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There is some steam at the end of this chapter, enjoy!
My blood felt like ice in my veins. Fear took over me as I was pinned in place by the eyes on me. There were shouts around me, someone calling my name, but it was drowned out by the sound of my heart beating wildly in my ears.
My body screamed at me to move. I just didn't know if it wanted to run or to fight.
"Rose, get back!"
A hand gripped the back of my collar and pulled me out of reach as a Strigoi lunged. I stumbled, barely catching myself from landing on the concrete as Dimitri pushed his way in front of me to intercept them.
I came back to myself, cursing for freezing up like that. I chose to be out here; I shouldn't be useless like this.
Dimitri and Alberta were fighting a Strigoi each, leaving the last one with Eddie and Mason. My eyes connected with the Strigoi's—red-ringed eyes full of rage staring me down as he pushed them aside and came straight for me, assuming I was the easiest target.
Again, I was lunged at, but this time I was prepared. I ducked under their outstretched arm and spun on my heel, so my back wasn't to them and retrieved my stake from my holster. I knew now just how much a hit from a Strigoi hurt and how little my blows affected them.
Mason appeared beside me, questioning with his eyes if I was okay, then focused back on the enemy. We moved in together, Eddie joining us as we surrounded the Strigoi to cover all sides and started attacking.
Training with Mason and Eddie made it easy for us to work together without having to speak, using the techniques taught to us. Though even with the three of us, the Strigoi was stronger. He managed to grab hold of Mason and threw him into the wall of the building. Eddie grunted, throwing a punch at the Strigoi's face, but he wasn't fazed by it, not even looking Eddie's way as he advanced on me again.
I refused to let myself lock up, ignoring the fight or flight instinct telling me to run. With the stake clutched in my hand, I swiped at the Strigoi, bringing my arms up to block the backhand he threw at me. I planted my feet on the ground to absorb the hit and not be sent flying back.
Eddie latched onto the Strigoi's left arm; a second later, Mason did the same with the other. They were struggling but they were holding him still—his chest exposed to me.
I had practised staking on the dummies in the gym, their bodies stuffed to have the same resistance as the chest of a Strigoi. Yet, when I reared back and brought my stake down, it was harder than I thought. It didn't get in far enough at first; bringing my other hand up to push it the rest of the way.
No matter how many times I practised, nothing could have prepared me for how hard it was or for the blood that seeped from the wound—or for the scream that the Strigoi released when I pierced his heart.
It felt longer, but it was over in seconds, his lifeless body crumbling to the ground at our feet. I stood and stared at it. They weren't a person anymore, but they used to be someone, and I had killed them. I didn't know if I should feel remorse or glad that I managed to kill them before they could hurt anyone else.
A hand landed on my shoulder, and I spun around, breaking their hold and lifting my stake up to fight again.
"Rose! It's over," Alberta's voice broke through my concentration.
The adrenaline still pumping in my veins eased enough for me to no longer be in fight or flight mode. Instead, I took in my surroundings and realised the two other Strigoi were dead. Dimitri dragged one of their bodies into the shadows of the alley, and then returned for the other. Movement out the corner of my eye made me turn to see Eddie and Mason picking up the one I had just killed.
"We have to hide them until we can dispose of them," Alberta explained, her hands held out in front of her. She looked concerned, eyes flicking across my face and then my body. "How are you holding up?"
My body was still buzzing from the fight, stake grasped firmly in my hand. "I'm fine. They just came out of nowhere," I commented, looking back to where they were hiding the bodies, "You would think they would self-combust or something."
Alberta tilted her head, "What?"
"They are dead. Why don't they just poof?" I made a dramatic motion with my hand as I bounced on my heels.
"That's not how it works," she replied slowly, eyeing me carefully. "The cleanup team will be here soon. Go back with Belikov and get cleaned up."
Despite the fear that I felt when the Strigoi first appeared, I now had a need to keep fighting rushing through my body. A need to keep moving. "I'm fine."
"Rose," Her hand landed on my shoulder again, "go back and sleep. You did a good job tonight."
I opened my mouth to argue but was silenced by the look she shot me; there was no changing her mind. With a long sigh, I nodded in agreement. I would return to the school, but I knew there was no way I would be sleeping after that.
The drive back was quiet. Mason was nursing the bruise to his cheek, and I think his pride, eyes never meeting mine. Eddie rode in the front with Dimitri, both silent. There was still a buzzing under my skin, my leg twitching with the energy I felt and with no way to get it out. Maybe I needed to go to the gym and work it out that way.
I could feel Dimitri's eyes on me through the rearview mirror, they were illuminated with each street light we passed. When I stared back, he didn't look away.
"Go rest. Good job today," Dimitri commented after taking our radios from us. "Tomorrow, we will debrief with Petrov."
I pulled a face; no one told me there would be homework. The others left first, leaving me standing alone with Dimitri by the entrance to the garages. His eyes on me on the drive back brought a whole new energy to my body that left me itching, and I knew that would be a bad idea.
I spun on my heel with the intent of going to the gym for a few hours until I didn't feel wired. I made it two steps before Dimitri caught my arm with his hand. "Where are you going?"
I shot him a look, "To the gym."
He clicked his tongue with a shake of his head, "No, Rose, you need to sleep." He didn't even give me a chance to fight him on it and tugged me after him in the opposite direction, to the elevators.
"I'm not even tired," I groaned, trying to pull from his grip, but it was futile.
"I don't care. You are going to sleep," he told me, giving me a look that was very similar to Alberta's. I stopped fighting him but continued to grumble under my breath about a certain 'stick in the ass' Russian.
Dimitri followed me into my apartment as if he thought I would run off as soon as he turned his back. I still felt over-energised, marching to my fridge, retrieving a bottle of water and jumping up on my countertop to drink from it.
It was amazing how exhausted I was before the Strigoi attacked compared to now.
"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asked, taking a tentative step closer. I briefly wondered if he was thinking of what happened the last time he was in my apartment. I knew I was.
I shrugged, turning my head so I wasn't blatantly staring at his lips or further down. "As I said, I'm fine."
"You panicked."
I scowled, "They just caught me off guard." Piercing the heart of the Strigoi flashed in my mind, making me pause, "Is it always like that?"
Dimitri inched closer. "Fighting Strigoi?"
"That," my eyes dropped to the bottle in my hands, staring at the plastic label, "and killing them."
When he sighed, I realised how close he was, feeling his warm breath fan over my skin. "Yes. Over time it gets easier."
"Is it bad that I don't know if I feel bad or not?"
"I like to think about it as we released their soul. Most that are turned had no choice in the matter and became monsters that hurt others. When we kill them, their souls can finally rest." As he spoke, his hand lifted to my chin, a curled finger tilted my face back to lock eyes with his. "You did well tonight, Roza."
That buzzing I felt, the need that pressed against the surface, took control. My hands reached forward to grip the lapels of his duster and pulled his head down. Dimitri made a noise of surprise, hands going to either side of me to support his weight as his lips crashed against mine.
An electric current shot through me, and the craving I'd been trying to ignore returned at full force; every nerve in my body wanted Dimitri. It didn't take long for him to give in either; at first, he was shocked, but then his lips moved against mine. Hands ventured under my shirt, his skin burning as they trailed up further.
I knew I shouldn't be doing this again. This was going to make things messier than they were, yet as his tongue slipped between my lips I couldn't care less.
He removed his hands from my skin and rid me of my jacket as I did the same with his. As with last time, there was an urgency that pushed us forward. I wanted to be able to feel his bare skin against mine, feel the weight of him over me.
Once I removed his duster, I made quick work of tearing his shirt off, taking a second to gaze at his muscular build as I dragged my nails down his chest. Dimitri groaned low in his throat, his head thrown back in bliss from my touch. All of the sounds he made were addictive, and I wanted to hear more.
His large hands gripped my hips and tugged me towards the edge of the counter to press against me; I gasped at the sensation and eagerly started to grind.
Our lips were locked as our tongues fought for dominance, which I was determined to win. Suddenly I was lifted off the countertop and carried to the couch, Dimitri covering the distance quickly with his long strides; not once did he break the kiss.
I dropped to the cushions with a gasp; given only a second to catch my breath before his body covered me and his lips reclaimed mine. His hands returned under my shirt, moved to my breasts and squeezed them through my bra.
I broke the kiss to release the moan he pulled from me, panting from his touch even though he had barely done anything. He trailed open-mouth kisses down my jaw and my neck, nipping at the skin until I was arching my back under him.
"You are so beautiful, Roza," he murmured, slowly moving back up to my lips, "so beautiful it hurts." His lips were on mine again, the kiss passionate and intense.
His words ignited a new feeling in me—one that was dangerous and so addictive.
For a moment, I allowed myself to bask in it, my heart beating faster from the emotions he stirred. They were so powerful I felt like I would be consumed, knowing that in the light of day I would regret allowing myself to feel them. Regret considering that I could return them.
Dimitri pulled me back into the moment when he pushed my shirt up and over my head, discarding it to the ground. We stared at one another, the atmosphere between us stifling, charged by a passion that was so fierce it took my breath away.
I had never felt this way with anyone.
He claimed I had felt something between us last time, and he was right—and it terrified me.
But I kept coming back for more.
I expected him to come back down to me, yet he remained hovering over me with an odd expression. One that I realised was doubt.
"Comrade–"
"What are we doing?"
I groaned in frustration, pushing him off me so I could stand up. I was unbelievably turned on and was not in the mood to talk about the emotions I was pretending weren't churning in me. "Well, we were about to have some great sex," I retorted.
"Roza, we have to talk about this." I spun to face him, hands on my hips as I eyed him. I could see how much he wanted this as well, though his determination to question what was happening won out.
"I don't want to talk about it," I replied. My hands moved to the button of my jeans, his eyes following the motion. "Listen, comrade, I'm horny, so I am going to take my clothes off and go to my bedroom," I stated, pushing my jeans down and stepping out of them, unhooking my bra next.
"Now, you either take off your pants and join me." His eyes widened and darkened with lust as I uncovered my breasts. "Or you can keep questioning your morals, and I'll take care of myself," I finished, removing my underwear and letting them fall to the floor.
Standing naked in front of him, I felt a burst of warmth flush through me at how he looked at me—like I was the most beautiful woman in the world. Dimitri made me feel wanted, even if I refused to accept it.
"It's up to you," I winked at him as I turned and strode towards my room, making sure to put an extra sway in my hips.
I had made it three steps before I heard a low groan, and his arms were around me again. He turned me and lifted me like I weighed nothing to wrap my legs around his waist. Our lips connected, messy and hungry as they moved desperately against each other.
He broke the kiss, dark eyes boring into mine, a promise of what's to come. "I will take care of you, Roza," he assured; the lust in his voice caused my core to clench. But it was the double meaning of his words that made me blush.
I didn't question it, didn't overthink it. I just pulled him back to me as he carried me to my room. Tomorrow I will deal with it, but tonight I would let Dimitri give me what I needed.
Dimitri's chest pressed flat against my back, every inch touching as he guided me up and down. Large hands cupping my breasts, nipples pinched between his finger and thumb. His knees were bent under mine, my legs spread as I sat on his lap; my body at his mercy.
My breath would hitch with each powerful thrust up into my body, moans falling from my lips. I couldn't keep them in even if I wanted to—the pleasure was too much to hold back. His mouth was latched onto the skin of my shoulder; sucking at the tender skin, leaving a trail of hickeys in his wake.
Dimitri kept to his word, taking care of me in many ways. It was still hard and fast, but he made me feel worshipped with how he was touching me; bringing me to a climax once already. Now he was taking his time, short and purposefully thrusts as he hit the spot that would make me gasp and clench around him.
He wanted this to last, to torture me with a pleasure that I was more than happy to suffer.
My head lolled back to lean against his shoulder. The air between us was thick, sweat breaking out on my skin from the heat of our bodies.
He started to pick up the pace again until he was pounding into me, his grip pulling my hips down to meet his.
"Dimitri," I whimpered, "don't stop. Please don't stop."
His hand released my breast, trailing up to my throat, fingers lightly resting against my neck. His mouth moved against the shell of my ear, "My perfect, Roza. I need you."
My stomach clenched, biting my lip to silence the words that wanted to escape; pleas that would only lead to emotions and thoughts I didn't want to face.
"Only you, Rose," he continued, his deep voice bringing me closer to my release, "I need you."
A strange feeling settled in my gut, my chest feeling compressed—something was wrong.
"You're the one, Rose. I need you."
The haze of pleasure I had been lost in dissipated. That wasn't Dimitri's voice.
I tried to turn to look in his eyes but stopped as a piercing pain exploded in my neck.
I woke with a scream on the tip of my tongue, managing to bite it back before the sound escaped. My breaths were harsh, the pants filling the otherwise silent room. My hands gripped the blanket, unclenching my fingers from it to touch the side of my neck.
There were no marks, just smooth skin.
Slowly, I calmed myself, taking in more of my surroundings. It took me a moment to become aware of Dimitri sleeping beside me, almost panicking again when I felt him move. He was on his stomach, muscular back washed in the pale moonlight that came through my window.
I don't know why I didn't kick him out after we were finished—Why I allowed myself the moment of enjoying lying with him.
With a sigh, I climbed out of my bed, wary of waking him. That was a conversation I wanted to put off for a while. I padded into my bathroom, closing the door as I switched on the light. I squinted at my reflection in the mirror—I took a moment to study my face. After confirming again that there were no bites on my neck, I turned on the tap to splash water over my face.
Clearly, my run-in with the Strigoi tonight was messing with my head. I relished in the chill of the water, washing away the remnants of the dream.
Opening my eyes, I froze.
Standing behind me was an older-looking man; with greying hair and jade green eyes that shined despite the red that circled them. A smirk grew on his face as he held my eyes in the mirror.
"I need you, Rose."
I shot up again in bed, hand on my heart.
What the fuck was that?
It was morning now, the sun warming my room and the empty side of my bed—Dimitri was gone. The apartment was silent; I guessed he booked it before I woke.
I felt the urge to pinch myself, just to make sure I was actually awake this time.
I guessed weird dreams were just a fun side effect of killing Strigoi. Yay.
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