There wouldn’t have been a safe place for Antina to shift, even inside her home, if she’d hidden her nature from everyone living with her. He still couldn’t imagine how she’d survived without being attacked by Vampires and Lycans, but learning about Dr. Brent meant she’d had some kind of an alliance with one of the two. Vampires were stronger so he would bet the doctor was a master Vampire. Those bastards couldn’t withstand direct sunlight but they didn’t have to sleep during the day.
Antina had birthed two daughters with a human. It had been her responsibility to warn them of the truth of their heritage and to have prepared them for her father attempting to use them in the future. Decker’s reason for wanting Bat in Alaska couldn’t be mistaken.
He couldn’t blame Antina for avoiding Aveoth. It would have doomed her to never having a family or being loved. Aveoth had once been a good man. Things had changed in his late teens. He’d become a heartless, vicious leader who’d instilled wariness in VampLycans after his father’s death. He wasn’t as bad as Decker though. The GarLycans didn’t want war. They just believed in segregation of the clans.
He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. He’d listened closely to the details he’d learned of Dusti’s mother. She’d died before Dusti had reached maturity but Bat had been eighteen. The age of consent. Why didn’t she at least warn Bat?
It left a bunch of unanswered questions. He believed Bat was as naive as her younger sister, despite Kraven’s reservations. He didn’t think Bat would have willingly boarded that plane to walk into Decker’s world otherwise, especially with Dusti at her side. She wasn’t submissive or the type to take orders without question. Drantos had to assume their mother hadn’t said a word to either daughter.
He adjusted his hold on Dusti to make sure she slept comfortably. She could have died when they’d had to separate. Her human blood made her weak and vulnerable. He slid his fingertips down her arm and grasped her limp hand. It felt small in his. He ran his thumb over one of her fingernails. They were thin and delicate. She had no way to defend herself. No claws were sheathed below the surface. He just wanted to protect Dusti and would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Maybe that’s what Antina thought too.
He sighed. It was possible the female VampLycan believed she’d be there to deal with her father if he ever tried to take Bat. She would have been a fool, though, to assume she’d be able to prevent her daughter from being kidnapped. Decker never did his own dirty work. He always sent his enforcers to do it for him. She would have been outnumbered.
Maybe she had a spy within her clan who’d assured her Aveoth already had a lover. It’s possible she didn’t want to tell them unless she absolutely had to. Then she’d died before that happened, which left them in danger.
Word of Aveoth losing his lover had spread fast right after Lane’s death. The beautiful VampLycan from another clan had actually volunteered to share his bed. No one knew how Lane had died, but rumors spread that the GarLycan leader must have killed her in a fit of rage. Drantos didn’t believe it. He didn’t want to.
Lord Abotorus, Aveoth’s father, had been a full-blooded Gargoyle, and he never would have willingly allowed his son’s friendship to bloom with any VampLycans. Their clans might have had to forge an alliance but he hadn’t been happy about it. It was acceptable to take one as a lover but the old bastard had seemed to view them as servants. He tolerated Lycans since they needed them to have children. It was part of the deal though that they had to live in peace near the VampLycans. Old thinking made some of the Gargoyles wary of anyone with Vampire blood running in their veins.
The son had defied his father’s wishes by hanging out with Drantos and his brother. Aveoth would meet him and Kraven near the river that divided their clan lands. He smiled as memories of those times flashed. Aveoth could fly and it had fascinated them, seeing his large wings when he landed. He’d shown them what he looked like transformed into his solid Gargoyle shape and had even taken them for a few flights.
In return, they’d taught him how to use the Lycan traits his father demanded he ignore. They hunted in the woods, fished in the river, and shared their fighting skills. They’d mused about a future where Aveoth would strengthen the bonds between their clans once his father stepped down and he took his place. They wouldn’t have to meet in secret anymore, worried about Aveoth being punished if Lord Abotorus discovered who his son spent his time with. He and Kraven had grown to look upon Aveoth as if he were another brother. They’d been that close.
The warmth inside Drantos faded. Lord Abotorus hadn’t stepped down but instead had been challenged to the death by his own son. Aveoth had won. All those years they’d spent together seemed to have been a mockery when Aveoth cut all ties to the brothers. It had left him and Kraven confused and, worse, hurt. The boy they’d bonded with had grown into a man who’d turned his back on them. They hadn’t seen that coming.
Over sixty years had passed, and not a single word from Aveoth. No explanation or apology for just walking away from them. Kraven had wanted to travel to the cliffs the GarLycans called home to speak to him but Drantos had too much pride. He’d always talked him out of it. Aveoth obviously wanted nothing to do with them. They shouldn’t have to ask for his audience and admit he’d caused them grief. He was just another clan leader who shunned others.
Drantos hated to admit it, but in his mind, Aveoth had become somewhat like Decker.
Not that bad, he amended. Aveoth had never attacked any of the clans. He’d kept the alliances in place, his people sticking to their territory. He’d send one of his enforcers to share information if they knew of a threat in the area, and they did the same.
Decker, on the other hand, never gave warnings. They wouldn’t have known Decker had sent for two women from California if it weren’t for a few trusted spies in the VampLycan’s clan. The spy who’d told them about the women hadn’t had many details to share, not even their names, but he’d said Decker bragged to all that their arrival meant big changes were coming. That was never good.
Drantos and Kraven had volunteered to seek out and eliminate the threat. They hadn’t been sure what to expect. All that was certain was they weren’t Vampires. Decker hated Vamps and the flight was scheduled for daylight hours. Drantos had thought the women might be Lycan representatives, and Decker had planned to form an alliance with their packs, in order to attack the clans.
Kraven hadn’t cared who they were. He’d just wanted the threat to end. It had been confusing when they’d boarded the plane full of humans. They'd gone to Anchorage to scope out the passengers and figure out how to deal with the threat before the smaller plane landed. They'd grabbed a few drinks, then boarded the flight.
Kraven had leaned into him, whispering, “Shit. Do you think he’s going to form an alliance with humans? Maybe the military? Would he nuke our clans to just wipe us out completely?”
Drantos had disagreed. “He’d destroy the land he wants. And he can’t take over the clans if no one survives. It would also cause issues with Vampires and Lycans. They’d all be terrified the humans would target them when the truth of their existence is revealed. Decker hates humans more than he does us. He’s insane but not stupid.” He’d scanned the passengers. “There’re two young women traveling together. They might be the ones. He can control their minds and force them to his will.” He’d glanced at the two blondes a few rows up and over.
“Them?” Kraven scowled. “They look about as dangerous as baby bunnies. What in the hell could he use them for?”
“The one in the business dress kind of looks like a scientist. Maybe he plans to poison all the other leaders and their enforcers. It would leave our women and the weaker males at his mercy. Someone with knowledge about chemicals could figure out what kills one of us.”
“Shit.” Kraven winced. “That’s all kinds of fucked-up.”
“We need to question them. We’ll grab them as soon as we land. We should have about twenty minutes to get o
ut of there before Decker's enforcers arrive since we have the plan in place to state the plane was delayed taking off. Decker knows to call and check the status of that since these smaller flights are notorious for that.”
“Okay.”
It had gone to hell when the pilots announced they were going to crash. Drantos had needed to know what Decker planned, and that meant making sure the women survived. It had come as quite a shock to learn they were Decker’s granddaughters, since no one had known Antina had children.
Everything had suddenly made sense. The crazy clan leader wasn’t trying to use humans or Lycans to wage a war. He didn’t need to bring in forces from the outside. He had a clan of GarLycans already in place and the leverage to make an alliance of his own with Aveoth. Decker could offer him a new lover.
Drantos caressed Dusti, pulling away from his grim thoughts. She was too sweet to be a descendant of that devious monster. He silently swore not to allow Decker to win. He needed to protect his family and his clan. He nuzzled his cheek against Dusti. That included her, since she was now his. She wasn’t ever going to end up being sent to Aveoth.
A slight noise drew his attention and he tensed, sniffing the air. The sky had lightened but the sun hadn’t risen above the mountains yet. It could be more enforcers sent by Decker. He’d fight them to the death if they tried to take the woman in his arms.
He gently shifted Dusti and laid her on the ground next to him. She shivered in her sleep but promptly curled into a tight ball, not waking. He rose and fixed the front of his pants, closing them. He tensed, his claws sliding out of his fingertips.
A twig snapped to his left. He curled his lip up and his fangs sprang forth. He didn’t growl a warning in case it was Kraven. He wanted Dusti to sleep for as long as possible. He sniffed again and caught a familiar scent.
His rigid muscles relaxed and he bent, tugging his shirt over Dusti’s exposed bottom. He straightened and placed his body in front of hers.
A shape strode from between the trees and he advanced a few more steps to meet his cousin halfway. “It’s good to see you, Red.”
“So the plane went down. Did you make that happen?” The slightly taller man tilted his head, sniffing—then his narrowed gaze honed in on Dusti. “Is that one of them? You fucked her?”
“She’s Decker’s granddaughter. There are two of them.”
“What?” His cousin appeared shocked.
“It seems Antina had two daughters.”
A growl burst forth from Red. “Why didn’t you kill them?”
“They’re innocents. Their father was human and Antina never told them about their heritage. They didn’t have a clue that they were different, since they take after their father’s bloodline so much. They boarded the plane believing their long-lost grandfather was dying. The bastard planned to use their ignorance to have them come right to him.” He explained what he assumed Decker’s plan had been.
“You should have taken out the threat. Decker can’t hand either one over to Aveoth if they’re dead.”
“No.” Drantos shifted his stance to keep Dusti out of Red’s view. “She’s mine.”
“Shit!” Red took a step back. “Are you certain?”
“No doubt. I’ve spent time with her and the bond is there.”
“Your father isn’t going to be happy about who she is, and I’m certain your mother will be less so. You know this is going to cause a ton of problems for our clan. Decker won’t just let this go. He finally has some leverage to use against Aveoth.”
“I can’t help biology. Decker will die if he comes after Dusti. Aveoth too. I’m not letting either of them have her.”
Red was silent for long moments. “How are you dealing with discovering she’s your mate?”
Drantos assessed his emotions. “It came as a surprise.”
“How human is she?”
He debated on answering but he trusted Red. They were almost as close as brothers. “Very. She does have some Vampire traits.”
“Fangs and bloodlust?”
“No. She just gets weak every few days without blood, from what I’ve been able to ascertain. The desire rises more when she’s under a lot of physical stress. Injuries weaken her if she isn’t given blood.”
“Is she sensitive to the sun?”
“Thankfully, no.”
“Her mother didn’t tell them anything about us?”
Anger stirred again. “Not a damn word. Dusti thought I was insane when I tried to tell her about VampLycans, until we ran into someone from Decker’s clan. She got to see a shifted enforcer.”
“Shit.” Red tensed, going on alert. “He has clan in the area? We haven’t come across any of them.”
“I took on one, and two of them found Kraven. I take it more of our people are nearby?”
“Yeah. We split up to cover more ground to search for you.”
Drantos reached out his hand. “Can I borrow your jacket? She had to flee across the river and only has my shirt to wear. She can’t keep her own body heat worth a damn.”
Red shrugged it off and passed it over. “You know this is going to cause a stir when we get back home. Not only are these women mostly human, but they’re Decker’s blood. That isn’t exactly going to endear them to anyone.”
“Marvilella was from our clan. They carry her blood too.”
“I’d forgotten about that.”
“Let’s hope everyone else hasn’t—or I’ll remind them.”
Drantos spun away and approached Dusti. She shivered in her sleep and he couldn’t miss the gooseflesh that covered her arms and legs. He dropped to his knees and crouched over her.
“Dusti? Wake up. My clan has found us.”
She was slow to wake and it worried him. He opened the jacket. “Dusti. Wake up.” He used a sterner tone and her eyes parted. Confusion was easy to read while she peered up at him. He showed her the jacket. “Put this on.”
That got her moving. She sat up and allowed him to wrap her in the jacket. It didn’t sit well with him, smelling Red on Dusti, but keeping her warm was more important. He helped her to her feet and then scooped her into his arms, careful to keep her modesty.
“Curl into me, sweetheart. You’re barefoot and we’re going to be moving fast.”
“Thank you for not tossing me over your shoulder.”
It would be easier on him to transport her that way, but he didn’t want to possibly expose her ass to his cousin or anyone else if the shirt and jacket rode up past her mid-thighs. He advanced until he stood before Red. His cousin forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He was glad he didn’t have to snarl at him to be polite.
Dusti clutched at his shoulders when she first got a glimpse of Red. Her arms slid around his neck and hugged him tight. Her body tensed in his arms. Protective instincts pounded at him when he identified her fear.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I want you to meet Redson, Dusti. He’s my cousin. You can just call him Red.”
“Hello.” Red inclined his head.
“Hi,” she whispered.
Drantos stepped back, putting more distance between him and Red. “Kraven is close, with her sister. I could lead you to them.”
Red glanced at Dusti then held his gaze. “I’ll find them. Just head north and you can’t miss the rest of our group. They’ll find you if you can’t find them.”
He appreciated his cousin’s offer to look for the other couple alone. He wanted to get Dusti to safety but he didn’t want her afraid at the same time. “Thanks.”
Red sniffed the air and Drantos jerked his head. “They’re in that direction.”
“I’ll see you soon.” Red took off.
Drantos adjusted Dusti into a more comfortable position. “No one is going to hurt you.”
“All I can think about is what I saw yesterday. Does everyone change into one of those…creatures?”
He realized it might take a while for her to become accustomed to VampLycans without feeling fear. It didn’
t bode well for their future if she couldn’t accept what he was, or the rest of the clan. She’d have to though, since she’d never be safe if she returned to her old life. Decker would just send more of his enforcers after her and Bat. Drantos wouldn’t be there to protect her.
He also wasn’t letting her go.
“Yes.” He wouldn’t soften the truth. “We’re people, Dusti. You don’t fear me.”
She tucked her head against his throat. He noticed she didn’t say anything. He bit back a frustrated growl.
“Just hold on and try to hide your fear.”
Dusti just wanted to talk to her sister. Bat needed to know everything she did and her older sibling was much better at evaluating facts to form a plan of action. Drantos’s words sank in. “Why would I need to hide my fear?”
“They can smell it and it would be considered a weakness.”
“Right.” She was still a little groggy but that helped snap her out of it. “I saw on Animal Planet that sometimes it will attract predators. Am I going to smell like dinner to them or something?”
He snorted. “The things you say. No. It’s just that weakness is perceived as a bad thing. I’d like for my clan to respect you. That means you need to be brave. I would never allow anyone to hurt you. Trust me, if no one else. Does that make you feel safer?”
“That guy was pretty big.”
“Red?”
“Yes. And he was scary. He didn’t like me.”
“He didn’t say that.”
“He didn’t have to. It was the way he looked at me.”
“You’re Decker’s granddaughter. That shocked him but he’ll get over it. Anything associated with your grandfather is met with distrust and dislike.”