Page 43 of Crimson Oath
“It’s only been a few days. You can’t feed from me again, and I told you I’m not interested in anything else with you.”
“I don’t want sex or blood from you.” Nevertheless, Tatyana pushed her way into the room and pulled out a thick roll of US dollars she kept stashed in her room. “But I do have a proposition.”
Chapter 9
Oleg
The night following his pleasant dinner with Tatyana, Oleg was mulling over their conversation in his mind.
Revelations had been made. This was progress.
“How can I trust you when you told me yourself that you wanted me to give you the fangs out of my own mouth?”
It was an interesting and unexpected thing to have such a moment misunderstood so thoroughly. What Oleg had actually said was that he wanted Tatyana to give him her fangs. What he’d meant as a passionate declaration had been understood as a threat.
Interesting.
“What has you smiling?” Mika scowled at him. “You instigated a minor international incident between you and one of the Fire King’s favorites in Alina Machabeli’s territory, and humans witnessed people flying and setting trees on fire. I’m surprised you’re not already trending on social media.”
Oleg chuckled a little bit.
“You think this is funny?” Mika held up a phone. “I’ve alreadyhad her security chief making snide remarks in my ear this evening, and I haven’t even heard from Daria or Morella or Angel or one of the other Amazons Arosh has working for him.”
“Does he employ any males at all?” Oleg mused.
“Only a few,” Mika muttered. “I’ve heard that he trusts women in security positions more than men.”
Oleg pursed his lips. “An argument could be made for it.”
Mika flipped him off. “I’m not retiring, so don’t get any ideas.” The water vampire sat back in his seat. “Or maybe I should, considering I’m sick of all of this. We should be dealing with Ivan’s links to rogue Poshani soldiers and random vampires showing up in Polina’s territory. Instead, I’m chasing after a woman who has made it clear she doesn’t want you.”
He raised a finger. “She very much wants me.”
Mika rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course she does. That’s why she flew back to Arosh.”
Oleg smirked. “A little bit of pursuit is good for the soul, Mika. Things that come to you easily are not as treasured as those you must fight for.”
“So philosophical for someone chasing after sex.”
Oleg reached over and slammed his palm against Mika’s chest, driving the wind from the vampire’s body before he gripped his lieutenant’s throat.
Oleg bared his fangs, and Mika froze. “Enough.” The growl came from his chest. “You think I’m chasing a woman like a horny schoolboy? You think I only want her sex?”
Mika narrowed his eyes and pushed Oleg’s arm away. “Clearly I underestimated the hold Tatyana Vorona has on you. Should I be concerned?”
“She will be in our organization,” Oleg said. “Elene saw her potential, and so do I. And that was before she became a vampire mentored by an ancient.”
Mika wasn’t convinced. “She doesn’t want anything to do with us because we’re the ones who got her killed.”
“Don’t talk to me about life, because no matter what gifts you give my mother or what promises you make to me, you and I both know that you are the reason that I no longer have mine.”
It was very irritating when Mika had a point.
“You are not entirely wrong.” Oleg stretched his neck to one side, then the other. He didn’t like disciplining Mika, but sometimes his chief boyar became a little too confident in his position. “I will convince her. It may take some time, but she is mine.”
Mika said nothing for an hour, but Oleg could hear all but hear the silent Estonian curses battering his mind as he read a report that his human assistant had already sent from Polina.
“Mika.”
