I was upstairs in my room looking out the window half an hour later when I heard a knock on the door.
"Come," I said, expecting my mother.
The door opened and closed, and I smelled aftershave a moment before Dimitri wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Hey," he whispered, nuzzling my hair.
"Hey," I replied, spinning in his arms to lay my head against his chest.
"Your Mom feels horrible about forgetting your birthday."
"But not horrible enough to come and tell me so herself," I muttered.
Dimitri rubbed my back soothingly.
"I'm sorry, Ангел."
"It's ok. Not everyone forgot," I said, looking up at him tenderly. "And I didn't really expect her to remember - she hasn't in the past."
"Never?"
"I don't think so. I get a card and fifty dollars from her every year, but when I was eight, I recognized the handwriting was Alberta's..."
I could feel Dimitri's chest rumble with an angry growl.
"Besides, I got the birthday present I really wanted... I got to spend the day with you."
Leaning up, I brushed my lips against his, moaning softly in approval as his arms tightened around me.
"So would a trip to Billings today cheer you up, do you think?" he asked huskily.
"Really!?" I gasped.
"Yes. We're leaving in fifteen minutes. There's a list of things we need, so we're going earlier so we can shop in Billings before we meet the plane. Wear something nice—I want to take you to lunch."
I nodded excitedly, accepting a last kiss before he released me and went down the stairs to prepare for our departure. Digging in my closet, I pulled out the only dress I'd packed, teaming it with leggings and a shapeless hoodie I'd discard later on. I put a tiny bit of makeup on and brushed my hair carefully before putting it up into a ponytail. I'd take it out in the car, so I could wear it loose the way Dimitri liked it—but it wouldn't do to have Mom or the others see me dressed up like I was going on a date!
Grabbing my bag, I wandered downstairs to the kitchen, expecting to see Dimitri there, but Mom was sitting with a pile of hiking and surveyor's maps at the kitchen table, presumably planning a route to the ranger's cabin.
"You're ready to go to Billings, then?" she asked, only a little awkwardly.
"Yep. Dimitri said there was shopping to do. Do you have a list?"
"I've given it to Guardian Belikov already," she replied, looking at me warily. "Rosemarie? I'm sorry I didn't remember your birthday. I knew it was coming up, but with the surprise of the attack, the rescue, and the closing of the Academy, I got caught up, and it slipped my mind..."
"It's ok," I lied. "I almost forgot it myself. I mean, when you come down to it, it's just another day."
We could both hear my voice wasn't quite right, and that I was probably lying, but she nodded anyway.
"Well, I thought perhaps you might like to get yourself something nice today in Billings? And you could bring back a cake to share if you'd like? You and Guardian Belikov will need to stop at the mall anyway..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a fifty, passing it to me.
"Thanks, Mom," I said, plastering a fake smile on my face. "That's thoughtful of you."
She smiled tightly, and I think we were both relieved when Dimitri came into the kitchen from the mudroom a second later.
"All ready to go, Rose?" he asked in his professional voice.
"Sure am. Let's go get ourselves some Russian Novices," I laughed. "You've refused to teach me to curse in Russian—maybe I'll have better luck with them!"
"Rosemarie! Behave for Guardian Belikov! Don't make him regret agreeing to take you," my mother admonished.
"Will do," I said with a playful salute, shoving Mom's fifty into my bag and following Dimitri to the SUV.
We drove in silence to the gates, waiting as they automatically swung open for us to exit. It wasn't until we'd negotiated the turn back onto the main road that Dimitri spoke.
"All ok with your Mom?"
"As ok as it ever is," I joked mirthlessly. "She gave me a fifty and told me to buy myself something in Billings."
I reached across and rested my hand on Dimitri's thigh. He smiled, holding my hand briefly before returning his hand to the wheel to negotiate the winding roads.
"So how did you convince Mom to let me come to Billings?"
"It was her idea. I think she wanted to give you a treat."
"Life is pretty shit when a morning in Billings is a treat," I said flippantly, immediately regretting it when I saw a frown cross my Russian God's face. "Of course, getting you all to myself is a treat!" I quickly added, stroking his thigh.
We drove in silence for a while, Dimitri's hand on top of mine now we were back onto relatively straight roads.
"Comrade? What will happen once I graduate?" I asked nervously. It had barely been a week since we'd become lovers, so other than the brief talk we'd had after the attack, we hadn't really talked things through.
"I've been thinking about that," Dimitri admitted, his fingers softly stroking mine. "What if I guarded Christian?"
My mouth was open, ready to object, but nothing came out.
"He's planning to go to Lehigh with Vasilisa. They'll almost certainly share a house. If I was guarding him, we could even live together if you wanted."
"As a couple?" I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Maybe? We have a lot to figure out, but I know how I feel..." he replied in a husky voice.
I could not speak. Living with Dimitri was so much more than I'd ever dreamed of.
"Too much, Ангел?"
"No," I said breathlessly. "I love the idea. It's just a lot to take in..."
"We don't need to decide right now," he reassured me. "I don't want to rush you."
"I'm not feeling rushed," I said, struggling to find the right words. "It's just hard to imagine being together and not having to hide it."
He picked my hand up from his thigh and lifted it to his lips.
"Soon, Roza," he crooned. "Do you think Vasilisa will approve?" he asked, now the one sounding nervous. She was my best friend, after all. More than a best friend. My sister.
"I'm sure she'll be great with it—once she stops squealing, that is," I said with a laugh.
Dimitri chuckled—a rich, warm sound that made my heart soar. We sat in companionable silence; me turning over the concept of living together in my mind. I'd never lived with anyone but Lissa. But she had Christian now, and I knew it was serious, so the chances were they'd be living together at college. If Dimitri was Christian's Guardian, we'd see each other all the time, and there'd be a lot less scrutiny than if we were at Court.
"I love you," I said.
Dimitri smiled. "That came out of nowhere. What brought that on?"
"Nothing. I just haven't had the chance to tell you in the last few days," I said, blushing a little.
"I love you too, Roza," he said sweetly, bringing my hand to his lips again.
Being in love made even a trip to the supermarket exciting. Dimitri pushed the trolley as I flitted around, cajoling him for all sorts of things not on the shopping list.
"Comrade! These things taste great!" I squealed, finding the pop tarts. "We have to get these!"
Dimitri looked at the box I held dubiously.
"Seriously. I promise you, your mouth will thank you!" I tempted.
"You said that about the twinkies and the pepperoni pizza hot pockets," Dimitri reasoned.
"Because they're all awesome! Please, Comrade? I haven't had them since Portland..."
"Ok, but nothing more. Your mother will kill me if I come back with a bunch of junk food."
He walked by my side, getting the washing powder, soap, scouring pads, toilet paper, plus all the extra food we needed. It all added up; seven, soon to be nine Dhampir ate a lot. Even with an almost full deep freeze, thanks to the St. Vladimir's kitchens, we still needed to shop big to keep us fed.
"Guardian Alto has volunteered to take care of breakfast, your mother is in charge of lunch, and I've stepped forward to make dinner each night," Dimitri confided, ordering two pounds each of bologna, salami, and ham from the deli. "As part of her roster, you Novices will take turns getting cooking lessons from me."
"Cooking lessons?" I laughed. "Comrade? I can burn water!"
"Then you'll need to be rostered on with me more often so I can teach you," he said happily, grabbing a lock of my hair and tickling me on the end of the nose with it.
"I think my mother could use a few cooking lessons herself," I joked. "Looking at her list, we'll be eating sandwiches for lunch every day for three months..."
Dimitri laughed, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me to him. Our lips locked in the middle of the pasta and pasta sauce aisle, and neither of us gave a shit who saw!
Finally finished at the supermarket, we packed the trunk and climbed into the SUV before Dimitri checked his watch.
"We have an hour and a quarter until we should get to the airport. Can I take you to lunch, Roza?"
"That sounds wonderful," I said with a smile, beyond excited about going on an honest to freaking goodness date with my Russian God.
"How about here?" he asked, pulling up out the front of a restaurant called Jake's Bar and Grill.
"Looks great," I said shyly.
Dimitri turned off the car and warned me to remain in my seat before he came around to the passenger door to open it for me.
"That's very chivalrous," I complimented, embarrassed but flattered.
"It's what you deserve," he replied, giving me a smoldering look.
Holding the door open, we walked into the restaurant. It was large but dark, and even though it was lunchtime, it wasn't too busy.
"A table for two, please," Dimitri asked the server melodiously, his arm casually draped around my waist. We followed her to a charming table just a little apart from the other diners. As expected, Dimitri held my chair out for me before he seated himself beside me, grabbing my hand and holding it on top of the table. He laid a menu between us.
"Order whatever you want," he said, his eyes perusing what was on offer. I should have been looking at what I wanted to order, but I found myself looking at him. I leaned across and kissed the side of his face.
"Thank you for this," I said, meaning the time together as well as the lunch.
He turned to face me, giving me one of his megawatt smiles.
"It's my pleasure, Roza. I've always wanted to take you on a proper date."
Smiling, I looked at the menu, hoping something appealed. As it turned out, everything appealed—my stomach voicing its approval by grumbling.
"I'll have the Beartooth Burger," I decided, having no idea what avocado pico de gallo was, but hoping it tasted alright.
"That looks good," Dimitri agreed, "but I think I might have the Cowboy Buffalo Burger." He looked, expecting me to have something to say.
"Seriously, Comrade? It's the name, isn't it?!"
He gave me a warm, relaxed smile.
"Maybe a little," he conceded. "Although I have wanted to try buffalo for a while."
"Whatever floats your boat," I said, finding the idea a bit gross.
We placed our orders, then sat holding hands and smiling at each other.
"I've missed time with you," Dimitri said, breaking the silence. "But starting tomorrow, we'll get back into our training."
"Just you, me, and Blake," I grumbled.
A look crossed his face but was gone almost before I caught it.
"It is just you, me and Blake, right?"
"I'm afraid not. Your mother has it all figured out. She wants me to take turns working with all the Novices. We'll work together every third morning."
"Every third day?" I wailed. "I don't think I can cope not starting our day together," I said, my previous good mood dissipating fast.
"We'll still be seeing each other every day, Ангел. Between hiking, cooking, training, sharing meals, Guardian lessons, and the rest of it, we'll be spending plenty of time together," he reassured, stroking my hand softly.
"But not alone," I said, a single tear rolling down my cheek. "I want time just for you and me!"
"I do too," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss me. "We'll find ways to be alone, I promise. Maybe we can do a run together in the afternoons? Now how about I see a smile?" he coaxed.
I pouted but eventually smiled at his loving look, leaning forward and claiming another kiss.
"That will be the plane," Dimitri said as a United aircraft taxied toward the terminal. We shared a last lingering embrace, and the softest of kisses, before moving apart—our alone time now at an end.
We watched as the passengers disembarked before two teenagers walked down the gangway, looking about them curiously.
"That will be them," I said, plastering a friendly smile on my face. They spotted us at the same time as we saw them and walked over to where we were standing.
"Elizaveta and Artyom?" Dimitri asked.
They looked like siblings. Both tall and slim, Elizaveta was about three inches taller than me, and a little more willowy. While she was curvier than a Moroi, she didn't have my hips or bust. She had mousy brown hair cut short at the back, tapering into a bob at the front. It was a modern look, and it suited her. Artyom was an inch or two taller than his sister, with the same colored hair. Also lean, he had the look of a teenager yet to 'fill out.'
Hearing Dimitri's accent, Elizaveta started speaking in Russian at a hundred miles an hour. Dimitri answered politely, and I stood there with no idea of what was being said, watching Elizaveta and Dimitri converse while Artyom looked at me.
"What's your English like?" Dimitri said, switching out of his native tongue.
"We both speak English," Artyom said, speaking for the first time in a heavily accented voice. He held out his hand and introduced himself to Dimitri, before repeating the gesture to me.
"Rose Hathaway," I said, giving him a welcoming smile. "I'm one of the St. Vladimir's Novices," I explained.
"Pleased to meet you," Artyom said. "Can I introduce my sister Elizaveta?"
We smiled at each other, and then Dimitri was shepherding us across to the baggage claim, then we were making our way to the SUV.
"It's a little full in the trunk as we've bought groceries," he warned.
"The trunk?" Elizaveta asked in confusion.
Dimitri slipped into Russian for a moment, explaining what he meant. I know it was silly, but I was simultaneously a little turned on to hear him speaking his native language, but also annoyed I did not understand what he was saying.
The car packed, Dimitri climbed into the driver's seat, and I automatically jumped into the passenger seat, performing the tasks of a second.
"We're good to go," I said, giving Dimitri a smile.
We pulled out of the parking lot, merging into traffic, starting the three-hour journey back to the facility. Dimitri gave them a basic overview of the mission, also explaining there'd be a roster for just about everything.
"So how did you two end up coming over here?" I asked curiously. I knew I was here because my Academy had closed, but theirs hadn't.
"We are the top Novices in the final year," Elizaveta explained. "When your Academy was attacked and had to close, they sent many of your senior Novices to St. Basil's. Since we were already top of our classes, Guardian Sokolov sent us here for the mission so he could take in another two lesser trained students from your Academy."
It might just have been the translation, but it sounded like she was ragging on the abilities of St. Vlad's students. I was about to say something cutting when Dimitri cleared his throat, and I knew he was warning me to bite my tongue. I smiled, saying nothing. However, I wasn't about to let her get away completely scot-free. So I casually pulled the hair tie off my wrist and looped my long hair up into a bun on the top of my head.
"Dimitri? Can I put on some music?" I asked, leaning slightly in my seat to reach for the radio controls.
"You're tattooed?" Artyom said in surprise when he copped a look at my neck. "Are they from the attack on your Academy?"
"The zvezda is," I said with feigned nonchalance, settling on a station playing current hits. "Two of the molnija are from the rescue, and the other two are from another incident."
As anticipated, Elizaveta said shit. I'd noticed her neck wasn't inked, and neither was her brother's.
"I've never seen a zvezda before," Artyom said, leaning forward slightly. "May I?" he asked.
I nodded and leaned to the side. He reached out to my neck, lifting a stray lock of hair up to look more closely. In the driver's seat beside me, I could see Dimitri tense.
"A mark of power and honor," Artyom said in a reverent voice. "It's beautiful."
"Um, thanks," I said a little awkwardly, moving back into my seat and sneaking a look at Dimitri. He'd calmed down a little, but I could see his jaw was still tight.
For the rest of the way we talked generalities; mostly the twins wanting to know about how different things were done in America and then Dimitri asking them about people back at St. Basil's. I was content to sit back and listen, chiming in every now and again to explain things as necessary.
Before I knew it, we were driving through Sheridan and then up into the mountains. Even with a pin drop on google maps, we almost missed the hidden turnoff to the property, and I suppressed a giggle seeing the sibling's faces as we transitioned from a twisting gravel road to a paved, smooth driveway leading up to the stone wall and ornate front gates. We pulled up and waited for a moment before the wide gates swung open, granting us admittance.
Dimitri deftly steered us across to the house, pulling up beside the other vehicle out the front.
"Here we are," I chirped cheerfully as we opened the doors and piled out of the car, stretching our muscles. "Home sweet home for the next three months!"