I woke up in bed, covered with a blanket. Cold sweat coated my skin. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but my body felt stiff and heavy as if I had been lying there for at least a week.

My head no longer pounded with pain—just an unpleasant throbbing, especially around my temples. Thankfully, the nausea had passed, too. My mouth was unbearably dry, leaving a terrible taste, so I glanced around for some water.

I was in a typical hotel room—just a bed, a small TV, a dresser… Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing except for the thoughtfully placed glass of water and an aspirin on the nightstand beside me.

I took the pill and drank the water, hoping it would bring some relief. I couldn't stop drinking; wanting more and more water. I was just about to risk bringing the nausea back and get up to find more when the door to my room opened, revealing a tall figure.

"Rose." Dimitri's voice carried a relief. Within seconds, he had closed the door and was by my side, reaching out as if afraid I might collapse even while sitting. One of his hands steadied me, while the other brushed over my hair, his gaze studying me intently.

"Hey, comrade," I said, though my voice came out hoarse. I cleared my throat as Dimitri tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, trying not to let the concern show on his face. "I think this is the longest you've ever let me sleep since we met."

"You needed the rest to recover." His tone was utterly serious, even though my comment had been meant as a joke. His eyes traced my face, assessing my condition, while his hand cupped my cheek gently. "How do you feel?"

"Better," I admitted. "Still a little weak, but at least it doesn't feel like my brain is melting inside my skull anymore."

"That's progress." A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Though I'm really thirsty," I added honestly. With a single nod, Dimitri was already on his feet, striding over to the mini-fridge tucked under the desk. He pulled out a few bottles of water and handed me one before wrapping a steadying arm around my waist as I drank it down in one go. His fingers combed through my hair as he took the empty bottle from me and set it on the nightstand.

I slumped back against the pillows, my head spinning. Dimitri moved closer and gently stroked my cheek, his expression laced with worry. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked, pressing my palms over my eyes, and applying light pressure.

"Thirteen hours," he said, making me stare at him in shock. "Plus an hour's drive to the hotel."

"What? God, I don't think I've ever been knocked out this badly…" I tried to recall my past experiences with bites, but just thinking about them made my stomach turn. "Or maybe I just don't know…"

Dimitri leaned over me and pressed a kiss to my damp forehead.

"You lost a lot of blood… especially the second time." His face hardened, and his voice caught in his throat. Something dark flickered in his eyes—something I didn't like.

His fingers trembled slightly as they brushed over my skin with delicate care. I tilted my head and pressed a soft kiss to the inside of his palm.

"I remember hearing your voice," I murmured. "But don't worry, comrade, I'm not that easy to get rid of."

I flashed him the most roguish smile I could manage, and he shook his head, his own smile tight.

"I'm just glad you opened your eyes when you did," he admitted. "I was losing my mind."

My fingers traced over his wrist and hand before coming to rest on the gauze covering my neck. I started to touch it, intrigued, and when Dimitri noticed, he explained:

"I patched you up here. Eddie went to the pharmacy—we needed a few things for you, Adrian, and ourselves."

"Thank you," I whispered, absentmindedly running my fingers over the bandage wrapped around my neck. "God, I really hope this doesn't leave scars."

Dimitri didn't answer, but his expression spoke volumes. This situation reminded him far too much of the time I had been under his control—when my neck had been adorned with deep purple bruises and telltale scars. His gaze lingered on my throat, filled with pain and regret.

Bitterness welled up in my throat at the thought of how many of my loved ones had been forced to witness what had happened. I thought of Sydney—who would never have stooped to something like this. Of Adrian—who knew I had taken pleasure in it, because I had once asked him to bite me. Of Jill—who had never seen anything so depraved, so wrong, so shameful. Of Eddie—who understood how low giving blood was, yet still remembered how good it felt.

God. Eddie had been in my shoes, and yet I never saw him throwing himself at bites every chance he got as I did.

And Dimitri… Dimitri, who remembered far better than I did. Who had seen me at my lowest in Siberia, when I was nothing more than his blood whore, waiting from bite to bite. Who had watched me grovel, dressing up in fine gowns for Strigoi, abandoning any shred of dignity and strenght. Who had seen me humiliate myself for weeks on end, all for the sake of a bite.

My eyes burned with tears, so I shut them before Dimitri could notice—but of course, he already knew something was wrong. He started stroking my hair in slow, soothing motions.

"I used some strong healing creams on the marks," he said gently, "so there's a good chance you won't scar. And even if you do, I'm sure Lissa can heal them. They don't mean anything, Rose—except that you sacrificed yourself to get us out of there."

"Yeah… but don't you think I came up with that idea way too fast?" I opened my eyes, and a few tears escaped. Dimitri wiped them away immediately, but the pain in his eyes was impossible to miss. "It was the first thing I thought of. Who else would come up with something so reckless, so dangerous…? Maybe I'm just addicted. Maybe I'm a junkie chasing the next high, and Nikolai was right. Maybe I really am just a worthless blood whor—"

"No, Roza." Dimitri silenced me with a kiss, then pressed his lips to my tear-streaked cheeks. He cradled my face firmly, his eyes locking onto mine with unwavering intensity. "You are not a blood whore, and you are not an addict. If anyone knows that, it's me. You've never given blood willingly unless you had to."

"That's not true," I said bitterly, my voice breaking. "I asked Adrian to bite me when we were together, just like a—"

"Roza, there's a difference." he interrupted. "Bites… they are addictive. That's just how they work. And the odds were not good for you. You did it for Lissa's sake at first, and then…" His voice wavered now. "Then, it wasn't your choice. It was abuse toward you. Of course, you became temporarily addicted. That's a natural response to those chemicals. But, Rose—" His grip on my face tightened slightly, making sure I was looking directly at him, making sure I understood that he meant every word. "We have kept so many people under the influence of bites. So many. Not a single one of them had the strength to break free and escape."

A shaky breath left me, and Dimitri traced slow, reassuring circles over my cheek.

"It's not your fault that you're more sensitive to it. But even so, you're unbelievably strong…" He kissed my temple. "…strong enough to refuse to let it control you. You don't chase bites. You can live without that high. You are not addicted."

"But this time, I let myself get bitten…"

"I think this was just another one of your insane Rose-plans, following Rose-logic, that—somehow—ended up working," he said, his lips curving into a small smile. "And even then, you were strong enough to slip me the keys in the middle of it and come up with a distraction."

I bit my lip, unsure if I could really believe that. Dimitri saw my hesitation and pressed a kiss to my forehead before looking deep into my eyes once again.

"I mean it, Rose. I have never heard of anyone strong enough to break free from the pull of repeated bites. You don't need anything else to prove it—you are already strong enough to resist it. But if it helps ease your mind, you have nothing to worry about. Because I will never let you lose yourself to it, okay? I won't let that happen."

I took a deep, steadying breath and felt my body relax just a little. I reached out for him, and he leaned in, wrapping me in his arms.

"You're unfairly good at calming me down," I whispered, and in response, I was met with a series of soft kisses on my face, making me smile. When we finally pulled away, this time, I was the one studying him carefully. "Did you get a chance to rest at all?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Eddie and I both got six hours of sleep. Actually, I came to wake you up. Once you eat something, we'll be heading out."

"Ugh," I groaned, not thrilled at the idea of getting out of bed, no matter how much I understood I had to. Well, no one said this would be easy.

I slowly started to sit up, and Dimitri moved back, giving me some space. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head before standing up.

"I'll start reheating the pizza. You can take a shower if you want—just be careful with the bandages."

"Okay, okay," I waved him off, and he gave me a small smile before leaving the room.

The bites had drained more blood than I expected, but oh well. The hours of endurance training were paying off in moments like this. I forced my legs to carry me to the bathroom, and then my hands to strip off my sweaty clothes. The idea of putting them back on was disgusting, but I didn't have much of a choice.

Under the shower, I wondered if our previous hideout was still a viable option. No one knew where it was—we had been taken outside the feeders' apartment, which was about an hour's drive from our forest cabin. There was no reason we couldn't go back.

With a grimace, I pulled my cold, uncomfortable clothes back on and brushed my hair, cringing at how awful it looked. Then, I stepped out into the kitchen, where everyone was already waiting for me.

When I saw my friends, my breath caught in my throat, bracing myself for judgmental looks. But the moment I met their eyes, all I saw was warmth, concern, and maybe a hint of admiration.

"Hey, everyone."

"We were starting to think you'd gone into hibernation," Sydney said with a smile, her voice laced with genuine care.

"Ugh, I wish," I groaned, making almost everyone smile. Eddie was the only one still watching me closely, guilt written all over his face. Nothing new there.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

I shrugged and sat down at the table next to Angeline.

"A little weak, but it's not a big deal. A little more sleep and I'll be ready for another round of crazy stunts."

"Maybe spare us from those for a while," Adrian muttered, nudging me as he walked past to grab something from the kitchen.

Eddie, who was leaning against the doorway, smacked him on the arm.

"Yeah? And how exactly would you have gotten out of that hellhole without her?"

"He's got a point, Rose," Sydney scooted closer on the couch, looking at me almost shyly. "We owe you our lives. You put yourself on the line for us."

"Dimitri told us everything… We couldn't believe you actually pulled that off," Jill added.

"Oh, come on. This is literally my job," I grinned at them mischievously. "Doing reckless, death-defying things that somehow, against all odds, turn out okay."

Everyone laughed as Dimitri placed a plate of pizza in front of me. Just looking at it made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

"I don't know if I can eat anything."

"You should try," Dimitri murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His public display of affection surprised me, but I guess I should've expected it—he'd spent hours thinking I was dying.

"Besides," Sydney chimed in, grinning, "Dimitri and the lady at the pizzeria practically were at each other's throats when she couldn't understand what 'triple pepperoni with added Capricciosa and salsa instead of tomato sauce' meant. It'd be a shame to waste all that effort."

This time, I let out a small laugh and squeezed Dimitri's hand before he went to sit in the armchair near Jill. He exchanged a glance with Eddie, and together, they explained that they thought we should go back to our hideout. I agreed.

Forcing myself to eat two slices—just enough to satisfy Dimitri that I wouldn't pass out from low blood sugar—we finally got moving, piling into the van. Dimitri drove, but this time he needed a navigator, so Sydney took the front seat. Eddie and Angeline sat on either side of Jill, while Adrian and I took the back.

The exhaustion weighed heavily on all of us.

I started getting comfortable, ready to sleep again, when Adrian nudged my leg with his foot.

"You literally slept all day. Are you seriously going to pass out again?"

"Well, give up half your blood, and then tell me if I'm overdoing it."

"You're really going to leave me alone for this whole ride? What am I supposed to do? Sit here? Reflect on my own thoughts? I'll lose my mind."

"Leave me alone. Maybe try sleeping yourself—maybe then you'll stop being so annoying."

"It didn't work for you."

I kicked him lightly this time, making him grin. He was messing with me, but that was his way of checking if I was really okay.

Without any more teasing, he let me rest, only shaking me awake when we arrived.

Dimitri and Eddie went to do a perimeter check while I stepped out under the excuse of "keeping watch"—when really, I just needed to stretch my stiff limbs.

Dimitri emerged from the doorway, gesturing that it was safe to enter. I ushered our little group forward, and we returned to our forest cabin, which looked as if nothing had changed. Everyone headed to their rooms to change out of their stale clothes and get some much-needed rest.

Dimitri and Eddie lingered for a moment, debating who should stand guard until Eddie convinced my boyfriend that he needed to rest. I grabbed Dimitri's hand and pulled him toward the bedroom, which ultimately sealed the deal—he relented and followed me.

The first thing I did once inside was rip off my disgustingly damp shirt, leaving me in just my bra. Dimitri unbuttoned his shirt as well.

"Go shower first," he offered. "I can wait."

I looked him up and down as he took off his shirt, my eyes lingering on his well-defined chest. A playful smile spread across my lips as I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around his waist. He pulled me in, holding me against him.

"Well, if you ask me, that shower is big enough for two," I murmured.

Dimitri smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Normally, I'd be more than happy to take you up on that offer, but I think you need to recover…"

"Look at you, never thought you were the type who only thinks about sex," I teased, grinning as he shot me a warning look, his fingers tightening around my waist. "Come on, we'll just take a regular shower. I promise not to seduce you against your will."

Dimitri eyed me suspiciously as if debating whether or not I was lying. And while the idea was tempting, the truth was, I didn't have the energy for anything more. However, Dimitri was used to me downplaying my condition—ever since Tasha shot me in July, I'd used every trick in the book to lure him into bed.

Finally, he gave in, and we headed to the bathroom together. We peeled off our clothes, and Dimitri stepped into the shower first, adjusting the water temperature. When he showered alone, he liked scorching temperatures, but he knew it was too much for me, so he lowered it to something more reasonable.

Under the warm water, we scrubbed ourselves clean. Dimitri kept kissing me whenever he could, while I couldn't stop touching or holding him. I ran my soapy hands over his muscles, marveling at the contact. Slowly, the tension in my body melted away, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt safe.

As soon as we stepped out of the shower, a wave of heat hit me, making it hard to breathe. Exhaustion, blood loss, and steamy, cramped spaces weren't the best combination. I wrapped myself in a towel and leaned heavily against the sink, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice was tight with concern. My vision darkened for a moment, but I felt his hands grip my waist, steadying me.

"I'm fine," I reassured him weakly. "Just a little dizzy."

Gently, he helped me sit down on the bath mat, resting my back against the cool tile wall. He checked my pulse, his other hand softly brushing over my face. Seemingly satisfied that my heartbeat was steady, he stayed by my side, running his fingers through my damp hair while I slowly regained my strength.

"I'll get you some water," he murmured.

I nodded, and by the time he returned, my vision had fully cleared. I downed the water in one go, then—with his help—got to my feet. Dimitri kept a firm hold on me, his face still etched with worry.

"It's nothing," I assured him. "Remember? After I got shot, this used to happen all the time after showers."

Dimitri nodded, but he didn't look any less tense. I reached up and stroked his face, now rough with stubble, and smiled. Standing on my toes, I brushed my cheek against his, enjoying the contrast of smooth skin against coarse hair before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Dimitri kissed me back, his touch sweet but cautious.

Back in the bedroom, we changed into our pajamas and curled up in bed together. Dimitri wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. I relaxed against his body, closing my eyes as I prepared to drift off.

"How is it…" he murmured sleepily, tracing light patterns along my bare shoulder, "that every time we lie in bed together lately, it has to follow some life-threatening event?"

"Oh, come on, not always," I muttered, tightening my grip around him. "Only in this bed."

Dimitri sighed, pressing a kiss to the top of my head and letting his lips linger in my hair. When I was recovering from being shot, he had often comforted himself this way—burying his face in my hair, the crook of my neck, or simply holding my hand in his. I figured he liked the reassurance that I was still alive, still here with him.

"Rose?" he whispered softly, checking if I was still awake.

"Mmm?"

"We haven't had a chance to talk about Claudia Drozdov yet."

My eyes snapped open. Right. As much as we had been caught up in our battle with the Strigoi, a much bigger fight was unfolding elsewhere. I hadn't checked in on Lissa since we'd been kidnapped—I had only relied on the faint thread of our bond, which told me she was alive and well.

"You're right… I'll look into it tomorrow, and see if Lissa has found anything new."

"But tell me… what do you think he wants with Jill? In relation to his daughter?"

"I still think he wanted to test our abilities. Especially when it comes to bringing back the dead."

Dimitri leaned back slightly, studying my face. "Do you really think that?"

I wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes stopped me. There was no challenge, no judgment—just a genuine question. Did my gut really tell me that was the answer?

It had been my first thought, but if I was honest… my instincts were starting to contradict that theory. If he wanted to bring his family back, he would've spent his resources kidnapping Lissa or Adrian, not Jill. And he only became interested in spirit power after Lara died—yet as far as we knew, Claudia was still alive.

" Okay, maybe… it's not the strongest theory," I admitted.

Dimitri chuckled softly and kissed my temple. I accepted the kiss but propped myself up on my elbow to look at him.

"What do you think?"

"I can't figure it out," he said. "But if it's about Jill, maybe he wanted to study her connection to spirit users. To see if there's something unique about those brought back from the dead."

I considered that.

"But why her and not me? Would it really have been more valuable to kill Jill and count on her being brought back than to just kidnap me? And what exactly can shadow-kissed people do that's so important to him?"

"And where does Claudia fit into all of this?" Dimitri added, resting his hands on my waist and absently tracing circles with his thumb. "I don't know… but whatever it is, I think it could be important for us, too."

"For us?" I repeated, confused.

"For us," he emphasized, his gaze intense. "Because one of us is shadow-kissed."

I rolled my eyes but had to admit, he had a point. If we couldn't understand why Jill was so important to Drozdov, then maybe—once we got our hands on him—we'd finally learn more about the nature of being shadow-kissed.

I let myself sink back down, curling up against Dimitri again, and he welcomed me into his arms. We lay there in silence for a while, lost in thought.

"I don't know, comrade. But I'll deal with it tomorrow. Right now, I don't have the energy," I murmured, punctuating my words with a yawn.

Dimitri smiled against my hair and kissed me gently. "Go to sleep, love. You need to rest."

"And you need to wake up for a second watch. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied, his voice laced with quiet laughter.

I kissed him one last time, then nestled against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat until I drifted into a deep sleep.