"Oh my God! What are you guys doing here?" I asked in complete shock.
"When Her Majesty mentioned she was coming to graduation here in Russia, Adrian suggested we tag along! We checked out Edinburgh yesterday while she was at St. Christopher's, and we arrived here just before your graduation this morning!" Lissa squealed, throwing her arms around me. "I couldn't miss your big day!"
I plastered a smile on my face, returning her enthusiastic hug, before accepting a hug and a kiss from Adrian and congratulations from Christian and Tasha. It hadn't escaped my attention that Tasha was standing beside my man, and was trying to attract his attention.
"Excuse me, Tasha. I have some new colleagues to congratulate," he said not even turning to look at her. Instead, his eyes were focused on Meredith, Eddie and I.
He went to Eddie first, shaking his hand.
"Congratulations, Guardian Castile. You've done yourself proud."
"Thanks for all your help, big guy," Eddie joked, but we could all see how touched he was.
"Guardian Edwards," Dimitri continued, smiling and leaning down to give Meredith a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You've also done a great job."
"Thank you, Guardian Belikov. For everything."
Pulling back from her, Dimitri's eyes met mine.
"I made it, Comrade!" I said, reaching my arms around his neck as he leaned to kiss my cheek.
"You did good," he said tenderly, his lips lingering on my cheek.
"All thanks to you," I said, getting a little teary. Even though Dimitri's congratulations had been gatecrashed by the unexpected arrival of my friends, it was still a special moment for us. This was the first time he'd held me when I wasn't his student, or under his tutelage. From here on out, I was a Guardian and his equal.
"Congratulations, Guardian Hathaway," he said softly. "I am so proud of you."
We embraced for just a moment longer, and then we reluctantly let go of each other.
"Alright, stop hogging them, Belikov," Abe blustered, shaking hands with Meredith and Eddie before scooping me into a hug. After that, we received our congratulations from Dimitri's family, the Guardians and our friends.
"I've got luncheon prepared in my suite if you'd like to join us?" Abe asked Lissa and the others after all the various introductions had been made. Meredith was quietly conversing with Sonya, and when they'd finished, I could see Sonya say something to Karolina before the latter pulled Paul aside to whisper something in his ear. Karolina then went over to her mother and grandmother to speak with them and Viktoria. It was probably about Lissa and the others not knowing about Dimitri and I if I had to hazard a guess.
"We'd love to!" Adrian answered on behalf of the newcomers, giving me a smirk. The asshole was enjoying this!
Lissa looped her arm through mine, and I followed her to my father's suite in stunned silence, listening to her excited talk about how careful she'd been not to think about the trip, and how she'd been fretting I might pop in on her and ruin the surprise.
"I'd hoped you'd be too busy the couple of days before graduation to check in," she explained, elated their arrival had been a true bombshell.
I could see Dimitri walking slightly ahead of us. He was talking with his mother, but Tasha was like an annoying little terrier nipping at his heels, constantly vying for his attention.
Once inside his suite, Abe took over, playing the part of gracious host perfectly. Of course, Baba being Baba, the buffet spread was extensive and plentiful. I could see why the addition of an extra five people for lunch was of no concern. That's assuming their presence was a surprise to him.
"Liss – I just need to ask Dad something," I said, squeezing her arm before sidling over to Abe.
"Did you know they were coming?" I hissed, my lips barely moving.
"No fucking idea," he said, and I knew he wasn't lying. "She just won't leave him alone, will she?" he commented, his eyes resting on Tasha where she was yet again trying to ingratiate her way into Dimitri's conversation.
"I know. I can't just go over there and stake my claim, though. Not until I tell Lissa."
He nodded, a devious twinkle in his eye.
Abe gestured to some serving staff I'd just noticed in the small kitchen, and next thing I knew, champagne coupes were being passed out amongst everyone gathered, except for Paul, Zoya, and Viktoria – much to the latter's disgust.
Abe dinged the side of his with a spoon a couple of times to get everyone's attention.
"Now Natasha," he started blessing her with one of his devilish, toothy smiles. "I want you to remember that the drinking age in Russia is eighteen, not twenty-one, so we can let these young people here enjoy their celebrations today. Us oldies can't claim all the fun!" he joked.
"Oh Abe – I'm almost their age," Tasha replied with a simpering smile.
"Of course you are!" he boomed. "You barely look a day over twenty-one." He paused, for comedic effect before he added, "and neither do I!"
We all laughed, although Tasha's was admittedly forced. She didn't appreciate the dig about her age!
"Seriously though," Abe pushed on before things could get awkward, "I am so very proud to be here today to celebrate the achievements of three wonderful young people. As you all know, I was late coming into Rose's life, but I could not be more delighted with the young woman I found to be my daughter. And through Rose, I met her delightful schoolmates and friends, Eddison and Meredith."
He paused to nod fondly to the three of us.
"It's said a lot can be told about someone by the company they keep, so I shouldn't be surprised to find my daughter in the company of two such dedicated, intelligent and genuine people. It's been a joy getting to know you both and to play a small part at the start of your careers. Can I propose a toast to our new Guardians - Castile, Edwards, and Hathaway!"
Everyone responded to the toast, and Abe waved his hand commandingly, the servers responding by topping up the glasses.
"All that said, we wouldn't be here today without the hard work of one particular man. In my line of business you learn to judge someone pretty quickly, and it's rare that I am wrong. My first impression of Belikov was that he was a man with good ethics and integrity. The sort of man you could rely upon and trust. I am happy to report that as I've got to know him better over these last few months, that's been exactly what he's proven to be. Not only has he guided my precious girl and her friends and prepared them for their trials and careers, but he and his family have opened their hearts and home to welcome them. I'm not a man who likes to owe a favor, but I am truly indebted to Dimitri, Olena and your family for doing everything you have for Rose, Eddison, and Meredith. Please know you have my sincere thanks. To the Belikovs!"
My love nodded in acknowledgment, and at that moment the final bit of animosity between Baba and Dimitri disappeared.
We toasted again. Gesturing once more, glasses were refreshed, and Abe started in on what I hoped was the last toast. Otherwise, I was going to end up shitfaced!
"Finally I'd like to thank friends and classmates for making such a long, arduous trip to surprise these three today. It says a lot about the depth of your feelings that you're here to support our new Guardians on their special day. I'd also like to acknowledge my Guardians and staff who've consistently gone above and beyond, with often little notice, to make all the necessary arrangements for me to be here with my little girl over the last few months. I know it's been stressful at times, and I appreciate your hard work and contributions. Please join me in a final toast – to friends, family, and devotion."
I was standing opposite Dimitri, and our eyes locked as we repeated Abe's toast. They weren't just words to us; it was also a promise.
"I'm going to take Abe, Mama, and the others on a tour of campus," Dimitri remarked to Eddie, Meredith, Celeste, Adrian, Lissa, Christian and I as we were standing around talking after lunch. "Did you want to come?"
"I'd love to tour the campus," Tasha purred from beside him. She'd been following him around ever since she first saw him, so I wasn't surprised.
"Liss – I can show you around later. How about you come back to my suite, and we can catch up? Celeste – she'll be safe with me here on campus," I said, not too subtly suggesting I wanted time alone with Lissa.
"Sure thing, Guardian Hathaway," Celeste said shooting me a grin. "I wouldn't mind checking out the lay of the land."
"I'm going to join the St. Vlad's guys in the common room. Their families aren't here, so they're at a loose end," Eddie said.
"I'll join you," Meredith added, getting the memo.
"Seen one campus, you've seen them all," Adrian replied laconically. "I'd like to catch up with Rose, too."
"I don't remember inviting you!" I said sarcastically. "Go find something else to do, Adrian."
"I'm wounded, little Dhampir. But I suppose you have lots to tell Lissa. Lot's of big things I should imagine," he said looking at Dimitri.
"Well whoever's coming, we're leaving now," Dimitri interjected. Adrian did end up going with the group for a tour, and I could only hope Abe and Dimitri would keep him and his none too subtle comments away from Tasha!
Christian didn't make a move to join the others, so I guess he was going to join me when I told Lissa. That mightn't be such a bad idea, come to think of it.
"Come on you two – I'll take you back to my suite," I said with a feeling of dread. I'd known I was going to have to tell Lissa, but I thought I'd had a few more days, yet. But now she was here I couldn't put it off any longer - I was on my way to telling her my biggest secret - I could only hope she'd understand.
Our suite was close to Abe's, so I let us in, gesturing to the sofas before hovering and asking if anyone wanted tea or coffee.
"I'm fine," Lissa said breezily. "I'm so excited about the Ball tonight! I'm going to wear the same dress I did for my Graduation! No one here has seen it," she tinkled happily. It took her a moment to notice my silence and to sense something was wrong.
"Rose?"
"Liss," I said, sinking onto the sofa opposite. "There's something I need to tell you…"
"Is how no good conversation ever starts," Christian joked. He was worried, too, and was falling back on humor.
"Bite me, fireboy!" I snapped. Oops! Probably not my best move, given I was about to suggest being his Guardian.
"What is it?" Lissa asked looking at me warily.
I leaned forward and took her hand in mine. I was getting distracted by the thoughts bombarding me through the bond. Her biggest fear was that I was sick.
"I'm not sick," I replied to her question without thinking.
"Then what?" she asked.
"Lissa, I'm seeing someone. And it's serious."
"You've met someone?" she asked in surprise. I could feel she was wondering why I was so worried to tell her this, and why I hadn't told her previously.
"I've known him a while, actually…"
"Oh, my! Of course! You and Eddie! You two make an adorable couple! I should have seen it before – you two have been friends forever, and I know you've become closer since Spokane."
I shook my head. Liss had gone from zero to full throttle and was already picturing Eddie and me together.
"It's not Eddie!" I snapped raising my voice slightly.
She stopped and looked at me.
"If not Eddie, then who?"
I winced and closed my eyes. Going with the band-aid approach, I blurted it straight out.
"It's Dimitri, Liss. I'm with Dimitri."
I opened my eyes to peek at her. She was surprised. In fact, she was every bit as stunned by my revelation as I had been by her unexpected appearance earlier in the day.
"Surprise?" I joked lamely, waiting for her to say something.
"Guardian Belikov, Dimitri?"
"Guardian Belikov," I nodded as she corralled her thoughts into a semblance of order.
"When? How long?" she asked.
"A while."
"In Baia?"
I nodded.
"On your mission?"
I nodded again.
"Back at the Academy?!"
I shrugged. "Only a little bit."
The thoughts through the bond were flying thick and fast. Noticing a bit of darkness, I pulled it into me. The last thing I needed was that compounding her already hurt feelings.
"Tell me everything," she said in a shaky voice.
And so I did. I started at the beginning, explaining the attraction and how I initially thought it was one-sided. The Equinox Dance, the humiliation of coming so close to giving myself to Dimitri, only to have him tell me afterward that he didn't feel that way about me. Finding out days later he did feel the same way, but that we couldn't act on it. I told her about Christmas, about Tasha's offer and about telling Dimitri he should take it.
"But he didn't. Because of you?"
"He said he knew he couldn't feel about her the way he felt about me, so he turned her down."
"And that's when you got together?"
"No. He was my mentor, Liss. He would have been fired. I would have been expelled. We just pretended like it wasn't there. But it was, and it just kept growing."
"So when?"
"The night of the attack on campus. After Jesse and the Mana thing, I was off my head on darkness. Alberta had Dimitri take me away, so I didn't kill Jesse. He took me to a cabin on the edge of campus, and he had to physically restrain me to stop me going after Jesse. It took hours to calm me down. I was so scared, and he was holding me tight – telling me he'd always be there for me. That he loved me. And that's when."
"And then the rescue happened. That's why you went back for him."
I nodded.
"I love him, Lissa. And he loves me. We want to be together."
She was taking a minute to digest all this. Christian was sitting beside her, silent, giving her the chance to process.
"So who knows?"
"Meredith and Eddie. Adrian suspected from our auras. Baba knows, and so does Dimitri's family." I didn't mention Christian, and I was careful not to meet Lissa's eyes.
"And you couldn't tell me?!"
"It all just happened so fast, Liss. By the time I knew it, I was on the mission, and I wasn't even sure what was going on between Dimitri and me. Then we came to Court, and I wanted to tell you, really I did, but then we were being sent to St. Michael's, and Abe stepped in, and we were coming over here. I didn't want to tell you on the phone, and Dimitri and I also had to work out how serious we were then how to juggle being Guardians and being together."
Lissa cocked her head to the side the way she did when she was working through a thought.
"We can't both be your Guardians, Liss," I spelled out. "One of us would be on days, the other nights. We'd literally never get time off at the same time. If he and I want to give our relationship a go, one of us needs to guard someone else."
"Someone who would be close by at Lehigh," she said connecting the dots. "You want Dimitri to guard Christian."
She didn't sound happy or sad about the idea, and it was hard to get a read on her emotions.
"That was one idea," I admitted. "However, I know Tasha still has feelings for Dimitri. She'd be hurt if Dimitri was willing to give up guarding you to guard Christian, but not do that for her. Dimitri and I have talked about it, and I thought maybe I could guard Christian."
No one said anything for a moment, so I continued.
"As I've got closer to becoming a Guardian, I've been thinking about what that means. You're already my best friend and my bond mate, Liss. I worry that if I add Guardian to that, it's going to be too much. For both of us! It's too hard to switch between being your protector and your best friend. I thought if I guarded Christian, then it would give us both space. We'd all still be together, but it means I can worry about you as my bestie, not as my charge. That's assuming Christian is willing to accept me as his Guardian," I quickly added.
"And if he isn't?"
"Then I don't know where that leaves us. I don't want to have to choose between you and Dimitri. I love you, and you're my sister. But I love him, Lissa. I love him more than I even knew was possible."
I could see her reach a decision in her head. She was angry and hurt, but she chose to push those feelings aside.
"I'm happy for you, Rose. You deserve love," she said tears welling in her eyes as she pulled me into a hug. "I hope he treats you well."
"He does, Liss. He treats me wonderfully, and we're so happy together. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier - it's been eating me up inside," I admitted, relieved beyond words I'd finally spilled the beans.
"I can't believe how big this place is! I can't wait to come here next year!" Paul said bouncing into our suite, followed by the rest of the family plus Tasha and Celeste. They'd lost Abe and Adrian somewhere along the way.
"I'll worry about you," Karolina admitted, fondly petting her eldest's head while bouncing Zoya on her hip.
"I'll look after him," Viktoria promised.
There was a weird tension in the room. Lissa, Christian and I had been talking, me filling her in about Baia and more about Dimitri and me when the others returned.
"So are you going to the Graduation Ball tonight?" Olena asked Lissa politely, filling the silence.
"Well I brought a dress, so I might as well," she replied. "Rose and I always dreamed of graduating together," she continued, squeezing my hand. "This is part of that!"
"Make sure you take lots of photos, Vika," Olena said turning to her youngest daughter.
"I will Mama," she promised.
There was another awkward pause. Lissa was looking curiously between Dimitri and me, and I was trying to let him know with my eyes that I'd told her.
Olena picked up on the tension, "Viktoria? We need to get going. Mr. Mazur said he'd have the van downstairs at 3 pm. There's plenty of room, so it's a good chance to send back your end of year things."
"Thanks, Mama! I have a lot of washing to send home," she admitted with a cheeky grin.
"Of course you do," Sonya groaned rolling her eyes. "My feet are killing me – let's get going! Rose – good luck with tonight and the fights – knock them dead!" she said, rubbing her back then hugging me.
"Thanks, Sonya. One way or the other, I'll see you Thursday!"
After that, it was hugs and goodbyes all around.
"Don't you let her frighten you," Yeva whispered into my ear when she hugged and kissed both cheeks. "And remember people are watching. Rise above, and I promise you, all will be well."
"Thanks, Babushka." I hugged her hard against me. In a few short weeks, I'd grown to love and trust Dimitri's grandmother!
"Excuse me; I'll just see my family to the van. Paul? Come help carry your Aunt Vika's things." He didn't say he wanted a moment alone with his family, but the message came across nonetheless.
Great. I was left here with Lissa, Christian, and Tasha, Celeste standing at ease inside the door to the suite.
"So… Did you three have a nice catch-up?" Tasha asked awkwardly.
I didn't know what to say, so I waited for Lissa to respond.
"Yeah. Just the usual gossip. It's been ages since we've had a chance to talk face to face! Anyway, weshould get back to our suite," she suggested, standing and Christian doing likewise. "The dance starts in a few hours, and we all need to get ready!"
"Oh, you're coming, too?" I asked Tasha, trying to be polite.
"Yes," she said with a coy smile. "I have a very special night planned!"