Collateral Damage

- TWENTY FOUR -

Dimitri's POV

"That's why Rose came back, because Tilly went missing." Someone said. To be honest I wasn't paying attention.

All I could think was that Tilly went missing and now so has Rose.

"Rose figured out a few days ago that Tilly went missing because of her. Rose knows personally who took her and has gone to save Tilly but she has gone alone. It's a suicide mission and she doesn't care."

After a team was organized and told to set out first thing tomorrow Adrian pulled me aside.

"How could I let this happen?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I twisted the truth Dimitri."

"What?" I shook my head in disbelief, "What do you mean?"

"Rose didn't leave the academy because she was pregnant." I furrowed my brow, "She left because you broke her heart, not long after she left she found out she was pregnant."

"Why would you change the story?"

"Because of the baby's father." I gave Adrian my full attention.

"Who is the father?" I asked.

"You." Ha okay.

"That's impossible." I replied.

"Think about it Dimitri, Rose was bought back from the dead, you were bought back from the dead. Maybe the resurrection of you two heightened the human parts of you and made conception possible." He said. And for a second it sounded like a possibility.

"Let's just worry about getting them back, okay?" I replied. I needed time to process this. If what Adrian is saying is the truth than it makes sense. She would have left Matilda there because of the safety that the academy can provide. I just wish she had told me that I was a father, maybe then I could have protected her better.

Rose's POV

After the laborious 7 hour drive to Spokane, I found the house that I remembered to be the one Mason died in. Memories of his lifeless body filled my mind. Every heartbreaking situation I had since I returned to the academy when I was sixteen reminded me that Dimitri was always there to save me. I failed him. I failed Lissa. I failed Mason. I am not failing Matilda.

I took note that all of the windows were boarded up. My natural guardian instincts kicked in as I remembered Dimitri tell me years ago to always be conscious of exit strategies, but by the looks of it the only ones were the doors.

I opened the door and made the decision to leave the security of the sunlight to save my daughter.

It was dark, I could still make out furniture and things but the light was dim. I wandered past the spot where Mason had his neck broken and ignored the sinking feeling in my gut. There will be time to cry, but not right now.

My heart beat began to hammer rapidly as a shadow flashed across my vision. Strigoi. My hands were immediately pulled behind my back and I resisted the urge to fight back. "We have been waiting for you Hathaway."