Primal Desires

Chapter 33

"Dimitri, will you just calm down?" Rose asked exasperatedly, snapping Dimitri's mind from where he sat opposite her buried deep in his thoughts.

He looked up from where his fist was clenched tightly around his glass of water in front of him, to see Rose's furrowed brows and glaring eyes boring into his. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his anxiety, relaxing his grip slightly.

"I can't calm down Roza, not when –"

"Dimitri, I get it. This is our plan, remember? I know you're not exactly happy with the situation, but I at least want to have a good night with you before it all goes down – if it goes down," Rose snapped. "When was the last time we went out like this? I want to enjoy it."

Dimitri knew she was right – no matter what was going to happen tonight, he could still relish in being in Rose's company. He let go of the glass in front of him, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. Stroking his thumb across the back of her hand, he took calming breaths, focusing his attention on the softness of her warm skin.

After much convincing from Rose, Dimitri had agreed to take her out of the safety of the wards and into Harrisburg for their date – much to his reluctance. If it wasn't for the fact that the sun was still shining in the early evening, casting a warm glow into the safety of the restaurant, he would have completely tensed up. Rose's safety was everything to him and here he was, practically throwing her to the wolves.

They had chosen a small Italian restaurant not far from where Nathan had been sighted, so that Rose could, of course, have her pepperoni pizza. They had arrived in the early evening so that they could enjoy a meal together before the sun set and the safety of daylight escaped them.

Rose, wearing a simple outfit of skinny jeans, a blouse and a leather jacket, was doing everything she could to ignore the niggling feeling of fear she felt deep down. This was her idea, after all, and she knew this would be their best chance of ending this ordeal. With Nathan still out there, somewhere, she wouldn't be safe – he would always be after her, and she would never be able to fully get over the pain he inflicted on her soul. This was her chance to finally move on.

Sensing her nerves, Dimitri squeezed her hand in reassurance – a silent 'I'm here for you', which in an instant calmed her down and brought her thoughts back to the love of her life sitting opposite her. Rose was right - they almost never went out like this, even before everything happened with Nathan, and Dimitri knew he needed to savour the moment before the inevitable danger arrived.

"Roza," he began, clutching her hand tighter in his. "I want you to know that I love you with everything I have."

Rose shook her head. She had a feeling she knew this was going to be another 'I promise to protect you' speech, and while she appreciated the sentiment and knew Dimitri's words held truth, she also knew the extent of Nathan's power, and didn't want him making promises he couldn't keep. "Dimitri –"

"Roza, let me, please," Dimitri continued nervously. "Without you, my heart stops beating. Whatever happens tonight, just know that I plan to spend the –"

"Are you ready to order, handsome?"

With a sigh, Dimitri looked away from Rose and over to the blonde waitress that had untimely interrupted what he wanted to say. To say he was annoyed was a clear understatement.

"Yes we are, thank you," Rose interjected through gritted teeth, a scowl plastered on her face. "I'll have the pepperoni."

"Mhmm," the waitress replied nonchalantly before turning her attention back to the God in front of her. She had noticed him from the moment he walked in – his dark hair was tied at the nape of his neck, and his dark shirt did nothing to hide his chiselled muscles. She couldn't care less if he was obviously on a date - she thought she was much prettier than her anyways, and would definitely be able to get his attention.