[TAMIKO]
While his erasthai was worrying about him, Igor Konstantin had picked up the pace and was rushing through the woods.
He had considered running in his true form, but he figured that it would be hard explaining his appearance when he made it to where he was going but where was that anyway?
He surely didn't have someone to look out for, no?
Besides it wasn't like the lycan king would be out on this side of the world right? Well, a few more minutes and Igor Konstantin had reached his target, and even while he was sweating as fuck, the man had managed to be presentable.
"My Lord, you called for me," Igor said to the man who had come with a team of warriors. Igor Konstantin was bowing before the Elder of the group he had come to meet.
The barbarian was so familiar with this team that even if he was blind and had no sense of smell, he would still be able to identify them from their footsteps. He knew them all and by heart.
The man looked a little older than him though at first glance, it could easily be assumed that he and Igor were agemates. They both had a rough edge to them, but the Elder looked like he was ten times worse than Igor.
But then wasn't that something that came with the position of Eldership in the supernatural kingdom anyway, right?
"Rise," the Elder said and Igor respectfully lifted his head, careful not to let their eyes meet as that would be considered an abomination. This was someone that Igor respected so much.
He would probably go to hell and back for this man right here.
It was quite strange though because that was the same thing that Igor would do for Tamiko but would he really?
Standing there with the Elder and the warrior team, Igor felt like there was something that he wanted to say, however, he had maintained his silence, careful not to make the Elder angry.
"What are the reports on the subject?" the Elder asked, and instinctively the other warriors took seven steps back, because they could tell that this wasn't their conversation to hear.
Their Elder would tell them if there was anything that needed their attention, but until then, this wasn't theirs to listen in to.
"The subject is healthy. He just celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday along with the other werewolves of Grealor. He has been fitting well and even Alph Ashton has been doing his part very well.
"So far, there are no problems with him. Everything is going according to plan. We just have to wait a few more days to make everything believable. He is way too smart for his own good and well, Ashton slipped up earlier today and talked of Liana.
"He could screw us up, but I have a way to fix that. The subject trusts me, so that won't really be a problem," Igor said respectfully once again. He loved working with this man and enjoyed everything that they did together.
If anyone didn't know any better, they could have assumed that Igor and the Elder were mates. But that was far from the truth.
Though that didn't seem to matter right now, even as the Elder walked towards Igor, because the barbarian's eyes softened in the way his eyes softened around Tamiko.
Was Igor playing games though?
"That is good progress. And you, how are you doing? Does he suspect you? The plan needs to be foolproof and one mistake on your end and we will all be fucked," the Elder said as he closed the distance between him and Igor.
It was an intimidating step but Igor just stood there, unbothered, like he was sure that the man before him wouldn't be able to do anything to him. It was not shocking though, because they were both barbarians, and right now they were working together.
"My Lord, I am doing fine. Thank you," Igor responded and the Elder took that as a good response, given that he took a few steps back.
Igor looked so stiff though and while he stood there he seemed to be contemplating a lot of things. However, right now there weren't that many options for him to work with.
"Make sure the subject trusts you. Make sure that whatever you do doesn't raise suspicion and if Ashton is a menace, feel free to eliminate him.
"We have come far too long for this to be fucked up when we are so close to the main goal alright?" the Elder said and Igor just nodded. He knew how this was important to he Elder and he didn't want to fuck this up for him.
"I shall take my leave then, my Lord, because my absence is noticed. I am to be back with a hunt. I assume you caught a few animals on the way here, right?
"Perhaps my Lord would be so kind to share the meal so I won't seem suspicious for staying long?" Igor used and the Elder just smirked at him knowingly. Their plan had to work, even if he had to give up half of their ridings.
"Bring the medium catch, we must make sure everything is alright with Igor too," the Elder commanded, and the warriors walked forward with the medium hunt.
It was a deer, one that could easily be found in the Greater woods, so it wasn't going to be much of a shock to Tamiko and his friends.
"Thank you, my lord," Igor said before he took the catch and bowed one last time. It was then that he decided to make a run back to Tamiko's house.
He didn't mind that everything was suspicious as hell, but what mattered to him was that he pleased his Lord. It didn't matter who got hurt in the process. But until then, he had a facade to keep up and a plan to make sure went through.
"Oh hey, baby, I'm back with a deer," Igor said excitedly when he reached the house, only to find that Tamiko and his friend had fallen asleep already.
In his meeting with his Lord, Igor had lost track of time and while the conversation and then long, the distance to their meeting had taken at least forty-five minutes, and he had been going at his best speed.
"Shit, I was too late you had to get food from the Grealor kitchens?" Igor signed defeatedly as she looked at the deer in his arms and the bowls on the table.
He wished there was something he could do for Tamiko, but then the only thing that he had in mind right now, wasn't even making sense to him. Maybe he would find something else to explain tomorrow right?
"I'll do better, krushka," Igor whispered into the night as he carefully put the deer in the kitchen.
He didn't want to wake them up given they had been sprawled around the living room.
They looked like they had waited for him for long and Igor wished it didn't have to be this way. He wanted to say something, anything, but instead, he just walked into Tamiko's bedroom and for blankets to cover them up.
"Kosta, are you okay?" Tamiko's voice filled the room in a low whisper just as Igor was making his way out of the house, probably to get some air.