A Guardian's Promise

Chapter 7 - We Have got some Explaining to do

"I hope it is okay, but I invited a friend of mine to join us. I know this was supposed to be a family and close friend gathering but..." I direct my sentence to Olena.

"You should have asked me earlier, but it is okay." She looks disappointed, but if only she knew. If only she knew that he wasn't invited as a friend of mine to accompany me, and that there was a greater meaning above what she thought.

"I am just going to go get him then." I say. She frowns at the word 'Him'. Maybe she thinks I have moved on from Dimitri. The more I went along with this, the less the would trust and accept me. I just hope this turns out well, and that it is all worth the pain I caused them to feel, especially because they said I remind them of Dimitri. I hold back a laugh, because if only she knew about this, then she wouldn't react like this. I go out through the back gate. I notice Dimitri's silhouette by the tree that we had decided was our meeting spot. I go over to him.

"Let's go." I say, ready for anything. Dimitri's face displays anything but.

"Rose I don't know if I can do this." He says. I look him in the eyes, daring him.

"Yes, you can, and I am going to be there for you the whole time."

"You are right, and I probably shouldn't let my feelings get in the way. I have to do this." He gives me as half smile. "Is everything in order though?" He asks. I nod, but situations were running through my head. The people on one side of the circle would be able to see Dimitri as he enters, and we needed them to keep quiet about his presence for this to work.

"We do need to signal for some people to keep quiet, but otherwise we are all ready to go." I decide. He nods, and I give him a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck. We link hands, as contact will be one of the things that will make them believe he was actually a dhampir. There would be no way that I would hold hands with a strigoi... well I thought that until I went to find strigoi Dimitri, but I blame the loss of blood, not that I wanted to make out with a strigoi—okay maybe it was because it was Dimitri—I swear up and down if it was any other strigoi I would not do that.

We make it into the yard, and I put my finger to my lips, followed by pointing to Olena, whose back was turned away from us, letting the rest of the people know what was going on. I let go of Dimitri's hand and take my seat directly across from Olena, leaving him behind her. He takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around his mother. In an instant, she jumps, and I smile.

Any doubts of the plan not working fades, but then she gets up and swings her fist at him. "Мама where are my old stakes?" She growls at Yeva. I jump up and throw myself between them.

"Stop!" I squeal. I grab Olena's balled up hand just before it hit me instead, and also grab her other shoulder to help my hold on her. We had this as part of the plan, and Dimitri knew exactly what to do. He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head on my shoulder. I smile, as scripted, and begin an explanation. A long one was probably needed, judging by Olena's expression.

"Okay, just listen." I say, in my best no-nonsense guardian voice. I haven't quite mastered it yet, but it was good enough for some dhampir women to know not to mess with me. I consider something, something that wasn't in the plan, but I knew needed to be done as an extra precaution. "Look,"

I pulled out my stake. "I have this ready, just to make you feel safe, but I am telling you now, it won't be needed. Unless an actual strigoi decides to crash out little party." A few people gasp, but I keep my eyes on Olena.

"That is not possible. He was a strigoi. You told us that yourself, last time you were here. There is no way he is a dhampir unless you were lying to me and my family?" Dimitri scoffs, but Olena ignores him.