Chapter 6: A Call to Boris

WILLOW

“Did you really tell him your true identity?” His voice is loud, almost a shout. “Willow, why would you use a pseudonym if you’re just going to spill the beans to the target?” His frustration is palpable.

“I did it because he’s my mate, Boris. Genesis and I can’t stand lying to him,” I retort.

“Your mate? Are you certain? He was mated to the last warrior queen before our mother! And now you? Why would the Goddess arrange this?” His frustration is still evident, but now tinged with worry.

“I don’t have all the answers. I just know what Genesis tells me, and she’s adamant that he’s our mate. Did I ever imagine being mated to a vampire? No, but it’s all part of her plan. You know as well as I do that we can’t resist it.”

There is silence on the other end of the line. Then, he switches from being my brother to the alpha king.

“So, what exactly happened last night? Walk me through it.”

I recount the events of the previous night and explain that I need his extra men to locate the warehouse so we can eliminate the threat from here. I also mention my plan to persuade Andrei to return to the Royal Pack for protection.

Boris agrees that if I can convince Andrei to come back, it would certainly make things easier. He also mentions that the vampire attacks on the wolf packs and the Fae are escalating.

The Fae king is willing to assist in the potential war, as are the dragon king and the witches. A meeting is scheduled in two weeks to discuss everything. Andrei’s presence would be extremely beneficial.

So, my new mission is to convince Andrei to return to the Royal Pack. Easy peasy! Yeah, right. I’m not even sure if he can sense that I am his destined mate!

After hanging up with Boris, I head downstairs and find one of the wolves guarding the campus. I ask him to arrange a meeting with five of his men at the park across from campus.

Half an hour later, they join me on the bench. I explain what I need them to do: use the daylight hours to find the warehouse where the vampires are hiding. Then, let me and my team know. I want to take them down, but if I can extract more information from them, I can report back to Boris with more than we already know.

With this plan in mind, I set out to convince my mate to return to the Royal Pack with me.

Jenna informs me that he is in his office on campus, meeting with students.

As I enter the hallway, I see a line of women waiting outside his office to speak with Professor Albescu. Humans. They are so oblivious to the monsters in this world.

I stand against the wall with them for a moment. Then, I decide to hell with this. I round the corner, transform into smoke, and slip under the crack in his office door. I find a dark corner and listen to his conversation with the current student. I remain as still as possible to avoid drawing his attention. This ability has proven invaluable for gathering intelligence.

The girl is a mess, batting her eyelashes and wearing a low-cut top to try to catch his eye. He tells her to go to the library and work on her assignment, making it clear that he isn’t interested in “favors” in exchange for a grade. He doesn’t teach that way.

I can’t help but giggle. After he dismisses her, another girl comes in, using the same tactic to try to get a good grade in his class. I can see why they are attracted to him, but really! They are willing to degrade themselves for a grade? Where is their self-respect?

After the fourth girl, I am bored and allow myself to rematerialize. I am standing in his corner, and he jumps up, ready to defend himself.

“Relax. I’m not the one you need to defend against,” I say, smiling and taking the seat in front of his desk.

He stares at me, mouth agape. “How do you do that?” He sits back down.

“It took me a while to learn, but now I can do it whenever I want. It’s a gift. I actually have several of them.” I shrug.

He continues to stare at me. “Willow,” he says, almost whispering. “I’ll give my regards to Boris. He’s worried for our mother’s sake.” He echoes my words from the previous night. Then, realization dawns on him. “You’re Lyric’s daughter!”

I smile. “Bingo!”

He leans back in his chair. “I… I don’t know what to say,” he admits.

“It’s okay. I’ll try to explain and we’ll take it from there,” I say, leaning forward.

“I’m a shadow wolf from the Royal Pack. Actually, I’m the top shadow wolf. My brother, the alpha king, sent me and my team here to protect you. He heard that the vampire king wanted you dead or wanted your secrets.

“We share that secret, and protecting our mother is our top priority. But King Mihai is becoming more dangerous. He’s killing off packs and becoming a bigger threat every day. For your protection, and because of your expertise, my brother is inviting you to return to the Royal Pack with me to take this threat seriously and help us prevent further losses.

“I found out today that some of your old friends will be joining us. The Fae king, the dragon king, and the queen of the witches have agreed to a meeting in a couple of weeks. Boris thinks your input would be very helpful.” I finish, grinning widely.

“Yes!” He pushes away from his desk. “Let’s go!” He walks around his desk.

I am taken aback. “Okay,” I say slowly. “But first, we need to deal with the little nest of vampires. They might have important information we could use. Would you be interested in joining me for this little hunt?”

He smiles, and my stomach clenches. “Absolutely!”