Thank you again for all the reviews! I love reading them, and I'm really glad so many people are enjoying the story. I was extremely concerned that I would be getting a bunch of flames for this one, so I'm grateful.

This chapter has some more smut. Enjoy!

I was floating, wrapped in strong arms and soft kisses that made me feel safe. I felt happy, more than I had in a long time. I drifted in and out of sleep, and when I woke again, Dimitri wasn't in the bed beside me.

The nausea was still there, so I knew he had to be close. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I struggled to roll onto my back, a throb of pain between my legs and from my neck, but I smiled instead of wincing. Sex with Dimitri had left me sore, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I wanted to have him again.

But from the heaviness of my limbs, I doubted I would want to be bitten again soon. While it had been earth-shattering, I didn't like how numb and weak it made me. Sleep called me back, and I was tempted to get a few more hours.

"So, this is why he hasn't killed you."

My eyes snapped open, widening at the glowing eyes that glared down at me. Nathan stepped closer, and I clutched the blanket to my chest. Fear broke through the haze of the endorphins still in my body as I tried to move as far from him as I could.

I looked around but couldn't find Dimitri anyway, just his front door wide open and the cool air from outside blowing in.

Nathan bared his teeth and lunged forward, hand wrapped around my throat and pinned me to the mattress. "You must have been quite the fuck for him to keep you alive for so long. I should have known he was a traitor."

My heart raced as I tried to break his hold, failing miserably. I wasn't strong enough.

He leered at me; bile rose in my throat at the hunger in his stare. "You're wasted on him. Once I have my fun, I'll use you to get the Dragomir."

Nathan lowered his mouth to my neck, and I screamed.

A terrifying growl filled the room, and Nathan was ripped away. It was a blur of movement before Dimitri stood with his back to me, snow still in his hair from outside; he side-eyed me before attacking Nathan again, throwing every hit with a roar of anger. Nathan wasn't prepared at first but was soon returning punches. While Dimitri had the skill of a trained guardian, Nathan was older and fed off humans. I didn't know who would win.

Dimitri managed a powerful kick and knocked Nathan back. He called over his shoulder, "Where is your stake?"

I tried to stand with the blanket clutched in my hand to cover my body as the temperature of the room dropped. When I got to my feet, my head spun, and I struggled to stay upright.

"Roza!"

"My coat!" I replied, pointing at the discarded piece on the floor, "It's in my coat pocket."

Dimitri reached for it but was intercepted by Nathan. He lost the upper hand, and Nathan wasn't holding back. Each hit made me wince, panicked with no idea how I could help. If I tried to get between them, I would be killed instantly.

Nathan's fist snapped Dimitri's head to the side, blood running down from a cut above his eyebrow. With a growl, he tossed Dimitri across the room far from me. Glowing eyes filled with bloodlust shifted to me.

I surged to my feet and tried to dodge around him—a desperate hope to reach my stake—but Nathan pulled me back with a painful grip on my hair. I curled my hand and punched him in the jaw, putting my weight behind it to disorientate him enough to break free. His lips pulled back in a snarl; unbothered by my hit, he backhanded my cheek. My back hit the bed as the world turned; things kept spinning, and I couldn't get myself to move.

I needed to move. I had to fight.

Nathan towered over me again, a deadly look in his eyes that promised I wouldn't survive long.

I was going to die.

"Get away from her!" Dimitri roared. I heard the hiss of something burning a moment before Nathan screamed.

The Strigoi froze above me, eyes wide in pain, his mouth hanging open even after the scream died. Again, he was pulled away and thrown to the ground—listless limbs laid in unnatural positions. My stake still buried in his back.

"Roza!" Dimitri cried; a cold hand cradled my face and made me look at him. His thumb brushed the corner of my lip; a curse muttered under his breath. "Are you okay?"

He lifted me back onto the bed and pulled the blanket up as I shivered. Dimitri's body was so cold that he couldn't offer any warmth. I looked again at the stake in Nathan's back and then took Dimitri's hand in my own, wincing at the burned skin of his palm. "Dimitri… this—"

"Are you okay?" Dimitri demanded again, tightening his grip just enough to make me focus on him.

"I'm okay," I promised. My head still spun, the beginning of a headache forming. I hated getting hit in the face. "Where were you?"

"I went out," Dimitri gave a short reply, expression pinched with guilt before it shifted to anger. "Why didn't you fight back?"

A scowl settled on my face, and I knocked his hand away from me. "I tried! But he was too strong, and I'm…" I trailed off, as shame washed over me. I touched the tender skin on my neck where Dimitri's bite was.

His eyes widened.

"Dammit. I…" His lips pressed together in a tight line and he didn't say anything else.

Dimitri turned from me, rising to his feet and shutting the front door firmly. He picked up a brown paper bag off the floor that I hadn't noticed, checking the items inside before he brought it to me. His eyes were cast down as he spoke, "I knew you might feel weak, so I brought you some food. I thought you would be safe. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

I took the bag, still a bit sluggish. Once it was in my hands, Dimitri backed away and mumbled something about dealing with the body. I sat for a moment, just to breathe. My heart raced in my chest still; I had had too many close calls with Strigoi.

The bag in my lap held some warmth and drew my curiosity to look inside. Inside was a plastic bag that was tied tightly around a round container. I pulled it out and the scrunched-up paper bag next to it. I could smell bread from the smaller bag, and the container was hot against my hands; I carefully removed the plastic and moaned when the scent hit me. It was soup—chicken and corn; I could recognise the smell without even opening it.

I eyed the label, astonished. It had been my favourite place to get soup since the temperatures dropped. Dimitri must have taken notice.

I cradled the Styrofoam container and breathed in deeply. I sipped the soup, feeling the warmth move through me and settle in my stomach. Half of it was gone by the time Dimitri returned, snow clinging to his hair and clothes.

He didn't look at me for more than a second, eyeing the food before nodding. "I'm going to shower," Dimitri told me, then disappeared into the bathroom without another word. I couldn't tell if he was angry at me or the situation.

The hot and cold reactions gave me whiplash. I finally accepted my feelings for him, but now I worried that it truly might have been a game. Maybe getting me in his bed was part of the chase, and now the play was over.

I finished the soup, needing to regain my energy quickly to walk home. The last thing I needed to do was return home on the edge of passing out and have to explain it to Eddie.

The bathroom door opened a couple of minutes later, but I didn't look. Footsteps approached, and a hand reached for my face. A curled finger under my chin tilted my head back; his skin felt warm after the shower. Dimitri studied me, brows drawn together, "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"I'm fine," I responded and pulled from his grip. I was still upset that he blamed me for not fighting back—but I was disappointed in myself too. I should have been able to do more to protect myself. How the hell was I meant to protect Lissa if I couldn't do the same for myself?

"I'm sorry I yelled."

"You were right," I admitted.

Dimitri took the empty container and bags off the bed, clearing space for him to sit beside me. I could feel the warmth coming from his body. Just how hot was that shower? He wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me close; it didn't give me chills like before.

The back of his knuckles brushed my hair from my neck, a soft kiss to the healing bite. "The effects linger longer than a Moroi bite—it's stronger. You had only been asleep for an hour when Nathan attacked. It's not your fault you couldn't fight."

"It's not just tonight," I confessed, deflating against him. "This isn't the first time that I wasn't good enough. I feel like they didn't teach me how to fight properly; I'm just thrown out here, given a stake and told to try to survive. I'm not strong enough."

"That's how the world works for dhampirs. You are expendable. Moroi don't care about your life as long as they don't have to lift a finger. None cared the day I was awakened, but I gained freedom from those restraints." Dimitri brought my eyes to his, imploring me as he spoke, "Your life is worth more than the Moroi, Roza."

The words didn't sit right with me, but I didn't have the energy to defend our way of life when I even questioned it sometimes. "I want to learn to fight better."

His lips pressed into a thin line, not pleased that I wasn't agreeing with him, but he didn't push it. "I can teach you if you would like."

"What?"

"I was well trained as a guardian, and now I'm as strong as those you would be up against; I can train you." He had me there.

I chewed on my lip for a moment, then nodded. Training with a Strigoi to kill Strigoi, nothing strange about that.

Lissa returned the next day, talking a mile a minute about everything that happened and how much she missed me. We spent the whole day on the couch relaxing as she gave me a play-by-play of the past two weeks. I was grateful to just relax after the craziness of the previous week.

When Lissa stopped and asked me what I did, I just shrugged and said I worked out. I used make-up to hide the bruise from Nathan, and kept my hair pulled forward to cover my neck. The secret burned in my chest, not being able to tell my best friend about the intense feelings I had for Dimitri. But what could I tell her without going down the rabbit hole of 'Dimitri is a Strigoi.'

No thanks.

We didn't go out much after sunset, and Lissa was eager to spend a lot of time with me, so I couldn't get out at night to see Dimitri. Sometimes, I would look out the window at night and see dim glowing eyes in the distance—I knew it was him. He never came close enough for me to see him properly, staying far enough away so he didn't alert the other guardians in the house.

The nights I saw him out there, I felt safer as I fell asleep.

A couple of days later, Lissa and I were invited to a gathering with some other students from our classes. She had been so eager to go that Chelsey struggled to say no. In the end, Lissa won. Chelsey and Andrews pretended to be on a date, watching from afar for any threats while I sat next to Lissa. The sun hadn't set yet, but it was hidden by the thick layer of clouds in the sky. We were at a diner by the university, well-lit and in a public enough place that a Strigoi attack was unlikely.

When I felt my stomach twist, I knew who was there—Dimitri's presence was so familiar to me now. I excused myself to the bathroom, sending a quick gesture towards Chelsey so she knew I would be back.

I had barely made it around the corner before fingers curled around my wrist and dragged me out the exit door. I gasped when my back was pressed against the brick wall, and his mouth covered mine; Dimitri made my knees weak with just a kiss. The sharp angles of his body slotted against mine and kept me in place.

After a minute, he pulled back an inch so I could breathe, but he didn't move any further.

"I've missed you," he growled, dipping his head to suck a hickey behind my jaw. I was glad I kept my hair down. "I've been waiting to see you again."

I dropped my head back to give him more room. "I've missed you, too." I had missed him so much—too much to be willing to admit. He never brought up my slip of the tongue after he bit me, and I wasn't going to either. "I can't stay out here long," I sighed, my hands flat on his chest as I pushed him back, "They will come looking for me."

"Can I see you tonight?"

I caught my lip between my teeth, wanting so much to be with him then and there. But Lissa had to come first.

"Please, Roza."

I couldn't deny him. "I'll try to get away later."

Dimitri smirked and kissed me again. "I'll be close," he whispered when we broke apart. He held the door open for me to sneak back through.

I checked my reflection to make sure I didn't look like I had just made out in the back alley; with a breath to calm my heart, I went back into the main part of the restaurant. As soon as I sat down, Lissa pinned me with a look of scrutiny.

"Why didn't you tell me about the guy at the house party?"

I froze like a deer in the headlights; eyes flicking to Lacy. "What guy?" I asked in a calm tone despite the panic in my chest.

Lacy rolled her eyes dramatically, "The one you disappeared outside with for a while. I'm surprised Kara let you dance with him. He was hot."

I didn't trust that he wouldn't attack the party after Dimitri kissed me, so I stayed outside for a while and waited. Eventually, I decided to leave and figure out why the fuck he kissed me. I never told Lissa and I had hoped to keep it that way. "We made out, but that's it," I replied, sticking close to the truth so they would believe me.

"You knew him, right?"

"I saw him around the campus, but that's it. He's a dick."

Lissa didn't stop staring at me, a wall in her mind so I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Thankfully, the topic quickly changed to other guys in our class. Even if I wasn't able to use the bond to see inside Lissa's mind, I could feel the questions burning; Lissa wanted to know more and wouldn't easily drop it.

I brought up going to the gym in the car, stating I need to get back into a routine with classes starting soon. Lissa couldn't corner me, and I left without too many questions. Eddie had given me a nod and a thumbs up, guessing I was going to see my secret boyfriend.

He wasn't wrong.

I walked to the park again, deciding it was the best place to meet Dimitri. He thought the same, already waiting for me, and picking me up as soon as I reached the shadows. My legs wrapped around his waist and my back collided with a tree as he dominated my mouth with his tongue. My toes curled in my shoes as his hands ventured, touching as much of me as he could.

"It's been too long," he grumbled, hips rocked into mine and I moaned. "When do you have to go back?"

"Maybe three hours," I whined, trying to get more friction between us. Dimitri was able to make me melt against him. "Let's go to yours."

"Later."

I stilled. "What? Why?"

Dimitri chuckled, returning my feet to the ground, "You wanted me to train you, so I am."

I was too turned on to tell if he was joking. I squinted at him. "You want to train?"

"Yes. Since Nathan was killed, there's been fighting among the Strigoi. I need to know you can take care of yourself."

He took my hand and led us out of the shadows, beelining for a black SUV parked on the street; the windows were so darkly tinted that even the light inside the car barely shined through. "How long have you had a car?"

"Did you really think I just ran around everywhere?"

Everything hurt. Dimitri was evil, done to the bone and gleefully so. I couldn't remember the last time I had been pushed so hard in a training session. I wouldn't be able to walk in the morning. Dimitri didn't show much sympathy as I groaned the whole time I climbed down the stairs, just stood there with a look of 'I told you so.'

"Do you want to shower or do you want to lay on the bed?"

I shot him a glare as I threw my bag to the ground. "If I lay down, I'm not getting back up."

He chuckled. "If you lay down, I'll give you a massage."

"I'll lay down."

Dimitri helped arrange me on the bed and ran his hands down my back and legs. "Would be easier without your clothes."

"What a shock," I mocked as I lifted my hips to wiggle out of my tights and then my shirt. I stretched out in my underwear, noting how warm the room felt compared to normal. It must be from exercising.

Dimitri started with my feet, skilful fingers rubbing each tight muscle and knot until I was completely relaxed. He didn't say much, occasionally asking if it felt good. I was a moaning mess by the time he reached my shoulders. "Do you feel better, Roza?"

"Almost," I smirked. I couldn't ignore how turned on I was, and I wasn't going to. "I can think of something else you can do."

The clasp on my bra was undone, the straps slipped off my shoulders and were replaced with open-mouth kisses. He burned a trail of kisses down my back; I was positive there would be hickies. When I felt a scrap of his fang, I bit my lip to keep the sound of need from escaping.

Shit.

The itch under my skin reminded me of when I used to crave Lissa's bite, which concerned me. I liked it—loved it—when he bit me, but the trade-off of the weakness made me hesitant. It hadn't even been a full week since he last fed off me. There was a voice in my head that wondered if he continued to drink only animal blood after drinking mine.

"Dimitri," I began, nervously tugging at the bed sheet. What if he only wanted to have sex with me if he could feed?

"Tell me. You don't need to hold back around me."

I rolled over, perched on my elbows so I could see him. "What if I don't want you to bite me? Is that okay?"

He crawled up the bed, an arm on either side of me, so I was caged in. Our faces were inches away, pinned under his gaze. "Do you think that is the only reason I want to be with you?"

"No." I sighed, "I don't know, considering last time. I mean, I liked it, but I don't want to do it every time."

"Then we won't. I enjoyed it too, but you aren't just some meal to me, Roza." He shifted closer, lips brushing my cheek as he spoke, "I won't deny that I want to taste you again. I want to make you lose control of yourself again while I'm deep inside you, but there are other ways I can do that without biting you."

Fuck. Where did Dimitri learn to say stuff like that?

"Would you like me to show you?"

I couldn't trust my voice and just nodded instead. I held my breath as he removed my bra, his lips wrapped around my nipple instantly. Dimitri made sure to repeat it on both breasts, palming them and teasing me with twists between his thumb and finger.

Lips reclaimed mine as hands ventured to my underwear, tracing the lace edges. They weren't the kind of pair you would wear for exercising, but I wasn't expecting that when I met Dimitri. A low growl rumbled in his chest as his fingers stroked me through the thin material.

"You look perfect, laid out under me. I'm going to enjoy being inside you again." A finger slipped past the lace, entering me in a single motion. "So tight. So wet. You like this, don't you, Roza? Do you want me to fuck you?"

I shivered at his words. The feeling of his finger inside me; another joined the first as his thumb brushed my clit. I moaned, nodding again.

"Tell me."

"Yes, I like it. I want you inside me," I panted, barely holding onto my composure.

"On your hands and knees."

I blinked at him, thrown by the sudden request. His tone was commanding, and I wanted to follow. Dimitri withdrew his fingers and dragged my underwear down; stepping back so I could climb onto my hands and knees. I felt so exposed; anticipation and apprehension stirred inside me, and I couldn't tell if I was shaking from excitement or the cold.

"Just like that," Dimitri praised with a brush of his palm up the back of my thigh, settling over my hip with a strong grip. "Good girl." I felt his weight settle behind me, cool thighs meeting mine as he slotted in between them. "I will have you begging to come, and only when I am satisfied, will I let you. Do you understand?"

I breathed heavily, crumbling from the smallest of touches. Dimitri was pressed against me, hot and heavy. I forgot just how big he was.

The smack of a palm on my ass made me squeak in surprise, glaring over my shoulder at a stern Dimitri. "I told you, Roza. You have to tell me."

"I understand. You better make me come, Dimitri," I sassed. The smirk on my lips fell as he entered me, parted in pleasure instead. It wasn't a gradual build like last time; instead, he slid in with one smooth thrust. Dimitri's hips pressed flush to mine, and he covered my back and arranged his hands on either side of me; our fingers intertwined.

"Of course, Roza."

His hips snapped forward, knocking the breath from me each time as he sunk deeper. There was no slow pace—only a powerful, unrelenting pace that slowly drove me out of my mind. He would bring me close, teasing the edge I so desperately wanted to reach, only to change the angle or the speed—each time he dragged me back from the pleasure I wanted.

Dimitri's lips brushed the shell of my ear and kissed along my shoulders and neck, but never more than a graze of his teeth. "Are you close?"

"Yes," I whined. I couldn't even get any leverage to rock back against him and get what I wanted; Dimitri kept me exactly where he wanted me.

"Do you want to come?"

"Dimitri."

He buried deep inside me. "Begged for it."

The bastard would get what he wanted no matter what, or I would be left unfinished. I gritted my teeth, so close again to completion when he shifted again. "Fuck! Dimitri, please make me come. Please. Please."

He curled his fingers around my hands and pulled them out in front of me so my chest pressed to the bed and my back arched. "Stay," he ordered and sat up to grip my hips. He thrust in, then a second time, before he sighed in approval, "You can come, Roza."

The permission was given, and Dimitri didn't hold back. I moaned as he pounded into me, managing to hit that perfect spot each time. The feeling built again, climbing higher and higher until I was at the edge. He didn't stop, and I tumbled down into pure pleasure.

"Dimitri!" I cried as I clenched around him, becoming tighter until he stilled inside me, a groan of his own as he followed me over the edge.

I had a sudden realisation. A bite was amazing, but it wasn't better than sex. At least, not when compared to Dimitri. I felt that same high, floating in a haze I didn't want to come out of. It was so much more than the physical aspect with him; I felt a connection I never had with Mason or Adrian.

It was so very different.

I was so far gone for Dimitri—the only way I could come down would be a crash and a burn.