DPOV
"Roza, no!" I screamed with my heart shattering in a million pieces. She'd just stepped in to kill the Strigoi who was about to take me down, and it took her down with it. I finished her kill after he sent her flying into the cave wall on the other side.

Cradling her to my body, I cried in pain. This wasn't happening. Not after last night, not after I'd just taken her to bed and professed my undying love to her.

"Belikov! Let's go!" a voice I barely recognised sharply ordered me away from the other half of my soul.
"No!" I hardly realised my voice was my own. "I'm not leaving her!" I cried. My worst nightmare was not coming to life, it just couldn't! I wouldn't let it.
"She's dead, Belikov!" exclaimed Janine as she tried in a futile attempt to pry Rose from me.
"Don't you dare!" I snarled. "Don't you dare!"
"She's dead, Dimitri! You're not going to die either." She slapped me but it only made me clutch Rose tighter.
"I'd die to protect her! I have to protect her!" I didn't think my voice could ever hold so much venom in it while also sounding so desperate.

From then I ignored them as I cried into Roza's hair. She couldn't be dead. The young woman I'd held so passionately in bed last night could not be dead in my arms, she just couldn't be.
"Roza please," I pleaded. "Roza, please, please, please come back to me! Come back to Lissa, come back to me. Lissa needs you, Eddie and Christian need you. Even Adrian needs you to come back. But no one needs you more than I do right now. I love you, Roza. You have no idea how much I love you." I ran my hand through her hair. My lips met hers. "I didn't show you enough. I didn't show you enough how much I love you. Last night didn't do it justice. God, I love you Roza. Please, please my love, please come back to me. I'll run away with you if that's what you want, if that's what it takes to keep you alive, I'll take you on the run. I'll do anything to protect you, Roza, anything. Just come back to me." If it was possible I held her even closer, tears still falling as I kissed anywhere I could. My lips met hers again. And after a little cough she deepened the kiss.
"Comrade," she murmured nearly voicelessly. "I love you."
"Oh Roza! Oh my Roza." I exhaled in relief. "I love you so much. Let's get you home."
"I am home," she declared, voice a little stronger but still far too weak for my liking. "With you I'll always be home." It was the last thing I heard before we both collapsed.