Alpha Dhampir~ On Hold

Chapter 28

Rose Hathaway

I stood there shocked as Ivan leaned against the doorway. My mind couldn't formulate any words, it just went blank with only one noise. The sound of an answering machine picking up, or a deadline on a fax machine... Nobody was home.

"How long have you been standing there for?" I finally asked. He shrugged and stood up, walking into the room.

"Long enough to hear you sing. You have come a long way; your pronunciation and accent are spot-on. Anyone would think that you were born and raised in Italy."

I blushed looking down. I wasn't used to compliments, no matter the reasoning. Dmitri had given me compliments on my Guarding skills, but they were very long ago; and I would never hear them again. I was a blasted Princess and soon to be a Queen. So, hearing Ivan say those words made my heart sing. As I stood there thinking, I noticed that pink dusted his pale cheeks. Ivan never blushed so what made hi-

Oh shit, he can feel my emotions! I coughed and looked away. I had called him to ask how he and Dmitri were after the whole Natasha ordeal. I had almost lost it when Natasha tried to claim their lives. The fear and regrettable acceptation on their faces brought me to my knees. In all my time I had never seen Ivan like that; and I had only seen Dmitri like that once or twice. My seasoned warrior and his dashing charge were two of the most formidable people I knew. For them to have feared something and to have accepted it, well... fuck, that broke my heart.

Groaning I sat down and watched as Ivan paced the room. There had been many times that we had done this, either him pacing or myself. We had been there for each other ever since he was returned. This was the same relationship I had once had with Dmitri, always having the other's back. As I sat there, I realised something that had been known for ages, but I had been blind to.

I was in love with Ivan Zeklos. I never thought I would hear the words 'love' and the name 'Zeklos' in the same sentence, let alone coming from me. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I realised just how much Ivan meant to me. What I thought was comfort and security, was love and protection. He brought forth the same feelings that Dmitri had instilled in me; but instead of being the protector, or being taught to be the protector, Ivan and Dmitri were the protectors of me. I wondered if Ivan felt the same way, then I shook my head. No, no way was that a possibility; he had Dmitri to love and take it from someone who had been there before, loving Dmitri took everything in you. But then again, I found myself growing to love the both of them... but could it work?

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

Ivan Zeklos

The feelings that came across the bond made me smile as I fought with myself. I wanted to hold Rose, to kiss her, to show her that she wasn't alone in her feelings, but I had to let her discover it on her own. She had to come to the decision on her own, there was no way I was going to confuse or pressure her into loving one of us, or... enter fantasies... the both of us. I walked up and down the room, feeling a shiver of Deja vu, as Rose sat there watching. I wasn't agitated, but I will admit my pacing had to do with stopping the temptation; her emotions were so powerful, so pure. I doubt anyone else could have such emotions; it took all my strength and will to stop and wait it out, that it was just like any other journey, if I acted now, I would miss the climax or highest peak of it- and nobody enjoyed a ruined journey.

But then, just as I made my tenth lap of her bedroom, one feeling shone brighter than the rest. Love. It took a while to recognize the difference between lust and love, at first just like any male, I lusted after Rose and she lusted after me. It was safe, it was mutual. But when my feelings began to deepen in meaning, well that's when I started to feel afraid of losing the best person to have entered my life. In time, the deeper I got to know them and the more I bonded, the more I grew to care for who Rose really was—and the more she grew to care for who I really was, too. I had been blind to that; it was Lucas and Moira who had pointed that out to me. It was during the beginning of our adventure in Italy before returning to Court; was several weeks before we got tangled due to my incapability of standing straight with her on my back.

We were walking back late, sadly it was night time but with Lucas and Moira with us, we weren't lost, not with their blinding flames that worked brilliantly as a torchlight. We were not even a meter from the motel, from the safety of the wards when suddenly Lucas and Moira were pushed forward, slamming into the wall of the building. Rose had caused the door to open and they flew straight inside, only to sit up with a look of confusion that bled into horror. I had twisted around, and froze at the sight of ten Strigoi. They had circled Rose and I, had they snarled and drooled.

One who was obviously the leader purred while staring at Rose. "A delicious Dhampir and a Moroi that I would have sworn I heard was dead." He stared at me, while speaking to Rose. "So do tell me, how was this accomplished?"

Rose pulled me behind her as she snarled at the Strigoi. "Was your turning by choice or was it forced?"

Why did she want to know that? Like ad they would let her to revert them back. I watched from behind her back as the leader doubled over laughing.

"What is it to you?" The leader smirked. "A Dhampir can't revert us back. Only a spirit user, and last I heard, no one in the Zeklos family was a Spirit user. But I'll humour you, none of us were forced!"

That was it, Rose propelled me back to where Lucas and Moira were still sitting petrified. No! She couldn't handle them all by herself! Over the last two years, I had witnessed some amazing feats, sure she hadn't returned any besides us three, but then again, all fifty or so that we had come across, all had turned by choice or had no intentions of reverting back.

Together we watched as her stake was penetrating bodies, left right and centre, her body was moving faster then I have ever recalled, her flexibility came in handy. She kicked and punched at the Strigoi, staking them before they had time to react. The only female out of the group was smarter than the others. She ran at us, either not remembering the wards or not caring but Rose was quicker, she flipped over the Strigoi and landed in between her and us, her fist went through the Strigoi's chest, her face was a mixture of hatred and surprise as Rose twisted and with one final pull, her heart was out.

The leader roared in anger and rage. I was worried for Rose, as magnificent as she was, she was getting tired. She had told me how both Christian Ozera and another Moroi by the name of Mia had helped her defeat Strigoi with the use of their magic, and I was determined to not leave her alone. Racing out into the open, I shoved him back, away from Rose's neck with a powerful gush of wind. Gush after gush of wind, he was shoved backwards, as I pleaded with Rose to wake up. Somehow before I had left the safety of the wards, he had knocked her unconscious, but what scared me was that there was blood trickling down her neck, and some smeared across her lips. Kneeing down I panted, I had no energy left, but luckily Lucas and Moira had joined me, and they were working in sync, letting flames encase his head, never burning out.

Finally, Rose got up. Her skin was white, almost transparent in colour, but that didn't stop her. "Get back to safety! You three need to be safe or so help me, I'll haunt your fucking arses." As she was screaming at us, she launched onto the last Strigoi's back, and from where we stood, our advanced hearing couldn't even pick up what was said, all we saw was her lips moving and the Strigoi's petrified face through the flames before it all ended. They fell to the ground, her stake sticking out of the man's chest.

Collapsing, Rose slumped to the floor, and stayed unconscious for days while a doctor that had been sent by Mazur checked her over. She was lucky to be alive, the bastard had almost completely drained her. The blood on her lip had been his, from a slash across his cheek that I barely remember seeing. But all in all, Rose was going to be okay.

That was the day that I realized just how much we all meant to her. The day I realised, just how much she meant to me as well. The thought of her being dead made me want to lay down and join her. I wondered how Dmitri would have handled the situation. Something in my heart told me that he would have wished the same, but because of Moira and Lucas, he would have fought to survive. But once they were safe once again, he would have done anything to have joined Rose or he would have honoured her by living. I don't think I could have honoured her by living unless he was in the picture. In the short time we have spent together, okay I know some people don't see two years as short... but still, I have fallen completely and deeply in love with Rose.

Translations:

Ad~ Hell