"How long do you plan to keep that thing here?" hissed Galina, "It's really not safe for us to keep a guardian here. Either turn her or kill her. You know very well that there is nothing in between. That girl may escape and kill one of my men. Do you take responsibility for that?" She glared at me.

I stared unflinchingly at her eyes, crossed my arms and said, "I have told you over a million times that she is a powerful ally and if you want her to be on our side we have to give her time to choose it voluntarily. Otherwise she may turn against us if awakened by force. And believe me, only I can convince Rose Hathaway to join our ranks."

"Fine, do what you want, but I want that creature to be turned soon," Galina flung herself on the sofa which groaned under the force.

I heaved a sigh of relief. Deftly I slid my hand in my pocket and felt for the metallic card. This card opened the door to the room where my most precious treasure was kept, Rose Hathaway.

A smile formed on my face albeit a nervous one. My heart was beating faster. This was going to be the toughest conversation of my life. I braced myself for the task ahead.

Convince Roza to join me. I had hit her earlier. I was hoping that she wasn't seriously injured, concussions and all because then it would be impossible for me to take her to a physician.

I had kept her secured in one of the rooms is Galina's manson. It as a deluxe suit and I had asked Inna to stock it with food and clothes .

Rose must not have touched anything to eat, if I knew her correctly. She must be planning to escape or else trying to find a weapon. I had made that room weapon proof.

She couldn't hurt me or herself with anything in the room. My most important fear was her trying to kill herself to prevent herself being turned. I had a plan which I was going to put in action.

I felt so villainous, making plans...Was I so bad? Why couldn't I just let her go? I honesty had no answer.

The door beeped as I swiped the card and punched in the buttons. I had been hearing a lot of sounds of things hitting the wall. I had to get in before she hurt herself.

As the second door opened, I found her charging at me with a chair held in her hand, wild and reckless as usual.

I shoved her back and she rushed towards me again and this time I snatched the chair and slammed it to the wall in frustration.

The more I tried to save her, the more she was attacking me. My patience was at its limit.

"It is Rose," I kept saying to myself, "Your Roza. You can't hurt her whatever she may do."

Rose tried to kick me as I dodged effortlessly. "Rose, you're wasting time, stop," pleaded I.

For a moment I could see the conflict in her eyes, a conflict which mirrored mine. I knew she was in a dilemma. On one side was love and on the other ingrained ideas about Strigoi. I had to convince her that I was the same. That I had not changed.

She suddenly pulled out the DVD player from the rack, cords and all and hurled it at me.

I intercepted or midway and threw it to the ground where it shattered into pieces.

I caught gold of her hand to prevent her from grabbing anything. I was overtly careful as these hands had the power of a rock crushed, her hands were feather for me. I had to focus to not break s bone while I held her.

She winced and I released my grip a little. I looked at the spot I had hit earlier, it was red and swollen.

"Sorry Roza" I said to myself and then to pacify her," I 'm not going to hurt you. Roza, please stop."

I could see the mistrust in her eyes as she struck out with her foot. I was truly annoyed at her obstinacy.

Heaving a sigh I simply flipped her around and pinned her to the wall with the gentlest of the force possible.

She was immobilized as my body pressed against her, my lips were near to her neck and I could smell and perceive the blood flowing there. My throat burned but a different kind of desire flooded into me. It was pure lust. This was not about sustainance, this was about love.

"Stop fighting me,"I said as I drowned myself in the feel of her skin. After so many days it was like I could remember the cabin, the curves on her back, what was I thinking? I looked into her eyes and saw her staring in awe. Did she remember what I felt too?

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said even as she have a fruitless shove.

"You'll have to understand if I have a hard time believing that," she said panting.

I was astonished and genuine surprose spoke out, "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Now if you keep fighting, I'll have to tie you up. If you stop, I'll let you stay unrestrained. "

"Aren't you afraid I'll escape?"

"No, I am not," the confidence and the chill of my own voice surprised me and for the first time I saw fear, real fear in her eyes. It was no fault of me. I wanted us to be together inspite of everything. The expression on her face broke my heart. I was hurting her to the core but I couldn't help it.

We stayed deadlocked till she relaxed in my hold.

"Okay," she said. I hesitated for a moment before I let her go.

She could hurt herself anytime by trying to hurt me. This whole time reminded me of Rose in my arms, the cabin, how she was afraid she would go crazy for the effects of dark magic, how I had tried to convince her to fight and how I had traced her lips with mine, how we promised to protect each other, how we were bounded for ever in one secret meeting of our love.

But everything changed forever.

A pang of sorrow crossed my heart. I relaxed my hold and let her get away from the wall.

We didn't move apart and stayed there taking in each other after so many days.

Her hair which shone brown in the sun, the curves of her cheeks, her lips, her beautiful dark chocolate eyes and her perfect figure. Time went still as we both locked gazes as if we had fallen in love for the second time.

Finally I asked the question which has been troubling me for a long time. "Why did you come here?"

"Because you hit me on the head and dragged me here." True Rose Hathaway style but I didn't give a smile as my older self would have done and replied with a voice as cold as ice, "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why are you here?"

"In Siberia? I came to find you."

That's the answer I was dreading...."I came here to get away from you."

Those words from my mouth broke my heart over again. This was our fate, we could never be together again. I suddenly realised what I had lost forever. Her shock was evident in her pretty face, "Why? Because I might kill you?"

This answer was completely correct and my heart lurched to say the next thing. Time to make my advances.

"No. So we wouldn't be in this situation. Now we are and the choice is inevitable. "

I hated myself for trying to steal her soul, the rational part of me screamed that it was utterly wrong but the other part with all it's desires wanted her forever. I had come here to avoid this encounter and now I was stuck.

"Well, you can let me go if you want to avoid it."

I didn't reply and just moved away to the living room sofa and say down comfortably. She was not going to escape and I was sure about that.

"Not anymore. Not after seeing you now..." my reply was truthful.

Even as I looked at her I couldn't help admiring how beautiful she was. She had the shine of the moon, her beauty was otherworldly, well maybe it was, it belonged to the world of the living, which was beyond me now.

But my gaze made her cringe.

Was I that scary?

It pained me to realise that she didn't trust me. She backed towards the wall hugging her hands to her chest on a defensive position, as if those fragile little hands could protect her from my blow if I wanted.

"You can sit down," I said.

"I am fine over here. "

"Is there anything else you want?"

"For you to let me go?"

"No Roza, I meant, do you need anything here? Different food? Books? Entertainment? "

She stared at me,"You make it sound like some kind of expensive hotel!"

I smiled a wry smile and told her all about Galina being my mentor and how I came to her. How I wanted to learn the ways of Strigoi!

"And you wanted to get away from me. That's the other reason right?"

I nodded, no elaboration. This was my least favourite topic.

She demanded to know where we were. I just said, far from Novosibirsk.

I was not foolish to give her that little piece of information. I smiled...

"Then what are you doing?" Her scream shattered my heart.

There was pure pain, hopelessness, mixed with a wild emotional outburst, "Why are you holding me here? Kill me or let me go. And if you are going to just lock me up and torture me with mind games or whatever, then I really would you would rather kill me."

Her eyes were fierce and for the first time I realised, she was willing to for die than be treated like a toy by me.

I felt anger burning in me. What had I become? So low, so mean, so cruel, so unjust, soulless monster? I just was unable to immediately reply. The sorrow in her lovely eyes, the brimming tears made my knees weak.

"Brave words," I stood up and began pacing, afraid to make eye contact with her, "I almost believe you."

"They are true , I came here to kill you, If I can't do that then I would rather die."

The other option was not known to her. I felt sick in my stomach. She was so brave, ready to face death than lose her soul and I? Was I doing right in keeping her here? Should I let her go? My desire was getting the better of me.

A/N Sorry for the delay in posting. Was really busy. So if you like the story so far please, a request to all Vampire Academy fans, comment on ways to improve this. Your suggestions and approval are valuable to me.
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