Page 163 of Crimson Oath
“Your genius, is it?”
“Yes, obviously.”
She snuggled closer into his side and tucked her arm around his waist. “You should replace the dove with a firebird.”
He grunted. “Too dominant.”
“Is it my crest?”
“Obviously yes.”
“Then I want a firebird, not a dove.”
He erased the dove and considered her request. A firebird would throw off the balance of the crest he was making for her. “Why?”
“Because I would not be a wolf without the firebird,” she said softly.
Oleg set the notebook aside. “Tatyana?—”
“What have I done?” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know how to lead a huge clan like this. When I imagined being part of the Poshani, I thought I could work for them. Maybe update their accounting systems.” She laughed a little; then her laugh turned into a cry, and she covered her mouth with her hand so no one heard her.
She would never let them hear her cry. Never let them know that she hadn’t wanted this. The fact that she let Oleg see her tears was an honor he had never expected. One he wouldn’t have thought he would even want.
But he would never take her trust for granted.
Tatyana’s eyes filled with tears, and Oleg pulled her to his chest.
“Shhh.” He stroked her hair, unpinning the braids and slowly loosening the plaits of golden hair. “Remember what I told you? Right after you’d been turned?”
“You told me a lot,” she whispered. “Because you are very bossy and controlling.”
“That’s correct.” He tilted her head back and kissed the blood-tinged tears from her cheeks. “And I told you that I would see you dance.” He framed her face with his hands. “This is your dance. Your life will be long, milaya.Mylife will be long. Right now this is your dance.”
She looked into his eyes, and Oleg had to fight the urge to throw her over his shoulder, battle the Hazar, race out of the kamvasa, and disappear into the wilderness with Tatyana Vorona on his arm.
He loved her, and she was not his anymore. She could not be. Perhaps she never would be.
She whispered, “You asked me a question.”
Oleg shook his head. “We don’t have talk about that.”
“I want to talk about that.”
“You’re the terrin now, and your loyalty must be to your clan. Of all people, I understand this and I respect it.” Oleg knew she would not say yes because she could not. And damn the shreds of his honor, because he loved her even more because of it. “I know what I envisioned for the future is not possible now, so please don’t?—”
“Yes.”
Oleg froze. “What?”
“Yes, I will marry you, Oleg Sokolov. If you will still have me.”
Chapter 34
Tatyana
Warsaw, Poland
Six months later
