Page 139 of Crimson Oath
The corner of his mouth turned up. “I left it at the castle. It’s quite heavy.”
She kept her face pointed toward him, but her eyes darted aroundand she saw the humans and vampires watching them. “Is this a formal… something?”
“A formal greeting, of course.” His voice was low and smooth. “After all, you are a vampire of my extended clan and a former employee, so it’s only proper that I greet you on my arrival.”
“Right.” So this entire meeting was for show. “Give me a minute to grab a jacket.”
Oleg nodded deeply. “Miss Vorona, I wait on you.”
She was only wearing a simple dress and sandals, but she grabbed a silk jacket that Rumi had helped her buy, then fixed her hair before she returned to the door.
Oleg’s eyes were warm as she walked down the steps of the trailer. “You look more Poshani than Russian now.”
“Do I?” Good. That had been her intention. There weren’t many blond-haired, blue-eyed Poshani, but she had tried to blend in. She switched to speaking in Poshani as they walked. “How was your journey, Lord Oleg?”
“Oh, I do like it when you call me lord.” His voice was as seductive as ever. “I’ve missed our chats, Miss Vorona. You’ve picked up the language quite well.”
“I’m not fluent yet.” She nodded at a human server she recognized. “Where are we going?”
“We are taking a public walk around the camp to show the world that we’re good friends now.” Oleg nodded at Darius as they walked past him.
“You want them to think I’m working for you again?”
“Oh no.” Oleg saw another vampire across the meadow and nodded at that one too. “You have made it very clear that you are not working for me again. That’s not what this is about.”
“What is this about then?”
“It is showing that we are friends,” Oleg said. “Polite allies if nothing else. If there is going to be any conflict in the kamvasa, I want it known that Tatyana Vorona has my protection whether she is under my aegis or not.”
She felt her heart move. “Oleg?—”
“This is not a time to argue with me. Now— Forgive me.” Oleg walked over to exchange polite words with Madina before he rejoined her. “Now is a time to project strength and unity between us. Do you understand?”
He was protecting her. Always protecting her. Maybe it was hard to recognize it because she had always been the one holding everything together, but no matter how she pushed him or how much she antagonized him, he was protecting her.
He was conniving, manipulative, and brutal.
Overbearing, bossy, and arrogant.
And Tatyana was falling in love with him.
What are we?
Us. Just us.
Oleg repeated the question. “Do you understand me, Tatyana?”
She kept her hands held behind her as they walked, resisting the ache in her blood. “I understand.”
His amnis was in her veins, whispering to her and wrapping around her young and erratic energy. Oleg’s energy was fire. It could burn her; it would hurt.
It could also keep her warm and safe and alive.
In the darkness that was her new eternity, Oleg’s fire would never let her feel cold or alone. “I feel your blood in me,” she murmured. “It’s very hard to walk next to you and not react.”
His steps didn’t slow, but his voice got even softer. “Now you know how I feel, volchitsa.” His voice was delicately scornful. “Do you think I want this? To walk beside you as if we are mere friends?”
Are you saying you like this? Hiding our connection? Sneaking in the shadows? I would beproudto have you stand at my side.
