“And I never suspected.” He turned back to his enemy. “How did you contrive that, Boroskov? You stayed away from the Haven, but I should have smelled you.”
“You didn’t notice the scent of cologne about Johanna’s person?” he asked. “I’ve found that it masks subtler odors wonderfully well.”
“You have execrable taste in cologne.”
“Ah. I’m wounded to the quick.” Boroskov touched his heart. “Yes, to Johanna I was Feodor Bolkonsky, fellow practitioner to the insane and mentally afflicted, spokesman for little May Ingram’s bereaved father.”
“Who is he?” Johanna demanded, her gaze fixed on Boroskov. She moved to Quentin’s side, her shoulder brushing his. The contact sent his pulse spiralling. “Why has he done this, Quentin? What does he want with you?”
Of course. Boroskov had tried to kidnap May, but the girl wasn’t what he wanted. His failure had been temporary. His real prey had come to him.
“Such a curious human,” Boroskov commented. “Perhaps you ought to explain, Quentin, before she grows faint with confusion.”
Quentin laughed, the movement hurting his chest. “Johanna? You don’t know her, Boroskov.”
“But I do. Please, the introductions.”
Quentin bowed with heavy irony. “Johanna, may I present Stefan Boroskov,” he said, deliberately omitting the Russian’s title. “His family and mine have been acquainted for many generations. He is… like me.”
Johanna understood. “A loup-garou,” she said. She reached behind her to touch May’s arm.
“Ah, she knows!” Boroskov said. “My informant at the Haven did not.”
“Your informant?” Johanna put in.
“Irene DuBois. She gave me information about you and the Haven even before I first contacted you, my dear doctor. We loups-garous have certain… talents. I would have learned all I needed to know even had Irene not been so easy to manipulate. Because of her eagerness to cooperate, and her considerable acting talents, I was able to conveniently arrange my various distractions.” He clucked at Johanna. “You didn’t keep your records and notes locked away. Not at all wise.”
“That explains—” Johanna began. Her expression hardened. “You promised to take Irene away in exchange for her help in kidnapping May.”
“Among other things. But those are mere details. Of course Irene didn’t know of Quentin’s nature, nor my own. Yet you and May do. Who else among your patients has guessed, I wonder?”
“None,” Quentin lied. By now at least two others did, but he wasn’t about to jeopardize them by suggesting otherwise. Boroskov despised humans, and would not tolerate a perceived threat of any kind. “Did you think I’d go about advertising it?”
“Who knows what a drunkard might do in his cups? Did you ever cure him of that, Johanna? But I digress. You were about to elucidate our relationship, Quentin, when I so rudely interrupted.”
Quentin grasped at the change of subject. “Of course.” He turned to Johanna. “The Forsters and the Boroskovs have been… at odds for many years. Five years ago, Stefan and his brother attempted to kill my brother, Braden, the earl of Greyburn, in a treacherous fight, hoping to capture the leadership of the loups-garous. The Boroskovs lost, and Braden sent them home with their tails between their legs. He chose not to kill them, though it was his right to do so.” He smiled, showing his teeth. “Apparently it was a mistake.”
Boroskov shook his head. “I don’t know how much you’ve told her before, Quentin, but I fear you haven’t made matters any less confusing for our doctor. You see, my dear girl, he has not defined the political complexities of our society, to which few humans are privy. He has also neglected to mention the reason behind his family’s hatred for mine.”
“Milena,” Quentin said. “His sister and Braden’s former wife, who betrayed and blinded him before she herself died.”
As he expected, Boroskov’s face contorted in anger. “Was murdered. Alas, that I don’t have time to explain the truth, Johanna.”
“Your society,” Johanna said to Quentin, as if Boroskov hadn’t spoken. “Are there so many of you?”
“We’re scattered, but there are still a few hundred families working to preserve our race,” Quentin said. “Within human society, we live as humans. Away from it, we have our own rules, our own way of life. It is not always an ideal existence.”