Transforming Tradition (AKA What Happens Next)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Well, this should be interesting, thought to myself. Not to mention painful for Dimitri. After I recovered from shock I cocked my head and looked innocently at my father before starting to speak.

" Well, what do you want to know father that I just met a week ago who has no business knowing anything of major importance?" He narrowed his eyes at me but I could see the humor in them.

"My darling daughter, you have just met me but don't be fooled. I know a lot about you. Your mother may not have let me intervene in your life but that doesn't mean that I didn't observe." I had to cover my mouth to hold back laughter. Did he not realize that what he just said was extremely high on that creepy scale.

"Ohhkayyy. Number one do you realize how extremely creepy you sound? And number two if you must have crappy surveillance if you've been watching me and h you know what happened between me and Dimitri." I heard the Belikov’s trying not to laugh at my response. Abe was trying to look mad but I could tell he was trying not to crack a smile. He let the façade fade and laughed out loud, leaning back in his chair.

" Touché daughter, touché. Maybe we should stop accusing each other and just try to get to know each other. Whatever you may think of your mother I have always loved you and have tried non-stop to be part of your life. Your Mother always relented but when I wanted to go to your graduation, she couldn't do anything because you we're over 18. I know you must think the worst of me, but I hope that we can get to know each other so I can show you how much you mean to me.”  I looked up to see tears in his eyes and I realized that what he said was true. I let his words soak in and started to tear up but the sadness turned to anger because I knew what he said was true which meant that my mother had deprived me of not one but both of my parents. I wiped my tears away and realized that I was still at a table full of people watching me.

" I would love to get to know you and learn why my witches of a mother kept me from you." I said and I saw the happiness flood his eyes. He also realized we were in a room of people and wiped his eyes.

"How about you spend the day with me tomorrow, we can have lunch and I'll explain everything to you." I smiled and nodded and followed him to the door when he got up to leave. I gave him a hug and waved as he got into a limo. A limo, really? I laughed to myself as I shook my head in disbelief. I walked back to the dinner table and all of the adults including Dimitri were looking at me with their mouths open in surprise. I furrowed my brows.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I asked. Olena, Dimitri's mother , was the first to speak.

" I have known Zmey for years and I have never seen him show an ounce of emotion let alone cry. It's nice to see there a person under the ice-cold demeanor." I smiled at her.

"I'm excited for tomorrow. My mom left me at the academy at such a young age and she never visited that I never really had a parent to talk to. I never imagined that I'd meet my father so this is surreal." She said as she started to clear the table because we were clearly finished with dinner. Dimitri came and put an arm around me.

"You will never be alone again, you have me and my family now to. When the babies are born I assure you, there will never be a dull moment. "I gave him a chaste kiss before being thrown into a hug from from Dimitri's younger sister Viktoria.

"I'm so glad that I'm going to have a sister my age to hang out with! We should definitely go shopping one day that your here!" She said excitedly. I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Definitely, we'll have a girls day." She squealed and gave me another hug before going back to sit on the couch. I tried to help Olena clean in the kitchen but she wouldn't have it so Dimitri, his sisters and had small talk until Olena and Yeva came to join us.

"So Dimka, Rose tell us how fell in love. I would love to hear the story." She said hopefully. I looked at Dimitri and motioned for me to start.

"Well, I was attracted to him the first time we met but I was little distracted by the fact that at the time he was the enemy, taking Lissa and I back to the academy." Dimitri laughed sarcastically.

" if I recall I did stop you from falling on your face. But no matter why I was there that night I was intrigued by your protectiveness and sense of duty to the princess , that and your beauty." I smiled and leaned into him.

"Aw comrade, you’re beautiful too." His family laughed and he smiled.

"I still wonder why you call me that." He said, referring to my nickname for him. I shrugged and elbowed him to continue.

"Well, I ended up having to mentor her and over the time we spent together I was surprised how rose could read my emotions and understand me so much when I said so little. People always said I was antisocial but around her I could me. She was the first one to get me." I smiled when he said that.

"And while we both try to ignore our feelings because of the consequences, after Spokane we both knew we couldn't deny our feelings anymore. So we didn't." I saw confusion in their faces and I knew they were going to talk about what happened in Washington. Karolina spoke first.

"What happened in Spokane?" She asked.

"If Rose feels comfortable talking about it she can explain it." I took a deep breath and nodded

"Well, at that time I was sure Dimitri and I were never going to be together. He had gotten an offer from Tasha Ozera to guard her and, not wanting to be selfish, encouraged him to do it. I tried to move on too." I swallowed a lump in my throat knowing I was going to talk about Mase. "My friend Mason had had a crush on me for a long time and I was going to try to make it work. I was acting so hot and cold with him that he got mad me. Around that time we had heard of a strigoi attack in Spokane and Mason and Eddie , another damphir friend of mine, went with Mia who was a moroi who had lost her mom in the attack went on an idiotic attempt to hunt strigoi. I went after them with a friend of mine and we ended up being captured by a group of strigoi. I ended up getting them out while I fought the strigoi but Mason didn't make it. After that, we realized how short life was and we didn't want to spend another second apart." I hadn't realized I was crying until Dimitri wrapped his arm around me and wiped them off. The rest of his family gave me a hug and their condolences and Dimitri decided it was time to go to sleep. We went into what used to be his room. I was too tired to joke about how western it was. We got ready for bed and I fell asleep comfortably in his arms.