Boris and the Vampire (Legends of Pinewood 2)

...Will Not Stay in the Fey Woods

Ivana looked at us like she saw water burning.

Correction: Ivana looked at me like she saw water burning. The moment the door swung open, Etienne had hissed and retreated upstairs, shying away from the sunlight now shining into the tree house.

His damn light sensitivity got him off the hook. Not that he was ever really on the hook. Ivana wasn't going to blame a vampire for... whatever she thought she saw between us when she walked in.

"Ivana," I greeted my pack leader with a sheepish smile. "What brings you here to our very isolated tree house in the middle of nowhere?"

"I wanted to speak with you face to face about your lodgings," Ivana replied, though she sounded like she now regretted that decision.

I pretended I didn't notice Ivana's frown. Or her snippy tone. Or her shock about practically finding me chest to chest with Etienne.

Honestly, there was little else I could do but smile like nothing was going on. Because nothing was going on. Certainly not what Ivana was thinking.

That's what I liked to tell myself, anyway.

"Of course we should talk," I said. "Let's step outside."

"Yes. Let's," Ivana replied tersely.

I followed Ivana outside and closed the door behind me. Rain poured down from the sky and the wind whipped against my face, stinging my cheeks. But I knew the storm raging in the fey woods was nothing compared to the storm I'd be facing with Ivana the moment we were far enough away from the treehouse.

Once we were out of earshot, Ivana shot me a look so cold it could freeze these woods twice over. "I came to ask whether you were holding up alright with the vampire," she said. "Clearly, that is the wrong question. You seem to be holding up very well."

I raised my hands. "No, no. It's definitely not what you think!"

"And pray tell, Boris, what am I thinking?"

I mentally braced myself before replying. "That I'm 'involved' with the vampire," I said. "But I'm not. What you saw was simply an attempt of his to fluster me."

Ivana crossed her arms. "A rather effective attempt. Because you didn't seem to be in a hurry to get away from the vampire just now."

I dodged Ivana's inquisitive gaze. I had to admit part of me hadn't minded being close to Etienne. On some level, the more simple-minded, animalistic part of me was attracted to him—his scent. But that part was far buried beneath my rational mind, which knew Etienne was only acting like this to try to lull me into a false sense of security.

Contrary to what the vampires believed, I wasn't some mindless animal who just ran after his instincts. I could suppress that part. I'd been suppressing some of my more wolfish impulses ever since I started living with the humans, and Ivana had to know that better than anyone else.

"It's definitely not what you think," I repeated.

It came out even weaker than the first time. And as I heard myself speak, I was reminded about that time I laughed at my nephew Aquila floundering and blushing as he said this exact same thing about Xavier when I teased him with his crush.

I wasn't surprised that Ivana didn't fall for it. "The evidence doesn't agree with you," she said. "I spoke with the fey about your lodgings again. After going through a lot of trouble to get an audience, mind you. The fey have bigger problems of their own, as you may have noticed."

"Well, that explains the storm," I muttered, glancing around at the trees, which swayed and moaned in the strong wind.

"Indeed," Ivana said. "The fey, who were greatly annoyed by my interruption, understandably, insisted they had made no mistake."