Love's Hold By Megan Leigh McGregor

Chapter 1

The alarm clock that now lay in pieces on the floor stopped it's wailing and I sighed,

"Serves the bastard right for getting me up so early" I grumbled making my way to my en suite bathroom. I entered the little room and Turned on the shower taps, Dropping my pyjamas I hopped under the stream protruding from the jets and let the hot water soothe and release some of the knots that seemed to have taken up a permanant residence in my back. It wasn't the clocks fault I thought whilst relaxing in the heat and steam of the flow, Lately I had so much pent up anger and frustration that kicking the crap out of a punching bag in the gym every night just wasn't good enough anymore. It had felt good to break something, I wondered if that was the key to releasing my stress, just break everything in sight. The thought was a tempting one but even though Lissa was queen now I still wasn't sure that I could get away with that. Sighing for what felt like the 10th time that morning I shut off the taps and stepped out of the shower, Wrapping a thick towel around me I grabbed a brush and attempted to tame my long thick curly Brown hair that now reached a couple inches off my butt, Unusual for a guardian. Most female guardians cut all of their hair off to show off their Molnija marks, Small lightining bolt shaped tattoo's on the back of the neck that signified how many Strigoi they had killed. There was many reasons why I hadn't done this, Personally I didn't think that Molnija marks were something to be proud of, I only had them because it was my people's custom. Also I knew that Dimitri loved my long hair. He would wind it around his fingers and tell me I was beautiful and every time he did my heart would fill with joy. God I missed him. Since Liss and I had headed to Lehigh in the fall so she could attend college and Christian had went back to 's Academy to teach a Moroi magic class, that meant that Dimitri had gone too. It had been just over 3 months since we had last seen each other, the same with Lissa and Christian or "Flamey" As I had taken to calling him. Me and Dimitri would talk on the phone every night but there is only so much time you can spend away from someone you love before your heart starts to ache for them, In my case it was the minute he left. I took a long look in the mirror before deciding that it was pontless fighting with my hair and I settled for a high bun held tight with bobby pins. It was technically my day off so instead of pulling on my Guardian uniform, black slacks and black jacket I rummaged in my drawers for a pair of artfully faded jeans and a button up shirt, I stuffed my feet in some Ugg boots, Grabbed my phone, wallet and a doughnut and set off for Lissa's apartement.

When I saw apartement I really mean Palace. Her room is at least 3 times as big as mine and has A master bedroom and 2 guest bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (not including the en suite), 2 living rooms and a ginormous kitchen that If I knew my way around would spend all of my time in, Carved from pure granite the worktops always shone and it was by far my favourite room, But as I didn't know the difference between a spatula and a carving knife I let Lissa take the lead in that department, The suite was too nice to be burned down. I opened the door using the key she had given me and found her in her room, She had her back to me and was on the phone, her voice shone with excitement and happyness. She was almost certainly talking to Flamey. I retreated from the bedroom and went to rummage in the kitchen, Having polished off my doughnut on the way over I needed something else to ward off the hunger pains sweeping my stomach. Grabbing an apple I made my way back to the bedroom Just in time to hear the end of her conversation,

"Yeah she's doing good, She gets lonely sometimes. She doesn't say but I know that she misses him",

I stopped mid-chew realising that she was talking about me, still not noticing I was there she ploughed on,

"I can't belive I never noticed it, the whole time we were at 's, I mean, I spent almost every day with her and I never once picked up on it. But looking at her now, every time she talks to him on the phone or when she mentions him I notice her Aura gets brighter, And I don't mean it lightens a tiny bit, The whole thing shines, I don't know how I missed it, She's like a love sick puppy!" She giggled to herself and I felt my cheeks burn, I knew that whatever she told Christian he would bring up when we next met and I did not need an obnoxious Royal making fun of me. I cleared my throat and Lissa Jumped. Without turning round she whispered into the phone,

"Er, look I have to go, Rose is here" She sounded like a little girl who had just been told off, Christian picking up on what she meant roared with laughter down the phone. I gritted my teeth.

"Hey Rose!" He shouted, just loud enough for me to hear, I growled. Lissa was giggling too at this point.

"Hey, I'll call you later okay? I love you" She said her goodbye's and hung up the phone. She took a deep breath and slowly turned to face me. I could tell she was fighting back giggles.

"So how much have you told Flamey about me huh?" she heard the smile in my words and let out the giggles she had been trying to hold back. I couldn't blame her for being worried about me, she was my best friend. As if realising that she was forgiven she patted the bed beside her. I sat down and crossed my legs,

"I wanna get out of here for a few hours" she said suddenly, Not sure where she was going with this I was suddenly intrigued,

"What are you thinking?"

She glanced at the Old Grandfather clock that stood next to her dresser, the time showed that it was 10.43 PM,

"How about going to a club?, One just opened in the city and i've been dying to try it out" she suggested, I thought i saw a flash of a cunning smile on her lips but it was soon replaced by a small polite one, I wondered what she was up too but the idea of going clubbing was too inviting and so my suspicion was replaced by excitement.

The idea of getting dressed up appealed to me greatly, and as it was my day off I technically wouldn't have to be on guard although I would be anyways, I was free to enjoy myself.

"You don't know how good that sounds" I exclaimed excitedly,

Lissa beamed and clapped her hands together,

"Will you make some arrangements for guardian's?" She asked me, I could see the excitement in her eyes and could tell she just wanted to get ready and not have to worry about the technicalites,

"Already on it" I replied pulling my phone out of my pocket.

He answered on the first ring and his deep voice filled the end of the phone,

"Hans" he said robotically,

"Hans, It's Rose, The queen would like to get away from court for a few hours and want's to visit a club in Montana, Since it's my day off I was wondering if you could acompany us along with a few other guardians?" I asked hopefully,

Hans sighed, "And when does her majesty wish to leave?"

I thought for a moment, "About 12 O'clock, Does that work?"

Stan thought for a minute, " I suppose, Meet us at the car park near to the guest housing then, I'll send Castile over to accompany you, He can come with us"

A smile met my lips, "Thanks Hans, See you then"

It would be nice to get out of the Palace for a while, To spend some time with my friends and enjoy myself for once.

I had just stepped out of Lissa's apartement to grab some things from my own when an idea sprung to mind. Dialling another number she picked up on the 3rd ring,

"Hey",

"Hey Mia, So here's the thing, Liss want's to go to Montana tonight to a new club that's opening and I was wondering-"

I didn't get to finish before Mia interupted me,

"I'll meet you at Lissa's in 10 minutes, I'll bring the champagne"

With that she hung up. I walked down the hall with a smile on my face. Looking forward to the night ahead.

Chapter 2

I rifled through my closet pulling out dresses and the occasional shoe. I had almost reached the back of my closet and was about to punch a hole through it when I spotted the perfect dress hiding behind an old coat. It was the Black dress that Lissa had bought me in Missoula. The one that I had wore the night of the school dance, Where Dimitri and me had fallen prey to the lust charm that Victor Dashkov had put on us. Pulling it off the hanger and brushing the dust off the shoulders I shoved it into a bag, smiling. I then put on a base coat of foundation, I applied powder and then got to work on my eyes, I highlighted them with dark black eyeliner and a hint of black eye shadow, I then applied a generous coating of Mascara and stepped back to review my handy work. I put my flat iron into my bag and headed out of the door, I would finish getting ready at Lissa's.

As I approached the door to her room I could hear giggles and the popping of a cork. They both looked at me as I entered and let out a gasp,

"You arn't ready yet!" yelled Mia with disbelief, Pulling me down onto the chair in front of Lissa's vanity mirror,

"Hey, I only need to do my hair and then i'm done, I can get changed and we can go"

Lissa tutted at me. "And what exactly are you doing with your hair?"

"Well" I said hopefully, I pulled my flat iron from my bag "I was hoping that you could help?"

She sighed knowing what a task it would be to get my hair straight, She turned to Mia,

"This is a serious job, I'm gonna need a hair clasp,lots of bobby pins and all the hair products you can find.."

Mia saluted her and ran to the bathroom, Meanwhile Lissa tried to pull a brush through the straggles and knots. I winced as the brush repeatedly got stuck. She hit a particularly big one and it brought tears to my eyes. Taking the brush from her I battled against it and finally won, As soon as the brush was going through my hair smoothly Mia arrived back arms laden with hair products and equipment, Lissa parted my hair into two halves and got to work on the bottom, She ran the hot irons over the curls untill they became pin straight, She then did the same with the top. When the process was complete I looked in the mirror and I couldnt believe they had actually managed to do it. My hair now reached my butt and looked silky and shiny. Hugging them both and thanking them I skipped to the bathroom and pulled on my dress. I forgot how well it fit me, Hugging my curves perfectly and enhancing my already large chest, A rare and coveted asset to both my people and the Moroi. I slipped on my Black Gladiator heels and for the finishing touch put on some blood red lipstick, Pouting in the mirror careful to not get any on my teeth Inspiration struck. I knew how much Dimitri loved this dress and it was a shame for him to miss this, Pulling out my phone I turned to the full length mirror and snapped a picture, I added a small text and pressed send,

Found this old thing in the cupboard,

Giving it the night out it deserves

Wish you were here

Love R x

His reply came Instantly,

Don't tease me Rosa

3 Months is a long time to

wait and my patience only

stretches so far, I will run to

Montana if I have too

D x

His reply made my blood burn, I sent a replying text explaining in vivid detail all the things I would do if he was here and I knew there would be hell to pay tomorrow, But I knew that teasing him would make it all worth it when I finally did get to see him again. Putting my phone in my little bag I stepped out of the bathroom to wolf whistles and cat calls,

"Wow!" exclaimed Mia, "You look amasing!" she yelled,

"I can say the same for you!" Mia blushed, But I truly meant it, She was wearing a pale pink dress that cinched in her waist and stopped mid thigh, Incredibly sexy but still elegant. I turned to Lissa,

" And what about you Miss all Sweet and innocent Queen Vasilisa" Lissa laughed, She was wearing a turquoise dress that showed off her cleavage and stopped just above the knee, It left little to the imagination and looked awesome on her.

We turned to the mirror and struck a pose all three of us giggling. I took out my phone and snapped another picture This time sending it to both Christian and Dimitri,

Have a good time at school kids

The adults have gone out to

play

Love R x

Not waiting for a response I pushed my phone into my bag just as a knock sounded at the door, We made our way over and Were greeted by Eddie Castile, A former school friend and now a close colleague, He was wearing black dress pants and a white shirt, His eyes widened as he looked at Mia and a smile formed on my lips,

"Why the getup Castile? Going somewhere nice?" I teased,

He punched my arm playfully, "Hans thought I should be near guard so I dressed up so it could look like I was dancing with you girls"

I smiled at him and spoke so low only he could hear, "Don't worry Eddie, Me and Lissa will keep out of your way so you can have Mia all to yourself"

He flushed bright red and upped his pace, He joined Lissa at the front of our little group and I fell behind with Mia.

"So" she started, "Is Eddie-"

"Yeah" I finished for her laughing, "Eddie Is single, and don't worry..I already caught him checking you out"

Mia looked ecstatic, I laughed at the huge grin on her face and pulled her along.

Within a few minutes we had all piled into the back of a black esculade, There was another car behind us that was filled with Guardians. We reached Montana just after 1 in the morning, Perfect time for Human club goers. I pulled myself out of the vehicle and saw out of the corner of my eye Eddie helping Mia down, She looked like she was going to float off and the only thing keeping her grounded was her hand in Eddie's as he steadied her in her skyscraper heels. I also caught sight of Lissa deep in conversation with Hans, He was smiling, A rarity for him and she couldn't stop fidgeting, She said something else and they both looked my way. I pretended not to notice and they quickly resumed their talking. I couldn't help but feel curious as to what they were disgussing but the chill of the December air against my bare arms and legs cut off all train of thought. Shivering I shouted over to the gang,

"Hey guys, Unless you want me to turn all polar bear on you I suggest we get inside"

We all piled into the club and were ushered straight into the VIP section, courtesy of the Guardians talking to the bouncers. Grabbing Lissa and Mia's hands with Eddie in tow I pulled us onto the dance floor. It was heaving with bodies and the atmosphere was electric, Strobe lights and smoke machines made everything seem magical and I was having the time of my life, I could see Lissa was enjoying herself too and When I looked at Mia was shocked to see Eddie's hands around her waist, They were dancing close together and the sparks were undeniable. I smiled but that was soon brushed off my face when a Sweaty hand grabbed my side and turned me round, I swatted the drunk away and turned back to my friends. Again and Again this happened with various men, all wanting to dance with the pretty brunette, Lissa was getting an equal amount of attention and I thought i was going to have to step in but was surprised at how well she handled herself, She pushed them away and ignored the illicit comments and suggestions that were constantly fired our way. They were surprised that we denied them, but we just happened to be two pretty, young girls who were already completely, inexpicably, head over heels in love. We knew that whatever they offered us could never compare to what we already had. After a while of dancing Lissa said she was going to sit down, she had a look of excitement and knowing in her eyes, I nodded confused as to what had gotten her so riled up I carried on dancing anyways, My dhampir stamina exceeded that of a Moroi's. I found myself in the middle of a bunch of people I didn't know but I didn't give a damn, I was still fending off middle aged men that liked to grab onto my butt and by now I was getting annoyed. I carried on dancing for a little while and saw everyone from our table watching me, Including Eddie and Mia, I hadn't even noticed they had left the dancefloor. They were all smiling and laughing and I was starting to get paranoid. Did I have something on my face? I was about to go over and demand to know what they were all keeping from me when another set of large, broad hands rested on my hips. I was about to tell the owner of said hands to politely Fuck off when I just so happened to look over at Lissa who was jumping up and down with excitement at this point. Eddie reached over to high five Christian and they all turned back to me. I...Wait. Christian. Christian was here. In Montana. Sat with Lissa. Dimitri was his guardian. Sworn to follow him everywhere. Where was Dimitri?

"I told you not to tease me Rosa" A voice thick with a mixture of a Russian accent and lust murmured in my ear. " I told you what I would do"

The hands on my hips circulated my waist and turned me round, One of the hands caught my chin and pulled it upwards. I gasped as our eyes locked.

He was here. After 3 months he was here. I was standing on the middle of a dancefloor in a club full of people but in that moment I could only see him. I reached up for him just as he leant down for me and we met in the Middle, The kiss was urgent and passionate and full of Love, as well as some other things. He lifted me in the air and deepened the kiss crushing my body against his. I pulled back bringing my forehead to his. Both of our breathing slightly ragged.

"Take me home Dimitri. Take me home right now."

Chapter 2

Christian had ensured Dimitri that with 6 Guardians with him he would be safe and that it was okay for us to leave. He didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing my hand he pulled me out of the club and into the Alley behind it. Dimitri pressed the button on some keys and a stagnent SUV's lights flashed. I hadn't even noticed the car was there, All I could feel was the heat from Dimitri's hand in mine and how my whole arm was tingling from his touch. As we approached the car Dimitri's control seemed to snap, He pulled me to him with a force that made my head spin, He crushed my lips with his and his hand fell to the small of my back, Lifting me up to the bonnet of the car I hitched up my dress so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He eventually broke off the kiss and I was about to protest when his mouth met my throat, Placing soft kisses against my neck I seemed to melt into his body, A soft moan escaped my lips and I pulled away from him. His eyes shone with Love, admiration and Longing and I couldn't believe that he had let his sense of self-control slip. I looked straight into his eyes and he looked into mine, It felt like he could see right down to my soul, Shuddering I hopped off the bonnet and splayed my hand across his chest.

"Let's go" I said flashing him my man-eating smile at him,

He walked round to the passenger side and opened my door for me, Whoever had said chivalry was dead obviously hadn't met Dimitri. My kind, Gentle, Patient God who seemed to make my life complete.

He threw open his own door and jumped into the car, Within minutes we were on the outskirts of the city. Dimitri's driving was usually text-book perfect but in this instance he couldn't have been in more of a rush if he tried. I noticed the way he kept upping his pressure on the acceleration peddle and when another driver cut in front of him his brow furrowed and he angrily muttered something in rapid Russian. I placed one hand on his thigh and felt all the muscles in his leg tighten, He glanced at me and in that split second I honestly thought he was going to pull the car over. I removed my hand just to be on the safe side and chuckled to myself. Hearing his breathing regulate I smiled and sunk further into my seat.

The drive to the club had taken just over an hour. The drive back from the club had taken just 35 minutes due to Dimitri's mad driving. The ride had felt like forever. It pained me to be sitting so close to him and to not touch him, We didn't speak but we didn't need too, As we started down the dirt road that let to the Royal court and the wrought iron gates came into view a ball of excitement built in my throat. Flashing my pass to the guard at the gate we were granted access. It had just turned 3 o'clock in the morning and the courtyard was bustling with people. Dimitri directed the SUV into a vacant parking space in the guardian's carpark and turned off the engine. He turned to face me and Pulled my face towards his, trapping me with a sweet kiss. His hands delicately traced my jaw as He pulled away. It always astounded me how these hands, Tough and worn from the outdoor conditions could feel so smooth and soft to touch. How they could effortlessly snap a Strigoi's neck but still caress my skin, as light as a feather. He spoke for the first time since the club and the words came out heavy and gruff,

"I have to go see Administration about Mine and Christian's accomodation, It won't take long and I'll come straight over to your room when i'm finished. Make sure you don't fall asleep" The last bit was meant to sound like a joke but I knew that he was being deadly serious. He needed me as much as I needed him. He stared into my eyes again and another shiver was sent down my spine, I felt myself getting lost in his bottomless brown eyes.

"Sleep isn't an option right now" I managed to say, Barely able to get the words out of my mouth,

"Belive me" He murmured running his hand over my leg, "You won't be sleeping for a long time",

His words made my blood burn inside me. Grasping the door handle I flung myself out of the car, The cool night air did nothing against the heat i felt inside. I knew my cheeks were flushed but I didn't care. I took a second to collect myself before walking round to the back of the car where Dimitri was unloading Luggage. We were both guardian's now and many people knew about our relationship however it wasn't something we were keen to throw around. Knowing that I shouldn't kiss him in public only made me want to more, There would be plenty of time for that I was sure. We he leaned down to grab the last bag from the car I caught his shoulder, Now on the same level I knew that he could hear me perfectly, Surprised at how husky my voice was I murmured into his ear,

"You probably won't want to be too long, 3 Months is a long time to wait and my patience only stretches so far" I echoed his words from earlier back to him. Knowing he was watching me I turned in my heels and sauntered away. I threw a look over my shoulder and watched it sink in. Laughing at his expression I picked up my pace and headed for my room.

Chapter 3

As i entered my apartment I was surprised at how nervous I was. After I had been shot by Taha, Me and Dimitri hadn't had sex. He had thought I was still too delicate. He was the only man I had ever slept with and the was the only man I ever wanted to sleep with for the rest of my life and I loved him with all my heart. We had slept together twice and I knew I had nothing to hide from him. He had seen the best and worst sides of me and He loved me just as much as I loved him.

I hurried to my bathroom and shut the door. Grabbing my shaver I made sure my legs and underarms were silky smooth, even though I had only done that this morning in the shower I felt like it was neccessary, I then brushed my teeth again and re-applied my lipstick again careful not to get any on my teeth. I could imagine looking like you've just been eating crayons would be a bit of a mood killer. I left the bathroom and entered my bedroom where I made my bed and took off my dress. Changing out of my sturdy underwear I opted for a Black lace matching bra and panties set that Lissa had bought for me 2 Christmases ago. I then pulled my dress back on Knowing how much pleasure Dimitri would take in unwrapping me later. He loved this dress and I wasn't about to deprive him of the chance to take it off. I sat down at my vanity mirror and began to brush the little tangles from my hair until it was perfectly straight once again. I was adding a hint of perfume to my wrists when I heard his key I had given him a few months ago slide into the lock and with a click the door swung open. He had stayed true to his word, It hadn't even been 10 minutes since we had parted in the carpark and now he was here. I placed the perfume bottle I was holding on the dresser and pressed my eyes shut. I took a deep breath and fixed my dress. I walked out of my room just as he was throwing his duster onto a nearby stool. His hands dropped to his sides and the look he gave me made my mouth go dry. My breath hitched in my throat and I struggled to breath as I took in his appearance for the first time. Dressed in casual wear as opposed to his usual guardian uniform he looked amasing. He was wearing black skinny jeans with a dark grey button up and his hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, A couple of locks had managed to break free of their holder and hung around his face, framing it perfectly. I hadn't ever realised just how perfect he was up until this moment.

I stood at one end of the large room and he stood at the other, After 3 months all that stood between us was a small coffee table and a couch. We both moved at the same time and I reached him in 3 strides, All nerves were long been forgotten. As I pressed my body against his I knew that this was the man I would be with for the rest of my life. He knew me in ways even Lissa didn't, We didn't need a bond to be able to tell what each other was thinking and as our lips met a hum of electricty surged through my body, grabbing my hips he lifted me off the ground, I had long since disgarded my shoes and was free to wrap my legs around his waist. His hands moved to my butt and rested there and without breaking the kiss he carried me into my bedroom. He released me onto the bed and I immediately got to work removing his shirt. Undoing each button from the bottom up and planting a kiss on each new bit of skin shown. I finally reached the last button, the one nearest his chin and Travelled the short distance to his mouth, I slipped my tongue inside of his mouth and he deepened the kiss. Pushing me down on the bed he leant over me, One hand on the small of my back the other running up my leg, it caught the back of my knee and he pulled it up to wrap around his waist, I rolled him over so he was now lying on the bed and I straddled his waist. Running my fingers over his perfectly defined abs he shuddered at my touch, His hands moved to my hips where my dress sat, His fingers reaching for the Hem of the dress he slowly pulled the material over my head, He gasped when he saw the underwear I had on and A small groan escaped his lips, Smiling I lowered myself from his waist onto the bed, Within seconds I had his belt off and he was in nothing but his boxers. He ran his hands over my thighs and up over my stomach before pulling me to him, Reaching to my back he undid the clasp of my bra one-handed, Giggling at his eagerness I helped by shedding the final piece of underwear. He once again laid me down on the bed but this time he simply looked at me, The expression on his face was one of a servant worshipping his god, His saviour and I knew that to Dimitri I was his clarity just as he was mine. I used this time to help him out of his last remaining piece of clothing and I knew that I would never do anything to hurt him ever again. Everything in our past had been forgotten and there was only now to think about. I loved him more than anything in the world and this was the perfect way to show him.

"I love you Rosa" He said aloud. "More than you could ever know".

Tears sprung to my eyes and I brought my lips to his, Breaking the kiss I dared to speak,

"I've missed you so much Dimitri" I murmured, a sob building in my throat, "I've felt so empty without you here. I love you, so much it hurts me sometimes."

That was all he needed to hear. He gased down into my eyes and I pressed a kiss to his chest, And with that we Finally brought our bodies together, Filling the gap between us that had seperated us from each other for far too long.