He smirked. “Perhaps you’re right. But I know this: In all the world, there is only one empire larger than mine, and that is the territory of the Eight Immortals of Penglai Island. Eight vampires, Tatyana. Eight.”
And the vampires of Eastern Asia were more of the civilized variety, like those of Europe, South America, and the resource-rich lands of Africa.
Oleg’s territory, the cold grey stretch of it that swung between endless night and endless day, was no soft or generous place.
And it was no place for a soft and generous leader.
“I know you think I do not understand, but I do.” She carefully folded her hands, resting them in front of her body.
A barrier. Not as firm as her crossed arms, but she was still keeping her distance.
Gone was the warm, sociable woman at the party. Gone was the seductive goddess of the night before. She might love him. She might even understand.
But she didn’t approve.
“Ivan will have his guard up even more,” she murmured. “He’ll be looking for an attack in Saint Petersburg.”
She wasn’t talking to him, she was thinking aloud.
“Let me worry about Ivan,” Oleg said.
She blinked and looked at him, as if suddenly realizing he was still there. “Of course.”
A second later, she was walking toward the door, the mild, neutral expression back on her face.
“Where are you going?” He wanted to banish the bitterness in his throat. He wanted her kiss and her softness even though he didn’t deserve it.
“The nights are long here, but my body is expecting daylight, and as you have stated, I cannot sleep here.” Tatyana glanced over her shoulder as she left the room. “I will see you at dusk. We have a concert to celebrate Rudov’s and Kezia’s arrival tomorrow. If you still wish to attend.”
“I do.” Oleg narrowed his eyes.
What was she plotting? She had plans other than a concert turning around in her mind.
He’ll be looking for an attack in Saint Petersburg.
She left him, and the moment she did, Oleg secured the dead bolt in his day chamber, cutting himself off from the rest of the world.
Cutting himself off from his mate.
What are you planning, Tatyana?
What are you scheming, little wolf?
The days wereshort in the middle of winter, so when Oleg woke from his day rest a mere six hours later, he was still brooding and irritated about Tatyana. About the night before. About the problem of Ivan and the softening of his public image.
And Mika expected him to be social? No.
Oleg dashed off a note to be delivered to his wife’s day chamber along with a specific bouquet of flowers for her to see when she woke, then called for his plane to take him to the small airfield near Anna Asanova’s house.
Three hours after leaving Saint Petersburg, he was knocking on his mother-in-law’s door. He could see the dark shadows of Poshani Hazar in the trees, but none of them approached him.
Anna opened the door and immediately narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
His mood instantly lightened as soon as he saw her irritation. “It’s good to see you too, matushka.”
“Oh please,” she muttered. “Aren’t you supposed to be attending some fancy party?”
He stood at the bottom of her stairs, looking at the covered dovecote attached to the side of the house. “Do the birds freeze in the winter?”
