"They're coming?" Alexei asked as he sat in the chair offered to him. He had just arrived at the Jackals' headquarters and had gone straight to Nikolai's office, knowing they would already be waiting for him.
"They should be," Nikolai replied as he handed his master a steaming cup of coffee. "That's what the letters say. They'll likely arrive any moment now."
Alexei accepted it and took a sip. "Mmm." He set the cup down and looked at Nikolai, who had taken his seat beside Oskar, both positioned across from him. "Have you guys memorized the script? You'll need to sound convincing for this to work, like you truly mean every word."
Nikolai smiled faintly and shifted in his chair, settling more comfortably. "I have. Oskar practiced with me several times over the past few days, Master. Don't worry. I think we can handle this. Their intimidation didn't work on me during the interrogation, this will be even less effective without the beating."
Alexei studied him in silence for a moment before nodding. "Good. You two need to handle this on your own. As you know, I won't always be here to step in whenever someone comes here to negotiate, especially during the day."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm but firm. "Treat this as practice, if that helps. When they arrive, act tough, don't hesitate to negotiate, and don't let them control the pace of the conversation. When this is done, and they agree to our terms, we can finally move forward with our plans while maintaining the peace in our territory."
Both Oskar and Nikolai nodded. They already knew their master intended for them to lead the negotiations with the Okhrana operatives when the plan took place, and they were grateful for the trust he placed in them. Still, knowing and actually doing were two very different things. The weight of it settled in their chests all the same. What if they misspoke? What if they conceded too much, or too little? Too many what ifs lingered at the edges of their thoughts.
Alexei took one look at their expressions and couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't worry so much. Just do your best. We have something they need, which means they'll accept our terms, most of them, at least."
He then turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where Ivan stood half-hidden in the shadows. "Did you check the perimeter? I don't want any surprises while this meeting is underway."
Ivan shifted slightly, his face catching just enough light to be seen. "Yes, Master. I've stationed minions throughout the territory. We'll know immediately if anything is amiss."
Alexei smiled and clapped his hands once, drawing everyone's attention. "Good. Then everything is in place." He slipped a pocket watch from his coat and glanced at the time. "Now we simply wait for them to arrive."
He gestured toward the rear of the office. "I'll be in the back, listening to the entire conversation."
"Yes, Master," Nikolai replied at once, while both Oskar and Ivan merely nodded in silent acknowledgement.
With that, the tension in the room eased slightly, and the conversation drifted to quieter matters as they waited for the Okhrana operatives to arrive. Alexei didn't know who the Okhrana would send, though he hoped it might be someone familiar.
They just started their conversation about how they could check and screen the people of their newly conquered territory with socialist leanings when a knock sounded at the door. Their conversation stopped at once.
A moment later, a voice sounded from the other side, low and respectful. "They're here. They asked to speak with boss Nik, the leader of the Jackals."
The four of them exchanged brief, knowing looks.
Alexei rose first, already stepping away from the desk. Without a word, he moved toward the back of the office, where a tall cabinet stood flush against the wall. Ivan followed a different path, crossing to the window. He pushed it open just enough to slip through, vanishing soundlessly into the cold outside to take up his position.
The cabinet shifted. A narrow seam appeared. Alexei slipped through the hidden door behind it, the panel closing silently behind him and sealing him within the concealed room beyond.
In the office, only Nikolai and Oskar remained.
They moved quickly and with purpose. Oskar straightened the chairs, adjusting their positions just enough to suggest authority without aggression. Nikolai shrugged into a more relaxed stance, rolling his shoulders once as if shaking off lingering tension. He took a steady breath, then another, schooling his expression into something calm and confident.
Oskar gave him a final look and a small nod.
Nikolai turned toward the door.
"Let them in," he said evenly.
"Got it, boss," a voice replied from outside.
Footsteps moved away down the corridor, fading until they were no longer audible. A short while later, new footsteps approached, this time more than one set. They stopped just outside the office, and a knock followed.
Nikolai took a deep breath and exhaled before he said. "Come in."
The door opened there after and two men came inside.
—---
Alexei settled comfortably against the wall, one shoulder resting lightly against the cold stone as he leaned in to listen to the conversation unfolding in the other room. The hidden chamber was narrow and dim, designed more for secrecy than comfort, but he scarcely noticed. His attention was fixed on the voices beyond the wall, on every pause, every shift in tone and the scraps of the chairs against the floor they sat down.
Anna wanted him to handle the meeting himself, but he had refused. He couldn't always be there for them to handle this kind of thing in the future. He hadn't built himself an organization in the dark only for him to handle everything himself. Micromanaging was not in his agenda from the start but delegation.
His minions were capable men, loyal, sharp, and proven in blood and planning alike. Yet leadership was more than strategy and force. It was knowing how to sit across from men who smiled while weighing your wits and usefulness, how to listen to threats wrapped in courtesy, how to negotiate without revealing anything important. Alexei could not always be there to do that for them. Nor should he be.
If he wanted his gang and minions to endure and survive for years, then they needed leaders who could think, decide and act without him standing at their backs.
This meeting, this careful dance with the Okhrana over the revolutionaries who had tried to entangle the Jackals, his own gang, was the perfect lesson. The stakes were high enough to matter, but not so high that a single misstep would doom them all.
If they faltered and failed on this one, Alexei could always work behind the scenes for the Okhrana to change their minds whenever needed. But if they succeeded, the confidence and experience they gained would be worth far more than a year's worth of profits from their brothels and gambling dens.
Delegation, he reminded himself, was the key. Only then could he reclaim time for himself, time at night to cultivate and rest.
He had thought long and hard about how to carve out that time. This was the solution he had chosen. His father had already agreed to lighten his daytime obligations and had even provided for him a convenient excuse to do so. The only remaining battle was the night.
He knew his minions would need more than this. They would need a lot more experience, pressure, and hard lessons to become what he required them to be. And he would give them all of it, no matter the cost.
From the other side of the wall came the murmur of voices as the meeting began.
Alexei closed his eyes briefly, listening.
This was both their trial and their lesson, and he intended to hear the results of it, firsthand.
The initial courtesies did not last long. He could hear it in the cadence alone, the subtle tightening of words, the deliberate pauses meant to intimidate. The Okhrana operatives pressed forward, their approach familiar and crude in its confidence. Authority was their weapon, and they wielded it so openly. Consequences were implied, then sharpened. Arrests. Raids. Names were said and threatened. Their expectation and want was clear: obedience in exchange for tolerance.
Alexei felt no surprise. This was how they always began. He had been to one of the cells in the St. Petersburg division and was lucky enough to witness how they talk to people not their own.
What followed drew his full attention.
Nikolai did not rise to the bait. There was no spike in his voice, no hurried justification, no defensive edge. Instead, he answered with an almost careless calm, as though the threats carried little weight. Alexei could picture it easily, Nikolai leaning back, shoulders loose, eyes steady. Unimpressed. He chuckled silently at the picture.
The response unsettled them. Alexei heard it in the slight disruption of rhythm, the momentary overlap of voices as the operatives recalibrated.
Nikolai made it clear that the Jackals were not bound to the city itself. Territory was valuable, yes, but not irreplaceable. If pressure became unbearable, they would simply leave and melt away to other cities or countries. They will hand over the streets and territories under them to the revolutionaries, and let the Okhrana handle the consequences themselves.
That was the knife.
Alexei smiled, impressed at how Nikolai delivered it.
It was not a threat, not truly. It was an option presented with unsettling sincerity. The implication was devastating for the operatives, the Jackals did not need the Okhrana's goodwill to survive, but the Okhrana very much needed the Jackals to get and arrest the revolutionaries that lingered within this part of St. Petersburg.
Silence followed after what Nikolai had said.
Alexei heard chairs shift again, slower this time. The weight in the room beyond the wall had changed. The tension that had tightened his nerves when the Okhrana presented their demands began to ease. Nikolai was learning, he had a talent for this kind of work, despite his past mistakes, and that realization brought Alexei a quiet sense of relief and satisfaction.
The voices beyond the wall gradually softened, their sharp edges blunted by reluctant compromise. The cadence of the exchange slowed, stretched thin by careful wording and measured restraint. Alexei listened until even that faded, replaced by the scrape of chairs being pushed back and the muted thud of boots against the floor.
The meeting was ending.
He did not move right away.
Instead, he waited, counting the seconds by habit and by instinct. He listened for the telltale signs of departure, the opening of the office door, the low murmur exchanged in the corridor, footsteps retreating down the hall. Only when the sounds had fully dissipated did he allow himself to shift.
Another pause followed. Deliberate and cautious.
Satisfied that the Okhrana operatives were truly gone, Alexei reached for the concealed latch. The hidden panel slid open without a sound, revealing the familiar outline of the office beyond. He stepped out smoothly, closed the door behind him, and restored the wall to its seamless state. Then he returned to his previous seat, the one he had occupied before the operatives arrived.
Not long after, Nikolai and Oskar reentered the office.
Alexei did not speak at once. He merely smiled, watching them as they took their seats across from him. The silence stretched, not tense, but expectant.
It was Oskar who finally broke it.
"So," he said, unable to hold back any longer, "how did we do, Master?"
Alexei's smile widened just a fraction.
"You guys did well," he said at last, his voice calm but certain. "Better than well in fact."
Nikolai straightened slightly at that, while Oskar let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"You both have the talent to be leaders in your own right," Alexei continued. "You didn't overreact to their threats, and you didn't give away anything that truly mattered. Most importantly, you controlled the pace of the conversation. They came in expecting obedience, and they left weighing consequences. You followed the script to the letter and improvised where it was necessary. I'm proud of both of you."
Both of them smiled at his words, the tension finally easing from their expressions.
Alexei leaned back in his chair, folding his hands loosely. "There will come a day when I don't need to be here in person to watch how you guys handle these meetings, conflicts and negotiations. I truly hope it will come soon as I have found myself with little personal time lately."
He paused, then waved a hand dismissively. "Enough of that. They said they'll be coming back soon, didn't they?"
Nikolai nodded, his expression turning serious once more. "Yes. They said they'd return with an answer." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "But what if they decide to attack us instead, rather than give us what we asked for in exchange for the revolutionaries' whereabouts?"
"Don't worry," Alexei said, shaking his head slightly, entirely unbothered. "I'll handle that part myself. If they decide to attack, I'll make sure we're prepared to abandon everything and lie low for a while. But I doubt it will come to that."
He shifted a little in his seat to get more comfortable, his tone calm, almost assured. "The current prime minister is very hands-on when it comes to hunting these revolutionaries. They've even started calling the hanging rope at the execution grounds Stolypin's necktie. Have you heard of that?"
A faint, grim smile crossed his face.
"So I'm fairly confident they'll accept our terms."
"I see," Nikolai said, nodding in understanding.
Oskar glanced around the room before asking, "Ivan didn't come back?"
"He's tailing the operatives," Alexei replied calmly. "Making sure they leave our territory safely."
"Oh." Oskar scratched the back of his head. "Can I ask you about something else, Master?"
"Of course," Alexei said with a nod. "What is it?"
"What's our next course of action after this?" Oskar asked. "I mean… who are we going to deal with next?"
Alexei didn't answer immediately. He studied Oskar evenly, his expression thoughtful. The truth was, he hadn't settled on a target yet. His attention had been focused on securing their newly acquired territory and establishing a working relationship with the Okhrana. Anything beyond that was still fluid.
After a moment, he spoke at last. "I don't know yet. For now, we consolidate our hold on the new territory and clean it of anyone detrimental to us. Once that's done, we'll decide our next move."
Oskar nodded, his expression turning thoughtful.
Noticing that, Alexei couldn't help but ask, "Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing, Master," Oskar replied sheepishly. "I was just curious."
Alexei chuckled at Oskar's antics.
"Anyway," he said, straightening slightly, "here's what you guys need to do next."
The mood in the room shifted at once. Nikolai and Oskar leaned in, their earlier ease replaced by quiet focus as Alexei laid out his instructions for what to do next when the Okhrana's answer arrived and if they needed to evacuate if the worst came to them.
Throughout it all, Alexei spoke calmly.
When he finished, the room fell quiet for a moment as the weight of his words settled.
Nikolai nodded first, firm and resolute. Oskar followed, his usual levity replaced by a rare seriousness.
"We understand," Nikolai said. "We'll handle all of it, master."
Alexei studied them both, then nodded in approval. "Good. If you guys have questions, you can ask Ivan or Anna about it when I'm not around."
He then stood up, stretched his legs and arms. "I think that's it for the night."
Oskar and Nikolai stood up at those words, knowing that their master would leave any moment now.
Alexei stepped closer and patted their shoulders. "Well done, boys. You're growing into strong, capable leaders. I hope to see even more of your potential in the future."
Nikolai smiled faintly. "All of this is thanks to you, Master. You gave us everything we have now."
Oskar nodded in agreement.
"What are you talking about?" Alexei said, meeting Nikolai's eyes directly. "Everything you have is the result of your own hard work." He then turned to Oskar, making sure the message reached him as well. "This…" he gestured around the room, "...this is just the beginning. If you keep working hard, whatever you gain in the future will be because of your own efforts too. Keep that in mind, both of you. Alright?"
Both Nikolai and Oskar answered at once. "Yes, master."
That tone of their master's voice had a way of putting them on edge sometimes. Even though they knew that he was only educating them, they could still sense something dangerous beneath it whenever he spoke like that. It wasn't anger, nor disappointment, but a reminder of expectations that could not be ignored. In moments like this, all they could do was nod and accept it, just as they had now.
"Good," Alexei said. "I'll be leaving while it's still early. Don't forget to send my regards to Anna and the others."
"Be safe, master."
He nodded to them and turned toward the door. Just before stepping through, he paused and looked back.
"Wait for Ivan," he added calmly. "And ask him to confirm that the operatives have truly left our territory."
When they nodded, he turned and left, the door closing quietly behind him.
Outside, he acknowledged the Jackals stationed on guard with a brief nod and continued on without slowing. It didn't take long before he had cleared the premises, passing through the gates. He paused only once, glancing back at the single building at the heart of the headquarters. Through an upper window, he could make out Nikolai and Oskar watching him leave.
He nodded to them one last time. Then he turned away and disappeared into the night.
Alexei did not head straight back to the palace. Instead, he ran toward the outskirts of the city, where he had left his wolves earlier. He had brought them out of the palace knowing they could jump the walls now, albeit with some difficulty, but he couldn't keep them confined there all the time. Wolves that were treated only as pets would eventually lose their savage edge, and that was something he did not want. He hadn't sacrificed a portion of his essence just to keep companions that were tame and soft.
He wanted them to remain what they were meant to be.
And there was no better place for that than the outskirts of the city, where they could hunt, roam, and be themselves, even if only for a few hours each night.
After nearly twenty minutes of running, he reached the place where he had left them and slowed to a stop, waiting. It didn't take long for him to sense their presence. Moments later, they emerged from the darkness.
They were dirty, with traces of blood around their mouths.
Alexei shook his head and smiled wryly. He hadn't accounted for them returning in such a state. It seemed he would have to clean them himself once they were back in his rooms at the palace. He approached them carefully, checking their condition first, making sure the blood was not human.
Only then did he set off again, the wolves falling into step beside him as they made their way back toward the palace.