Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or anything surrounding it (but I do own this plot :D)

DPOV

"'The Shadow Kiss Inn'?" Alberta had immediately got to work on the subject matter of finding me a temporary office and I had to say, the result wasn't fantastic.

"It is quiet, under-rated – you will not be disturbed – and, it is right in the centre of all the major pitch sites so is also convenient. They also have good chips." She stated and I just cocked and eyebrow. "Look it is either this or working with Nathan."

"Are you trying to bribe me?" I questioned and she just sighed.

"Think about it; the address is on your desk." She called back whilst vacating the room. I rolled my eyes and picked up the little scrap of paper with the address as began to twiddle it in my hands.

It wasn't rare that Alberta went out of her way to be nice to me. It wasn't out of attraction or affection; it was much more nauseating than that: pity. Though she would never admit it, she pitied me greatly. I had put up many walls to block people out but somehow she wormed her way through just enough to see I was unhappy.

I was unhappy with my life. Not just what I did but why I did it; it was like a never ending cycle of misery for me and Alberta, being the blessed soul she was, pitied that and believed that there was still some hope for me yet.

She was basically my mother.

I had often wondered whether my dear sweet mother had, in fact, sent Alberta to me to keep me alive and in check but it was very unlikely. My mother was too kind for an act so devious.

The scrappy and crumbled bit of paper that I held in my hand began to tempt me again. The Shadow Kiss Inn. I had never heard of the place and yet I was curious. Something about the name drew me to it. What I could possibly find in a run-down old pub was beyond me but Alberta had made some decent enough points about it being quiet.

Making my mind up, I shut down my computer and slipped into my duster. When I was little I had always wanted to be a cowboy: the job seemed so appealing to me and I used to always play cowboys and Indians with my best friend Ivan but a lot had changed since then. Why I kept the duster? I honestly did not know. Perhaps I wanted to be that young again, when I was happy and innocent, but I knew those days were long gone. There was no hope for me anymore.

Shaking my head of the self-pitying thoughts, I gathered the files together and made to leave my office. Alberta caught my eye as I was vacating and gave a soft smile. I nearly returned the gesture but then thought better of it and left without so much as a nod of acknowledgement.

Alberta wasn't lying when she said it was quiet. I felt like a fish out of water when I pulled up in my beloved white Jag F-Type Coupe to what appeared to be a building about to fall down. Taking a deep breath, I wandered into the pub and gazed around the lonely site in front of me. Sighing again, I wandered over to one of the tables with my paperwork in arm.

I had not sat down for but a minute when my reading was interrupted. "Hello my name is Rose, I will be your waitress-"The harmonic voice caught at the end which made me glace questionably at the owner.

Big mistake.

I am not usually one to gawk at the sight of a pretty girl but my God. She was quite short, around 5"6", but her build was curvy, her skin lightly tanned, her eyes a swirling sea of brown and her hair… It was a dark brown waterfall that fell to the base of her ribs and held within it a slight wave which only added to its beauty.

I barely managed to stop the gasp escaping my mouth so trying to prevent my eyes widening was a futile cause. Pull yourself together Belikov! I inwardly yelled at myself, causing me to quickly mask my moment of vulnerability. Clenching my jaw, I went back to looking at the finances which had suddenly lost a lot of their interest.

I continued to mentally slap myself when she spoke again. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, rather impatiently. The fact that I was in a bad mood from Nathan and that I was now having a mental war with myself made me more irritable than normal and that was, unfortunately, unfortunate for the young girl.

"Let me make this clear, Rose, was it?" I snapped, locking my eyes with her fiery glare. "I am currently in a very bad mood and will be for the next couple of months. I am working on something very important and will be coming in here on a daily basis as my office is simply not an option. I would kindly ask you to be as quite and as least annoying as you can manage. If that is at all possible." I saw her grit her teeth and try to hold back a number of uncomplimentary things which made me wonder if perhaps I had been a little too harsh. I slapped myself again, when have you ever cared about how you come across? To anyone? Ever?

I saw the girl compose herself and smile sourly at me. "Just water then." She sneered and turned before I could say anything. Whatever interest, and minimal as it was, I had in the finances now vanished as I continued to watch the girl storm into the back room, undoubtedly to bitch about me to her friends. Though I knew this was inevitable, and typical teenage girl behaviour, I could not help but be mesmerised by her: her fire, her passion, her defiance. I had never been rejected by any girl I have ever come across, in fact, they swooned to do as I pleased, but this Rose saw straight through my 'attractive' outer exterior and downright sneered when she saw inside. After recovering from the initial shock, I felt something that I never thought I would feel again.

I felt grateful.

My feelings on gratitude were abruptly cut off by the piercing sound of my phone. Shaking my head clean of conflicting emotions, I pulled the device from where it rested in my duster. My face fell into a frown as the number was not one I recognised. I answered sceptically whilst still wearing the frown.

"Belikov." I kept my voice firm and void of confusion.

"Oh nice to speak to you to!" A female voice, that vaguely rang some bells, giggled.

"Who is this?" I asked, more bluntly than intended.

"Oh Dimka, don't you remember?" The voice teased. "After all it was you that gave me your number…"

"Who is this?"I repeated, getting a little more irritated by this woman's flirtatious aura, and by the fact that I had foolishly given her my number. I had to have been drunk.

"Dimka," she sang again, "It's me, Tasha."