Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

M ika stared at the sleeping newborn vampire, his eyes darting between the young woman and Oleg. “Why did Zara bring her here ?”

Here was a country estate twenty kilometers outside Sochi, an isolated compound that overlooked the sea and backed up to one of Oleg’s favorite forests. Oleg hadn’t lived here in decades, but the grounds had been maintained by the old man whose body was currently being buried at the edge of the garden.

One of his oldest brothers lived in the forest behind the house and oversaw the territory for him.

Oleg had washed the crusted blood from Tatyana’s body, wrapped her in silk sheets that would be the easiest on her skin, and laid her in a day chamber that only he had the key to open.

And he had no idea what was going on.

Tatyana was a vampire, and her blood smelled of Zara. Zara had sired her and then left her on Oleg’s door. And he had no clue as to why.

“Why here?” Mika repeated. “If we hadn’t found her?—”

“I don’t know.”

Relieved. The moment he’d heard rumors that a ravenous newborn vampire had been dumped in front of his house in the hills outside Sochi, he had hoped that somehow his little wolf had come back to him.

It had been two weeks of searching, but Mika had come up with nothing. Oksana had come up with nothing. There were no rumors that reached Radu’s ears, and Oleg’s entire organization was in mourning for Elene, crippled by the loss of one of his finest people.

After killing Elene, Zara had disappeared across the sea, and Oleg had started to lose hope. His rage had torn through the streets of Odesa, crossed the sea to Sevastopol, and even brought him close to violating treaties with some of his closest allies, whom he suspected might harbor those who had taken his bookkeeper.

But according to his information wizards, none of the money had moved. Zara hadn’t tried to access anything. She had no funds left after hiring the Albanians. Her resources had been drained, and she’d burned all the favors she had left. Most of the immortal world already thought she was dead.

Oleg had feared the worst. Zara had lost control and killed both of them in a rage and was hiding in the darkest pit she could find, knowing that Oleg’s wrath would eventually find her.

And then.

“Leave.” Oleg flicked his fingers toward the door. “Leave us.”

“She’s Zara’s blood.”

“I can smell it.”

His daughter had lost control. That much was obvious. But why had she turned Tatyana? What did she hope to gain?

As a vampire, Tatyana’s stubborn mind was now permanently resistant to Zara’s amnis. She wouldn’t be able to manipulate her like she would have as a human. She couldn’t make Tatyana forget. She couldn’t force her to give up information.

Mika huffed out a breath. “Killing Zara?—”

“Has become much more complicated.”

Oleg had wanted Zara’s blood even if it pained him. He’d told the vampire world that Zara was already dead, and promised revenge for Elene. But while killing his daughter might hurt Oleg, it could very well kill Tatyana. The pain would be so excruciating that a young vampire like her might not survive the loss of that bond.

“This has massive fuckup written all over it,” Mika muttered.

“Know what else has massive fuckup written all over it?” Oleg snapped. “Elene’s death.”

Mika went silent, and a cold mask fell over his face.

Oleg glared at him. “Leave.”

Mika marched out of the room without another word.

When his little wolf was awake and Oleg knew her mind was her own, he might forgive Mika. He knew Elene had resisted protection. He’d heard her stubbornness with his own ears. Mika was only partially responsible when Elene had refused to cooperate.

But ten days ago they had put Elene’s body in the ground. The priests had spoken the ancient rites as her children wept. Her husband watched Oleg with a frigid glare.

Oleg had no defense; he had failed one of his dearest friends.

He would not fail Tatyana.

Oleg walked over to the bed and saw her body lax with the sleep of the newborn. He trailed a finger along her cheek, brushing a strand of her golden hair away from her eyes. Had her eyes changed? He hadn’t seen them clearly before she fell into day rest. Sometimes eye color changed with immortality, but he hoped Tatyana’s had remained the same glorious blue.

“You have true fangs now, volchitsa.” He knelt next to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, closing his eyes as he made a silent promise to the young woman who hadn’t wanted this fate.

He would make sure she survived. He would make sure her teeth were sharp, her body prepared, and her instincts honed. He would be her master, and she might grow to hate him.

But he would make sure Tatyana survived.