Sugar fueled-it's after midnight-posting energy. So here's an extra chapter :D

More of Rose and Adrian annoying each other.

Next update should be Tuesday/Wednesday :)

"Here you go," Riley smirked, placing the plate with a large burger and fries in front of me. It was everything I wanted, and I was drooling at the sight.

I pulled it closer, moaning, "You are a goddess, Riley." I lifted the burger to my mouth and took a large bite.

"I'll be back in ten. I just have to clean up."

Adrian watched me with a raised eyebrow, "Should I leave you alone?"

I flipped him off. "You don't understand how much I've been craving this," I explained around a mouth full of food. Adrian cringed back. "You're wrong, by the way," I pointed out to him after I swallowed, "I don't want to date Dimitri."

He threw his head back and laughed. "There's no point lying to me. I can see it whenever you two are around each other. Your auras light up like Times Square." He fiddled with a straw, tearing off the paper to chew on the plastic.

"Auras? What the hell does that mean?"

Adrian shifted in his seat again, stretching out to press his back against the wall, eyes surveying the room. "They are lights I see around people, part of my magic. The different colours tell me different things. And your aura tells me that you like him. A lot."

Lissa told me she and Adrian both specialised in spirit, one of the rarest magic for the Moroi to have. Other than her ability to heal and compel people easily, I wasn't aware of what else they could do.

"So Lissa can heal, and you can see colours. Boy, someone got the short end of the stick," I jibed, ignoring his comments about Dimitri.

He shot me a pointed look, "I can also show up in people's dreams. How often do you dream about going to the beach?"

I choked on my food. "Wait? That was actually you!"

"I liked the bikini; red looks good on you," he gave me a wolfish grin, eyes dragging down to my chest. I threw a fry at him.

"Hey!"

"Even if I couldn't see auras, I could guess your crush on Dimitri just from your dreams."

My face flushed, jaw dropping. "Stay the fuck out of my dreams."

Slouching in my seat, I continued to eat, ignoring the amusement that shined in his eyes. I should have left him behind at the compound. Though at least having him with me now, I may as well see if he knew anything useful. Everyone else was still tight-lipped about my parents and their idiotic choices.

"What do you know about my parents?"

Adian wasn't surprised by my question, tapping the straw against the table before answering. "About two years ago, they showed up needing a place to hide. Your mother was hurt, burned and had a broken leg."

My breath hitched. I never considered that she got hurt in the fire, thinking they lit the house and left. Was it not intentional?

"They were pretty distraught. I never found out what happened; they kept it to themselves. Only speaking to Yeva."

"Yeva?"

His eyes met mine, "Yeah, Dimitri's grandmother. Scary woman, she can see stuff."

I vaguely remember Viktoria mentioning her grandmother but never by name. I hadn't been by their place much in my attempt to avoid Dimitri whenever I could. "What do you mean she can see stuff? Like auras?"

"No, it's like visions. It's always cryptic. But if you want answers—Yeva's the one you need to talk to."

I frowned, focused on my food again. It was just one big puzzle that I had to search for the pieces of, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to. The more I spent in this world, the more I was intrigued by it. Even staying in my parent's apartment, there was a desire to know more about what happened to them despite my breakdown when I trashed the place.

I just wished everything wasn't withheld from me.

"Hey, Rose."

I was pulled from my thoughts by Sydney appearing beside me, large milkshake in hand. She was a relatively new girl, starting before I took time off. From the small interaction I had with her, she was a little sheltered but nice.

"Thanks." I took the cup from her, eagerly drinking from it. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Adrian gave Sydney a flirtatious smile.

A blush worked its way up her cheeks before she spun around and escaped back behind the counter.

"What's her name?" he asked, eyes darting between her and me.

"Why do you need to know?"

The gentle look in his eyes changed to mischievous, raising an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

I scoffed, shaking my head. I tapped my fingers on the glass of my milkshake as we lapsed into silence, not speaking until Riley returned.

"So," Riley started, slipping into the booth beside me. She had changed out of her uniform, placing her bag on the table beside my empty plate. "What happened between you and Mr Tall and Sexy?"

I insisted on walking Riley back to her car. While neither of us had ever had an issue with Strigoi until recently, I didn't want to take the chance that something happened when I could have prevented it.

"I had to park around the corner. Some idiot took the last two spots with his big truck," she complained as we followed her around the back of the diner. The diner had a small parking lot, and then there was another larger one we had to cut through an alley to reach.

Walking through the small space between the two buildings, I felt apprehension building in my stomach; it churned with nausea. "We should move faster." Something was wrong.

Adrian's expression became serious, scanning the shadows, while Riley shot me a look. "Want to get rid of me already?"

I forced a smile, not wanting to alarm her. It was that feeling again—the one Dimitri talked about, the one I felt that night in the alley.

Maybe it was all in my mind? I was just tired and imagining things, or –

"Rose," Adrian hissed, his body tense as he looked down the alley where we came from. Following his eyes, I found red eyes glowing in the darkness.

I swallowed, taking slow steps back and placed my body in between Adrian, Riley, and the Strigoi. "When I say so, you need to take Riley and run," I ordered him. The Strigoi wasn't moving, just watching us.

"Fuck that. You don't have a weapon. I'm not leaving you behind."

"Do you have a better idea?" I argued. When the Strigoi took a step closer, I moved back, throwing my arm back to push them away.

Riley didn't budge, "What's going on Rose? Why are we running?"

My mind was racing, trying to figure out what I should do. Adrian was right; I didn't have a weapon. No silver stake, no way to decapitate, no f—I did have a weapon.

"Riley." My eyes stayed locked on the Strigoi, "Do you have hairspray?"

I could hear her shifting her bag, "Yeah?"

"Good. I need your lighter, Adrian."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Riley, get it ready; I'm going to pull a Brittney." I heard them both starting to question me, but I couldn't talk anymore as the Strigoi rushed at us. I reacted quickly, meeting them halfway. It was a male, who looked like they were in their thirties when they were turned. He was tall but nothing like Dimitri.

I tried to calm my breathing and keep myself in control despite the fear that gripped my heart as he swung a fist at me. I ducked under it, Dimitri's voice in my head.

Use what you can to your advantage. Don't let them corner you. Don't hesitate.

I noticed that Strigoi moved slower than Dimitri did, making it easier for me to avoid his hands as they lashed out, trying to grab me. When I saw an opening, I threw a punch, hitting them in the stomach.

I put everything into it, and it barely fazed them. Other than a slight grunt and a step back, it didn't slow him down. I thought Dimitri was solid, but the Strigoi was much stronger than I had expected. I dodged back from him again, fear growing stronger.

I'm not ready for this.

"Any time now guys!" I yelled. I didn't want to bring him closer to Riley and Adrian, but I was running out of space. I felt trapped.

"Rose!" Riley yelled, catching my eye before she threw the bottle of hairspray and lighter to me.

I caught them both, rolling on the ground to get below his reach. Praying it worked, I flicked my thumb on the lighter, held it out toward his body and sprayed the hairspray at the flame.

The alley lit up as the fire shot out at the Strigoi and hit him in the chest. I continued to spray as the flames caught, spreading up his body. Screams echoed in the alley as he fell back from me, trying to pat out the fire, but it was useless.

I didn't hang around to see if the flames killed him. I spun on my heel and ran towards the other. "Run!" I gripped Riley's hand as I passed her, dragging her behind me as I raced to the end of the alley. We just had to reach her car, and then we could get somewhere safe.

My stomach churned again.

I skidded to a halt as two more Strigoi appeared at the entrance. Releasing Riley, I held the lighter out again. Only this time, no flame appeared.

I froze. I had nothing else to use against them.

One of them backhanded me. My head whipped to the side, and my body followed, flying from the force, slamming painfully against the brick wall. Black spots danced across my vision, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

I forced myself to focus, forcing a word out, "Run!"

I wasn't sure if they listened to me, but I hoped that Adrian took Riley and left. I heard movement in front of me, bringing my arms up to block their fist. My reactions were sluggish, and their fist impacted my stomach.

My body wanted to crumble to the ground, but their hand wrapped around my throat, using it to pin me against the wall. That terrifying red ring glowed in the dark, unmistakable even with my blurred vision.

A scream travelled down the alley.

Riley!

I struggled against their hold, kicking out in hopes of loosening their grip enough to escape. They growled and pulled me away from the wall before slamming me back against it. I cried out, my head bouncing on the bricks.

I couldn't move, barely maintaining my grip on the hand that tightened around my throat. Their face moved closer to mine.

My body tensed, expecting the pain of them biting me again. I've fucked up, and now two of my friends were going to die because I wasn't strong enough.

I'm going to die.

They paused, breath fanning against my skin. I heard them inhale deeply before they pulled back. "You –"

Their words cut off, a strangled sound escaping their lips before their hand released me. My body fell to the ground just as theirs did.

I peered up, trying to blink away the black spots in my vision. Standing before me was a woman. At least, I think it was; I had to squint to make everything focus. Something about them was familiar.

"Rose?"

I knew that voice.

The world tilted violently, and I went with it. The woman called my name as everything faded to black.

Something cold was pressed against my cheek. The sensation shocked me, wincing away from it only to groan as pain exploded in my head.

"Don't move. You managed to get a nasty cut on your head, and I'm sure a concussion as well."

It was that voice again. It was so familiar. It brought a feeling of warmth with it—fond memories from when I was younger.

A hand smoothed back my hair, their touch gentle. "I see you still have a habit of finding trouble."

I managed to lift my eyelids, opening enough to peer at the woman beside me. It was blurry at first, but slowly, everything came into focus. My brows furrowed, "A-Alberta?"

The corners of her lips quirked up, tilting her head at me, "Hello, Rose."

I tried to sit up only to find myself struggling to do so. A firm hand on my shoulder pushed me back down.

"You need to take it easy, you took some hard hits," she murmured in a soft voice.

The room was dimly lit, only the light from the hallway coming in, but I recognised my parent's apartment. I squeezed my eyes shut as everything spun. "What happened?"

Alberta huffed, "Well, you broke some rules, snuck out and then managed to find yourself fighting against three Strigoi. You're lucky we got there in time."

The slight scolding in her tone was more comforting than anything else. I hadn't seen Alberta since I was fifteen. She was one of the only friends my parents had, she used to come to stay with us. I always liked that she was more laid back than my mother was.

I tried finding her once after the fire but had no way of contacting her. I used to tell Riley all the stories of my cooking adventures with Alberta.

I shot up in the bed; fear gripped my heart. "Riley!" I remember hearing her scream. I faced Alberta and grabbed her hands as they tried to guide me down again, "My–my friend. And Adrian." My breath caught, dreading the answer. "Are they okay? I told them to run. I don't–"

"They're okay, Rose," she soothed, "We got there in time and killed the Strigoi before they could hurt them."

I swore my heart had stopped; the relief I felt was overwhelming. "God. I tried to fight them off. They were so strong. I thought we were going to die." It was pure luck that I wasn't dead. Again, I have come way too close to dying because of a Strigoi.

Alberta pushed me down on the bed again, carefully stroking my hair. "Considering that was the first time you fought them, it wasn't too bad. The fire was a good idea, though not the best for your hand."

I squinted at her in question. Her eyes shifted to my hand, and I followed, finding my fingers wrapped in gauze. Now aware of them, they hurt to move, the skin felt stretched tight. "I didn't even realise."

"That happens; the adrenaline when fighting keeps you from noticing until later." She pressed the cold compress to my cheek again. I winced at the chill but didn't pull away.

"How did you find me?" I asked, "Have you been here this whole time and never told me?" I felt the same feeling of betrayal as I did from my parents. Did Alberta know where I was and choose to leave me alone as well?

Her eyes found mine, softening as she gazed at me. "I got here last night. I've been in Europe these past few years. When I heard they found you, I decided to come back. Imagine my surprise when I arrived, only to find you were missing."

I dropped my eyes at her disapproving look, chewing on my bottom lip. "So you didn't know I've been living in the city since my parents abandoned me?"

"Oh, Rose. They didn't abandon you."

I turned my head from her as I felt tears building, muttering, "It sure feels like it."

"I found out that you were here a couple of months ago. It took me longer than I thought it would to get everything sorted. I swear if I knew where you were, I would have helped sooner."

Her words felt sincere. In all the time I remembered spending with Alberta, she never lied to me. I gave a slight nod. "Do you know what happened to them?"

The corners of her eyes pinched.

A soft knock at the door drew our attention; Dimitri stood in the doorway of my room. His towering form took up most of the doorway. The light behind him cast his face in shadow, making it difficult to see his expression, but I could already guess he was pissed off.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to check in." He shifted on his feet; even from here, I could see the tension he held in his shoulders.

Alberta looked between us before standing, "I have to check in on some stuff, Rose. Try not to move too much," she warned, giving me a pointed look before slipping out the door.

Dimitri stepped further into the room but kept his distance. Gritting my teeth, I slowly pushed myself up to sit. My head was killing me, the dizziness returned if I moved too fast, and my stomach ached from the hit I took.

I watched his hands clench. He stepped forward like he was going to help but then stopped himself. Clearing his throat, he crossed his arms over his chest. "What you did was dangerous, Rose."

I resisted rolling my eyes. Did he really think I didn't know that? "Is that all you want to say to me? I don't want to listen to you tell me things I already know."

"What were you thinking?" he hissed, taking another step closer.

I dropped my eyes; the reason for sneaking out felt stupid now. "I just needed to get out for a little."

"So you sneak out? Not telling anyone and putting not only your life but others in danger?"

"I fucked up—I know that." My eyes snapped to his; my disappointment in myself fueled my anger. "You think I don't realise all of this? You told me I wasn't ready, and congratulations, you were right! Is that what you want to hear?"

"I–" Dimitri took a deep breath and dragged a hand through his hair. "When I heard what happened…" he turned from me before spinning back, "I thought they were going to bring back your dead body, Roza. I thought…" The emotion in his voice surprised me, the concern and fear; he wasn't trying to hide it anymore.

Maybe Adrian hadn't been lying to me about Dimitri's feelings.

"Why can't you just do what I tell you for once!"

The small hope that was growing in me died. My face dropped into a scowl. "Fuck you, Dimitri."

He paused, a hint of remorse on his face, "Roza, I'm sorry. I –"

"You don't have to worry about me disappointing you anymore. I'm done. As soon as I can, I'm leaving—my two weeks are up."

"No." He shook his head, "You can't just leave. It's not safe out there."

I held his eyes. To think I used to love staring into them as we talked, loved the way they shined when he would laugh. "I'm not your problem anymore."

His body deflated, mouth still opened as he tried to think of what to say. I sagged back into my pillows, turning my face from him.

"Just go."

Silence settled between us until I heard his footsteps slowly make their way out of my room. My lip trembled, but I refused to let any more tears fall.

There's just something about writing Rose and Dimitri fighting that is fun.

Next chapter has some smut ;)