RPOV"Liss, do we have to do this to him?" I quietly asked my best friend as she inspected my reflection in the mirror."Of course we do. It's your job as the girlfriend to tease him relentlessly." She said before she handed me a different bra. Only Dimitri and Guardian Pavlov had come into the store with us. Mason and Guardian Milgram were standing, well sitting, guard outside, while Christian, Eddie, Guardian Bandura and Guardian Skinner were shopping with Christian.Pavlov was milling around looking at different bra and panty sets under the pretense that he was looking for his wife. Dimitri was waiting in the viewing area to give his opinion to his girlfriend and guarding Lissa."The man can only take so much," I mumbled but exchanged my bra for the one Lissa had handed me. I studied my reflection, deciding that I liked what I saw. It wasn't anything too risqué because I was training as a Guardian, but that didn't mean I couldn't have something that looked good and had a useful fun
DPOV I felt the panic rise up in me as Rose jumped forward, her fast movement catching the ancients slightly off guard. I'd yet to see Rose actually fight. I knew that she was more than capable of handling herself, but against a dozen Strigoi and a couple Pricolici, I wasn't so sure. I felt the fear turn into a sheer rage as the words of the ancient came back to me. "…you'll taste even better." He wasn't going to lay a finger on my Roza. Since my duster was already off, I didn't care about the rest of my clothes ripping to shreds as I Changed. I barely registered my Transformation. I was so focused on the ancient that was now moving toward Rose, that as soon as my paws hit the earth, I was charging toward the fight. In my peripherals, I saw the other Strigoi racing toward us. In wolf form, I towered over every Strigoi here by at least four feet, and Roza by three. I lunged forward at the female ancient that was trying to attack Rose from the side. My teeth sank into her neck, cut
RPOV "Rose!" Lissa screamed as she jumped out of the car and sprinted toward me. I planted my feet and prepared myself to catch her when she threw her arms around me. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" "Calm down, Liss," I said as I tried to pry myself from her surprisingly strong grasp, but she wasn't having it so I submitted myself to the death grip she had me in for a little longer. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt. There were a few Strigoi that needed to be taken care of, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." "How many?" She asked pulling back from the longest hug in the history of long hugs. "There were a dozen, Dimitri finished off two and I the other ten. There were also a couple Pricolici." "That'll be a lot of marks, and that doesn't include the ones for yesterday's kills." Lissa calculated. "Yep. I'm running out of room on my neck so they'll have to be added down my spine." I said, absentmindedly touching the back of my neck. "Princess, Roza, I need you to get in
DPOV "Come in." I heard called from inside Alberta's office. I took a deep breath before setting my hand on the handle. "Calm down, Dimitri. You didn't do anything wrong. She's not going to be mad at you." Rose said from beside me before pushing her way into the office. "Hey, Alberta!" "Hello, Rose. How are you?" Alberta responded with a kind smile. Her eyes only held love for Rose, but when her gaze shifted to me when I stepped into the room her eyes hardened, and she lost her smile. "I'm good. How are you?" Rose asked back, subtly stepping in front of me, blocking Alberta's line of sight from where she sat behind her desk. "I'll be better when I know you're safe." She responded. "I'm perfectly safe. Not only can I protect myself, but Dimitri can protect me, too. We can sense each other and speak through a bond formed when he submitted to me." Rose stated, though Alberta hadn't had time to talk to me about that little fact and Rose bringing it up made Alberta's face harden yet a
RPOV "Why do you have so much stuff?" He asked me as I loaded boxes into his arms. "Because I've lived here since I was four, and stuff likes to pile up," I said rolling my eyes. "It's not my fault I can't just travel with a duffle of clothes and a box Westerns." "You'll get there." He said with a playful smirk. He didn't wait for me to respond before he left the room, carrying three boxes back to the suite. I rolled my eyes and finished packing my books into a box and the last of my clothes into my suitcase. I zipped up the suitcase and left it on the stripped bed with the last box. I decided that I was going to get Alberta to let me into Lissa's room so I can pack up anything that wasn't covered in blood. I reached her office and knocked. "Come in." I heard and pushed my way into the room. "Rose, what can I do for you?" "I'd like permission to pack up a few things in Lissa's room. I know a lot of it is covered in blood, but things that can be cleaned and those that don't have b
DPOV I was thankful that Alberta had Rose as a Guardian now. After her dream, I wanted to keep her as close to me as possible. I was concerned. I knew Strigoi were coming after her. I knew that someone within St. Vlad's was helping the Strigoi, but perhaps they were helping a Moroi who'd hired Strigoi to do their dirty work. The worry I held ran through my veins at all times. I'm sure Rose picked up on it, but she never told me to stop worrying which probably meant that she was worrying, too. I hadn't slept when Rose took her nap, but I had to eventually. Rose decided that she was going to stay up until the next night to get back to her normal sleep schedule. I wasn't comfortable sleeping when I knew Rose would be up and, most likely, by herself considering that Lissa would be asleep. During the day, I didn't worry that much. When the sun rose over the horizon my worry subsided slightly. I knew there was a non-Strigoi enemy that wanted Rose dead, and quite possibly Lissa, too, so th
We entered Alberta's office, which was already open, though I could see someone else was in there already talking to her. They both stopped talking and looked up when we entered. "Rose, Dimitri. Please, come in and sit." Alberta said with a kind smile, even toward Dimitri, which was kind of suspicious. "Abe this is Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov." The man, Abe, stood and extended his hand toward us. He was well dressed, albeit a little flashy. His skin was well tanned for a Moroi and his hair was a lush black, his face adorned with a well-groomed goatee. He smelled like a Moroi, but his scent was familiar. I was sure I'd never met this man in my life, though. "Abe Mazur." He said, his gaze focused on me. I felt Dimitri's protectiveness increase and the air in the room grew tense. "Zmey," Dimitri said in greeting, putting his hand out to shake Abe's. "It's nice to see you again Dimitri. Tell me, how's your grandmother?" Abe said, shifting his focus to Dimitri while shaking his h
DPOV I didn't place the scent until Rose walked past me to get out of the room. It was her scent, well, part of it, except it was on him. "You're Rose's father," I stated plainly once Rose had firmly closed the door behind her. There was a reason he didn't disclose that information while she was in the room, and I wanted to know why. "How did you know?" Abe asked, confirming my statement. "Your scent. It's similar to Rose's, but she has more lavender in it. You've got a very distinct vanilla scent. The only other person I've ever smelt that has vanilla is Rose." I said but studied him closely. "However, now that I'm looking closely, I can see the similarities. She's got your hair." "That's not the only trait of mine she's received. Has she always had that kind of control over you?" He asked with a smirk on his face. The expression reminded me so much of Rose. "Sadly, she could have me down on my knees with just one look," I said with a sigh. "I'm sure the look she gives you to g
RPOV "There was nothing you could do, Roza." Dimitri comforted as we cuddled in bed. We'd just gotten back to the house and finished taking a shower, and Dimitri had finally Shifted back. After Galina had understood what was going to happen, I beheaded her. The Pricolici were the only remnants of Galina's empire other than the Strigoi that had been sent out at the beginning of the night. "I still feel bad. They weren't hurting anyone anymore. I had them under control." I grumbled knowing he was right. "I know, but even you don't know how long you could have kept them in control." Dimitri soothed pulling me closer to him. "It feels nice having you back in human form. If you ever go on strike like that again, I'm dropping you from the pack." I said in a serious tone. He chuckled and kissed my neck. "I'm sure you will." He mumbled as he continued to pepper kisses on my skin. "I'm serious, I will." I moaned as Dimitri's hand started circling lower. "Even your charming ways couldn't
DPOV "Does everyone know what they're doing?" Rose asked yet again. We'd been going over this plan for the past three days. After we'd gotten back the first night, we told Abe everything and let him formulate a plan while we slept. We got a good day's sleep before setting out for another night of investigation with more detailed instructions on what to look for. We arrived at the manor before the sun fully set, giving us enough time to see how many Strigoi were sent out. After the first night, we didn't take Paul. Babushka said that he'd learned enough and didn't need to go again. Personally, I think that the constant questions made surveillance difficult and the long hours we'd be gone were hard for such a young wolf. Rose had suggested that she could be paired with someone else to see if she could help notice different things than them, but I shut that idea down before it fully left her mouth. We went back to the same spot we had visited the previous nights to better notice patte
RPOV There was a phone ringing nearby and the surface I was sleeping on started shifting. I groaned softly in annoyance but immediately fell back into my dream of Dimitri and me in an amusement park. The Dimitri beside me was always smiling and, thankfully, in human form. He'd threaded his fingers through mine, and our arms swung freely between us. When I actually looked around us, the park looked dilapidated. The metal of the various rides had rust and faded and chipped paint. The ground was littered with trash and I finally noticed that no one else was here. With furrowed eyebrows, we continued through the park. As we approached the back of the park, I could hear music playing. My ears perked up as they tried to find the source of the music. Coming around the corner of a concessions building, I saw the merry-go-round spinning slowly while playing rundown, creepy-sounding music. Dimitri suddenly stopped, seemingly frozen in time. I tried pulling him closer to the ride and calling
DPOV Rose was taking a shower after training when a knock sounded on our door. I was laying right outside the bathroom door, waiting for Rose, and lifted my head. "Enter," I called out. There was a deep intake of breath outside the door before it opened. Adrian stuck his head through the doorway and looked around the room until his gaze fell upon me. His eyes widened a little, I'm assuming because I was still in wolf form, but he quickly fixed his face back to the carefree, cocky look he always seemed to wear. "What can I do for you, Lord Ivashkov?" I asked sitting up taller. Even when I was laying down I was still taller than the Moroi lord. "I wanted to make sure the air between us is clear." He replied stepping further into the room. "As long as you know that Roza's place is by my side and there's nothing you can do to change that, we'll be fine," I stated narrowing my eyes slightly. "You've nothing to worry about from me. I see the connection you two have, and I don't have t
RPOV "You can let go of her hand now," Dimitri growled as Adrian continued to hold on to my hand. "Don't worry, Big Hybrid," Adrian said releasing my hand. "I can see your Claim, you've nothing to worry about from me." Dimitri didn't look too convinced as Adrian gave him a lazy, carefree smirk before winking at me. "So, Little Hybrid, would you like to catch me up on all that's been going on around here?" He asked gesturing me over to a couch. Adrian had arrived this morning while Dimitri and I were enjoying our shower. As soon as Dimitri had dried off, he Shifted. Abe later gave a tentative knock at our door to inform us of our recently arrived guest. I sat down on one of the couches and Dimitri immediately placed himself at my feet in between myself and Adrian. Adrian looked amused at Dimitri's overprotective and jealous nature, but Dimitri continued to look the part of the jealous boyfriend. We spend the next hour filling Adrian in on what had been happening with me and my pa
DPOV I could tell that remaining in wolf form was starting to get to Rose, but I wasn't Shifting unless absolutely necessary and even then, I'd Shift back as soon as possible. We'd gathered the pack in the living room to share the information we'd collected while feeding and hoped to gather information on what had happened to Christian. "Why don't you start, Liss," Rose said gently taking Lissa's hand in hers as they sat beside each other on one couch. I lay on the floor beside Rose resting my head on her feet. "Derek stopped me on the edge of the wards. He wouldn't let me follow you guys and Rose. I was a little irritated, yes, but then I thought about what I could really do to help and decided it was better if I stayed back to help when you returned. That was until I felt the pain in my chest." Lissa paused briefly and shook her head as if to rid herself of the memory. Christian, who was sitting on the other side of Lissa, took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She took
RPOV I could feel Dimitri's anxiety as soon as we exited the wards, but I decided to focus on my overwhelming hunger instead of calming my Pair. The scent of death was still overpowering, but I didn't know if it was because there were Strigoi nearby or because last night's dead Strigoi still hadn't dissolved in the sunlight. Due to the dense tree coverage, sunlight wouldn't have been able to reach all the bodies. We'll probably need to come and burn the bodies. "Do you guys know which direction we should start in?" I asked tiredly. My muscles ached and my stomach felt like it was going to tear itself apart, but the bloodlust kept me upright and moving. "I say we start in the direction the Strigoi disappeared in last night." Dimitri provided herding me in that direction. I ran in the direction he pointed me in keeping an eye and a nose out for Strigoi. We passed the bodies we'd decimated last night and found a scent to follow from there. Dimitri was running directly to my left while
DPOV "Join our pack?" Rose questioned quietly. Babushka was still holding her chin in her hand, silently appraising my Alpha and my Pair. "Yes. We've been a part of the Baia pack for as long as I can remember, but when Mama told me that Dimitri had Paired with a True Alpha, I knew we had to meet you and join your pack." Mama explained gesturing to Babushka. "Our pack isn't necessarily the safest to join at the moment," Rose mumbled hesitantly. "Nonsense. We're joining, that is, if you'll have us." Mama said with a wave of her hand. Babushka finally released Rose's chin, and she came to stand beneath me. I'd sat down watching my family interact with Roza, well specifically my Babushka. Rose leaned back against me cuddling into my fur. She rubbed one leg against the other, probably trying to gain warmth through the friction. My shirt stopped a few inches below her ass, covering her modesty while giving me a great view of her legs. "I can't really say 'no' to your family, can I?" Sh
RPOV My head was pounding. My body felt heavy. My mind was weak. I couldn't stand. I couldn't move. I heard the sounds of a raging battle, but I couldn't find the strength to join in. My heart constricted as I felt Dimitri grow weaker. He needed blood, but the amount of Strigoi wouldn't let him get a decent bite. "Fight, Comrade." I sent out weakly. I heard him give a loud growl and felt the pull of blood. Off in the distance, I could hear approaching footsteps, and I was worried Dimitri would have to fight off even more attackers. "Rose!" I heard Mason's voice cry out. My heart rate quickened knowing the rest of my pack probably wasn't far behind. I found the strength to open my eyes. I was lying face down on the ground. I could see one of Dimitri's massive paws beside my head as he stood over me. After he took down the first few Strigoi, the rest of them held back to plan a more effective approach. I could smell his blood, and I knew he had been injured. The heavy pounding o