I Never Told You I Love You - Complete

Chapter 27 - Sex, Lies, and Videotape

By Tuesday lunchtime, Rose's stomach was churning with anxiety. She hadn't told any of her classmates she was getting molnija today. They hadn't known Mason - and really that's what today was about. For Rose at least. Some people had known Mason though - the crew back at St. Vladimir's - and she supposed she should let her mother know she was being marked today, too. So before Dimitri led her into the Guardian's lounge, Rose sent a group text to Lissa, Eddie, Alberta, and her mother:

Getting my Spokane molnija done today. Will send photos.All good at St. Basil's. Five hours of training a day - I'mlearning heaps. Starting to feel like myself again. Rose xoxo

Then Rose turned her phone off. She didn't want to be interrupted by anyone calling. The Guardian's lounge was a large room with sofas arranged in conversational groups around coffee tables. At one end were several large tables near the coffee station, which also held baskets of fruit. At the other end was a slightly raised platform – today fitted out with a tattooist's chair. Not that this was any sort of an event. There were only a handful of people in the room other than the tattooist and two Guardians sitting on folding chairs waiting to be inked.

The tattooist saw each, taking a few minutes to clean their skin, make the necessary marks and then enter their details into a sizeable leather-bound ledger. And then it was Rose's turn. Dimitri pulled out some paperwork he'd printed off from St. Vladimir's confirming the details of her kills. He then had a conversation in Russian before turning to translate for Rose.

"Vincent wants to know how you would like the molnija placed? Usually, molnija are placed in vertical rows on either side of the Promise mark, like mine are. However, molnija awarded before the Promise are sometimes put in a straight line above where the Promise mark eventually goes to show they were awarded before the Promise was made. These days kills before the Promise aren't common, so it's a little bit old-fashioned – but it's an honor to have them done that way. It's up to you; he'll do them whichever way you want."

Rose shrugged. "What do you think? If it were you what would you do?"

"It's not for me to say, Roza."

"Then I want them done the old-fashioned way. I like the idea of these molnija being different from those I might earn in the future. To show they were earned for someone I loved."

Dimitri nodded, pulling Rose to him and brushing his lips softly against hers. Sitting her down in the tattooist chair, Dimitri spoke in Russian again, touching her neck and talking positioning with Vincent.

"He's ready when you are. It will sting a little milaya – squeeze my hand if you need to."

And it did sting, but that wasn't why Rose cried. The whole time she was thinking of Mason. How much she missed him and how guilty she still felt that he was gone.

"All done now Roza," Dimitri said softly, helping her to her feet and pulling her straight into his arms. She rested her head against his chest and let him hold her as he whispered loving things to her in Russian. Vincent watched them, smiling at the usually stoic and reserved tall handsome Guardian being so tender towards the beautiful female Novice who clung to him. Even through her tears, Rose looked at Dimitri with such trust and love – the way every man dreams of a woman looking at him. He was happy for them. Finding love was rare for Dhampir, and even rarer for Guardians. Yet these two were clearly smitten.

They eventually broke apart from one another, Dimitri brushing the tears from Rose's cheeks before showing her where to write and sign her name in the leather ledger. And with that, it was done.

"Would you like me to photograph them for you?" Dimitri offered, knowing she'd promised to text photos.

"Yeah – let's see them," she said, switching her phone back on and handing it to Dimitri. He took several photos before leaning down to run the tip of his nose lightly up and down the back of her neck before dropping the most delicate of kisses where her Promise mark would soon sit.