Page 75 of Blood Mosaic

“Oksana and Ludmila both work with Mika. If you see two very tall women who look like soldiers hanging around Mika, that’s probably them.”

“Okay.” Tatyana avoided Mika. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but the man felt dangerous.

“Some mates are affectionate and highly possessive. Many are political or business based. Some are friendly. Others are antagonistic even though the blood bond is there.”

Tatyana’s mind was whirling. “I guess relationships get complicated when people live for hundreds of years.”

Elene rolled her eyes. “Can you imagine? I adore my husband, but we’ve been together for over thirty years. I couldn’t put up withanyonefor two hundred.”

A door slammed somewhere in the office, and someone shouted, “Elene!”

Stalking footsteps and Marta’s squeaked directions had Tatyana’s door flying open and Oleg storming in. He glanced at her, looked her up and down in a cold, raking stare, then turned to Elene.

“I need to take care of some business in Saint Petersburg,” he said, “and then I’ll be going to the citadel.”

“Understood.” She nodded. “Anything I need to know about?”

He glanced at Tatyana, then back at Elene. “I’ll call you with details when I know more.”

“Okay.” Elene shrugged. “Is Mika going with you?”

“Of course.” Oleg turned to Tatyana. “I will be calling you too.”

“Why?” She looked at Elene. “You don’t need to.”

“I will if I want to.” Oleg scowled. “If you don’t want to talk to me, don’t answer your phone.”

“Okay.” Tatyana didn’t know how to respond to that, and by the time she wrapped her brain around what Oleg was saying, he was gone, leaving the faint scent of smoky cedar in his wake.

“He seems fond of you.” Elene had that amused expression again. “This might be interesting.”

Chapter Seventeen

One month later

Tatyana sat at the bar on top of the Admiral on a Friday night, sipping a glass of red wine and looking at the pictures her mother had sent her of Rex Harrison and her newest bird, a clever female Anna had named Brigitte Bardot.

She’s beautiful.

And so smart. I’ve already taken her to the park north of the city, and she found her way back to the home roost. After only two weeks of settling.

She smiled at her mother’s obvious excitement. She’d been worried that Anna would start texting her obsessively after a week, but her assistant must have been providing enough distraction, because her mother was happy and focused on her birds again.

You went to the farm last weekend?

Just for the weekend, but now that I’m training Brigitte, I’ll be home for a while.

That’s great. You’re going to breed her and Rex?

I hope so. He lost Ava last year, and he’s been lonely. He needs a new lady and seems interested in Brigitte.

Then I hope Cupid takes aim. Rex is a sweetheart.

I miss you, Tanya. When will you finish?

Soon I think.

Tatyana set down her phone and closed her eyes when she took a sip of the rich red wine the bartender at the club had recommended.

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