Claire POV

Why the hell would my dad do this to me? The great Dimitri Belikov is making me transfer from my beloved academy in Russia to the great St. Vladimir Academy in Montana. I'm seventeen years old and a senior. This isn't fair.

Dad is the only parent I have left. He doesn't know I know, but I know what happened to my mom. She's been "missing" for the past four years and my dad thinks I don't know anything. What a joke.

My dad is Dimitri Belikov. He is well known in the guardian world. He used to be one of the guardians at St. Vladimir's, but he moved on once he decided to guard my mom and get married. My mom is Tasha Ozera. She didn't take my dad's last name because she is a Royal Moroi, or at least she was. Her nephew, Christian Ozera is my uncle, or at least thats what I call him. He's married to Vasilisa Dragomir, the queen of our society. She took over once queen Tatiana died. Her nephew, Adrian was supposed to take over, but he was not allowed since he decided to marry Rosemarie Hathaway. Rose used to be the guardian to the queen, but decided just to be her best friend. My dad wasn't too thrilled about that. He said that he was the one who trained Rose to be the great guardian she is. She killed several Strigoi before she turned eighteen and graduated.

My dad always told me that if I ever do what Rose did, marry a Royal Moroi and quit, he would never speak to me again. Yeah, he was kind of exaggerating but I caught what he was trying to say.

Well now we're headed to the academy where my dad made Rose what she is, the academy where he and my mom decided to get together, and the academy where I will finish my guardian education and training and graduate to guard a Moroi.

My dad and I were at the airport waiting for our plane to board.

"Claire, you nervous about going to a new academy?" he asked me.

"Yeah, a little bit. Dad, why are you making me go to St. Vladimir's? I know that it's sentimental to you, but why are you making us move there? Why can't you just let me stay here with Aunt Viktoria and Aunt Sonya? Why can't you just go on your own and take a vacation?" I pleaded.

"It's important for you to move here and be cultured. You need to learn from a new guardian thats not me. I've been training you your whole life."

"Then who's going to mentor me? A kid without a mom and a bad temper?" I was known for my bad temper.

"Rose Hathaway will be your mentor," he told me straight.

I froze.

"W-what? Rose H-h-hathaway? Your student from when you were a guardian at the academy?" Oh shit. I'm screwed.

"Yes. But there's a lot about Rose that I have to tell you. She knows what it's like to not have a mom around. She had a bad temper and attitude when I first met her. Just give her a chance."

"Okay, okay. I will. But... wait, didn't you just say there was more you had to tell me about her?"

He flinched.

"Yes. There is."

"Spill it, dad."

He looked me straight in the eye and told me everything.

"Rose was seventeen when I met her. She was your age. She had a horrible attitude and was always getting into trouble. As you know, she was and still is the best friend of Vasilisa Dragomir. She took her away for a couple years because they were both in danger. Though, we didn't know it at the time, Rose was trying to keep Lissa safe. We found them and brought them back to the academy where Rose was going to be expelled. But there was something about her that made me think that she was dedicated to the guardian role. So instead of letting her get expelled, I decided to mentor her. She had no self-control and tried to fight all the time. Lissa is a Spirit user, and every time she would use spirit, darkness would over take her and Rose would take the darkness out of Lissa. Rose shared a bond with Lissa and she could feel all her emotions and sometimes when she would get sucked into Lissa's head, it scared me. One time it got so bad that she tried to fight everyone. She wanted to kill a Moroi, even though he probably deserved it. So to get the darkness out that she took from Lissa, I took her to a cabin outside the wards. And we made love and I never thought I could love anyone so much. Rose also watched one of her best friends died in a fight with two Strigoi that she killed. She was so crushed and she blamed herself for the longest time. She still blames herself. It was then that I swore to myself I would protect her no matter what. But of course, as you can see, I didn't keep that promise. She fell in love with me and I fell in love with her. But I broke her heart and crushed her even more by leaving her. I still love her, but I crushed her the day I left. I left the worst note that I could. I didn't even tell her goodbye. I just left."

He was starting to cry at the memory. But I had no idea that he loved another woman before mom. I didn't expect anything like that. But I especially didn't expect for him to fall in love with Rose Hathaway!

"Dad, where does mom come into all of this?"

He frowned. "Your mom made me an offer to become her guardian and lover. Later that became her husband, and you came out of that." He smiled at me. "But it wasn't until after the cabin and Strigoi attack that I left Rose to be with your mom. I loved your mom, but it was more of a friendship type of love. With Rose, I really loved her. And like I said, I still do." He was staring off into space the next time I looked at him.

"Oh, dad." I leaned over the arm rest to give him a hug. "You should go after her."

He stared at me, shocked.

"What? I don't think she wants me anymore. Not after what I did to her."

"Dad, I still say you should go for it. I mean, she could be my step-mom." Woah, didn't mean to go there.

"Ha ha. Claire. Don't think too far ahead. We still have to see if she'll forgive me before I decide to propose to her," he just shook his head.

"If she does forgive you, this time, don't leave her."

"Thanks Claire. I love you baby girl."

"I love you too, Dad."

With that, then, our plane was called to board. Dad bought us first class seats since it was a long flight from Russia to Montana.

Montana, Rose, here we come.

Connor POV

"Hey, mom?"

"In here, sweetheart!" my mom called from her office.

"Mom, I need to ask you something," I told her straight up.

"What is it?"

"Are you going to be my mentor anymore now that you're getting a new student?"

"No. You are going to get a new mentor too."

Great. I just knew it. "And who is going to take on the great Connor Hathaway?"

"The guardian who mentored me. Guardian Dimitri Belikov."

I froze. Dimitri is the man my mom had fallen in love with originally. Before she even met my dad. My dad always knew that she would love Dimitri over him, but they still shared a love. But now that he's coming back to train the second Hathaway to attend St. Vladimir's, I was going to be put through hell.

My mom is Rosemarie Hathaway, but she prefers to be called Rose. Rose and Dimitri met when she was seventeen. But he ditched my mom right after a Strigoi attack to be with a royal Moroi, Tasha Ozera. Oh, he was so going to get a lesson from me. No one hurts my mom like that and gets away with it.

"Mom, are you sure you should let Belikov be my mentor?" I asked.

"Yes, Connor, I'm sure. Besides, You have no choice, just like he as no choice. I am the head guardian at this academy and what I say goes. Got it?" She had her guardian mask on now. Great.

"Yes, mom. I understand. Oh, and mom?"

"What?" she spat.

"Do you still love him?" I have been curious for quite some time now.

Her mask softened. "Yes. I do. But I don't know if I can forgive him for what he did to me and how he left. I haven't heard from him in eighteen years. Yes, Lissa and Christian would go and visit Tasha and him, but I made Eddie go instead because I didn't want to see him. So now, I just don't know."

"Mom," I looked her straight in the eye. "This time, don't let him get away."

With that I walked out of her office to go meet Marie. Her full name is Rosemarie, but because Lissa named her after my mom, we call her Marie instead. Marie is my best friend. Yeah, she has a twin brother named Harold, but we just never connected. We're still good friends and everything, but Marie and I just get along better. Oh, well.

I found Marie with her brother by the dhampir dorms.

"Connor!" she squealed and ran up to me.

"Hey, Marie!" I picked her up and hugged her. "How are you today?"

"Oh, well I am just fine and dandy! How are you today Mr. Hathaway?"

I chuckled. "I am just perfect. Hey, Harold."

"Hey, man." It was only then that I saw he had someone glued to his side. What the...? Since when?

"Harold, who's the girl you're trying to hide?" Marie laughed.

"Oh, this is Jane. Jane Conta."

"Hi, Jane. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand to shake hers. "I'm Connor Hathaway."

She looked down at the floor. "I know who you are."

I just shrugged.

"Come on Connor!" Marie spoke. "I have so much to tell you!"

"Okay, okay. Let's go! See you later Harold."

Marie and I ran up to her room and she slammed the door right behind me.

"Why didn't you tell me that Dimitri Belikov was coming back?!" she screamed at me.

Oh no.