R POV
I could hear Lissa run upstairs, and I felt her excitement through the bond after talking to Christian. I lay on my bed, feeling the gaping hole left in my heart by Dimitri's absence while tears trickled down my cheeks. I thought I could have a future, as long as people didn't know what I was. But now, I have no chance of becoming a guardian and everyone will view me as a weak pathetic omega.
Dimitri is on the other side of the world and I have to stay in hiding from the moroi council.
I heard a knock on my door and I could feel Lissa through the bond, standing at my door. I didn't answer, but she pushed the door open and stepped forward. I knew she was beaming from ear to ear but I didn't want to hear it and I turned my body to face the wall.
Lissa stood there for a while before I felt the bed sink under her weight as she lay down next to me. She started stroking my hair as the tears ran down my cheeks. She pulled me around to face her and enveloped me in a hug while I sobbed in her arms.
"Oh Rose, You will see him again, I will make sure of it." She said to me,
Unfortunately I didn't have her confidence. I felt a piece of me was missing and I could feel the darkness trying to pull me further down in despair. To be honest, it didn't take much. I couldn't graduate, I had no job prospects and I would be in hiding from the moroi government, supported by my overbearing father for the rest of my life.
I let the bad thoughts run rampant in my mind, feeling like I was inching towards a dark abyss.
"ROSE!" Lissa screamed at me. My face stung, like I had been slapped and I looked up to see Lissa looking terrified shaking her hand in pain.
"What?" I asked.
"Your aura is the darkest black I have ever seen. I've never seen it that dark, there was almost nothing left of you." She said, breathing hard. "We have to cleanse you."
A big part of me didn't want to do anything, but the look on her face made it impossible to ignore, she was my moroi and she needed this. She placed a bracelet on my wrist and I felt the weight of the darkness lessen.
My mind became sharper and I realised the toxic pull of the darkness trying to drown me. Oksana had warned us on the dangers of spirit, she called it 'the abyss'. When she was new to spirit she had gone close to the edge, Mark had pulled her back. She remembered feeling like she didn't know who anyone was anymore, all she felt was the allure of spirit and its darkness. She had highlighted the importance of cleansing the bond regularly.
We sat down on the floor, facing each other with crossed legs. "We are going to have to go slow, there is a lot of darkness built-up inside you." She said.
I nodded and held out my hands to Lissa who took them in hers. We started with slow breathing to reach a meditative state. Lissa and I opened the bond to each other fully and I felt my consciousness practically merging with hers.
Once the bond was fully opened, I felt Lissa drain her excess darkness into me. I tried to keep it contained within my chest, binding it to one spot until Lissa could remove it. I felt the glorious hum of spirit's rushing through both of us. Lissa's hands started to glow with healing energy.
She moved one hand to my head while she maintained the connection with my hands. I closed my eyes and imagined Lissa pulling at the threads of darkness that wrapped around my brain. As she worked, I felt my mind getting sharper, thoughts became more clear as the feelings of despair and sorrow dissolved away.
She moved her hand down to my chest as she focused on the new darkness that I had contained. I felt it retract and I could feel myself getting lighter as the ball of darkness slowly disintegrated from me. I started to draw the remaining darkness from the rest of my body to the centre of my chest, making it easier for Lissa to remove.
This process took a lot of mental focus and the progress was slow, healing too fast would replace her darkness too quickly. When I opened my eyes, I could see the sweat coating Lissa's brow and I realised that my room was a lot darker. It must have taken us two or three hours to complete, which was the longest healing that we had done since we first learnt to cleanse.
She was breathing hard and I caught her before she could fall backwards. The backlash on Lissa would be felt over the next few days. I quickly removed the bracelet and placed it back on her arm. She would load the bracelet daily with small amounts of spirit. Lissa sagged against me and my arms tightened around her as I gently laid her down to rest on my bed.
I called for Katia, Pavel's partner and Baba's housekeeper to fetch a feeder for Lissa. I felt amazing, like I hadn't felt this light for the past 3 months. Well.. Except when I was in Dimitri's arms after he marked me, that experience was transformative.
I could remember every touch, every word he spoke to me the night we mated. I am sure that he thought that I wouldn't, when he marked me he had vowed to love me with his dying breath and I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't voice my feelings. To me, that mark was a promise that entwined our souls forever, but it made the longing so much worse.
Lissa had gone so long without healing the darkness from me, but I hadn't noticed the effects when Dimitri was around. He grounded me, but at the same time he gave me hope that all things were possible when we stood together.
D POV
I packed my things when I woke the next morning, dividing my possessions into essential items I would travel with me, what I would ship home or throw out. I kept the hoodies that Rose gave me, making sure not to wear the hoodies that were coated in her scent. I needed to preserve her scent for as long as possible.
I went to her room to find more things that smelt like her but all of her things had been removed. I walked around the campus ward lines, trying to avoid interactions with other guardians and students, as I made my way to the cabin on the eastern ward line.
The room was full of her intoxicating scent and I couldn't help but imagine my beautiful mate in the room with me. I could feel part of my anatomy waking up as I moved closer to the bed. I removed the sheets and pillowcases from the bed. As I left the cabin, I spotted a glittering hair clip on the ground. It was silver, encrusted with diamonds. I realised that she was wearing it the night of the dance. I carefully place the clip in the pocket of my duster and bundle the sheets into my bag.
The sun starts to rise as I make my way back to the guardian dorms. I passed a few colleagues who avoided direct eye contact with me, but bent their heads in deference to me. The mood around the campus seemed to be confused, most didn't seem to know what exactly happened last night and it was probably best that I left before they put the pieces together. I ran into Stan Alto when I reached my door.
"What happened, Belikov?" Stan asked hesitantly.
"What are you referring to?" I ask. Searching his face for a hint of his mood.
"Is Hathaway safe?" He asks, looking me in the eye.
"Yes, she is in the care of her father." I respond, not betraying my feelings on my face. I had failed my charge last night, but I made sure that my mate was protected from unmated males.
"Good. Send her my regards when you see her." He said and quickly turned to his door while I stood there with my mouth gaping open. I abruptly returned to my room while I pondered precisely what Guardian Alto knew about me and my Roza.
Once the sun was well into the sky, I knew it was time for me to leave campus. I wanted to leave before the court officials arrived to start their investigation of the 'estrous situation'.
Approximately 100 meters from the gate I could smell an alpha and I turned to see Charlie lurking in the bushes.
"I hear you got kicked out." Charlie laughs.
I turn to face him, fixing him with my most imposing stare. He was tall, but I had several inches on him and a lot more muscle. He was in that arrogant stage of development where he was starting to harness his alpha abilities, which often lead to an inflated ego and hubris.
There was a code amongst Alpha's that wasn't common knowledge amongst the rest of the non-alpha population. Firstly, you never approached another alpha's mate and Charlie had relentlessly pursued Rose. Albert described the dance and how he had started to take advantage of her in her vulnerable state. Secondly, the mate bond is to be respected and kept private, even when it comes to loyalty to your charge, its not your place to disclose an alpha's mate bond to non-alphas. And finally, Alphas respect strength, they defer to the stronger aura unless the stronger Alpha feels the other has earnt more respect.
Hans Croft was the alpha head guardian and his aura strength was only mid-tier, yet he received deference from all other alphas because of his years of distinguished service. We all knew that alphas had privileges that other dhampir did not, most of us were aware that this privilege was tenuous at best and it could easily be taken away if it was not respected.
Most alpha's learnt these rules when another alpha took them under their wings, but Charlie had been foolish from day one and wouldn't listen to Alberta's advice. He would have to learn the hard way once he became a guardian at court or once he next crossed me. If he came near my mate again, he would struggle to reach his next breath.
"I'm taking leave to visit my family. You should be in your dorm, it is after curfew." I suggested with my stern disciplinary voice.
"I'm an alpha, I can do what I want. Besides, I think you are afraid to take me on so you are leaving."
"Your cockiness will get you killed. I think Eddie will be able to keep you in check in classes while I am gone." I reply, trying to keep my rage in check. I was furious with this arrogant child's attitude and his historical pursuit of my mate.
"That loser, He is nothing compared to me." He said cockily.
"If I recall, that loser took you down last night. Perhaps he isn't all that he seems and you should rethink your judgement of him." I replied.
"And what did you do after that?" He growled at me. The nerve of this child challenging me was testing my last patience.
"I protected my mate" I roared. I could feel my aura pulsing, this arrogant child was starting to test my patience.
"Who says she is your mate?" He challenged, he pushed his aura against me. I could tell that he was using the full power of his aura, which was pitiful. I barely felt anything, and this immature child thought he was the strongest among us.
I unleashed about half the strength of my full aura against Charlie, which flattened him to the ground.
"She is my mate! I know you could smell that and I know you knew, but you still went after her anyway. Going after another alpha's mate will get you killed. She is not an object for you to possess, she is the one who decides who she wants to be close to… Not you."
The young alpha remained silent, but glared at me. He got up to his hands and knees, inclining his head with the appearance of submission, but I anticipated that he wasn't the type to quit.
"Alpha." He said, bowing his head to the minimum acceptable level.
I turned and left, knowing I would have to watch out for him in the future.
R POV
When I came back downstairs, I noticed the lack of a dark spectre.. My father was absent. My mother was drinking a cup of tea in the lounge room.
"Where's Abe?" I ask.
She looks at me with a stare, "Your father is away on business."
I sniff in response. Abe couldn't be bothered to talk to me about what really happened and he didn't believe me when I told him about Dimitri.Now he has left for a trip… Maybe he doesn't want to deal with his damaged daughter.
"Of course he is." I snark. He was missing for the first sixteen years of my life, what's another week.
"He is worried about you and wants to keep you safe. He feels like he failed you, once he calms down, he will -"
"He's not going to calm down, he is going to keep me locked away for the rest of my life. He will keep me from Dimitri."
"Rose.." Mum started hesitantly. "This is the last time that I will ask… But are you sure that Dimitri is your mate?"
"Of course he is." I snap.
"Alright, but I have never seen or heard of an Alpha/Omega pairing before... And he didn't coerce or force you?" She pushed.
"NO! He is my mate, he would never do that. He is kind, caring and he was raised by his mother and grandmother and three sisters." I pull out my necklace, holding the pendant in my hand. "He has nothing but love and respect for me."
"Alright Rose, I will talk to Abe when he returns and I will get him to see reason." Mum tried to reassure me, but I was not convinced.
"He's too stubborn to see reason." I said
"That's where you get it from." She mutters.
Abe POV
I left Pavel at the house with my girls while I flew back to the states to handle matters. Tad was accompanying me with my secondary guardians, but it felt strange not to have my right hand man with me. However, he was the man I trusted most to ensure the safety of my family.
I was guilty, feeling that I had let my daughter down and I knew who would receive the brunt of my displeasure, Victor Dashkov. That was after I started to manage Lissa's affairs and start my negotiations with the royal council regarding my daughter.
"Your majesty, we both know that incarcerating him would be as useless as trying to place me in jail. He is too well connected, to truly be brought to justice. Perhaps someone knows where Prince Dashkov is, but if this situation was brought to light, it wouldn't look favourable for you."
"Get to your point Mr Mazur. I am losing my patience very quickly."
"I can arrange for Princess Dragomir to testify through a secure line to the royal council. It would be in the royal council's best interest that Prince Dashkov is not found, this scandal could make the Moroi people lose faith in the royals. Especially as everyone knows that you were going to make Prince Dashkov your heir before he got sick."
"And what would happen to Prince Dashkov?" She arched her brow at me.
"He will likely die of the very illness that prevented him from being named your heir to the throne." After weeks and weeks of torture by my hand, I would finally let nature take its course.
The queen stared at me for a long time before she spoke. "If we knew where he was, then the proper course would be to launch an investigation and prosecute him to the full extent of our laws. But I have spoken with Guardian Croft, we currently do not have a lead on his whereabouts."
"That is very unfortunate my queen." I say as I give her my best smile. It never hurts to turn on the charm, not that it gets you far with Tatiana.
Tatiana made a gesture to others off screen, waving them off before she started speaking again. "We are sending someone out to St Vladimir's to investigate the estrous event. I understand that the omega in question is your daughter."
I inclined my head, unwilling to make a verbal comment that could be recorded. I fixed her with my piercing stare, unwilling to give her an inch if it harmed my daughter.
She looked at me carefully before she spoke. "Ibrahim, the royal council have voted to actively search for any unmated omegas to replenish our royal numbers. If she is found, she will be in high demand and any potential claims to her would not be honoured."
I had debated whether to mention the alpha, but clearly the queen had put the pieces together rather quickly. "I think the council should think about whether they want to challenge my daughter or the havock that someone with my extensive network could cause." I leaned in, my voice becoming menacing. I didn't care whether she was the queen or a Janitor, I would go to the ends of the earth to ensure Rose's safety.
The moroi society was more precarious than the royals seemed to realise and if they pushed me, I would unravel the whole fucking establishment. I would do anything to accomplish my goal, if it saved my daughter from a cruel fate. They hadn't seen the depths that I would go for my family.
She nodded, understanding that I would play my hand if the cards were dealt by the moroi council. "Arrange a time for an interview with Princess Dragomir, I will stress this to her as well as yourself. We want the moroi princess to be safely under the protection of the court."
"With all due respect your majesty, after the betrayal of a royal prince from a family that was the closest to her own, she is reluctant to leave her current safe and very well guarded location. For the time being, she intends to make herself available to the council remotely." I smile pleasantly to the queen, but I could see the vexation in her countenance.
"The Dragomir princess should be brought to the court immediately, otherwise the efforts in the search for your daughter will be increased significantly." She pressed.
"I will arrange for a virtual meeting with the princess so that you can broach that subject with the princess yourself." I responded cautiously. Her displeasure was evident on her face and while she could overlook the 'disappearance' of Victor Dashkov. She was not going to settle for the Princess's absence for long. The longer that Lissa remained away, the less inclined the queen would be in my favour and that meant Rose remained in danger.
AN: I did a lot of jumping perspectives in this chapter. Hello! I am still here. I am still in exam mode for another 2 months as I prepare for the second section, so I will still be slow going with my progress. Anyway, I have started chapter 20 and a bonus chapter with my new favourite psychopath. I'm trying to write as much as I can.
Have you guys read Blood Oath by Ebaouen? It's soooo good!
In other news, we are facing a tropical cyclone in my state for the first time in 50 years projected to hit in the next few days. Soooo happy I moved from Sydney to Brisbane 7 months ago (Sarcasm). I'm hoping everything will be ok...