~ROSE~

The first council meeting was nerve wracking. Today's goal for the meeting was one thing: establishing the legitimacy of the Dhampir Council. The meeting open to the public, and news had spread fast. As expected, word of the new Dhampir Council wasn't well received by most of the existing Royal Council. The Queen had announced the new branch of government last week, bringing me as head of the new council. There had been an immediate uproar among the others – mostly shouts of discontent, though a few seemed to approve – and it took nearly a half hour to simply quiet the room enough to start explaining the changes. In the end, she had ended up using a rare executive order to push the measure through, throwing her title around in a way that I almost admired. It was graceful, but the way that it still struck fear in the eyes of a few council members gave me a pretty nice goal to work towards, politically.

Now, with a full council chosen and a meeting itinerary prepared, all there was left to do was wait. Lissa stood beside me, still denied her own rightful seat on the Royal Council due to the outdated quorum law, and attempted to give me a pep talk. I couldn't hear her over the pounding in my own ears but nodded either way, just to appease her as she slapped at my hands to keep me from gnawing at my new manicure. I kept reminding myself of all the good that could come from this in time. How this would help thousands of dhampirs, guardians and unpromised alike. Several of us had even discussed the possibility of extending our reach to others who might need representation as well. Who knows, with the new way the Dhampir Council was chosen, perhaps Lissa could finally take her rightful seat rather than simply acting as an adviser to Tatiana.

Dimitri was here too, though he wasn't able to actively be the support I knew he desperately wanted to be at the moment. He was as still as stone against the wall outside the council's private chambers, his face professionally impassive, but from the quick peek I took earlier, I could see his right index finger barely twitching a quick, steady rhythm against his thigh. It was the only sign of his nerves he allowed to show, and I doubt anyone but me would even pick up on it.

The rest of the dhampir council attempted to congregate together without any real unity. Our group had yet to truly mesh with one another, not that we were planning sleepovers or anything like that, but there seemed to be a certain agreement between us that we were all in this together to make life better for the greater community. To do so, I felt I needed to represent that community, even those that make up the less attractive elements of our race. When the final list had been announced to the public, I had to basically barricade myself for several days to keep from being harassed by people who didn't exactly agree with me. The initial uproar had died down and now it was time to get down to business.

The Dhampir Council was made up of both men and women, guardians and unpromised dhampirs of various ages and backgrounds. They came recommended from several sources, but it ultimately came down to my choice in the end. As Tatiana had promised before, this would be the only time that this would happen, as in future years the council would be elected by the dhampir population, but we had to start somewhere.

I knew my final selection was a surprise to many. Some were expected, such as the head of Guardian Council, Hans Croft. His input when it came to matters regarding guardian needs was undisputed and absolutely necessary in my opinion. I also wanted to suggest Alberta to cover the educational standpoint of things, but since she was needed at the school, she was unable to serve on the Council. Thankfully, Alberta had been the one to suggest another person who had served in her position at another Academy. The other guardians on the council included a newer graduate, a retired guardian with a nearly miraculous 30 years of service under his belt, a young woman between those two, and my mother. Janine Hathaway wasn't one of the most well-known and respected guardians of this age for nothing.

The other six members of the Dhampir Council were all unpromised or demarked dhampirs, once again from various backgrounds. None of them held quite the same respect as the guardians, and perhaps that was to be expected, but some came close. Others were much more controversial choices. Two of my choices were simple citizens who lived fairly normal lives in the community, one as sales associate and another a line cook at one of the hotel kitchens. Then there was a former guardian who had defected from the ranks and only agreed to return after a statement was signed by the Queen releasing him of any possible punishment – besides an official demarking – for abandoning his duty. Another disputed choice was the female dhampir who was considered unfit for duty when she fell pregnant shortly before graduation and refused to abort or give up her baby, but otherwise she lived a fairly normal life now. Of course Ambrose was controversial because of his ties to the Queen, but perhaps I received the most flack for selecting a young woman named Alana. She was (in her own unapologetic terms) a blood whore, doing what she felt she needed to do to survive and take care of herself and her young son.

Finally, the doors opened with a loud echo, sounding even above the chatter. For a moment, everyone looked towards the open doorway and then just as suddenly, all eyes turned towards me. This was it. This was the moment I became the leader they needed me to be. I tried my best to channel as much of Lissa's royal stature as possible, looking to both her and Dimitri for an extra burst of strength before entering the main chambers with twelve men and women behind me.

– DIMITRI –

It had been a while since I had been truly nervous standing at my post. I could practically feel the energy in the room outside and it wasn't all positive. Many people, mostly dhampirs, but even some Moroi, had been supportive about the announcement of the new council. However, those that weren't were very vocal and very dedicated to making sure that we knew it. We were obligated to let her know, but Rose refused to let her most recent death threat keep her from appearing today. I admired her dedication, but I feared for her safety even more. Stopping the rampage of a blood-thirsty monster was one thing, the mindless path of a speeding bullet and the misguided anger of an unknown stranger behind it? Well, that's something else entirely. Yes, I had been trained to protect my charge against such attacks, but when it comes down to it, it may not matter; bullets still travel faster than guardians do in the 100 yards separating me from the Dhampir Council stands. No amount of training and dedication can change the laws of physics.

The last time I had seen the Council Chamber, it had looked much different. Beyond the lack of audience, there had only been twelve council seats – the Dragomir seat left empty, of course – with a small raised throne for the Queen herself. Now, thirteen new seats had been added, forcing the need for more platforms to be constructed. The Royal Council was on the left hand side, the Dhampir Council on the right.

I could see Rose shifting, as if she was physically trying to work out the anxiety I knew she was feeling, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. She wasn't the only one worried. The louder the crowd got, the more I could see the guardians (both those in the stands and those on duty) becoming increasingly more and more tense. Hans had called in extra men today, but I was wondering if it would still be enough to handle the growing raucousness. The seats in the audience had filled several minutes ago, standing room was fast filling, and people were still pushing their way in.

It was a breath of relief when the outside doors were finally shut, much to the dismay of the spectators outside, and the meeting is officially called to order. The Queen entered with her usual fanfare, though she must have had her fair share of anxiety too because she didn't seem quite as intent on dragging out the process of bowing and kneeling before her.

The first few minutes were fairly forgettable, filled with nothing more than information about how the meeting would be run followed by introductions. The Royal Council introductions weren't incredibly notable, but every introduction for the new Dhampir Council was met with a combination of either applause or condemnation, some more than others. The name that seemed to have the strongest opinions behind it though was the last: Rose's. The moment her name was called, I tensed in preparation to make my way over to her as quickly as possible, all while scanning the crowd for any possible threat. A moment later, I could breath as she sat down again, completely unharmed.

"The first item up for discussion is proposition 432. Guardian Hans Croft, the floor is yours."

Rose had mentioned that three of their proposals were up for discussion today. She had talked over some possibilities of what we believed guardians and dhampirs could benefit from, but I had no idea what she actually had up her sleeves.

Either way, having Hans present first was brilliant on her part. He held the most respect among the royal community, non-royal community, guardian community, and non-promised dhampirs. He held almost as much authority with the Moroi as he did with the Dhampirs, and you could see as much when he made his way to the podium. The room was still, anticipating the first motion of the new council.

"It is proposed that all sanctioned guardians received one day off per week for rest and personal time. We hope that this will allow them to be more alert when serving and reduce the amount of injury to themselves and to their charges."

After a moment of silence, when it became clear that he wasn't going to say any more, the questions started all on top of one another. He didn't look the least bit phased though, barely glancing at his notes and taking questions from both the council and the audience in a calm and collected manner. Each answer made the proposal seem logical and well planned, and even though there was some initial fight back (as I'm sure Rose and the rest of the council expected), it was eventually passed.

It wasn't a difficult proposition, especially after Hans had laid out what it would actually mean in terms to the actual government and what not. Low cost, low overall change, and easily measurable impact that could hopefully be seen within a few weeks.

On a personal level though, it would be immense. At the Academy, Alberta had done her best to give every guardian one day off a week, but that was her prerogative more than protocol. At Court, I was lucky to receive a full day every other week.

However, either of those was preferable to what you would get out in the field as a personal guardian to a family. There were no days off unless you scheduled vacation time. Something like this would make a huge impact to overworked, overstressed guardians who started making simple mistakes that led to horrible accidents. Yes, it would mean that one day a week, a Moroi or family might need to stay home inside a warded boundary or another guardian might needed to be called in from a nearby station, but if this proposal proved as successful as the Dhampir Council anticipated, the rewards for such a small sacrifice would be immense.

I didn't even have time to start thinking about what my first day off would entail before the second measure was announced. A woman, older than Rose and myself, but younger than Guardian Hans, was the next to take the stage. I tried to remember her name, but I couldn't. I could remember her story though. Rose had been adamant on putting her on the council, despite what several people suggested. While I knew that she had received some push back for her decision for appointing someone who bore the name and reputation of a blood whore without shame, I'm proud that Rose stood up for her belief that everyone should be represented on the council, no matter how much we would like to sweep their unpleasantness under the rug.

"Councilwoman Alana Davis, whenever you are ready."

The woman, Alana I guess, steadied herself at the Queen's urging. The way that she held herself reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I could see some nervousness there, but there was also a fierce determination as well. Still, her fingers were nearly bone white as they gripped the podium while speaking.

"We, the Dhampir Council, propose a traveling resource clinic to provide essential services to communes that otherwise do not have access to them. These services will include medical assistance, financial planning, educational and career counseling, and more."

She wasn't even able to finish her proposal before people started speaking up. Questions about how it would be paid for, where these clinics would serve, how many clinics there would be, and so on. Alana answered as many as she could, and where she couldn't, other members of the council stepped in to help.

While it wasn't officially announced in any way, news of her background had spread and Alana was the perfect person to present this proposal. As a single mother raising a child on her own the best she could, she gained some sympathy for the proposal just with her personal experience.

Not everyone seemed to agree though.

"I guess the biggest question is why this is even necessary? Dhampir women have survived for years in communes without outside assistance. It seems like they don't need or even want assistance from Court. If they want to do it on their own, I say we let them."

The fury in was palatable in Alana's eyes and was well warranted considering Prince Lazar's thoughts. I'm sure many people, myself included, would have liked to share a few choice words in return. But Rose beat us all to the punch.

"With all due respect, they don't, as you so eloquently put it 'do it on their own.' It does take two to tango and we dhampirs don't have the luxury of procreating among our own kind. Dhampir woman have been strong enough to raise and take care of their children on their own because they had to be. They banded together in communes because that provided the greatest support. If there was a distrust of outsiders, it is because people would come, use them, and leave them with nothing more than bruises, empty promises, and another mouth to feed in nine months."

I don't know if Rose had ever once considered my mother or sisters when she had discussed this proposal with the council, and she certainly hadn't discussed anything like this with me in the weeks leading up to this meeting. However, in that moment, I chanced a glance over towards her, and I knew that she was thinking of my family. She had never met them. She had never heard more than a few stories told between training session at the Academy or a quiet moment here and there since she's been back at Court. Still, something like this could have prevented so many problems in my childhood.

It could have helped mother get out from under the choking hold my father had over her, threatening to financially ruin her and put her home and children in jeopardy if she didn't let him drop in from time to time, abuse included. It could have assured that my siblings and I would have had access to basic medical care like immunizations before entering the academy, and perhaps we wouldn't have lost my twin brother to whooping cough before I was even old enough to remember his name or face. I know Rose never even considered that, because she never even knew he existed. I never told her. Mama doesn't like to talk about him at home, so none of us ever really bring up Nikolai. And finally, as much as I loved little niece Zoya, and as much as I can't imagine my life without her, perhaps proper sexual education and health resources could have helped my sister Sonya and other young women like her from becoming unwed mothers before they were ready to take on such responsibility on their own.

"You want a stronger guardian force?" Rose continued, recapturing my attention and the attention of the captivated audience, "Create a stronger support system for dhampirs, specifically in communes and other places where young families congregate. Offer the aid they've been denied for so long. Treat dhampir women as more than just guardian breeding machines. Honestly, treat all dhampirs as more than just potential bodyguards. I can guarantee that you'll see more enthusiasm from those looking to serve as Guardians when they enter the academies. You'll see more positivity in the dhampir communities as a whole, guardian or non-guardian, and that will spread to everyone. When dhampir and Moroi relationships are strengthened, there will naturally be an increase in the dhampir population, without forced breeding, especially if we work to remove the horrid stigma surrounding long-term Moroi-dhampir relationships. Those relationships are out there, and they are valid and should be supported openly. The same can be said for long term relationships between two guardians, for that matter, even if it doesn't result in a future child. However, this is a conversation for another day and now is the time to vote on whether you would like to support those in communities who currently are some of your strongest familial support system for young dhampirs who eventually grow to become the guardians many of you so rely on."

I couldn't help but smirk from my post as most of the dhampirs in the crowd rose to their feet, cheering at Rose's solid closing statement. Under the cover of the crowd, I could even see some of the guardians slyly offer their applause from their posts. The right hand of the stage seemed smug, totally assured in their leader's speech, while the opposite side simply seemed stunned that this tiny thing could come out of nowhere and impassion an entire room to follow her into battle with nothing more than five minutes and a cause worth fighting for.

When will they learn to stop underestimating her?

Unsurprisingly, the bill passed, with only Prince Lazar and two others remaining firm in their nay-saying.

Rose was the last to take the podium, and if her impromptu speech was so thrilling, I could only imagine what she had up her sleeve for this.

"Our final proposal for the night is to create a permanent clinic at court to serve the needs of the dhampirs here and in the surrounding areas. These services would include those that the mobile clinics provide, as well as other services we hope the mobile clinics will one day offer and we feel are incredibly necessary to Guardians here at Court, specifically psychological counseling and occupational therapy. We plan for the permanent clinic to serve as a home base for our mobile clinic services, working in conjunction with and as an extension of that measure."

Oh, she is a smart one, my Roza. Getting the mobile clinics passed before proposing this much more cost-heavy and intrusive clinic at court was sneaky, but it almost has to be passed at this point. I'm sure most people in the crowd don't see it, but the way her cheeks are tensing to keep her grin from showing are a pretty good sign that she's aware of this fact too.

Almost immediately, Lazar is protesting again. "Seriously? A construction project like that would take two years at least, not to mention the cost involved. And where exactly do we have the space for such a project? Have you even planned such a building or is this some teenage dreaming from a little girl with no real experience?"

"Oh, get off your high horse..."

"Prince Lazar!"

Between the crowd's hissing and displeasure, two clear voices sounded above the rest. One had a distinct Turkish accent, and the other rising from the throne in the center of the stage.

"I'll remind you to mind your place," the Queen continued, "and that I selected Rosemarie Hathaway personally for her position on the Dhampir Council. Speaking against her placement there is akin to speaking against my judgment and I can assure you that that would be unwise. After all, your seat on the Royal council was due to nothing more than a lucky chance of surviving longer than others in your family, which can change at a moment's notice."

Prince Lazar reeled back in shock at the vague suggestion of political assassination. If it had come from anyone else other than the Queen, a guardian would have hauled the accuser out immediately, placing them under arrest for questioning. But the Queen was welcomed to question, and perhaps even kill, anyone she would like. There wasn't really much we could do to stop her without committing treason ourselves.

"Chairwoman Hathaway, as for your proposal. I must say, I do believe that it holds merit." The Queen's support all but sealed the deal. "I would like to know one thing, however. Would services be limited to only dhampirs?"

Rose smiled, and I could see that this question wasn't just prepared for, it was anticipated. A knowing look from Queen Tatiana confirmed as much.

"No, Your Majesty. I believe that the clinics, both the main clinic and the mobile clinics, should be open to anyone in need. Limiting our services to one race, or one class, only causes more of a divide between us and creates more issues rather than uniting us and making us stronger.

"As for Prince Lazar's question about where the Main Clinic would be located, we have been scouting locations and we have found a promising location near the Guardian Headquarters. Yes, it will take a while for the building to be constructed, but that is the case with any large building. Our architect anticipates 18-20 months depending on how long it takes for us to acquire the initial permits and break ground. When it comes to the cost involved, I have taken that into account too. Yes, there will be a significant upfront cost. It will, however, be much less than the cost we currently spend on training on trying to train new Guardians to replace those that are unable to work because of disabilities that could be treated in a facility such as this, often in a short amount of time. Now what makes more financial sense to you, Prince Lazar? Treating Guardian like a disposable resource, or providing them with the medical services so that they can healthily perform in their chosen careers properly for as long as possible? I assure you, I may be young, but I have surrounded myself with a very experienced team and I plan to utilize their knowledge as much as possible."

After a little bit more debate back and forth, the final proposal passed, leaving Rose three for three on her very first Council meeting. She seemed shakier after the final vote than she had the entire assembly, and my concern for her drowned out the rest of the closing pomp and circumstance. I paid just enough attention to the crowd leaving to make sure that nobody was trampled while attempting to exit the building, and the moment I was released from duty twenty minutes later, I made my way to where I knew Rose would be waiting: home.

~ROSE~

We did it. Holy crap. I can't believe it worked.

I did my best to not trip over my heels as I stepped down the final few steps from the stage into the backroom. I was used to heels, no novice to wearing them on stage. I could dance in stilettos for crying out loud! However, the adrenalin pumping through my system at the moment was enough to make my ankles a little shaky.

I wasn't surprised at all to find Lissa already waiting for me in the private council chambers, ready to wrap me in a big hug the moment I was clear from the public view.

"You were amazing!" My face was buried in the momentary privacy her blonde locks, allowing me the moment I desperately needed to calm down and center myself after everything.

"I've been watching you like a hawk since you were five. Something was bound to stick." I insisted, brushing off the compliment in typical sarcastic fashion.

"I wouldn't have had the guts to say half of what you said, or at least, not the way you said them. That was all you, Chairwoman Hathaway." She was still was still getting a kick using my title, despite it being so much less romantic than hers.

"We talked about this Liss. I'm going to start calling you Princess if you keep that up."

"Fiiiiiine," she complained with a whiney sigh, "but you didn't say anything about no celebratory parties, so come on; we have cake, and pizza, and all sorts of goodies at home for you."

BREAK

Liss wasn't lying. I don't know if she was just banking on us doing amazing at the council meeting today, or having one heck of a condolence party if we didn't, but it was perfect either way. Alana and her son joined us, as well as my mother, but otherwise it was just our usual gang enjoying ourselves.

I kept getting bounced from person to person, never having more than a moment or two to speak to anyone, much less to do speak with anyone privately, but I could see the longing in Dimitri's eyes that meant he wanted to talk to me. All I had been granted when he came home from his shift earlier was a tight hug and a quite whisper. "You did so well, Roza. I'm so proud of you."

Admittedly, as someone who lived for his praise as much as for his smile, it had meant the world to know that Dimitri had seen me succeed. Knowing that he was proud of me made it all worth it; all the stress, all the long nights, all the memorizing facts on note cards, and worrying about whether or not I would be shot the moment I stepped out the door of the council chambers. I was making his life better, and my life better, and the lives of every dhampir like us who never had a voice before.

Finally, after too many hours to count, I was finally allowed the freedom of retiring to my room for some well-deserved rest.

I had briefly considered sneaking off to Dimitri's room where he was resting after his shift, but with my mother, father, and the rest of the gang still downstairs, I'd never make it over to the first floor hallway without them noticing. With a final longing glance at his closed door, I instead made my way up the long, lonely flight of stairs.

On the plus side, I could take off this stupid blouse. There was no way I could borrow one of Lissa's blouses since she was a size smaller than me, but she had insisted taking me shopping for a very Lissa-esque blouse for the council meeting today and the silk ruffles at the neckline had been driving me insane all evening. The moment I was out of view of our guests downstairs, I started undoing the buttons, and I was completely free of the blasted thing by the time I opened my door.

"Roza..."

"Shit!"

Dimitri replied with something – either an expletive or an exclamation, I'm not sure which – in Russian, before turning away and laughing at my attempt to hide what was left of my meager modesty.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to spy on you. I just wanted to talk to you. Most people wait until they're in their rooms to undress."

"Yeah. Noted. Give me a second." I searched for something, anything to slip on, finally settling on oversized shirt that was hanging on my desk chair. Some yoga pants laid next to it and since Dimitri was still turned away, I slipped out of my dress pants and into those too. "Okay, you can look now. Not that you haven't seen it all already."

He smiled at my attempt to lighten the mood, but didn't mention the fact that he hadn't seen 'it all' since that night. Neither of us were rushing into that phase again, though I think we were getting pretty close to it again. Lord knows my dreams were pushing me in that direction pretty heavily.

Despite the awkwardness of him surprising me moments ago in nothing more than dress pants and a bra that didn't leave much to the imagination, and the fact that I was just thinking about the how I had been dreaming of him taking me over and over again night after night, I sat down next to him on the bed as if nothing was amiss.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hi." He smiled back, taking my hand and completing the strange little ritual we had started after a long day where we didn't always know what to say, but we knew being together made things infinitely better. "You were fantastic today, Rose. I'm not surprised in the least, because I know just how hard you worked to make sure everything was just right for the proposals, but I'm so proud of the effort you put in. It really showed, and you held yourself so well against everything they threw at you."

"I guess I deserved some of their criticism. I did surprise them with a few bombshells." The look of utter shock on some of the Moroi Council members' faces was enough to bring back a smile, though it didn't mean nearly as much as the looks and words of gratitude from Guardians and dhampirs as I was coming home today.

"Yeah, thanks for the day off! I already know how I'm gonna be using mine."

"Oh really?" I rested my head against Dimitri's shoulder, allowing myself to get comfortable after all the activity of the day and hoping that he would stay long enough for me to relax a while. The scent of his aftershave was more therapeutic than any aromatherapy spa session. I was rewarded a moment later with his arm wrapping around my shoulder, and I knew I had him for at least the next hour, much to my delight.

"Yep, I'm thinking regular date nights. You, me, and whatever we want. It really doesn't matter as long as we are together. What do you say?"

"That sounds..." I snuggled closer while trying to find the right word, but coming up short, so I settled for the next best thing, "perfect."

After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "Where did you get the idea for a mobile clinic?"

"Honestly? It came from several places, but I knew I had to push forward thinking about how much it could have helped your family, and knowing that somewhere, there is probably a small child who is living the same life that you and your sisters lived. Someone, somewhere, is struggling just like your mother did. Someone is living the life Alana does, not because she wants to, but because she has no other choice. If I can change that, and I don't try to, then I'm part of the problem. I can't stand the thought of being part of the problem when I have the power to be part of the solution. I know this won't fix everything, but this can be a small start. You know I can't talk about upcoming proposals with you, not really, but if you want to suggest what might have helped you and your family and your community growing up, that would help."

What I didn't suggest, but had thought quite a bit about over the last several days, was that actually visiting small communities like his hometown would also help. But, I wasn't sure if we were quite there yet. Hopefully soon, though. We were already planning on sending one of the first mobile clinics to Baia, and I was hoping to accompany the program for the ribbon cutting. If all went according to plan, I would ask him to come with me so he could see his family.

His smile seemed to suggest that he'd be okay with the idea.

"You may not be a guardian proper, but nobody will ever say you aren't a fighter."

"This still isn't what you trained me for," I argued, my words enough to stop the rhythmic brushing of his thumb on the top of my knuckles.

"Isn't it?" he challenged me. One by one, he started listing off every lesson he ever taught me. "Know when to fight, and know when to run. Choose your weapon wisely, and make sure you know how to wield it. Don't hesitate. Trust your partner. Endurance is just as important as knowing how to fight, if not more so. Fight with a clear mind..."

He was right. Even if I wasn't a guardian fighting alongside of him, Dimitri had still taught me all the lessons I had needed to fight as a member of the Dhampir Council. Because of him, I was able to fight for Dimitri and others like him.

"It makes me wonder though..." I drifted off, noticing how much closer we had gotten by this point, "what other lessons you have to teach me."

The smile he gave this time was less humorous, though just as playful, than his earlier one. Unfortunately it disappeared pretty quickly, getting lost as he kissed up the column of my neck. By the time he reached my ear, he was practically purring and his accent was so thick and sweet, it felt like honey.

"Oh, so many more, Roza. So, so many more."

Author's Note

A few big bombshells from Rose and the council! I hope you enjoyed my/Rose's choices for the Dhampir council members and their first steps to making the Vampiric world a little bit better. What other things would you hope to see from them in the future? What about our favorite couple?

HOWEVER...That's it folks! We'll have an epilogue just to ensure a happily ever after for everyone but otherwise we are closing the final pages on Meet Me in the Memory. Can you believe it? This is my very first AU (or universe alternative, as some are now calling these canon compliant but story divergent plots) and I want to give all of you a big THANK YOU hug for following along on this journey.

If you haven't done so already, please be sure to follow and favorite the story AND me as an author to be notified of more of my upcoming stories. I will be restarting Shadow Kiss DPOV as soon as I post the Epilogue to this story. I'm itching to write that series again and I know you guys are itching to read it :)

On a personal note, my son's surgery went fine and he is recovering well. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. Thank you again for reading, reviewing, sharing, favoriting, and following. You guys are my biggest supporters and I always appreciate all the kind words you share with me. You are welcome to follow me over on tumblr at gigi256 and message me anytime!