Drantos (VLG Series Book 1)

by Laurann Dohner

  “You’re right. He is an asshole but I’m still hoping he leaves us something in his will. Why should it go to total strangers?” Bat huffed. “You say I’m the negative, jaded one. You have more compassion for strangers than you do for your own family. He was our mother’s father.”

  “He’s an asshole who had plenty of money but didn’t step in when we needed help. We had to sell the home we lived in with our parents, Bat! We survived on peanut butter sandwiches a lot of times and lived in hellholes just to have a roof over our heads. What kind of jerk lets that happen?”

  “Blame me,” Bat whispered. “I probably made bad decisions. Maybe there was another way to get by that I couldn’t think of at the time.” Tears filled her eyes. “I should have sent you to college first at least. I would have made it easier on you if I had just let go of my dream.”

  “You earned those scholarships, Bat. I wasn’t letting you waste the help they offered.” Dusti looked away, hating to hear Bat’s guilt one more time. There was no reason for it. “Just stop. We’ve had this argument a thousand times. I’m not mad at you. You’re an awesome attorney, even if I think you’re working on the wrong side of the law. You’re doing what you love. I’m just pissed that our grandfather could have sent money to help us out. He’s rich enough that it wouldn’t have been any skin off his nose. He didn’t.”

  She looked back at her sister. “He deserves to die alone and miserable. We shouldn’t even be here because neither one of us owes him a second of our time.” She curled her hands in her lap. “I don’t give a shit about the money. I like my life just fine the way it is. I’m used to struggling. It builds character.”

  Bat smiled. “You remember me saying that, huh?”

  “All the time, usually when I was bitching about whatever lame job I had to deal with in high school.” Dusti smiled back. “We don’t need anything from him.”

  “It’s just a few days of our time. We go, see what he wants, and leave. Perhaps he regrets his actions, or lack thereof.”

  “Fat chance. He’s a dick, Bat.” Dusti addressed Drantos once more. “He doesn’t care about us. Do you understand what I’m saying? It would be a mistake if someone were to think otherwise. We’re nobody to him and not worth anyone’s time if they have a grudge against that bastard. I could totally relate to it if someone did. The only reason I’m here is to spend time with my sister, since she doesn’t take vacations. This is the first one she’s had in five years. Plus, I don’t want her alone with that asshole. I never liked him as a kid and I still don’t. I believe he tried to molest our mother, or something equally terrible. She told us to stay away from him, to tell her if he ever contacted us, and you don’t do that with a loving grandparent.”

  “I’ll kick his ass if he’s some kind of pervert,” her sister muttered. “I’m the meaner of the two of us.”

  Drantos silently watched Dusti. She held his gaze. In the firelight his dark blue stare had taken on golden flecks that she hadn’t noticed before. He had gorgeous eyes, framed with thick, long black eyelashes. Even their shape was attractive, kind of exotic looking. He’d be extremely handsome if his bone structure wasn’t so severe.

  “I understand,” he acknowledged softly.

  Dusti relaxed slightly and turned her attention to the other passengers who had survived the crash. Most of them were sleeping but a few remained sitting upright. They huddled together in small groups, talking. A couple of them had been severely injured but were hanging in there.

  Bat fiddled with her clothes, which drew Dusti’s attention.

  “Your suit is ruined. You can try to smooth out that skirt until your hands fall off but it’s toast. Were you able to find our suitcases?”

  “No. The belly of the plane ripped open so the bags were scattered all over the place. It was getting too dark to widen the search. We only brought back those few suitcases so people could use whatever clothes were in them to help keep warm tonight. I’ll look again in the morning. Until then, I’m stuck wearing this. I refuse to put on some stranger’s outfits.” Bat tried to button her jacket.

  “Give it up,” Dusti urged.

  “I’m trying to do something, anything. I’m not used to just sitting around, and I’m hungry.”

  Drantos stood. “Kraven forgot to pass out the food you salvaged from the plane before he went hunting. I’ll do that now so you can eat something while we wait. Just say my name if you need anything. I have very good hearing.” He shot Dusti another warning look before moving away.

  “Weird guys, huh?” Bat watched him walk to the pile of stuff on the ground. “I’m totally getting ‘future client’ vibes off both of them but they don’t have dead eyes, so I think we’re safe.”

  “It scares me that you can say shit like that. Dead eyes?”

  “You’d know if you saw them. Trust me.”

  Dusti lowered her voice. “Bat, we need to get out of here and away from them.”

  “Fuck that! Those guys were raised in Alaska, and look at what they’ve done so far. They handled setting up a camp and built a fire. There’s no way I’m going to go walking into the woods to get lost searching for a cabin or a house that might have a working phone. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Our best hope of being rescued is to stay beside the crash site. I’m sure there’re plenty of signs from above that we went down, where the plane took out those trees. It will probably resemble a path from way up there when the search planes fly over. Like it or not, we’re stuck with these guys, and trust me, I’m not happy with that concept. Kraven is a lunatic.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But he’s hot.”

  Astonishment tore through Dusti. She glanced at Drantos to find him watching her from not too far away. He was close enough to overhear them. She didn’t dare warn her sister of the real danger yet. “You’re attracted to Kraven? Do you have a concussion? I realize you were thrown out of your seat into the aisle and hit your head. You still have a mark on the side of your temple. He’s not your type, Bat. A briefcase isn’t surgically attached to his hand and he doesn’t have news anchor helmet-head hair.”

  Bat smirked. “I did hit my head but nothing is wrong with my eyesight. I see the way Biker Bear there has his eye on you, and how you keep watching him when you think he’s not looking.” Bat climbed to her feet. “I have to pee. I’ll be back.”

  “But—”

  Dusti talked to air as her sister disappeared into the tree line.

  She sighed. She needed to warn her sister about the brothers but she feared Drantos would hurt them if he knew she’d tried. Her attention returned to the man, only to witness him glaring at the area her sister had disappeared into. He shoved a bottle of water at a passenger before storming in that same direction.

  “Drantos!” She pushed herself up to a standing position, feeling a second of dizziness. His head snapped in her direction and he shot her a seriously pissed look as she caught up with him at the tree line. “She had to go to the bathroom. You don’t want to follow her into the woods. She’ll be right back.”

  He’d gripped her arms in a heartbeat and jerked her into the woods. In seconds, she found herself out of the firelight with her back pressed against the bark of the nearest tree.

  Drantos glared down at her, his tight hold on her arms nearly bruising. She could see his features since he faced the fire behind her in the small clearing.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “Nothing! I swear.”

  His suspicious gaze narrowed. He released her arm, hesitated, and then cupped her cheek gently with his big warm hand. He lowered his face to hers, making her heart pound. She was pretty sure he planned to kiss her.

  She jerked her head back when his hot breath fanned over her parted lips.

  He froze. “I want some answers, and you’re going to give them to me.”

  She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “Okay. Just please don’t hurt us.”

  That response made his gaze narrow even more. “I’v
e never harmed a woman before.” He tilted his head a little, his focus lowered to roam down her body then back up. “You smell totally human. I couldn’t get a good read on you before and thought it might just be your clothes. Some of us borrow already-worn clothing to fool the senses of others.” Their gazes met again. “I take it your mother mated to one? You have human blood?”

  Dusti stared up at him while his words sank in. “Shit. Seriously?”

  He frowned. “Just answer the question. It’s important.”

  Then it sank in that something was really wrong with Drantos.

  She had a friend from high school who’d become paranoid and antisocial in his late twenties. He’d been diagnosed bipolar after a group of their friends had gone to check on him. They’d discovered he’d used rolls of aluminum to wrap all the walls of his apartment and screamed at them about how no one was safe. They’d called an ambulance. The meds they’d put him on helped him stay more rational, but she was familiar with how a chemical imbalance could mess with someone’s sanity.

  It was possible the guy in front of her had the same medical condition. He even sounded like Greg. It had all been about humans vs. aliens for her friend.

  “Human? Is that what you said? It’s bad enough that you’re a possible kidnapper-for-ransom bad guy, but you’re also off your meds, aren’t you? Of course I’m human! So are you. You said my mother mated to one? Really? Mated? This is the planet Earth.” She shook her head. “Could my day get any worse? What’s next? A meteor shower? A forest fire? Maybe rabid squirrels will attack us.”

  He slowly smiled. “I enjoy your sense of humor.” His smile fled. “Maybe you don’t know my scent, but I’m the same as your mother was. Cut the act.”

  He was totally bonkers. She normally wouldn’t have messed with someone like him and just backed away, but he had her pinned where she stood. “You used to be a woman?” She looked him up and down. “That’s the best sex change I’ve ever seen. Wow. Impressive. I never would have guessed. You might want to back down on the male hormone shots. I think you’ve overdosed on them.”

  “What?” He looked angry.

  “You just said you were what my mom was. She was a woman. Were you born a little girl and then had a sex change? Otherwise, I wouldn’t say that.” She smirked.

  He studied her face and then paled a little. “Shit. You’re not acting, are you? You don’t know, do you?”

  “Know what? That you’re bipolar and went off your meds? I’m understanding that fact real quick. Didn’t your doctors warn you that you’d lose your grasp on reality if you stopped taking them? Let me guess. You felt better and thought you were cured. Listen, the only way for you to be functional is to continue taking your pills. Do you have them with you? Let’s find you some water, okay? You’ll feel much better within a few days once you’re back on them.”

  He stayed quiet for long seconds, studying her face again, until she shifted her body from the uncomfortable moment. His eyes closed and his head tilted back.

  “Shit. You have no clue.”

  “Believe me, I do.” She patted him awkwardly. “I have a friend like you. He goes off his meds sometimes too. It’s going to be fine. Where are your pills? I’ll help you. You’ve obviously stopped taking them, which has led you to think up some crazy scenario that will land your ass in prison if you end up hurting someone. Rethink it. My grandfather might be a dick but he’s a human one. He’s not some alien bad guy trying to attack Earth or whatever you think.”

  “I don’t take meds.”

  “Of course you didn’t. That’s why you’re like this.”

  He grew angry. “Shut it now. I’m not crazy.”

  He wasn’t about to listen to reason. That was apparent. She decided to play along with his delusions. It was possible to reach him if he had any compassion. “Fine. All I’m asking is that you don’t take it out on us if he doesn’t do whatever you want. I’m serious about how he never lifted a finger to help us. I think he tolerates Bat, so he may give you money for her, or whatever you demand, but don’t hold your breath when it comes to me. He flat-out didn’t even want me to come to Alaska and was kind of a prick when Bat mentioned bringing me. He told her no, but she never listens to anyone.

  “I came because I just wanted to spend time with her and—bonus—he’s dying. I really hated him as a kid. He treated me like I didn’t exist when he came to our house. Do you know what that does to a little girl? He made me cry at first, wondering what I’d done to make my own grandfather hate me. I finally came to the realization that he was just an asshole.”

  “I’m not going to ransom you. Is your illness real? Did you need that shot your sister gave you?”

  She bit back a curse. He was really into his delusions. “Of course. Like any sane person would want to be jabbed with needles. I’m not a drug addict. I don’t get high. I really needed it. It’s for my anemia. I have a rare form of it. Iron pills don’t work.”

  Drantos looked down at her, his gorgeous eyes seeming to study her again. “You’re flawed. Decker would consider that an embarrassment to his bloodline. I assume your sister doesn’t have to take any form of medications?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t think so, if Decker wants her to come to him.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “Whatever that means.”

  “It’s all about the bloodlines sometimes.” A thoughtful expression gripped his handsome features. “I believe I’m starting to figure out why he sent for your sister.”

  “Again with the whatever that means.”

  “There would have been a larger chance of birthing a weak-blooded child when your mother bred with your father. You’re flawed, as far as Decker is concerned, but your sister is still useful to him. You’re dependent on those shots. I take it that you’ve had this condition most, if not all of your life?”

  “I was diagnosed as an infant. It’s severe anemia, not a flaw or an illness. My body just doesn’t produce enough iron and I have to take supplements. We have that in common. Where are your pills? You need them just like I need my shots.”

  “With our people, any type of need for medicine makes you flawed. It means you’re weak. And you smell totally human.”

  He completely ignored her question about his pills. It irritated her. “What planet are you from? Mars? Saturn? I’m thinking Uranus.”

  He caressed her cheek. “Very funny.” He didn’t look amused. “Don’t scream or be afraid. I need to know how human you truly are.”

  That so doesn’t sound good for me, she thought, her body stiffening. She wanted to fight, to push him away, but instead held very still when he tilted his head to lower his face into the crook of her neck. A shiver ran down her spine and goose bumps broke out down her arms when his hot breath fanned her sensitive skin.

  She had no idea what he would do but fighting him would be as effective as trying to attack a tree. The blows would only hurt her hands, and she knew she couldn’t move the heavy guy away from her.

  Something warm and slightly wet dragged along the top of her shoulder. She gasped when pain jolted that area for a second before his warm tongue flicked where the pain had emanated from. Her eyes widened and her hands gripped his shirt. She pushed at him when she realized he had licked her.

  A deep growl sent her heart into overdrive but he didn’t budge an inch. His tongue left her skin but his hot breath against her neck remained. The sound he’d made reminded her of a vicious dog. It scared her.

  He stayed in that position, breathing on her neck, and kept her pinned against the tree. She stopped pushing when it was clear it didn’t work.

  “Not all human,” he rasped. “I can faintly taste it on you, but it’s very weak.” He suddenly chuckled. “You’re not ill. You’re just starving for what you really need. Marvilella’s bloodline is stronger in you than Decker’s is. Your father’s blood is also strong, and masks it.”

  The guy is flat-out bonkers, she realized, deciding he must be just like Greg. He
probably saw aliens everywhere, certain they were spying on Earthlings so they could attack one day.

  The smile that curved his mouth shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did when he lifted his head.

  “Your grandfather doesn’t realize what you are. You smell completely human and he took that at face value.”

  “Okay.” Dusti cleared her throat. “Can we go back to the fire now? I’m cold.”

  “You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”

  “Not a word.”

  “Do you know who Marvilella was?”

  “No.”

  He shook his head and his hand returned to cup her cheek. The pad of his thumb stroked her skin lightly. “She was your grandmother.”

  “My mom said her mother died when she was a teenager but it was too painful to talk about. They were really close. That was her name?” Dusti wasn’t sure if she could believe a word out of his mouth. His mind obviously wasn’t all there but he did seem to know more about her grandfather than she did. It was possible he knew about his wife. “What kind of weird name is that? It sounds European.”

  “She came from my clan and married your grandfather to bring peace between us.”

  Dusti let that statement settle into her brain. Nope, he’s totally unreasonable and gone, she concluded. Nothing he said made sense and it sounded as though he’d watched way too many movies. “Just stop. Let me go.”

  “You need to understand what you’ve been brought into. Decker Filmore is dangerous to you and your sister. You said yourself your mother warned you, that she disliked him. Bat said she died. Is that true?”

  “Yes.” She pushed at his chest again but he didn’t budge. “Nobody would lie about a horrible thing like losing both of their parents.”

  “Decker didn’t molest your mother. He killed your grandmother so she wouldn’t stand in his way anymore. That’s when your mother fled. We assumed she figured out it was no accidental death. He wanted to use his daughter to bargain with Aveoth. To Antina, death would have been preferable. Trust me. Now I understand why he’d want your sister to come to him. It’s the only way he could force Aveoth to break our alliance. Bat is his bargaining chip to start a war.”