Hello, lovelies!

This chapter has some wonderful smut at the beginning. Enjoy!

My fingers curled around Dimitri's, his calloused skin pressed tightly against mine, and he never let go. The smell of pine filled my senses, and I breathed deeply. It was a common scent, but now I strictly related it to Dimitri; that and the smell of leather from his duster. Warmth radiated off of him; I was grateful that the nights began to cool again. I looked forward to winter just because he would be the perfect heater to keep me warm.

I didn't want to be in the oversized clothes for much longer and stripped as soon as Dimitri closed his bedroom door. His bed was as comfy as it looked; the mattress felt like clouds as I climbed onto it. I dropped onto my stomach and claimed one of his pillows as my own, sighing as I relaxed.

Warm fingers were feather-light as they trailed up the back of my leg and then over the swell of my hips. I could feel his gaze on me. The bed dipped beside me; moments later, I felt lips brush my shoulder.

"You're beautiful," Dimitri admired, fingers tracing patterns on my back.

I hummed; still in a happy bubble from the alcohol. "Are you going to join me or just stare at me?"

"I can think of something else I would rather do. But you need sleep."

I peered at him with a frown. "You can't say that and not do it." I rolled over onto my back and eased my thighs apart, an intense look in my eyes. "What do you want to do to me, Dimitri?"

Dimitri was still wearing clothes, but at my question, he slipped his shirt over his head and began to unbutton his jeans. His eyes burned with passion—it lit a fire of need in me.

His jeans dropped to the ground, and he kicked them away, crawling onto the bed and settling between my thighs. I expected him to lay over me; instead, he shifted down and leaned forward—face hovering between my legs. Deep brown eyes found mine, and I swallowed thickly.

"Tell me if it becomes too much," Dimitri instructed. When I didn't respond straight away, he nipped at my inner thigh and soothed it with his tongue. "Roza?"

My hips rolled on their own—a desperate plea for him to move his mouth closer. "I will," I promised with a soft moan when he kissed me in the same spot.

Hands slid up my thighs, long fingers caressing, and his thumbs brushed the apex of my thighs. I didn't know what he was planning, but I was happy to let him take control. Obviously, Dimitri had something in mind.

With no warning, a finger dragged down my folds; a gentle yet firm pressure that made me gasp. He continued to spread me slowly until he settled over my clit and circled it with the pad of his finger. "I love the sounds you make," he murmured, kisses peppered on my thighs and hip bones.

I whined when his finger moved away, but it became a sound of pleasure as he slid a finger into me. Dimitri buried his finger in me until his palm was against me, cupping me.

"So perfect."

"Dimitri," I simpered, rolling my hips again. Dimitri laid a hand over me and held me still.

"Don't move. Just let me take care of you."

He withdrew his finger and then pushed back in; the pace torturous. Dimitri took his time, not adding a second finger until I was wet and panting. I closed my eyes and did as he told me—I let him lead and enjoyed the ride. Each pump of his fingers sent sparks up my spine, and I would curl my toes when he hit the perfect spot.

I felt his moist breath fan over me before I felt his tongue. With deliberate strokes, he covered my clit with his mouth and moved at the same tempo as his fingers. I pulled my knees up and let them fall apart so I was completely exposed to him, writhing under him as he played my body like an instrument.

Moans were on the tip of my tongue, and I was aware enough that we weren't alone in the apartment, and covered my mouth with my hand. I felt Dimitri's smirk when I barely muffled the sound.

Dimitri increased his pace, thrusting his fingers into me and doubling his efforts with his tongue. He sucked and lapped at my clit, bringing me closer and closer to that edge. With one hand on my mouth, I tangled my fingers in his hair, tugging at the strands.

"Don't stop. Don't you dare stop," I whispered through my fingers and quickly bit my tongue when he added a third finger.

The heat in my stomach spread through my body, muscles clenching and shaking from the tension. I was like a rubber band ready to snap.

His fingers dug into my hips, pinning me to the bed as I chased my release.

It hit me suddenly. My eyes rolled back and my body bowed; pleasure shot through me, down to my toes and made them curl. I rode each wave and rolled my hips against Dimitri's face to draw it out. I was grateful I kept my hand over my mouth or I would have woken the whole apartment.

Tingles in my fingers made me shiver; I felt like I was floating, still on a high as Dimitri withdrew his fingers. He pressed one last kiss between my thighs before he sat up, a look of pride on his face. "How was that, Roza? Did I take care of you?"

I nodded like a bubble head, a blissed-out smile on my lips. "Please, always take care of me like that." I eased myself up on my elbows, gazing at him with a burning lust, "I can return the favour if you want. Or you could put it in me." My eyes travelled down to his boner straining against the material of his boxes. I licked my lips in anticipation; as good as his fingers felt, his cock was so much better.

Dimitri chuckled, the deep sound making me clench. "Not now, Roza." He leaned forward and kissed my pout. "You need to sleep."

"Why?" I whined and dropped my head back to the pillow dramatically, only to wince from a throb of pain. That's why. I forgot about my injuries.

The sheet under me was pulled down to my feet and then laid over me, tucked around my sides. "Sleep," Dimitri ordered with another kiss on my lips and my forehead.

It felt like I had just closed my eyes before a knock at the door woke me up. I groaned and buried my head under my pillow, Dimitri rubbed my shoulders and pulled the sheet up to cover me again. He hadn't slept, and when I peeked beside me, I found that novel I gifted him on the bed.

I heard Olena's voice, a fondness when she asked about me. They spoke in hushed tones, and I was too tired to attempt to listen. The bedroom door closed, and Dimitri's weight settled on the bed again, followed by his palm on my shoulder, long fingers stroking my skin. "Your parents are here."

"Tell them to come back later," I mumbled.

Dimitri chuckled. "Sonya is here as well. I think they are ready to give you the answers you want."

Fuck. Dimitri knew that would work on me. It was a struggle to force my eyes open and squint at the bright room. The curtains were still closed, but I wasn't ready to be awake. My mouth was dry, and I felt more pain than I had before going to sleep. The throbbing in my head had eased, but the rest of my body ached; Riley said I looked good for being in a car accident, but I didn't feel that way.

"Ow," I whined, gingerly sitting up and rubbing my back.

Dimitri shifted closer, uncovering me carefully. "Where does it hurt?"

I looked at him with a pout, "Everywhere."

He rubbed my back soothingly and kissed my forehead, "I'll get you some painkillers."

I glanced at my legs, skimming my fingers over the small cuts from the glass; they had healed to little scratches. The worst was my arm and head. My back hurt, and I suspected it was from being thrown onto the road. "You never told me that the bullets worked on Strigoi," I called from the bed.

Dimitri hummed, appearing from the bathroom with pills in hand and a glass of water. "We don't use them often because the bullets take a while to make. They are charmed silver bullets." He put the pills in my hand and passed me the cup; Dimitri returned to the bathroom to retrieve his first aid kit. I relaxed against his headboard and let him check me over.

"Charmed? Like the stakes?"

"Yes. A lot of work goes into it, so they are only for emergencies. Novices don't get them." Our eyes met, and I rolled mine.

I leaned forward as he pushed my hair aside to check the cut. The night before was definitely an emergency. If they hadn't shot them, the Strigoi would have taken me. "It doesn't kill them," I commented.

"No. But it will slow them down enough that you could get away." Dimitri huffed, "Or in your case, kill them both."

Once he finished checking my wounds and redressing them, Dimitri sat on the bed and cradled my face; eyes focused on mine as if he was searching for something. I covered his hands with my own. "What's up, comrade?"

His lips pursed, "You need to stop getting hurt." I laughed and brushed the butterfly bandage above his eyebrow.

"So do you."

Dimitri chuckled softly. "I'll get you some clothes."

Rather than grabbing from his wardrobe, Dimitri slipped into the hall and closed the door behind him. I settled on the bed with the sheet pulled up enough to cover from the waist down. Riley's bag sat on the floor beside me, and I pulled it up to go through it; I felt a craving for the chocolates she had thrown in.

I was nibbling on a piece when Dimitri returned with a bundle of clothes; he held them to me. "Janine brought some of your clothes with her." The corner of his mouth turned up, "As much as I love you in mine, these will be more comfortable."

I took them from him and placed a chocolate in his hand in exchange, climbing out of bed to dress. Dimitri eyed the bag and the contents I had laid out during my search; his hand hovered over it until he picked up the pregnancy test with a guarded expression.

"Rose, why do you have this?"

I laughed before biting my tongue at the look in his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was angry or hurt. "Riley brought it just in case, but I don't need one," I quickly assured him, "She assumed that was why I messaged her to come over."

Dimitri swallowed, eyes pinching, even as his shoulders relaxed slightly. "So…you haven't been with anyone else?"

I pulled back as if he slapped me. "Why would you think that?"

His expression shifted, going from confusion to realisation. "I didn't mean to accuse you. It's just…" Dimitri dropped the test and walked around the bed to stand in front of me, "You do know that dhampirs can't have children with other dhampirs, right?"

"What?"

"Genetically, we can't have children. It's part of why we have to protect the Moroi," he explained, "without them, we can't exist."

"Oh." I breathed. "Oh." I met Dimitri's eyes and punched him. "You thought I was sleeping with someone else?"

He winced; an apologetic look on his face, "I'm sorry. But when I saw the tests–" He sighed, "I'm sorry."

"So, we really can't have kids?" I asked.

"We can't."

I nodded, letting myself absorb that new information while I dressed. It didn't feel like a huge loss considering starting a family had never been on my mind, especially now with everything else. If anything, it was a relief. One extra thing I didn't need to worry about.

I had finished dressing when Dimitri's hand caught my elbow, and I tilted my head at him. His brow was furrowed, eyes not meeting mine as if he was nervous. "Rose, is that going to be an issue for us?"

"What do you mean?"

Dimitri licked his lips, finally meeting my gaze with his own, and I could tell he was anxious. "Do you still want to be together even if we can't have children?" I probably should have replied quicker, because his expression became distraught.

"Of course, I still want to be with you. Sure, it's a surprise, but it doesn't change my feelings." Just in case, I wrapped my arms around him and promised, "I love you, Dimitri. This doesn't change that." Suddenly, the pieces clicked, and things made more sense. "Is this why I don't see dhampir couples?"

"Partly," Dimitri replied and returned my hug. "There's always been a stigma around dhampir couples, though it isn't as bad as it used to be."

I peered up at him, asking tentatively, "Is that why my mom was pissed when she found out?"

His eyebrows knitted together. "I don't know. You could ask her if you want," Dimitri offered and pulled back with a small smile that looked more like a grimace.

"You're afraid of my parents, aren't you?"

"I would be an idiot not to be a bit hesitant," he admitted. "When they asked me to help find you, they seemed reluctant and were adamant that I wasn't meant to approach you." His hands dragged through his hair and his brow furrowed—it troubled him.

I squeezed Dimitri's arm, holding his eyes as I told him, "I'm glad you did. I'll never regret meeting you." While I didn't like everything involved in being part of this world, I would never want to live in ignorance again.

I rolled my shoulders and pulled at my shirt before pushing my hair from my face with a huff; I was ready to find out more answers, and piece together more of the puzzle that was my role in this prophecy. I could guess from what I did know so far that it had something to do with Janine being Strigoi. Now I just needed to know how I could stop it from happening.

They were all gathered around the table—once again, Olena's dining room became our meeting room. The atmosphere was thick with tension or maybe it was nerves. My eyes flicked from one face to another—Janine, Abe, Sonya, Mikhail, Yeva, Olena, and Alberta. Everyone was there; crowded around the table with a single seat for me.

Dimitri paused and backed away, but I took his hand in mine, shaking my head, "You are part of this too, comrade." That seemed to be enough for him to stay by my side, pulling the chair out for me and then standing behind it with his hand on my shoulder. It made my chest fill with warmth to have him so dedicated to supporting me.

All of the guardians in the room were people he respected, and I doubted he would consider arguing with them the way I did. But he never backed down when I needed him.

Sonya was still withdrawn, shoulders hunched and eyes cast down; she was attempting to make herself small and invisible. The only person she seemed comfortable with was Mikhail. He stared at her with a combination of joy and sorrow; it took a moment, but I realised I had seen that same look in my father's eyes when he would stare at my mother.

I wasn't ready to open that can of worms, so I looked to my side where Alberta sat—or more propped herself up with a crutch. "You should still be bed, you look like shit," I commented, eyeing the bandage on her head. Alberta just rolled her eyes at me and returned my pointed look.

"You don't look that good either," she retorted. "I'm not the one that got dragged out of a car."

"I'm not the one that almost died," I snarked, and the corner of her lip curled in humour.

"I'm not going down that easy, Rose." Alberta shifted in her seat, nodding her head towards Sonya. "Guess your plan worked in the end."

All eyes moved to Sonya and she shrunk further in her chair. I seriously doubted we were going to get anything from her.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" I asked even though I felt like I could burst from the questions spinning around my head.

Janine reached across the table and covered Sonya's hand, the pair sharing a look. They understood each other.

For some reason, that made me jealous.

"It's okay," Janine assured in a soft voice. "Just take your time."

Sonya nodded; an attempt at a smile aimed at me that fell flat. "I can do this. What would you like to know?"

My mouth opened and then closed. All of my questions suddenly weighed on me and I couldn't decide which was more important. Finally, I settled for, "Why me?" Sonya tilted her head at me, eyes squinted. I flushed and elaborated, "I just want to know, why, out of everyone, it's me that awakens Victor?"

Tension filled the room at the mention of his name, like invoking his name made him appear. Maybe it did in a way—he filled my head, those piercing green eyes smiling at me as he told me I would die.

"It had to be," Sonya replied timidly. "Isaiah explained it once—the curse on an Ancient can only be broken by the child of a Strigoi. The curse on Vi–Victor was an old magic—dark magic—and it needed something that could only be created by pure magic."

I sighed. Guess I was right in that assumption. I glanced at Janine, but couldn't hold her eyes for long. She looked so broken and I wondered if it was my fault.

"I never would have told them about you, but they awakened—turned. They turned me. Everything I knew was in the wrong hands."

I stilled in my seat, swallowing around the lump in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"Isaiah knew of the prophecy, but never who it was about. We all promised to never mention a word of it, but I did. They turned me and I told them everything. I told them where to find you." Sonya's whole body shook, her hands crept up and fingers twisted around strands of hair, yanking. She looked at me with pure anguish. "I wasn't meant to tell. I didn't—I didn't–"

Mikhail wrapped his arms around her, whispering soothing words to calm her as Janine untangled her hair. I didn't know what to say or do, so I just watched. It didn't take a leap to conclude that Sonya was who led them to discover me; Abe had been adamant that no one outside of a few people knew it was about me and yet it still got out.

"I don't blame you, Sonya," I promised, repeating it louder so she heard me over her laboured breath. When she did, she stilled and looked at me with eyes similar to a child that was in trouble. "It's not your fault," I continued. "You were turned against your will. Everything that happened—none of it was your fault."

Slowly, the pain in her eyes eased, they glistened under the lights with unshed tears. "I never wanted to…"

"I know."

"Isaiah was determined."

I licked my lips, easing forward in my chair and laying my hands on the table. I had to tread carefully with her. "How did Isaiah find me again?"

She pulled a face, "Your scent. Six months ago, we caught your scent and we knew you were here. We just didn't know where. Isaiah sent Strigoi to find you—made more every night just to find you—to catch you."

My scent. I knew I smelt good to Strigoi—told it on multiple occasions. My stomach twisted painfully at the knowledge people were killed in the search for me. Dimitri's hand squeezed my shoulder; those people turned must have been the ones that he was killing. "Why did so many of them try to kill me instead?" I asked. A question I had been wondering for a while.

"They didn't know who you were. Isaiah was secretive. Only a few know where he preserves Victor's body. He just wanted the numbers out there to more easily track you down. They–"

"Wait." I cut her off and stood from my chair, "Do you know where Victor's body is?"

Sonya's eyes widened; face ashen. "I…Yes."

The idea formed in my mind, and Dimitri was quick to catch on. His expression was uneasy when I looked back at him. "It would be incredibly dangerous," he warned.

"We still have hours of daylight. If we hit now, they won't expect it and we could end this before it even starts," I defended, hope coloured the tone of my voice. "If there isn't a lot of Strigoi that know where he is then there shouldn't be too many to fight."

Janine spoke up, eyebrows raised incredulously, "You want to storm into a Strigoi den?"

"Yes!" I replied, turning back to implore her. "Think about it—we hit in the middle of the day with guardians and Moroi. They wouldn't stand a chance."

"We should take the day to plan it–"

"No. We need to do it today. If we wait, they could disappear tonight."

I could see the moment I had Janine on board, her eyes lighting up and a sure nod of her head. My father was less inclined. "Kiz, this is too important to risk. You were attacked last night and are still healing—you all are. You need to wait."

"No, Rose is right," Janine defended, and I felt my stomach do flips having her support.

A warm hand rested on my lower back, and Dimitri added his support. "We can be ready in an hour." Our eyes met again, and I knew he was hesitant about my safety, but I knew he wouldn't make me sit it out. I wouldn't let them bench me from this one.

"I'm not waiting around for Victor to get his hands on me," I told my father, glancing at them all so they would see my determination. "I'm taking the fight to him."