Veso

  “Fuck that,” she muttered.

  Her anger surprised him. He figured he was in for another argument but they couldn’t stay where they were. They’d be found.

  “Give me a minute until my teeth stop chattering and then I’ll run. They’re trying to tranquilize us, aren’t they?”

  “Only me. You don’t pose enough of a danger to them.”

  “Tell that to college boy. I took his ass down.”

  He actually smiled. He had been impressed when he’d surfaced from the water and saw her straddling the male, beating on him. It had also infuriated him. She’d been attacked. “You did well.”

  “I might be small but I was raised in the city. I took some self-defense classes. Muggers and rapists target women all the time. Assholes expect women to run or just freeze up. They don’t expect you to strike first.”

  “I’m proud of you.” He gently rubbed her hair, his fingers tangling a little in the wet locks. “Stay here for a few minutes while I dress.”

  She tensed, then nodded. “Do I want to know why you aren’t anymore?”

  “I move faster on four legs than two and it keeps me lower to the ground, harder to spot.”

  “I’m going to have to see that sometime.”

  It reminded him of an earlier idea. “Ever ride horses, Glenda?”

  “No. Why? Did you see some and think you can catch them? I could probably hold on to you though if you can ride in front of me. I seem to have that down pat. You didn’t lose me in the water. I was like your second skin.”

  “You’d be holding on to me alright. As I said…I move faster on four legs.”

  Her mouth parted but then she closed it. A second passed. “Oh. You want me to ride you like a horse? That’s kind of crazy. Is that a joke?”

  “No.”

  She grew quiet.

  “You’re slowing us down. I don’t have to worry about the supplies anymore. I can carry you on my back.”

  She closed her eyes.

  “Glenda?”

  She opened them and nodded. “Okay. Just tell me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “You’re going to know it’s me, right? You won’t go all murderish or something, will you?”

  “Stop worrying about that. I’m still me in skin or fur. I won’t have much of a voice though. My vocal cords change completely when I do. You’ll need to climb on my back, wrap your arms around my throat, and use your knees to grip my sides. Just don’t wrap your feet around my underside.”

  “Why? Will that make it tougher for you to run?”

  “I don’t want to be kicked in the balls.”

  “That’s…um…fair. Okay.”

  “Don’t be afraid of me, and do not scream when you see me. Just get on my back. Can you keep my shorts with you? I’ll need something to wear later.” He felt around, found them, and rung out most of the water. He pressed them into her hand.

  She took them and nodded, shoving them between her shirt and her own pants near her hip. “I got it.”

  “No hesitation, Glenda. Our lives depend on this. Stay quiet and take my lead. I’ll use my head to indicate if something is wrong or give a low growl. Understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “Now?”

  “They’re looking for us and the search grid has just been drastically condensed. They probably have radios. I would. We need to get out of here before they cut us off.”

  “Alright. Let’s do this.”

  He released her head and backed away slightly, clenching his teeth as more rock scraped his skin. He shifted, hating that she’d hear it, but it helped him ease out of the tight spot by transforming his body. He made it outside, sniffed the air as he glanced around, and didn’t see any threat.

  He heard her coming and peered at the hole. She kept her head down, her chest close to the ground as she crawled out, probably to avoid the rock from digging into her back. Her head lifted—and pure terror showed as she met his gaze. He turned a little and lowered, watching her.

  She only hesitated for a moment, then reached out, her hand shaking as she touched his side. “Shit!”

  He used his head to jerk toward his back. He didn’t have time for her to act so human. They needed to move. She got to her knees and gripped his back, rose up, and threw her leg over him. She eased down slowly.

  “Fuck,” she whispered. “I’m so going to need therapy.”

  He growled a warning and she grew quiet, leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She locked her fingers together and buried her face in his fur. “You’re so warm.”

  He moved slowly, in case she threw herself off him when he rose to all fours and began to walk. She stayed on him and tightened her thighs just the way he’d told her too. He paused, wiggled his hips a little to put her in a more comfortable position, and then sniffed the air, taking in their surroundings. He decided to keep to the thickest parts of the trees and increased his pace. Glenda made a few low moaning noises but she didn’t protest.

  He was impressed with her once again. So much for her seeing him shifted and proving they could never be mates. She held on to him tight, as if it was fine with her that she was hugging a shifted VampLycan.

  He focused on other things to take his mind off the feel of her as he ran, carefully scanning for any movement. They’d had to abandon their supplies. It meant feeding her would become more difficult. Her stomach wouldn’t tolerate raw meat well. Eventually it would weaken her. Of course, there was a way to obtain more supplies. Those day guards had been carrying packs. They needed human food to survive.

  The human guards probably slept at night while the Vamps and soldiers hunted. He could sneak up and steal from them, if he could avoid the night hunters. It would also mean leaving Glenda unprotected for a time.

  He’d keep moving until near dark, find them a secure location, and think over his options then. Right now, he needed to get them far from where they were.

  Chapter Ten

  Glen was riding the biggest dog she’d ever seen. Although to be fair, Veso didn’t resemble some wolf or German shepherd. Any canine would take one look at him in beast form, piss themselves, and run for their lives. She could relate. It had been tempting to back up into that cave to cower when she’d first gotten a look at him with his scary black eyes, the long muzzle, four legs, massive paws with sharp claws, and a tail.

  But he kept her really warm. Veso put off a lot of body heat, and his soft fur cushioned her body as he ran. He could probably move a lot faster but he wasn’t. She chalked it up to him worrying she’d fall off, or maybe he felt as exhausted as she did. It was tempting to doze but every time she almost drifted to sleep, he leapt over something, making her cling to him a bit tighter.

  They were covering a lot of ground though. He’d been right about that, and her feet weren’t killing her. Riding turned out to be a lot easier than jogging to keep up with him. She wished she weren’t wearing wet clothing. Her skin hurt in places she’d rather not think about from rubbing between his big body and hers. She tried to focus on other things, like imagining taking a warm bath or having an actual cooked meal. Once they reached safety, those things were a possibility.

  He finally stopped and she lifted her head, searching for the cause. He lowered his body, turned his head, and bumped her with his muzzle. She stared at his sharp teeth, swallowed hard, and gazed into pure black eyes. The irises and pupils bled into each other. He glanced at the ground and she loosened her hold, climbing off.

  She started to straighten but he gripped her wrist with his teeth. She froze, expecting pain. He released her fast and hunched down. She got the hint and sat.

  He growled low, shot her some kind of look she couldn’t read, and then took off, leaving her. She stayed still and silent. He might have felt they were in danger or he was looking for a place for them to bed down. She studied the sky, realizing it would be dark soon.

  He returned about ten minutes later. He approached h
er, his focus on her middle.

  “What?”

  He crouched down, facing her, and began to shift. It amazed and terrified her at the same time as the fur receded to become smooth, golden-colored skin. He kept low when he was done though, hiding his lap. “Shorts.”

  “Oh.” She pulled them out of her waistline and held them out, turning her head away to give him some privacy to dress.

  He took them and soon spoke. “I’m decent.”

  She peered at him as he took a seat on the ground a few feet away. It was nice to be able to talk to him again. “Are we good here?”

  “For now.”

  “I need to pee. I was too afraid to move while you were gone so I held still.”

  He lifted a hand, pointing to some bushes. “Over there. Don’t go far or be long.”

  She got up and hurried. He hadn’t changed positions when she returned. She sat down, a hundred questions filling her mind. She settled on the most pressing ones.

  “How close are we to your home now?”

  “We have a ways to go still. I decided it was time for us to rest. I scouted and found a place for us to bed down for the night.”

  “We’re not going to keep moving?”

  “We’re settling in for the night. Humans are far easier to avoid than soldiers and Vamps.”

  “Why?”

  “Humans don’t see heat signatures, nor have super hearing or vision.”

  “Thank you for answering. I have a lot to learn.”

  He cocked his head, giving her an odd look.

  “For when I go home. I don’t want to be captured again.”

  “You wouldn’t stand a chance of avoiding that without me.”

  He was probably right, and it scared her. “That’s why I’m asking questions. To learn.”

  “I found a cabin with one human living inside very close to here. I am pretty certain he’s working for the Vampires. I spotted him coming in from the woods with supplies on his back and gripping a dart gun, as if he’d been out searching for us all day. I think the best place for us to hide is in plain sight, where they won’t think we’d go. I’m going to grab that human and we’ll sleep inside his cabin tonight.”

  Her mouth fell open but she closed it fast. “Are you crazy?”

  He hesitated. “He will have food and clothing, Glenda. Since this master has created soldiers, he’d want to keep the humans separated from them. I would.”

  “I don’t understand,” she admitted. “Why?”

  “Soldiers are unstable, and can’t be trusted around any blood sources while unsupervised by a full Vampire. It means if this master is reasonably smart, he’s ordering the humans to lock in at night when the soldiers are hunting for us, to keep the day guards alive. Otherwise soldiers might attack and drain them. The master would have ordered them to avoid the homes of humans working for him. Humans need to be kept separated from soldiers or all bets are off. Got it?”

  It made sense when he put it that way. Those creepers she’d seen probably would attack anyone, if given the chance. She nodded.

  “The difficult part will be grabbing this human before he can get any kind of alert out to anyone. They’re carrying cell phones. There must be a tower nearby.”

  “He might have to check in every few hours.”

  Veso shook his head. “That’s not a worry as long as I don’t have to kill him.”

  “It’s not as if he’s going to help us if he’s working for the master.”

  “He won’t have a choice. A Vamp was able to take over his mind already. I can ease into his head just as easily.”

  That disturbed her. “Mind control?”

  Veso nodded.

  It made her think about all the arguments they’d had. “Thank you for not doing that to me.”

  “VampLycans have honor, Glenda. I wouldn’t do that to you unless I felt I had no choice. Life or death,” he clarified.

  “I still appreciate it.”

  He swallowed hard, staring at her. “You also were given my blood. It’s probably out of your system but it’s possible it gave you temporary immunity. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” He stood. “I’m going to need your help to lure the human out of his cabin. It might be dangerous but I’ll be with you, just out of sight. We know the master wants you alive and unharmed. That’s something we can use in our favor.”

  “I’m bait, aren’t I?”

  He grinned. “Yes.”

  “Fantastic.” She got to her feet. “Before we do this though, I feel I need to say something.”

  “We have no time to waste. I can hear your stomach grumbling and you’re shivering.” Veso lifted his chin. “We need to be indoors before the sun goes down and the bloodsuckers begin to hunt.” He met her gaze.

  “What if you’re wrong and this person is just some guy who lives in the woods?”

  “Then tonight the Vamps will break into the cabin looking for food. It’s a better defensive position than us out in the open. We’ll have the element of surprise too, because VampLycans avoid humans. They won’t expect us to do this, and would believe they’re just attacking a human. I wouldn’t harm an innocent, Glenda.”

  She couldn’t fault anything he’d said, and she was starving. The idea of possibly sleeping in a bed, rather than on dirt, made her willing to agree to Veso’s plan. “Let’s do this. And hope the cabin has hot water. I’d kill for a shower. What do you want me to do?”

  Veso rose to his feet. “I’m going to lead you to the cabin, then I want you to remain hidden, count to a hundred slow, and then rush to the door. Beat on it and yell for help, tell him you are being chased by a hungry bear. He should open the door right away for you. Jump back fast when he does and stay out of my way.”

  “You’re hoping he won’t see you,” she guessed.

  “He won’t. Just get out of the way once that door opens. Fall back and go flat. Understand?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Glen’s anxiety rose as she followed Veso through the woods and they paused at a clearing. A small cabin had been built there, next to a stream. All the things that could go wrong played through her head.

  Veso put his hand on her shoulder, stepped behind her, and ducked his head. “Remember to slowly count to a hundred. Then run as if your life depends on getting inside that cabin. Pretend I’m some deranged bear with paws larger than your head and I’m right on your ass. Got it?”

  “If that’s your version of a motivational speech, you’re a scary guy.”

  He chuckled and backed away. She watched him circle the clearing, heading toward the back of the cabin. She counted silently in her head. Her heart rate increased, afraid of what she’d face when she ran across that clearing. The master did want her alive though, so her chances were good of not being hurt by whoever lived inside the cabin. Her worst fear was that there might be a surprise waiting. Veso had only seen one person but that didn’t mean more weren’t hiding inside.

  Glen hit a hundred, sucked in a sharp breath, and sprinted forward.

  “Help!” Her feet hurt a little as she ran but she ignored them, imaging Vlad hot on her ass. “Help me! He’s going to kill me.” She reached the cabin, ran up the five steps, and beat on the door with her fits, panting hard. “Is anyone inside? A bear’s going to kill me! Help!”

  A bolt slid from the other side and she backed up, quickly glanced around the narrow porch, then back at the door as it opened. The man who jerked it open was in his mid-thirties, clean-shaven, and had dark hair. His brown eyes showed his surprise.

  Glen collapsed to her side, pretending to faint but using her arms to protect her head and ribs as she fell.

  Motion from the top of the cabin caught her attention and she watched in amazement as Veso dropped from the roof and almost landed on the man who stepped out onto the porch. Veso’s hand latched around his throat and he slammed him hard against the doorjamb.

  Glen sat up and watched as Veso went almost nose to
nose with the stranger.

  “Don’t move,” Veso demanded.

  The man he gripped held utterly still.

  “What are your orders?”

  “Find the woman, don’t hurt her, and shoot the man with the darts I was given,” the stranger stated. “Call in for help immediately.”

  “Did you call anyone when you heard the woman at your door?”

  “No.”

  “Are you here alone?”

  “Yes.”

  Glen stood, stepping closer to the cabin so she could see Veso’s face. His eyes had turned a bright golden color. He glanced at her and she forgot how to breathe for a second. He raised his hand, blocking her from seeing his face. “Glenda, turn your back.”

  She hesitated.

  “Do you want me to control you too? Do as I said now.”

  She spun away, curious but warned.

  “Answer my questions. When did you check in last?”

  “I did when I came home.”

  “When are you supposed to do it again?”

  “King Charles said to call him if I see or hear anything tonight. Otherwise I must call him in the morning to let him know when I restart my search.”

  “Do you speak to King Charles or someone else?”

  “Only to King Charles. It’s a pleasure to serve him. I must shoot you with a dart and call him immediately.”

  “Forget about the gun. I want you to sleep until I tell you to wake. Do it now.”

  Long seconds passed and Glen glanced back. Veso was gone, so was the man, and the cabin door stood wide open.

  She followed them inside, stopping right away. Veso had dumped the unconscious man on his back on the floor, a few feet from the door, and was yanking open a closet across the room.

  She glanced around. The cabin had an open living space with a loft above on one side. A kitchen and bathroom had been tucked under it. The furniture was sparse and it had a rustic feel, with the exposed log walls. Her gaze returned to the downed man. He didn’t move.

  “Is he okay?”

  Veso shut the closet, then took the ladder up to the loft. “He’s alive and should stay down. Don’t touch him or get too close until I find something to tie him up with. I’m not sure how deep his orders were planted yet. It’s possible he could rouse if his mind is really messed up.”