Drantos

  The beast’s entire body tensed and his eyes flickered with something akin to fear.

  Got you, asshole, she thought.

  “He’s really going to flip when I tell him how you tried to touch me in bad places.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “I’m going to assure Aveoth that I only ran from you because you tried to get under my skirt. Sarong. Whatever.” She lifted her hand and shook a finger at him. “Tsk! Tsk! Shame on you. From what I hear, GarLycans are pretty vicious guys and Aveoth is the worst. Do you think he’ll just beat you or tear your limbs off one at a time?”

  The beast lifted to his feet and snarled.

  “What was that? I don’t speak growl.”

  He crept closer and the threat of retribution showed clearly in his furious black gaze.

  “I’m going to cry and cling to this Aveoth.” She inwardly winced at that image. “And as his future lover, I’ll ask him nicely to please hurt you really bad before he kills you.”

  He pushed against two trees hard but his broad, hairy chest still wouldn’t fit. He squeezed until some of his body became trapped and he had to jerk back when he realized the pointlessness of it. Another snarl tore from him.

  “What was that? I still can’t understand a thing you say. If you want to talk me out of my brilliant payback plan for tearing up my leg then you better change into skin so you have a voice, asshole. I’m willing to make a deal,” she lied. “I don’t want to be taken and you don’t want Aveoth to tear you apart.”

  He just watched her.

  “I’m going to lie my ass off to make sure this Aveoth guy wants you dead,” she promised softly. “Understand? Change into a person and let’s make a deal.”

  His black glaze seemed to glisten with pure rage before he started to change. Hair receded and the squishy noises they made as they transformed was sickening. The good news is, she thought, the planned worked. The bad news is, now those trees probably won’t prevent him from reaching me.

  The second his head lowered, she bent and grabbed the rock in her palm, hiding it behind her sarong skirt. She straightened and maneuvered it in her hand, cupping it until the sharpest part ended up in the open space between fingers and wrist. Her heart hammered from terror and uncertainty.

  She may have to kill someone, beast guy or not. Anxiety had her stomach rolling with nausea as she realized it had come down to survival.

  Chapter Ten

  Craig rose to his feet to glare at her with dark brown eyes. He didn’t appear very friendly with the sneer plastered across his thin lips. In skin, he stood about five feet nine, had a wiry but average-sized body. She put his age in his early twenties.

  “I’ll kill you before I allow you to tell those lies about me.” He had a rough voice, deep and raspy. “I didn’t try to fuck you.”

  “You wouldn’t survive if you killed me,” she bluffed. “My grandfather is an asshole. He assigned you to complete a task and he won’t be a happy camper if you fail to bring me back breathing. We both know he doesn’t tolerate that kind of shit. I’m worth too much to him.”

  He took a step forward.

  “Freeze. Don’t come any closer.”

  The guy glared at her but stopped advancing. “You don’t tell me what to do, you little bitch.”

  “I can’t shift to gain a tail so I’m assuming you don’t mean that term in a doggy way. My feelings are hurt by that insult, really.” She hoped he could pick up on her sarcasm.

  He snarled. It only sounded a smidgen less frightening when he made that noise looking human. “What do you want? I can’t free you. You know your grandfather will kill me if I don’t follow his orders. The team he sent knows I have possession of you.”

  “Fine,” she lied. “You’re right. I’m reasonable. I’m not opposed to going with you but I don’t want to be strapped across your back as though I’m a side of beef. I’ll walk.”

  His focus lowered to her legs. “You are injured and barefoot.”

  “I’ll be fine right after I wrap this up to stop the bleeding and I can use part of this sarong to wrap my feet.” It sounded so good, she hoped she’d be able to really do that part of the plan. “Riding on your back doesn’t agree with my stomach.”

  She noticed when some of the stiffness eased from his frame. He bought her bullshit. His gaze lifted. “And you won’t lie about me if I take you there your way?”

  “Nope.” She had no intention of going anywhere with him. “I give you my word as a Filmore.” Her grandfather was a lying bastard who’d told Bat he was dying to get them to Alaska. She wasn’t a Filmore. She was a Dawson. Her father had been a good man. Decker Filmore could never claim that honor. “I’ll behave, and look on the bright side. Carrying me probably wasn’t fun for you either. That belt was cutting me in half and it was against your stomach.”

  “True.” The anger faded from his features. “You may come out of there. I won’t attack you.”

  I don’t feel the same, she silently warned him. “Sure. I don’t suppose you could turn your back though so I can pee in private? That motion of you running and the squeezing from that contraption holding me against you didn’t do my bladder any favors.” She inched closer, overstated her limp to make him think he’d hurt her more than he had.

  The guy nodded. “Do it there. You will not leave my sight.”

  Ignoring him, she squeezed between the trees. “It’s too cramped in there.”

  She flung the dirt when mere feet separated them.

  It hit his face before he could react, totally unprepared for the attack. He jerked his head back to claw at his eyes with his hands.

  She took advantage of his blindness in those critical seconds. She swung her other arm as hard as she could manage with her remaining strength.

  It hurt her wrist when the rock connected with the side of his head but it must have been effective, considering he dropped to his knees with a cry of pain.

  She drew her arm back and hit him again. This time he slumped to the ground.

  Dusti hesitated, watching him. He seemed lifeless except for the rise and fall of his chest. Her gaze avoided the bloody gash to the side of his head. She’d puke if she looked at it too closely or acknowledged her hand was wet from his blood.

  Seconds ticked by. He was breathing but seemed knocked out. She kept hold of the rock and turned, moving as fast as her injured leg would allow in the direction he must have carried her. The dirt path was the only thing she knew to follow. She hoped that someone from Drantos’s clan was looking for her and found her before the guy woke up with a headache from hell.

  The pain in her leg grew worse with each step but she kept going. She didn’t have time to really bind her leg until she felt safe. That wasn’t going to be anytime soon. A little blood loss was a lot better than being recaptured. Craig would be furious and he’d strap her to his body again.

  She ran when she was able to find flatter ground. The sun would go down at some point. It was scary, since she’d eventually lose sight of the path, but every step took her farther away from Craig and everyone associated with him. She’d already been lost at night in the woods once but she wasn’t soaking wet this time. It would have to be better than before.

  A roar tore through the woods a short time later. She turned her head, her gaze searching for any sign of pursuit. Nothing moved except the trees from the wind. Her labored breathing hindered her, along with her limp. She strained to hear a river or perhaps vehicle traffic. If she could stumble into a highway, if one existed in this remote area, it may save her. The icy river water would even be a welcome sight. Its strong current would wash her downstream and perhaps lose the asshole who she knew had to have already started tracking her. He’d obviously recovered from the blows to his head if that was him screaming out his rage.

  A howl tore through the woods next, much closer, and she came to a stop when she realized she wouldn’t be able to outrun him. She turned to wait for Craig to come after her again. He wouldn’t dare kill her but that didn’t m
ean he wouldn’t want to put some serious hurt on her for what she’d done to him with the surprise attack. She swept the ground with her gaze in a desperate search for anything she could use as a more effective weapon than her rock.

  A thump behind her left her heart in her throat. The distinctive sound of something falling hard onto dirt couldn’t be mistaken. She could sense eyes on the back of her head as though something physically touched her.

  He’d found her, somehow had dropped from above, had probably used the trees to sneak up on her.

  She started to turn around, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. She had to confront him.

  “I know you’re angry but if you hurt me, my grandfa—”

  Shock silenced her.

  It wasn’t the guy she’d struck with a rock standing mere feet from her. This one stood much taller, maybe six feet five or six, had short black hair cropped close to his head, from the little of she could see peeking out under his black hood. Her eyes widened as they examined his bare, expansive chest made of deeply tanned skin, and finally reached the handsome face of a man with intense eyes that were an unusually bright blue.

  They mesmerized her—until a loud roar coming from close behind jerked her from her stupor.

  The guy opened his mouth, revealing white, perfect teeth with elongated fangs on both sides. He glared at something over her head. “Back away from the woman.”

  His voice sent chills down her spine. It rumbled with each word as if he spoke from the bottom of a pit. The tone of his command terrified her. This wasn’t a guy anyone sane would argue with.

  She turned her head in time to see the guy she’d bashed with the rock instantly backing up about ten feet. Blood coated the side of Craig’s face, running down his neck and chest from the injuries he’d suffered. He lowered his head in submission and his body followed when he dropped to his knees.

  “Of course.”

  Dusti turned her focus back on the very tall man who wore a strange hooded black duster that was open in front. It had short sleeves, revealing muscular biceps. She raked her gaze up and down him. He wore black leather pants with silver bands over muscular thighs. His heavy-duty boots reminded her of military-issue ones. Leather encased his skin from wrist to just under the elbow, with more silver strips attached to the armguards, each sporting small, sharp-looking spikes. If she wasn’t mistaken, they were a form of weapon that looked as if they could do serious damage if he struck someone.

  She finally met his compelling bright blue gaze again.

  “Who are you?” His voice sent chills down her spine again but his tone had softened just slightly.

  “I…” She swallowed the lump in her throat; perhaps her heart, still there from all the fear. She wasn’t sure what to say. “Who are you?”

  “You’re in my territory without permission.” His nostrils flared when he inhaled, took in her scent, and generous lips curved downward. “Your scent confuses me. You smell male but you obviously are not. Is that your blood?” He glanced down her body.

  “Blame him.” She hooked a thumb in her kidnapper’s direction. “I’m only here because he forced me to be. I’m just trying to get home.”

  “I smell him even from this distance. That’s not his blood on you.” He crouched suddenly, his attention straying to her leg, and he inhaled again.

  She watched his eyes change color. It made her gasp when the blue suddenly flashed sparks of silver. It looked like little lightning bolts were exploding inside his irises. He sniffed again and suddenly gripped her leg, his hand moving too fast for her to follow. He inhaled deeply.

  He didn’t look away from her. “Human.” His expression became grim when he rose to his full height. He finally looked away from her to make his obviously unhappy discovery known to her kidnapper. “You attacked and brought one of them into my territory to kill? Do you want us blamed for her death?” Rage dripped from every word he spoke. “We don’t sanction hunting them on our lands. You offend me.”

  “No!” Her kidnapper raised his terrified gaze to the stranger. “I was under orders from Decker to bring her to you, Lord Aveoth.”

  I’m in such deep shit, Dusti thought. She gawked at the warrior before her. Using that term described how he appeared in the getup he wore and the danger that seemed to radiate off him in waves of anger.

  I’m so screwed. This is Aveoth, the one everyone is so afraid of. I so get why now. He looks meaner than hell.

  “To me?” Aveoth actually appeared confused for a split second before his face hardened to an unreadable mask again. “Why would he gift me with a human?”

  “She’s his granddaughter.”

  His masculine features slackened in astonishment to reveal his emotions once more before his gaze shifted to pin her where she stood. “Is that true?”

  Fear rendered her speechless. Aveoth made a rumbling sound from deep in his throat. It reminded her of something she’d once heard watching a documentary about volcanoes. He, like those volcanoes, made that noise right before he seemed to explode. The raw fury on his handsome face made her back up a step on legs that threatened to turn to rubber.

  “Is it true?” he roared.

  Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She locked her knees together to remain on her feet. Falling on her ass in front of the scary GarLycan didn’t seem a smart thing to do. His coloring started to slightly change. He turned from a deep copper tone to more of a gray shade.

  “It’s true! Her name is Batina and she is the eldest child of Decker’s daughter,” the jerk on his knees supplied. “He planned to offer her to you as a lover. She carries his dead mate’s bloodline.”

  Aveoth’s skin had definitely transformed into a slate gray in color. His flesh lost some of its human facade to harden and smooth out. Dusti had a sinking fear his Gargoyle traits were showing.

  “She smells human.”

  “Her father was one of them. Her mother was pure VampLycan, as you know.”

  “Batina?”

  Her sister’s name coming from Aveoth’s lips had her taking another step back to put more distance between them. Even those inches made her feel a little better.

  “Is that your name?”

  She still couldn’t speak. She shook her head no.

  “She lies!” Craig rose to his feet. “She is—”

  “DOWN!”

  The loud order from Aveoth hurt Dusti’s ears as if thunder had torn through the woods. She nearly dropped to her own knees even though he apparently spoke to Craig. Out of her peripheral vision, she didn’t miss her kidnapper collapsing back to the ground, lowering his head and trembling violently, as though he were having a mini seizure. She could relate. Her instincts screamed at her to curl into the fetal position.

  Aveoth seemed to suddenly appear right before her. The guy moved too fast to track with her eyes. A cool, smooth hand that definitely didn’t feel fleshy gripped her face. He didn’t hurt her but he used a good hold that kept her immobile. She whimpered when she saw his eyes. They glowed silver now, the color seeming to swirl around his irises, as if they had a life of their own.

  “Are you Batina, granddaughter of Marvilella and Decker? Don’t lie to me.”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “She lies,” her kidnapper quaked. “I took her myself. She acknowledged her identity when I did.”

  The handsome man lowered his face to stare into her eyes. “I see no lie.”

  “There were only two of… Shit! You conniving bitch! You allowed me to take you instead of your sister, didn’t you?” Craig tried to get to his feet again.

  Aveoth turned his head to give him a warning look and rumbled again inside his massive chest. The VampLycan dropped back to his knees.

  “She lied to me. She’s the younger granddaughter,” he hurriedly explained. “The the more human one who didn’t inherit the strong bloodline.”

  Aveoth’s color started to return to a normal shade as he took deep breaths. His hand on her face seemed to war
m while he calmed down, the texture of it softening to flesh again. His silvery eyes cooled to blue. Dusti couldn’t look away from his gaze when he gave her his full attention again.

  “What is your name?”

  “Dusti.”

  “Your full name.”

  “Dustina Ann Dawson.”

  “Are you also the granddaughter of Marvilella?”

  “I…that’s what I’ve been told. I never met her. My mother’s name was Antina.”

  His hand slid down her throat, his thumb pausing on the area just above her collarbone, before inching forward until she knew he could feel her rapid pulse over her carotid artery. She prayed he wouldn’t slice it open to just kill her where she stood.

  “Feel no fear.” He lowered the volume of his voice to a husky rasp. “I would never hurt a descendant of Margola. She was Marvilella’s sister. We’d intended to become lovers but she died before reaching maturity.”

  “I don’t want to be your lover,” she blurted. “No offense.” She couldn’t seem to shut up once she got words to pass her lips. “You’re a good-looking guy for someone who makes me want to run away from you screaming. But I met someone. He might be a cheater. I’m not sure. But I fell in love with him. I didn’t even know Vampires, Werewolves and what you are existed until a few days ago. You wouldn’t like me anyway. I’m a shitty cook. I’d end up killing you with food poisoning. And I drool when I’m asleep if I’m really tired.” She sucked in air. “Also, I think my grandfather is a piece of shit who doesn’t have the right to give me to someone as a gift. He’s a cheap bastard who never lifted a finger to help my sister and me. I hate him.” She sealed her lips together to stop babbling.

  One of his black eyebrows arched upward. “Are you done?”

  She managed a small nod.

  He watched her silently but his thumb moved slightly to caress her throat. The soft touch distracted her from her terror a tiny bit. He didn’t seem angry over anything she’d said. He actually appeared to be a little amused, if she were to judge the softening of his features and the way one side of his full lips lifted as if he tried to hide a smile.