Page 37 of Fangs for the Memories (Budapest Bites #1)

A re there the beginnings of a mate bond between us? I want to think maybe there is, that maybe I can feel her in my head.

Human werewolf matings are rare, so rare I can’t think of another. Even since we revealed ourselves to the human world. Maybe we’ve kept ourselves to ourselves since then, or maybe it’s not common knowledge, but either way, this is new for me and her.

And for Grace, she’s also dealing with the betrayal of another human. A human I will deal with in due course once she is ready. In the meantime, I want my mate to have the best time.

Which means I have to deal with the situation which arose last night.

Viktor is waiting for me in my office, a great stone statue stood next to the window.

“So”—he levels his great gaze at me—“mated, eh?”

I fling myself into my desk chair and open my laptop.

“What?” I don’t look at him.

“I was wondering when you’d ever let fate in,” he says.

“I believe in fate. All werewolves do.” I frown at the figures on my screen.

“But believing in it and letting it in are two different things.”

“I don’t need philosophy from a lump of rock.”

“Rocks are the only things with a philosophy. We’ve been around since the dawn of time. Ignore us at your peril,” Viktor rumbles.

This time, I do look at him. I think I might have hurt the old gargoyle’s feelings, which is no mean feat, and unnecessary.

“Being mated is…complicated.” I spread my hands out on the desktop and extend my claws with a sigh. “I didn’t mean what I said, old friend.”

Viktor shifts from foot to foot, his wings rustling.

“Mating…it happens rarely to gargoyles. I suppose I must be jealous.”

I shake my head. Of all the emotions I’ve ever seen with Viktor, which I can count on the fingers of one hand, jealousy is not one of them.

“Your time will come.”

“Time is the one thing I have. Mates are all too rare. Make the most of it,” he says.

“I met the rogue vampire again last night,” I say with a brief glance at him. “He collapsed a ruin on me.”

“Fuck!” Viktor slams a stone hand on his forehead. “That was you ?”

“It was a trap, I knew it was, but I wanted to meet the creature, find out what he wanted.”

“Which was?”

“My help to open the vault and a threat to harm Grace if I did not. Oh, and to drop a building on my head.”

I roll my shoulder. A residual ache from the damage to my arm is all which remains of last night, something I can’t help but think the rogue vamp calculated.

“You should have called me. I was at the warehouse,” Viktor rasps.

“Best place for you. I can’t have you wasting your time and talents trailing my mate and me around the boutiques of Budapest. You’re far too good at your job.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“I want you to find where he lies low during the day. I get the impression he’s not the same as the Király, and both times we’ve dealt with him, it was in the dark.”

Viktor rumbles under his breath.

“I can fend for myself,” I respond. “I’ll survive without you. I just need you to have my back.”

“And what will you be doing?”

“I’m taking Grace to the baths.”

I think I see a flicker of a smile on his stone face, but it’s gone in an instant.

“I need you to find this vamp and deal with Max. Another shipment has been diverted.”

“It’s about time you cut that little squirt loose,” Viktor says.

“Family is family, as my mother has reminded me. But when you find him, get the location of my missing items out of him and bring him here for me to deal with. I think the pup needs a reminder of who is alpha in this pack,” I growl.

“A trip to the baths,” Viktor says, and this time I do see the twinkle of mirth in his eyes. “The mating pools,” he adds. “Or what was the other way of describing them? Fertility pools?”

I bare my fangs at him. “If I want my mate in pup, she will be in pup.”

Viktor releases a pointed huff of breath. “Providing she knows what she’s getting into.”

I glare at him.

It’s into this particular stand-off that there is a knock at the door. I don’t take my eyes from Viktor as I shout, “Come.”

My driver sidles into the room.

“The human says she is ready, alpha,” he says.

I can’t help but release a blood curdling growl at the mere thought of him speaking with Grace.

“Oh dear,” Viktor says. “You have got it bad.”

“Fuck you. Do what I asked, and find me that vampire.” I stand and stalk past him, sure I can hear him wheezing out a laugh. “And I’m giving you the Géllert to manage,” I add as a final passing aside. “It’s all yours. Make sure it’s Darasz free before you open to the public.”

There’s a problem in having a gargoyle who has known you since you were a pup as your second in command. He knows everything about you.

And it’s impossible to fire a gargoyle.

My driver has already made himself scarce, and I find Grace in the hall, waiting for me. She’s wearing a long, belted coat with a fur collar which sets off her beautiful hair. In her hand is a large tote bag.

The sight of her is enough to settle my unquiet soul. I’ve never liked the scent of minerals which fill the water of the hot springs bubbling up in various places around Budapest. It’s the curse of having such a sensitive nose and reason enough to avoid them.

But if my mate wants to see what Budapest has to offer, she will get her wish.