Vampire Academy 1. Chapter 1

**AN/ Hey :) **

**I've rated this story T for now but it'll deal with some addiction and sex later on so let me know if you think I should bump the rating up. **

**The Vampire Academy Series is the Property of Richelle Mead. I'm just playing with her characters.**

**Leave me some feedback :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

Janine Hathaway was famous for being the most ruthless and lethal guardian of her time. She was a fierce defender of her charge and a common visitor to the tattooist's chair. Her skin was painted with the tiny marks that numbered her kills. She was an idol, a hero, seemingly immortal.

Until she disappeared.

People assumed she was finally killed in the line of battle, that the immortal enemy had finally taken down the great Janine Hathaway. But they didn't know the truth.

The truth was Janine met Abe, an immoral Moroi who had more than his fair share of illegal partnerships. She thought it was love whereas he saw it as sex. And an easy way top up his blood need. He left her a broken bloodwhore. And he left her with me.

Rosemarie Hathaway.

My mother raised me in a dhampir commune and I had a happy life. There were several other fatherless children in the area and we grew up together. Men frequented the area leaving behind scarred necks and blissful women. I knew that the majority of the world frowned upon the idea of taking blood during sex but the way I'd seen it if it was consensual on both parts then what was the problem? No one was hurt and both parties got what they wanted.

"Rosemarie, are you ready?"

My mom appeared at the foot of the stairs just as I was coming down. She was short like me but her hair was auburn and curled tightly whereas mine waved gently and fell to my waist in a brown wave. Her eyes regarded me with the keenness of the guardian in her that had never really left and I could tell by the shrewd expression on her face that she was becoming edgy. It had been over a week since her last bite.

"Ready for what?" I asked as I descended the stairs. Our house was a small two-story with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a communal kitchen-living area. It was home.

"Training. Get changed."

My mother might have let go of her guardian life but she still wanted me to be ready for any impending attacks and so she started training me from the time I could walk. Sixteen and a half years later and I was on the track to become a great guardian. Or so my mother told me.

I sighed and trooped back upstairs to change into some jogger shorts and a tank top. I swung my hair I into a tight braid to keep it out of the way and donned some sneakers before jogging down the stairs. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table with her feet resting on a chair and a cup of tea resting in front of her. I raised my eyebrows and gave her a questioning look.

"I never said I saw joining you. You need to run. Follow the five mile track. We'll spar when you get back."

I scowled at her but she ignored me and flipped open a magazine, the picture of ease. I huffed and pulled open the front door before stepping out into the warm Californian night air. The dhampir commune was located on the edge of Yosemite National Park which allowed us relative privacy while allowing us access to the more populous areas of California when we needed to. It also protected us from Strigoi as very few resided in such a sunny area. I took off at a light jog to warm up and followed the path through the trees behind our house. It weaved sharply to the left about a mile in and created a steep drop to the right that could be dangerous if you didn't know it was there. It wasn't uncommon to hear about people becoming trapped at the bottom of the slope with twisted ankles or broken bones.

I dug my iPod out of my pocket and flipped through my playlists, coming to rest on The Black Eyed Peas _Pump It_. The violent beat caused me to pick up my pace and I was soon running faster through the twist and turns of the forest, dodging roots and pots holes that I had well memorised from past runs.

Half way through the circuit I reached the creak and a slow grin spread across my face when I realised I wasn't alone. Eddie Castile, my long time best friend was lounging by the water's edge, an arm thrown haphazardly over his eyes to shield them from the sun's glare. Using the noise of the running water to cover my approach I crept towards him until I was less than a foot away. The gentle rise and fall of his chest made him look like he was sleeping.

"Shouldn't you be running?"

I shrieked as one of his arms shot out and wrapped around my ankle and pulled me to the ground. I landed with and _oomph _in the dust as Eddie cracked up laughing.

"You bastard!" I yelled and pelted him with any small stone I could find within my reach. He sat up and shielded himself from my attack all the while still laughing.

"It's not funny!" I fumed. "You could have given me a heart attack!"

"And you weren't trying to give me one? Honestly Hathaway your sneak attack needs some work." He grinned as I scowled and flicked some water towards him.

"Shut up," I told him. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

His grin fell and he rolled onto his stomach, avoiding my eyes.

"My dad's back," he muttered and turned so away from me to skim a stone across the water. It jumped twice before sinking to the murky depths with a _plunk_.

I understood at once. Unlike mine, Eddie's dad was a reoccurring feature in his and his mom's life. He had little interest in his son but that didn't stop him coming back to see Cecilia. I didn't see anything wrong with this but Eddie had spent the first five years of his life in the human world and his views on the 'bloodwhores' were very different from mine. It made him extremely uncomfortable to think of his mom that way and I also knew it hurt Eddie that his father was around so much and yet never wanted to see him.

"How long's he staying for?" I asked softly.

Eddie turned towards me and raised an eyebrow, his face twisted in disgust.

"How long does he ever stay for? He'll be gone before sunrise after he's got what he came for." He turned away from me again and threw another stone more forcefully into the creek. I reached out a hand and stroked his hair in what I hoped was a comforting gesture.

"Maybe he'll stay to see you this time," I prodded.

His snort echoed around the clearing.

"I highly doubt that," he spat. "He didn't even say hello to me this morning before he asked mom if she could get 'the kid' out of the house for the day."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

He turned towards me and shrugged causing my arm to fall from his hair.

"It's not your fault," he reassured me with a small smile. "Anyway." He jumped to his feet and offered me his hand. "I figured you'd be running through here today and thought I might join you. We better get going before your mom comes after me. I want to go out later and that might be difficult if I'm dead."

"Oh?" I asked with a grin as he pulled me to my feet and we set off again. "Got a hot date lined up?"

Eddie's ears turned pink and he stared resolutely ahead, causing my grin to widen.

"You do!" I exclaimed. "Who is it? Let me guess. Vanessa? I think you two would be cute together." Vanessa was a pretty girl with dark hair but wasn't sappy and soft like a lot of dhampir's in the commune. She could hold her own in a fight and she was one of the few girls I actually got along with.

He shook his head and glanced at me, a small smile playing around his lips.

"Layla? I know you two used to have a thing." She was an irritating, busty, brunette who I despised but Eddie seemed to like. Probably because of the boobs.

"God no," he snorted. "There's no way I'm going _there _again. Once was enough." He mock shuddered causing him to miss a step and stumble into a pot hole.

I laughed as he blushed and mentally checked off all the girls Eddie had a past with, which wasn't that many in the grand scheme of things.

"I know you don't like blondes so that rules out Sarah and Hannah. They're too sluty for you anyway." He snorted and rolled his eyes before speeding up. I matched his pace easily and took another guess.

"The redhead over on Sunrise Avenue? What's her name? Addison?" I looked at him hopefully. I didn't have much interaction with Addison as she was fairly soft in nature but she was nice enough.

"Nope," he quipped, popping the 'p.' "You're way off."

"Oh come on!" I huffed. "There aren't _that_ many girls here. Oh wait! Is it that new girl? The one with the black hair, her family just moved here. What's her name? Molly? Maisy?" I frowned, trying to put a name to the blurry face in my memory.

"It's Maddy," he muttered before turning bright red and I laughed. We slowed our pace as we broke through the trees back into town.

"Yes, that's it! It's her isn't it? I hope she's nice or I'll have to go all Hathaway on her ass to knock her into shape."

I expected him to laugh but he didn't. Instead he froze in his tracks and his face drained of colour.

"Umm I was joking," I said and nudged his shoulder gently with mine. He didn't respond and I frowned at him.

"Eddie? What's wrong?" He was unnaturally pale and his eyes were huge. All playfulness was gone now as I looked around as for the source of his horror. There was nothing in the area but small, boxy buildings and dry tarmac.

"Eddie?" I tried again.

"Did you hear that?" He whispered.

"Hear what? Eddie, _what?"_ I demanded feeling my frustration and fear rise.

"Someone screamed. I heard it."

I frowned again. I hadn't heard anything.

"Are you sure? I mean Miss Connor just had twins. She lives not far from here-"

"I know what I heard!" He shouted, momentarily stunning me with his anger before he took off at a run. I followed him without hesitation, my senses on high alert just in case. We pounded across the deserted roads without another sound and I felt myself calm minutely. I was just relaxing when we neared the town centre I heard it; a terrified drawn out cry that was abruptly cut off.

"Oh God, Eddie!" I screamed as fear rose again in tenfold and I increased my pace. I was panting and my legs were screaming in protest but the adrenaline in my system kept me going.

"I know!" He bellowed before moving his legs faster so he was keeping pace with me. As we came closer to home the number of screeches increased as did my heartbeat.

"Please no," I sobbed, fear spiking my system. I knew what was going on I just didn't want to think it. It couldn't be happening, not here, not now.

Except it was. We rounded the corner to our street only to both come to a dead stop as horror consumed us. Four bodies lay in the street, their empty eyes staring impassively towards us, their skin deathly pale due to the lack of blood running through their veins. Miss Mackenzie, her daughter Kimberly and Eddie's parents.

"No!"

The cry was echoed from two directions. To my left from my best friend beside me who screamed it in denial and to my right from my mother who was in front of our house fighting two of the Strigoi I knew would be there, but wished with all my being weren't.

"Rose!" She screamed her eyes locking with mine and growing wild with panic. "Run! Get out of here now!"

I wasn't known for obeying my mom's orders but the desperation in her voice had me turning before I was conscious of the action. I grabbed Eddie's wrist and pulled him along with me. I think it was only his own shock that allowed me to move him and soon I had us stumbling along the path I had travelled down just half an hour earlier. When my world was complete and my mom...

Eddie seemed to suddenly realise what was happening and picked up the pace so he was dragging me along. I could hear his laboured breaths and knew the tears on his checks mirrored my own. We reached the mile mark and before I could remind him we both plummeted down the steep gorge in a mass of blood, sweat and tears. We landed crumpled in a heap at the bottom and I cursed violently when I felt the muscle in my ankle twist. Eddie clamped a hand over my mouth and I shut up as we huddled together in the dark listening to the distant screams as the dawn slowly broke and the silence came.

"They're all dead aren't they?" I whimpered as the sun's first rays touched us.

Eddie's muffled sob was the only conformation I needed and I sagged, feeling the shock and horror overcome me. I wanted to cry like my best friend, to have some sort of release but I couldn't. Instead I grew numb as we rocked together in our safe haven.

"What happens now?" I whispered as Eddie grew silent and the midday sun beat down on us. I was tired, so, so tired and I felt my eyelids drift shut as the adrenaline in my system finally burnt it's self out. My body ached but I ignored it as I leant against the rocky back wall and shut my eyes.

"I don't know Rose. I don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN/ Thanks for all the reviews :)**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Meade, I'm just toying with her characters. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

_Crack_.

My eyes flashed open and I gripped Eddie's hand even more tightly in mine. He groaned in his sleep and shifted slightly but his eyes never opened. I don't know how long we had been sitting there but judging by the shadows appearing we had slept most of the day after our energy burnt out.

I glanced around trying to find the source of the noise. It had sounded like a twig breaking and my first thought was that the Strigoi were still in the area and fear spiked. However the soft sunlight still making a gallant effort of breaking through the thick canopy above offered me some comfort. As long as there was still light we were safe.

So what made the noise?

I strained my ears and held my breath. The wind whispered around us, rustling leaves and I could faintly make out the sounds of the creek not so far away. But there was something else, a quiet undercurrent running through the forest that implied we weren't alone.

"Eddie," I murmured and shook him gently. His eyes opened sleepily in confusion before I watched the memories resurface and his eyes clouded over. I squeezed his hand and very slowly stood.

"Wha-?" I pressed a finger to my lips to halt his questions and comprehension slowly covered his features.

"Someone's here," I whispered as I straightened up. My muscles protested from being seated for so long but I ignored the ache and quietly stretched to loosen them up. Eddie mirrored my actions after a moment and his eyes darted back and forth across the area, his stature tense.

"Where from?" He asked quietly as he pulled me close in an obviously protective manner. If I wasn't so terrified I would have smiled.

I pointed up the steep side of the gorge from where I thought I had heard the noise.

"It sounded like someone just stepped on a twig," I murmured. "It's still daylight so it can't be..._them_. But it could be anyone else. Helpers or something."

Eddie nodded and took a couple of steps back in an attempt to see over the top of the steep ridge but it was too high even for his six foot frame. It was just too high.

"We need to climb up," he said at the same time I came to that conclusion. As much as what was up there scared me I knew realistically we couldn't stay at the bottom of this gorge forever. A few loose rocks and clumps of mud would substitute okay as footholds but the climb was still a good fifteen feet. Good thing I'm not afraid of heights.

"I'll go first," we said in unison and then looked at each other in quiet refusal.

"I'm lightest therefore I can judge how safe it is without your heavy weight weakening the traction plus I was the one who heard the noise and so hold the right to investigate it and you know there is no point in arguing as you never win as you should have already learnt by now," I finished in one breath and then drew some much needed air into my lungs. "So I'll go first?"

He just nodded a slight smile on his face. He was used to my rants and had learnt a long time ago to just go with it or face the consequences.

I latched onto a clump of brittle grass and Eddie gave me a leg up to start my climb. It was a lot more difficult that you would have thought it would be as the surface was nearly vertical and gravity's a bitch. A clump of earth gave out under my foot and I screeched as I suctioned myself to the cliff face.

"There goes our element of surprise," Eddie called up from below me and I scowled at the rock in front of me as if it were to blame. I regained my hold and managed to hoist myself up the remaining feet without further incident. As soon as I was over the ridge Eddie began his accent and was soon standing next to me his body posture indicating he was on guard and awaiting an attack.

"Where now?" I asked softly. I suddenly felt very _exposed_ after crawling out of our safe haven and I shivered although it defiantly wasn't from the cold.

"We head back. There might be people still...there might be people there. That's our best option."

I nodded even though everything in me was screaming to run in the opposite direction. I was scared about what I would find but I was even more terrified of what I wouldn't.

We set of slowly through the trees, not jogging as we had the day before but at a pace that could barely constitute as a walk. At some point I had reached out and gripped Eddie's hand and we were clinging to each other for support although neither of us acknowledged the fact. About half way home the hair on the back of my neck stood up and the feeling of being watched overwhelmed me. I struggled to act as if nothing had changed but my hold on Eddie's hand increased.

"We're being followed," I breathed and he nodded very slightly to show he understood. We made a conscious decision to keep our pace stead although every part of me was screaming to run. My heart was beating erratically and my palms were sweating. In all the years my mother had been training me for an attack just like this I had never so much as seem the enemy and I was quickly realising the reality was vastly different from the theory.

_Crack_.

I flinched as our follower stepped on another twig and my breathing sped up. My fingers were going numb from the death grip Eddie had on them, telling me he was just as freaked out as I was. The thought offered little comfort.

I nearly collapsed with relief when we rounded the last corner and the outskirts of town came into view. From here it looked no different than it did any other day and I could delude myself into thinking nothing had changed. It was nice for a moment before I shook the impossibility off with a scoff.

_Crunch_.

We both froze at the noise that came from our right. Only _a few feet_ to our right.

"Run," Eddie whispered and I nodded before we both broke out into a desperate sprint for the sunlight. The sound of pursuing footsteps did not go unnoticed by either of us. Just as we reached the edge of the trees and were about to break out into the safety of full sunlight a hand gripped the arm not latched to Eddie and I was yanked to a stop, causing my hand to be ripped from Eddie's.

I screamed.

All the fear, the grief and the anger I had kept suppressed since last night bubbled up through me and came out in that scream as I was whirled around. My instincts kicked in and I used the momentum to lash out at my attacker. My fist connected with flesh, coating my knuckles in coppery blood from both him and me. He was tall, taller than Eddie by nearly a foot and thickly built so I was momentarily gleeful that I had been able to harm him in any way before I mentally smacked myself and whirled around to escape again. I clamped down on Eddie's arm as he stood frozen staring at me and pulled him the last few feet into the sunlight. He soon took the hint and kept running alongside me until I was no longer pulling him.

Of course it was stupid to think we would get a reprieve as the footsteps continued to follow us into the lights and around the streets. With unspoken agreement we pointedly avoided the street we lived on not wanting to get distracted by what we might find there.

"He's obviously human or dhampir," exclaimed Eddie. "Maybe we should-"

"No," I cut him off, knowing where his thoughts were going. "Not until we know for sure."

"Then where are we going?" He huffed, slightly short of breath.

"Here." I rammed into his shoulder just as we turned onto North Durn Avenue causing him trip and fall behind the decorative hedge that lined the garden. I ducked down beside him and we both held our breath as the footsteps echoed past.

"Thank God," I muttered and leant back into the coarse grass, staring at the sky.

"He could have been trying to help us, you know." Eddie squatted beside me and gave me a reprimanding glare.

"Or they could have been trying to capture us and trade us for their own necks," I shot back. "We need to be sure."

"And how are we going to do that?" He asked. I ignored the condescending tone in his voice.

"By following _them_." I stood up and feeling like FBI agent or a sneaky ninja I peered around the corner to make sure no one was there before gesturing to Eddie to follow. He rolled his eyes but stood and followed me.

We headed in the direction the tall guy went, ducking behind bushes every now and again just to be on the safe side. With a sinking feeling I realised we were heading in the direction of my house and I steeled myself for what we would find.

What we found was surprising. There was no material littering the street, no torn off hinges and scattered furniture and thankfully no horrifically removed body parts. Even the four bodies that had previously been there were gone.

It was exactly the same.

In my mind that made it all the worse because nothing had changed. Not physically anyway. The houses and gardens were all the same but the people were gone and with it the homely and comforting atmosphere. It felt like a stranger to me.

"They're here," whispered Eddie pointing to the far end of the street where a gathering of people were. The man who followed us was there looking agitated and pulling on his hair, which I noticed was swept back into a low ponytail. The little trait made him seem more human, less dangerous, and I relaxed minutely.

"Let's get closer," I suggested. Slowly we crept forward until there was half a housing's width between us. We crouched low in the shadows and listened.

"They have to be around here somewhere," proclaimed a stern looking women with greying sandy hair. I saw the little tattoos on the back of her neck and nearly collapsed in relief.

"They're guardians," I exclaimed, probably a little too loudly as four sets of eyes swivelled in our direction.

We both froze unsure as to what we should do before Eddie hesitantly stood up to reveal himself. I hesitated before mirroring his actions. We stood in a deadlock for a minute; they surprised at our sudden reappearance and us unsure what to do. My fingers automatically wound through Eddie's and he squeezed my hand in support.

"What are your names?" Barked a middle-aged man with dark hair and what appeared to be a permanent sneer. I disliked him immediately.

"Nice try," I spat. "Who are you?" I wasn't about to give anything before I got some answers.

They all looked surprised at my outburst but composed themselves.

"This is Guardian Stan Alto, Guardian Grant Chase, Guardian Dimitri Belikov and I am Guardian Alberta Petrov." He woman spoke and indicated each person as she named them. Belikov was the man who had chased us and I felt a little smug and the busted lip he was now sporting.

"My mother is dead, our community, our _family_ has been _murdered_. I'm going to need a little more information than a list of names that mean nothing," I fumed.

Petrov nodded and looked almost sympathetic.

"Of course," she uttered. "But you should know you can trust us. We are Guardians from St Vladimir's, a school for Moroi and dhampir's such as yourselves. We train Guardians and give them an education before submitting them for placements based upon their results."

Well at least they weren't trying to eat us.

"But what are you doing here?" Eddie asked the golden question.

"We heard of the attack," Petrov explained. "We came to search for survivors and deal with the...er..."

"Bodies," I finished for her, my voice oddly void of emotions. "What did you do with them?" I asked wanting to know where my mom was. _Mummy..._

"They've been shipped to a morgue in Sacramento until their relatives can be tracked down, although judging on the size of the commune not all the bodies have been accounted for. We hope some have escaped but the others may not have been so lucky."

I shut my eyes at the implication, that people I knew and loved were now suffering a fate worse than death and would one day meet the wrong end of a sharpened stake.

"My mother," the words were out before I could stop them. "Is she dead?"

"Who was she? What did she look like?" Petrov asked her voice too gentle for my liking. My eyes flashed open just in time to see her expression clear of pity.

"Janine Hathaway," I spat, knowing the reaction the name would get. I wasn't disappointed when four sets of eyebrows rose in surprise. "I'm sure you know her."

"Janine was here?" Asked the sour-faced name. Alto, I think his name was.

"She lived here," I hissed and felt briefly smug at the disbelieving expressions. Eddie squeezed my hand in warning but it did little to damper my anger. "I'm her daughter. Rosemarie Hathaway."

"That's ridiculous," dismissed Chase with a wave of his hand. "Why would such a great Guardian demote herself to bloodwhore?"

I growled at him, hating the contempt in his voice.

"You don't know anything!" I shouted finally loosing the lid on my anger. "Do not judge us because you don't fucking understand. My mother's _dead_ and all you care about is how she chose to live her life after what my father did to her!"

There was an angry retort shinning in his expression but Petrov cut across him.

"You're right, we don't understand and thus we won't judge you. But you need to collect any belonging you want so that we can leave."

"Leave?" Eddie asked while I stared at her dumfound. Why would we _leave?_

"Yes," she said patiently as if talking to a small child. Eddie bristled and his hold on my hand tightened. "We're taking you back to the school with us."

"What about my mother?" Eddie spat, his own anger now coming out. "I have to...I have to..._bury_ her!"

Petrov regarded him silently before nodding.

"We can make arrangements. What's your name?"

"Eddie Castile," he answered. "My mom's Cecilia. I know she's dead. I saw..." He trailed off and I squeezed his hand as he looked at his feet, the memories still too fresh to revisit.

"And mine," I added. "I need to say goodbye."

This time they all looked at me with pity and I stared at them uncomprehendingly with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry Rosemarie but Janine wasn't found amongst the dead." Petrov said quietly.

"What? Of course she was. There was no way she could have survived that..." I trailed off when Eddie wrapped an arm around my shoulders seeming to understand something I didn't. But she had to be dead because the only other option was...was...

My mother was a Strigoi.

**AN/**

**Leave me some love...or hate :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN/ Thanks for all the reviews!**

**FYI, rating's gone up. There is going to be a lot of swearing in upcoming chapters. And violence, I'd imagine.**

**:)**

**Oh and **_**UnderworldVampirePrincess? **_**You have your PM turned off so I can't reply to you, but yeah go right ahead :)**

**Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Mead. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

We were directed towards a number of waiting cars and Eddie and I clambered into the back. The guy that had chased us – Belikov – slid into the driver's seat and grouch-face Alto got into the passenger side. After my revelation I had fallen into a sort of numb stupor and let Eddie dictate our next move. Without another option we had agreed to travel to Montana to set up camp at the school before we processed our next move. The..._bodies..._would be dealt with at a later date – they wouldn't be released for another week at least.

The pitying looks the two guardians kept shooting me in the rear view mirror should have annoyed me but my emotions appeared to have gone on vacation. Even Eddie systematically squeezing my hand and stroking my hair had little effect on me.

The car started and I watched the scenery wiz by. Everyone was silent, lost in their own thoughts. Another car was following behind us with the two other guardians and three empty seats. We were the only dhampirs found alive.

The sun became blistering as we approached midday and Eddie reached across me to wind down the window. I turned to look at him as my stupor lifted slightly and he smiled encouragingly at me. It was a nice sentiment but the worry and pain on his face ruined it.

"So much for your hot date, huh?" I whispered, finally breaking the silence after who knows how many hours.

He laughed tightly, the sound echoing relief and grief. I leaned over and buried my face in his shoulder, allowing him to wrap his arm around my shoulder. I sighed, my body relaxing ever so slightly at the familiarity of his touch.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"No," I answered bluntly, truthfully. "I wish she was dead."

"She is."

The harsh reply came from the front of the car and my head snapped up, a glare already in place on my face. Alto was watching me over his shoulder, his face twisted in disgust. At me? Or at the situation? Either way it made my blood boil. Belikov shot him a warning look before getting out the car. I hadn't even realised we'd stopped.

"No she isn't," I hissed. "She's a Strigoi. There's a difference!"

The sneer on his face became more pronounced as he looked at me condescendingly.

"What is one without the other? She feels no emotion, her body is ice cold and her eyes glow with the heat of the fiery pits of hell. If that isn't the definition of a demon, then pray tell me little girl, what is?"

"I know she's fucking changed!" I shouted. "But she's not dead!"

Alto snorted and shook his head causing the fury in me to mount further.

"She's as good as. Honestly, she was better of a filthy bloodwhore. I guess the great Janine Hathaway has sunk to levels not even she thought she could reach. Not that she didn't try. Becoming a frequent Moroi chew-toy, it's disgusting."

Something snapped and, faster than even I could comprehend, my fist connected with his nose. There was a satisfying crack followed by blood spurting from the wound.

"You bitch!" He yelled but I was already gone. After forcefully yanking the door open I was off, ignoring the calls from Eddie and Belikov to come back. We had stopped and a filling station off the side of the road. There was tarmac on one side and dense shrubbery on the other. I headed for the countryside.

I knew they would follow me; I wasn't stupid. But I needed to get out of that stuffy little car with that insufferable dickhead. I just needed out. I just needed...I just needed...

My mom. I needed my mom.

"Rosemarie! Stop!"

I knew the voice. It wasn't Eddie or Alto, but Belikov judging by the Russian accent lacing his tone.

Automatically my feet slowed until I was walking. The footsteps pounding behind me also slowed until I could feel him right behind me.

"What happened?"

I snorted, I couldn't help it. I looked over my shoulder at him, giving him a clear _are-you-serious_ look. He grimaced and looked contrite. It was then I noticed how young he was, early twenties at most. His whole manor was uncertain, as if he had little experience with emotional teenage girls. It created a strange feeling of comfort.

"Why did you run?"

There went the feeling of comfort. I scowled at him before collapsing in a heap in the dirt. He hesitated before lowering himself beside me. I could feel his eyes on me but I avoided his gaze.

"I know what you all think of me," I said quietly. Even to my ears my voice sounded dead. "That I'm a whore who'll trade her body and her dignity for her next fix. But I'm not. I'm not free and easy and either was my mother! You don't understand –"

"I understand better than you might think," he interrupted me. "I was raised in a dhampir commune before I entered the guardian course in Russia. I know what it's like to see your family used and abused by so many men, so many countless faces-"

"It wasn't like that! She didn't _need_ it! She wasn't an addict! She _chose_ to live her life that way. And I don't understand what the world's problem is with that! No one was getting hurt! And yet everyone looks down on us, calls us sluts, whores, disgusting, worthless..." I trailed off feeling the sharp sting of Alto's words all over again. Of the moment when I realised they might be dhampirs but they were _nothing_ like me.

Belikov looked confused. I didn't realise I had lifted my head during my rant until I registered his expression.

"What do you mean you see nothing wrong with it? You much realise offering yourself up like that is degrading and-"

I cut him off again with a hollow laugh, not wanting to add another name to my list of insults today.

"You're just the same as the rest of them. You might have been raised in a commune but you're as disgusted by us as the rest of them. And you think you understand! Is your mother dead? Did you watch her fighting for her life as the bodies of her..._our_...friends, family and neighbours lay _dead_ around her! You don't fucking understand because you weren't there!" I exploded and leapt to my feet again as anger rages through me, igniting my bones.

Belikov jumped up beside me and reached out in an obvious move to restrain me. I batted away his hands and glared at him.

"I don't want your pity! I don't want your help, or you _understanding_, or your comfort! I want...I want..."

"Your family back," he finished for me, remorse shining clearly in his face. A sob bubbled up in my throat and I hated that my eyes were wet. Hated that I wanted Belikov to reach out and hold me, to offer me _some _comfort. Hated myself for not helping during the fight. Hating myself for not staying to die. Hating.

The whirlwind of emotions left me feeling lightheaded and exhausted. I wanted to go home, crawl into bed and pretend none of this ever happened.

"I know," Belikov said softly. I glanced up at him questioningly.

"I know you want to go back and change things," he explained. "I know you want everything to be different and I don't doubt that you are beating yourself up continuously but you have to know _you did the right thing_. If you hadn't had run, you would be dead. That's the truth of it and you need to understand that. You can't live with that regret, you'll drown in it. You have to let it go."

His soft expression and warm eyes were so out of sorts with his physique that I was momentarily stunned before reality hit home.

"I can't," I whispered brokenly. "My mother's a Strigoi; I can't just let that go. I can't just let _her_ go."

"We have time," he replied. "You will in time."

I nodded holding in the doubt I felt. I couldn't ever see there being a time when I didn't hate, hurt or regret.

"I saw Guardian Alto's bloody nose," he changed the subject. "What did you do? Or should I say what did _he _do?"

I scowled at the slightly amused expression on his face.

"He insulted me and my mother. I won't let her be ridiculed, even if you don't approve of her life choices. He needs to learn some damn respect."

His expression flattened into a blank mast and he didn't comment. That just infuriated me more and I kicked the ground causing a small dust cloud to swarm up around us.

"Rose!"

My head snapped to the left and I breathed a sigh of relief when I was Eddie coming through the trees. He wrapped me in a tight hug when he reached me before pulling back and grinning at me.

"You broke his nose!" He exclaimed, a proud expression on his face.

I snorted and smiled reluctantly. Easily amused...

"He deserved it though. I would have slugged him too," he added more seriously before turning to Belikov. "The other car's drawn up. Petrov and the other one...?"

"Chase." I supplied helpfully. Eddie always was terrible at remembering names.

"Chase, right. They're waiting for us. Apparently they want to sort out arrangements for tonight."

"Arrangements?" I questioned. "For what?"

"We can't travel at night – it's too dangerous. It's going to take at least three days before we reach St Vladimir's. We need to stop for the night," Belikov explained. I couldn't help but notice his voice was completely vacant of emotion compared to the soft way he had just spoken to me. Maybe he was bi-polar.

I sighed but understood the logic of it. Slowly we headed back to the cars, Belikov leading purposefully with me and Eddie trailing behind. Eddie kept shooting me questioning looks but I just shook my head.

We entered the service station and I felt triumphant when I saw Alto holding a rapidly reddening cloth to his face. His eyes were murderous as they settled on me but I ignored him and grinned cheekily.

"Don't you like my reformation of your face? Thousands of women pay for nose jobs every year and you got yours for free. You could at least say thank you."

Alto's glare would probably send most people running but being brought up by my mom had hardened me against such things.

Eddie tried to cover his laugh behind me but ended up nearly chocking. I grinned as he squeezed my hand in praise.

"When you're quite finished." Petrov's voice brought us to attention. She was leaning against a car looking stern but there was a slight twitch in her lip that suggested she was finding this amusing as well. "We need to get going."

I nodded before a horrifying thought occurred to me.

"I am not sharing a room with him!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at Alto's mutilated face.

Petrov rolled her eyes and huffed in obvious annoyance.

"We'll be sharing connected rooms between all six of us. We can sort it out later. Get in the car Rosemarie."

"Rose," I corrected her. Only my mom called me Rosemarie and even then only when she wanted to murder me. Or I hadn't cleaned my room.

"Rose," she repeated with a nod. "Get in the car."

I complied and we set off again before pulling up to a small motel. It was clean enough and thankfully there were no suspicious marks on the bed sheets so we settled in for the night, Eddie, Petrov and myself in one room with the others in the next.

The rest of the journey passed uneventfully. Most of the three and a half day ride was silent, with only talk of where we were going to stop and the murmured conversations between Eddie and me. Alto gave me a wide berth but glared at me continuously from a distance. His broken nose was now accompanied with two black eyes but I couldn't find it in myself to feel sorry. I just didn't.

The weather changed as we travelled north making me long for the heated warmth of home. Both Eddie and I were miserable and the weather only further dampened our spirits.

We pulled off the freeway and down a dirt road. The car lurched but that wasn't what caused the suddenly ill feeling in my stomach. I knew. Even before the tall gothic building came into view and our car slid through the wrought iron gates. I knew.

We had arrived.

**AN/ Let me know what you think!**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN/ Thank-you all for the reviews! Your support means everything. **

**Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Mead. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

The building was impressive. Spiked roofs and greying stonework gave it a gothic, other-worldly appearance but the warm light spilling some of what I assumed were dorm windows gave it a comforting feel rather than a sinister atmosphere. It dominated the skyline with its sharp angles and edges, like those you expected to see on English Manor houses, occupied by severe Matrons and the odd ghost.

The car pulled into a parking bay Belikov cut the engine. The other car drew up beside us and Alto and Petrov stepped out. I clambered out into the weak sunlight after Eddie and short him a questioning look. He shrugged and nodded, showing his apathetic approval and I squeezed his hand in response. It wasn't the building I was concerned about, so much as the people and what their attitudes towards us would be.

The guardians set off towards what looked like the main entrance and we followed behind quietly. There was a running track to the east of the building and what looked like a separate building to the west. Maybe the elementary school? A thick wooded area blocked the view to the road behind us, giving the impression we were blocked in. Or the rest of the world was blocked out.

There were no people around, which wasn't surprising seeing as it was the middle of the day and most of the vampire world ran on a night time schedule. Alto and Chase separated from us as we entered the building, presumably to head to their rooms or their next shifts. I wasn't exactly sad to see them go.

Petrov and Belikov lead us through corridor after corridor where we only encountered a few curious glances from Guardian's on guard before they returned to their stations.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice echoing down the empty hallway.

"The headmistress wants to meet with you and discuss your future options," Petrov explained briskly. She was defiantly a no-nonsense kind of person but it wasn't exactly in an intimidating kind of way. She just preferred to get to the point as quickly as possible and get the job done. Although I didn't doubt she could be scary when she wanted to be – she was a guardian after all.

We were silent for the rest of the walk, Eddie and I looked around us inquisitively, until we stopped outside a set of large double oak doors with brass handles and a brass plaque. The words MISTRESS E. KIROVA were ingrained into it.

"Kind of pretentious isn't it?" I muttered in distaste as Belikov knocked. Eddie snorted beside me and nudged my shoulder playfully.

We were ushered into what I would imagine a college dean's study would look like. Everything was either green leather, solid oak or plush carpet. Another two guardians stood on guard on opposite walls, their faces stony and unemotional. I thought it was a bit over the top considering _they_ had invited _us_ here, but whatever.

An old spindly-looking Moroi woman with greying hair and a pinched face sat behind the large, oak desk, watching us expectantly. Her hands were clasped together in front of her as she scrutinised us with dark eyes.

After a beat of awkward silence (at least on my part) she told us to sit and Eddie and I took up residence in the seats opposite her. Petrov and Belikov mirrored the other guardians against the wall with their hands clasped behind their backs and their faces expressionless.

"You're names?" asked Kirova with a sharp tone. I got the impression she saw us more as an inconvenience than anything else. All the same we told her our names and waited for her to give us _some_ indication as to what we were there for.

"What we need to decide is what we are going to do with you now," she said eventually. I barely contained the _no shit_ that was on the tip of my tongue.

"The way I see it you have two options," she continued in the same sharp voice. "One we can find you a home with a willing family until you turn eighteen and you can live on your own, or two; you can stay here at the academy until the end of the semester."

"Stay _here?_" I exclaimed in surprise, my eyes going wide. Eddie shifted beside me and grabbed my hand, conveying his own shock. "And train to be guardians?"

Kirova snorted, the disdain evident in her expression. My hopes plummeted and I glowered at her as she tilted her head to the side patronisingly.

"Dhampirs train for years to reach the level they need to, to be responsible for a Moroi life. There is no point in putting you into the guardian training for a few short months; you would be utterly useless as a defence against our enemies. You would have acquired only the very basic fighting skills if that and we need the best combatants to defend our weaker race. You would be inadequate to fill that important roll."

I bristled at her condescending tone and narrowed my eyes.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" I hissed. Kirova's eyebrows rose in obvious surprise at my tone and the guardians along the wall shifted as if reminding me of their presence. Eddie squeezed my hand sharply under the desk but I ignored his warning, although I did calm my tone. "I'm Rosemarie _Hathaway_. As in _Janine Hathaway's daughter_. I've been taught how to fight since I could walk. My mother wanted me to have the choice of becoming a guardian if I so wished it. I know how to fight."

The shock on Kirova's pasty face was enough to put a smile on my face, albeit a bitter one. Yes my mother, the famous guardian had demoted herself to the revolting level of a bloodwhore. Was it wrong that I was actually getting used to that reaction?

"And you?" She asked, breaking the tense silence that followed my words. Her eyes rested on Eddie with a wary curiosity.

"My mother was Cecilia Castile. She was never a guardian but Janine often let me train with her and Rose. I have the basic training..." Eddie trailed off uncertainly, wondering if that was the answer Kirova wanted to hear or not.

"Then it's your choice; do you wish to stay here at St. Vladimir's School or not?"

Eddie immediately replied affirmative while I thought about it a little first. Did I really want to be a guardian? I hesitated before nodding my yes.

Kirova regarded me silently while rubbed her temples then sighed before dropping her hands to the desk. She watched us for another tense minute before seeming to come to a decision.

"You'll need to be assessed. If your skills are not up to par we will immediately remove you from the guardian programme. As it is you will need extra training sessions and intensive theory training. You might know how to fight but you don't know how to _guard_. You'll need to work on that."

I nodded again, my heart beating faster with excitement and anticipation. Eddie's grip on my hand tightened and I could see him grinning out of the corner of my eye. He had wanted this for so long and although it wasn't something I had ever desired to do, I wanted this now. I wanted to be ready next time, to defend myself and my..._charge._ I wanted to kill the bastards that took my mother away from me. I wanted to be a guardian.

I missed the rest of what Kirova said because I was so absorbed in my own thoughts. It wasn't until Eddie stood beside me and pulled me to my feet that I realised we were being dismissed.

"Your assessment will be scheduled for tomorrow and then we will set up the appropriate class list for you both. Until then Dimitri will show you to your dorm rooms."

I grinned and nodded then followed Belikov out the door. Once we were out the room Eddie hugged me tightly, smiling broadly.

"At least all those hours of hard labour are going to pay off now," he joked no doubt remembering the numerous times I had complained about the regimes my mother put me through. Funny how I could look back on them and smile now when at the time I had hated every second.

"Hurry up," snapped Belikov from half way down the corridor. He had a scowl on his face that only seemed to deepen when I grinned at him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, _Dimitri_," I stressed his name, deliberately taunting him. He glowered at me before turning around and setting off down the hallway again.

"I would be careful how you speak to people around here _Rosemarie_. You're the fresh meat and people won't hesitate to put you in your place," he bit back. I glared at his back as Eddie silently laughed beside me.

"My place is on top, as always," I quipped back and then mentally face-palmed as Eddie broke out into snickers beside me. I refused to let them see me blush so I glared at the floor and hid behind my hair.

"That's where you're wrong _Rosemarie_. At the moment you're on the bottom. You want to be on top? You have to earn it." Okay, you'd have to be blind, deaf and stupid to miss in innuendo in _that_ sentence and I couldn't believe straight-faced Guardian Belikov was saying these things to me, and in front of a witness. Maybe he really _was _bi-polar.

"Dick," I muttered under my breath but Belikov somehow still heard me. He shot me a _watch-it_ look over his shoulder before pushing through a set of double doors into what looked like a common room area. There were couches and bean bags situated haphazardly around a wide-screen T.V. Games consoles and book lined littered the floor along with stray pieces of clothing and empty food boxes. It was homely, lived in.

A reception-style desk was situated to the left with an elderly Moroi man with whips of white hair and a heavy wrinkled face behind it. I assumed he was the night porter if his uniform and name tag was anything to go by. He looked tired and bleary-eyed, although I couldn't really blame him seeing as it was four in the morning for him.

"I need a list of unoccupied rooms," Belikov instructed him. "Dhampirs. One male, one female."

The porter nodded and after shooting us a curious look, rummaged through a pile of papers and withdrew two. He handed them to Belikov, along with two sets of keys with a number on them. Belikov handed one to each of us and led us to the right, up a winding set of stairs.

"You're on the top floor, second door on the left," Belikov told me while scanning the sheets of paper. "Your bags will be sent up sometime later today. Get some sleep."

I nodded and after a quick hug and a soft goodnight to Eddie, preceded up the stairs. Belikov lead Eddie off to the right, towards what I assumed was the male dorm rooms. I shivered a little at the sudden quiet and loneliness before jogging up the stairs and finding the right door.

The room was bland and basic; a double bed with white sheets, cream walls, a brown carpet, and basic wooden furniture. There was a door to the left which lead to a small bathroom that thankfully had two fluffy towels on the handrail. I turned on the shower and stripped off before stepping into the warm water. My muscles seemed to relax on impact with the heat and I leant my head against the cool tiles, letting the water cascade over me and wash away the dirt of the past few days.

When the water started to run cold I turned the shower off and stepped out. I wrapped one of the fluffy towels around me and scrubbed my hair dry with the other. My hairbrush was in my bag so I ran my fingers through my hair briefly to rid it of the main knots. Not having any other option, I slipped my shirt back over my head and bundled the rest of my clothes into the hamper by the door.

Feeling refreshed I headed back into the bedroom and closed the curtains against the setting sun. I slipped beneath the bed sheets, my body immediately thankful I wasn't lying on another stiff motel mattress with Eddie snoring on one side of me and Petrov's brooding presence on the other.

I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling warm and content under the protection of the duvet. I tucked my legs up underneath me and buried my head deep into the pillows. The last thought I had before sleep swept me away was that things were defiantly about to get interesting.

**AN/**

**Leave me some feedback :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN/ Thanks for the reviews, your response means everything. **

**Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Mead**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

I woke dizzy and disorientated to a darkened room. I groaned and rolled over, fully intending to go back to sleep until I remembered black meant morning now and I reluctantly rolled out of bed. I went into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face to try and wake myself up. I glanced at the discarded jeans in the wash basket and contemplated putting them back on but then decided against it. I'd been wearing them for three days straight; I'd wait for my bags to be sent up.

I dried off my face then cleaned my teeth with the toothbrush in the holder. I hoped it was a new one and not one the last resident had left behind. That really would be gross.

I wandered back to the bedroom and realised without my bag there was very little I could actually do. With a sigh I flopped down on my bed again and stared at the ceiling. I felt confused, scared and hopeful all at the same time. I was in a strange place filled with people who I didn't know and I was going to be tested to see if I was worthy of becoming a guardian. The thought caused a knot of nerves and anticipation to form in my stomach and I fisted my hands on the bed sheet. I wanted this, wanted to fight, to protect others against those who had destroyed my life. I just hoped I was enough.

There was a knock at the door so I pulled myself up and went to answer it. There was a dhampir on the other side, his face impassive as he held out my bag for me. I smiled and said thanks but he only nodded curtly and turned away. I shut the door and sighed; were all guardians that emotionless? Unbidden the thought of Belikov's comfort and teasing came to my mind, making me think maybe some of them had hearts after all.

I shook off the thought as I tore into my bag and stripped out of my shirt. The clean clothes made me feel better almost at once as did the hairbrush. Bearing in mind I would no doubt be fighting at some point in the not-so-distant future I tied my hair back tightly in a ponytail. I sat down on the bed to pull my sneakers on just as another knock sounded on the door and it swung open. I glanced up, annoyed that someone had just barged into my room and glared at the cocky figure leaning in the doorway.

He was defiantly Moroi, judging by his tall, wiry body and pale skin. His hair was a brownish-red and his blue eyes held a devilish glint. He smirked at me as I quirked my eyebrows at him and I felt his gaze run over every inch of my body. I stood and smirked back at him, my gaze turning teasing.

"Can I help you?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

His grin widened and he shook his head slowly.

"Jesse Zeklos," he replied.

"Rose Hathaway," I responded with a slow grin. "But that doesn't explain why you're in my room."

"I've come to bring you down to the gym. Apparently you've got a date with a Russian."

My grin faltered slightly as the nerves returned. _Now?_ Thanks for the warning...

"Alright, lead on gallant knight."

I grabbed a bag of gym clothes and followed him out the door, locking it securely behind me. We turned right and headed down the stairs. There were a few people in the common room who turned and stared as we went past, their expressions ranging from curiosity to disgust.

"What's their problem?" I muttered at a particularly bitchy group of girls who were scowling at me and muttering amongst themselves.

"You're from the dhampir commune, right?" Asked Jesse. I didn't ask how he knew that – this was high school, gossip travelled fast.

"Yeah..." I said slowly. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Jesse shrugged and shot me a sly grin.

"They don't approve of blood whores. They think they're dirty and beneath them. Don't worry though, I don't mind the lifestyle. Whatever gets you off..." He trailed off, his eyes raking me up and down again.

"I'm _not_ a bloodwhore," I snapped. It was true. Despite my mother's habits and the general attitude towards blood and sex in the commune, I was still one of the few virgins in the town and I had never let anyone take blood from me before. Not that I was opposed to the idea just that it hadn't happened yet.

Jesse never had a chance to reply as Eddie turned up, grinning and swinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Ready to kick some ass Rosie?" He exclaimed, the excitement and nervousness clear in his expression.

"Aren't I always?" I smiled back, feeling myself relax in his familiar presence.

He laughed and squeezed me before dropping his arm. His gaze went to Jesse and his gave me a questioning look.

"Eddie Castile," he introduced himself. Jesse gave him and up-and-down look, smirked and replied in kind.

"Shall we get going?" I asked after a moment of silence. They both nodded and Jesse led us down a series of corridors, pointing out rooms along the way. I became distinctly aware I hadn't yet eaten when we passed the cafeteria and my stomach gave a loud rumble. They both laughed at me as I scowled and ducked my head.

"Here's the gym," stared Jesse as we came to a stop outside a set of large double doors. "I'll leave you to it." He turned to leave before he paused and flashed me another grin. "And Rose? If you get beat up, come find me and I'll be more than willing to play doctor."

I smirked back, finding stability in the easy flirting.

"I just might hold you to that," I replied. He laughed then turned and was gone.

I turned back towards the doors and met Eddie's disapproving gaze.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"You shouldn't encourage him like that; he's a scumbag."

I snorted. And here comes the over-protective older brother...

"I'm serious Rose," he continued. "That guy's bad news. He only wants one thing."

"How can you possible know that? You don't know him," I reasoned, growing irritated by his behaviour.

"I know enough," he snapped back. "Do yourself a favour and stay away from him."

I sighed, frustrated and turned away from him.

"I'm not doing this now," I lamented. "We've got more important things to be doing." I gestured towards the doors and without further ado pushed them open and march inside like I owned the place. I could feel Eddie's annoyed stare on my back but I ignored him, getting my head in the game.

There were three Guardians waiting for us; Belikov, Petrov and another I didn't know. He was tall with short, brown hair and blue eyes. He couldn't have been much older than Belikov judging by his young face and the boyish glint in his eyes. He grinned at us as we approached while the others remained stony faced.

"Hathaway, Castile," snapped Petrov, her no-nonsense attitude coming out to play. "Pick a mat," she gestured to the mats laid out on the floor. "You have twenty minutes to warm up."

We nodded and I went to get changed. I emerged quickly and started with the normal stretches before jogging lightly round the edge of the room. Eddie soon joined me and we were soon racing against each other, sprinting up and down the room.

"That's enough!" Barked Petrov and we came to a stop, grins on our faces. "Hathaway, you'll be with Guardian Belikov. Castile, Guardian Tanner." We all nodded and took up opposing positions on the mats. Belikov met my gaze but didn't smile. He face was blank, giving nothing away, which for some reason annoyed me. Would it kill him to show a little emotion?

"I only want you to defend yourselves for now, no attacking manoeuvres. We'll keep going until you're forced off the mat. I'll be observing your form and agility. No doubt you'll be rough around the edges but if you have the potential then we can work with that. Go."

I was startled by the sudden movement from Belikov but instinctively lurched my arm up so his blow landed on my forearm rather that my ribs. He didn't falter and swung again this time with his left arm. I took a half step back and sidestepped to avoid punch. He repeated the movement and I sidestepped again, the side of my foot brushed up against the edge of the mat. Belikov grinned slightly and stepped forward, obviously expecting me to sidestep again and move off the mat, but I didn't. Instead of moving back I took a step towards him and swiftly ducked under his arm. His balance wavered slightly at my unexpected move and he swung around, the surprise evident on his face. I grinned at him cockily as he stepped towards me and I blocked his blow again. We continued like that: step, blow, block until we were both panting. My defence wasn't perfect and he managed to land a few sharp jabs to my ribs which I knew would hurt like hell in the morning but otherwise I was fine. Better than fine, I was exhilarated and I couldn't keep the grin off my face. I was nailing this.

"Alright, that's enough!" Albert called and I turned towards her, panting and confused. I looked down at my feet. Yup, still planted firmly on the mat. I looked back up at her and scowled.

"But I didn't fall," I protested, my hands on my hips. "That's not fair."

"Rose," she said with an uncharacteristic smile. "You've been going at it for half an hour. I don't think you were _going_ to fall and we need to move on."

My eyes widened in surprise and I looked at Eddie for confirmation. He nodded and grinned, his own face flushed, implying he hadn't long stopped either.

"Damn," I muttered before a slow, triumphant grin spread over my face.

"Right, same again this time," barked Petrov, her normal demeanour returning. "Except this time you'll be attacking and the Guardians defending. Go!"

I turned and grinned at Belikov before we stepped back into position. We started up our dance again except this time in reverse positions. Step, blow, block. Step, blow, block. However he was more skilfully trained than I was and so I never managed to land a full punch to his torso. My breath was coming in sharp pants as I felt my frustration rise, my grin long forgotten and my brow furrowed in concentration. I could do this!

I aimed low, using his height against him – he really was freakishly tall – but he stepped back and avoided the hit. However his step took him that much closer to the edge of the mat. He didn't seem to notice, his eyes trained on me and my every movement but I grinned as a plan started to form in my head and I took a half step back. His brow creased and his eyes flickered between my hands which I kept tensed at my sides. I twitched my right wrist to get his attention and as expected his left arm started to come up in defence. There was no doubt he would have been able to block the blow had I thrown it but that wasn't my intention.

Instead I jumped on him.

The little room my step back gave me allowed me to gain the momentum I need to lurch myself forward. When my body came in contact with his, I laid my hands flat against his chest and pushed as hard as I could. His eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back and off the mat.

Of course, what _I_ didn't expect was him to lose his balance and instinctively grab hold of the nearest available object for support; ie. me.

His hands wrapped around the tops of my arms and had I been any bigger, I'm sure he would have been able to find his footing. As it was my 5"4 frame wasn't enough to support his 6"7 height and consequentially we both collapsed in a heap on the floor. Or should I say, Belikov was on the floor and I was _on his chest_.

His quiet "Oof" blew his breath into my face and made it momentarily hard to breathe. His sent surrounded me, something exotic and spicy mixed with something that was distinctly _man_. I felt my heartbeat increase and my face flush from more than excursion as the muscles in my stomach tightened with pulsing electricity. I swallowed as he shifted beneath me, his darkened eyes and trained directly on my face and his own breathing amplified.

God, I wanted to kiss him.

Wait, What?

A throat clearing behind us broke me from my trance and I leapt off of him as quickly as I could. Belikov climbed swiftly to his feet his face once again devoid of all emotion. I was both thankful and irritated.

"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you with that done, Dimitri!" Called Tanner from the other mat. He and Eddie still stood on their mat, both grinning at us.

"Don't I know it," Belikov muttered from behind me. I shot him and unappreciative glare over my shoulder before glancing up at Petrov.

She was mostly still impassive but there was something around the corner of her mouth that suggested she was barely containing a smile.

"Your mother taught you well, Rosemarie," she said with surprising gentleness. "And Mikhail is right Belikov, you will have your work cut out for you with this one."

"Does that mean..." I trailed off my excitement and fear rising again. I wanted this, I hoped I _had_ this.

"Yes Rosemarie, you're at a level suitable for enrolment. Both of you," she flickered her eyes over to Eddie. "Welcome to St Vladimir's. You start on Monday."

**AN/ **

**Let me know what you think!**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN/ Thanks so much for all your feedback :) **

**Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Meade. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

I think I squealed. I _know_ I did a fist-pump in the air. Eddie was on me a minute later, squeezing me for all his worth.

We did it! We did it!

_We got in!_

I clung to my best friend and vibrated in excitement. He was laughing loudly in my ear, no doubt in response to the incoherent noise coming out my mouth.

Petrov cleared her throat and we both turned to her, wide grins lighting up our faces.

"You'll be issued with timetables and the like tomorrow morning. Classes start at nine on Monday. You'll each need extra training lessons for an hour before classes begin. We'll sort it out and get back to you. For now go relax and get something to eat before your training begins. Enjoy it while you can, because the six months are going to be brutal for both of you. Go."

We obeyed and scuttled off to get changed. Still grinning manically we wandered towards the cafeteria, talking excitably about what the future would hold for us now. I felt exhilarated, achieved.

I pushed open the doors and we entered the canteen. It was the typical set up; long tables and fixed chairs with a long food counter off to one side. I navigated towards it, drawn by the scent of freshly baked goods. I grabbed three donuts off the counter and immediately stuffed one in my mouth, my stomach grumbling appreciatively. Eddie smirked but otherwise didn't comment and after grabbing his own food we searched for a table. I saw Jesse sitting at a table and started over towards him but Eddie caught my arm and dragged me in the opposite direction, muttering under his breath. I scowled at him but didn't fight. We headed towards a table with a few empty seats. I slid into a chair next to a pretty blond Moroi girl, who looked up in surprise as we sat down.

"Hey," I greeted her with a little wave before taking another bite out of my breakfast.

"Umm, hello?" She answered a little warily. She was looking at me as if I had grown a second head.

"I'm Rose," I supplied after swallowing. "And that's Eddie," I gestured as he slid into the chair opposite me. The dark haired boy on his left glanced up and gave him a nod before returning to his food. Obviously not much of a socialiser.

"Vasilisa...er Lissa," she replied nervously. I shoot her a confused look before taking another bite out of her food. "Are you new?"

"Yup," I replied with a nod. "We just enrolled today." I grinned, still reliving our recent triumph.

Her eyes widened and the boy's head shot up from where his gaze was previously focused on his plate.

"You're the bloodwhores?" he chocked out.

I froze at the same time Eddie stiffened in the seat opposite. My happy feeling immediately deflated and I was left feeling sick to my stomach. Was that always going to be what people said and thought when they saw us for the first time?

"Aaron!" Lissa hissed, shooting him reproachful glare. He just shrugged and stared between Eddie and myself like we were museum exhibits.

"Well are you?" He persisted.

"We're not fucking bloodwhores!" snapped Eddie, his eyes glinting dangerously. I very rarely saw him angry and the image made me shudder. "We come from a dhampir commune, you ignorant prick. That doesn't mean we'll let some desperate Moroi to sink their teeth into us at any given chance!"

He pushed back from the table abruptly, his face hard with all signs of his earlier mirth forgotten. Aaron slunk back in fear and glanced between us nervously.

"Come on Rose," he muttered suddenly looking tired. "Let's get out of here."

I couldn't get to my feet fast enough, my mortification making me stumble slightly. Eddie grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the room. I felt so humiliated I even left behind my last donut.

We stormed out of the building and into the dark night. I suddenly felt very homesick and longed for the sunlight and warmth of California.

"How dare they?" Eddie spat and kicked the ground forcefully, spraying up a cloud of dry earth. "What right do they have to judge us? They know nothing about us. _Nothing!_"

"I know," I replied quietly, not thinking clearly enough to say anything else. _Bloodwhore, bloodwhore, bloodwhore._ The word beat against the inside of my skull like a drum, drowning out the rest of the world.

Eddie continued to rant while he took his frustration out on the ground and the trees around us. I stood stonily by his side, lost in my own thoughts. I suddenly felt very cold, though I don't think it had anything to do with the temperature.

It took me a while to realise Eddie had fallen silent and when I looked up he was watching me sadly. I smiled weakly at him and he sighed.

"You okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice and on his face. I shrugged and nodded, avoiding his gaze and stared blankly out towards the dense forest.

"We should go back in," he said softly, offering me his hand. I hesitated then shook my head slowly.

"I just want to be on my own for a bit," I explained at his confused look. He looked torn, obviously not wanting to leave me but eventually nodded and dropped his hand.

"Come find me later, okay?" he said and kissed my forehead before heading back inside.

I felt his absence immediately, shuddering at the sudden aloneness. I sighed and turned in the opposite direction, heading into the trees. I needed time to think, to process what had just happened. _You're the bloodwhores? Bloodwhore, bloodwhore, bloodwhore._

I despised that word. It was demeaning and degrading and made dhampir look cheap and dirty. My mother might have given blood during sex, but she wasn't a whore! I didn't understand people's abhorrence towards it. If it was consensual and both parties were gaining pleasure from the experience, then really what was so wrong about it? With the amount of sick, twisted sex acts people practiced in this day and age, taking blood during sex was tame! At least the women weren't being beaten or shackled!

I huffed in aggravation and punched a tree, immediately regretting it when my knuckle split and started to bleed.

"Fuck," I cursed and cradled my throbbing hand to my chest. I glanced around, realising I had wandered further into the darkened trees that I first thought and noticed I couldn't see the lights from the school anymore.

"Just perfect," I muttered. "First day of school and I'm already lost. Perfect."

"You know, talking to yourself is a sign of insanity."

I jumped about a foot in the air and spun around, my heart beating frantically in my chest.

The voice chuckled from a few feet in front of me and I could just make out a tall figure in the dark, leaning up against a tree. I guessed he was Moroi as he'd obviously noticed me and their eyesight and hearing was much better than mine.

"I thought dhampirs were meant to always be on the lookout for an attack?" he contemplated smugly. "I think you're skills might need some work."

"Fuck you," I growled, not in the mood.

He laughed again and pushed away from the tree.

"Follow me," he directed before turning and walking away.

"Er, no," I replied slowly. "I am not going to follow the creepy stranger through the pitch black woods at night. I want to keep my life thank-you very much."

He paused and glanced back over his shoulder at me.

"The way I see it, you don't have much of a choice. You're the new dhampir girl right? Mary or something?"

"Rosemarie," I corrected. "Or Rose."

"Same difference. Anyway, I'm guessing by the slightly panicked look on your face that you have no idea where you are or where you're going. Thus, you either trust me or wander around in the dark for the next six hours until the sun rises. It's your call."

I scowled at but eventually sighed and agreeing that I didn't really have another option I followed him through the dense trees.

"You got a name then?" I asked after a beat of silence.

"Yup," he answered then kept on walking. I scowled at his back.

"And that would be...?" I growled.

He laughed, somehow amused at my tone and suddenly veered off to the left.

"Christian Ozera," he answered. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"And you know who I am?" I probed, wanting to know what everyone had been saying about me. About _us_.

He snorted and jumped over a fallen log.

"The whole school knows about you. You're from the dhampir commune, right? The only found survivors of the Strigoi attack." He said it so plainly that I couldn't help but balk.

"And that doesn't bother you?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"What? That you survived the attack? Why on earth would that bother me? If you weren't still kicking we wouldn't be having this charming conversation and I wouldn't get the chance to murder you in the deep, dark woods."

I gritted my teeth at his joke. Or at least, I hope he was joking. He was one of those people who put no real inflection on their voice when they spoke, so it was difficult to tell.

"Actually, about me coming from the dhampir commune. Everyone else seems disgusted by us. _You're the bloodwhores?_

"Nope, doesn't bother me," he replied lightly. "I'm not one to judge people by what I hear from gossip."

"Why?" I blurted out, my curiosity getting the better of me.

He stopped and turned towards me, his eyebrows raised. The trees were thinning out and I could make out his sharp facial features. His hair was dark – either brown or black – but his eyes were burning bright, probably blue. And they were burning into me.

"Why?" he repeated. "Because my parents turned Strigoi when I was five and tried to raise me until I was old enough to be turned as well. Every day I have to look at my peer and know that each and every single one of them is just waiting for the snap, for the moment when I reveal my true nature and do turn. I know what it's like to be judged before you even meet someone, so I tend to remain open-minded before I get to know someone."

I was stunned speechless by his brutal honestly and also by the bitter tone to his words. Obviously he had been on the receiving end of unfair discrimination all too often. I ducked my head, avoiding his gaze.

"Sorry," I mumbled, hoping he knew I meant it.

He sighed and shook his head.

"Come on," he muttered and turned away. "We're here."

I glanced around us, seeing nothing but more trees.

"Umm..." I trailed off, suddenly wondering if he had led me on a wild goose chase. Then I noticed the small wooden cabin nestled in the trees and my heartbeat started to race, images of kidnap flashing through my mind.

He rolled his eyes at me.

"My aunt stays here when she come to visit," he explained. "I figured we should clean your hand up first."

I blinked, having forgot about my mashed up knuckles but was suddenly once again aware of the dull ache in my hand and nodded.

He opened the door, which wasn't locked, and flicked on a light switch. It was little more than a two-room hut with a bed and kitchen in one room and a bathroom in the other. Small but cosy, if you didn't mind the leg cramp.

He fetched a first aid kit and set about cleaning my wound. I could have easily done it myself but I was more than a little bit in shock at his kindness.

"So how long have you been coming here?" I asked as he finished wrapping my wrist in a bandage.

"Here, here? Or the school?"

"The school," I clarified.

"Since I was about eight. My aunt, Tasha, rescued me from my parents and sent me here."

"Wow," I whispered, imagining a Moroi woman fighting her immortal enemies for her nephew.

"Yeah, Tasha's pretty amazing," he answered softly, obviously knowing where my thoughts had gone. He glanced up ay me then, his eyes cautious. I noticed they were blue, a stark contrast to his black hair.

I smiled at him, feeling strangely relaxed in his presence. I think we could be friends.

"We should get going," I said after a beat of silence. He nodded and stood, allowing me to leave before him. I waited for him to shut up and then followed him through the forest again. The school soon came into view and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, how come you're not in class?" I asked, the thought only just occurring to me. He grinned, his eyes sparkling.

"I'm skipping," he answered.

"Rebel," I quipped and smiled when he snorted.

"I better get going though or they'll come looking for me," he sighed as we entered the building.

I nodded, somewhat depressed that he was leaving; I liked his company.

"See ya, Rose." He offered me a half-hearted wave and walked off in the opposite direction before I could respond. I sighed and decided to make my way back to my room. Maybe the common room would be empty and I could watch a film without the disgusted and curious gazes burning into me.

I managed to navigate my way back towards the dorms without much of a problem, which was surprising seeing as I had no sense of direction whatsoever. Honestly, it was lucky Christian had found me or I would have been wandering around the woods for days, whether I could see where I was going or not.

I pushed through the doors to the dhampir dorms, looking forwards to collapsing into one of the bean chairs and kicking my feet up. Maybe I could ever hunt down some nachos.

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when I lifted my head and realised I wasn't alone. Leaning against one of the walls was Lissa, her jade eyes trained on me, sparkling and remorseful.

**AN/ Little cliffy :)**

**You know the drill.**

**MJ**

**Xxx **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN/ Thanks so much for the reviews :) **

**Vampire Academy is the property of Richelle Meade...obviously. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

I stopped and crossed my arms across my chest, my defences immediately on high alert. I didn't even try to hide the contempt on my face.

"Can I help you?"

She flinched, her eyes wide and beseeching. She was tiny really, not short but incredibly fragile looking as her hands twisted in the cuffs of her striped jumper. I momentarily felt bad for acting so harsh before brushing the emotion aside, remembering she was a judgmental jerk just like the rest of them.

"Umm," her voice was soft, unsure. "I wanted to apologise for earlier. What Aaron said was totally out of line."

I snorted and rolled my eyes in disbelief.

"Are you serious? You're actually apologising for your boyfriend? That's just pathetic."

She seemed to harden at my words; her body stiffening and her jade eyes hardening.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" She snapped. My level of respect for her raised a notch for not simpering and backing down.

"I know you're a judgemental princess who doesn't like to get on anybody's bad side, hence why you're here now. And I know that you're one of those people who can't stand it when people don't like you. Honestly, I don't think I _want_ to know any more."

"You're right about one thing, I _am_ a Princess. Princess Dragomir."

I shouldn't have been surprised; most of the Moroi's in the school where of royal blood, but the name resounded in me. Everyone knew about the Dragomir family – how the line was dying out and how the only daughter Vasilisa was now the only one left following the car crash that killed her parents and brother.

But just because her family was dead didn't give her an excuse. I couldn't care less about her blood; what I cared about was what came out of her mouth and so far I wasn't impressed.

"I don't care who you are, I only care what you are and so far? All I see is a spoilt little rich girl who is stomping her foot after not getting her own way." I retorted.

Her face flushed; either in embarrassment or anger I wasn't sure. She ducked her head and stared hard at a point on the floor.

"You're right," she answered softly after a beat, surprising me. "And I'm sorry."

I stared at her, unsure what to say. Arguments and angry retorts I could deal with, but genuine regret? That was something new altogether.

"Umm, okay. Right." I finished lamely. I mean, what else was I meant to say to that?

"I mean it!" She added forcefully, her eyes back on my face. "I'm sorry that I was so judgemental towards you; you were right. I don't know you and you don't know me. But I think, if you want to, I'd...umm..._like_ to know you."

I deliberated for a second. Honestly, why should I? She hadn't shown one redeeming quality yet, but still there was something about her. A gentleness and likeability in her nature that drew me and I found myself nodding slowly in agreement.

Her sudden grin was startling; lighting up her whole face and hinting at the fangs underneath. She clapped her hands together in front of her and exhaled in relief.

"Yey! I mean, umm, great. Listen, there's a party tonight. Don't tell anyone, it's sort of on the down low, but you should come. It'll only be twenty of us or so, but it should be fun."

"I don't know," I hedged. "I don't really want to be put in the limelight. Especially since I'm the newbie."

"Oh come on," she whined and I swear to God she grew bambi eyes. "You need to meet people, to show them that you're not-"

She stopped abruptly and her face flushed but she didn't need to finish. I knew what she was going to say; _that you're not a bloodwhore_. And I wanted to tell her to shove her party and the pretentious pricks who were no doubt attending where the sun don't shine. And I would have if it hadn't been for that tiny voice of reason in the back of my mind that was telling me she was right. Because I honestly knew that people were going to see me as the dhampir girl who gave up her body and her blood for the adrenaline rush unless I proved them right. Human, dhampir or Moroi; high school was full of judgmental bastards.

"Alright," I relented. "I'll come. What time?"

Her whole body relaxed again and she smiled brightly.

"It starts at eight. I'll come by and pick you up. You're room 22A right?"

I didn't ask how she knew that, just nodded in acceptance. The bell rang and Lissa jumped before snatching her bag off of the floor.

"I have to go," she rushed. "I was able to skip study hall but I think they'll notice if I don't turn up to class. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, see ya," I waved, feeling a little startled by it all. How did us arguing turn into a party invite and a friendly goodbye? There was something weird about that girl.

I sighed and settled myself into one of the bean chairs in the – thankfully – empty common area. I flicked on the TV only to be assaulted with that God-awful twilight movie. I admit it, I read the books. They were awesome. Then they made the film and murdered the whole series with the constant publicity, screaming pre-teen fan girls and bad acting. Urk.

Frustrated, I flicked onto the music channels and resigned myself to a few hours of boredom. On the plus side someone had left an unopened bag of nachos on the floor which I made full use of.

At around six o'clock people started pouring into the room having just left the cafeteria. Full up on nachos I decided to skip the lunch hall and head upstairs for a shower before hunting down something to wear for tonight.

However, wrapped in a towel I soon discovered that I had nothing. Partying had been the last thing on my mind when I was packing and as a result most of my party wear was sitting in my wardrobe in my little house in California. I sighed and collapsed on the bed, resigned.

A loud banging on my door forced me upright and I glanced at the clock; seven. An hour early for the Princess. I shuffled off the bed and made sure my towel was securely around me before cracking open the door. I relaxed when I saw it was Eddie leaning impatiently against my door jam.

"Thank-god," I muttered before pulling the door open wider and letting him inside. He raised an eye at my lack of dress but didn't comment; he'd seen me in worse.

"I need your help," I told him once I'd shut the door. "I've been invited to a part and have no idea what to wear."

He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"And you're asking _me_. And where the hell is my invite?"

"You can come," I said quickly. "Just help me find something."

"Rose, I'm a guy. A heterosexual guy. I have _no idea_ what you should wear. Hell, what's wrong with what you had on before?"

"Ratty jeans and a hoody? Seriously? Urg, you're useless." I threw my clothes onto my bed, still seeing nothing but tank tops, sweat pants and jeans. "Why didn't I think to bring anything else?" I moaned.

Eddie sat on the bed and watched me with barely concealed amusement. "Oh the woos of your teenage life, eh?"

I shot him a look.

"Shut up."

He laughed before rummaging through the pile of clothes and pulling out a butterfly studded belt.

"Can't you just wrap this around your waist or something? I've seen girls do that..."

I glanced at the belt in his hand and then up and his confused face, suddenly gripped with the urge to hug him.

"Eddie you're a genius!" I snatched the belt off of him and hauled him off the bed. "Go and get me one of your shirts."

"I know...Wait, what?"

"One of your shirts. Either black or white, though white would probably work better. Please Eddie."

"Umm okay?" He replied looking thoroughly confused but I didn't bother explaining as he slipped out the door. I was searching frantically through my pile, hoping that I at least had a pair of leggings somewhere. I squealed when I found a pair of bright red ones that I couldn't remember actually buying, but they'd have to do. I slipped on my underwear and the leggings then all but wrestled the shirt out of Eddie's hands when he came back before heading into the bathroom to dress. Just as I'd predicted the shirt was long; falling to just above my knees and baggy but I was able to rectify that with the belt. It wasn't perfect but it would have to do; sort of retro.

"Eddie, I love you!" I exclaimed as I came out the bathroom and began to search for some pumps. He chuckled before pushing past me and jumping into my shower. I scowled at the door but decided not to put up a fuss, figuring I owed him one.

I eventually found the flats and managed to finish my hair and makeup by the time eight o'clock rolled around. Eddie had simply redressed in his previous clothes and ran a brush through his hair, much to my annoyance.

A timid knock on the door announced our chaperone's arrival. Lissa was dressed in tiny grey shorts and a long-sleeved top, looking innocent and sexy at the same time. I introduced her officially to Eddie, who scowled, obviously remembering her from earlier but otherwise didn't comment, before we set off.

We followed a lot of deserted corridors and paused more than once when we heard approaching footsteps – I was guessing there was more than one reason this party was on the down low, mainly due to it being against school rules. Not that I cared. Much.

We ended up on a dorm-room floor except it looked a lot grander that the dhampir dorms with hardwood floors and rustic wooden panelling. Lissa knocked on room 3B and after a heartbeat the door was wrenched open to reveal a lot of noise and a lot of people. I'm guessing the rooms were soundproofed, or at least this one was.

"Lissa!" Slurred the sandy haired Moroi who had opened the door. His shirt was rumpled and he had an empty bottle of beer in his hand, obviously already drunk. "You made it!"

Lissa grimaced and tried to duck under his arm, failing miserably. I laughed at her horrified expression but didn't step in to help; this was her idea after all.

Eddie and I slipped through the doorway unnoticed and managed to flag ourselves a couple of unopened beers. We managed to find a seat amongst the gyrating people – honestly there had to be at least thirty squeezed into the tiny room – and sipped out drinks leisurely. After a few minutes a pretty brunette dhampir sidled up to Eddie and literally dragged him up to dance before shoving her tongue forcefully down his throat. I chocked on my drink when he tried to break her grip and failed miserably, instead settling for a mortified expression and flailing limbs.

"Your boy-toy seems to have run into a little problem."

I wiped my head to the right and grinned when my gaze fell on the familiar figure of Jesse. A taller dhampir boy stood just behind his shoulder, shooting nervous glances at me and raking his hands through his red hair.

"He's not mine," I told him with a smile. "And I'm defiantly not his."

He smiled back before gesturing to the boy behind him.

"This is my man Mason. He's wanted to meet you for a while now."

Mason grinned and blushed, looking rather sweet and innocent. I grinned at him and offered a little wave which he returned.

"You're man?" I asked, turning back to Jesse who had now perched himself on the end of the sofa.

"Yup. Mason's destined to be my guardian whenever he finally graduates."

That surprised me; very rarely were guardian's assigned before they graduated unless requested by people higher up.

"Yup. We're old family friends. Mason's going to be stuck with me for a _long_ time."

Judging by the grimace on Mason's face he wasn't exactly happy with this arrangement. But any position was better than none I suppose and he could always quit later...if he was allowed.

"Right I need another drink!" Jesse exclaimed while slapping his thighs before rising. "Mason, look after the lovely Rosemarie for me, I'll be right back." He stood and left while a blushing Mason shifted awkwardly on the spot.

"You wanna sit?" I offered when it didn't look like he was going to say anything.

"Right," he stuttered before sitting down forcefully and shooting me a shy glance. "So you're umm, from California right?"

I grinned at him, finding him charming in a dorky, awkward way.

"Yup, the sunshine state. You can probably tell that from my tan though." I held out an arm for his inspection to which he blinked and nodded slowly.

"What about you, where are you from?" I asked, figuring he wasn't about to start any conversations.

"Umm, I was born in Michigan but I've been here since I was three. My mother, she er, didn't want to raise me, so..." He shrugged and trailed off, avoiding eye contact.

I placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, forcing him to look at me again.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when his blue eye met mine. "If it's any-"

"What the fuck are you doing?"

My head shot up at the piercing shriek to see the furious Moroi glaring at me. She had jet black curly hair coiled tightly on top of her head and an unhealthy layer of make-up covering her face. Her strangely familiar green eyes were shooting daggers at my hand that was still resting on Mason's shoulder. I slowly removed it but her gaze didn't become any less heated. Lissa sidled up behind her and tugged on her arm gently.

"Natalie, come on. She's not doing anything wrong."

"The hell she's not!" Natalie spat and shook Lissa off. I suddenly realised why the girl's eyes were so familiar; they were exactly the same as Lissa's. They were obviously cousins, if not sisters. The thought wasn't very comforting.

"Listen, bitch," Natalie hissed, taking a step towards me. "I don't really care who you are, or where you come from. But that boy you're hanging off of is mine. And honesty, why are you even bothering? He's hasn't got the fangs to give you what you want, you filthy bloodwhore."

**AN/**

**Yes I ended it there. Don't hate me. :)**

**R&R :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN/ Hey. Sorry for the wait guys but it's that time of year again and exams are coming. Updates will probably be slow but I will get them out when I can :)**

**Thank-you so much for your continued support. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except an overly-affectionate cat. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

The entire room grew quiet, or at least it felt like it did. People continued to grind against each other and the music still pulsed through the room in a deafening beat but there was a strange ringing in my ears that drowned everything out.

_Again_? I thought bleakly. Where we really going to do this _again_?

I'd been called a bloodwhore more times in the past two days than I had in my entire life. The prejudice displayed filled me with mortification and shame.

And anger. Oh there was defiantly anger.

I stood up slowly, latching onto the feeling and pushing down the embarrassment. The short Moroi didn't even blink, showing no fear whatsoever. Idiotic moron.

"What, did you call me?" I asked slowly, my voice low as I met her simpering gaze head on.

"We all know what you are," she spat, her face twisted in disgust. "It's all over school; how you'll give it all up for a little teeth, how your mother liked to take her fix with her sex and how your following in her dank and dirt footsteps, how-"

I didn't let her finish, the rage becoming overpowering. Insulting me I could deal with – sort of – but bringing my _dead_ mother into it was a step too far.

I didn't ever pause to think before I thrust my curled fist out in a perfect arc and connected with her face. As expected she lurched back and cried out as her nose exploded in a bloody volcano.

This time the room really did stop. Every gaze turned on us, each filled with curiosity, fear, horror and...respect?

I didn't care; their gazes meant nothing. I was still filled with anger and desperation – a desperation to prove them wrong, to honour my mother, to protect her memory.

However my lunge was stopped by two large hands clasping firmly around my wrists. I was pulled back against a hard, familiar body and despite my struggling I was too angry to formulate a constructive way to break free.

"Let go of me!" I hissed, pulling wildly against my restraints.

"No," Eddie said firmly in my ear, tightening his hold on me so I was flush against him. "You need to calm down."

"She called me a bloodwhore," I spat. "She called _mom_ a bloodwhore." Despite my anger my voice cracked a tears of mortification and fury burned the back of my eyes. I screwed my eyes up tight, determined not to show any weakness in front of the Moroi, despite the fact she was now a trembling, bloody mess.

Eddie stiffened behind me, obviously realising the reason for my rage but he didn't relinquish his hold on me.

"You still need to stop," he replied after a beat but his voice was monotone; he was saying what he thought he should say not what he believed. Not what he really thought. Even as I realised this my anger ignited further until it felt like an inferno raging across my skin.

"Fuck you!" I snapped and gave him a sharp kick in the shins. His hold loosened; whether due to hurt at my words or actions I didn't know, but I used the opportunity to break free. I raced past the sobbing Moroi who was now hanging pathetically onto Lissa, whose eyes were wide with astonishment. I ignored the gaping stares and Eddie's voice calling me back as I bolted for the door and raced down the corridor.

Years of training had made me quick on my feet and I was outside within minutes. The morning sun beat down, momentarily disorientating me before I continued to run across the open courtyard. However there was no outrunning the blistering shame and soon there was glistening tear tracks on both my cheeks.

When breathing became difficult I collapsed breathing heavily on the edge of the tree line. I knew I was still in view of the school building but the sun was comforting in a homely sense and I couldn't bring myself to enter the darkness of the trees.

I tucked my legs up to my chest and buried my face in my knees. I didn't sob – I refused to lose control completely – but I couldn't stop the tears from slowly leaking from my eyes. I had managed to repress everything the past few days between travelling and new surroundings but now everything was coming back to bite me. No pun intended.

I saw my mother's eyes, desperate and scared as she begged me to run. To get away. To leave her. I saw the dead bodies in the street; their empty faces staring blankly from their hollow bodies. And a new image, one that was only my imagination but was just as terrifying. Mom with pale cold skin and red-ringed eyes; cold and immortal.

"Rosemarie?"

I jumped, my head snapping up at the voice. I hadn't heard the approaching footsteps despite the leaves and twigs that littered the ground. My eyes locked with the compassionate and curious gaze of the man who stood above me.

"Are you okay?" He asked shifting uncertainly on his feet.

I thought of snapping at him, swearing, taking my anger out on him. But I was suddenly tired, so, so tired as I just shook my head slowly.

"No Dimitri," I whispered. "I'm not."

I heard him sigh and the ground rustled as he sat down beside me. He didn't touch me, for which I was thankful – I didn't think physical contact would agree with me right then.

"What happened?" he asked when I didn't offer up the information myself. I shook my head at him, my throat again feeling tight and making it impossible to speak. I kept my head down but I could feel his gaze on me, burning.

We were silent then but it wasn't uncomfortable. His presence alone seemed to calm me and my tears began to ebb. I turned my face so I could see him and found his eyes still on me. He didn't speak but I could clearly see the questions in his expression along with something else that I couldn't decipher. It looked like confusion and...longing?

"Am I always going to be the bloodwhore?" I blurted out before I really thought it through. Dimitri's eyes widened with shock and his mouth fell open. Any other time I would have laughed, but I wasn't feeling particularly cheerful so the smile never graced my face.

His face hardened after a beat and he sat up straighter.

"What do you mean?" He demanded. "What's going on?"

"Since I've been here everyone has done nothing but whisper about me and make assumptions. I just want to know if I'm always going to be 'the filthy bloodwhore,'" I used my fingers to put quotation marks around the words, "or if people are eventually going to get over themselves and actually _talk_ to me?"

My eyes dropped to my lap again as I finished. I could scarcely believe I had just said that; that in a roundabout way I had just admitted how hurt I was by everyone's beliefs and that in reality I just wanted people to like me. Not even that really, I just wanted then not to hate me.

"Who said that to you?" Dimitri barked, the harshness in his voice surprising me. I turned my head to stare at him again and was surprised to see his face contorted in anger. What was he so upset about? It wasn't his life that was essentially ruined.

I shrugged trying to remember names.

"Aaron something. And Natalie. Plus dozens of nameless faces, whispering as I walk past. I'm not deaf; I can hear what they're saying." I sighed and stared blankly out across the campus. There was very little movement out with the building due to the late – or early – hour, just the occasionally guardian doing their rounds. I was overwhelmingly thankful for the silence.

"They had no right to say that to you," Dimitri spat his aggression again surprising me. "You are so much better than that, Rose. You know you are."

Did I? I continued to stare out blankly over the grounds. I used to think I was, that I was _decent_ but two days in the 'real world' and I was starting to doubt everything that I knew. _Was_ giving blood for pleasure wrong, even if it was consensual?

A strong hand gripped my chin and pulled my face round so I was level with Dimitri again.

"You _are_," he stressed, somehow guessing my inner thoughts. "Please don't ever doubt that. If I can see what a strong, _good_, person you are then so will other people. At least the one's worth knowing will anyway."

I didn't answer, half of me still not entirely convinced. The other half of my seemed to be screaming in electrical excitement at the feeling of his strong, capable hand on my skin. I had that overwhelming urge to lean in a touch him, run my fingers across the hard lines of him face and wind them through his hair. I wondered if he would moan or if his breath would catch as I pulled on the silky strands while locking my lips firmly onto his...

I lurched back, stunned at the direction of my thoughts and felt an unfamiliar blush coat my cheeks. What was I _thinking_? He was hot, God, there was no denying his sex-appeal, but he was also very much my mentor and thoughts like that were very much _illegal_.

But it would be so worth it...

_Stop it!_

"I punched her," I blurted out, trying to think of _anything_ that would distract me from my thoughts. It was only after I had spat the words that I realised what I had said. My eyes widened and I froze, shock rendering me immobile.

Dimitri dropped his hand and leant back. I was immediately thankful and mournful for the lack of contact.

"Who?" he asked cocking his head to one side.

"Umm, no one," I replied hastily, hoping he would drop it. No dice. His eyes narrowed and his expression turned suspicious.

"Who did you hit, Rosemarie?"He asked his voice less gentle and more authoritative. I internal punched myself, knowing he wasn't going to let it drop.

"The Moroi girl; Natalie," I muttered, feeling suddenly ashamed of my actions. Yes she had provoked me but she didn't stand a chance when it came to combat. And yet, I couldn't find it in myself to regret what I had done; the bitch deserved it.

"You hit a Moroi?" Dimitri barked his voice suddenly cold. His tone amped up the shame factor and I stared at the ground at my feet. I nodded once.

"You shouldn't have done that; she's a Moroi. Your job is to protect them not injure them! If you don't think you can control yourself then you have no place here."

I flinched at his harsh words. I knew they were true but sometimes the truth hurt.

Normally I would have back lashed with anger and insult but I was already so emotionally drained that his reprimand caused more moisture to swell in my eyes. I clutched my arms tightly around my legs and held myself tightly, keeping my face hidden from him.

"She insulted me mom," I muttered into my legs. "I don't care if she has a go at me but I won't let her talk bad about my family. I won't let _anyone_ say anything bad about her. I know you might not agree with her lifestyle but it was _her life_. It's not like its _catching_. I just don't understand why everyone is being so...so..." Mean was the word I was looking for but it sounded petty and childish when said out loud so left the sentence hanging. My meaning was obvious anyway.

Dimitri sighed and I felt his arm on my shoulder. The tingle returned full force and I sighed, relaxing into his heat.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

I nodded, showing that I'd heard him.

"She had no right to say that, it was wrong and if she was a dhampir I wouldn't be protesting your right to fight back. But she's a Moroi and you can't hurt them, no matter what."

"I know," I muttered sullenly. Just because I understood didn't mean I had to like it.

We sat quietly after that, his arm remaining loosely on my shoulder. A light wind picked up and caused my hair to dance across my face and Dimitri's arm. I watched the tendrils float across the skin of his hand and wished it was my fingers.

"You have beautiful hair."

My face snapped up and I saw I wasn't the only one watching my hair dance across his arm. Dimitri's expression was thoughtful and confused, as if he didn't understand something. I felt my cheeks heat again when he raised his head to look at me. What was it with this man?

"Thanks," I whispered, not knowing what else to say. He continued to stare at me before he cleared his throat and looked away. His arm dropped from my shoulder and he stood, his demeanour suddenly uncomfortable.

"You should get to bed, Roza. It's getting late."

I stood beside him, feeling cold without his touch and cocked my head enquiringly to one side.

"What does Roza mean?" I asked softly. I had a feeling it was a term of endearment but I wanted to be sure; it could have been an insult for all I knew.

Dimitri's twisted and I had a feeling he had never meant to say that in the first place.

"It's Russian for Rose. It doesn't matter, you should get inside. I'll walk you up."

He moved off without giving me a chance to respond and I followed him quietly through the corridors. There was an uneasy tension between us that I didn't fully understand and when he turned to me at my door his face was carefully controlled, all emotion once again locked away.

"I'll see you on Monday then I guess," I stated when he didn't speak.

"Yes, I'll send you a schedule tomorrow for the times and place," he said formally before hesitating. "And Rose? Don't worry about what people say, you'll make friends with the ones that count."

He turned and left once again before I could respond but I found myself smiling as I readied myself for bed. As far as I was concerned I already had a friend; he was Russian, 6'7 and he defiantly mattered.

**AN/ **

**You know what to do :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN/ Sorry for the wait :) RL Sucks.**

**Richelle Meade owns everything, except this plot :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

It was official, the universe hated me. I mean, that could be the only good reason as to why someone was knocking on my door at six in the morning right? On a _Saturday_.

I groaned and rolled over, silently begging for the noise to stop. Maybe if I didn't answer they would just assume I wasn't in and go away. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.

"Rosemarie!"

Or not.

Scowling, I untangled myself from my covers and stomped over to the door, not even caring that I was only dressed in a t-shirt and panties. If they wanted decency they should have come back in three hours. At least.

I yanked the door open none-too-gently and glared at my wake up call. Even the fact that it came in the form of one Dimitri Belikov did not help my mood.

"What do you want?" I snapped, folding my arms across my chest with a huff.

Dimitri's eyes widened as they flashed down my body before snapping back to my face. His expression was blank but the slight flush to his cheeks caused to me smirk in satisfaction.

"Get dressed," was all he said. "We have training."

My arms fell limply to my sides as I started at him in disbelief. He couldn't be serious could he?

"My training doesn't start until Monday," I protested. "No one said anything about Saturdays."

He raised an eyebrow at me, causing my scowl to deepen. I'd always wanted to know how to do that.

"Your classes start on Monday but you and Edison need intensive training to catch up with the other novices and so we're starting today. _Now_," he clarified.

"But..." I stuttered my rudely-awoken brain still not functioning. "It's _six in the morning_!"

Dimitri looked amused at my outrage. I wanted to hit him.

"Get used to it. We will be training every morning at this time and every evening at seven until you are up to speed and then we'll tone it down to each morning. And yes, Rosemarie, that includes Saturdays. Now get ready, I want you in the gym in fifteen minutes."

I didn't have a chance to respond before he was gone. Muttering, I shut the door and proceeded to hunt down some clothes and toss my gym wear into a bag. I wrapped my hair up in a bun to keep it out of the way and donned my sneakers before exiting the room and locking the door behind me.

The corridors were deserted which wasn't really surprising going by the time, but it meant I had no one to ask when I got lost. After walking down the same hallway for the third time I eventually found the right turning and arrived at the gym only five minutes late. Not that I was granted a reprieve.

"You late."

I glared at him but didn't respond before slipping into the changing rooms and putting on my gym clothes. When I returned Dimitri had placed two mats in the middle of the room and was lying on his stomach across them, a thick volume in his hand. He didn't even look up when I entered, before telling me to start my warm up. I did the required stretches and brief run before plopping down on the mats beside Dimitri and peering over his shoulder, only to find the words on the paper were in another language, most likely Russian.

"Whatcha reading?" I asked. He marked the page and closed the book before turning to look at me. A picture of a cowboy glared up at us from the cover of the book.

"Westerns?" I remarked in surprise. "Are you secretly a cowboy?"

He rolled his eyes, his face clearly exasperated.

"No Rosemarie, they're a hobby," he said before standing up. I scrambled to my feet beside me and pursed my lips.

"Don't call me Rosemarie; it makes me feel like I'm in trouble. I'm just Rose. Or Roza. I quite like the sound of that," I added, remembering when he had called me that just last night.

He regarded me oddly for a moment, his expression once again unreadable before he nodded once.

"Okay Rose, we'll be doing basic combat today. I got a brief look at what you're capable of yesterday but we need to develop that before we can go any further. What I want you to do is..."

An hour later I collapsed backwards on the mat, panting in excursion. My top had long since been discarded but even in my sports bra and shorts I was feeling the heat. Dimitri's half-naked sweaty body was stood over me, breathing harshly and yet I still couldn't find it in me to move.

"I hate you," I muttered before pulling myself up into a sitting position. My whole body ached, muscles I didn't even know I possessed screaming in protest at the harsh workout. I felt like one giant, very sweaty bruise.

Dimitri laughed, although he was sounding as out of breath as I felt. He offered me his hand and I wearily let him pull me to my feet.

"You did good," he praised with a pat to my shoulder. I glared at him and winced at the strained muscle.

"Do you get off on torturing young girls?" I panted while stretching my arms over my head. My muscles protested but it felt good when I relaxed. God, I needed some caffeine. And sugar. Lots of sugar.

Dimitri smirked at me before walking over to the side of the room to fetch his shirt. He tossed me mine before pulling his own over his head. This was probably a good thing considering I was only moments away from leaning over and licking the sweat from his chest. Gross, but still undeniably hot.

"In all seriousness," Dimitri interrupted my mental longing. "You are amazingly developed considering you have had no real training. I think you'll be able to catch up with your peers in no time."

I smiled in happiness, his praise meaning more to me for reasons I refused to evaluate. All I knew was that Dimitri was quickly becoming an important figure in my life.

"Go and shower, I'll meet you back here later tonight. And try not to be late."

Thoroughly dismissed I headed towards the changing rooms. The hot water of the shower helped to relax my aching muscles but I knew that I was going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow. And I had another training session to look forward to. Great.

Feeling more like a human and less like a slug, I dressed and winced my way out into the corridor, only to run into Eddie who looked equally as pained as I did.

"Gives a new meaning to the word 'training' doesn't it?" I muttered as he clasped an arm around my shoulder. He grimaced and nodded in agreement before we both set off towards the cafeteria. I was a little wary about entering the room full of people after what I had done to Natalie last night but the need for food won out and we were soon situated at a table by ourselves with steaming cups of coffee and doughnuts. There were a few people at the surrounding tables who kept shooting us suspicious glances but we both ignored them, too tired to put up a fight.

"I think I'm going to die," I moaned as a shooting pain shot through my shoulder as I'm picked up my cup. "I'm sure there are laws against what Belikov made me do."

"Cheating on me already Rosie? I'm hurt."

I looked up at the voice and smiled as Jesse slid into the seat beside me. Eddie stiffened but didn't protest. Jesse reached over and stole a doughnut off my plate, causing me to glare at him and put an arm protectively around the rest of my breakfast. Eddie smirked at my ire while happily munching on his own non-pilfered food.

"What has the famous Belikov been doing to you then? I always thought he had a thing going on with the young girls around here. I mean, seven years isn't that much of an age gap when you think about it. Just enough for it to be forbidden and exciting." Jesse continued.

"Sounds to me like you want your own affair with him," Eddie commented, causing me to choke on my drink. Jesse glared at him across the table before taking a bite from my doughnut.

"Mia's looking for you, you know. Although I should warn you she gets around a lot, and despite what you hear she isn't worth it." Jesse leered at Eddie who flushed, looking angry.

"Who's Mia?" I asked, ignoring the rest of what Jesse had said. I didn't want to think about that too much.

"A girl I met at the party last night," Eddie explained. "She seemed nice."

Jesse snorted and smiled mockingly.

"Like I said, she isn't that nice."

Eddie glowered at him. You'd have to be an idiot not to realise that his temper was rising but Jesse seemed oblivious.

"Tell me Jesse," he said slowly. "Do you slag off all the women you sleep with or just the ones you have done something to piss you off?"

Jesse's smile slipped and he glared daggers at Eddie, who ignored him and took a long draw on his coffee.

"What did that bitch say to you?" spat Jesse, all pretence of kindness gone. He looked tense and dangerous, or as dangerous as a Moroi could anyway.

"Rosemarie?"

"Yes!" I shouted, probably too enthusiastically but I was thankful for the interruption. I turned to see the dhampir boy, Mason, standing beside me looking uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Oh it's you," I said less enthusiastically. "What do you want?"

Mason flushed, the colour mixing with his red hair and making him look like something resembling a tomato. Or a lobster.

"Umm. Headmistress Kirova wants to see you in her office. She sent me to get you." His eyes flickered over to Eddie who was regarding him coolly but without malice. Truthfully, Mason had done nothing wrong; it was his girlfriend who was psychotic. "Both of you," he added.

"Alright," I stood, thankful for the escape. I chugged the last of my coffee and picked up the last of my breakfast before following Mason out of the hall. I hooked my hand with Eddie's and squeezed, silently asking if he was okay.

"I told you he was a dick, didn't I?" he complained as we left the room after Mason. He glanced back at us and smiled lightly at Eddie.

"Jesse?" He asked. "I could have told you that."

"Aren't you going to be his guardian though?" I questioned as we fell into step beside him.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But not by choice. It's more a family tradition. I'd be disowned if I broke it."

"But I thought your mother abandoned you here?"

"She did," he explained. "But not like that. She just didn't want to raise me. I see her from time to time, holidays and the like. She just didn't want the responsibility."

I was stunned more by the matter-of-fact tone he used than by what he had said but all the same there was something heartbreakingly wrong about a mother only wanting to see their child when it suited them.

"Anyway, I suggest you stay away from Jesse. He's seriously messed up."

"What's his story?" I asked. "Or is he just an asshole without a cause?"

A pensive look came over Mason's face as he pushed through a set of double doors and took a left turning.

"I'm not entirely sure. He was alright until he turned fifteen and then he just turned into an aggressive manwhore. I'd put it down to repressed hormones except he's slept with just about every girl in the school. I think he's just an ass."

I nodded, a little downhearted by his explanation. Jesse was one of the few people who had yet to judge me on where I came from and I didn't want to lose our loose friendship.

"Here we go," Mason exclaimed as we turned onto the corridor that held Kirova's office. I noticed that Mason had become increasingly relaxed during our conversation and his smile was more genuine.

"Thanks," Eddie told him. "And if you ever decide to ditch the psycho girlfriend come find us and we'll hang out."

Mason grinned and a slight flush covered his cheeks.

"I'll see you later then," he smiled. "I broke up with Natalie. You were right; she was completely out of line. Maybe we can have a movie night?" He looked hopefully at me as he said this and I couldn't help but grin and his boyish innocence.

"Sounds good," I said. "We'll see you later."

"Right. Later," he stuttered, looking embarrassed again. "See you." He gave a little wave then was gone.

I turned to Eddie with a smile.

"Maybe there is hope for us yet," I commented and he laughed before knocking on the door.

"Come in!" called the grainy voice of Kirova and we pushed open the door.

The usual wall of guardians greeted us, although this time Dimitri wasn't amongst them. Maybe he was taking a nap. Abusing teenage girls must take it out of him.

I suddenly started to feel nervous. What if Dimitri had ratted me out to Kirova about me punching Natalie? Was I about to be expelled before I could even start?

""Look, I know what I did was wrong but she started it and she crossed the line when she insulted my mother and to be honest it wasn't like I pummelled her to the ground, I only hit her once and she was fine afterwards anyway. I mean I know she probably has a black eye but I haven't seen her so I wouldn't know for sure-"

"Rosemarie, what are you talking about?" Kirova interrupted me with a confused look. I instantly shut my mouth and sat down in the seat opposite her desk.

"Nothing," I exclaimed hastily, quickly summarising that she had no idea about what had happened last night. "Sorry."

"Alright. I called you here because I need to talk to you."

"Yes, I got that," I blurted before I could stop myself. I slapped a hand across my mouth and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," I repeated.

She nodded and her expression became almost apologetic which immediately spiked my nervousness. Kirova wasn't the sort of person who felt apologetic or any sympathetic emotion really so he expression worried me.

"Rosemarie, there's no other way to say this but we thought you should know. It's your mother. We think we know where she is."

**AN/ Heh, don't kill me. :)**

**Leave me some love...or hate**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN/ I know, I know, I suck. But here's your update. :)**

**Thank-you all so much for your reviews/favourites/alerts. :)**

**I own nothing. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**

"_What?"_

I meant to shout the word but the shock of what Kirova just said made my voice drop to a whisper. Eddie stiffened beside me, his own shock palpable as Kirova regards me with false sympathy.

"I know this might come as a shock to you, Rosemarie, but we thought it in your best interest for you to know," Kirova said.

"So where is she?" I demanded, fear, hope and a sickening nausea overcoming me.

Kirova sat back in her chair and clasped her hands together on her lap, all business.

"We have reports indicating that the Strigoi population was increased rapidly around the Humboldt National Forest area in Nevada over the past week. Judging by the distance from where we found you and the remoteness of the area we believe that Janine is here, with several others newly turned. Now the numbers of fledglings is extremely unusual and seeing as the numbers only started to rise _after_ your mother's turning we're lead to believe that due to Janine's capabilities in battle she has quickly become a leading figure in coven and is continuing to..." She trailed off, seemingly searching for the right words.

"Building an army," I whispered, the nauseous feeling intensifying. The image of red ringed eyes, pale skin and my mother's loving face swirled in my mind, making me feel faint.

"Precisely," continued Kirova. "And judging from the information we have on their hunting grounds they are gradually moving north. Now, we have no reason to believe that they will be coming to St Vladimir's but there is a possibility that Janine will want to receive her property and is building this 'army' to achieve just that."

"You mean me," I said, my voice oddly void of emotion.

"Yes; you. It is not unknown that some turned Moroi and dhampirs want to awaken those they previously had strong emotional attachments to, or desire to kill off those they had a strong hatred towards. In this case, the former is most likely and so we thought it essential to tell you there might be an elevated risk for you. Now, our reports show no immediate danger, and there might never be any in this concern, but we will keep you informed of any information we have in regards to the coven's movements and plans."

I nodded dumbly, my mind in a whirl. My mother was coming for me, my _Strigoi_ mother. Possibly. To turn me. Or kill me.

I leant forward, my hands bracing themselves on my knees as my breathing elevated. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed down the impending vomit that was churning in my stomach. I needed out. I couldn't stay there, not right then. Without another word I stood and left the room. Eddie tried to follow but Kirova told him to stay, telling him she needed to talk to him about funeral arrangements.

I ignored the curious glances of my peers as I fled the corridors; no doubt I looked a state. I knew I was trembling and I could only guess as to what my face looked like. The darkness of the night air chilled me as I exited the building but I ignored it as I headed towards the trees, hoping to find a little peace there.

Mentally and physically exhausted I collapsed about one hundred yards into the trees. I didn't want to get lost again but I wanted to have at least the illusion of privacy. My stomach turned as my mind continued to assault me with images of my murdering, immortal mother and tears stung my eyes until I was forced to ram my fist in them to stop myself from crying. I _would not_ cry. Not anymore.

I don't know how long I sat there wallowing in self pity but it was long enough for me to become disgusted at myself. I wasn't _weak_. I didn't _wallow_. I started to get angry and resisted the urge to punch another tree as my freshly healed knuckles wouldn't appreciate being busted open again. I was about to stand when raised voices drifted through the trees. I paused in a weird half-crouch and automatically strained to hear. The voices sounded familiar but I couldn't place them so against my better judgement I crept closer then stood stunned at what I found.

Christian and the Lissa girl were standing arguing outside the little cabin Christian took me to last time. He seemed aggravated and defensive while she looked to be on the verge of tears, her eyes sparkling and her arms wrapped protectively around herself as she fought back.

"– expect me to do? I can't just break it off with him because I've met someone else! My father-"

"Your father is dead! He's not around to control you anymore! Why can't you just be your own person, for once in your life?"

"It's not that simple! Have you any idea what it's like to be me? All these expectations because I'm the last Dragomir and you with your past! It's...I can't just...It's just so hard..."

"The way I see it it's not difficult at all; either you want me or you don't! So which is it, Princess? Do you want me or not?"

"Oh course I want you but-" Except Lissa never got a chance to finish the sentence as Christian had grabbed her hands and pushed her roughly up against the side of the cabin, kissing her fiercely. My mouth fell open in surprise as I stood rooted to the spot, gaping at them. The royal Princess and the social pariah, who would have thought it?

Their kissing eventually slowed and Christian rested his forehead against Lissa's. Both of them were breathing heavily as they stared at each other.

"Break it off with him," Christian whispered; his voice just loud enough for my dhampir ears to pick up. "Please."

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable for intruding on what was obviously a very private moment and resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot for fear of letting my presence be known.

Lissa closed her eyes to him and my heart clenched for Christian, whom I'm sure knew as well as I did what she was about to say.

"I can't-"

Christian thrust his way away from her, his face harsh and closed off. His fist clenched and unclenched, obviously aggravated as he glared at her.

"Then I'm done. I can't keep doing this. You can't sleep in his bed every night and sneak off to meet me when the time suits you; I won't be the other guy. It's all or nothing and you've obviously chosen nothing. So I'm done."

"Chris wait-"

But Christian was already gone, stalking angrily from the clearing. When his back was to Lissa I saw the dampness in his eyes and felt a wave of protectiveness and anger. Why was there so much bitterness in this place, so much juvenile judgement?

Before I made any conscious decision to do so, I strode into the clearing until I was face-to-face with the blubbering Princess. She jumped at my appearance and her eyes darted around warily as if to see who else was around before settling back on me. I cocked my head to one side and regarded her coolly.

"Y'know," I said conversationally. "If you'd chosen him we might have been friends. But I guess appearances are everything, huh?"

An angry look crossed her face and she opened her mouth to retort but I had already turned my back on her and left.

I went back to the building and hunted down Eddie, who was looking a little shaken and red eyed. He hugged me hard when he saw me and told me about the funeral arrangements for his mother. Cecilia was to be buried with a small ceremony in a Moroi churchyard a few miles from the school. His father's family would be organising his funeral separately. Eddie had just insisted that they be buried apart and that he wouldn't be notified of the funeral date; he wanted nothing more to do with him. I didn't push him to be more involved as his mother's funeral was more important to him and he needed my support not my harassment.

We headed towards Eddie's room on the male side of the dhampir dorms. His room was nearly identical to mine except perhaps a little bigger. I laid down on his bed for a moment while he left to get something; coming back five minutes later with Mason and munchies. I grinned at our shy dhampir friend as he joined me on the bed and we spend the rest of the afternoon watching bad Jackie Chan movies. As seven o'clock rolled around I groaned and reluctantly sat up. The friendly atmosphere had succeeded in ridding me of the dark cloud that had been hanging over me since my conversation with Kirova this morning.

"I have to go," I moaned. "I have a date with an angry Russian."

Mason snorted and ruffled my hair playfully – he had become bolder as the day had worn on and didn't blush every time he touched me anymore. Eddie sat up and looked at me curiously.

"But you had training this morning. Why are you going again?" He asked.

I glanced up at him confused.

"I have training every morning and evening. I thought you did too?"

He shook his head and slowly grinned.

"Tanner said that he'll gradually break me into intensive training so my muscles have a chance to build up properly. I guess Belikov's not taking that liberty with you," he grinned maliciously.

"That bastard!" I exclaimed, thoroughly irked. I leapt to my feet, muttering as I searched for my shoes. Eddie and Mason just laughed at me before returning to stuffing their faces. I headed back to my room to grab my gym bag before stomping over to the training room.

Dimitri was waiting for me, again sprawled out on one of the mats, book in hand. I marched over to him and dumped my gym bag on his back. He let out an oomph when my shoes hit him and glanced up at me reproachfully.

"Was there a reason for that?" he asked sourly.

"Why the hell do I have training twice a day when Eddie doesn't? That's completely unfair. If I have to turn into a boneless bruise twice a day then so should he and – why are you smiling at me like that?"

Dimitri started laughing as he stood up, which only made me scowl at him even more.

"I don't see how that's funny," I muttered disdainfully.

"Ah, Rose, sometimes it's hard to forget you're only a child."

"I'm not a child!" I insisted, feeling my temper flare. _Again_.

"Yes you are, Rose. You're only seventeen. That makes you a child, a minor. And sometimes I forget it after everything you've been through and the way you handle it but then you come in here and stomp your foot like a two-year old and it shows how young you really are." His voice took on a serious tone towards the end and he looked a little worried, as if he had just realised something he should have already known and it didn't sit quite right with him.

"I'm not a baby!" I growled, trying to keep a lid on my temper.

He smiled a little sadly and shook his head.

"You are Rose, no matter how much I wish you weren't."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, but he had already turned his back on me.

My temper flared and I reached out to grip his arm to spin him back around. Of course his guardian training kicked in as soon as I touched him and he whirled around and struck at me. I dodged the blow by a hair's width but lost my balance and started to fall. My arm reached out automatically and grabbed a fistful of shirt causing Dimitri to stumble into me. His body pressed against mine every delicious inch of him pressed up against me, his shirt still clutched in my hand. Both our breathing sped up as we started at each other, unwilling to move.

"I'm not a child," I whispered.

And then I kissed him.

He tensed at first, his body practically screaming _no_ but then he melted into it, his lips soft and insisting on mine as he _kissed me back_. I wound my fingers up into his hair and smiled against him mouth as he moaned quietly when I pulled. His hands found their way to my waist and his long fingers dug into my hip, pulling me impossibly closer...and abruptly pushing me away.

He broke free of our embrace, his lips torn from mine and my hands ripped from his hair. He stumbled back a step, his breathing harsh and his eyes wide. I froze unsure how to react as he stared at me as if he'd never seen me before.

What the hell had I done?

**AN/ Worth the wait or just more torture :)**

**Let me know**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN/ Thank you for all the reviews! I know have over 100! :D**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

Sunday was awkward.

After 'the kiss' on Saturday night Dimitri had told me very firmly to 'never do that again,' that it was 'inappropriate' and there was no way he...

It was around about this time that my mortification overwhelmed everything else and I tuned him out. I didn't want to hear him rant about how much I was a child and he was an adult, my teacher, my mentor. Part of me thought he was trying to convince himself more than me as his movements started to become agitated and he started spewing out random phrases in Russian that I hadn't a snowball's chance in hell of understanding. When he was finished he ordered me to get changed and sent me outside to do laps. I was thankful for the escape and burnt my frustrations out on the track, unable to believe that I had just done that – _kissed my mentor_ – and unwilling to analyse _why_ I had done so. I'd trudged back to the training room exhausted and was dismissed with only a warning to be on time the next day.

Agitated I had traipsed back to my room for a fitful sleep and awoke in a worse mood than I had gone to bed in. Sleep deprived and generally pissed off with myself I forced myself to remain impassive when Guardian Petrov met me in the gym hall instead of Dimitri and informed me he had 'personal thing' to deal with and would resume my training in the evening. I knew the truth; he was avoiding me, and I kicked myself once again for being so _stupid_. Admittedly the lesson with Petrov – or Alberta as I was told to call her during our private lessons – was good and I felt like I had actually learnt something in terms of defence I was still irritated that Dimitri didn't have the bottle to face me.

I ran into him later in the day while heading to lunch with Eddie. I smiled at him as neutrally as I could but he just gave me this weird tense grimace before hurrying away. I saw him from a distance a few more times throughout the day and each time he seemed to be becoming increasingly tense. A feeling of dread started to form in the pit of my stomach and I willed time to go slower between now and my evening training session. I had a feeling it was going to be..._harsh_.

Unfortunately, I didn't come up with a way to stop time and seven o'clock rolled around much sooner than I wanted it to. I entered the gym and was only half surprised to find it empty; why would he be early and give the chance for conversation? I changed and tied my hair up feeling more exhausted than I had after my morning workout, except this was more emotional than physical. The stares and whispers had followed me through the halls again but I was getting better at ignoring them. I couldn't get over the fact that I might have lost one of the few friends I had though. That hurt.

I left the changing rooms feeling disheartened, my heart doing a small flickering thump when I saw Dimitri was there setting up mats. His face was impassive but by the way he wouldn't look at me directly I knew that he was still bothered by what happened yesterday.

"We'll be doing more defence today. We'll start with the same task we did during your initiation and go from there. Remember don't step from the mat."

I sighed when he turned his back on me to straighten up the mats. He was tense – you'd have to be an idiot not to notice that and I knew it was going to come out eventually, most probably on me. I just hoped it would be mostly painful.

I did my warm up then stepped onto the mat. His face was still impassive as he squared up against me and with no forewarning whatsoever he started his attack. I defended like I had last time but there was something different about it this time – his moves were more aggressive as if he was really trying to hit me. To hurt me.

I remained silent, not wanting to aggravate him, even as a feeling of trepidation washed over me. Realistically I knew he would never do me any serious harm but at the time he seemed uncontrolled and edgy, as if he didn't care. We continued our silent battle for a number of minutes until a well placed hit on my collar bone caused me to fall backwards and collapse in a heap of pain.

"Roza!"

"Shit! Bastard! Fuck!" I spluttered incoherently while clasping my hands over the injured area. It had to be fractured, if not completely broken. There was some real force behind the punch.

Dimitri was on the floor beside me his hands hovering fearfully over me and panic was clear on his face – the first real emotion I had seen from him all day.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" I shouted, the pain seeming to intensify as the shock began to wear off. I winced as Dimitri tried to pull my hand away and glared at him. "What the hell is your problem anyway?"

"_My_ problem?" He asked looking momentarily perplexed before his face went blank again. "I don't know what you mean. Can you stand? We need to get you to the infirmary."

"You know exactly what I mean," I spat, waving off his hand. "I know I shouldn't have kissed you yesterday, but there is no reason for you to be acting so weird about it!"

"Rose," he growled with gritted teeth and flashing eyes. "Don't."

"Don't what? Don't act like an adult? I'm sorry, you might want to be immature about it but I-"

"Will you just stop it!" He cut me off with another growl. "Just leave it. Nothing happened yesterday, alright. Now get up, we need to get you looked at."

"Nothing happened?" I barked out a laugh while clambering to my feet. "Sure, let's go with that, because ignoring it has worked out so great for us thus far!" I gestured wildly with my arm and let out another angry stream of expletives when it pulled my injury.

"That was an accident!" He protested, his jaw tightening. I laughed in his face.

"You trying to kill me was an accident? You think I didn't notice you were much more aggravated? Much more aggressive? Jesus Christ, if you'd aimed a little higher you could have broken my neck!"

"Will you just stop it!" he yelled back, his hands fisting his hair as he glared at me. "Just stop doing that!"

"Doing what? I'm not doing anything!"

"Yes you are! You keep getting me wound up! I have no control around you! When you kissed me I...you..."

"When I kissed you...?" I probed but he shook his head looking defeated.

"Nothing," he murmured. "Just – nothing. Come on, we need to get you looked at."

I wanted to argue back, to demand he tell me what he was going to say, but the worried, guilty look in his eye told me he wouldn't answer, so I just nodded my head and followed him out the door – my shoulder really was aching now and swelling alarmingly.

We hurried to the infirmary, Dimitri shooting anxious glances at me every two seconds as my wound rapidly turned red. I tried to keep my hand clamped over it so people would stop staring but that hurt too much and I just had to accept that there was going to be more gossip to spread about me. At least this time there would be some truth behind it.

Neither of us had to say anything when we entered the white-walled room. The nurse took one look at us both, put the pieces together and rushed me off to one of the examination rooms as Dimitri was forced to fill out forms.

A half hour of poking and prodding (and admittedly a lot of swearing) I was booked in for an x-ray. I sighed and kept my arm elevated to help with the pain as I laid on the little hospital bed. The nurse had gone to tend to another emergency and I was forced to wait for her to come and get me. The room was boring – white walls, white floor, uncharacteristically creepy cartoon poster on the wall – and I dwindled the time away counting ceiling tiles and trying not to shout at the incompetent staff that walked past my room, seemingly to have forgotten about me. At least they had found me a jumper to slip on over my tank-top to stop me freezing to death.

Eventually I was whisked away to have my x-ray which took all of five minutes. I tried not to glare at the nurse but likely failed if the fearful look on her face was anything to go by. She was a mousy Moroi women, with thinning brown hair and wide eyes that gave her a petrified please-don't-hurt-me look.

It was confirmed that my collarbone was in fact broken. I could have told them this before I had arrived and finally ran out of patience and told them so. I was ignored. The broken bone didn't terribly worry me but the news that I wouldn't be able to perform any combat for at least six weeks sent me ballistic. I couldn't cut training for six weeks! I was already behind the rest of my year! I wouldn't be able to graduate if I didn't keep up my training!

I was at this point that Dimitri stuck his head in the door inquiringly. My livid screaming had apparently alerted him that something was wrong.

"You bastard!" I shrieked, ignoring the nurse's look of shock. "You've ruined everything!" I looked around for something to throw at him but came up empty so I slumped back on the bed defeated and put my head in my hands.

I heard some muffled speaking and the nurse's exit. The chair beside me scraped against the floor as it was moved and I knew Dimitri had sat down next to me, but I ignored him. What was I going to do now then? Maybe I could have a delayed graduation, or graduate next year instead...

"Rose, it's going to be okay."

I whipped my head up so fast at the softly spoken words that I was surprised I didn't get whiplash. Dimitri tried to look contrite – and failed.

"No it's not," I hissed. "Six weeks Dimitri! I can't go without training for six weeks. And it might even be longer than that, they don't know. What am I meant to go until then? No Dimitri, it is definitely is not going to be okay."

He regarded me emotionlessly for a moment before his mask slipped and he looked at me softly.

"Oh Roza...I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

I snorted and shook my head sadly.

"Just...why? I don't get it; what did I do? What _do_ I do? I don't understand why you're so angry with me. I know I messed up but this? This is just wrong – I didn't deserve this," I whispered miserably.

"I know you didn't deserve this and you were right; I was aggravated. I shouldn't have fought you when I was feeling like that. I thought I could handle it and if it was anyone else then I have no doubt I would have been able to. But you? You make me come undone Rose. I don't know what it is about you – you just shake me up and spit me out. I don't get close to people, I just don't and yet twice in two weeks I've comforted you, touched you. And I don't know why. You scare me Rose. And I'm sorry I took it out on you and that you've ended up in this mess as a result of it. It was an accident."

"When I kissed you..." I muttered, stunned by his honesty. He smiled wryly and shook his head.

"God, Rose. That was such a shock. And so wrong. So very, very, _wrong_. And yet, you disable me, completely mess with my head and I can't do anything to stop you." He reached out and wrapped a lock of my hair around his finger, stroking it softly and causing electric spikes of pleasure to run across my scalp and down my spine.

"You kissed me back," I whispered, mesmerised by his fingers.

"I know," he mumbled. "And part of me doesn't regret it. And _that_ is why I've been in such a foul mood. I feel so...so...out of control when I'm around you and I don't like it. I like control, that's why I'm a guardian, a teacher. And yet you; a beautiful little seventeen-year-old with no outwardly bad motives can shatter everything I've worked so hard for with a few choice words."

"I don't understand," I frowned. "So what your saying is I make you lose control and that's why you punched me? Maybe you should take anger management or something."

He huffed, his expression turning from soft to irritated.

"No that's not what I meant, what I meant was-"

"Well it seems that way to me," I interrupted him. "I mean, basically because I was acting like _me_ I annoyed you to a level where you lost all self control and felt the need to lash out at me rather than speak to me like a rational human being."

"See this is what I mean! How can you be so ridiculously-"

"Don't call me ridiculous!"

"I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"Will you just let me finish! For the love of God you are so-"

"Not interrupting am I?"

We both turned and scowled at the interruption, our expressions probably identical pictures of annoyance. However mine quickly turned to awe as my brain registered the devilishly handsome smirk on the face of the Moroi in the doorway. He was tall, although not as tall as the present Russian, with brown sex-hair and smouldering green eyes. However it wasn't his appearance that caught my eye – at least not completely – it was the confidence that he held himself with as he leant against the doorframe and his eyes gave me a blatantly sexual once over. There was a burnt out cigarette in his hand that was still releasing tiny spirals of smoke and paired with the jeans and leather jacket he was wearing only added to the bad boy image.

Basically he was sex on legs.

"Not at all," I smiled at the same time Dimitri spat "Yes."

The mysterious Moroi raised his eyebrows and smirked. He pushed away from the door and dropped the finished cigarette to the floor before grinding it out with his foot.

"Well which is it?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"You're not interrupting," I assured him while Dimitri scowled. "I'm Rose."

"Well Rose, I'm Adrian Ivashkov and I'll be your doctor for this evening."

My eyebrows flew up and I raked a look over him, thinking I might be hallucinating but no he still looked like he belonged in a motorcycle gang.

"Damn, they really just give any idiot a medical degree these days, don't they?"

Adrian laughed and walked over to my bed. Dimitri tensed beside me but I ignored him – I'd had enough of his mind games for tonight.

"I don't have a degree," he told me. "But I can assure you that I'm better for you than any doctor you've had so far."

"A little cocky aren't you? Just don't come near me with any needles."

He laughed again and sat himself down on the edge of my bed. Okay, clearly not one for personal boundaries.

"You know what I see when I look at you?" he asked. I shook my head and waited for the line that I could tell was coming. "A lot of red, a little blue and a fair amount of black."

Umm, what?

I stared at him, completely nonplussed and he just laughed. Apparently crazy talk was normal for him. Who'd have thought?

"Anyway," he continued like nothing had happened. "I'll get you all fixed up then you can go back to murdering the undead." And then he stuck his hand down my top.

Okay, truthfully it wasn't _down my top_ but still it was an invasion of privacy if there ever was one. Dimitri was on his feet instantly, his hand clamped down on Adrian's shoulder as I froze.

"Get your hands off her," he snarled.

Adrian smiled as if he was used to this sort of situation and cocked his head to once side like a puppy.

"Just trust me Rosie and relax. Although, I should warn you this is all a little experimental at the moment, so don't be freaked out if something goes wrong."

"What the hell are you-?" But my words were stopped short by a feeling of warmth spreading from Adrian's fingertips, across my chest and over my healed collarbone. The pain lessened considerably and the area went very cold until the feeling stopped altogether and Adrian removed his hand.

I glanced up at his cocky smirk in disbelief then down at my _completely healed_ collarbone and back to his face again. I opened my mouth to say something but not words would come out as I stared at him.

Everything was silent for a moment as we all stared at my skin as if it held the answers, except everything appeared to be perfectly normal.

Until it wasn't.

As quickly as the pain had gone it came back in an agonising blow, worse than before. It knocked my breath from my body and my shoulder turned bright red again. I only had a moment to see the worried look in Dimitri's eyes as he bent over me before it all became too much and I passed out.

I really hated Sundays.

**AN/ Slightly less cliffy or not? I dunno, that's up to you to decide. Drop me a review, they make my updates come faster :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN/ I know, I'm a complete fail. This update is a lot later than I hoped it was, but it couldn't be helped. Anyway, thank you all for your continued support. **

**Enjoy**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

The second time I woke I was greeted by raised voices and darkness. I blinked my eyes to try and clear my cloudy vision and realised night had fallen and I must have been unconscious for hours to have missed the sun rising and then setting again. There was a lot of noise in the distance that indicated that it was during school time and people were attending classes.

However the more prominent noise held my attention – arguing going on just outside my doorway. I struggled to sit up, more than a little surprised that my shoulder showed no signs of protest. God, I hoped I hadn't been in a coma for six weeks. That really would suck.

I flipped back the covers to find that I was wearing one of those awful, white, hospital gowns and no socks. I sighed in frustration and slipped from the bed before padding quietly to the door. I pushed it open and instantly recognised the voices; Dimitri and Adrian.

"- completely irresponsible! And to do it _again_ after you failed the first time was-"

"Completely irresponsible, I know," Adrian drawled not looking the slightest bit put out by Dimitri's anger.

"Look you cocky little-"

"What's going on?" I interrupted, feeling the argument wasn't going to get any of us anywhere.

"Rose! You're awake," Dimitri said, looking both surprised and relieved. His eyes flittered down my attire before snapping abruptly back up to my face. "You should be in bed."

"I was," I told him. "But then I heard voices and now I'm not."

Dimitri rolled his eyes and ushered me back to bed. Adrian followed us into the room and smirked as I put up a fuss. I hated hospitals. Sue me.

"I'm _fine_," I insisted. "Just let me get dressed and we can go back to beating each other up."

"Roza," Dimitri growled, obviously not amused. "You broke your collar bone; you are _not_ fine. Now get into bed before I make you."

"Do you say that to underage girls a lot Belikov?" Adrian snickered from his slumped position in the chair on the opposite side of the room. "Or is our Rosemarie just _special_."

" Я собираюсь сделать вас сожаление рождения, если ты не перестанешь говорить прямо сейчас вы высокомерны укол."

I stared at Dimitri in fascinated awe. I knew he was Russian but I had never actually hear him speak the language and I had to say that accent was the sexiest thing I had heard in a long time, even if the tone clearly conveyed how pissed off he was. Butterflies formed in my stomach as I imagined how much of a turn on it would be if he murmured softly spoken Russian word in my ear while –

_Snap out of it! Not going to happen, remember?_

"Rose, just get back in the bed."

I blinked, stupefied and complied immediately. I had a feeling I would have done just about anything for him then.

Just at that moment a nurse walked in, her eyebrows shooting right up when she saw me awake.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that I was to be informed as soon as there was any response in Miss Hathaway's condition," she said steely, her grey eyes flashing. She was tall, unnaturally so even for a Moroi and younger than I had expected, probably in her mid twenties. Her blonde hair was pulled back harshly into a bun and I subconsciously touched my own unruly hair. Bed head was not a good look for me.

"I was just about to but-" Dimitri started but Adrian interrupted him.

"But the cradle robber was just getting our little dhampir back in her cradle first."

Dimitri growled and sent him a furious glare but the nurse just raised her eyebrows noncommittally.

"Indeed. Well, we just need to check your stats but I see no reason why you should remain here. There is nothing wrong with you."

"Nothing – I broke my collar bone! How long have I _been_ here?" I exclaimed, my earlier coma fears arising.

"Just twelve hours Rose," Dimitri assured me. "You needed to rest. It's only Monday."

"But my shoulder, it was broken, and then it wasn't and, and – what the hell is going on?" I threw my hands up in the air, feeling entirely confused and noting that my shoulder didn't protest in the slightest.

"It's okay Rose," Dimitri said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Ivashkov is a spirit user. He healed your injury."

I gave him my best _what-the-fuck_ face and waited for the rest of the story.

"Spirit has only been recently discovered. It's a new element that has some rather adverse side effect on those who specialise in it. Moroi who were thought to be unspecialised are now being re-evaluated to determine if they are spirit users or not. The element is very rare and few have been found that have any control over it. Ivashkov here is one of the few known. He's able to infiltrate and control dreams as well as see auras and carryout minimal healing."

"But my shoulder," I protested. "It _didn't_ heal. I mean it did for a little bit but then it freaking _shattered_. Trust me, I felt it."

"Well yes," Dimitri admitted. "Ivashkov isn't as skilled in healing as he'd like to think he is and there were some complications the first time around."

"The _first_ time?" I shouted. "You mean you let him try _again_?"

"You we're unconscious," input Adrian who was looking far too smug for my liking. "It's not like you would have felt anything if it had gone wrong."

"You're missing the point!" I spat. "I'm not a lab rat you can conduct you crazy little experiments on!"

"It healed you, didn't it?" Adrian smiled.

I scowled at him. Clearly he still didn't get it. I mean, I'm all for instant health and all that and I'm not going to regret the weeks of bed rest I'd missed, but come on! I'm not just there to be experimented on! And without my permission! That was completely uncalled for.

"No matter," Interrupted the nurse. I had almost forgotten she was there. "You are in perfect health now. We just need to take a blood sample and then we can send you on your way."

"Blood sample?" I asked nervously. "What for?"

"Examination. Research into spirit's effects of the cardiovascular system. If there was a painless way of doing so we would also need a bone marrow sample but that is yet to be achieved so blood will have to do. It's vital for our growing understanding of the effects of the element and to help analyse the long term problems associated with the healing, if there are any. It's all very new and underdeveloped at the moment," she explained stiffly, as if I was insulting her by asking in the first place.

"Right. Okay," I agreed just to avoid another argument. The nurse nodded and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with a huge needle and vile. I gulped, not willing to admit I _hated_ needles and gripped the edge of the bed pathetically as she stuck the evil devise in my arm. I watched with morbid fascination as the blood was sucked out of my arm and gathered in the vile. Before I could blink it was over at the nurse was handing me my clothes then ushering me out of the room. I dressed in the adjoining bathroom and then followed Dimitri out of the infirmary. Adrian had disappeared but I didn't doubt I would have the pleasure of his irritating company again soon.

"So now what?" I asked Dimitri as I flexed my shoulder, still amazed that there was no pain whatsoever. I just hoped it held up. The nurse's mention of 'long term problems' wasn't exactly reassuring.

"Now you go to class. It's only eight so you have an hour to get changed. There should be a timetable waiting for you in your room. Obviously you would have received it last night but due to the circumstances you'll just have to adapt."

"Perfect," I muttered sullenly. "First I'm put in hospital and now I'm probably going to end up skipping breakfast so I can find out where the hell I'm going."

"Look on the bright side, at least I'm letting you miss morning practice," Dimitri joked.

I scowled at him.

"That's not funny."

"I thought it was."

"Then you have a very twisted sense of humour. Now go away. I need a shower."

"Always the charmer, Rose. I'll see you later." He hesitated before dropping a hasty kiss on my forehead. "Try not to get into anymore trouble."

"Excuse me; you were the one to put me in the infirmary in the first place! Totally not my fault," I protested my innocence but my voice was just a little too weak. My forehead seemed to be burning from where his lips had been – a pleasant, electrifying warmth.

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "You're not to blame at all?"

"Shut up," I told him with a scowl.

"I am glad you're okay Rose," he said his voice softening. He reached out and twisted some of my unruly hair around his finger, causing wonderful, pointless shivers to race down my spine.

"Me too."

"I'll see you later." He dropped my hair and turned to walk away. I stood staring after him for a moment before I mentally slapped myself and ran off to my room. True to his word, there was a timetable waiting for me on my bedside table.

_Advanced Arithmetic – C113_

_Guardian theory and practice – C106_

_Interval_

_Combat 101 – Gym 3_

_Combat 101 – Gym 3_

_Lunch_

_Skills and weaponry – T403_

_Biology – T209_

Maths? Seriously? I scowled at the paper, figuring they must have looked up my old school records and based my classes on my previous grades. Yes, I scraped an A in maths last year, but that didn't mean I didn't want to sit it at a higher level. And first thing! Urg.

Guardian theory and practice sounded at least slightly more interesting, but I wasn't sure what that would actually involve. And double combat was sure to be the highlight of my day; maybe I would finally get to take on someone other than our 6'7 Russian badass. And weapons after lunch? Awesome. Biology, however, had me stumped. I hadn't studied it last year so they had no reason to put me in that class unless they thought I was dense enough not to realise where the heart was. Who knows, maybe it was mandatory or something?

I quickly showered and dressed before rushing off to my first class, only to discover I had no idea where room C113 was.

"Goddamn it!"

"A little lost?"

I whirled around at the familiar voice and scowled at Christian. He looked paler than the last time I had seen him despite it only being only a few days. And there were dark circles under his eyes that suggested he hadn't been sleeping well. I remembered witnessing his breakup with Lissa and felt a pang of sympathy for him.

The only thing that hadn't changed about him was the cocky smirk on his face. Was everyone here so full of themselves?

"Yes actually," I muttered begrudgingly. "I have no idea where I'm going."

"Let me see that." He reached out and snatched the timetable out of hands, scanning it briefly.

"You're doing advanced arithmetic? Seriously?"

"Apparently," I muttered dryly. "I didn't request it, trust me."

"Combat 101," he muttered. "Biology?"

I shrugged and he handed me back the paper. I stuffed it unceremoniously in my pocket.

"Come on, I'm headed that way anyway," he said and ushered me down the corridor. We walked silently for a moment, the air between us awkward.

"I know you were there," he said suddenly. I glanced at him in surprise but his eyes were trained on the floor in front of him. "In the woods," he clarified. "I know you were there."

"Oh," I muttered, unsure what else to say and a little embarrassed to have been caught eavesdropping.

"Yeah, you might want to work on your camouflage skills; I hear you miles away."

"Noted," I mumbled. We continued the rest of the walk in silence except for the sound of our footsteps echoing along the corridor. We reached the classroom with a brass C113 on it and he gestured in a clear 'this is it' motion.

"Umm, thanks," I said and went to open the door before I paused. "She's not worth it you know?"

Christian stiffened, his whole body going rigid. It was clear he did _not_ want to talk about this but I pressed on anyway. "If she's going to choose some pretentious jerk over you, all because Daddy said so then she's not worth your time. I just – I thought I should tell you that."

"Thanks," he said in a clipped tone. "But I already knew that."

"Right," I muttered and moved to push the door open again but his voice stopped me.

"I have cooking next; I'll drop by and pick you up for your next class at the end of the period. Just wait for me."

I glanced over and smiled genuinely at him.

"Cooking? Really?"

He grinned, his fangs flashing dangerously in the light.

"An easy A. Besides, this helps." He held out his hand, palm up, and a little flame appeared dancing around his wrist before it flickered out. I laughed – he was a fire user.

"Alright sparky, I'll see you later."

"I'm counting the minutes," he replied sarcastically, but I could see the slight smile on his lips. I grinned and finally pushed the door open, entering the room.

There was an elderly man sitting at the desk when I walked in. He was frail, and I'm talking one-second-away-from-death-a-breath-could-knock-me-over frail but when his eyes turned on me they were filled with an unjustified contempt.

"Ah, Miss Hathaway. Travelled so far from you dirty little hometown and yet unable to find my classroom on time. What a shame. Have a seat; I'm sure we're going to have a fun semester."

I bristled at his words. Prejudice from students I could handle, but snide comments from teachers was a step too far.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" I spat.

"Nothing at all Miss Hathaway, but I do not atone tardiness. Now sit down before I send a report to Mistress Kirova about you incompetence to follow simple rules. I'm sure that would reflect wonderfully on your position here at St Vladimir's."

Fuming, I crossed the room and threw myself down into an empty chair. The teacher's eyes followed me across the room and he smirked at my furious expression before turning towards the board.

"Now we have all arrived I'll explain the theory for differentiation of an integer..."

I resisted the urge to groan and gripped the edge of the table forcefully. This was going to be a _long_ semester.

**AN/ Thoughts? Comments? Hopefully the wait won't be as long next time**

**:)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN/ Thanks for all the reviews and alerts :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

Mr Sarcozy, as it turns out his name is, is a dick. Not only did he continue to make snide comments about me but also other dhampir's in general and how they were so 'inferior' to the Moroi race. Half an hour into the lesson my blood was boiling and I couldn't help myself from tipping my chair back and calling him a 'fascist bastard' before storming out. The sounds of his angry voice as well as cheering and laughter followed me down the corridor and I didn't doubt I would be hearing about it later from either Kirova or Dimitri.

Probably both.

But right then I didn't care; my only thought was to get as far away from the asshole in that classroom as fast as I could.

I had no idea which turning I had taken but I found myself in a small courtyard. It was paved in light grey stone and closed off by four walls. Benches and shrubs were placed systematically in a circle around the perimeter and a large, circular water fountain with a single jet of water took up the centre, causing little droplets to splash over the sides and onto the paving. Adrian was leaning against the structure, a cigarette in one hand and a mobile in the other. He flipped the phones shut when he saw me and breathed out a breath of smoke.

"Little Dhampir," he cooed. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Bite me," I muttered and threw myself down onto one of the benches with a huff.

"I don't think that would be entirely appropriate, do you? I mean we only just met and already you want my mouth on you." He slid onto the bench beside me and took another drag on the cigarette.

"Do you have to do that near me?" I complained, eyeing the offending stick with distaste.

"I thought all teenage girls liked the bad-boy image?" He took a final pull before he stubbed it out on the arm of the bench and flicked it into the fountain.

"Sorry, you're not my type. And if that clogs up the fountain, I'm not proclaiming your innocence," I snipped, gesturing towards where he threw the fag end.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it. My great aunt is the Queen. Due to my inheritance I can afford to buy fifty of these cheep things a hundred times over."

"Seriously?" I raised my eyebrows at him. "You're _that_ Adrian Ivashkov?" I had heard of him before, obviously. The queen's great nephew, womaniser Adrian Ivashkov, who spent his days getting drunk and his nights getting high.

"The one and only," he smiled. His phone went off and he whipped it out before smirking, typing a quick reply and shoving it back in his pocket.

"Your latest conquest?" I asked dryly. "Or an actual girlfriend?"

He smirked before pulling another cigarette out of his pocket and lighting up. I scowled at him but he ignored me, tipping his head back at blowing smoke into the air. I had to begrudgingly admit that it painted a very nice picture.

"Boyfriend, actually," he replied and shot me a sideways glance.

My eyebrows shot up and I gave him an incredulous glance, trying to work out if he was kidding or not. After a moment I had to admit that he seemed serious.

"Really? You've got quite the reputation as a lady's man. I never would have pegged you as gay."

He leaned over and blew smoke in my face before chuckling quietly. I coughed and glared at him, while batting the smoke away.

"It's a secret," he muttered with a scowl. "With my linage you can't be different so I had to build up a reputation to 'cover the truth' as it were."

"Wow, you Royal's really are a bunch of pricks aren't you?" I sniped.

He laughed loudly at that but I wasn't joking. I mean really, why would you force your son, or great nephew to be something he just isn't?

"Ah, Little dhampir, you're like a breath of fresh air. I wish everyone saw the world the way you do," he sighed.

I frowned at him, a little put out.

"I'm not naive," I argued and crossed my arms over my chest.

He looked at me for a moment then shook his head sadly.

"No I suppose you're not. I heard what happened to your mom, what you must have seen. And I don't think anything in my twisted little world can compare to that. But you're like the small town kid in the big city; you don't know how things work around here. If you did you, a lowly little dhampir, would not be mouthing off about the Moroi's, especially the Royals."

"Just because I'm a dhampir does not mean-" I started angrily but Adrian cut me off.

"I know it doesn't mean we're any better than you but the majority of people think that they are. They'll never say it directly or do anything that could incriminate them but you'll soon notice people's attitudes will change drastically depending on whether or not they're speaking to a dhampir or a Moroi. It's just something you'll have to accept."

"Well that seems like a helluva pile of bullshit to me," I grumbled but I had to begrudgingly admit that I _had_ noticed the differences in the way people were addressed, depending on their race.

Adrian laughed loudly and swung an arm around my shoulder. I gave him the stink eye but he just grinned at me.

"Don't worry about it Rosie, I like my chicks with dicks remember?" He teased. I had to laugh at that one.

At that moment the bell rang and I begrudgingly got to me feet.

"I have class," I offered lamely and wondered if I'd have any hope in finding my way back to Maths so Christian could pick me up. Somehow I doubted it.

However it didn't matter as Adrian took it upon himself to escort me. He seemed to know his way around so I couldn't argue with him but I could have done without the large kiss on my cheek and wink when he dropped me off. Several girls walking down the corridor gave me death looks and sighed before slipping into guardian theory and practice.

The rest of the day went by much faster. My guardian orientated classes were a lot more enjoyable than my first period class and I actually found myself having fun during Combat. Both Eddie and Mason were in the class with me which helped but the other dhampir's didn't seem bothered by my background.

I thought back on what Adrian had said and had to admit that there was some truth in his words and as a result I was more than a little relieved to find myself accepted amongst the dhampir population.

And I met Sydney Sage.

She was sharp and witty, with that arrogant edge that normally turned other girls away from her. Her blonde hair was cropped short and she wore a heavy layer of black eyeliner and a silver rosary around her neck. We were paired together and our personalities immediately clashed as did our fighting styles. I managed to land a jab to her ribs that that had her screaming out "you fucking Moroi chew-toy!" but she returned in kind with a blow to my stomach that had me screaming out "you punk-ass bitch!" By the end of the lesson we had agreed to have lunch together and left laughing hysterically at our classmates bemused expressions.

Basically, she was awesome.

The remainder of the week passed in a similar manor. Kirova and Dimitri both bitched me out about my 'attitude towards teaching staff' but I thankfully was removed that class and low and behold ended up in Christian's cooking class where I spent most of the lesson burning things that shouldn't have been able to burn, much to everyone's amusement. Especially Christian's who followed me around all day and constantly ribbed me about it. It was almost as if we were friends.

"Party tonight?" Sydney asked as she slid into the chair across from me with Eddie and Christian. It was Friday evening and I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. If you ignored the practices I had with Dimitri that was.

"What party?" I asked as I shovelled some meatloaf into my mouth. I had tried to make meatloaf this morning and had actually had some mild success with it, so it was quickly becoming a favourite food, simply on principle.

"The Ivashkov brat is apparently throwing one," she rolled her eyes and popped a fry in her mouth. "He's an ass but he throws a good party and always manages to get the liquor in."

"Sure, sounds like a plan," I agreed and Eddie and Christian nodded along. "What time?"

"Dunno. I figured we could watch a movie or something and go over there about nine. It won't really pick up until around then and the start of parties are always pretty dire."

We all agreed and after we finished eating we headed back Sydney's room. She was on the same floor as me, only a few doors down, so it made drifting between the two rooms easy. We settled on The Fast and the Furious – none of us could stand sappy love films and Sydney managed to spring some alcohol from somewhere. Despite her religious beliefs she was more rebellious than me and figured that as long as she kept to the guidelines then she was on the straight and narrow, although I had my doubts.

"We need to change," I moaned as the credits rolled around. I had my head dangling over the side of the bed and was bobbing along to the music. I didn't want to move.

"You can borrow some jeans and a top if you want," Sydney offered and I agreed before getting handed a pair of skinny's and blood red top that showed a nice amount of cleavage. I skipped into the bathroom to change while Sydney stripped off in the bedroom – I swear that girl had no shame. We were just about to leave when there was a knock at the door. Confused we glanced at each other before Eddie answered with a guilty look on his face. He wasn't really meant to be in the girl's dorms and neither was Christian.

It was Dimitri.

"Rose? You need to come with me. Mistress Kirova wants to speak with you," he said, his guardian mask fully in place. I wanted to slap it off. Or kiss it.

"Umm why?" I asked, trying to remember if I had done anything incriminating recently. Unless I was in trouble for burning food supplies I didn't think I had done anything.

"You'll see when you get there. Now come on."

I sighed but motioned to the others that I would meet them later before following Dimitri out the door.

The silence between us was tense, which was unusual as our relationship had grown friendlier over the passing week. I think he still felt guilty for hurting me and even though he didn't lighten my workload he was more comforting and encouraging.

On Wednesday I received a hug after managing to knock him on his feet.

I loved Wednesday s.

But now, walking to Kirova's he seemed unnerved and anxious about something. I wanted to ask what but I knew he wouldn't answer so we continued on in silence. He didn't come in with me when we reached the office but the light kiss to my forehead left me more nervous than before.

Kirova was alone in her office; the wall of guardian's absent for once. I took a seat opposite her while she rummaged through some papers on her desk.

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you here. I can assure you, you aren't in any trouble," she said in what I assume was meant to be a soothing voice but I just found it a little creepy.

"O...kay?" Was my brilliant response.

She sighed and rubbed her temples, as if in sudden pain.

"I promised you that I would keep you up to date on the Strigoi movements in Nevada," she started and my blood ran cold with the sudden realisation as to why I was there. "I can report, thankfully, that the numbers do not seem to be increasing anymore than they already have. However that is the good news. I have to regretfully inform you that it would appear the coven is continuing to move north and if our suspicions are correct then they are heading towards us."

I nodded dumbly, feeling strangely void. Only three words really registered.

Heading. Towards. Us.

Heading. Towards. _Me_.

I felt sick.

"As you can imagine," Kirova continued, "this has caused quite some alarm. I have demanded there be an increase in security around the school for the unforeseeable future to help protect all the students here and there is still the possibility that the coven will pass right by us and that our suspicions are wrong."

"But that's unlikely," I whispered. My head was spinning.

"Yes, at the moment it would appear that way. Rosemarie, I can assure you that you are more than safe here and really you do not need to worry. We have a large guardian force that is more than capable of protecting you. I just thought you should be kept informed."

I nodded again and said a quiet thank-you before I left. My head was swimming with so many thoughts. Just as things started going right again they did a complete one-eighty and I was back in hell.

I had no idea where Adrian's apartment was but I simply followed the noise and soon staggered into the large, spacious flat. Music was thumping throughout the campus, making the walls shake and numerous drunken people stumbled past. I found Sydney in a corner, a bottle of something in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"Hey, you okay?" she yelled over the music. "You look kinda green."

I stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment before she stubbed the butt of her smoke out and dragged me into another room. It was quietly – marginally – but at least I could hear her better. I slouched against the wall, not trusting my feet to hold me up.

"Seriously, Rose, you don't look so good," she commented, her face screwed up in concern.

"I'm not," I replied. "I think I'm gonna puke."

She took a step back automatically and I had to laugh.

"Not like that," I assured her.

"Then what?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and looking irritable.

"My mother's a Strigoi. She wants to kill me. She's coming _here_," I blurted out.

"Are you serious?" She asked. Her crystal blue eyes widened dramatically in shock and a little bit of fear.

"Yeah," I laughed bitterly. "Dead serious."

"Shit," she swore and I nodded in agreement. She was silent for a minute, before she stood upright, looking serious and businesslike. "Well you know what you need, right?"

I shook my head and looked at her in confusion when she dragged me to my feet.

"To get really, _really_ drunk."

**AN/ There we go :)**

**Yeah, Adrian's gay in this story. It just fits for one of the little sub-plots. And it means there won't be anything going on between him and Rose. **

**So Sydney? Love her or hate her? **

**Leave me some love. **

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN/ Thanks for the reviews, favs and alerts. :) **

**Is anyone else having problems with the FF alerts? Mine seem to be going AWOL. :/**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

Normally I didn't drink. I attended parties, had smoked pot like most teenagers and tried out cigarettes but I had never been so drunk I was borderline paralytic.

But I guess there's a first time for everything.

The music was loud, a continuous pulsing rhythm that I could feel all the way to my bones. I was dancing – or rather swaying precariously – with Jesse's arms wrapped around me from behind. He had turned up some time during the night and my drunken state didn't seem to remember what Mason had told me about him. So I had thrown my arms around him and smiled goofily while taking another deep glug of my drink. Because let's be honest, I was young, I was pissed off and I just wanted to have a little fun. I figured I deserved it after being told my mother wanted to kill me.

"I love this so-o-ong!" I wailed and lifted my hands into the air and flailed them about. Jesse laughed in my ear and pulled to tighter against his body. Hmm. He was so warm. And so soft. Like a hot-water bottle. Or a cat. Something warm and soft.

I smiled idiotically.

"Is that so?" he asked before bending forward and tacking a sip of my drink. I scowled at him.

"Mine!"

He laughed again as I disentangled myself from him and staggered over to Sydney, who was looking blessed out and sitting next to Adrian of all people. Both had a drink in their hands but Adrian had a sour look on his face and was glaring at the cup as if it had personally offended him.

I sat on his lap.

"You don't look like you're having fun," I commented and tucked my head into his neck. "You smell good."

He withdrew his arm from between our bodies and wrapped it around my waist, holding me more securely to him.

"And you look like you're having a little too much fun." He reached out and took my drink from me, staring down into the contents. "How many of these have you had?"

"Not enough," I muttered before stealing it back and draining the contents. I didn't even feel the burn in my throat as it went down. "I think I need more."

"I think you've had enough," he commented and took the cup from me, tossing it onto the floor. I pouted and hiccupped. Sydney laughed at me before patting my thigh and wandering off.

"Why are you so grouchy?" I mumbled my face back in Adrian's neck. "Your boyfriend not here?"

"No, his _is_ here, I think that's the problem," he sighed and let his head fall back onto the sofa. I drew back so I could look at him, frowning.

"Makes no sense." I nodded before moving to stand. His grip tightened on my waist and he moved his head back up to look at me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Thirsty. My cup is empty." I frowned and looked around, nonplussed. "My cup is _gone_!"

Adrian repositioned me so that I was beside him and tucked an arm around my shoulder. I snuggled up against him and sighed. So warm.

"I think you've had enough for tonight – why don't you sleep it off?" he suggested.

"Don't wanna," I muttered, my eyelids falling shut. "Not tired. Just wanna forget."

"Forget what, little dhampir?" He asked while his hand soothed up and down my arm. I sighed and snuggled in even closer to him.

"Everything," I answered just as darkness started to overcome me.

However, before I was fully able to drift off there was a loud crash and the music came to a grinding halt. My eyes sprang open to see Lissa's prick of a boyfriend Aaron standing over Christian's collapsed body. It appeared Aaron had pushed him over. All eyes were on them so no one but me noticed when Lissa slipped out of one of the bedrooms, her make-up smeared and her eyes wide with alarm.

Frowning I pushed myself away from Adrian – ignoring his protests – and stumbled over to my friend just as he was clambering to his feet.

"What's going on?" I asked the obvious question.

Aaron answered, still glaring at Christian.

"I just found this Strigoi wannabe feeling up _my_ girlfriend in the bedroom! The nerve of the prick! As if she would ever want anyone like _him_." He sneered the last word in disgust.

I frowned at him in confusion. Had I been a little more coherent I probably would have come up with some snarky reply but as it was my brain-to-mouth filter appeared to have turned itself off.

"But he loves her."

There wasn't a collective gasp like there were in the movies but the atmosphere changed, became more intense. Christian had scrambled to his feet and rested his hand on my arm in warning. My frown deepened at I looked at him in puzzlement.

"But it's true," I protested. "I saw you swapping saliva out by that little cabin remember? And seriously, it's not like she was protesting any. I think the Princess was enjoying it as much as you were."

The whole room seemed to freeze this time and Aaron's face turned furious. The princess in question slipped through the crowd until she was level with er boyfriend, her eyes wide and beseeching, her messed hair a testament to her guilt.

"Aaron..."

But Aaron ignored her, his temper boiling over as he swung a fist at Christian. Christian stood and took it, then wiped the blood off from his cut lip before attacking Aaron. They broke out into a full on fist-fight with Lissa screaming in the background. Those who could still pass as relatively sober rushed forward to try and break it up as the others cheered them on. I moved to help but strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me away. They smelled of peppermint and old spice. Jesse.

"I think you've caused enough trouble for tonight, don't you," he said while pulling me towards the door. I grumbled my protest but allowed him to pull me towards the exit. My head was beginning to spin and not in a good way.

Adrian appeared in front of us just as we were about to leave, his eyes blazing as they focused on where Jesse's arm was wrapped around my waist.

"Where are you going?" he growled, his eyes slowly moving up towards Jesse's face. His expression could only be described as venomous.

"We're leaving," said Jesse tartly, but there was some undercurrent of warning in his voice.

"With _her_?" Adrian bit out, his hand tightening on the door knob so his knuckles turned white.

"I am a wonderful female thank you very muchly," I objected, a distant part of my brain offended by the blatant disgust in his voice. "Not that you care. You know, 'cause I don't have a penis and all."

I expected them to laugh or at least smile but if anything Adrian's expression turned angrier and Jesse's grip on me became painful.

"You told you that?" he hissed in my ear.

I frowned, my muddled brain not working quickly enough.

"Adrian did," I muttered. "I don't get what the big deal is," I added in a stronger voice.

"Because it's _wrong_," spat Jesse and I was shocked at the anger in his voice. "It's fucked up. Disgusting."

"No it's not."

The words were spoken so softly it was a wonder they could be heard over the noise of the party – and fight – behind us. But both Jesse and I heard them loud and clear.

Jesse snorted, his expression turning mocking. I wanted away from him but I didn't think I could stand on my own so I settled for a deep scowl.

"Whatever you say Ivashkov. Now if you don't mind, we were leaving."

Adrian stepped away from the door, his face hard but there was something swimming just under the surface, as if he was only just holding himself together.

"If you leave then don't bother coming back," Adrian said quietly. "I don't want you back here."

I didn't understand; why should it matter so much to Adrian who I went home with? My head hurt too much to make any sense of it.

"Fine," Jesse snapped and then pulled me from the room, causing me to stumbled after his wake. The sound of the door slamming behind us rang with finality. We walked along in silence – or should I say Jesse stormed and I stumbled – before we passed the turning for the dhampir dorms.

"Where are we going?" I grouched, annoyed that I was being denied my bed.

"You'll see," snapped Jesse before he stopped his expression softening. He turned to me and cupped my face, his lips brushing mine gently. I smiled at the contact, the blurriness returning to my head. "Just have some patience, beautiful girl. I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"Okay," I smiled and felt lighter as he took my hand again and pulled me gently along. We exited the building and strode across the grounds. Thankfully it was overcast and dreary so the light didn't hurt my eyes. Much.

"What is it about this building?" I wondered as the familiar cabin came into view. I should have known we were coming here.

Jesse smirked at me over his shoulder.

"It's private, technically still on campus and best of all it has a bed," he explained with a wink.

I giggled as he retrieved a key and unlocked the door before ushering me inside. He went to turn on the lights but I stopped him. The darkness was soothing.

I stumbled forward and tumbled onto the bed, relieved not to be standing anymore. I rolled onto my back and looked up at Jesse enquiringly.

"Now what?"

He grinned and shut the door before coming to join me on the bed.

"And now I make it worth it."

He kissed me. I hadn't expected him not to but this was much more insistent than before. All the same I responded and wrapped my arms around his neck as he fitted himself between my legs. It was wet and sloppy but it was also stupid and reckless which is exactly what I needed at that moment.

His hands moved over my stomach, dipping underneath to touch the smooth skin of my stomach before moving up over my ribs, causing my skin to break out in goosebumps. He teased the edge of my bra with his fingertips before I moaned impatiently. He chuckled against the skin of my neck before he moved his hands up and cupped me gently. It felt good, but it was a purely physical reaction and unwittingly my mind flittered back to my kiss with Dimitri. That had defiantly _not_ lacked emotion, but I pushed the thought down angrily before it could form properly. I didn't need to think, I just needed to feel.

Determined I slipped my hands under the back of Jesse's shirt and drew it up over his head. He broke the kiss to pull it over his head before he returned, his kisses wet and slightly sloppy but undeniably enthusiastic as my fingers traced his torso. There was no denying he was in great shape.

"Your turn," he whispered before pulling my top slowly up and over my head, revealing my skin. He traced my collarbone and the fullness of my breast with his fingers before following the path with tongue, turning me into a pathetic wanting mess. He chuckled against my skin as his lips returned to my neck and his hips started moving slowly, cautiously against mine. I groaned at the contact and gripped him tighter, my fingernails biting into the skin of his back and causing him to hiss.

"What else do you like, I wonder?" he whispered into my ear before he trailed down my flesh, causing his fangs to drag across my pulse point. "Have you ever done it?" he asked as I froze, my heart beating erratically. I was sobering up fast and a dark feeling of foreboding was beginning to overtake me. "Everyone says you have, but that's just stereotype. Tell me, beautiful girl, have you ever been bitten?"

"No," I breathed out, my breath slightly panicked. "And I don't want to be."

"But you'll enjoy it, I promise," he encouraged, his fangs drawing a line up my flesh again. I shivered, but this time there was no desire in it.

"No," I said more strongly and tried to push him away. He pushed back and trapped my hands above my head, fully ensnaring me. For the first time I felt real fear. I was far to inebriated to put up much of a fight, the alcohol swirling in my system even if I couldn't feel the effects of it anymore.

"How will you ever know if you never try it?" he asked again, his mouth still skimming the skin on my neck. "You'll love this I promise. That's what all you dhampir girls are for isn't it? Feeding and reproducing."

I opened my mouth in outrage and began wriggling in disgusted fury but he flattened his body against mine and drew his mouth to my pulse point.

"Don't fight it Rosie. Don't fight it."

Three things happened at once; Jesse sank his fangs into the pliable skin of my neck, I let out a bloodcurdling scream despite the rush of endorphins that rushed my system and the door to the cabin was flung open with a tremendous crash. The only thing I remember seeing were a pair of wide, frantic eyes before it all became too much and I passed out.

**AN/ Umm yeah. So I'm leaving it there. And I'm going to Spain for a week so updates won't be for a little while me thinks :) But who doesn't love a good cliffy right? ;)**

**Leave me some love. Or scream at me in hatred. Just let me know your thoughts. :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN/ So it seems you all love to hate me :) I had so much good feedback from the last chapter! Thank-you. **

**So a little late, here's the next chapter.**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

When I opened my eyes again I half expected to be greeted by the sterile walls of the infirmary again but instead the dark roof of the cabin swayed dizzyingly above me. Raised voices pulsed and vibrated around me, echoing the thumping in my head. There was a loud bang and the noises became muffled before they faded out completely. I groaned and tried to sit up, only to be pressed back into the mattress by a firm hand.

"No," I protested weakly. "I don't want that. I'm not...not...don't."

"Shh, Roza. Just relax, you're okay now."

My eyes fell shut again and I frowned.

"Dimitri? What's going on? What happened?" My voice was pathetically weak, even to my own ears. I searched through my mind, trying to remember but the picture was hazy. I remembered the party and Aaron and Christian and Adrian and Jesse.

Oh God; Jesse.

I made a gagging sound in my throat and rolled abruptly to the side, fearing I was going to vomit. I sprayed vodka and other liquids onto the floor until I was dry heaving and sobbing uncontrollably.

Dimitri rubbed my back to whole time.

"I didn't want him to," I cried. "I tried, I tried to get him to stop but...but...I'm sorry!"

Dimitri rolled me back over and pulled me up against his chest, his arms encasing me. I started to panic, feeling trapped and struggled against him but he didn't let go. Slowly some distant part of my brain registered that he wasn't a treat and I collapsed against him, breathing harshly. He held me, running his hands soothingly over my back and hair until my breathing slowed. Raising a hand to my neck, I felt the raised lump and the stickiness of dried blood. My blood.

"Why?" I asked quietly, not understanding. I knew Jesse wasn't what you would call a 'nice boy' but never had I expected him to do something like this. To violate me – or anyone – in such a disgusting and brutal way.

"Because he's a fucking piece of filth," Dimitri growled, his hold on me tightening. I tensed, my heart beating erratically as I tried to fight of my irrational panic. Dimitri wouldn't hurt me, I knew that much. And yet I had never seen or heard him so angry. Every muscle in his body was wound tight and his jaw was clenched. His eyes burned with a protective savagery that I only prayed would never be aimed at me. He passed me a glass of water which I used to wash my mouth out with, spitting it onto the floor before sipping some tentatively. He pointed me towards the bathroom and I got up and stumbled into the room, cleaning myself up a little before returning to Dimitri and falling back into his arms. I refused to look in the mirror.

Dimitri remained stiff around me, his whole body screaming a silent protest that I didn't understand.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, swaying slightly. The dizziness in my head was clearing but it was leaving behind one hell of a headache.

Dimitri's eyes widened disbelievingly and he pushed me away so I was lying back on the pillows again. It helped and I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut.

"What's wrong with me?" he demanded, the tone in his voice causing my eyes to open again. "I saw you both stumbling in here and I expected to come and break up some sickening make-out session. And I wish to God I had! But instead I hear you screaming and find his teeth in your neck! Дерзким кусок дерьма! Why on earth would I be upset?" He voice slowly rose in volume until he was shouting at the end. I cringed away from him and buried my head in the pillow.

"But he's a Moroi and I'm the school bloodwhore. Why should it matter?" I whispered, my voice catching and my eyes tearing even as I said the words.

Strong hands gripped my shoulders and I was flipped back over onto my back. The movement caused my head to spin and I protested meekly before shutting up when I was confronted with Dimitri's furious expression. And this time it was aimed at me.

"Don't you _ever _say that again," he spat, enunciating each word with deliberate force. "Do you hear me? You are so much better than that Rose, so much more. And don't you ever forget it!"

"What if I've already forgotten?" I murmured quietly, a solitary tear escape my eye and leaving a salty track on my cheek. Dimitri wiped it away gently with the pad of his thumb. "What if that's all I am now?"

He pulled me close again and this time I went willingly into his embrace. It was comforting but it was temporary. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen when I went back into the school and everyone saw the ugly marking on skin – an obvious sign in their eyes that all the rumours were true. That I was trash, scum just like...like my mother.

"What am I supposed to do?" I wailed, my throat constricting as I fisted my hand in Dimitri's shirt and buried my head in his shoulder. "They're all going to...and I didn't want to...and I just, I _hate _it here and..and...I just want to go _home_!" I finally admitted, the words spilling out of me with no warning.

"I know you do Roza, I know you do. But you can't, it's not safe. And you can't put yourself in danger like that. I won't _let_ you put yourself in danger like that."

"Why do you care?" I asked, a little bitter. "I mean I understand that I'm your student so you have to care _a little_ but I don't understand why you're so..._protective_. I'm just like everyone else, just another student."

He placed his fingers under my chin and tipped my head up until I met his gaze. I expected to be met with his professional 'guardian' look but his eyes were blazing as he stared at me. There was a small spec of gold colouring amongst the brown in his left eye that I hadn't noticed before, although that wasn't entirely surprising seeing as I had never studied him from this close up before.

"You are _not_ the same as everyone else," he insisted as his hand moved to the back of my head and his fingers knotted in my hair. "You're strong, you're resilient and you're the best fighter I've ever seen at your age." He leant forward until we were literally inches apart. "And you're beautiful. So very beautiful."

My eyes tried to flutter shut but I forced them to remain open, to keep my gaze on Dimitri's. In that moment there was no Jesse, there was no incriminating mark on my neck and there was no judgemental people waiting to use and abuse me within the school walls. There was only me and Dimitri. Just us.

"Then why won't you kiss me?" I demanded softly. As I spoke my lips brushed up against his in the whisper of a kiss.

"Because it's wrong," he breathed, his breath washing over me and making my head spin again, except this time I welcomed the sensation.

"It doesn't feel wrong," I protested, my fingers coming up to entwine in the lapel of his shirt.

"No," he agreed. "It doesn't feel wrong. It feels very, very right." And he kissed me, his lips pressing and probing, warm against mine. I sighed against his mouth and kissed him back. There was nothing rushed about the experience, nothing sloppy or demanding. It was gentle and comforting and everything I had been looking for with Jesse but knew I would never find. It was more, so much more. And it was then that I realised I was falling for my Russian God, that I might already be there but I disregarded it for now. For now it didn't matter; all that mattered was us and this kiss.

He trailed a line of kisses from my mouth up to my ear, his lips hovering over the bite mark in my skin before pressing gently to soothe the ache. I shivered and more tears fell from my eyes and the tender gesture. I tipped my head to one side offering myself to him, making me vulnerable. But I trusted him so I let his lips ghost over my skin as his fingers moved from the back of my head down to my waist and he pulled me closer. I gripped his shoulders with my hands, hanging on for dear life.

He kissed back down to my cheek and followed the tear tracks up to my eyes.

"Don't cry, baby girl. You're too beautiful to be shedding tears," he whispered before reclaiming my mouth with his. His kiss was more insisting but still gentle as his tongue traced my lips before delving into my mouth, softly probing with an intimacy that I had never felt before. My breath hitched and my heart pounded as he broke away and left one, two, three more gentle pecks on my mouth before wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me firmly against his chest.

"It definitely does not feel wrong," he whispered against my ear as he buried his face in my neck, mindful of my broken skin.

I laughed quietly in agreement and breathed in sharply, inhaling his rich scent.

"What happens now?" I asked, my eyes drifting shut sleepily. The night was finally catching up with me as the adrenaline wore off, leaving me lethargic.

"There will be an official investigation into what happened. Zelkos will be expelled without another query should he be found guilty."

"Should he be found guilty? But he _is_ guilty! I didn't want this!"

"I know you didn't Roza," Dimitri assured me. "But Zelkos comes from old money and his father has a lot of power. Things like morality and justice tend to be overlooked when cash exchanges hands," he finished bitterly.

"So he might stay," I whispered, my voice small and scared. "I'd have to see him every day, look at him and remember..." I trailed off unable to finish.

"I know, it's disgusting and wrong but I assure you if there is any way that I can help in his removal from St Vladimir's then I won't hesitate to do so. You have my word."

I nodded, no reassured but resigned. Where was the justice, the equality? This place made me sick to my stomach. Lissa denying a relationship with Christian because of his family history, Adrian playing around because he can't admit that he's gay – not due to his own choice but because it would be 'improper' – and now this. The lowly dhampir abused and ignored in the place of money and Moroi leadership. I thought I was going to be sick again.

Dimitri sighed as if he sensed my inner thoughts. Knowing him he probably did.

"Just sleep Rose. We can deal with everything in the morning."

"I'm staying here?" I asked, gesturing to the cabin. "I don't have to go back to my room?"

"Not tonight," he assured me and pulled back the light duvet so I could clamber underneath. After a little prodding he kicked off his shoes and joined me, wrapping his arm tightly around my shoulder again, offering me his comfort and support. "Sleep Roza. Just sleep."

I slept.

~BiteMe~

The next day started off brilliantly. I woke to Dimitri's soft snores in my ear and his arm thrown haphazardly over my middle. I made a pillow with my hands and watched the weak sunlight fade from the window and slowly darken the room. Morning had come.

I sat up, careful not to jostle the bed and headed into the bathroom. I braved the mirror and winced at my puffy-eyed expression. I splashed some water over my face and dried it gently with a towel before examining the injury on my neck. It was purple-red and glaringly obvious against my skin. A few dribbles of blood had escaped during the night, which I wiped off with a cloth before pulling my hair over it to cover it. I looked a mess.

"You're still beautiful."

I looked up, not realising Dimitri had awoken. He leant against the door jamb looking rugged and mussed, a five o'clock shadow showing on his face. I sighed and looked back at my reflection.

"If you say so," I muttered, sweeping more hair over my shoulder.

He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leant back into his embrace easily.

"I know so," he insisted and placed a lingering kiss on my temple. I smiled and tipped my head back so he could reach my mouth.

"Come on," he mumbled after several lip-locked moments. "We need to head back up to the school."

My mood immediately darkened.

"Do we have to?" I whined, completely willing to spend the rest of my life within these four walls. As long as I had some company, that was.

"Yes. We need to find out what's going on and I want you check out by a nurse." His fingers drifted over the bite mark that had been revealed when I moved my head. I scowled and covered it with my hair again.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Let's get on with it."

He grasped my face so I couldn't avoid his gaze.

"You don't need to worry Rose," he implored. "I've got you. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

**AN/ Sooooo. A bit happier now? Let me know :)**

**Дерзким кусок дерьма – the cocky piece of shit.**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN/** **Thank-you for your continued support :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

Dimitri walked me silently to the infirmary and sat with me while we waited for a nurse to come and check on me. I thought it was unnecessary – people were bitten all the time without serious side-effects – but Dimitri was adamant that we made sure. He had dropped my hand once we were within the sight of the school and even though my heart gave a little hurt squeeze, I understood. We might find nothing wrong in our being together – if that's even what we we're – but the rest of the school wouldn't be as accepting. I would probably be expelled and Dimitri would undoubtedly lose his job, neither of which I was willing to risk.

The nurse arrived and checked me over. The bite was clean and healing quickly but she gave me a patch to cover it all the same. Her face was pitying rather than judgemental, which almost made it all the worse. I could handle snide looks and comments – generally – but I didn't like being seen as weak by anyone.

Dimitri thanked her as I slipped into the bathroom and rearranged my hair in a thick braid over my shoulder so the plaster couldn't be seen. I splashed water over my unnaturally pale face, willing the colour to return before exiting and following Dimitri out of the infirmary. His face was concerned and I saw his hand twitch more than once as if he wanted to reach out and grab a hold of mine. That little action made me feel much better about myself. It was nice to know someone cared.

He left me at the doors to the cafeteria stating he needed to get start his shift. I nodded and gave him a hesitant smile, which he returned before leaving. The worried look still hadn't left his face when he glanced back the third time.

I sighed, steeling myself for what was waiting for me. I didn't doubt that the events of the night before were already circulating the halls and I wasn't looking forward to facing everyone today. My stomach growled loudly, protesting my caution, and I laughed quietly before taking a deep breath and entering the room. I scanned the room quickly, spotting Sydney at a table on the far side. Keeping my head held high and the emotion off my face I strode hurriedly towards her. All the same I could feel the burning stares on my back. It made me want to hit something. Or someone.

"Hey," I muttered as I slid into the seat next to her and swiped some toast off of her plate. I wasn't really hungry but I knew I needed to eat something.

"Jebus, Girl!" she jumped in surprise before pulling her headphones out of her ears and swinging them around her neck. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"Sorry," I apologised around a mouthful of toast. Sydney's tawny eyes appraised me critically before her expression softened.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard what happened with the A-hole. Or rather I've heard the rumours."

"I'm fine," I assured her, putting the toast down. It suddenly felt like cardboard in my mouth. "Just shaken up a little."

"So it's true then?" she whispered, her expression somewhere between morbid curiosity and horror. "The bastard actual bit you."

"Yeah," I admitted, giving her a small smile. "Remind me never to mix my drinks again."

She tried to smile at my weak attempt at humour but the worry never left her eyes. She didn't say anything though, that wasn't how she was. Instead she wordlessly pushed her untouched coffee towards me and squeezed my hand tightly before going back to her breakfast as if it was any other day.

I wrapped my hand around the holy-grail of caffeinated beverages and got that feeling again that I had this morning waking up with Dimitri. The feeling that I was safe and cared for. It was nice.

"Hathaway, you bitch, where the hell have you been all morning!" Eddie exclaimed as he threw himself down in the chair beside me and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder, pulling me against his warmth. "I heard what that fucker did to you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I promise," I told him with a smile. Maybe today wasn't going to be as horrible as I imagined it was going to be.

"Are you sure?" he insisted, his eyes roving over my neck. I tucked my hair more securely over my bandage and nodded. He looked like he wanted to say more but thankfully refrained and instead stood to go and fetch his own food. He came back with a tray laden with food and Christian.

Oh God, Christian.

"_I saw you swapping saliva out by that little cabin remember? I think the Princess was enjoying it as much as you were."_

"Rosemarie," he said dryly as he slid into the seat opposite me. "I have a feeling I should be majorly pissed off with you right now." he gestured to his black eye. Accompanied by his customary scowl it made him look fairly badass. Or emo. "But I heard about what happened with Zelkos and have decided not to hold a grudge against you. Much."

"Thanks so much," I answered wryly but my mouth betrayed me by twitching up in a small smile. He was a jerk, but he was _my_ jerk.

"Anytime," he replied with a smirk and took an unnaturally large bite out of his bagel.

"What's going to happen to the prick anyway?" asked Sydney while looking longingly at her donated coffee. I smirked and took a long gulp.

"I don't know. It all depends on how much action the school is prepared to take against one of the Royal families," I told them.

"Fuck that," spat Sydney her temper flaring in my defence. "He violated you! That's practically rape! They should throw his nasty ass in jail."

"They probably would if I was Moroi," I mumbled. "Or if I had money to my name. I'm starting to see that that's the way things work around here. Unless you have some embolism of money and power you're invisible."

I expected her to protest but she just sighed heavily and nodded her head.

"It doesn't make it right though," she said adamantly. "The son of a bitch should still get what's coming for him."

"Such hurtful words from such a pretty mouth."

We all glanced up at the familiar voice, Sydney scowling as Adrian ruffled her hair and sat next to her. Despite his teasing words he looked tired and sullen with dark circles marring his normally immaculate face and his hair in disarray.

"Well you're partly to blame pretty-boy," Sydney sneered as she sorted her hair. "You let her leave with Zelkos in the first place. You knew she was drunk out of her mind and that Jesse was more than likely to take advantage of that."

The smile slipped from Adrian's face and he sent a worried look my way. I tried to send him a reassuring smile – I didn't blame him at all for my stupidity. The blame was on my shoulder's not anyone else's.

"I didn't think he would ever...do what he did," Adrian explained quietly, the remorseful look never leaving his face. "Otherwise I never would have let you go with him. You know that right?"

"Of course I do. No one expected him to...well, no one expected it. But it's done now, so I just have to hope it get's dealt with properly."

Adrian nodded, still looking guilty. But under the surface there was something else simmering. Something that looked like anger. And hurt.

"I walked past Kirova's office just now," Adrian spoke before I could start putting the pieces together. "There was a lot of shouting going on inside. Your Russian jailer was in there. And Reed Lazar."

"Who?" Asked Christian who had until this point been looking uninterested in the conversation, although I suppose his mind was on other things such as his estranged Princess sort-of girlfriend. I was going to have to find out what was going on there.

"Reed Lazar," Adrian repeated. "He's Zelkos' family lawyer. Apparently this your assault is being put to the Court."

I groaned and put my head on the table. Just what I needed; more publicity.

"You want him to get punished, don't you?" asked Eddie, nudging me with his elbow.

"Of course I do," I exclaimed. "I just don't want to be part of the media circuit that is no doubt going to be surrounding the case. I just want it dealt with quickly and quietly."

"Well, you're going to have to get yourself one hell of a lawyer, that's all I'm going to say," said Adrian. "Lazar is ruthless. If he doesn't win his case the lawful way then he gets dirty until defence drops the case through pure embarrassment."

"Perfect," I muttered. "Where the hell am I meant to get myself a lawyer like that?"

To that, no one had an answer.

We finished eating and headed over to the dhampir dorms. I fell into step with Christian and nudged him sharply with my elbow.

"So...?"

"So what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"What happened after I...left...last night? What's the deal with you and Vasilisa?"

"Are you serious?" he asked. "Do I look like a twelve year old girl? I'm not going to gossip about my secret crush with you."

"Well it's not exactly a secret now is it?"

"Yes, thank-you so much for that." he gave me his deadpan look.

"Yeah, well, not my fault. Blame whatever was in my cup. But seriously, what's the deal with you two? What's happening now?" I insisted. If Christian gained anything last night then maybe the party wasn't a complete disaster – just tragic. For me anyway.

Christian sighed and gave me an annoyed look.

"Well apparently Aaron wasn't too happy to find his girlfriend was getting it on with the 'Strigoi-loving-wannabe' and took it out on my face. But you were there for most of that bit. Although you did miss me breaking his nose, which was a shame." I smiled stupidly at the thought of one asshole getting what he deserved.

"Anyway, after you left Ivashkov went on the rampage – apparently the stereo was some imported expensive crap – and tossed us all out. Aaron started shouting at Liss, calling her a whore and all the rest of it so I gave him another black eye. That pretty much did it for him and he was dragged off to the infirmary."

"And you? Where did you go?" I asked when it looked like he wasn't going to say anymore.

"Me?" A slow smile spread over his face and I suddenly had a feeling I wasn't going to want to hear this. "I followed Lissa back to her room where we had some of the best angry make-up sex of my life."

Yup. Really did _not_ need to know that.

Christian laughed loudly at the look of disgust on my face and begrudgingly I had to admit that a small part of me was happy for him.

"You asked," he sniggered, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, and I'm starting to regret it," I muttered but smiled begrudgingly. "So are you together then now? Openly?"

"Sort of," he muttered a little distastefully. "She's not going to deny it anymore but she's also not going to flaunt it either. She wants things to be kept on the down low for now, until the dust settles on last night."

"And you?" I questions softly. "What do you want?"

He looked at me then, his face openly vulnerable.

"Her," he replied. "All I ever wanted was her."

I smiled and reached over to squeeze his hand. He returned the pressure before releasing me and scuffing the back of my head.

"Now stop getting mushy," he protested. "Or I'll have to go and check I haven't grown a vagina."

I laughed and shook my head. Same old Christian.

We spent the rest of the day hanging around the dorm rooms. The weather outside had turned horrid so we were confined to the building which unfortunately resulted in boredom and a rather disturbing game of truth or dare in which I watched my childhood friend get molested by Royal womanising-but-apparently-gay Moroi. Eddie looked equal traumatised when we called a truce and headed to lunch.

I was famished, having skipped breakfast and so I managed successful ignore the stares on my back as I stuffed my face. Yes I was mocked for it, but did I care? I think not...

We wasted half of the afternoon watching the Rocky Horror Show on DVD. I had never seen it and I was surprising entertained by it all.

After much debating as to how to spend the rest of the afternoon we headed down to the training gym where I had my sessions with Dimitri and proceeded to try and teach Christian and Adrian how to spar, which resulted in much hilarity. It was as I lay collapsed on one of the mats in a fit of laughter that I realised how much these people really meant to me and how grateful I was for not allowing me to wallow in the events of the night before.

"You know I think I love you guys," I laughed as Christian tripped Adrian only to be pulled down in a tangle of limbs onto of him.

They all stopped to look at me, identical looks of incredulity on their faces.

"Alright," snapped Sydney. "How hard have you been hitting her?"

This caused another round of insults and laughter and somehow resulted in me ending up on the bottom of a doggy pile. And yet I couldn't have been happier.

"Umm Christian?"

The tentative voice was ridiculously out of place in the harsh atmosphere of the gym and so it pierced the air like a gunshot. We all clambered off of each other to see Lissa standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hey Liss," Christian greeted her. He jogged over to her, a sweaty sticky mess and kissed her chastely on the mouth. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Lissa blushed and looked at the floor but she didn't step away. "Are you busy?"

"Not really," he answered as Eddie and Sydney decided to tag-team Adrian, causing him to cry out a long stream of explicatives. Lissa glanced nervously over at us before looking back at Christian, her face determined.

"I just wanted to see you," she said, her voice stronger. "Do you want to go...back to my room or something?"

Christian grinned ridiculously, his face lighting up. I would mock him for that later but just then I was happy for him.

"Sure," he answered easily. "I just need to shower first then I'll be right out. Okay?"

Lissa nodded and Christian took off to wash the sweat of his body. I watched Lissa as she fidgeted nervously on the spot before she glanced up and caught my eye. I tilted my head to one side, appraising her, before I stood up and walked over to her. She was taller than me but that didn't make her any less intimidated.

"Just promise me one thing," I told her and she nodded slowly. "Don't ever hurt him. He puts up with enough shit in this place; he doesn't need any more of it from you. So you treat him right and we might just get along."

"I promise," she told me. "But I'm not saying that for you, I'm saying it for him. I won't hurt him, not if I can help it."

"Good," I replied just as Christian emerged, freshly showered and grinning.

"Come on, Princess, let's go," he smiled before flipping us the bird and leaving the room.

We continued to mess around for a while until Dimitri showed up. He raised an eyebrow when he saw us all panting and sweaty but didn't comment as everyone grabbed their bags and left. I kissed him lightly as the door swung shut and his smile widened.

"How have you been?" he asked his finger gently brushing my damaged neck. It had come uncovered during the day, but no one commented on it so I ignored it as well.

"Really good," I replied honestly. "We're been teaching the Moroi's how to fight."

"I can see that. Now why don't you show _me_ how you fight?"

The rest of our training carried on as normal, with sparring and comments for improvement. It was surprisingly easy to keep things professional, although the heated make-out session at the end probably negated all such thoughts.

I collapsed into bed that night after a much better day that I could have anticipated. I fell asleep to the thought that if I managed to ignore the gossipers and judgemental pricks and just concentrate on my training, my friends and Dimitri then I might actually survive until graduation.

Unfortunately my good mood only lasted until sometime after one when there was a rhythmic pounding on my door. Irritated and sleepy I yanked the door open to be met with a stony faced guardian who alerted me that my presence was required in the headmistress' office.

I grouched my way through dressing and headed down to the now all-too familiar office. I didn't bother knocking but instead just stormed my way inside.

"What exactly could not wait until the morning?" I spat as I threw myself down on the designated chair in front of the desk. Kirova sighed and rubbed her eyes, her expression one of exhaustion.

"Rosemarie, I was alerted to the situation with Mr Zelkos this morning and the serious allegations made against him. He has already responded with a lawyer and we need to ensure that you are given a fair chance if the case goes to trial."

"And you woke me up to tell me this now?" I asked angrily.

"No Rosemarie, we woke you to tell you that your lawyer has arrived."

"My lawyer?" I asked stupidly. "What lawyer?"

Kirova sighed and gestured to a guardian behind me who opened a door that I hadn't noticed before. A man stepped into the room. He was around forty with black hair and one of those goatee's men tried to grow when they were reaching a midlife crisis. He was wearing a sharp grey suit but had a rather flamboyant red scarf around his neck. His brown eyes appraised me and he gave me a small smile.

"This is Ibrahim Mazur," Kirova stated. "He has volunteered to overlook your case."

"_Why?"_ I asked non-plussed. I was sure I had never met this man before in my life.

"Because where I'm from we look out for our own," Ibrahim said in thick accent. He sounded like he was from the Middle East, possibly turkey.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, already irritated with his cocky expression.

"It means, Rosemarie, that you are my daughter and I am here to protect you."

**AN/ Go Abe! Leave your thoughts :)**

**MJ**

**Xxx**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN/ Updates are slow, I know. But I've been busy. **

**Thank you for your patience and continued reviews etc**

**MJ**

**Xxx**

So it turns out my 'father' has known about my existence my entire life and sent my mother monthly checks to support me. Apparently he does business in his home country of Turkey and judging by the two guardian's he has and his generally rough demeanour I didn't doubt most of his 'business' was shifty at best.

And now he was here to 'protect me.'

My head was still swimming as I made my way back to my room. I thought over our conversation again and again, about how he had heard of Janine's death and my consequential move to Montana. Of course he had no immediate plans to visit me, but instead transfer a monthly sum into my account to get by. How he thought I was stupid enough not to realise my bank balance was going to steadily rise every month without me working I didn't know but I chose to ignore it and focus on the fact that he was _here_. For me.

And yet he was too little too late.

What did he expect? That after he destroyed my mother's reputation, turned her into a...a _bloodwhore_ that I would run happily into his arms shouting daddy? No dice.

Our conversation had been formal and stifling. He explained that he had enough knowledge of the law to create a solid case against Jesse and that he would see to it that he was dealt with. And yet I never saw Abe – as he preferred to be called – show any real genuine emotion until I asked him, quite harshly, why he cared about what happened to his daughter when he had done the exact same thing to my mother.

I think a volcano would have had a less subtle eruption.

I half expected him to pick up the desk and hurl it across the room. And yet for all his anger and spat words he didn't say a bad word against me or my mother and I think that more than anything had me agreeing to accept his help. He nodded at me curtly and something like an apology swam behind his eyes as I left.

It was a little after three when I left the office and I felt completely drained. It had been a rough few days and I just wanted to sleep for the next week or so. I didn't bother undressing again when I made it back to my room, instead choosing to just collapse in a heap on bed. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

When I awoke again it was to stiff limbs and the smell of fresh coffee. I opened my eyes to find Dimitri perched on the bed, a smile on his face.

"Do you often wander into unsuspecting girls bedrooms?" I asked teasingly as I sat up and stretched, my muscles feeling tight from the awkward position I was lying in.

"Only the pretty ones," he winked and handed me over the steaming cup in his hand. I took it gratefully, hoping the coffee would dispel any morning breath.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Not that I minded. Dimitri could show up in my room any time it suited him. I wasn't about to complain.

"You weren't at practice," he explained as he sprawled out on the bed. My eyes were automatically drawn to the small strip of skin that was revealed between his shirt and his pants. The hard, smooth muscle taunting me as I tried to concentrate on what Dimitri was saying.

"...came to find you and I ran into Guardian Hunter who said you were called out last night to meet with Abe Mazur of all people. I thought he might have upset you as he has one hell of a reputation so I came to see if you were alright. I didn't expect to find you still asleep."

"Right," I muttered, distractedly. "What time is it anyway?"

"A little after seven," he answered. "You should have been at the gym an hour ago."

"Yeah, well, I'm tired," I yawned and curled into Dimitri's side, my eyes falling shut again.

"You can't miss practice just because you didn't get enough sleep Rose," he chided sternly although the warning lost its effect somewhat when he wrapped his arm around me. "The Strigoi aren't going to care about your sleep patterns."

I sighed wearily. I had only been at St Vladimir's coming up to two weeks and I was already beginning to grow weary of my 'duty.' When did the dhampir's ever get a break?

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out to be a guardian," I mumbled into Dimitri's chest, my words quiet and resigned. Dimitri stiffened and I could feel his incredulous gaze even if I couldn't see it.

"What? You're one of the best skilled undergraduates that I've ever seen. What makes you think you're not capable?"

"I know I'm capable," I explained. "Physically anyway. But I don't know if I have the right mentality for it. I wasn't raised to be a slave like most of the novices here."

"Guardianship isn't the same as slavery, Rose. You must understand that."

"Isn't it?" I asked rhetorically. "We have no rights, no respect and are always seen as second best to the Moroi race. And yet we are expected to risk our lives, day after day for people who are cruel to us. If we're a women then we're expected to pop out a few children along the way to keep the race going but dhampir relationships are frowned upon and the people involved are often shunned for being disloyal to their duty. We have no choice in the end – it's either servitude of shunning. Now explain to me exactly how that is not slavery in its most basic form."

To that he had no answer.

We laid together in silence for a while, just relaxed and happy. I had quickly sought out the little teasing strip of skin and I was brushing my fingers over it gently, sometimes brushing my fingers lower into the deep V of his hips, causing his breath to stutter until I trailed my fingers higher again.

"I have to go," he breathed as the glowing numbers on my alarm clock changed to 8:02. I pouted and gripped his shirt, feeling annoyed at the prospect of him leaving.

"Do you have to?" I whined glancing up at him.

"My shift starts soon," he explained but his eyes were gentle as he trailed his fingers down my cheek. "I'll come and find you later, I promise."

He disentangled himself from me and slipped his feet into his shoes – he had kicked them off earlier to play footsie with me. I sat up and dragged the covers around me, my body feeling suddenly cold as a thought occurred to me.

"Dimitri, what are we going to do?" I asked.

He stopped tying his laces and gave me a questioning look.

"About us," I clarified. "I said it earlier but it didn't really register. We're both dhampirs. No one is going to accept our..." I stumbled over the word relationship, not sure if we were ready for that yet. It was a daunting word. "No one is going to accept us," I corrected. "They'll reject us, push us apart. I can't, I _won't_ deal with that!"

"Rose, listen to me," Dimitri demanded, taking my face in his hands to dispel my rising panic. "I was raised in a dhampir commune like you, I've told you this. Dhampir relationships were accepted their just as they were where you are from. And that's not going to change. I'm not going to abandon you because of my duty, because society dictates that we shouldn't be..._together_."

"But your reputation..." I protested weakly.

"My reputation is based on my experience and the seven molnija marks on the back of my neck. I think in light of that they will overlook my _preferences_. And the same goes to you. You are an amazing fighter Rose and people will be willing to overlook any transgressions against you in place of that. You'll see."

I nodded, slightly mollified but not entirely convinced. Adrian's words echoed in my head; _"I wish everyone saw the world the way you do."_ Somehow I didn't think Dimitri saw the reality as clearly as he thought he did.

With a sigh he bent down and brushed his lips across my forehead in a comforting gesture. I gripped his hair and moved his mouth until he was kissing me properly causing him to groan and grip my arms tightly. I smirked against his mouth and ran my tongue lightly over his lips, teasing but not entering before nipping gently with my teeth.

"You'll be the death of me, I swear," he muttered as he pulled back, his face flushed and lips slightly swollen. I smiled and wiggled my toes happily, causing him to laugh lightly.

"Now I really have to go," he said before hastily finishing his laces. "I'll see you at some point, okay?"

I nodded and wiggled back under the covers, fully intending to stay buried in the warmth for the remainder of the morning. Dimitri rolled his eyes but smiled as he headed towards the door.

"Just make sure you turn up to evening practice," he reminded me and pulled the door open only to stop short at the figure standing on the other side, hand raised to knock.

Daddy dearest had arrived.

Abe's eyes scrutinised Dimitri's appearance, taking in his slightly ruffled hair and flushed face. He rose an eyebrow scrutinising before his gaze travelled to me – still tucked up in bed, my hair mussed and sans makeup.

"Mazur," Dimitri broke the awkward silence with a curt nod and a steely gaze. "I heard you had arrived."

Abe flicked his gaze back to Dimitri and smiled. There was nothing nice about it – if anything it held a challenge.

"Belikov. I hardly expected to find you here. I would have thought you had more important things to do. You have a reputation to uphold, do you not?"

"I was just leaving for my shift," Dimitri ground out through gritted teeth. I raised my eyes disbelievingly and knew immediately that there had to be some personal history between them.

"Then get going, boy," Abe snipped, moving to one side. "I need to speak with my daughter."

Dimitri's eyes shot to mine, wide and disbelieving, something like panic on this face. His grip on the door handle tightened as he chocked out the word "daughter?"

"Is that a problem," Abe asked, his gaze predatory. Dimitri didn't answer but slipped through the door with a sharp nod and disappeared from view.

"What was that about?" I demanded, frowning at my – at Abe.

"Can I come in?" he asked ignoring my question entirely.

"No," I snapped. "I don't make a habit of inviting strange men into my bedroom."

"And yet the Belikov brat seemed quite at home here. Interesting."

"What do you want?" I bit out, drawing the covers up over me higher when he came in and shut the door.

"I need your account of what happened with Jesse Zelkos so I can begin to handle your case. I'll also need to know every incriminating thing about you that you can think of – trouble you've gotten into, boys you've slept with, sex photo's circulating the internet, everything."

I think my mouth actually fell open as I stared at him. He didn't not just say that. I mean, he was my father. Admittedly my estranged father, but still. This was just too weird.

He sighed, irritated as he sensed my shocked hesitation.

"Rosemarie, anything that can be held against you will be dragged in front of judge and jury so it would be in your best interest to confess to these things now so I can build up a reasonable defence for them."

"If you had been there for the past seventeen years you wouldn't have to ask me these things," I griped.

"Yes, but I wasn't," Abe answered smoothly, not showing anything that indicated my words had hurt him. "However I am here now and there are things I need to know. So start talking."

I sighed but complied, naming boyfriends and blushing when I admitted to not ever having sex. Seriously, not a conversation you want to have with your father. Ever. I moved onto my account of what happened with Jesse and I couldn't help tearing up when I retold the more difficult parts. Abe didn't move to comfort me and I couldn't decide if I was grateful of not. I didn't think I was quite ready for his touch yet. I finished my account and waited for him to leave but he wasn't done with his enquiries yet.

"You said you were upset when you left for the party. Why? What is it that upset you?"

I raised my eyes to his, not realising I had subconsciously edited that part out.

"I was in Kirova's office. She was telling me about...about Mom."

Abe cocked his head to the side looking confused.

"What about her? Funeral arrangements? I need to know everything Rosemarie."

I stared at him silently trying to figure out if he was goading me. But he seemed genuine and I had to come to the conclusion that he thought Mom really was dead...not just _un_dead.

"She – she said Mom was coming back. Up to the school. Or at least her coven was moving this way. They're tightening security because of the numbers..."

Abe remained silent but his hands balled into fists in his lap. He glared down at them before abruptly throwing his fist into the wooden bed frame.

"Fuck!" he shouted. "Coven? She's a fucking Strigoi?"

I nodded warily feeling nervous in the face of his anger.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" he demanded. His harsh tone and glare caused my own temper to flare. What right did he have after seventeen years to demand acceptance into my life?

"Why would they?" I hissed. "You left her, left me. You turned her into what she was! This is all your fault in the first place!"

Abe leapt to his feet, breathing hard and glaring at me. I shrank back as fear crawled its way up my throat.

"My fault?" he repeated, his voice eerily calm and soft. "You seem to be under a misconception Rosemarie. I didn't leave your mother, she left me. I wanted her, loved her, just like I did you. But she wouldn't have it, going on about what was 'right' and 'proper.' I wanted to stay with you, with you and Janine. So this is nobody's fault but hers. And don't you ever forget it."

**AN/ Umm yay?**

**At least I updated :) **

**MJ**

**Xxx**


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Vampire Academy, Hurt-Comfort, Romance