“I want,” Drantos softly rumbled. “Bad.”
“No shit. You’re about to bust your zipper and I’m really going to mental hell for noticing that. I can smell the damn lust; it’s so thick I’m about to choke on it. Take a walk and have some private time to deal with your issue. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you and your hand need to get busy to prevent you from putting on a free porn show for everyone. That will curb some of your lust for now. You can’t touch her, Drantos. You know what will happen when you do. The last thing you’re going to want is to let her go once you’ve had her, and we need to get them to safety first. We don’t have a few days for you to create a bond.”
“Fuck,” Drantos cursed.
Dusti watched him stand. He refused to meet her gaze before he spun around to stomp out into the woods. She whimpered the second she lost sight of him. The reaction scared her, and worse, made her certain she had lost her mind.
Maybe someone had slipped her drugs. Maybe that iron shot Bat had given her had been defective and she was experiencing some freaky hyper-aphrodisiac reaction.
Kraven turned his head to frown at her. “Lay your ass down and curl up with your sister. It will pass now that he’s gone. Take some deep breaths. That will help too.”
Drantos couldn’t go far. His instincts demanded he keep Dusti within sight. His body hurt with the need to go to her and finish what he’d started. It became so strong he actually grabbed hold of a tree trunk to stay put.
Kraven had made a valid point. He wasn’t in control and Dusti was fragile. He might accidently cause her harm by being too rough. He needed to calm.
It helped as time passed and he breathed in fresh air that didn’t carry her scent. He hadn’t suspected she might be his mate when he’d tested her blood. She’d tasted good and had affected him, but the truth hadn’t really hit him until he’d been seducing her.
No damn way would Decker get Dusti. She was his.
He finally got his lust under control. Kraven’s suggestion of taking care of his own needs wouldn’t have fixed the problem. It was Dusti he wanted. The urge to protect her and keep her close overruled everything else. He slowly released the tree and returned to her side.
She lay facing her sister. Kraven sat behind Bat and regarded him with a frown. He glanced away from him to view the other passengers. Most of them had settled down to go to sleep or were already snoozing.
“You’re still pretty tense,” Kraven whispered. “You didn’t jack off.”
He clenched his teeth. “It won’t help.”
“Shit. I hope to never suffer what you are.”
He gently tucked the blanket closer to Dusti. She tensed, her body rigid. He knew she hadn’t fallen asleep. He pulled his hand back, too tempting to continue touching her. It wasn’t the time or the place.
“We need to get them out of here. I feel as if we’re sitting ducks.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Kraven reluctantly agreed. “It’s going to be tough traveling with them and they’ll slow us down…unless we give them a ride.”
He winced. Dusti didn’t believe anything he’d told her. She wasn’t prepared yet for the reality of how much her life had changed. He wanted to ease her into it, and seeing him in shift would terrify her. It would make her fight whatever attraction she felt toward him with more conviction. Terror tended to do that.
“No.” He glanced down at Dusti and then back at his brother. “Watch your words.”
“Showing is knowing,” his brother muttered.
“It’s too soon. It’s better to reveal ourselves slowly over time.”
“I understand your caution but that plan is going to hell if Decker’s enforcers find us before we can reach home. Is that really how you want her to learn the truth of your words? Did you even warn her how we look?”
Kraven had a point. Dusti would know he hadn’t lied if any of Decker’s clan found them. She’d be confronted with evidence in the form of what her eyes could actually see. The shock of seeing a shifted VampLycan in animal form might damage her mental health, since she was so resistant to everything he’d told her so far. He bit his lip, debating what to do.
Kraven continued, “Isn’t the most important thing getting them swiftly to where they’ll be safe and we have backup? We’re going to be outnumbered if Decker sends a dozen of his enforcers after us. You can deal with the fallout later.”
Drantos wasn’t so certain of that. Dusti had already suffered enough traumas in a short period of time. Humans could hear stories of other kinds of creatures and chalk it up to harmless fiction, but he’d heard of people whose minds had snapped when they were actually confronted by the world they didn’t know existed.
He focused on Dusti, picking up her rapid heartbeat. He reached out again and ran his hand over the blanket covering her hip. She shifted just slightly, pulling away. He let her.
“We’ll leave at first light—and walk it,” he decided. “Decker doesn’t know we’re with them. He’ll expect to find his granddaughters waiting here to be found by the rescue party and totally unprotected. We’ll skirt any areas where we think we might run into them. They’ll make a beeline for where they think the plane went down.”
“Damn it, Drantos.” Kraven bared his teeth. “You’re not being rational.”
“I’m being cautious, and I don’t want to traumatize her any more than necessary.” He left the rest unsaid, since Dusti could hear his every word. “She needs time to adjust to everything before it’s in her face.”
Kraven closed his eyes and long seconds passed before he held his gaze again. “You think she’ll reject you if she sees anything before she’s ready?”
“I’m certain of it. We’ll walk.”
“This one doesn’t even have shoes.” Kraven glanced at Bat. “I couldn’t find anything that would fit her. All she has are those high heels. Can you imagine a hike in the woods wearing those? She’ll break her ankle.”
“Are you out of shape?”
“Fuck you.”
“Then just deal with it. You wanted some sleep. Lie down and rest. We’re out of here at first light. We’ll make sure the passengers are kept warm and send them help if they haven’t been found by the time we reach our people. They’ll have to make it one night alone at the most. I figure we’ll reach home within twenty-four hours.”
“That’s pretty damn slow.”
“The terrain is going to be rough, and don’t forget the river. We’ll have to find a way to get them across it while keeping them dry at the same time. They’re weak and susceptible to hypothermia or catching a cold. I’m thinking we might have to build a little raft and float them over. The water is still going to be pretty cold. I’m not taking any chances with their health.”
“Shit.”
“Our people will be looking for us too, so I doubt it will take that long. They could run across us by nightfall tomorrow. Best situation.”
Kraven lay down, curling against Bat’s back. “You owe me.”
Drantos lay down and scooted closer to Dusti to keep the wind from hitting her back. He wanted to pull her into his arms but refrained. He desired her too much and it would be too tempting to do more than hold her.
Once he got her to his home, all bets were off. He’d take her. She wouldn’t be able to deny there was something special between them. He’d just have to help her learn to trust him before she discovered how different he could be from anyone else she’d ever known.
He knew there were still going to be issues once he took her home. His parents wouldn’t be thrilled that she was so weak-blooded. He was their firstborn. That came with responsibilities but he doubted they’d refuse to accept Dusti. They knew him too well. He’d leave before giving her up. His father would understand though. He knew the importance of a true bond.
Decker would probably try to come after Dusti and Bat, even if that meant he’d have to attack the clan to get them back. Drantos didn’t have to worry about anyone wanting to hand
Bat or Dusti over to prevent bloodshed. The clan would fight to the death to prevent Decker from becoming their leader. They’d stand up to him to make certain he couldn’t use either woman as leverage to force Aveoth into backing his plan to merge the clans, so he could become the sole leader of all VampLycans.
Drantos inhaled Dusti’s scent and couldn’t resist reaching up to brush his fingers through her hair. She sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t jerk away. He smiled.
He’d have to treat her like a timid animal that needed to learn how to trust. It was the best way to show her that he’d never hurt her. Patience wasn’t his strongest trait but he’d learn some—for her.
Chapter Four
The sun hadn’t risen yet when someone’s touch drew Dusti from sleep. Bat stirred next to her where they huddled together tightly under a blanket. They both shivered from the cold air as they sat up. The fire blazed strongly in the clearing but little of the warmth from it reached them. Dusti looked at Kraven, who crouched next to them.
“We need to leave now. Get up, go to the bathroom, and eat quickly. I figure the search-and-rescue planes will take off from the airport in Anchorage in less than an hour.”
“Go where?” Bat yawned. “You think the rescue teams will find us soon?”
Dusti knew that wasn’t the plan. The brothers wanted them to hike away from the survivors so they wouldn’t be rescued with them. Whoever they believed their grandfather would send looking for them would probably arrive before help did. Dusti wondered if Bat remembered anything from the night before, but one look at her sister’s calm expression assured her she had no memory of what Kraven had done to knock her out.
Bat stood. “Damn. It’s too cold.” She bent, grabbed one of the blankets, and wrapped it tightly around her body as she walked in the direction of the woods. “I’ll be right back if my girl parts don’t freeze when I yank up my skirt.”
Kraven sighed. “Hurry, and don’t go far.”
Dusti peered around the clearing. The survivors still slept and there wasn’t a sign of Drantos. Kraven seemed to guess who she was searching for.
“He’ll be back soon. He’s collecting more wood for the humans in case it takes another day for help to reach them. He doesn’t want them to die tonight when it gets cold. We’re hoping they’re found before nightfall but it’s best to take precautions.”
“These people are going to tell whoever finds them that you stole us. You won't get away with this. The police will be looking for Bat and I.”
“Our people will contact the proper authorities to say you both are safe once we reach home. Drantos will let it slip to a few of the passengers that we're going to go search for help so they aren't worried. ”
“That’s pretty nice, considering you’re planning on kidnapping my sister and me. Criminals with a conscience? How thoughtful.”
He snorted. “You have no idea what kind of danger your sister is in. If we’re guessing right about Decker’s plans, she’ll live a life of pure hell if your grandfather gets ahold of her. Aveoth isn’t the nicest person.” He paused. “And my brother realized you’re not as human as your scent. I’d be worried about your own ass, too, if I were you. Aveoth may settle for you if he can’t have your sister. Your grandfather could figure out he was wrong about your bloodlines if he gets his hands on you.”
She remembered the strange tale from the night before. “Are you just humoring your brother, or do you believe that story he told me about Vampires and Werewolves, too?”
“You wish it were just a strange tale. It’s history. Your mother was a VampLycan. Your grandfather is a crazy son of a bitch who wants to start a war. Everything Drantos said is true.”
“Aveoth is a GarLycan, right? Half Lycan and half Gargoyle? It sounds as if he’d be a man with a heart of stone.” She smiled at her own joke.
“Cute. The heart-of-stone part would be misleading since I doubt he has one at all. His own clan is terrified of him. His viciousness is well known to our clans and it means your grandfather will gain too much power if he makes an alliance with Aveoth by using your sister as a bargaining tool.”
“And that would be bad in your weird world?”
Anger narrowed Kraven’s light blue eyes. “Yes. Decker isn’t happy just running his own clan anymore. He wants total control. He doesn’t agree with how some of the other leaders rule their people. He’d kill everyone who opposes him if given the opportunity. He can’t take on three clans and win. He’d get his ass handed to him unless he gets the GarLycan leader to side with him. That’s going to more than even out the odds.”
“These Gargoyle-and-Werewolf things are worse than VampLycans, huh?”
He hesitated. “Yes. We’re strong but they are damn near invincible. They fly and can turn their bodies into armor. The combination is deadly to anyone they go after. The GarLycans would help your grandfather’s clan slaughter the rest of us if Aveoth gave them the order. With Decker pulling the strings, many VampLycans would die. That’s when he’d start expanding the borders. He tried to do it with his own but the other leaders put a stop to it by threatening to attack him.”
“What does that mean?”
“He seems to think humans are a threat. We got word from someone in his clan that he planned to make some of the neighboring human families have ‘accidents’. Alaska’s a harsh place and he could have gotten away with murdering them without raising suspicion. He’s paranoid, from what we were told. Humans can be turned into Vampires, and of course they’re also a food source for them. He hates full-blooded Vampires enough to want to make sure they have no reason to be anywhere near him.” He paused. “He sees humans as inferior as bugs to crush under his heel. The other clans don’t. We protect them.”
“You know that sounds crazy, right?” She hesitated. “I don’t like my grandfather. He’s an asshole, but to believe he’s some murdering evil bastard is kind of difficult for me to do.”
“He’s killed plenty of people. He’s greedy and power-hungry. We get the news here about your world. How many times have you seen stories where some warlord killed innocents to gain more land or money? Decker wants more people under his control. He murdered his own mate, who he’d sworn to protect, and tried to use his own child, your mother, as a bargaining chip to gain an alliance with the GarLycans in order to slaughter his own kind. Now he’s attempting to use his granddaughter to do it yet again. What kind of monster does that make him?”
“If he’s got a dick, well…you’ve heard of high divorce rates, right? Men can be heartless pigs to their wives. Maybe my grandfather thought it would be easier to kill her than go through a messy divorce. I see stories about it in the news all the time. And I have no clue what happened between my grandfather and my mother. As for my sister, he doesn’t know us.”
“Humans divorce. Lycans mate forever. It’s a bonding that is so strong, some die without the other. Filmore has to be defective in mind and heart to have been able to kill Marvilella. She was bound to him, tried to change him for the better by giving him her love, but she suffered greatly for it. She always looked sad when she visited her family in our clan.”
Dusti rolled her eyes. “Now you’re telling me you’re old enough to have known my grandmother? She died before I was even born. You aren’t much older than I am. You would have been a baby.”
A chilly smile curved his lips. “You’d be surprised at how old I truly am.”
“Right. Because you’re half Vampire and they don’t age. Sure. Okay, Grandpa. You look damn fine for a geezer.”
“Your smart mouth is going to be your undoing. Fine, don’t believe what you’re told, but eventually you’ll see the truth.”
It was too much for her. It was too foreign a concept. “Whatever. If I bought into this crap, what makes my sister such a hot commodity to this Aveoth anyway? Can’t he find a woman on his own? If I’m buying this chunk of swampland you’re trying to sell, a lot would depend on whether or not he even wanted her. You’ve met my sister. Most
guys spend two minutes with her and run for cover if they have a brain.”
“It’s the bloodline. Aveoth has a craving for it.”
“Come again?” Dusti frowned.
“He was set to take Margola as his lover but she died before reaching maturity. After she was promised to him, Margola’s parents gave Aveoth a bit of her blood to drink, every month for a few years. GarLycans have stronger Gargoyle genes. They don’t form emotional attachments to lovers, only their mates. Margola’s parents feared he’d be so callous toward her that her life would be utter misery. They’d hoped he’d become addicted to her blood enough that he’d take good care of her, and not kill her soul during the years she’d spend with him until he finally found his mate and set her free.”
“Where are her parents?”
He hesitated. “That’s unknown. They fled shortly after Margola’s death. I think they were afraid Aveoth’s father would kill them for allowing her to die.”
“It sounds like they were responsible for her death or something? Were they?”
“No. Aveoth’s father was a full-blooded Gargoyle and cold as ice. He did blame them; felt they should have watched her better since she was promised to his son. She loved to take walks in the woods, and they allowed it. She ran into a group of hunters who must have thought she was an animal, since she was in her shifted form. They opened fire on her. She escaped them but died before the clan found her. They’d gone searching when she didn’t make it home. Lord Abotorus was enraged, since he’d allowed Aveoth to feed off her. He hadn’t wanted to but Margola’s parents had insisted. Afterward, Aveoth supposedly showed signs of withdrawal from her blood.”
“Let’s get back to the ‘kill her soul’ part, since you’re just confusing me more. Why would that have happened and how?”
“Gargoyles aren’t the friendliest beings you’ll ever meet. VampLycan women usually crave tenderness, and a man who will see to their emotional needs. Without it, she could lose the will to live.” He frowned. “Margola’s parents believed drinking her blood would teach Aveoth to want more from her than just sex. It was important to our clan to cement an emotional bond between them so he’d keep her happy. His father hit the roof when his son suffered withdrawals after her death, as if he’d become addicted.
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