“I am Russian,” she said with indifference, chin going up even further.
If she wasn’t careful, she’d give herself a crick in the neck, Beth thought, but said easily, “And this is North America, where the North American Council rules, and where that kind of thing is against our laws.”
“I am Russian,” Kira repeated, harshly this time. “And my father is head of Russian Council. He—”
“Yeah, yeah, he’s the big chief in Russia.” Beth waved her hand dismissively. “But again, this is North America, and you will follow the rules of the North American Immortal Council, or you will be subject to their punishments.”
“If you cut off head, my father will—”
“So you do know the punishment for feeding off mortals here,” Beth interrupted mildly.
Kira snapped her mouth shut and glared at her.
“The Council was concerned that perhaps you did not know our laws, or that you thought you had some sort of diplomatic immunity because of your father’s position in Russia,” Beth said lightly. “However, that’s obviously not the case.”
Beth paused briefly, and then, in a gentle voice, continued, “This is the only warning you will get. They will cut off your head if you feed off even one more mortal.” She paused again, testing the girl’s thoughts before adding, “That seems a very high price to pay to punish your father for being overbearing.”
“He is overbearing,” Kira exclaimed bitterly. “He is the bastard. It is always ‘do what I say, go where I send you, be what I want.’”
Beth shrugged without sympathy. “There are worse things fathers can do.”
Kira blinked and then narrowed her eyes, obviously reading her thoughts and memories. Beth let her, not trying to hide her history or what her own father had done.
“Your father is bastard too,” Kira growled when she finished.
Beth nodded solemnly.
Kira hesitated, and then moved to sit at the table with her. She stared at Beth in silence for a moment, and then said softly, “I almost would rather my father send me to brothel than kill my love, Bogdan.”
Beth opened her mouth, and then paused and read the girl’s mind, wincing when she saw a naked young immortal being pulled from a bed of rumpled silk sheets as an equally naked Kira tried to hold on to him and begged for his life. Her cries had no effect, and she had to watch as he was dragged out of her room through a pair of French doors to be beheaded. His blood was vivid crimson against the white snow.
Blinking the visions away, Beth considered the girl, knowing Kira had let her see those memories on purpose. They had been too clear and not at all disjointed as thoughts often were when you were reading someone who was trying to veil their thoughts.
Kira had let her see more than that, though. She’d let Beth see thoughts and feelings that were clearly a cry for help. Frowning, she asked, “Was he your life mate?”
“My father says no,” she admitted sadly. “But I loved him.”
Beth covered her hand and squeezed gently.
Seeming to take strength from that, Kira sat up straight again and said with disgust, “My father tried to make it up to me by promising I could attend any school I wished.”
“And you picked this one,” Beth murmured.
“My father hates Lucian Argeneau,” she announced, her jaw tight. “Lucian Argeneau is in Canada, and so—”
“So you wanted to attend a school in Canada,” Beth finished for her.
“Da,” Kira said with a nod. “He was furious, but he could not refuse because he had promised.”
“Why didn’t you pick a university closer to where Lucian lives, then?” Beth asked with curiosity. “Say, in Toronto or something? That would have made him even angrier.”
Kira made a sound of disgust. “I did not realize the country was so big. I thought I would be close enough to both California and Toronto.”
Beth stared at the girl for a minute, reading her state of mind again, and then said, “You plan to feed off a mortal the moment we leave and force the Council to have you beheaded.”
Kira shrugged wearily. “My Bogdan is dead. What is there to live for?”
“I don’t know,” Beth admitted. “But it’s a shame you’re willing to give up so easily when there are still so many ways to punish your father. I mean, sure he’ll be upset when you die, but he’ll get over that and move on. It seems to me there are better ways to make him suffer for longer.”
Kira lifted her head and peered at her uncertainly. “Like what?”
Beth shrugged. “You could always drop out of the university here, move to Toronto and see if you couldn’t train to become a Rogue Hunter for the North American Council. That would probably really piss him off.”
Kira sat up straight again, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “That truly would infuriate him.”
“Especially since you’d be training and working under Lucian. He runs the hunters. I’d imagine that would be like a thorn in your father’s side every single day for as long as you did it.”
“Da,” Kira breathed with building interest.
“But Rogue Hunters cannot feed off the hoof,” Beth pointed out.
Kira waved that away. “I prefer my blood cold anyway. Is disgusting to me off the hoof. I only did that to—” Pausing abruptly, she met Beth’s gaze and smiled sheepishly. “You knew I did not like to feed directly from mortals.”
Beth smiled. “Yeah, I kind of picked up on that when I first read your mind.”
Kira nodded, and then asked anxiously, “Do you really think I could be a hunter?”
“I think now is the perfect time for you to sign up for it. We are shorthanded at the moment and desperate for help.”
Kira grinned. “I have some training already. I am a good shot with a gun and a bow and arrow. I trained with swords and even took some martial arts.”
Beth raised her eyebrows. “Then I definitely think they will be interested in hiring you.”
Kira smiled, and then reached out to squeeze Beth’s hand. “Thank you. You have given me something to live for.”
Squeezing her hand back, Beth nodded and then stood. “We fly back to Toronto the day after tomorrow. The plane leaves at noon. You can come with us if you wish.”
“Da, I wish,” Kira said determinedly. She got to her feet as well and then glanced at her bodyguards with a frown.
“They can come too if you like,” Beth assured her. “There is room.”
“In truth, I would rather they not come,” Kira said with a grimace. “But they will insist, and if I refuse them, my father will probably cut off their heads too.”
“Charming,” Beth murmured, moving toward the door as Scotty opened it. Spotting Matias across the hall flirting with a young redhead, Beth said, “Matias, give Kira the address of the airport we landed at.”
“I will text you!” Matias said, smiling at Kira.
Beth raised her eyebrows and glanced to the Russian girl. “You know each other? He has your number?”
“Da. He is terrible flirt . . . and persistent,” she added, rolling her eyes. “I gave him number to shut him up.”
Chuckling, Beth offered her hand. “I hope to see you there on Sunday.”