~ Epilogue ~ 4 Months Later ~

~ ROSE ~

My back hit the padded mat with a dull thud, a heavy weight landing on top of me moments later and pinning me in place as I struggled to move. I tried in vain to breathe, but nearly 250 pounds of pure muscle made it nearly impossible. I didn't mind one bit though, because a moment later, that same weight was gently brushing feather-light kisses up the column of my throat.

"You need to focus, Roza. You left your left side weak again and I was able to exploit it when you were distracted."

I shifted as much as he would allow under my current predicament, offering him a horrendous imitation of his trademark smirk. "Easier said than done, Comrade." Just to punctuate my complaint, I planted the soles of my feet on the ground and forced my hips up and into his, pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn't the only one...distracted.

Dimitri didn't bother replying to my antics this time, simply allowing himself an animalistic growl before capturing my earlobe between his teeth for a moment. I let out a laugh, not quite ready to voice the thought that had been floating through my mind the past few days about taming my own personal Siberian Tiger. He didn't miss the opportunity to capture my lips though, snatching them in a kiss and dissolving any lingering thoughts of training and propriety from my mind. I don't know if we were making up for all those missed moments from the academy, but I certainly could get used to this.

Well, until a bucket of cold water in the form of a third person's chuckle sounded from the other side of the gym. Dimitri and I sprang apart as fast as we ever had, further implicating ourselves with him adjusting his top and me fixing my hair. I guess old habits die hard, though in our defense, this was the first time we had ever been caught.

"Well, I'm starting to see why I keep beating her in practice." Ambrose pushed off the doorway, laughing at his own joke and the still frazzled look on our faces. "Granted, he uses a much different training tactic with me, Rose, not that I would mind that either. It certainly looks quite fun, even if it isn't nearly as productive."

Finally catching sense of myself, I stalked over to Ambrose and smacked him on the arm. "Don't you scare me like that!" To his credit, he at least pretended to wince, even if he did so while laughing. Poor Dimitri tried to act nonchalant about the situation, but I think Ambrose's training suggestion had him slightly flustered.

Poor guy. I'd have to remember that for the future.

"Anyways, I wasn't coming to interrupt anything, but unfortunately Miss Chairwoman, you have a meeting in less than thirty minutes. I'm heading that direction now and thought I'd grab you on the way."

I glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed. I hadn't forgotten the meeting, there was no way that I could. It was the first public meeting that we were holding since the introduction of the dhampir council and we were expecting another full house. I was grateful that my training session with Dimitri had accomplished its goal – distraction from my nerves – but I couldn't afford to be late. Not today.

"Dang. Thanks, Ambrose. I owe you one. Give me ten minutes to get cleaned up and we'll head out." I was already rushing towards the locker room before he could reply.

I had only resumed my training about a month ago, but I had to admit that it felt good to be back in the gym, working towards a goal. I wasn't planning on becoming a guardian – especially since it was practically impossible in my current position as chairwoman of the Dhampir Council – but after discussing the matter with Dimitri and a few other advisers I trusted, I decided that there was little downside to actually finishing my guardian training and receiving my promise mark. Ambrose even decided to practice and train with me on occasion, and while it was odd at first to find non-guardians in the guardian gym, we were now often welcomed and treated as equals there.

I exited a few minutes later in a black pencil skirt, white blouse, black blazer, and flats that would be exchanged for heels as soon as we finished the quick jog to the Council Chambers. Of course my damp hair was up in a high bun, hiding the evidence of my recent training session slash quick shower as much as showing off my credentials. I almost had to laugh the first time I took a look at my typical work uniform and how I had just barely missed the mark on the standard "guardian black and whites" that I had always expected to wear growing up. I did laugh when Dimitri insisted that he enjoyed this version better, even when I argued that I couldn't fight in a skirt. He promised to stay close enough that I would never need to.

Ambrose and Dimitri were chatting away pleasantly, apparently all awkwardness from Ambrose's earlier (and more than likely, intentional) flirtation forgotten, or at least forgiven.

"Sorry to break up the party, boys, but we need to go or we're gonna miss our cue. Dimitri, are we still planning on dinner tonight? It's gonna be a late one. I understand if..."

"Rose." Dimitri's eyes softened sympathetically at my unspoken apology. It was his night off, and we usually had a standing date night for those nights, but there wasn't anything I could do about this and he knew it. "It's okay. I promise. I'll see you when you get back."

"Got your key?"

His smile was almost as bright as mine when I asked the question, nodding and gesturing vaguely towards his gym bag. I had given him a key to my place about a month ago and he was very happy to be making use of it ever since. "Yeah. I'll finish up here and head over right after. Should I just order a pizza or do you want me to make something?"

So this is what domestic bliss feels like. I reached up on my toes, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Pizza sounds great."

Without another moment to spare, Ambrose and I were on our way out the door to once again make history. "So, when are you going to ask him?"

"Ask him what?"

"To move in with you, officially." Ambrose gave me the same raised eyebrow that Dimitri did on occasion, albeit with very different results. Despite the fact that Ambrose was technically a few months younger than Dimitri, he felt like an older brother to me and often teased me like the younger sister he never had growing up.

"Who said I was going to?" I palmed my key ring in my pocket, fingering my condo key that matched the same one I knew Dimitri had on his own key ring. "I only gave him a key to the place as few weeks ago. I only moved in a month before that! We're supposed to be taking things slow."

Ambrose nodded dramatically, not believing a word of my false justification I said any more than I did, despite how much I wanted it to make me feel better. "Can you honestly tell me he has spent one night back at his place since you gave him that key? Work doesn't count."

I didn't have to answer, because Ambrose already knew just by the way I avoided looking at him. My new home was even closer to the guardian headquarter than Lissa and Christian's, so after checking in after patrols, it was easier for Dimitri to crash at my place than walk all the way back to his bed. He'd usually call or text Eddie to make sure that things were okay back there, just because he was so dedicated to his charges, but there was little chance of danger in a warded area like Court. If there was a break in security, we both knew he could be back to Lissa's in less than three minutes at a full run. I'd be right beside him the whole way.

"So what's the hold up? Commitment-phobia? 'Cause I'm pretty sure he's ready to drop down on one knee for you here soon."

I stopped, literally shocked still at the thought of marriage. Ambrose did nothing to help with the matter, laughing at my reaction before pulling me forward again.

"Oh don't worry. He knows you aren't ready for that, at least not yet. Just giving you a bit of warning that he intends to put a ring on it. Between me, Lissa, and Adrian, we'll make sure you get something pretty killer."

"Oh God." I wasn't sure if I was more worried now about the thought of marriage, or the thought of Adrian, Ambrose, and Lissa making lasting fashion choices for me. I trusted Dimitri's practical simplicity more than anything else.

Thankfully, we were now in sight of another member of the aforementioned trio, and she was absolutely glowing. I wrapped her in a welcoming hug before resting my hand on her lower belly, one of the very few with permission to do so freely.

"Liss! How are you and the latest Dragomir heirs?"

A few weeks after their botched reception and canceled honeymoon plans, Liss and Christian were finally able to take their romantic getaway. Of course, they came back with a little extra baggage. Last week, in what we thought would be a routine check of mommy and baby, we found out there were actually two babies in there, rather than just one, effectively tripling the Dragomir line in one day.

"Good, I managed to keep down a decent portion of lunch today. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow morning."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I asked Christian to come, since you came last week. Is that okay?"

"Totally. I just didn't want you to feel like you have to go alone." We looked over at Eddie, laughing at the ludicrous statement since she was literally never alone now and by royal decree couldn't be until these children were born. There was always at least one guardian by her side at all times, even in a warded area. Only the Queen had more intense security detail at this point.

"And how's Marie? Is she starting classes at the University yet?"

"Yep! They start this week. She's a bit nervous about her new roommate, but she's excited about some of the social work classes. Honestly, I probably could use a couple of those classes with this job. Social Welfare Policy and Human Behavior in a Social Environment? That could only be beneficial."

Lissa huffed, looking over to some of the other members of the various council members. "Not just to you, hun. Many of us could use it." She stepped a little closer, under the guise of fixing my blouse and necklace to lay properly while whispering so we wouldn't be overheard by anyone. "But speaking of, what about you? Are you ready?"

I gnawed at my lip, questioning myself for the first time all day, but pushing the thought away before it could take hold and fester.

"Yes," I assured us both. "I'm ready."

Oh God. Unnnggghhhh...Fuuuuck.

I tried desperately to keep myself from banging my head against the wooden desktop over and over again, knowing full well that someone would complain about the noise and I would certainly be getting some disapproving glares from my coworkers for a week, if not a month. Lord knows there was already enough rumors about me, but...

Oh.

My.

God.

If I didn't get out of here soon, I was going to burst.

"Prince Ivashkov, I really don't see how we can cut funding any more in this department. We've already approved a 10% decrease in these areas for the time being until we can find another source of financial income to support the cause. I say we table the discussion for now and move on to another matter. We have one last proposal before the close of the meeting and I believe that everyone would like to call it a night before the sun rises."

Thank heavens.

"Chairwoman Rosemarie Hathaway, the floor is yours."

I took a few seconds to pull myself together again while the room turned towards me, tucking a stray hair behind my ear and smoothing my skirt over my thighs before standing to take my place center stage at the microphone. My thumb flicked over the curled left corner of my stack of note cards, slightly damp from the repeated study sessions for this very moment, but with a final breath, I knew I didn't need them. Instead, I looked at the audience before me.

"Four months ago, the Dhampir Council was formed with the hopes of bringing a balance between Moroi and Dhampirs. We are symbiotic, working with one another to create the best for both of us together. Yes, there had been difficulties in the past and we are by no means perfect, but our goal is to focus on our future potential rather than dwelling on past mistakes.

"The only reason we should look to the past is to learn from it, so that we can move forward. And we have moved forward. Already we are seeing more guardians returning from duty with less injury. We've even seen an increase in satisfaction from both guardian and unpromised dhampirs living both within and beyond Court as far as how they are represented in government and whether or not their voices are likely to be heard. That is all within a short four months.

"Imagine what we might find within the next four years? What about the next ten years? We project that we might see a lower mortality rate for guardians, a higher lifespan for both promised and unpromised dhampirs, more female guardians, more non-guardian career opportunities for dhampirs, higher graduation rates, and even a larger overall population increase for not just dhampirs, but for Moroi as well."

I paused for just a moment to take a breath, but the crowd jumped on the opportunity, breaking into cheers at the prospect. I silently surveyed the crowd, waiting for them to quiet before I spoke to them again. "None of this can happen though, if we don't all work together. We've seen this before, we've learned this from our past. Now is the time to make the changes necessary so that we can make this bright future a reality."

In one quick movement, I turned, facing away from the crowd and toward my peers on the stand. I knew I had the crowd with me on this, what I needed was those who could approve a drastic change that I hadn't even consulted Tatiana about before this moment. If anything was going to cut my political career short...this was it.

"Queen Tatiana. Council members. I hereby propose the following: the creation of a new council for the representation of the non-royal Moroi people, elected by the non-royal population, to be a voice for them and their causes from hence forth."

If there were cheers before, I was backed by a near deafening roar now. It easy to tell that I had the near full support of the crowd, and anyone who didn't agree with me was being drowned out completely. The Dhampir Council was giving me a standing ovation, obviously in agreement with the measure already, even without the vote. I wasn't too surprised at that since I had consulted a few of them on the idea and my mother, Hans, and I had been the ones to request the public meeting. Several members of the Royal Council have followed suit. Queen Tatiana seemed to be pleased with the proposal, though she showed it in a much more quiet and dignified manner that was appropriate with her position. I'm sure there would be proper protocol of debating the merits of a Non-Royal Moroi Council, but it was already easy to see that not agreeing with the measure, especially at this public meeting, would be a very bad political choice.

My only regret about the fact that the measure would pass was that we would have to remodel this Council Room again for the second time in two months.

I had no desire to hang around the Council's Private Chambers any longer than absolutely necessary, so after the obligatory congratulatory handshakes and comments, I was ready to make my way home as quickly as possible. Not only did I have a handsome Russian waiting, but I was pretty sure he had a hot slice of pepperoni pizza with my name on it too. Honestly, what more could a girl ask for these days?

So imagine my surprise when I opened the chamber doors and ran directly into the broad chest of a brick wall.

"Woah, steady there, Roza."

"What are you doing here, Comrade? You didn't have to come tonight. You could have waited at my place. Certainly Netflix or – and I can't believe I'm saying this – a book, had to be more interesting than a majority of this meeting."

"You really think I was going to sit at home all night? I came to support my girlfriend as she made history, yet again." He tapped a pocket of his duster, revealing a small rectangle inside, "Plus, a book is portable for when the rest got dull."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was probably more interested in the proceedings of the meeting that I was, even though it was literally my job to pay attention to these things. It was easier said than done though, and the random doodles on my meeting agenda were a sure sign of that.

"So, since you came, what did you think?" I threw my bag over my shoulder, taking only a moment to secure it before inserting myself into my spot underneath Dimitri's left arm, my own right arm slipped around his waist and my hand slipped into his back pocket. He planted a quick kiss of approval to my brow before answering.

"I think that I am constantly in awe of you, and you will never cease to surprise me."

I waited for him to continue, as he was usually one for long and winding statements and was actually surprised by the short concise summery. "That's it?"

"No."

"No?"

"I also love you."

The sentiment brought a smile to my face and a flutter to my heart. I didn't question it for a moment, knowing that he wouldn't say something like this just to appease me or anything like that. Still, Dimitri paused, pressing me closer to him and holding me tight like he would when he was still afraid I would disappear like some dream.

"I love you, Roza, more than anything." I didn't have time to reply before his lips were on mine, gently at first but with a heat behind them that begged for something more. The stubble of his jaw burned against my cheek as his kiss wound up to my ear. "Let's go home."

"Quickly."

I could feel his smile quirk up against the shell of my ear, discarding any worries about seeming 'unmanly' among his peers before taking my bag, tossing it over his own shoulder and guiding me back to my place at least twice as fast as before.

The sun was just cresting over the mountain ridge as we made it up to my floor and into my apartment. His key was in his hand before I could even ask for my purse back, and I had to smirk that he was so eager to get us back to the privacy of closed doors. Dimitri tended to be fairly reserved, but he also tended to very motivated when he set his mind to something and right now it seemed like his mind was set on getting me out of this skirt and onto the nearest horizontal surface.

Thankfully, the lock released without any issue and the moment after I heard my bag drop, I felt my feet leave the floor as Dimitri picked me up in his arms, kicking the door close behind us. He was already working his lips up and down every inch of exposed flesh between my jaw and collarbone, making my heart race more and more with every footstep closer to my bedroom.

My condo wasn't much, at least not compared to some of the council members'. I had no interest in mansions or showing off my new salary with anything flashy. However, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a working kitchen, and a large enough entertaining area for my friends to enjoy when they came over was perfect. Perhaps the biggest purchase I made was the large king size bed I was now falling backwards onto, and let's just say that I wasn't the one who really needed all that room.

Dimitri's duster fell off his shoulders and I watched as he pulled his black shirt over his head. A shiver ran through my spine as my eyes traced the contours of his pecs and abs. I'd never get over the sight of him naked, even if it was a fairly recent re-development in our relationship again.

As his hands began to work his belt buckle, my own began to undo the annoying amount of buttons that every single one of my more council-appropriate shirts seemed to require. There did seem to be a limit to the zen-master's patience though, because his hands were on the hem of my skirt, pulling it down my legs before the my last button was free, only to make his way back up my calves and thighs with his hands.

"I've been waiting for this all day."

"I couldn't tell," I replied with a laugh, half at his eagerness and half at the sensation of his tongue against the skin of my stomach.

Dimitri paused in his ministrations just long enough to peek up at me. "We can stop if you'd rather go to bed." He started to pull away before I grabbed at his neck, pulling his lips towards mine roughly.

"Don't you dare. I'll tie you to this bed if I have to." Dimitri knew me well enough to take my threat literally. Even though he was more than strong enough to fight me on the matter, I would put up one hell of a struggle to keep him in the bed tonight. With a small laugh of his own, his lips met mine again and my fingers wound through his hair, knotting us together as our bodies began to shift more and more towards the center of the bed.

One by one, the last articles of clothing came off until the only thing covering my nakedness was my long hair and his hands. Poor Dimitri was left completely bare; my fingers too busy gripping his biceps to steady myself while his long fingers traced my inner folds. I knew he was trying to prolong my torture, but I still wriggled in a vain attempt to feel one of those fingertips breach the barrier. Instead, he moved upwards, circling my clit and causing me to cry out in both pleasure and frustration.

"Shhh," He hushed, not even attempting to hide his pleased amusement. "I want you ready for me tonight, Roza. Whatever it takes. I need you wet, practically begging for me."

There was something in Dimitri's voice that caught my attention, even through my blissed delirium. Dimitri was one to always put my pleasure above his own, always sure to focus on my needs in bed. Tonight was no different. Nor was he one to shy away from flirtation or even some light dirty talk as long as we were alone. However, there was something different in his tone that made me wonder – perhaps even eager – about what he would say next.

"Because once you come for me, Roza," he said, pressing gently on my sensitive bundle of nerves for emphasis and holding me close as I whimpered in response, "I'm going to make you mine. I'm going to make sure you never want for another man as long as you live. Do you understand?"

His eyes focused on mine, dark and deep, and I was brought back to the many moments I had found myself in them. They had always provided me with a sense of security and hope, offering me a place to call home even when I had felt lost otherwise. Perhaps to another girl, another couple, Dimitri's words might have seemed domineering and controlling. Perhaps the way I shifted underneath him might have seemed submissive. Perhaps to an outside perspective, that would be the best way to describe our relationship, but I knew that Dimitri and I never would. We were partners. We always had been and we always would be. Even at the academy. He had been my mentor and I was his student, but he had always treated me as his equal. We were still equals now.

Dimitri's finger brushed my lip, and my tongue darted out to meet it. I could taste myself lingering on his fingertips, and the sensation caused me to tremble as I watched his pupils grow ever larger. "Do you understand?" He repeated.

I nodded, unable to speak.

"Good girl."

My head fell back against the support of his embrace as his hand quickly maneuvered its way down, disappearing between my breasts almost as quickly as it reappeared between my legs. Two fingers plunged into my depths, his thumb both simultaneously grounding my body to the bed and sending my mind soaring with the way he teased my bud relentlessly.

His lips lathered kisses on me, somewhat sloppy with the way his face was buried in my neck and how focused he was elsewhere at the moment. Not that I was complaining. I couldn't really say I was much better myself. I clung to any part of him I could, relishing in the low, satisfied grunts he made when my nails dug into his skin.

Dimitri wasn't the loud one in this relationship. I was. His own pleasure seemed to feed on my noise and the first time I bit my lip to suppress it, he did everything in his power to make sure that it was a completely useless endeavor. Now, with every rhythmic pump of his thick fingers, my moans became whimpers, and those whimpers became all out screams of delight as my first rush of orgasmic euphoria overcame me.

I eventually caught my breath, still wrapped in Dimitri's embrace, one of his large hands rubbing my lower back and the other gently stroking my hair as he peppered gentle kissed across my forehead. I could still feel my body quake with the occasional aftershock but there was no way Dimitri would rush me before I was ready for him, despite his own urgency pressing against my abdomen.

Good news for him, I was tired of waiting. Perhaps I had finally caught him by surprise, but I managed to flip him over with no issue. I almost had him straddled too, but there is one issue when you go against a fully trained guardian who has quite a few years on you: he tends to be able to beat you at grappling. No matter how hard I fought – and honestly, it wasn't all that hard – he had me on my hands and knees, kneeling behind me only seconds later.

"You're still keeping that left side weak, Roza," he whispered lowly in my ear, as if this was nothing more than just a simple training session.

"In my defense, I was distracted." I pressed my ass against his shaft in retaliation, cause us both to let out a low moan at the contact. My hand steadied myself against the headboard while his gripped my hip tighter, refusing to let me move away again.

Dimitri's face was a breath away from mine as I glanced over my shoulder, a splendid gift of his extra height. Despite all his talk of 'begging' and 'making me his' there was nothing but pure love in his eyes when he looked at me. Dimitri didn't need to do anything to mark his territory when it came to me, we didn't need to do anything to prove that I was his or he was mine. It was in the way he said my name or the way I smiled at him. The way we looked at one another across the room said everything that anyone ever needed to know. It was the way he was looking at me now.

"I love you, Roza. Always."

A quick shift of his hips, one last look of question, and a smile of agreement from me and that was all it took. His eyes never left mine as I felt him slip inside me, my back arching to feel ever single inch of him. He studied me so intently during sex, gauging every facial expression and movement and reacting to everything; only instead of following with blocks or counter attacks, he would use caresses and kisses, whatever it took to please me.

I matched his stare as long as I could, allowing us to fall into an unusually strong intimacy, even for us, until the sensation of his thrusts were too much for me to handle. My eyes began to roll back, my head dipping down, even my arms began to feel weak and shaky.

Somehow, Dimitri seemed only more empowered, my undoing making him bolder. His trusts became faster, deeper, stronger. His accent became more thick to the point where it hardly mattered if he was speaking English at this point.

"Let go, my love. Let go and let me hear you."

I would have broken right then, even if he hadn't requested it. My body was simply overwhelmed by the sensation of him moving within me. The only ways I was even remaining somewhat upright at the moment was because I was holding onto the headboard and thank God the wall wasn't shared by any of my neighbors or I knew I would have complaints.

My mumbled curses became desperate cries, my body clenching around his as he pressed me close in one final thrust, only releasing me as we both came crashing down from our respective highs. His body cradled mine, protecting me as we collapsed onto the bed weak in exhaustion, but feeling completely safe in one another's arms.

I relished in the feeling of Dimitri's hands brushing over the contours of my hips, breasts, arms, and waist, not content to let his fingers rest on one patch of skin too long. All the while, his hot breath danced against my neck in whispered declarations of love. It seemed to be a habit of his, almost unconscious now, to whisper little nothings in Russian as he held me post-orgasm. I still couldn't understand most of what he said, but I did understand one common phrase.

"Ya tebya lyub-lyu," I repeated his words back, slowly and broken, surely messing the pronunciation up, but hopefully making myself clear enough to be understood.

Dimitri's hand stopped suddenly at my rib cage, seemingly surprised at my first attempt as his native tongue. A second later he let out a small laugh and pulled me closer, flipping me over to so that I could face him, and more importantly, so he could kiss me properly.

"Ya budu vsegda lyubIt tebya, Roza" He replied, mimicking my earlier words. "I'll always love you. Always and forever."

I didn't doubt his love for a moment. Dimitri's capacity to love was greater than anyone else I had ever known. Not only me, but also for his family. Many young dhampir men were forced to leave their families behind and never look back. Dimitri did his best to keep in touch with his, sending a portion of his paycheck each month, even now, to make sure they were well supported. He called when he could, wrote letters, even sent pictures. They knew about me, and I was very familiar with them by now.

I had been keeping a secret from him though.

"Dimitri, do you think you could get a week or so off at the end of the month?"

His brows furrowed for a moment before looking at me seriously. "Most likely. It's been a while since I've requested any time, but why?"

"We're going to be launching the first mobile clinic soon, and they've asked me to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony. I'd like you to come with me and I thought we could stay a little while after all the official stuff is over."

I could see the confusion in his eyes, and I didn't blame him. These clinics were meant to travel to small areas that weren't known to be tourist destinations by any means.

"Of course Rose, but where would we be going exactly?"

I propped myself up on my elbow, wanting the best view possible of his reaction to my next words. "Baia."

The look of hopeful surprise was worth the secrecy. "You're joking."

I shook my head, laughing. "I've already talked to Lissa, and your mother. As long as you want to go, we're ready to leave at the end of the month."

He seemed stunned for a moment, but his words came back in a rush. "Of – of course I want to go. I haven't seen my family for about five years now. And I can't wait to introduce you to everyone, properly I mean." Dimitri almost seemed childlike in his planning, talking about how he couldn't wait to show me the places he enjoyed as a child or the food his mother used to make.

The way he spoke about his family made my heart both soar and ache at the same time. It was such a large part of who he was, these memories and moments. They made him the loving, gentle, passionate man who was willing to defend the ones he cared about. But it was also a stark reminder of what I had been missing in my childhood. I had survived and turned out well, but there was no doubt that my youth had its moments of loneliness.

That loneliness didn't have to linger though.

I tucked myself back into his arms, enjoyed the warmth of his body as he wrapped the blankets around us to cover our still naked bodies.

"Stay with me."

He chuckled a bit, pulling me closer and getting more comfortable to fall asleep. "I'm not going anywhere tonight."

"No, not tonight, Dimitri. Stay with me. Move in. Don't leave." I couldn't get Ambrose's suggestion from earlier out of mind, but he was right. What was I waiting for? "I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you. I know it would probably make things harder for you, and for Eddie, and probably for Lissa and Christian too. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I -"

"Shhhh, Roza." His gentle voice stopped my nervous rambling, his fingers brushing my hair and soothing the wild tangles as much as my wildly beating heart. "I'd love to."

"But what about -"

"Don't worry about it," he assured me, cutting off my concern about his other house mates. "I've already spoken to them."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "When? I literally just asked you."

"The day after you gave me your key," he admitted, with only a little bit of shame. "Let's just say I was hopeful. Plus, with me spending more nights here than in my own bed, certain arrangements needed to be made."

I couldn't help but laugh, mostly that I had been so worried about something that had basically been taken care of weeks ago. When he joined in, I hid my face in his shoulder and he wouldn't allow it, forcing me to look him in the eye.

"So a trip to meet me family and I'm moving in with you..." He trailed off with a lazy smile.

"Mm-Hmm" I agreed, wondering where he was going with this, all while succumbing to the pull of sleep.

"Should I just propose to you right now?"

My head popped up, suddenly not quite so sleepy. "Don't you dare!"

With a hearty laugh, he pulled me back to his chest. "Tomorrow then."

And tomorrow, a million tomorrows even, seem like a wonderful idea as long as I had Dimitri by my side to enjoy them with.

Author's Note

That's it! This is the end my friends. Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy journey and putting up with insane schedules, unexpected delays, and everything else life through my way. I hope it was all worth it in the end and that I was able to deliver the satisfying conclusion to Romitri's tale that you were all hoping for.

I know many of you are wondering/hoping for a possible sequel (I've already had a couple of questions about it) so I'll let you know now that I have left the door open to the possibility to another story in this universe, and I've already developed some head canon for what could happen next, but I wont be starting anything until I finish the DPOV series. I think everyone, including myself, is ready for me to dive back into that world head first again. My hope is for the next chapter of SK to be posted next week :)

In the mean time, I would love to hear what you enjoyed about my first foray into the AU world. Would you like to see more AU stories from me? I do have more in mind, and I would love to write them in the future, but I think life has shown me that my limit is one story at a time lol.

Once again, thank you to Raissa, my ever patient beta. She is the reason this story even exists people! She was the one checking in on me on a DAILY basis to make sure I was still living, still writing, and making sure whatever I was typing up was somewhat legible. Please give her a round of applause because she reads ever single one of your reviews and deserves every ounce of your praise.

And a big thank you to every single one of you who stuck by me. Many of you have been here since the beginning, reading and reviewing every single chapter. I can't tell you how much that means to me. Even if you didn't have the chance to review every chapter, if you have read every chapter and are reading this now, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I started writing because I needed an outlet. I never expected to find people who actually read (much less enjoyed) what I put out there.

If you haven't had the chance to yet, please take a moment to favorite this story. I'd also be honored if you followed and favorited me as an author if you liked my work so you can keep tabs on my stories. You can also review this story or share it with your friends. Thank you again for all your support and I can't wait to start our next journey together!

-Andrea