moon, when they were fresh from the hunt and ready to fight. Since I saved your father’s life, he owes me such a debt.” Roscoe waited for me to speak, but when I didn’t he continued. “Have you ever been to Russia?”
He’d addressed the question to me, so I shook my head. He laughed at my frown, but I wasn’t ashamed.Traveling overseas to visit my distant relatives wasn’t a cheap affair. The Code was also strictly enforced over there. That made it low on my places to visit.
“When I first encountered your father in Russia, he was a businessman who supported the White Army. I, on the other hand, supported the Bolsheviks and their noble revolution.”
Since Thorn was a bit of a history buff, I didn’t need to play the role of an encyclopedia and fill him in on the Russian Civil War of the late 1910s. When my dad drank a few too many beers with my uncles, he’d tell us stories of his work with the White Army. None of them included Roscoe. He evidently had never gotten that drunk.
“As we always did, the party went from house to house to rally support among the citizens of St. Petersburg. When my comrades and I arrived at the Stravinsky home, we found quite a surprise.” Roscoe grinned. “It was a shame we uncovered White Army propaganda there. A few guns as well. At first my comrades wanted to search the house peacefully, but Fyodor’s father, Gregor, didn’t have the sense to give us entry.”
“So you just waltzed inside, huh?”
Thorn’s chin twitched. I really should behave, but an asshole like Roscoe brought out the worst in me.
“Gregor was a proud man, devushka . Since he was a White Army sympathizer, we had to search the house. But your grandfather Gregor had to open his big mouth and get Fyodor in trouble.” Roscoe chuckled. “When the other men held your grandfather down and threatened to kill him, your father made a foolhardy move against my men. He attacked them. Very successfully, I may add.
“Somehow, perhaps due to the fact that Fyodor’s a survivor, he managed to escape and elude my men—until I caught him not far from the house. He begged for thelives of his family, and I felt inclined to offer it since he promised to fulfill his moon debt when I was ready to call on it.”
“And what does he have to do?” Alex asked.
“That’s between Fyodor and me. But if you really want to know …” He smiled at me suggestively.
I rolled my eyes. The man had to be around my father’s age. Over a hundred and still horny for younger wolves. Good God. He took “dirty old man” to a new level.
“Stop checking out my goodies and tell us.”
Thorn’s head snapped in my direction. His expression warned me to shut up.
“Moon debts aren’t simple things, devushka . They require a sacrifice equivalent to the one made by the other person. I saved not only his life but his father’s and his ancestral home. Therefore, your father must do work for me before the end of this moon’s cycle.”
“Could you be more specific, please,” I mumbled. Why did some people feel the need to do this kind of stuff, drag things out all the time?
Roscoe continued. “Fyodor must first retrieve something that was stolen from me a long time ago. A family heirloom that was my great-grandmother’s. He needs to hurry before that piece-of-shit goblin dealer sells it off again. He’d trade my compact for one of those tires he loves so much.”
“ ‘First part’? You mean there’s more?” Alex asked. A faint buzz filled the air. The noise came from Alex’s leg. His phone. He ignored it and remained focused on Roscoe.
My first thought was that Dad wasn’t done. How could fetching an heirloom fulfill such a large debt?
“It should’ve been an easy in-and-out job. All he had to do was get me an antique compact case. He leftaround dawn yesterday and hasn’t returned.” Roscoe grinned. “It’s too bad he won’t fulfill his debt to me in time. Especially since I have more for him to
He’d addressed the question to me, so I shook my head. He laughed at my frown, but I wasn’t ashamed.Traveling overseas to visit my distant relatives wasn’t a cheap affair. The Code was also strictly enforced over there. That made it low on my places to visit.
“When I first encountered your father in Russia, he was a businessman who supported the White Army. I, on the other hand, supported the Bolsheviks and their noble revolution.”
Since Thorn was a bit of a history buff, I didn’t need to play the role of an encyclopedia and fill him in on the Russian Civil War of the late 1910s. When my dad drank a few too many beers with my uncles, he’d tell us stories of his work with the White Army. None of them included Roscoe. He evidently had never gotten that drunk.
“As we always did, the party went from house to house to rally support among the citizens of St. Petersburg. When my comrades and I arrived at the Stravinsky home, we found quite a surprise.” Roscoe grinned. “It was a shame we uncovered White Army propaganda there. A few guns as well. At first my comrades wanted to search the house peacefully, but Fyodor’s father, Gregor, didn’t have the sense to give us entry.”
“So you just waltzed inside, huh?”
Thorn’s chin twitched. I really should behave, but an asshole like Roscoe brought out the worst in me.
“Gregor was a proud man, devushka . Since he was a White Army sympathizer, we had to search the house. But your grandfather Gregor had to open his big mouth and get Fyodor in trouble.” Roscoe chuckled. “When the other men held your grandfather down and threatened to kill him, your father made a foolhardy move against my men. He attacked them. Very successfully, I may add.
“Somehow, perhaps due to the fact that Fyodor’s a survivor, he managed to escape and elude my men—until I caught him not far from the house. He begged for thelives of his family, and I felt inclined to offer it since he promised to fulfill his moon debt when I was ready to call on it.”
“And what does he have to do?” Alex asked.
“That’s between Fyodor and me. But if you really want to know …” He smiled at me suggestively.
I rolled my eyes. The man had to be around my father’s age. Over a hundred and still horny for younger wolves. Good God. He took “dirty old man” to a new level.
“Stop checking out my goodies and tell us.”
Thorn’s head snapped in my direction. His expression warned me to shut up.
“Moon debts aren’t simple things, devushka . They require a sacrifice equivalent to the one made by the other person. I saved not only his life but his father’s and his ancestral home. Therefore, your father must do work for me before the end of this moon’s cycle.”
“Could you be more specific, please,” I mumbled. Why did some people feel the need to do this kind of stuff, drag things out all the time?
Roscoe continued. “Fyodor must first retrieve something that was stolen from me a long time ago. A family heirloom that was my great-grandmother’s. He needs to hurry before that piece-of-shit goblin dealer sells it off again. He’d trade my compact for one of those tires he loves so much.”
“ ‘First part’? You mean there’s more?” Alex asked. A faint buzz filled the air. The noise came from Alex’s leg. His phone. He ignored it and remained focused on Roscoe.
My first thought was that Dad wasn’t done. How could fetching an heirloom fulfill such a large debt?
“It should’ve been an easy in-and-out job. All he had to do was get me an antique compact case. He leftaround dawn yesterday and hasn’t returned.” Roscoe grinned. “It’s too bad he won’t fulfill his debt to me in time. Especially since I have more for him to
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