Chapter Sixteen

A MONTH AFTER TAKING down the alphas who’d tried to wrestle the tribe out of our hands, we were still doing clean-up. The destruction they’d caused for the packs they’d targeted wasn’t something to fix overnight. Some of the kids were showing severe signs of PTSD and they weren’t alone in it. They needed help and we lacked the resources. We couldn’t use normal humans to treat them, so more foreign werewolves had to help us.

In a very twisted way, I was getting exactly what I’d wanted. For us to open our territory and stop killing any foreign wolf that stepped across our borders. The Killers had greeted them with a sigh of relief at first, but the mistrust and aggression they were used to had returned. Not overtly, but they were muttering in the corners.

I knew I had to get things settled and make sure everyone got out in one piece. They were helping us, it was insulting and unfair they were treated like dirt on my tribesmen’s boots. Of course, those who had directly benefited from their help weren’t acting like proud fools. That gave me hope. In time, I’d change their antiquated way of thinking and having first-hand experience with how helpful the other tribes could be would come in handy.

The one wolf who wasn’t crossing the border often enough was Cristian. I’d seen him once since taking down the mobsters. I missed him so much, it was hard to go through the day without pestering him with too many phone calls.

“Hurry up,” Dimitri said, clapping my shoulders as he passed by me.

“I’m coming.”

He chuckled and winked at me, looking over his shoulder and narrowly missing the door he entered through. “Chinggis isn’t a patient wolf, my friend. And your grouchy face won’t be enough to assuage him.”

I shrugged but walked faster. I was tired of all the meetings. Nothing revolutionary ever happened. The alphas had been replaced by their packs. They weren’t happy campers, but they were complying with my father’s ban on any mafia-related activities. Any illegal activities for that matter.

It wouldn’t last long, we all knew it. But the criminal underworld influence had shrunk and more of the Russians were willing to side with the faction that supported our lead. I’d take that victory and make a point of expanding my intelligence service. Every other tribe was better than us at gathering information and they shared intel more often than not.

I entered my father’s office, now back to its old self, and sat on the only empty chair. I was lodged between Batbayar and Dimitri.

“Let’s get started,” Chinggis said.

I stared at my father, then looked around the office once more.

“No one else is coming,” Batbayar snapped at me. “Stop fussing and pay attention.”

That hadn’t lasted either, he’d returned to scolding and mocking me every chance he got. I sat straighter in my chair, eyes trained on my father. I hoped he’d clear things up and soon.

“I will keep this brief. It’s just the four of us, so I expect less interruption.” He glared pointedly first at me, then to Batbayar. Dimitri didn’t get the stare down, but he was the teacher’s pet in this case. He never interrupted any conversation and never bickered. That was what I was forced to do at most our meetings.

“It’s now obvious, more than ever, that our policy on other tribes has caused more trouble than it’s worth. We have huge handicaps in what information we have and we lack the manpower to deal with dire situations.”

I looked at Batbayar, expecting some sort of protest, but all he did was nod slowly.

“Ganzorig has pleaded for a change in how we do things, but we’ve ignored him. I for one never thought he was wrong, I considered it would be too difficult to implement such a policy. Especially if I wanted to prevent a revolt.”

I tilted my head and stared at him, mouth hanging open. I never thought he agreed with me, despite realizing all his excuses were bullshit.

“So are you going to back my plans?”

“What did I tell you about interruptions, boy?” His stern voice vibrated in the room and I winced. “I am. But it won’t be an easy process. We’ll have to do it slowly. I will open Mongolia to all other tribes. They can come and go as they please. The rest of our tribe… that will take a bit more work.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, grinning so wide my face hurt.

Father nodded, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He stifled it and looked at Batbayar.

“Why is it just the four of us here?”

“Because I need your support to convince the rest. You were most closely involved in this mess, you know how difficult it was to contain the situation. And you’ve seen how much the others helped.”

Batbayar sighed and relaxed into his chair. “I won’t say no to this change. I will put all my efforts into convincing the others.”

I turned to him, my eyebrows raised. “Really?”

“Really. I am not blind, nor stupid. I had to compile the report on the victims of this disaster the Russians have brought on their own people. It could have been much worse if we hadn’t had help.”

I smiled and clapped his shoulder. “Thanks, old man.”

He slapped my hand off and sneered. “No manners.”

“That’s all. Now get out and tease each other somewhere else.” Father opened up a file on his desk and started reading, like we weren’t there anymore.

We all left the office, Batbayar going into his own, Dimitri and I exiting the building.

“Man, I can’t believe he didn’t fight my father on it.”

“Batbayar?” Dimitri chuckled and shook his head. “His daughter spent a lot of time with one of the Romanians, I hear.”

I laughed as the pieces of the puzzle fell together. “So it’s not logic, or him being wise. It’s him still being unable to refuse anything to his daughter?”

Dimitri grinned and winked. “Exactly.”

***

Cristian held the door open for me and allowed me to enter his apartment. He dropped my bag on the floor and took a couple of steps forward. Standing in the long hallway he started pointing to the doors on the right and left of it. “Kitchen, bathroom, living room, guest room, bedroom.”

I laughed and shook my head. “That has to be the fastest tour in the world.”

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes drinking me in. “Do you need a longer one?”

“No. Just take me to the bedroom already.”

It had been so long since I’d seen him. I’d also lucked out of finding any decent last-minute flights to Bucharest. Everything was full and I’d wanted to be here yesterday. The moment my father had agreed I could leave, I’d wanted to run all the way here.

I’d complained to Shiki about the booked flights and the long wait ahead of me, and he’d rolled his eyes, told me I was an idiot, and hung up on me. I’d gotten a text later to be at the airport at the break of dawn. He had to travel to London and he’d give me a ride to Bucharest along the way.

Now that Cristian was right in front of me, his strong hands taking mine and dragging me to his bedroom, I was grateful to my friend for the favor. I’d asked for quite a few of him in the past half a year or so, and he never failed to help me.

Cristian didn’t stop until we reached his bedroom. Once inside, he picked me up and threw me on the bed, then crawled on top of me.

“Time for a proper hello,” he said and covered my mouth with his. The kiss was deep and wet, nothing tentative about it and I loved every second of it.

Before I could figure out what was happening, I was naked on the bed, my clothes thrown about the room.

“I’ve missed you too,” I managed to say before he shut me up again with a bone-melting kiss.

Cristian took his shirt off and unzipped his jeans. He pushed them down his hips along with his underwear, but didn’t bother undress. His impatience made me tremble with need. I loved it when he was this demanding, this hungry. It reflected my own desperation to get him naked and writhe together like this.

He reached for the bedside table and picked up some lube. He opened it with one hand and poured it straight on his shaft, wincing when the cool gel hit his skin.

I grabbed his cock and spread the liquid, grinning like a fool. His intense gaze, the warm smile, the way his hands roamed over my skin, it all felt so perfect, I forgot everything else. I stared at him, eyes wide in awe, lips trembling.

“Cristian, I… I wanted to say that… I…” What the hell? I was panicking, heart going wild, breathing ragged. It wasn’t that hard. Open my damn mouth, say the words, it should have been simple enough.

Cristian pecked my lips, his eyes crinkled with humor. “Yeah, I love you too. Now stop panicking before you start hyperventilating.”

“Smug bastard,” I muttered, pulling him close and kissing him. “I love you.”

He breached me, sighing as he bottomed out. It stung a bit, as there had been no real prep. He stayed like that until I adjusted to the intrusion. I threaded my hands through his hair, waiting for him to move.

When he did, I moaned and it sounded louder than ever. Cristian grabbed my hands, pushing them up and holding them in place. He licked my lips, then kissed along my jaw, all the way to my neck. He ran his lips along the side of my throat, grazing it with his teeth.

I hissed when his descending teeth cut me slightly, the scent of blood hitting me hard.

“Sorry,” Cristian said, pulling away from me. “I don’t know why—”

All I did was expose my throat and it had stopped him in his tracks. “What are you… Are you sure?”

I’d never heard such vulnerability in his voice and a shiver raced down my spine, making me roll my hips, working him deeper into me. I moaned and stretched my neck more. “I’m sure,” I said, focusing on sounding as clear as I could in my current state.

“You first.”

Cristian didn’t release my arms. He kept them pinned as he lowered himself, his neck millimeters away from my lips. I raised my head and licked across his jugular, sensing the flow of blood under his skin. I kissed the skin, caressed it with my lips, then bit. Slow, deep, moaning at the taste of his blood on my tongue. I sucked and swallowed, my sight blurring and my heart pounding so fast, I thought it might break through my ribs.

One more pull and a growl formed in my chest, deep and primal. My half-shifted fangs throbbed in an unusual but pleasant way. I squeezed my eyes shut and let the sensation of his blood becoming part of me take over. I shook my head, tearing the skin where I bit, then unclenched my teeth, licking at the wound. “I love you,” I whispered, placing small kisses on the still closing wound. Cristian would heal, but the mating scar would stay, reminding me and the others he belonged with someone.

Cristian gripped my wrists tighter and he growled, the sound vibrating between us. I exhaled and exposed my neck, my hips rolling. He started thrusting, his lips hovering a breath away from my skin. I shivered, not knowing where to focus my attention. My cock, trapped between us, was twitching at every rub of his skin over it. My prostate sent sparks of pleasure through my body, and his lips and fangs grazed my skin, making me hyperaware that he was going to mark me as his.

When the bite came, I arched my back, moaning and thrusting up. He thrust harder, pinning me to the bed with every plunge of his cock deep within my body. He sucked and growled and the sharp pain when he tore my skin at the end of the bite made me shudder so hard, I almost threw him off me. One more thrust and graze on my sweet spot and I came on a roar.

Cristian’s blood-stained lips covered mine, his tongue exploring my mouth as he shuddered on top of me, hot liquid filling me. When he broke the kiss, we were both breathless and trembling. Cristian released my wrists and slid off me, rolling to his side. He pulled me with him, cradling me in his arms, and I felt home. As my eyes fluttered shot, the last thing I saw was the mark of my bite on Cristian’s neck.