AMAZON KINDLE VERSION A Siberian Werewolf In London EDITED 3 9 2012 (15 page)

But can you trust her? Will she turn from you again?

I do not know. I hope not. But, Brencis, I love her. I will follow her wherever she goes. Please try to accept her. She is my mate and a good person. Our lives are forever tied together.

I know. I am angry with her. If she loved you, she wouldn’t turn away.

You do not need to be angry on my behalf. Mates sometimes have disagreements. Having a human mate, brings our differences into the forefront. You may find yourself mated to a human one day. Try to be more understanding of their human frailties. See how we are alike, instead of how we are different.

I will think about what you have said.

That is a good start, cousin.

“You two are missing all the sites. I wonder where Andrew is taking us to dinner,” Melisande said, patting Grigori’s knee and then squeezing lightly.

“Dinner is at the Babylon at the Roof Garden, Miss,” the driver informed the party. “Just a ways farther down Kensington High Street. We should be there in a few minutes.”

The limo pulled up to the covered drive and stopped to let the passengers exit. Several parties were standing near the limo door, and several other cars were pulling in behind the limo. An attendant opened the door, and Grigori exited before reaching back to assist Melisande from the car.

“My goodness, there is quite a crush, isn’t there?” Melisande whispered as Brencis and Valerii walked up beside them.

A young woman in a white-silk business suit made her way toward them. “Miss Reule?”

“Yes, I am Melisande Reule.”

“I am Kimberly Wentworth, Lord Barras’ assistant. If you will follow me, I will take you upstairs to dinner.”

“Thank you. With all these people, it is a little overwhelming,” Melisande said as they followed the young woman into the building.

Grigori kept his arm around Melisande’s waist. The many people surrounding them made him uncomfortable. He glanced at Valerii and Brencis and noticed how stiffly they were moving. They were having a difficult time as well.

Keep it together. This is good practice for you,
Grigori sent into both of their thoughts.

“The Babylon is on the seventh floor,” Wentworth said, leading the way through the crowd to a bank of elevators. “Lord Barras reserved the whole restaurant for this evening.”

“The whole restaurant? Who all is invited?” Melisande asked.

“Oh, only the top contributors to Lord Barras’ campaign. It is supposed to be a very intimate party, where anyone can speak with him. To be included on the guest list is a sign of affluence,” Wentworth explained as they stepped into the elevator.

I know I will never like elevators. I always feel trapped in a box,
Valerii sent back.

Let the lovely Miss Wentworth distract you. She’s your type,
Brencis suggested.

“How long have you worked for my cousin?” Melisande asked.

I will expect all of us to be returning to the townhome this evening. This may be a respite, but the danger is still with us,
Grigori reprimanded the two young wolves.

“I’ve worked for Lord Barras for the last three years. It’s been very exciting. But I’m an assistant, not much more than a glorified lackey, if you must know,” Wentworth said with a sigh. “But I do get to rub elbows with the elite and powerful.”

“Do you enjoy that? Dealing with people?” Melisande asked.

“Most of the time, it’s quite nice. But every once in a while you meet someone who is downright obnoxious,” Wentworth said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

“Sandy, Darling, so nice to see you again. And Mr. Solovyov, good evening,” said a high-pitched voice.

“Oh, dear . . . ,” Melisande murmured.

Wentworth smiled in commiseration as Lady Ashtown bore down on the little group.

Chin up, lyubov moya. You need her business, remember?

Grigori smiled at his mate as she straightened her shoulders and pasted a smile of welcome on her face.

“Lady Ashtown, how nice to see you. Andrew didn’t tell me you would be joining us this evening.”

“But, of course. Henry is around somewhere. I’ll introduce you.”

“Lady Ashtown,” Wentworth intruded. “I was escorting Miss Reule to Lord Barras. Would you mind terribly if I steal her away for a few minutes? He is very busy this evening.”

“Oh, I suppose not. I’ll find Henry and come by your table later, Sandy.”

“Thank you, Lady Ashtown. I will see you in a few minutes.”

Lady Ashtown gave a wave and moved into the crowd.

“Thank you, Miss Wentworth,” Melisande said with a smile.

“It was a pleasure, Miss Reule. This way. Lord Barras is out on the terrace for the next twenty minutes.”

Grigori thought about releasing Brencis and Valerii, but decided to make a statement of strength when he met Melisande’s cousin for the first time. He nodded his head, encouraging them to follow, as Wentworth led the way to the door of the terrace.

Once they stepped outside, Grigori took a long breath of air. A cool breeze blew in from the river, and some of the smells of the crowd cleared. He knew the air would be fresh only as long as they stood outside. For a moment he felt homesick, missing the smells of pine and fir, the clean crisp air of Siberia. But then Melisande moved closer, her special scent surrounding him, and he realized home was this woman at his side.

Wentworth made her way through the crowd toward the man holding court near the railing. Barras was a little taller than Meli, but he possessed the same hair coloring, as well as the same cobalt-blue eyes, which were looking seriously at a man who waved his hands at Barras, trying to make a point

Grigori watched as Barras looked up and saw them approaching. His eyes warmed in welcome as he saw Melisande, then cooled as he looked at Grigori and his arm around Melisande’s waist. For a moment, Grigori wanted to take Meli and run. But instead, he straightened and moved a little closer to her. It didn’t matter who this man was, he couldn’t be allowed to take Melisande away from him.

“Easy, Grika,” Melisande whispered, feeling aggression in his posture.

“Mine, Melika,” Grigori whispered as he nuzzled her ear.

He saw the flash of annoyance in Barras’ eyes and grinned unrepentantly. Barras patted the other gentleman on the arm and made excuses as Wentworth finally reached his side.

“Melisande, you look delightfully fetching this evening,” Barras said, taking her hand and pulling her forward into a hug.

Grigori reluctantly let her go. He wouldn’t cause a scene with her cousin.

“Andrew, when you invited me to dinner, I thought you meant just the family. I didn’t realize it was going to include a hundred of your closest friends,” Melisande chastised him.

Barras chuckled. “I’m sorry, Meli. It was either this or giving you an appointment to visit my offices in parliament. I’ve hit the big times, and my personal time is limited. Now introduce me to your supposed fiancé.”

“There is nothing supposed about it. Melisande is my future wife,” Grigori said.

“Andrew, behave yourself. This is Grigori Solovyov. Would you like to see the ring?” Melisande said, flashing the large diamond.

“Very impressive, Meli. Nice to meet you, Solovyov. I’ve heard a few things about you,” Barras said, shaking Grigori’s hand.

“All pleasant, I hope. This is my cousin, Brencis, and his friend Valerii Belikov,” Grigori gestured to his pack members.

“Nice to meet you gentlemen. Well, Solovyov, you’ve got your hands full with Meli. When she was younger, she used to be a hellion, running wild all over our grandfather’s estate.”

“An estate that is now yours, Andrew,” Meli pointed out.

“Actually, grandfather left you the hunting cabin in Somerset, as well as several thousand pounds. The only stipulation was you return to England to claim the inheritance. I’ve been holding it in trust for you. I’ve already instructed my lawyers to transfer the property into your name.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Melisande asked, shock apparent on her face.

“Part of the stipulation of the will, actually. Grandfather feared you might never come back to England after he died, and decided that until you did, the small estate should be left in the hands of the larger one. I’m glad you came back, Meli. I never wanted to keep it a secret from you.”

“He was a wily one, Grandpa. He always hoped Mother would come back, and she never did. Maybe he held the same fears about me.”

“I think you were his favorite, not that he wasn’t proud of me. But he had a soft spot for you and your mother.”

“Thank you, Andrew. Is there anything else I should know?”

“He left you a letter. It’s in the paperwork. We can talk more about it later. Kimberly will make sure you have all my contact information, as well as the lawyer’s information. I’m really busy, but not impossible to get a hold of. I’m worried about this police business, but now isn’t the time. I guess we’ll have a meeting at my offices after all. I’m getting the signal that I’m needed in the dining room. Kimberly, show them to their table. I’ll wait a moment to go in so you can avoid the crush. It’s good to see you, Meli. Take care of her, Solovyov.”

“With my life,” Grigori answered solemnly.

Wentworth led them inside and got them seated as a musical gong announced dinner. Grigori felt glad to be seated against the wall where he knew no one could sneak up behind him. It was an old habit of an older wolf. He saw a good portion of the room as well as the head table. Barras’ voice could be heard over the murmurs, encouraging people to take their seats. Grigori was surprised to find that Wentworth was joining them.

“Lord Barras asked me to make sure you enjoyed a nice time tonight. Is it all right if I join you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Of course, please sit down Miss Wentworth,” Melisande said with a smile.

“Kimberly, please.”

“You must call me, Meli. And this is Brencis and Valerii, and of course, my fiancé, Grigori.”

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I appreciate the welcome,” Wentworth murmured.

“Let me assure you, a beautiful woman is always a welcome addition,” Valerii said.

Wentworth blushed and smiled.

“You’re such a charmer, Valerii. Pay him no mind, Kimberly. What is on the menu tonight?” Melisande asked.

Grigori sat back with a sigh. It was going to be a long evening.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Grigori looked down at an itty-bitty piece of chocolate cake with a red raspberry on top. Should he pick it up and eat it in one bite or use a fork to cut it apart? The whole meal had consisted of gourmet servings. Grigori thought it meant, as small as we can make them, but kept his conclusion to himself. Except for his need to eat a snack when they returned to the townhouse, the evening had progressed fairly well.

Lady Ashtown and her husband had turned up to introduce themselves and had chatted for a while about everything under the sun. Lucky for all, it appeared she suffered from a sweet tooth and, once dessert was served, excused herself to go back to her own table.

 Grigori was surprised to see Officer Kincaid on duty tonight. Evidently, he needed a little extra money and hired on to help out at this evening’s event. Or Ralf Lewis may have been trying to keep a close eye on Grigori and Melisande. Grigori wasn’t sure which explanation was valid.

“Is it true, what Lady Ashtown said? Are you related to royalty?” Wentworth asked.

“There is no royalty left in Russia, Miss Wentworth. You know that,” Grigori teased.

“So, there is no truth to the family legends?” she asked disappointed.

“None that I’m aware of. But if you like, I will tell you one of the family legends.”

Miss Wentworth turned a boring evening into a delight. She entertained them and encouraged them all to relax and enjoy themselves. It was too bad she didn’t seem to have any psychic ability. She would make a good mate for one of the pack. Grigori felt she deserved a reward for her openness and acceptance.

“Yes, please, that would be lovely,” Wentworth answered, blushing.