"When the moon is full," Vasile said curtly, even though it meant staying longer than he had originally intended.
Nadia's father bowed his head. "When the moon is full."
Standing at the window of his house, Vasile gazed out into the darkness. He had not been back here in years. Guilt gnawed at him when he considered the decline of his people. Their spirits were low, their numbers decreasing, their hunting grounds growing ever smaller as civilization spread outward. Other packs were growing larger, stronger. Perhaps it was time to relocate the pack…
He turned as someone knocked at the door.
"Come," he called.
The woman who entered his dwelling was tall and fair skinned, with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. She inclined her head in his direction, a sign of respect from a member of the pack to its leader.
"What do you want, Zina?" he asked brusquely.
"Have you come home to stay?" she asked, her voice equally brusque.
"No."
"Your place is here, with us. The pack needs you."
"They follow you well enough."
She shook her head. "I am not their leader. Our young men are restless, they need your guidance." She lifted her chin, the gesture as defiant as her stance, her gaze intent as she met his. "It is time for you to take a mate."
Muttering an oath, he stalked toward her, his lips peeled back in an angry snarl. "You dare much, Zina," he warned. It was not the first time she had challenged his authority. She was a strong-willed woman. She had never mated and seemed content to remain single. Long ago, when the pack's number began to decrease, he had ordered her to mate. To Vasile's amazement, she had refused. Had she done so in front of the pack, he would have had no choice but to kill her for her insubordination. Instead, he had put her in charge of the pack when he was away.
She stood her ground without flinching. "You need a mate," she repeated. "It will bind the pack together. It will show them that you have not deserted us." She took a deep breath. "I offer myself."
Vasile stared at her, stunned by her audacity. Had she been waiting for him to return to the pack? Was that why she had never taken another as her mate? She was a strong female, the only one the pack would follow. Between them, they would produce strong, healthy offspring. Had he not been consumed with his desire to avenge Marishka's death, he might have considered taking Zina for his mate long ago even though he bore no love for her, no tender feelings. But he had always admired her courage.
Vasile frowned as he considered her proposition. Werewolves, like feral wolves, mated for life. "You wish to be my mate?"
"I will have no other."
He grunted softly. "Our pack will soon have a new female. She was blooded by me and as such, she is my responsibility. I intend to have her as my mate as well."
"She is an outsider."
Vasile shrugged. "Perhaps, but she will be mine."
"I will accept her among us," Zina said, a touch of arrogance in her tone, "but I will not be subservient to her."
Approaching the woman, Vasile rubbed his body against hers. He took a deep breath, drawing in her scent. She was still in her prime, strong and healthy. He could do worse. He grasped a handful of her hair and drew her head toward his. For a moment, he stared into her eyes and then he kissed her. There was nothing of warmth or tenderness in his touch. It was a token of possession, nothing more.
"Prepare yourself," he said, his voice rough. "We will join the first of the week."
"So soon?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No."
"Tell the others," he said. If they were going to do it, they might as well do it as soon as possible.
With a nod, she turned and left the house.
Vasile stared after her. Taking Zina for a mate would mean staying here, at least for as long as it took to ensure that she conceived. If they mated in human form, the child would be human; if they mated in wolf form, the child would be born a werewolf, compelled to shift when it reached puberty.
For a time, he contemplated the prospect of fatherhood but, all too soon, his thoughts returned to Santiago's woman. She would soon learn to accept her new state of being. If she had survived the first change, she would grow stronger with each successive change, making her more suited to be his mate. As the days and weeks passed, Santiago would gradually relax his guard, making it easier for Vasile to take him unawares when next they met.
He grunted softly. Coming home had been the right thing to do. Feeling suddenly restless, he went to look out the window again as a familiar tingling, like the prick of a thousand needles, slithered down his spine.
The new moon was rising. It was time to hunt.
Chapter 20
When Regan woke in the morning, she was alone in the bed. Picking up the pillow Santiago had slept on, she took a deep breath, her nostrils filling with his scent. She knew he had held her all through the night because nightmares had awakened her three times. Each time, it had been Santiago's voice that had calmed her fears and his touch that had soothed her.
Sitting up, she glanced around the room. Where did he sleep? Was he close by?
Driven by her curiosity, she wandered through the house, hoping she would have some sense of his presence, but maybe that was impossible. When he slept, it was the sleep of the dead.
Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since the day before. She blew out a sigh. She wouldn't find anything to eat or drink here, she thought glumly.
Returning to the bedroom, she dressed quickly and gathered her things together. It was time to go home, time to check her messages, do her laundry, clean out her refrigerator, go grocery shopping, and get in touch with Michael.
Still, she hesitated. The only way to get home was to take Santiago's car. She didn't think he would mind. She didn't like taking his car without his permission, but walking through this neighborhood alone, even in the daytime, was out of the question. Besides, it was a long walk to her apartment, and Santiago wouldn't need the Speedster before nightfall. She would have it back by then.
She wrote him a quick note, grabbed her handbag and her suitcase, and left his lair. It was creepy, moving through the deserted warehouse by herself. Hurrying as fast as she dared, she picked her way through the gloom and the debris, breathing a sigh of relief when she stepped out into the sunshine. His car was parked at the curb.
She punched in the code for the lock, opened the door, and slid behind the wheel, thinking how amazing it was that he could leave his car parked in this part of town and expect it to be there, untouched, the following night.