A month outside the gates (a VA fanfic)ON HOLD

Chapter 26

DPOV
When we reached the cabin, and the pond near it, a woman I knew all too well skated to a graceful stop. Uh oh. This wasn't going to end well. My lady friend had just come up to greet us. Lady Tasha Ozera. She had a massive crush on me, and I had no clue how to protect my Roza from the way I knew she'd be blatantly flirting with me. Trust me when I say, I won't return it. I wasn't going anywhere near encouraging her- I'd barely be polite and hospitable. Stupid covers. I loved my Roza and I refused to let an obsessed Tasha Ozera's words or actions hurt my soulmate. As a guardian 'they come first', but as my soulmate 'she comes first'- my Roza.
"Party crasher, Dimka?" she asked with a tone of voice which indicated she was already hitting on me. And it was making me uncomfortable.
"No. Tasha. Far from it. I've been dragged by Rose here," gestured my head towards my woman.
"Dimitri?" Introductions. And what's with that woman?
"Rose," love, "this is Tasha Ozera, Christian's aunt." And that old friend I told you about, the one I told you you didn't have to worry about despite her crush. Recognition and understanding flashed in her eyes. 'Damn! I wasn't expecting her to look like that. Nor to come on so strong.' radiated in her eyes.
"I'm also you're closest friend!" Tasha tried to amend. "And that introduction is only half complete, Dimka." That nickname was grating in her voice. If my Roza ever let out a 'my Dimka' I'd be completely powerless under it... 'my Comrade', and 'Comrade' were hard enough to fight the side effects of when they came out of my love's luscious lips.
"Tasha, this is my student," she so wasn't it was blasphemous to call her that; she was mine, all right, but my student was the one thing she wasn't. "Rose Hathaway."
"Hi Rose," Tasha politely began.

Rose politely returned the basic, required pleasantries. All the while shooting daggers whenever the older Moroi tried to make a move on me or flirt. Tasha's attempts did nothing but piss me off. I was taken, for Pete's sake. Not that she was allowed to know that because she couldn't know the woman who owned my heart and soul was the one she was currently conversing with.

Lissa eventually split from Christian to come say hi. Christian glared accusingly at my girlfriend. This was clearly family time we'd interrupted. Get over it Christian, she's here to stay because she's your girlfriend's sister and potential guardian. Oh great. I just realised, my poor Roza was stuck with Tasha as an extended relative for the rest of the foreseeable future.

When Tasha offered to continue the conversation inside the cabin, she glanced at me suggestively. Not happening Lady Ozera. That cabin had already been completely defiled by my soulmate and I. And we were going to have an extremely hard time keeping a straight face. Tougher task still, would be keeping our hands off each other.

Both Rose and I unwillingly and unhappily followed Tasha inside. When we stepped inside I registered Roza's reaction. She stiffened, and her breathing stopped. She recovered before anyone could notice. Well, anyone else bar me because I'd been looking for it, expecting it. She hadn't disappointed- both with the otherwise-undetectable response and the quick recovery. I'm sure I did the same as the memories flashed through my mind.

I tried my best to include Roza in the conversation without giving away our relationship. When Tasha got around to talking about this guy we both knew who'd sworn to never have kids and had so many all he now did was speak in baby, I nearly lost it. I'd never be able to give that to my Roza, and my heart ached for her. She should be able to have the family she deserves. It didn't help matters that Rose would make an amazing mom, I'd seen her with Lissa at times where she was so mothering it made her so stunning it was nearly impossible to look at. It also didn't help when Tasha mentioned all I'd ever do if I had kids would speak in Russian baby. If I could have kids with Roza, she'd probably shoot me for teaching our children Russian while refusing to teach her.

As it was, I saw my precious beauty's eyes and face contort in pain for a millisecond. Was she seriously hurting just as much as I was over the impossibility? I knew her sense of family was strong, just not that strong. Was she hurting because she couldn't give me a family? When Tasha kept harping on about how I'd make such a great dad, Rose snapped. She gave nothing away, but she did abruptly, yet politely, excuse herself for a few moments. And Lissa dashed out after her. I could tell she wasn't about to support my woman, far from it. The Princess was going to snap at my beautiful woman for being impolite, or something along those lines.