The Council Ch. 02

Andrei helped Loretta down from the desk smiling ruefully at the mess the office was in. Playing chase indoors was not such a good idea even if it was kind of fun. "We appear to have gotten a little carried away," he drawled, his tone full of amusement as Loretta looked down at the phone, papers and laptop lying on the thick carpet.

"Hope your laptop still works," she laughed lightly, stepping around him and eyeing the door to the left of the desk. "I don't suppose that's a bathroom by any chance?" It wouldn't pay to walk through a nest of vampires smelling of sex and then getting to the compound with his scent all over her. She was sure Jared wouldn't be too impressed with that.

"Lucky for you it is," he laughed. "What would your Alpha say if you came home reeking of me?" He watched her face flush slightly with colour and laughed harder.

"Considering he detests you, I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy, Andrei," she smiled sweetly heading over to the bathroom and praying it had a shower in it. She'd shifted wearing her thong so she needed to be able to clean up properly otherwise it would be a tad embarrassing leaving the club.

Andrei watched her retreating back, his eyes running lazily down the smooth curve of her back, the firm cheeks of her ass and the tightly honed muscles of her taut thighs. That was another thing he liked about Weres. They were so completely unashamed of their nakedness as well as being very resilient when it came to sex. They were a sensual, lustful people and he could relate to that. He was mildly amused to realise that he was actually starting to find something worth liking in the dogs, or maybe it was just one little bitch that he found so likable?

He knew he was making a huge mistake giving into his lust for the little she devil. It could and would lead to trouble with a capital T. But she was so tantalisingly sexy that his blood heated instantly when she was close to him. He'd need to have more control the next time. He had almost bitten her, only her fear managing to seep through his lust long enough to hold him at bay. He really didn't want to hurt her. He actually liked her, a lot.

"Need a hand washing your back?" he asked with a laugh, his heart starting to race at the thought of having her again. She turned to look over her shoulder at him, her brown eyes flashing with laughter.

"Sure, as long as you don't mind a pack of wolves bursting into the club," she countered. "I've already been here long enough, Andrei. Any longer and Jared will send in the cavalry thinking you've hurt me in some way."

He conceded her point, dressing and tidying up the office as she showered quickly. He had the foresight to set her dress and shoes on the chair in the bathroom while she showered. If she came out naked he'd only be tempted to dirty her all over again and there was no point in pushing their luck. His blood was still too heated, his feral side still too close to the surface. It was better to allow some time between them so he could keep himself more firmly in control.

He smiled as he sat back behind his desk and waited for her to finish cleaning up. When he'd gotten up this morning he hadn't anticipated his day would turn out to be so eventful. Playing with a member of the Hanlon pack was not a good idea. It was fraught with danger and potentially lethal for the little she wolf and him. If he hurt her even accidentally he had no illusions that Caleb Cullen would come looking for his head.

Still, Andrei liked to live life dangerously. He wasn't used to being told he couldn't have what he wanted and for the moment he wanted the delectable little wolf currently leaving her scent all over his private bathroom. From the very first moment he'd come across Loretta in the forest there had been something about her that had intrigued him enough to make him want to save her life so he would have the opportunity to get to know her a little better.

The object of his musings came out of the bathroom and he dampened down a deep groan. How could she look sexier fully dressed than she did naked? Perhaps it was the fact he knew she wasn't wearing any panties under her skimpy little dress, that all he had to do was slip his hand under it and he'd find her hot and willing for his touch.

"It's time you left," he growled softly, willing his aching body to behave itself. Her slight smile let him know she was aware of just what she did to him and for a moment he wanted to wipe it off her smug face, then he smiled slowly. She was so much like him in some ways it was almost scary. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to ask for it. That was one of the things he liked about her so much.

With a sigh he got up and opened the door, turning her to the right which surprised her. His eyes had their usual twinkle in them, his lips curling into his customary mocking smile. "You really want to walk through that lot up there with my scent all over you? You may have showered but they'll still know that you've lain with me," he said with a little laugh.

Her expression clearly told him that she wouldn't and he laughed harder. "And here was me thinking you were braver than that, little wolf," he laughed again, placing a hand lightly against her lower back and escorting her down the corridor to the back door. "It's been an entertaining evening, Loretta," he sighed, a little husky note entering his voice. "Very entertaining."

The rich, deep timber of his voice sent little shivers of pleasure through Loretta and she suddenly wished the evening wasn't quite at an end but she had to get back to the compound. Would he want to see her again? His previous words intimated that he would but he was very mercurial, his moods swinging in different directions quite rapidly. He could change his mind very easily.

She sighed deeply and turned to look up at him as he opened the door for her. "It was definitely interesting if nothing else," she managed to say; pleased with how nonchalant she was sounding when really she wanted to throw herself into her mate's arms and stay there forever. She somehow doubted he was quite ready for that yet.

"Goodnight, Andrei," she said quietly turning away.

Andrei was picking her up and spinning her around to press her against the wall before he realised what he was doing. His mouth found hers expertly and his tongue slipped inside when she uttered a startled gasp. He kissed her savagely; strangely angered by her insipid little goodnight, the way she was ready to walk away as if they hadn't just had the most intense, mind blowing sex ever.

She moaned into his mouth, her tongue reaching to duel with his in an erotic dance as he pressed his straining cock between her legs, rubbing himself against her molten heat with a need that took his breath away. What had she done to him to make him want her so much? Why was she able to stoke a need inside him that made him feel as if his entire body was on fire with lust for her and only her?

He raised his head slowly, looking into her dazed eyes as she fought to take deep breaths, her little heart hammering loudly, her breasts rising and falling with each sharp pant coming out of her delectable lips. He groaned softly and rubbed his cock against her again, tempted to take her back inside and fuck her again until they were both lost in the heady ecstasy of sexual bliss once more. He felt his fangs start to elongate and it was like a bucket of cold water being thrown over his lust.

With another groan he slid her down his body until her feet were once more on solid ground. "That's how you say goodnight," he breathed huskily before he took a step back and allowed her to step around him. His lips quirked in a little smile when he saw how shaky her legs were.

"Loretta," he called after her retreating back, waiting until she turned her flushed face to look back at him. "If you come again, use this entrance but don't touch the keypad. It will give you a nasty shock. Use the call button beneath it."

She didn't answer him, merely nodded and turned away again, walking slowly to her waiting Audi. Had he just invited her back? It definitely sounded like it. Her lips quirked in a little smile. She much preferred his goodnight to her own and she really liked the fact he was warning her about his security protocols. There was a definite hint of protectiveness there. Her wolf growled appreciatively and she wiggled her hips a little more than she really needed to, feeling his eyes boring into her.

Well she had wanted to see him again and she'd gotten more than she'd bargained for out of the meeting. Her wolf was happy, her body was satiated and Andrei Romanov had lost the first round in the war she had just launched on his heart. Only he didn't know it yet.

Smiling she climbed into her car, her smile widening as she saw him still watching her from the corner of the alleyway. She was so tempted to go back to him but she fought the impulse and drove away, heading back to the compound to let Jared know the news.

"Nice piece of ass," a voice drawled quietly behind Andrei as he watched Loretta leave. He tensed immediately, growling deeply as he rounded furiously on his twin brother. For some reason he was angry at his vulgar terminology. "Watch your mouth, Alexei," he hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing dangerously as he pinned him with a steely glare.

His twin merely laughed, his blond hair swaying around his shoulders as he threw his head back in amusement. "A little touchy, aren't you, brother?" he laughed softly. He inhaled deeply, his beautiful face split with a wide grin. "Interesting fragrance you're wearing."

"I thought you were in Peru," Andrei snorted a hint of a smile crossing his face as his pleasure at having his twin home cut through his sudden anger. He was a complete pain in the ass sometimes but he was the only family he had, the only person he truly trusted completely.

"Ecuador and you know damned well where I was because you sent me there, brother," Alexei drawled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement. He had really missed his brother a lot. They did separate every now and then and go about their own business for a while, but they never truly felt comfortable unless they were close together, watching each others backs.

Andrei laughed and gave his brother a warm hug before he turned back down the alleyway to re-enter the club. "I've missed you," he admitted with a rueful smile. "I wasn't expecting you home for another few weeks."

"And miss your election to the Council?" Alexei asked dryly. "I so can't wait to see those idiots put a raving psychopath in charge of our well being. That will most definitely be a moment in history when our people look back and ask themselves how they could have been so stupid."

Alexei liked to tease his brother by calling him a psychopath. Most people fell into two groups, those who believed Andrei's laid back persona and those who believed he was truly insane. The truth of the matter was he was a mixture of both and so much more. Yes, he had his moments when even Alexei shuddered at what he could be capable of but most of the time he was in complete control.

He was fiercely intelligent, skilled at giving people which persona they needed so he could achieve the end goals he wanted. No one really knew Andrei though. Sometimes Alexei wondered if he truly did himself. The only thing he was completely certain of was he knew his twin better than anyone else to walk the planet. That he would stand at his side to the death if need be.

"It's just a mindless ceremony," Andrei sighed resting against the desk when they entered the office. "The Council Elect have been running things for the last year almost. Once the fiasco of Graves came about the current Council lost a vote of no confidence in it. They were left in place to pander to our rituals but they haven't been actively involved in anything of real importance since then. Good work in Ecuador, by the way. I knew you'd be able to bang those idiots' heads together and get that thorny little issue sorted."

Alexei was surprised at his brother's news. Never in their history had a Council had a vote of no confidence called against them let alone lost one. Graves had a lot to answer for. It was amazing that one man could cause so much fallout for their kind. But he had died for his sins so there was some justice to be had.

"So, how did you manage to get a vote of no confidence?" he asked shrewdly. He had no doubt that Andrei was responsible for that turn of events. When his brother wanted something, nothing stood in his way.

Andrei's lips quirked in a little smile as he regarded his brother intently. "It wasn't that hard," he admitted. "I just needed to get control of the Council Elect and get a majority vote from them. There was a little power struggle but nothing I couldn't overcome."

Alexei laughed and shook his head. A little power struggle in Andrei speak could mean anything from a minor debate to an all out war. He breathed in deeply and wished he hadn't. He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Do you have to have sex in the office?" he sighed wearily. "The room is positively reeking of what you and your little wolf were getting up to."

He wrinkled his nose to piss his brother off, enjoying seeing him getting annoyed. "How did you manage that anyway? Without biting her?" he asked curiously and then another thought struck him. "Shit, Andrei, tell me she's not part of the Hanlon pack?"

"Mind your own fucking business, Alexei," Andrei growled softly. "This is my club and I can do what the hell I like in it. And who my female guest was is none of your damned business. Your rules remember? You mind your business and I'll mind mine."

Alexei frowned deeply, pinning his brother with a hard stare. His lack of answer told him everything he needed to know. Andrei was messing with one of the Hanlon pack, probably the little bitch he'd saved last year.

"And if you have a little accident while you're exercising your dick, what then? You expect me to keep minding my business when Caleb and Demetri come to give you a little call?" His tone dripped sarcasm as he rolled his eyes in despair. His brother was way too wild to consider the possible ramifications of his actions.

"Credit me with some self control, Alexei. I'm not a bloody youngling!" Andrei growled angrily. So he might have come close to slipping up tonight but the shock of the almost accident would be enough to keep him in check when he saw Loretta again. He was mildly perturbed to realise he was thinking of when, not if, but he shrugged it off. The sex between them had been pretty amazing. It was only natural that he'd want to sample her delights again.

"So how did you contain the need to taste her blood?" Alexei pressed, very interested to hear the answer to that question for his own reasons. A tall, statuesque blonde with cerulean blue eyes coming very easily to mind, as she had done many times while he had been away.

"I decided I preferred my woman to be living," Andrei retorted drolly, all too aware of just why his brother was suddenly so interested in his sex life.

His answer brought a loud laugh from Alexei, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yes, I can understand why the alternative would be a bit of a passion killer," he chuckled lightly. "So tell me more about your little wolf. How long has it been going on?"

Andrei counted to ten and then he counted to ten again. Then he considered punching his brother but decided he didn't want to have to clean the office up again. He let out a long, slow breath and sighed deeply. "Her name is Loretta," he finally said. "She's a Beta in the Hanlon pack, the bitch I saved last year as I'm sure you've already gathered. This is the first time I've seen her since then. Happy now?"

"You like her," Alexei said quietly, a hint of amazement in his voice as he watched his brother's face carefully. "You like her a lot, don't you? That's why you're getting so pissed off at me. You don't normally jump to the defence of your women the way you're jumping to hers."

A dark scowl crossed Andrei's face and he clenched his hands into fists as he struggled with his rising temper. Alexei was really pushing his luck. "Enough," he hissed through clenched teeth, a clear warning in his voice.

His brother held up his hands in mock surrender, a smile hovering on his lips. "Okay, I'll behave. You aren't half touchy, Andrei. I thought you missed me?"

"I lied," Andrei growled softly though his lips curved up in a smile calling him a liar. He had missed his twin; he just didn't want to discuss Loretta with him. She was none of his business and he wanted to keep it that way. He frowned slightly when he realised just how protective that thought was, then he pushed it away. It wasn't important. It was just sex. Great sex, but sex none the less.

He moved to sit behind his desk as Alexei sat down in the chair Loretta had used earlier. He began filling his brother in on the latest news and then listened to what has been going on in Ecuador.

*****

Loretta skipped lightly up the three steps into the Alpha's house in the heart of the forest. Although it was getting late she could hear voices in the sitting room so she turned in that direction to find Jared and Millie sitting on the rug before the fire, their little ones lying on a blanket between them. She smiled instantly. Everyone smiled when they saw their Alphas' little girls, they were just adorable.

Jared went to rise but Loretta waved him down. "No need to get up," she said quickly. "Nothing too eventful to report." Not with regards to the pack anyway.

She watched her Alpha relax as she walked over and knelt down beside them. "Hello, little angels," she cooed softly a loving smile crossing her face as she gently touched the two little girls' cheeks almost reverently before she looked back at Jared.

"The Vampire Council is changing next week and Andrei is part of the new one," she reported briskly. "He said the previous Council has been out of favour because of Graves so no decision will be reached about what to do until the new Council comes into power."

Millie's cobalt eyes narrowed slightly and she shot the other woman a quizzical look. "He admitted that to you?" she asked her voice full of surprise.

Loretta nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, I think he has some trouble keeping his mouth shut when I'm around," she laughed softly. "Keeps giving away his secrets and then getting annoyed that he's done so. I think he told me more than what he really wanted to, judging from the look on his face at the time."

Jared pondered her words. If what Loretta said was true then that would surely explain why no action has been taken by the vampires so far. He ran a hand through his long black hair and then absent-mindedly brushed a hand gently across Mina's head. He looked down at his daughter and a soft, gentle smile crossed his handsome face. "You believe him?"

"Yes, I believed him," Loretta answered after a long pause. "I asked about what the new Council would decide and he intimated that no decision would go against the pack. He didn't say it right out but the impression he gave was he would veto any potential action. How much influence he has on the Council is anyone's guess though."

Jared frowned slightly and pursed his lips. "If he intimated it then he'll make sure it will happen," he answered thoughtfully. "The ramifications of doing otherwise are too great." He saw the surprise on his Beta's face. "Andrei knows what it will mean for his kind if they go to war with the pack, Loretta. He knows Caleb will stand with us, Demetri, Nors and God knows how many others. If the Vampire Council attack then they will be attacking their own people. It will mean civil war for them."

She took a moment to digest the information as she fought down a little smile. Christ, he really was a sneaky, manipulative bastard. Intimating it was because of her when he was really trying to head off an internal conflict within his own people. Andrei Romanov played dirty to get what he wanted. Was his reluctance just an act too? Had he intended the evening to end the way it had? She would have to step lightly to keep one step ahead of her beautiful vampire.