From Russia With Claws (22 page)

No, that couldn’t be right. She eyed her brother carefully, wondering if she was just jumping to a conclusion or if Alexei was really that twisted. It didn’t matter that Rina was adopted and not actually related by blood to them; she’d been raised as their sister and Galina couldn’t think of her as anything else.

But could Alexei?

Before she could think on this further, the heavy scent of wolf hit her. The crowd’s low rumble of conversation stilled and Galina turned around. Andrey had come into the circle, already in wolf-form, and stood in the center, awaiting Alexei. Galina’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was majestic: an enormous black wolf with silvery blue eyes. His fur was thick and glossy, the muscles beneath sleek and powerful. The elegant head swung in her direction. Galina saw the Andrey-wolf inhale, picking out her scent from all of the others. His tongue lolled out in a wolf’s grin, causing her to glare at him. So much for majestic. Idiot.

Alexei stripped down, ready to change. He had no problem dropping into wolf form in front of people. Galina liked a bit of privacy for her own transformations, preferring to do it out of the sight of others. Irina took her hand and squeezed as their brother dropped to all fours, now a massive gray wolf with startlingly yellow eyes. Galina squeezed back.

“What’s going to happen?” Irina asked softly.

Irina had never been to a challenge before. There was never a need, and since she wasn’t a werewolf, Papa had kept her away from the furrier side of things. Galina explained in a voice just as soft, “Alexei and Andrey will fight to disable, not to kill. Andrey’s the offended party here since Alexei broke the agreement Papa made with him. If he wins, the engagement stands. If Alexei wins, Andrey loses power and face and you don’t have to marry him anymore.”

“Do you think Alexei will win?”

Galina couldn’t tell if that was hope or dread in Rina’s voice. Her eyes hadn’t left the two wolves circling each other. As she watched, the black wolf snarled and attacked, bowling the grey wolf over with his greater mass. The two wolves locked together, a blur of black and grey. “We just have to watch and see.”

Galina had never seen Andrey fight in wolf form before. She’d seen his strength against Sergei, felt it when they were together. She should have expected that he’d be adept at fighting as a wolf. Where Alexei used brute force and cruelty, Andrey countered with controlled strength and ferocity. He wasn’t divorced from his human mind while in wolf form, at least to Galina’s assessment. She could almost see him calculating where his next bite should go, the placement of paws and jaws, the counter to Alexei’s next move.

The two wolves broke apart to circle once again. Galina could hear bets beginning to be made on the outcome of the challenge. The odds were favoring Andrey at present. She thought about putting her own money down but that would be disloyal. She wasn’t actually going to bet against her brother, as much as she might want to.

Irina gripped her hand so tight Galina thought she might lose it from lack of blood flow. Alexei had gone on the offensive, jaws snapping at Andrey’s throat, backing him up. Galina grimaced. It looked like Rina was on Team Andrey then. She put her free hand on her sister’s arm, reassuring her. Galina trusted that Andrey had a plan.

The black wolf surged upward, jaws snapping closed around the grey wolf’s throat. A high whine carried across the open lawn, to be cut off as Andrey ratcheted down on Alexei’s throat. The grey wolf struggled, but couldn’t risk breaking away without tearing out his own throat. His feet scrabbled wildly, ripping up huge chunks of earth as they bicycled uselessly. Andrey’s hold did not falter.

The grey wolf’s struggles began to subside, growing looser and less coordinated. Still the black wolf held fast. Finally Nikolai stepped forward to end the challenge. “Lupesco. You won. Let him go.” The mutterings of those men gathered agreed.

Irina let loose the death grip on Galina’s hand with a sigh. “Looks like you’re still engaged,” Galina whispered to her with a smile.

“Not funny, Galya.”

Andrey changed back, surprising her. He stood in front of the assembled families, wearing his nakedness like an emperor’s cloak. Galina blinked, feeling a kind of possessive pride in him. He was beautiful and he was hers. His torso was scratched and bloodied from Alexei’s claws and teeth, but he exuded strength and confidence.

Irina clapped her hands over her eyes. “I should not be seeing this.” Galina grinned.

When Andrey spoke, his voice still held the growl of a wolf. “As the victor,” he began and Galina felt Irina flinch beside her. She put her arm around her sister, as Andrey continued. “I am altering the terms of the contract, as is my right.” His voice carried to everyone assembled, even Alexei who had changed back into human form and lay at Andrey’s feet, chest heaving.

“There’s nothing homoerotic about this
at all
,” Galina whispered to her sister, trying to tease a smile from her. Irina managed a weak snicker. Nik shot them both a warning glance.

Andrey’s next words stole the smile from her face. “I hereby dissolve my engagement to Irina Sudenko and choose instead Ilya Sudenko’s other daughter, Galina, as my future wife.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” she gasped, as Andrey’s gaze locked on hers.

“No. If he were kidding, he would yell, ‘Haha!’” Irina said, shaking her head. “There is a distinct lack of ‘Haha!’ in this situation.”

Raise Your Hand if...Ewwww

G
ALINA
T
OOK
O
FF
. She didn’t know where she was going; all she knew was that standing with the rest of the family representatives was no longer an option, not with all of them staring at her like they were checking out the breeding stock. She had a feeling this was close to how Irina felt. And she absolutely hated every fucking minute of it.

When Andrey had looked down at Alexei, still panting on the ground, her brother had nodded. She could have killed him then, but she couldn’t bear the staring another moment. Galina turned on her heel and walked away before Andrey had finished pulling on his pants. Her heels sank into the damp ground, making it harder for her to storm away properly. She yanked her shoes off and ran to the farthest point on the property.

There was a small guesthouse at the back of the property. Papa had kept it for important guests who required privacy—mostly his girlfriends, back when her mother was alive. It had been unused for most of the past decade as far as she knew. Papa had chosen to have his dalliances in the main house or elsewhere once she was gone. Galina kicked her way through the flimsy door lock, shoving the door open with her shoulder, and slammed it behind her to give vent to her anger in the only way available to her.

Flipping the switch, she looked around and stopped, stunned. Papering the walls of the small living room were photos of Irina. Alexei’s scent was all over the place. Galina took a step inside and saw that the furniture was lying in pieces around the room. She wiped her feet on the carpet, then tucked them back into her shoes before walking inside to take a closer look at the pictures.

Some were of Irina in high school, photographs taken from family albums that now hung on the wall. They seemed to be sequenced from youngest to oldest. There was Irina’s graduation from high school, then long distance photos of her on her college campus—had Alexei had her followed? Then photos of her wedding to Sergei, followed by more long-lens shots of her at her job at the jewelry shop. The most recent was her arriving at Sergei’s funeral in that hated red dress.

“This isn’t creepy
at all
,” Galina murmured to herself, astounded at the level of obsession on display against the walls.

She wanted to pull every photograph down and set the house on fire, but she knew that wouldn’t solve the problem. What she’d found here certainly explained Alexei’s swiftness in breaking up Irina’s engagement. How long had he been following Rina, or paying someone to follow her?

Fear ran cold fingers down her spine. Did he still have someone following Irina? If so, had he managed to capture any images of Irina with Viktor? She began to look through the stacks of photos lying around the room, scattering them on the floor as she searched for anything that might answer the questions she had. If Alexei had seen anything that led him to suspect Irina and Viktor had a relationship, would he have eliminated Viktor, no matter who else might have gotten in the way?

Even their father?

Galina had to admit that if that were the case, then Alexei was more efficient than she thought. He’d wanted Papa out of the way, he hated Andrey and the idea of Irina marrying him, and he would have wanted Viktor dead for touching Irina. As she flipped through stacks and stacks of photographs, she found nothing to link Viktor and Irina together outside of his being her bodyguard.

When she was finished searching, she stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by still images of her sister. Nothing here indicated that Alexei knew anything about Irina and Viktor. Galina felt a small sense of relief, followed by an even greater sense of unease. What the hell was wrong with her brother? And how long had he been hiding this?

She spun when she heard the door open and close again, eyes darting for a way out. She did not want to be trapped in here with Alexei. There was a window to her left, and she edged her way over to it.

Andrey filled the doorway of the room and Galina was alternately relieved and irritated. Remembering the looks of the men in the circle, she settled on irritated. The top two or three buttons of his shirt were undone, his black hair was in disarray, and his pants were creased. “You left.”

She smiled her sweetest smile, so sweet she was fairly certain she’d have two cavities by the time she was done. “I’d heard quite enough, thank you. I didn’t think it was necessary for me to witness the fawning and congratulations.”

Andrey raised one black comma of an eyebrow. “Am I to understand that you are displeased with the outcome?”

“Whyever would you say that?” Yep, she could feel her teeth rotting as she kept the smile plastered on her face.

“Galina, you just used the word
whyever
in a sentence. Everything is
not
okay.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

She looked around and shuddered. Galina crossed into the small kitchenette and waited for Andrey to join her. This room was clean and tidy, unused. And there were no pictures of Irina anywhere in sight.

“Galina?” Andrey said her name in same way a principal might say it after she’d been called to his office. It inflamed her already raw nerves. The unspoken
I’m waiting
in his tone crawled right up her back, making her want to gnash her teeth.

“Did you expect I would be pleased with that display?” she asked archly, leaning one hip against the counter.

Anger flashed silver in his eyes. “I told you I would have to deal with Alexei at some point. You’re surprised that it was now?” His voice held irritation and disbelief. “I would expect you’d be happy with the outcome!”

She slapped a hand flat on the counter, the sound a sharp punctuation to her next words. “Oh yes, I love being treated like an object in front of men I’m trying to get to accept my leadership! And I absolutely adore having my sister humiliated in front of a houseful of those same men!”

Andrey’s temper snapped and he crowded her into the corner of the kitchenette. Galina looked up at him, seeing the sharp tension in the line of his jaw, hearing the growl at the back of his throat. They shouldn’t be arguing, not this soon after a change. But Galina had never been good at not doing things she shouldn’t.

“I released your sister from an engagement she didn’t want!” Andrey pressed his body against hers. “I won the right to wed you, so we don’t have to sneak around any longer! Irina’s free to do what she wants.”

Galina laughed mockingly. Did he really think that was a valid argument? “First of all, Irina’s not free. Viktor’s dead and Alexei now gets to determine who she’ll marry, which—given the state of the next room—is likely to be him!”

She tried to push past Andrey, but he didn’t move. He just stared down at her with angry silver eyes. “And second, did you really just say ‘you won the right to wed me’?” She shook her head. “You’ve won the right to exactly nothing, you jackass.
I
decide who I’m going to marry, not the results of some outdated, dick swinging cage match!” Andrey blinked. “You could have just asked me,” she snapped.

Andrey’s mouth dropped to hers in a bruising kiss, stopping what she wanted to say next. Galina tried to push him away, still angry with him, but he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his body so she could feel his erection pressing insistently against her belly. His mouth mauled hers, his tongue sliding inside. She bit at it warningly and Andrey growled.

He wanted to rut. And she was
not
in the mood. This was the problem with challenges.

Since trying to move him was out of the question, Galina slid her hands down the front of his pants, cupping his hardness through the material. Andrey whined low in his throat, a hungry, needy sound. She unbuttoned his pants, unzipping his fly so his cock popped free into her hand. His trousers pooled at his feet.

She used her other hand to cup the heaviness of his balls, as she began to slide her palm up his length. She twisted her thumb over the head of him, feeling the droplets of pre-come slide against his flesh. She kept her strokes steady and slow, trying to ground Andrey back in his body.

He tried to turn her, but Galina tightened her hold on his balls the slightest bit and he went still, a rumble of a growl erupting from him. He stopped kissing her, pulling his head back so he stared at her, a confused look on his face. She rewarded him by increasing the speed of her hand, her thumb spreading more of his juices over his length as he continued to leak. His eyes slid closed in pleasure.

Andrey’s hips began to move in time with her strokes, thrusting into her hand. His head dropped against hers, their foreheads touching. They were locked together, bodies close but not touching as her hand worked on him. Galina tightened her fist around him, squeezing at the base of him and he cried out, hips jerking against her hold. “Shhhh,” she whispered, smiling. She picked the rhythm back up once more, fondling his balls as she pumped him faster.

Throwing back his head, Andrey cried out, his hips working mindlessly. Galina felt him swelling, could tell he was close to release by the noises that spilled from the back of his throat. “Come for me, Andrey,” she whispered, watching his face as his release blasted through him.

He pitched forward as he came, eyes unseeing, hips still pumping. His release painted her hands in strips of warm wetness. Galina gripped him through his tremors, then let go, bringing her hand up to her mouth to savor the taste of him with delicate licks. He leaned against her, heavy and still, his breathing hitching like he’d just run a race. She could hear the staccato beating of his heart as it pounded in his chest.

He raised his head, looking dazed and relaxed, all signs of the tension from the challenge now gone. It was difficult not to kill your opponent, and Andrey had clearly held back. He’d needed some kind of release. “Thank you,” he breathed, his eyes back to their normal steely blue color. He dropped his forehead to hers, nuzzling at her temple. “Very much.”

She grabbed a hand towel from the counter, cleaning the rest of him off of her, then proceeded to wipe him clean with gentle hands. “My pleasure.”

His lips quirked into a brief smile. “I highly doubt that.” He looked around at where they were, as if it were a hovel.

Galina stopped her ministrations to wind her arms around his neck. “Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” She kissed him sweetly, gently. If he thought she needed romance and hotel rooms and wooing, well, he was way off base. All she needed was him.

She wasn’t about to tell him that very often, of course. A girl had to have some secrets.

He broke the kiss, tracing his index finger down the side of her neck. “What was that you said about Alexei marrying Irina?”

Galina grinned wickedly. “Pull up your pants and I’ll show you.”

He grimaced, reaching down to yank up his trousers and fasten them. When he was moderately put together again, she led him into the living room. Andrey surveyed the walls with an angry look on his face, eyes dark. “We should speak with Nikolai.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Galina arrived home in advance of the rest of the group, grateful for the break to get her thoughts in order. Alexei’s stalker pad had thrown her; it was why she had suggested they all meet at her place. If her brother was so far gone that he was paying someone to watch Irina at her own husband’s funeral, then she didn’t want to take the chance that he hadn’t bugged her house or have cameras wired in it. She knew her place was secure.

Andrey was coming with Konstantin, Nikolai with Irina. Galina pulled out some snacks and chilled a bottle of vodka. She’d already sent someone to fetch some clothes for Irina. As far as she was concerned, her sister wasn’t going to be left alone until Alexei was ousted. She didn’t trust her brother to make good decisions anymore.

She changed out of her business suit and pulled on a pair of fleece yoga pants and a cashmere sweater. Galina had just pulled her hair into a simple ponytail when the doorbell rang. Nikolai had his arm around Irina, but she looked miserable. Galina gave her a hug, ushering them both inside. As they settled in her living room, she got her sister a glass of vodka.

“Sip this,” Galina ordered, handing Irina the rocks glass. “You’re going to need it.” She returned to the kitchen to fetch glasses for the rest. The doorbell rang. “Nik, can you get that? It’ll be your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Nik snapped.

“Okay, it’ll be your
lover
.” Galina stuck her head out of the kitchen and gave him her best lascivious grin. “That better?”

“You’re impossible!”

A few moments later, Andrey wrapped his arms around her, pressing her back against him. “I missed you.”

Galina smiled, her hands busy with the tray she was holding. “Grab that bottle, please.”

Andrey released her and did as he was bid, following her into the living room. Nikolai sat in the wingback chair, Konstantin standing guard behind him. Irina sat on the couch, glass clutched in her hands, knuckles going white. She looked lost and alone. Galina’s heart went out to her. She set the tray on her coffee table and sat next to Irina, taking one hand in both of hers.