Movement caught his eye to the left and he saw a human running their way. He was far off but gaining ground. It was one of the men he’d seen earlier. He snarled, accelerating more. They hit the water and Glenda gasped but she clung tight to him. The back wheel spun a bit on the other side but they got clear. He turned the wheel, picking up speed.
Something sailed past out of the corner of his eye. It was a dart. The bastard was firing at them. The human could hit Glenda on the back of the dirt bike. It would probably kill her if they used enough drugs to put a VampLycan down. He saw a large rock and drove toward it. He stopped hard once they were on the other side of it, leaving the engine running.
“Let go and stay here.”
He tried to stand but Glenda was still wrapped around him tight. He cursed, adjusting her feet until she straddled the seat.
“Brace your legs,” he said. “Hold the bike up.” He climbed off, keeping it upright with his grip.
“I can’t drive one of these.”
“Just hold it up. Grip the handle bars but nothing else.” He figured those instructions were clear enough. She did as asked.
He stepped back, leapt up onto the boulder, and peered over the top. The human was running, following the tracks from the tires. It took a few minutes for him to get within range.
Veso lunged at the running bastard. The man never even saw him until they impacted together, hitting the ground with the human under him.
Rage gripped Veso and he punched the human in the face hard. Bones broke. He didn’t give a damn anymore if the human was under a Vamp’s control. The stupid bastard had fired at Glenda. He’d bet his life that the master had told the idiot not to do that, knowing a full dose of drugs would likely kill her.
The human stopped moving but he still breathed. Veso leaned forward, grabbed the dart gun, and climbed to his feet. He was tempted to shoot one of those darts into the unconscious jerk. He spun away instead and pitched it out of sight.
He rounded the boulder and returned to Glenda. She looked terrified.
“It’s fine.” He gripped the dirt bike. “Get off so I can drive. I took care of the problem.”
“You killed him?”
He shook his head as she climbed off and he threw a leg over, taking his seat. Glenda climbed on again, this time lifting her feet and wrapping her limbs around him without having to be told. He worried about her feet hitting the wheel, or worse. There was a lot of vegetation she could slam into. It wasn’t very comfortable with her heels against his lap but he’d rather risk his nuts hurting than her breaking bones or losing toes.
He skirted the mountain, going around it after all. He had to slow when he found where a rainstorm had caused a landslide. The ground had long since dried but a lot of rocks had come down. Every mile they drove, though, was one they wouldn’t have to walk, and each one took them closer to VampLycan territory.
They made it around the damaged section and he sped up, the grass slippery with the extra weight on the back of the dirt bike, but he recognized more landmarks. Part of his job was learning the outer territory around his clan. There was an old logging road somewhere ahead. He kept going in the direction of home and finally came across it. He headed north. It was more of a dirt trail now from years of not being maintained, but he spotted recent tire tracks as he followed it. It was probably how they’d driven him away from home.
He stopped the dirt bike, studying some of the deeper tire grooves. It hadn’t rained recently; those had to have been made when the road was heavy with mud. It meant someone had been using it weeks before, when the last storm had hit. Another heavy rainstorm would have muddied the road again and erased them better.
“Damn. How long have those bastards been in this area?”
“What?” Glenda hugged him tighter.
“Nothing.”
He took off slow again to avoid jarring her too much, then picked up speed, alert for an attack. It would be better to leave the logging road but he worried about Glenda. The terrain was pretty coarse and her safety came first. They wouldn’t have expected him to steal a dirt bike though. It was possible they hadn’t bothered to set a trap up ahead.
A few miles later, the engine sputtered and died. Veso cursed, using his bare feet to slow the coasting down to a stop. They were close to VampLycan fences. He looked up at the sky. It would be dark in a couple of hours. They might make it.
Glenda relaxed her hold on him. “Why did you stop?”
“We ran out of gas.”
“Shit.”
“Climb off.”
She made cute little sounds as she did, groaning and then rubbing her ass with both hands. He got the urge to do it for her but resisted. He’d want to fuck her if he put his hands on her to massage out her aches and pains.
He pushed the dirt bike off the road and laid it down out of sight, then returned to her. “Give me the backpack.”
She took it off. “My pleasure. I think the straps left permanent indents in my shoulders.”
“We’re almost home, Glenda.”
That didn’t seem to comfort her when she frowned, her gaze locked with his. He reached for her and touched her cheek, stepping closer. She didn’t say anything though. It bothered him.
“What is it?”
“What happens when we get there? It means there’s a lot of people like you, right? In other words, they probably hate humans as much as you do.”
“I would never allow anyone to harm you, Glenda. I’ve told you this.”
“Can you blame me for being nervous and leery?”
“You’re smart. You fashioned a tool with your bra. You got me free despite being weak and not having claws. You’ve faced so much already. This will be the easy part.”
“I love how you can compliment yet insult me at the same time. Nice skill there.” Humor laced her voice. “You’re such a dick. I also think you’re full of shit, and nobody like you is going to be happy I’ve been your sidekick on this misadventure from hell.”
He chuckled. “There’s a tall fence we must climb. Dwell on that.”
“Great. Fantastic. Is it barbed wire?”
She did amuse him. “No.”
“There’s a bright side. I won’t be heavily bleeding when I meet other half-Vampire people so hopefully they won’t want to eat me.”
“I’m the only one who gets to do that.”
Her eye widened.
He let her go and backed up, removing another bottle of water from the backpack. He let her drink first, then he finished it off. “Let’s get moving. The boundary fences are ahead but we’re still in for a walk before we reach home.”
Chapter Fifteen
Veso suddenly stopped and Glen slammed into his back. It was irritating how often he did that and how she could never stop fast enough. She didn’t have his super-fast reflexes.
“What is it now?” she whispered so he didn’t grumble at her. That lesson had been learned. “The wind? Did an animal fart? You’ve stopped fifty times in the past hour at least.”
“Shush.” He cocked his head. “Someone comes.”
He reached back and gave her a not so gentle shove toward a tree. She didn’t need to be prompted again. She hid behind the thick trunk, immediately wondering where Veso had gone when he didn’t follow. She looked around and her mouth parted in surprise. He was above her in the branches. How he’d gotten up there so fast was a mystery. She plastered herself to the rough bark and stared up at him.
He suddenly jumped and she muffled a gasp. It had to have been a fifteen-foot fall.
A snarl sounded from the other side of the tree, and then she heard a man’s deep voice.
“Goddamn! You scared the shit out of me, Veso!”
“Lavos! It’s so good to see you.”
Glenda peaked from behind the tree. Veso and another man were hugging. That wasn’t something she’d ever expected to witness. The new guy was tall, muscled, and attractive looking. They parted, Veso’s back to her, and she couldn’t
miss the big grin on the stranger’s face as he spoke.
“I thought you were dead. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I shouldn’t have been taken in the first place. The fucking Vamps didn’t fight fair. They buried themselves near our fence, waited until the sun went down, and then attacked. Those bastards drugged me.”
“And apparently cut your hair.”
Veso made a scary sound. “Don’t remind me, Lavos.”
“I’d be pissed too. Where were they holding you?”
“Inside a mine. We need to go back there and kill those suckheads. The master set up a nest and he has soldiers. They’ve been hunting us since we escaped.”
Lavos slid his gaze to Glen, openly staring at her. “Want to introduce me to your friend?”
Veso turned his head. “Come here, Glenda. This is Lavos. He’s a VampLycan too.”
She slowly stepped around the tree. “It’s just Glen. Nice to meet you, Lavos.”
He sniffed, then gawked at Veso. “What is going on?”
“She’s a descendant of the master who kidnapped me. The crazy bastard kidnapped her from her home, and then grabbed me to force me to breed with the human, so she could birth a girl. He wanted to make my daughter his lover one day.”
Lavos’s eyebrows shot up.
“My vampy relative actually considers himself a king, and he said he wants me to birth him his queen,” Glen muttered. “Delusions of grandeur, if you ask me. He’s bat-shit crazy.”
“I agree.” Veso nodded. “It was beyond insulting that he took me to breed.”
That angered Glen. “I’m standing right here. I get it. You don’t like humans.” She shot a dirty look at Lavos. “And yes, he told me you’re half Vampire-slash-half Lycan. I also rode his back when he had four legs.” She stormed up to Veso’s side and smacked his arm. “You seduced me, so cut the ‘humans suck’ attitude! I was obviously good enough for you to nail. It’s getting old.”
His eyes narrowed as they locked on her.
“You could have at least pretended that hurt.”
He glanced down at his arm where she’d hit him, and then shook his head. “It was insulting that the master believed I’d give him my daughter. I wasn’t talking about you.”
“I still don’t know what’s going on but this is amusing as hell.”
Glen and Veso both looked at Lavos’s grinning face.
Veso spoke first. “Has Decker returned?”
Lavos’s expression sobered. “No. He’s never coming back. It’s a long story. Shit hit the fan after you were taken.”
“What happened?”
“Long story short?” Lavos sighed. “The Vampires not only attacked you, but Kira as well. One of the bastards turned her. My brother found her while she was transforming and took her to his den so the clan didn’t kill her. Longer story even shorter, he fed her his blood. She’s now growing claws and okay with the sunlight. His VampLycan blood seemed to activate the dormant genetics she inherited from Davis. My brother had to take over the clan in order to keep Kira safe. He’s our new leader.”
Glen lifted her gaze to Veso’s face in an attempt to judge if that was a good thing or not.
Veso appeared stunned. “Lorn took the clan?”
“He had help, and the support of the other clans. Me, your father, Kar, Davis, and Garson are helping him hold it right now.” Lavos kept his attention on Veso. “Lord Aveoth is hunting Decker. He’s dead if he attempts to come back. Don’t be surprised when you spot our neighbors flying overhead in the dark. They’re patrolling with Lorn’s permission, in case Decker attempts a sneak attack to take back our clan. We also think he’s the one responsible for those Vamps invading our territory.”
“What the hell?” Veso reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Decker sent the Vampire Council after his granddaughter, Batina—who’s mated with Velder’s second son, Kraven—while they were in California. The fucker is working with the Vamps. We found that out recently, after Lorn talked to the other clans since the night we were attacked. We knew Decker was vindictive.”
“Fuck,” Veso growled. “The insane bastard.”
“Always the asshole. That’s Decker.” Lavos lowered his gaze, staring at Glen. “So what’s the story with you?”
“I just want to go home, move out of my apartment to somewhere Vampire safe, and put all this behind me,” she admitted.
“You’re not going anywhere. You belong at my side, where you are safe. Don’t forget the master won’t stop trying to recapture you until I kill him.”
She pressed her lips together, regarding Veso. He was right so she couldn’t argue about her crazy relative.
Veso stared at Lavos. “She’s my mate. Or will be soon. I know she won’t be welcome in our clan, so I’ll stash her in my den until we take out that nest, then contact Trayis to see if he’ll accept me into his clan. Can you clear that with your brother? I just want her safe until that master is dead, Lavos. That Vamp is determined to breed her with one of our kind to make for a strong female child he can raise.”
“Don’t be hasty,” Lavos replied. “Some of our people might shit about you having a human mate, but Lorn loves Kira. He mated her. We need you to help us hold the clan. Not all of them are real happy with the change, as you can imagine.”
“Lorn hates me.”
“He did hate you,” Lavos agreed. “I won’t deny that, Veso. But I told him how we were secretly plotting to take over the clan together. He knows now that you hate everything Decker stood for. You want change as much as we do.”
“The clan will pressure him to shun me for having a human mate.” Veso paused. “I won’t risk her life.”
Glen’s heart sped up. Now Veso was telling his friend she was his mate. Could he really mean it? No. He had to be messing with her. She cleared her throat. “I’ll point out again I haven’t agreed to that.”
Veso turned his head and had the nerve to smile. “She’s in denial—but she’s mine.”
She hit him again, slapping his arm. “You’re such a bully, and so rude. I have a say in this!”
He didn’t even flinch. “Does hitting me make you feel better?”
“Marginally. It would help if you acted like it hurt.”
Lavos chuckled.
“You don’t hit hard, Glenda. You’re cranky and tired. Hit me if it makes you feel better but you’re still my mate. You aren’t returning to Oregon.”
“We’re in Oregon.”
“We’re in Alaska.”
She gaped at Veso, shocked. “What?”
“Alaska,” he repeated. “Not Oregon.”
Lavos cleared his throat. “Um, I hate to break this up because it’s weird, yet amusing, but we should start heading to the lodge. The sun is going down. That normally wouldn’t be a problem but you said you’re being hunted. We need to be indoors or deeper into our territory before the Vamps come out.”
Veso broke eye contact with her and addressed his friend. “You didn’t bring a vehicle?”
“I wasn’t expecting two of you. I drove a quad. It won’t seat three.”
“Tell me where it is and I’ll drive Glenda to my home.”
Lavos shook his head. “No way, Veso. Did you hear me when I said Decker was working with Vampires? He probably told them all about our clan. They attacked a remote section to get to you and Kira, where guards were spread the thinnest. Your home is in that same area. Didn’t you say that master will want to recapture her? Let’s not make it easy on them. That’s the first place they’ll look for her come nightfall. The lodge is where we’ve set up headquarters. She’ll be safest there. Plus, I’m not missing out on witnessing when your father and the rest of the clan gets a load of you and your human mate.” The guy had the nerve to laugh. “The lodge is where we need to go.”
“I’m not his mate,” she muttered, annoyed. They couldn’t even take her seriously, probably because she was a human.
“You are.” Veso shrugge
d off the pack and tossed it aside. He turned swiftly and grabbed her, scooping her up into his arms. “Let’s go. She walks slow and she’s tired. I no longer have to worry about defending her on my own. We have humans with dart guns filled with drugs looking for us.”
“Shit.” Lavos sniffed the air, glancing around. “Let’s move.”
Glen wrapped her arms around Veso’s neck. She wasn’t going to complain if he wanted to carry her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. “Since you think it’s fine to be bossy, I can be too. I want food. Real food. Cooked. And a bath.”
“Done,” Veso said. “Soon.”
“Unbelievable,” Lavos chuckled.
“Shut up,” Veso snarled. It made his chest vibrate.
“You’d laugh too if I showed up toting a human mate, my friend.”
* * * * *
It was well after dark before the lights from the lodge came into view. Veso glanced down at Glenda. She had fallen asleep in his arms over an hour before.
Lavos paused, glancing around, and sniffed the air. He turned to stare at him.
“Do you want me to go in first? I texted that we were close as soon as I got a signal on my phone. Everyone knows you’ve been found. I can warn them.” His gaze dropped to Glenda, then back up to Veso.
“I don’t plan to stay long once we take out that nest. I know I won’t be welcome here by your brother or the rest of the clan, not with her.”
“You might be surprised. Stop expecting the worst.”
“Trayis has some men who mated humans in his clan. I know he’ll accept me. My father was from his clan and keeps in contact with him.”
“Don’t count Lorn out, Veso. You’ve never been enemies.”
“We’ve never been friends either. I can’t see him letting me stay.”
“You pretended to like Nabby and those other shits so you could warn us about the crap they planned to do in advance. We saved lives. That’s because of you, my friend. Lorn knows that. I told him everything.”
“Fine, but he still won’t accept my mate.”
“You should actually mate her.”
“I plan to, but I couldn’t while we were being hunted. It was too dangerous.”