He slowed, sniffed the air, and avoided the main body of town when he approached his village.
Worry rose but he had no time to consider what sort of punishment might be dealt to him. He had rescued his mate, carried her safely to clan lands, and soon he’d have her secured inside his home. She needed a warm bath to remove the chill from her skin and a full belly of food to alleviate her hunger. He would inform his family he’d returned after she was cared for.
Dusti shivered once again, her arms slack around his neck now. He knew exhaustion had set in. He paused, waited for a sentry to pass without detecting them since he kept downwind, and then crept forward. He relaxed when he stepped onto his own property where his cabin rested. He crouched down by the front door and started to transform without giving his mate a warning.
She softly started to curse when the hair receded and his bones shifted but she didn’t try to fling her body away. He grinned in amusement while he listened to her list of foul words expand. His mate could make a trucker blush with the things she muttered. He reached back, gripped her thighs, and straightened.
“Just hold on. I’ll give you a piggyback ride straight to that tub I promised. Do you mind opening the door?” He turned her toward the handle, bent his knees, and she released him with one hand to turn the knob.
“Don’t you people lock your doors?”
“No. There is no need. We don’t steal from each other.”
“That wouldn’t happen where I come from. You leave your door unlocked and you come home to an empty house that’s been stripped.”
“You’re totally safe here.” He didn’t bother to turn on lights. His eyes were already accustomed to the darkness outside. “We’re almost there. I’ll settle you in warm water and bring you a meal. How are you doing?”
“I’m tired.” She yawned to make her point. “Maybe I could skip the bath and food for a nap first.”
“No. You haven’t eaten all day. It’s my job to care for you.”
“Do you do dishes and laundry too? If you do, I’ll love you more.”
He snorted back a laugh. “I’ve been a bachelor for a very long time. I even clean my home.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m assuming you haven’t turned on lights because you don’t want me to see wall-to-wall beer cans and dirty clothes piled everywhere.”
“I don’t need lights. Sorry.”
“You can see in the dark without the moon to help you out?”
“Yes.” He turned to gently ease her down on the edge of the bathroom counter. “Hold on and close your eyes. I’ll flip on the lights. I don’t want to startle you.”
“Okay.” She released him to sit back.
He flipped on the light and turned to face his mate. He watched her wince and lift a hand to shield her eyes from the bright lights. She blinked a few times before gawking at his bathroom.
“Wow. This is nice. Double sinks, that shower is huge, and you didn’t lie about the Jacuzzi tub.” She gave him a smile that tugged at his heart when he saw how happy it made her. “I could live in here.”
“Lucky for you, we have an entire cabin. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms.”
“I think my bedroom at home would fit in here. I can’t wait to see the rest of the place if this is any indication. It’s huge, isn’t it?”
“We’ve been on these lands for a long time. I started building my home…” He stopped talking. She didn’t want to know his age. “Some years ago. I wanted it to be comfortable when I found my mate.”
He spun away and turned on the water in the deep tub to draw her bath. He kept his back to her until the water rose to where he wanted it. He glanced over his shoulder.
“Do you need help in?”
She scooted off the counter edge. “I can manage. Thanks.”
He didn’t want to leave her but she needed to eat. “Relax. Make yourself at home. This is yours now too. I’ll cook you food.”
She reached for the ties on the sarong. “Thank you, Drantos.”
“Never thank me for caring for you. It’s my privilege.” He quickly left her before he saw too much of her naked skin. The hunger for his mate boiled inside his blood, already laced with hers.
He started to prepare a meal and then reached for the phone. He hesitated briefly but knew someone might see the lights on inside his house if they were patrolling the area and report it to his father. He knew he couldn’t put off the call. He dialed.
“When did you get home, Drantos?” His father answered on the second ring. “My caller ID said it was you.”
“Does it matter? I recovered my mate and she’s home with me.”
“Do you need a doctor for her?”
“No. She was slightly injured but I licked her wounds. They are almost healed. The bastard who stole her had clawed the back of her leg.”
“I take it that he’s dead?”
“Yes. I wasn’t the one to kill him. Aveoth found them first. He—”
Velder snarled. “Lord Aveoth was there? What happened?”
“I’m trying to tell you. He located Dusti and Decker’s enforcer before I reached them. I told Aveoth how she had been taken and that we’d been attacked.”
“Did you tell him why? Did he know of Decker’s plan?”
“He wasn’t aware of what Decker was up to but he is now. He said he’d handle it and it doesn’t bode well for Decker. He also said he doesn’t want a war with us. He likes the peace.”
“That’s excellent news. I’ll share it with the other clans. I’ve kept them apprised of what is going on. We’ve all been worried.”
“I know. Aveoth is aware of Dusti and Bat now but he made it clear he isn’t going to come after them or make a trade with Decker. I told him Dusti is my mate and he accepted it.”
“She’s so human.”
He knew where the conversation was headed. “She’s still part VampLycan, and she’s mine. I won’t give her up. I know what you’re worried about, but our children will be strong-blooded if I feed her my blood while she’s pregnant. There’s no reason for you to reject her as my mate. I’ll be able to fulfill my duties as first son.”
“Who told you that?”
“I gave my word I wouldn’t share that information but it’s a reliable source. Someone with old knowledge told me.”
“Did someone hear that from one of the Lycan elders and pass it on?”
He hesitated. Aveoth’s clan had probably gotten the information from an old Lycan. Someone had to have shared that information to enable the GarLycans to put it in a book. “You could say that.”
His father remained silent for long seconds. “I’m glad the GarLycans aren’t a threat to us but we still have to address the issue of what you did today. Your mate rejected you in front of others and you went against the law to go after her. You must face punishment. There’s no way around it. People are talking.”
“I figured.”
“I can’t protect you, Drantos. It would look bad.”
“I know.”
“The last thing we need is dissension in the clan by my playing favorites. I must always be fair.”
“I don’t regret what I’ve done,” he admitted. “I’d do it again. You were wrong for making me chose between you and Dusti.”
“It shocked me when I learned who the sisters were. My hatred of Decker runs deep. I’ve had time to cool down and think it through, and I agree with you. Your mother and I spoke. I can’t publically apologize without it making me appear weak but I do, son. I’m sorry. I should have ordered you to go after her instead of remaining with the injured.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I wish I could take it back.”
“It’s done. Let’s just get this over with.”
His father sighed. “Sometimes the bullshit gets to me. This is one of those times.”
“You’ve changed a lot of the laws but this is an important one. You can’t have our people arguing with your every decision.”
“I k
now, but there should be an exception between fathers and sons.”
“I’ll take my punishment.”
“Be at my home in twenty minutes. I consulted with the clans so everyone is satisfied with the outcome. I had to explain everything that happened and your state of mind when you defied me. They were generous. We were lucky. They took into account that your Dusti doesn’t know our laws and that it was stressful to find out she’s so human. They were sympathetic, considering she’s a relation to Decker on top of it and he had his clan attack us.”
“How severely will I be punished?”
“Nothing you can’t handle. Tell your mate you will return in the morning. You probably want to avoid her until you’ve had time to heal.”
Drantos winced. “You’re right. I don’t want her to see me when they’re done. It would terrify her. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I won’t be late.”
“I’ll double the sentries to make sure your mate is safe. I wouldn’t put anything past Decker. He’s insane.”
“Aveoth is after him.”
“It could take time for Aveoth to find him and Decker might still try to come after his granddaughters. It’s better to be safe than sorry. We’ll stay on alert until we hear he’s been captured or killed.”
“Thank you, Father. How is Kraven doing?”
“He’s almost totally healed.”
“And Bat?”
“She’s fine and with him.”
“Good.” He ended the call.
* * * * *
Dusti backed away when Drantos hung up the phone. She’d overheard enough of the one-sided conversation to know he’d gotten into trouble for going after her. She turned in the hallway and tiptoed back into the bathroom. She’d been on her way to ask him if he had new razors, not wanting to use his personal one. If she hadn’t, she’d have never known about the punishment.
She stripped out of his shirt to climb into the large tub. She had no clue how to turn on the jets but it didn’t matter. She washed quickly, used his shampoo and conditioner in her hair, and readied to climb out of the tub when Drantos entered the bathroom carrying a tray. The smell of soup and toast made her stomach rumble.
He smiled. “I need to go tell my family that you’re safe. You’ll find clothing in the dresser, and just leave the tray in here when you’re done eating. Go to sleep afterward. Don’t wait up for me.”
“How long will you be?” She was upset that he wasn’t mentioning his conversation with his father but she tried to hide it by forcing her own smile. She hoped hers looked less fake than his did. “Do they live far away?”
His gaze shifted from hers when he set the tray on the corner shelf of the tub. “I thought I’d go by and check on Kraven. While I’m out, I’ll also make sure your sister is settled in. And I’m sure my father will want to discuss what happened.” He backed away, still avoided looking at her, and then paused. “I’ll be back by the time you wake in the morning.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire, she thought. “Okay. I’d like to see Bat in the morning.”
“That’s fine. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you as well.” He met her gaze. “I hate to leave you.”
He wouldn’t meet her eyes when he fibbed. She caught on to that quickly but decided to test it. “Can’t you stay? You haven’t even shown me around the house and you need to eat too.”
“I snacked while I warmed your soup.”
Truth, she surmised, since he didn’t look away. “Okay. Are you leaving right now?”
“I’m going to use the second bathroom to shower real quick and put on some pants.” His attention shifted away. He met her gaze again. “I’ll be thinking of you, and will hurry back as quickly as I’m able.”
“Okay.” You suck at lying, she added silently.
He hesitated and then backed toward the door. “Eat all that food. You need it.”
“I will,” she lied. She wanted to eat so bad she wouldn’t even need silverware. She’d happily just tip the bowl and drink the contents. “See you in the morning, baby.” She purposely added the nickname, hoping he understood that she cared about him. He was facing some kind of punishment thanks to her—and he probably believed he was protecting her by keeping it a secret.
He spun and left her but not before she saw regret flash in his beautiful eyes.
Dusti waited until she heard a dresser drawer slam closed before she rose out of the tub. Her hungry gaze landed on the tray of food and she softly groaned, but grabbed a towel instead. She didn’t even bother to dry off before entering his large bedroom.
She glanced around. He had a massive room with a king-size bed, a big-screen television, and a soft-gray stone fireplace in one corner. It was the kind of bedroom she’d always dreamed of having. Her focus locked on the dresser. She advanced quickly to find something to wear.
Drantos had a lot of clothes but they were all huge on her smaller frame. She settled on a thick black sweater with a hood that she rolled the sleeves on to free her hands of the extra material, and a pair of black drawstring pants. She hoped the dark color would help her sneak around. She was tugging on two pairs of black socks to protect her feet when she heard a door slam.
“Damn, he showers fast,” she muttered. She ran to find the front door.
She glimpsed him disappearing into the woods when she peeked out the window. He didn’t have curtains covering them. The cabin had to sit above the rest of the homes, since she could see lights down in what appeared to be a valley. She eased the door open and moved outside into the chilly night. She made sure to close it softly before she sprinted after Drantos.
He didn’t seem to notice when she followed from a distance. She figured he had to be pretty distracted not to pick up her scent. It probably helped that she wore his clothes, and the socks were nearly silent on the forest floor. She nearly lost sight of him a few times before catching glimpses of his bare back gleaming in the moonlight. She tried to stay behind tress, there were plenty of those, and hoped she wouldn’t run into any.
“I’ve lost my damn mind for doing this,” she muttered under her breath, jogging from one tree to the next, and grateful he didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to get to his destination. She wondered where that would be.
He walked into a well-lit backyard where she recognized one of the men who stood waiting by the back door of another cabin. Velder looked grim when he faced his son. Dusti hid behind the thick trunk of a tree, peering around it, wondering if she should just step out there to find out what kind of trouble Drantos faced. She should be included in the punishment, since she felt responsible.
She held back for now. When they went inside, she’d go sneak a peek into one of the many windows. She frowned. They didn’t appear to own drapes, either, since she could see inside the back of the house.
Irritation flared when she saw their lips move but she couldn’t hear the words spoken. Velder did most of the talking but another older man also had words for Drantos, whose back remained to her. He nodded a few times. The older guy moved for a bag on the back steps while Drantos walked toward a swing set in the yard. It looked old, rusted, and the seats had been removed, only the frame of it looming there in the floodlights.
What the hell?
She tensed when Drantos reached up to grip the top of the frame with both hands, spread far apart above his head. Her gaze traveled to the old man, who carried something close to his chest that she couldn’t see as he followed Drantos. He stopped about eight feet behind him.
“Ready?” the older guy called out. “It’s twenty-five.”
“Do it,” Drantos said. He lowered his chin to his chest.
Do what?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when the older man’s arm flew back.
In horror, she saw something black, long, and thin sail through the air, and then his arm arched, flying forward, and so did the thing gripped in his hand.
The sound when the whip hit Drantos’s back nearly crumpled her to her knees.
A silent scream froze inside her throat when the older man threw his arm back again and lashed down hard. A red line tore open down Drantos’s back when the whip struck him once more. The sound cracked loudly in her ears. It took this second time before what she was seeing totally sank in and she found her legs.
“NO!” That one word flew from her mouth.
She ran into the clearing before she realized she could even move.
Drantos snapped his head around and released the bar but she barely saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. Rage had her fixed on the asshole with the whip, who turned to gape at her. He just stood there slack-jawed, obviously stunned, and watched her barrel toward him.
She turned her shoulder, tucked her head, and slammed hard into the man. He gasped and they both went down.
“Dusti!” Drantos roared her name. “No!”
She landed on the guy, who’d cushioned her fall nicely, then pushed up quickly. He lay on his side, his green eyes wide, shocked, and locked with hers. She sat up to straddle his legs, pinning one arm between their bodies, and yanked the whip out of his loose fingers from his other arm sprawled on the grass near her knee.
“What the fuck is wrong with you people?” She fisted the thick handle of the whip to shake it at the guy under her, wanting to hit him so badly she knew she probably would. “How would you like this shoved up your—”
A big, warm hand clamped over her mouth while another arm wrapped around her waist. Drantos yanked her off the guy, lifted her high in his arms, and backed away.
“I’m sorry.” He snarled the words. “She didn’t know, Carlos. She doesn’t understand our laws. I didn’t realize she’d followed me.”
Velder was suddenly there, helping the older man—in his fifties, Dusti guessed—up from the ground, and he gaped at Dusti as well. Drantos clutched her against his chest, kept his palm over her mouth, and backed up farther. He took ragged breaths before he spoke again.
“She meant no harm.”
“Bullshit,” Dusti muttered against his skin but it came out muffled.
“Silence,” Drantos hissed in her ear. “You just tackled an elder Lycan from our clan who volunteered to punish me so my father didn’t have to do it.”