Thank you for the reviews :D I'm glad that it has intrigued you and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

I'm a terrible editor so I apologise for any mistakes :)

Something very strange was happening, and none of it was making sense. Just as I was trying to wrap my head around vampires being real, they hit me with magical healing powers.

I felt my neck again, but there was no wound there, not even the feeling of a scar. How could she heal something like that in a matter of seconds?

"Wow, you really didn't tell her anything," the blond man commented, earning a hard look from Dimitri.

Dimitri's eyes moved to mine, hands up in a calming gesture, "I told you about how our bloodlines made us different–"

"Different isn't magical powers!" I yelled at him. I took a step back from them, rubbing my face with my hands.

One of the men laughed. "Not your best work, cousin." I glanced up to see the man with inflamed green eyes smirking up at Dimitri, then he turned to Lissa, "Don't suppose you can do something about my eyes?"

I realised where I had seen him; he was the one with Dimitri outside the diner that I pepper-sprayed. His hair was messy, pushed to the side. When he reached for the bottle of vodka, I stalked forward to take it instead, twisting the cap off and throwing it back in one motion. It burned my throat, but it would take some of the edge off.

After a few mouthfuls, I slammed the bottle back on the table. "Okay, you need to tell me everything or I'm going to walk out that door and never look back."

Everyone was sitting at the table now; I was between Lissa and Viktoria on one side, Dimitri and the other two men on the opposite side. Olena sat at the head; Sonya disappeared down the hallway, claiming she didn't want to deal with any of it.

The vodka bottle had been replaced with another glass of water, though I wish I could have kept the alcohol. "So, the bloodlines lead to people being super strong and fast; and can have magical powers?" I asked with raised brows.

"Not exactly," Dimitri started, shifting in his seat. "There are two different kinds. There are dhampirs; we have the strength and speed to fight Strigoi and have often been guardians of the Moroi and humans."

"Moroi?"

Lissa answered, "Moroi have elemental powers, usually just specialising in one, either earth, water, air or fire. Then there are some like me that specialise in spirit, which gives me the ability to heal." She glanced at the others before continuing, "And Moroi need to drink blood to survive."

I inwardly cringed, "Drink blood. Like actual vampires? The Stri… somethings."

"Strigoi. And, no," she quickly amended, "we aren't like them. They will drink to kill—we don't do that. We will only take enough to survive; otherwise, we eat food and go outside just like dhampirs and humans."

I rubbed my temple again, "So, Moroi are like vampires, but good vampires?"

"Dhampirs and Moroi are both races of vampires, we are born and age like humans, though we live longer." Dimitri took over explaining again, "Whereas, Strigoi are made. They can be turned by other Strigoi or a Moroi can decide to become one by choice by killing another person."

I definitely should have kept the alcohol. "The special bloodlines are actually races of vampires, and you're all one of them."

"Would you look at that; she figured it out," the one I pepper-sprayed teased, his smirk dropping when Olena slapped the back of his head.

"You're one too, Rose," Viktoria told me gently. I saw her hand lift to cover mine but then thought better of it. "You are a dhampir like me and my family."

And that was where I kept hitting a roadblock.

How could I be part of a secret vampire race and not know it? My parents definitely weren't vampires… I think. They were secretive people; we lived in the middle of Montana, I was homeschooled most of my life. I only went to town when we visited my mother's friend Alberta.

"Let's say I believe you. Why did I never know about this?" I asked.

"Your parents were very secretive, Roza," Olena did reach for my hand to cover it with her own. "All we were told was to keep you safe."

"But why would they fake their death?" People said they both died in the fire that took our house, leaving me with no one. When they died, I was so angry that they were gone, and now I could feel that returning, only this time it was because they left me behind.

Olena shook her head, "I don't know."

I turned to face her, eyes pleading, "Do you have a number or something? I could call and ask them. Or can I see them?" Her eyes became sad.

"I'm sorry, Roza, but we can't do that. They were very adamant that they didn't want you to be able to find them until it was time."

My fists clenched, "Time for what? What does that mean? Why the hell would they not want to see me!"

Olena was unaffected by my anger, eyes becoming soft, voice gentle like speaking to a young child, "I don't know. I'm sorry."

It was too much.

I pushed away from the table and marched towards the door. I spied my handbag I had been carrying with me earlier. There wasn't much, but I had some money in it, and if I wanted to get home, I would need it. I scooped it up and then threw open the door.

"Rose, where are you going?" Dimitri demanded, voice sounding irritated.

I glanced over my shoulder, "I came with you to find out about my parents, but you know nothing. So I'm leaving." I slammed the door after me, finding myself in a long corridor; I chose a direction and started walking.

I hadn't made it far before I heard the door open and shut again, footsteps trailing after me. "Rose–"

"Just leave me alone," I warned, not in the mood to put up with Dimitri anymore. My mind was racing still, creating a new headache.

"You know, if you are trying to get out, you are going the wrong way."

I halted, looking around me. There were so many doors; everything looked the same. "What even is this place?"

"It used to be a boarding school, but now we use it as a place for everyone to live," Dimitri approached me, hands in his pockets. "It's easier to protect everyone when in a building like this."

Curiosity got the better of me. "Protect from Strigoi? Don't they feed on humans?"

"They do. They just prefer the taste of Moroi blood, and they want to kill dhampirs so that there's no one strong enough to fight them."

"Is that why they came after me?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, "I don't know, but—Would you just wait?"

I was walking away again, "I'm getting real tired of hearing about how much you don't know! Whatever you think I am, you're wrong. I never had any issue until you showed up."

"I'm not wrong about you, and you know it. It doesn't matter that I don't know the reasons; the Strigoi want you. They found you once, and they will find you again. Next time you may not be as lucky."

I slowed at his words, eyes focusing on the carpet beneath my shoes. "I just want to know why, okay! Why did they just leave me behind and tell someone else to look after me? Did they really care that little about me?" My voice caught at the end, praying Dimitri didn't notice it.

He came to stand beside me, "I don't have the answers, but I have something to show you that might change your mind."

I looked up at him, his hand gesturing down the hall. Part of me wanted to leave and pretend it was all some strange fever dream, but the other part of me knew that was impossible.

"If you still want to leave after this, I will take you back to your apartment."

I searched his face looking for proof he was lying but found none. With a deep breath, I agreed—one last chance.

Dimitri led me up a staircase to another floor, explaining to me the history of the building as we walked. Built as a boarding school for girls over a hundred years ago, but when it closed down, a rich Moroi family bought the building, making it a safe house of sorts for Moroi to live in and dhampir to protect. Over the years, they added to the building, and rooms were converted to be more modern. Now over fifty families lived there, with the elders making decisions for how everything ran.

Apparently, shared buildings like this were common for Moroi and dhampir families; one of the largest was in Pennsylvania. Even more overseas.

Dimitri halted in front of a door, the number 517 on the wood. He fiddled with the key for a moment before unlocking the door and pushing it open; he stood back and nodded for me to go in. I slowly made my way into the room, hand searching on the wall for a light switch. Turning it on, I had to blink to adjust to the bright light. Once I did, my eyes widened.

It was a small apartment, smaller than the one Dimitri's family lived in. The furniture was dated but homey; a thin layer of dust coated everything. But what threw me were the framed photos on the walls—they were of my parents and me.

I recognised some from when I was growing up. Shockingly, some photos were of me from after the fire. I walked towards one that I knew Riley had taken of me; it was from the day I got my first paycheque. I had been living in a transitional house, and Riley had helped me get the job at the diner.

"How did they get this?" I asked, dragging my fingers down the image.

"Your parents care about you even if they weren't able to be there for you. They asked my family to look after you, which is why my sister and I got to know you."

I scoffed, "The stalking was just an added bonus, huh?"

"I wasn't—I never stalked–"

"Careful, comrade. You might break something," I mocked. I spun around the apartment again, facing Dimitri, "I guess you win."

"What?"

"I'll stay and give this a chance. Whatever this is," I muttered the last bit to myself, still unsure what to make of it all, but it was hard to deny it all now—I might actually be part of this world.

It seemed that if I was going to find out what happened to my parents, I needed to hang around. Maybe I'll get lucky and find something here.

Surprises flashed on Dimitri's face before he became impassive, "Good. I guess I'll go get your other bag." With that, he dipped his head and retreated to the main hallway.

Now alone, I explored the rest of the apartment. The fridge was empty, but there was some canned food in the cupboards. It all looked like it would need to be wiped down, making me wonder how long it had been since my parents were last here.

There was a small hallway with a door on either side, one in the middle that was open to reveal a bathroom. I tried the door on the left first.

My eyes instantly found the cashmere scarf on the bed, memories returning to me as I felt tears well up in my eyes. The objects in the room weren't familiar, but it all looked like things my parents would own. Even the black leather jacket hanging on the bedpost, I knew it was my mother's without question.

A small sense of joy was building in me, but so was my anger again. I didn't feel like dealing with that emotion right now, so rather than exploring their room more, I closed the door. Maybe tomorrow I will look for more answers.

I turned to the right, opening the door half expecting an office of some kind. I was left shocked again.

It was cheesy and definitely something I wouldn't pick now. In the room was a double bed with a black cover, a pattern of roses on the bottom and on the pillowcases. On the wall above the bed in red block letters was Rose.

It was my room.

A few tears slid down my cheeks; I hastily wiped them with the back of my hand. If I thought I wasn't ready to deal with the emotions my parent's room brought up, I definitely wasn't prepared for this one. I backed out quickly, stumbling into the bathroom. My hands grasped the counter as I took a few deep breaths.

My parents had a room for me. They took the time and effort to set it up and decorate it. And yet, I spent over a year homeless until I had enough money to afford the crappy apartment I had.

I tilted my head back to look at the mirror, cringing at my reflection. My uniform for the diner was ripped and dirty, blood staining one side. I guess it was good I packed a spare in my bag.

Luckily, I had no work until tonight; which meant I had time to clean myself up and rest a little. Then I would have to figure out what I was going to do. If I was staying here, I needed to buy some food and figure out how to get into the city for work.

A knock at the front door alerted me to Dimitri's return, meeting him in the living area. In his hands were my duffle bag and a large container. I raised my eyebrows at him in question.

"Mama thought you might like something to eat; it's some baked sweets," he explained with a shrug.

I noticed that Dimitri was a bit standoffish with me compared to when at the diner. I guess it was all a part of the ploy to gain my trust. "Thanks," I muttered, taking it from him.

"If you want, I can show you around more after you change and rest."

I wrapped my arms around my stomach, now more self-conscious of how I looked after seeing my reflection. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Good," Dimitri nodded, "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Around twelve."

I awkwardly nodded, giving a two-finger wave as he disappeared again. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was only eight a.m; it wouldn't be the best sleep, but I'd survived on less. Grabbing a change of clothes from my bag, I showered and then got some much needed sleep.

Dimitri was punctual, knocking again at the door at exactly twelve. I had barely rolled out of bed five minutes before, dressed in underwear and a shirt when he arrived. "Hang on!" I called out, wiggling into a pair of jeans only to trip over the edge of the couch.

"Rose? Are you okay?" Dimitri's voice filtered through the wooden door.

"I'm fine!" I scowled as I picked myself up; I was definitely not awake enough. Finally, I reached the door, swinging it open to reveal Dimitri and the blond man from earlier. I pointed at him, trying to remember his name, "Hi… umm… "

"Ivan," he grinned, hitting Dimitri's arm with the back of his hand, "Dimitri's best friend. Also, the getaway driver."

"Can't say I remember your driving skills."

Ivan shrugged, "Strigoi bites will do that to you. They have a venom that makes you feel high as a kite."

I rubbed at the spot where I was bitten, remembering the feeling from last night. "Oh."

"Moroi have it too, but it isn't the same."

I had forgotten Lissa mentioning that whole blood-drinking thing, not doing as well at hiding my grimace this time. Ivan caught it, smirking at me.

"Don't worry, we don't do it very often, and we make the humans forget about it when we do."

My eyes widened, "You can make them forget?"

"Compulsion," Dimitri supplied.

My jaw dropped, "Like that Dracula shit? Wait, was he real?"

Ivan threw his head back in a laugh, "God, no. He was based on us a little, but no one can turn into a bat. As far as I know."

His good mood was in stark contrast to Dimitri, who looked like he had sucked a lemon. Guess the nice guy I had been flirting with at the diner was gone. I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter, slipping it into my back pocket. "Well, let's do the showing of things. I have a shift in a couple of hours."

At my words, Dimitri gave me a dubious look. "At the diner?"

"Yeah."

"It's too dangerous for you to go out at night, especially after they've attacked you once."

I rolled my eyes, folding my arms over my chest, "I have to go to work. Money doesn't exactly grow on trees, you know."

The two shared a look before he responded, "You don't need it here. You won't be paying for rent or food. It's all provided."

I laughed, "Yeah, right. Free living, nice one." That might have been something I believed when I was fifteen, but I knew now that nothing came free.

"No, really, Rose. You don't need to worry about that."

I placed my hands on my hips, eyeing them both, "Then what? You all just freeload or something?"

"I do a little, but Dimitri doesn't," Ivan admitted with a smirk.

"Dhampirs train to fight Strigoi, and so do Moroi. Otherwise, they do stuff around here or study. Some have day jobs, but no one goes out at night unless they can fight." Dimitri explained. If his voice wasn't so serious I would think he was making it all up.

"So, you're saying I have to quit my job?" I asked incredulously.

"Until you can defend yourself, yes."

I gritted my teeth together, not liking this at all. I didn't realise agreeing to hang around would limit my freedom. "If I'm not working, then what am I doing here?"

The corner of Dimitri's lip quirked up. "You may want to change."

I pulled a face, "Why?"

My eyes swept over the large gym, completed with weights, sparring mats, a boxing ring and punching bags. It even had an obstacle course set up in the other half of the room. The whole basement level of the building had been decked out like they were training to be the next American Ninja Warrior.

"You will be training in here," Dimitri told me. "Once you are at a good enough level, you can start going out with others on patrols and guarding the building."

"This is insane," I replied, still in awe of the setup. "You're serious, aren't you? And who is going to train me?"

His eyes flashed, the look making my knees feel weak. "Me."

I felt my stomach drop. There was no way in hell this was going to end well.