Page 61 of Vows of Blood
I scoff as I go back to rinsing out my mouth. Engagement. That’s a good one.
“In any event, knowing Alexei, he would insist that the two of you… consummate this marriage so that it can’t ever be challenged and?—”
“Anya, are you asking if me and Alexei are fucking?”
Her face flushes slightly. “Not to be crass… but yes. I am asking just that.”
I just blink at her. What a weird question to ask right after I puke my guts out. “Don’t take this wrong or anything, but that’s really not anybody’s business.”
“Yes, well… it’s not as long as you are not pregnant… right?”
I reach for the hand towel as I scoff again. “Please. I’m not…”
My hand freezes in midair.Shit. When was my last period?
Oh… oh,no.
“Could it be possible,” she goes on. “I mean, on your wedding night, did you at least take precautions?”
I don’t have the words. I just stand there with hands dripping water on the side of the sink. It’s the last thing that I ever considered. The last thing…
“I can’t be pregnant,” I tell her, panic coming through in my voice. “Anya?—”
“I know this isn’t exactly the most opportune time.” She sighs and runs a hand over her hair. “We will need supplies if we’re going to stay here indefinitely. I can make a run to the store before they return?—”
“They won’t let you leave me alone,” I tell her.
“Okay, then I’ll go when they return. Listen, there’s no reason to panic until we know for sure.”
I nod and numbly grab the hand towel, drying my hands. She’s right. There’s no reason to think that this is anything other than a stomach bug. I can’t be pregnant. Not now. Now with all this going on.
I just… I just can’t be.
22
ALEXEI
The cabin sits on about half of an acre of land so it’s going to take us a little bit to survey the entire property. When we’re done, I’ll decide which other soldiers can come and patrol for me. I don’t relish the idea of doing so given the mistrust I have for my brothers at the moment, but it’s going to prove too much for Dmitri, Anya, and me to do alone if things get really bad.
I still have the hope that I can convince Father to call this whole thing off, but I’m still at a loss as to how. At least Pavel is with me. I’ll need to call him in a little while to let him know that we’re safe.
“You’re quiet, Brother,” Dmitri says in Russian. “What’s on your mind?”
I scoff. “This situation. What else?”
“Don’t take offense to this, but I have to ask?—”
“I had nothing to do with Pecora,” I tell him, reading his mind. He nods in acceptance.
“I would tell you if I did it,” I add. “It makes no sense not to let you know the entire scope of this situation.”
“Right.” He pauses as he looks over the tree line at the edge of the property. We’re both armed with rifles, cocked and ready for anything that might try us from the darkness of the trees and beyond. The shadows from the tree trunks near us are starting to grow long as the afternoon sunlight moves across the sky above us. We keep walking, making our way back around and heading toward the cabin.
“What I can’t figure out,” I tell Dmitri, “is who shot him. I know it has to be one of Father’s men, but…”
I can feel Dmitri’s eyes on me. “But what?”
“He specifically asked me to handle it,” I tell him. “In fact, he was angry at me because he thinks I fucked it up.”
