on his arm and turned around. Adrian was supposed to be my escape route, a way to lose myself for a couple of hours. And instead he was taking me back to the scene of the crime.
"Why?" He asked with his brow raised, my snappy tone caught his interest. "I thought you'd relish the chance at a little one on one…"
It was my turn to raise my brow. "Didn't I just say…"
He leaned in closer and whispered against my ear and interrupted me, "I meant your kind of one on one...we can do mine later." And before I could respond, he turned on his heels and disappeared through the gymnasium door.
It was against school policy for novices to practice physical combat with Moroi students, apparently we, the novices had the upper hand – which was complete and utter crap, I'd been in a few fights with Moroi and if anything their magic wielding abilities meant that they always had the advantage. My super kick ass right hook always meant that I won.
And against better judgement and all rationality, I followed him into the gymnasium.
Inside everything was just as it had been a couple of hours ago when Dimitri and I had been training, if that's what you call a quick session of one on one followed by a declaration of love and devotion. A one sided declaration, I might add. Adrian was standing to the side of the gym taking off his shoes, followed by his jacket. He looked up and caught me watching him, another grin spreading across his face. "Don't worry, you'll get to see the rest later."
I pulled my free hand up to my mouth and motioned being sick by sticking two fingers toward my mouth. I moved across the gymnasium to the desk in the corner and kicked off my white sneakers and noticed my 'forgotten' steel capped toe boots sitting under the desk, yet another reminder of the seven minutes from hell.
"So what now?" I turned on the balls of my feet and faced an awaiting Adrian.
"Now we fight," His face was earnest.
"Right," I spoke, the scepticism evident in my voice. "You do realise that it wouldn't be much of a fight, right?" My brow formed a perfect arch, "You do realise that it wouldn't really be a fight?" I said correcting myself, "One punch and its goodnight sunshine."
"Now I'd really have to be screwed up in the head to want that… and even though I want as much bodily contact with you as possible…" His eyes gave my body a quick run over, "That's just not my idea of foreplay."
"I'm confused."
He took a step forward on the mat and approached me. "I want to see what makes you tick," Adrian moved in closer and took the bottle of Russian vodka from my hand, "I want to see what you love so much about fighting," He continued while uncapping the vodka bottle and taking a quick sip from it. "I want to be there when you're on your high but more importantly," He handed the open vodka bottle back to me, "I want to understand you." He didn't sound drunk, high or even joking – he sounded serious, which worried my vodka tainted blood.
I laughed and raised the bottle to my lips, swallowed a mouthful of vodka and burned my throat in the process. It was either that or respond to the comment.
"How about I show you some defensive techniques instead," I took the bottle cap from his hand and screwed the lid back on securely "that way if you get in a fight, you'll know how to defend yourself…the Rose Hathaway way" I walked to the back of the room and placed the bottle of vodka down on the desk.
"Hmm, I doubt I'll wanna man handle a guy's balls and twist."
I grinned impressed that a four year old story was still making the gossip rounds, but then again I wasn't really surprised – there were a lot of stories floating around about me, most of them true, some exaggerated and some completely false.
"Okay, put your hand on my arm as though you're going to restrain me."
"You don't wanna take off some more clothes first?" He asked, his eyes appraising me again.
I looked down at clothes I had been wearing for nearly twenty four hours, the black skinny jeans were a little dirty from the warehouse but the black tank top was surprisingly in good shape considering I had gone one on one with two guardians. "I'll make you a deal, if you can pin me…I'll take off my top." I said, knowing full well there was no chance he would be able to pin me.
He ran his tongue over his lips and grinned, "It's like strip fighting, my favourite kind!"
"But you have to pin me," I reminded him, "And I'm even going to show you how." I took a step closer to him and told him to put his hand on my left arm again.
He did so.
I placed my right hand on top of his at the same time slightly turning my left arm, so that I could grip his arm securely. With a quick flick of the wrist, his arm was bent and he was on his knees. As he went to stand up, I extended my left arm and pushed harder causing him to flip onto his back.
Even slightly drunk, I still kicked ass.
I stepped over him, putting one leg either side of his body before kneeling over him, my long dark raven hair flowing freely at the side of my face. "And it's as easy as that."
"You know," As he spoke his emerald eyes began to shine somehow. "I could always just compel you."
"But where's the fun in that?" I quickly responded.
"It'd still be fun…just not as much and a little less painful." His eyes continued to shine as I leaned down closer to his face, my nose almost touching his. His hands moved from their flat position on the mat and gripped my waist, his touch warm and sending a slight shiver through my body.
"And still it wouldn't happen." I teased.
And that was the problem, the slight shiver that he had sent through my body didn't even compare to the feelings Dimitri stirred inside of me. Thinking of Dimitri should have pulled me out from under the cloud of haziness like it had done earlier, only this time I was thinking of his reaction or non reaction as it was to the three words I had mumbled to him only a couple of hours earlier.
"Or maybe it would," I sighed.
I was bordering the line of sober and drunk, just as I was wondering the line of confused and conflicted. Half of me wanted to go back three or four weeks when everything had been normal or more importantly I had been normal; when there had been no erratic feelings of jealously, lust, hatred or anger, back when Dimitri and I had been equals; wanting one another but holding back. And yet half of me wanted to rebel everything I had been raised to think and do. I had been born and bred specifically to be a guardian, to protect and defend Moroi life and yet I wanted to be free. I wanted to be able to do what I wanted and not worry about the earth shattering consequences. I wanted to be a regular teenager who didn't have to worry about saving someone's life from evil Strigoi, a regular teenager who didn't have a confusing relationship with her mentor.
It was time to be irresponsible. It was time to see a little of the pre-runaway Rose Hathaway.
My face hovered closer to his so much so that my nose was brushing against his, my lips so close to his. And before I could make take that irresponsible step, the door swung open and we were both hauled off to Kirova's office by Davies.
--
I made myself at home once again in the chair opposite her desk – it was becoming so familiar to me that it felt fairly comfortable. Adrian on the other hand was leaning against the wall at the side of the room, legs folded, arms crossed. One of the perks of not being a student was being able to defy some of the rules.
"I don't see what the big problem is," I shrugged my shoulders defiantly and raised my brow at the headmistress.
"The problem, Miss Hathaway" She didn't stop when the door opened and closed behind me and there was no need for me to turn in my chair to see who it was, even without that bloody delicious aftershave, I knew it would be him. "That you were drinking on campus."
"I compelled her," Adrian interceded on my behalf. "The only reason Rose was drinking tonight was because she was under compulsion." He paused before continuing. "She's been under a lot of stress the last couple of months and I thought she might benefit from using the same method of banishing her demons as I do," Though he usually went for the three in one combination, smoking, drinking and medication. "Not to mention, she looked like she needed to have some fun."
The lying would have been a sweet gesture if there hadn't been an underlying smile in his voice aimed at a particular someone.
Kirova raised her brow at me, awaiting my response. It would have been a hell of a lot easier if I had just agreed with his version of events.
"He's lying." I confessed twiddling my thumbs together. "Sure he may have brought the alcohol to my room but I was perfectly sane and sober not to mention under no compulsion when I started to drink." Damn, Dimitri had turned me into a goody two shoes.
"And the situation I walked in on in the gymnasium?" Davies asked.
I turned and dared a glance at the room behind me. Davies surprisingly looked amused while Dimitri unsurprisingly looked pissed which was breaking one of his many rules; he was supposed to be Switzerland when it came to things like this.
"I was showing him some defensive moves," I blushed and turned my attention back to Kirova, cowardly avoiding his disapproving glare. My argument was just, at least I thought so. Moroi weren't taught how to defend themselves in a situation involving physical combat.
"There's nothing wrong with a little tutoring is there?" Adrian asked, "I mean after all this is a school and who better to tutor me in physical combat than a guardian in training?"
Kirova wanted to argue, I could see it in her eyes. Her emotions were written all over her face, she didn't like Adrian, my guess was that she thought he was an arrogant, smart mouthed Royal and yet because of who he was and his family connections she couldn't very well kick him out or even punish him.
She could do so with me though.
"Over the next couple of days before your field assignment begins you will take on a more responsible role within the school. You will be rotated into the guardian watch, you will be required to attend sessions on the elementary campus, where you will participate in guiding and mentoring younger novices…and this may continue into your training depending on the reports I receive." She shook her head and sighed, "After all you've been through I thought you understood the responsibility you have to your peers."
That was the problem. I did understand, better than anyone in my class. I had been on the outside and lived in the real world, I had fought off Strigoi and lived to tell the tale. I had experienced all of it well before I should have.
And yet I sat there biting my tongue, stopping myself from saying something I would regret.
"Guardian Belikov will oversee your punishment and you will report to him at approximately four am."
It was a natural choice for her to choose Dimitri since he had been my instructor since I had returned from my sabbatical and yet I hoped that she would have chosen Davies but hey, that was just my luck.
"Rose you're excused, Mr Ivashkov I would like to have a private word with you."
I stood up from the chair and turned in my white sneakers. I smiled up at Adrian before making my way to the front door, my eyes carefully avoiding the scrutiny eyes of Dimitri.
As I stepped outside, I heard him follow me.
"Rose…"
I turned and glared up at his ridiculous height. Davies stepped out of the room, behind Dimitri.
"You got off pretty light there, kiddo." Davies commented, stepping around Dimitri's frame.
"Kiddo?" I asked, condescending prick. He was what eight, nine years older than me?
He ignored my tone and continued. "You're a bright girl, don't be mixing business with pleasure." He tapped Dimitri's shoulder as a way to say his goodbye before sauntering off down the hallway.
"Rose…" Dimitri's voice was like velvet, soft and smooth. He wasn't about to give me a lecture, but I was pretty sure that whatever he was going to say I didn't want to hear it.
"Don't mix business with pleasure," I said resonating Davies words back to Dimitri. "I'll see you at four, Guardian Belikov."
---
It was a good thing Kirova hadn't ordered me to go to class before my punishment began; it had been a good twenty four hours since I had slept. And while I was usually fairly able to function on lack of sleep, the combination of the field assignment, the fight with Dimitri and the alcohol was taking its toll. A power nap, a long hot shower and a good brushing of my teeth had made the world of difference. Not only did I feel refreshed and ready to be bored out of my mind skulking the grounds of the school for the better part of six hours (it was a good thing, guardians took the watch in shifts, twelve hours of patrolling would most likely compel me to begin drinking again) but I had also reasoned with myself over the days events.
I had almost kissed Adrian not only because of the good ol' fashioned Russian vodka but also because I had wanted to. I hadn't wanted to kiss him because I liked him in that way that had me wanting to play tonsil hockey with him for hours on end; I had wanted to kiss him to forget about my feelings for Dimitri. It was pathetic and childish but it had almost worked.
My exchange of words with Dimitri had been brought on by over exhaustion and if he didn't buy that crappy excuse then he would fall for the whole it's my 'weird, super intense, magnified emotions, a result of the blood bone.' It didn't exactly matter that I did feel those things, what did matter was that things went back to how they were before. Unspoken but still there, no extra weirdness.
As I made my way out of the novice's dorm, I was greeted by not only a frosty gust of wind that made me glad I had opted for a warm jacket, hat, scarf and gloves but also a grinning Adrian.
"I'm not drunk…" I said as he approached me, "So I'm not going to kiss you." It was harsh, brazen, upfront – all of the things he had come to expect from me.
"Are you a masochist?" He stopped in front of me wearing a confused expression. "I try and take the heat from you, but oh no, I forgot the little dhamphir likes it rough."
"Yeah I do, "I grinned, "And if you don't get out of my way, you'll see exactly how rough I like it." Threatening physical violence always worked.
But before I could do or say anything else he took a hold of my face and kissed me. His lips were soft and he kissed me like the expert kisser he was and yet I didn't feel that spark I had felt when Dimitri touched me, kissed me…or even looked at me. And yet I kissed back.
Someone clearing their throat was the thing that pulled me from his lips.
"I'll see you later," Adrian whispered into my ear before walking off towards the Moroi dorms, completely ignoring our intruder.
I folded my arms across my chest and braced myself for his disapproving gaze. Only when I turned to face him I didn't find myself confronted with critical eyes, instead they were slightly squinted. As a rule, guardians always seemed stoic, like statues. They wore masks most of the time to hide their feelings.
His were plan and simple and easy to read.
He was mad.