Page 14 of An Unending Claim

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Can’t an old friend call to check in?”

I almost snorted. Dimitri didn’t do anything without a purpose. We’d grown up together as boys and stayed close friends despite life taking us in very different directions.

Oh, and the fact that he became a vampire and I’m a shifter.

Even when we were young, he hadn’t been the spontaneous type. Though he hadn’t been as cold and calculating as he was now–but he hadn’t lost everything yet. If I were in his shoes, I’d be just as angry and bitter. He’d lost his sire and been unseated from his throne as prince and heir to the Royal Vampire Dynasty by an evil, power-hungry vampire who’d stirred up a rebellion and taken control of his kingdom. Then the fucker had siezed control over the Romanov slayer dynasty—ending their truce with the royal vampires and making the slayers no better than slaves. Dimitri had run for his life, taking refuge in Greece, but he’d been plotting his return ever since. For him to suggest he’d called for a casual conversation was laughable.

“The day you do anything so mundane as a pointless call to a friend is the day I shift into a bird.”

“You should see Sapphire about that.”

“I’m not in the mood to be run in circles by your pet witch,” I muttered. It gave me a headache just thinking about it. “My mate does a fine job of it on her own.”

“Pardon?”

“My mate. I found my true mate.”

“Well, well. Should I say congratulations or give my condolences?”

His response didn’t surprise me in the least. Dimitri was as pragmatic as they came. Mates were not something he dealt with in his world, and while he preferred it that way, he knew others were fond of the institution. “I’ll let you know.”

“Hmmm. Trouble in paradise?”

“More like a tornado named Peyton.” I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension that had built up throughout the morning. “She is magnificent, a force to be reckoned with, and has the ability to rain destruction wherever she goes.”

Feeling restless, I pushed away from my desk and stood. As I walked up to the window, I saw a few wolves splashing around in the stream on the opposite embankment. One of them caught my eye and barked a sound that could be interpreted as hello. I lifted my chin in greeting and the wolf bobbed her head before turning back to her companions.

“Peyton’s not sure she wants to stay.” I summarized the events since the first night I’d spent with her. “She’s still holding onto secrets. And it doesn’t take our emotional connection to know there is a deep wound there. But she avoids every attempt I make to talk about it, or the future. And now that we’ve progressed to the second stage, there is more to consider than just our cub.”

Dimitri sputtered, sounding as if he’d choked on something. “Excuse me, but did you just tell me she’s pregnant?” He sounded horrified.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes. Is that the only thing you heard?”

“Don’t be absurd, Nate. I heard everything you said, I simply don’t understand your lack of action when the she-wolf is carrying your pup.”

“Panther,” I corrected. “A black, spotted jaguar.”

“Immaterial. My point is, she’s pregnant with your child and she’s your mate. You bit her. You own her. Make her talk to you, or better yet, just tell her to stay and bow to her Alpha.”

I grunted as I returned to my seat. “It doesn’t work like that, Dimitri.” Not that I hadn’t tried that tactic. “She’s not my progeny and we don’t have compulsion. I have no way into her head until we are fully bonded.”

“She didn’t join the pack when you mated?”

“She did. But as she’s my mate, I’m not given access to her mind in the same way as the rest of the pack.”

“But she’s still part of the pack web, is she not?”

“She is.” I had a pretty good idea of where he was headed, but let him make his point.

“I repeat, then.Make her.”

“The fastest way for me to send Peyton running would be to use the hive mind on her. Besides, I wouldn’t want her to be subservient and without a mind of her own. Her fire is one of the things I find the most attractive about her.”

Dimitri huffed. “To each their own, I suppose. But I prefer my women biddable. I have no time or desire to chase pussy when there are so many others to fuck and feed on who come willingly.”

I sighed heavily. “I won’t deny that I would strongly prefer that she stay where I put her, and be a little less stubborn. And maybe even do as she’s told and stop keeping things from me.” My fingers tapped on the desktop as I grew more irritated. “She constantly tries my patience and I seem to have a short fuse with her.” Leaning back in my chair, I stopped tapping and ran my fingers through my hair. “But she also makes me laugh, which is quite a feat, I’m told.”

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