“Really?” The conversation was helping her remain calm as the plane started to move again and picked up rapid speed. They were taking off. She kept her eyes closed. “Tell me about it.”
“We had to do it at night so no one would see us together. Lord Abotorus, Aveoth’s father, was a total asshole.” Kraven shifted his body a little, bracing his legs better. “He was a snob who would have hated his son hanging out with a couple of VampLycans. There’s no other way to put it. Anyway, Drantos loved to have Aveoth take him flying but I’ve never been a fan of leaving the ground. They kind of teased me until it was a matter of pride to accept. I have to say it was beautiful. I know how a bird feels to soar.”
Bat tried to picture that. “Weren’t you afraid he’d drop you?”
“No. We’re pretty damn strong. And I hadn’t pissed him off.” He chuckled. “That’s about the only way it would have happened. On purpose.”
The plane lifted off the ground, sharply gaining altitude. Bat clutched at Kraven, clinging to him. He stopped rubbing her back and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’ve got you, Bat. It’s okay. Anyway, Gargoyles don’t express many feelings. It was kind of cool to see Aveoth laugh and kid around with us. He taught us sword fighting since they’re big on that in his clan, and we taught him a lot of Lycan tracking skills. I hated it when those times ended.”
“What happened?”
He hesitated.
“You said he’s a threat, so I take it you aren’t friends anymore?”
“Winter came one year and traveling is difficult that time of year. He can fly, but it’s not exactly smart or safe to do it during storms. And we’re snowbound on the ground during the worst of it too. He wasn’t about to visit our village to say hi, even if he wanted to fly during the coldest months. Anyway, word spread that he’d challenged and killed his father. Some bad shit had to have gone down for Aveoth to do that. I knew they weren’t close but he never talked about wanting to take his father out. Drantos and I never saw or spoke to him again after that. We went where we used to meet him, in hopes he’d show up, but he never did. Drantos tried to contact him a few times but his requests were ignored.”
“You said his dad was an asshole.”
“Yes, he was. It still came as a shock, though. I mean, to kill your own father? Think about that.”
“I bet my mom thought about doing that before she had to run away from home to avoid forced sexual slavery.”
“Very true. Antina was just a girl though. There’s no way she would have been able to challenge her father and win. Our laws require a fair, equal fight to take leadership. She wasn’t as strong as him and weapons aren’t allowed.”
“So she couldn’t just shoot his worthless ass and call it a day?”
He shook his head. “VampLycans aren’t permitted to use weapons against each other, only when we’re battling another race. We have to be in the same form, and fight each other in a fair challenge. There’s no honor in a shifted person attacking someone in skin.” He paused. “Decker absolutely has no honor. He violated our laws today when his enforcers attacked us in the trucks.”
“Then why couldn’t she have just shot him? He’s an asshole. Everyone seems to know that.”
“The other clans would have had a problem with it. They would have punished her. All VampLycans are accountable for their own actions. Decker will pay for attacking us. He can’t deny what happened this time.”
“It sounds like they should have awarded my mother a medal if she’d shot his ass.”
“We’re better than Decker. Your mother’s only hope would have been if either of her two brothers challenged him. They were older and equal in size to their father. But they didn’t.”
That had Bat tensing, her eyes snapped open, and she pulled back to stare at him. “I have uncles?”
“Your mother never told you about them?”
Anger stirred. “No. Big shocker, right? It was a theme of hers, apparently.”
“They’re like Decker, Bat. I’ve met both of them over the years and didn’t like either.”
“Fantastic. Is there anyone else I should know about? Any aunts? Cousins?”
“No aunts by blood. Your mother was Decker’s only daughter. One of your uncles is mated and has three sons. They travel a lot for Decker. The other hasn’t found a mate yet, last I heard.”
“So what about my cousins? Are they pricks too?”
“I’ve never met them. To be blunt, Decker doesn’t want anyone to be able to use his family against him. He’s probably afraid we’d kill them or something. That’s what he’d do. We usually only hear they were in the area after the fact. Decker sent them away after he murdered Marvilella and Antina made a run for it. Maybe they were angry with him for taking their mother and they chose to roam for him.”
“Roam?”
“Attend to business outside of the clan. Enforcers sometimes go on short missions in your world but it’s possible Decker set them up somewhere far from here on a more permanent basis.”
She let that information sink in. “I wonder why my uncles didn’t take that bastard out if he really killed their mother. I mean, homicide seems like how you guys handle things since there’s no real law.”
“We do have laws. They’re just different from the ones you know. It could be the simple fact that they thought they couldn’t take Decker in a fight. It’s also less accepted in VampLycan clans to kill a parent for leadership. Of course, this is all somewhat new to us, considering how short of a time we’ve been in existence. First generations still run all four clans. Aveoth is the only second generation to take over a clan, but he’s a GarLycan.”
“Got it. You live in a weird world, Kraven.” She rested her head on his chest again. “I’m going to be glad to return to mine.”
Kraven rested his chin back on top of Bat’s head and hid his scowl. He wasn’t happy they were venturing into the human world. His height and stature always drew attention. There were humans his size but not many. Six feet five tended to make him stand above a normal crowd.
He’d have to be leery of women too. He’d be putting off hormones with Bat around. Humans were naturally drawn to Lycan men when they were horny. He was pretty certain that was going to be a problem, unless Bat stopped resisting their attraction. He didn’t want her to become pissed off if women came on to him.
For his part, he’d want to kill anyone who approached Bat for sex.
He’d just have to make certain they bonded stronger before they had to deal with that issue. Bat was stubborn and wasn’t about to easily give up her life. She’d resist admitting they were a mated pair.
It might be a mistake to take her back to Los Angeles. It would only show her what she had to lose once the danger passed and they could return to Alaska, where they both belonged. But it was important to speak to the doctor who had helped Antina Filmore. He’d hold answers that Bat needed. And Kraven was a little curious himself.
He stroked her back, staring out the window. It might give her peace if the doctor turned out to have all the answers to her questions. Kraven just hoped he didn’t have to spill much blood to force the Lycan or Vampire to talk; he was certain the doctor had to be other.
He chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating how to go about that without making Bat fear him. He’d usually just unleash his claws and start cutting until his prey was willing to tell him any damn thing he wanted to know. She might not enjoy that kind of violence.
“Is this going to be a long flight?”
Her question jolted him from his thoughts. “I’m not sure. I know commercial flights are about three and a half hours. It doesn’t matter. The GarLycans can’t come after us until nightfall. We have a huge head start. The control tower is going to tell anyone who asks that we’re flying into Seattle.”
“Aren’t we?” She jerked her head off his chest and peered up at him.
“No. There’s another airport we’re heading to. I don’t want Decker or Aveoth calling L
ycan packs so they’re waiting for us when we land.”
“What if we crash again? You fucked with our flight plan. How will they find us?”
He hated that he’d scared her. “We’re good. You saw me stop and ask that first guy we met who had the best plane and flying record. That’s Norman, our pilot. Just relax and try to get some rest.”
“As if,” she sighed, but she did rest her cheek against his chest again. “I’m a little jealous of you.”
That surprised him. “Why?”
“That mind-control thing. It’s kind of cool.”
He found that admission amusing. “I see.”
“I wonder if I could do it but just didn’t know to try.”
“You can’t.”
She looked up at him again and frowned. “You don’t know that for sure.”
“It’s a Vampire thing. I’ve tasted your blood. You didn’t inherit enough to get that trait. Sorry.”
“That sucks.”
“You have me,” he reminded her. “I got us on this aircraft without any problems.”
“Yes, you did. I’d love to have you in court with me.”
He snorted. “So I could look pretty?”
She smiled. “I’d never lose a case again. You could order them to believe everything I say, like my client is innocent.”
“We only mess with minds in emergency situations.” She had a lot to learn. “It can cause damage to some humans, so we avoid it whenever possible.”
“What kind of damage? You mean like telling them they’re a cow and then they’d spend the rest of their lives mooing and trying to eat grass?”
He laughed. She did have a great sense of humor. “No. The mentally unstable can become more so. Some humans have a slight resistance to our kind and we have to push them harder than normal. It causes them pain; sometimes a brain bleed can occur. It’s rare but it’s a risk. It’s why Drantos and I didn’t mess with any of the survivors from the plane crash. They already had injures and we didn’t want to accidentally kill them. Then there’s the totally immune…” Though Kraven wasn’t sure if he should tell her about those.
“What about them?”
He should have known she’d ask. “A very small percentage of humans are immune to Vampire suggestions. But it’s law that humans can’t know about other races. It puts all of us at risk.”
“And that means what for the humans?”
He didn’t know if he should answer.
“I’m waiting. Spit it out.” She peered at him.
“It’s a death sentence,” he stated. “There’s always that risk when we use our power of persuasion, that it’ll fail and we’ll reveal too much to a human and can’t fix it. They might try to convince other humans of our existence. Ever hear of Vampire hunters? Some of those stories are based on history. Immune humans have tracked and killed Vamps during the day while they slept. It got even more dangerous to allow those humans to live as technology evolved. They could stalk us easier, film us to provide proof to others, and there are more effective weapons to kill anything not human. Past hunters started with Vampires and eventually learned about other races. They wanted to slaughter us all. So…” He paused. “It became law.”
Bat studied him, her expression grim. “Good thing I’m not totally human then. Would you have to kill me too?”
“I voluntarily told you what we are. I’d never hurt you.”
“So you’re just going to let me go after all this is over and done with?”
No. Never. He couldn’t say that to her though. “Do you plan on becoming a Vampire hunter?”
“I like to sleep at night. I’ll pass.”
“Most Vampire hunters kill when the sun is up. That’s when Vamps are most vulnerable.”
“I’d be in court.”
“You’re good then. You’re also smart. Most humans don’t believe in our existence. They think the ones who do are mentally unstable. That’s fortunate for us.”
“How so?”
“It gives us time to clean up messes when they happen.”
She seemed to ponder that. “I’d make a horrible Vampire slayer. It sounds dirty and disgusting. I’d much rather spend my free time getting a manicure or a pedicure.”
It was a reminder of how different she was than any of the women he’d ever known. Most of them were tough females who loved to go hunting.
He didn’t mind, though. His mate was more human than not. It would be an adjustment but he’d make it work. They’d both have to compromise.
He suddenly couldn’t resist touching her more intimately. He lifted his hand and gently caressed her cheek. Then he dropped all his restraint and lunged for her surprised mouth, kissing her. Bat tensed in his arms but she caved quickly, meeting his tongue with her own.
He slid his other hand lower to cup her ass. She moaned in response and he leaned forward a little so she had room to wrap her arms around his neck. She couldn’t deny that they belonged together when they touched. He wouldn’t allow her to put emotional barriers between them.
My mate. The instinct to bond with her became almost unbearable. He wanted to slash open a vein to make her drink his blood, and take more from her. It would help their bond strengthen until they could feel each other’s emotions and even share thoughts. He resisted though. He wanted her to accept what they were on her own terms, not because his pain over her rejection would be something she felt. He never wanted his Bat to hurt.
She jerked back, breathing hard. Passion showed in the way she looked at him. “We can’t do this.”
“We can.”
“The pilot—”
“Won’t come back here. He’s busy flying.”
He kissed her again, capturing her lips with his. She didn’t protest. He realized soon enough when she began to grind her hips on his lap that the seat wasn’t going to work. He pulled his face away from hers, both of them panting, and frantically looked around for an option. The narrow aisle between the seats looked to be the best place.
“Hold on tight,” he ordered.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. He braced one arm around her waist and grabbed the seat in front of him to pull them both up. He nearly slammed his head on the low roof. He twisted sideways and took them both to the floor, ending up on top of her. The space felt pretty tight for someone his size, but all he cared about was making sure he didn’t crush Bat. Then he discovered another problem. She no longer wore a skirt. The sweatpants hugging her lower body meant he’d have to get her at least partially naked.
Sexual frustration rolled through him but he refused to stop. He was going to have his mate. They were safe for the time being. No GarLycan would dare attack the plane in flight, even if they were insane enough to do it during the day. It would put Bat’s life in danger, not something they’d be willing to do, since Aveoth would order them to bring her to him alive and well.
He lifted off Bat, assessing her. Her cheeks were flushed a bit, her mouth a little swollen from his kisses, and her nipples were taut, showing through the shirt she wore. He inhaled, picking up the scent of her, as turned-on as he was. She wanted him too.
He reached down and shoved her legs together, lifting them so she had no choice but to bend her knees to her chest. He snagged the waistband of the sweats at her spine and tore them down her legs to her knees. He spread her thighs, ducked his head, and scooted forward so her bunched-up pants ended up behind his neck. It put her exposed pussy right under his mouth.
“I’m not a pretzel.” Bat lifted her head, holding his gaze.
He grinned. “Relax and enjoy, my little hellion.”
It was the only warning he gave before he dropped his chin and began to feast on her. She moaned when he lapped at her clit with his tongue. She stabbed her fingers into his hair. He almost expected her to pull at it, try to stop him. She surprised him by doing the opposite. She just curved her hand along the back of his head, almost as if she were afraid he’d stop and wanted to force him to stay exactly where he
was. Her moans were soft and throaty. He loved the sounds she made.
He adjusted his hold when her hips began to rock against his mouth. He pinned her tighter by her thighs to keep her still. He sucked on her stiffening clit, knowing she was really close to her climax. He’d normally want to draw it out and torment her a bit but his dick demanded release from his constraining jeans.
Bat came loudly. She cried out his name, her fingers fisting his hair. Kraven eased off her clit and ran his tongue down her slit. The sweet taste of her, aroused and needy, was the best thing ever. She could become his addiction. He let go of her thighs and maneuvered one hand down to unfasten his jeans. He had to twist his hips a bit to shove them down enough to free his stiff shaft. He wished he could strip them both entirely but he’d make do with what was possible.
He reached up and behind him next, blindly finding one of Bat’s feet. He yanked on the sweats until he freed one of her legs, then crawled up her body. Bat’s eyes opened and their gazes locked. He had to have her.
He braced his elbows above her shoulders since there was no room next to them. “Wrap around me,” he demanded.
Bat didn’t hesitate. She hugged his ribs and wrapped her legs around his waist. He shifted his hips until his rock-hard dick was in position, entering Bat in one long, slow thrust. A groan passed his lips.
Bat felt like heaven. She was wet, hot, ready for him.
“Yes,” she moaned.
That was all he needed to hear. Bat was his for the taking.
He was never going to let her go.
Chapter Twelve
“What’s the problem?” Bat kept her voice down. There were a lot of people in the airport, despite its smaller size.
Kraven glanced down at her feet. “Nice shoes. Are those flowers printed all over them?”
“Shut up. It’s all the gift shop had and they aren’t even my size. That store was a joke. I’ve seen larger bathrooms. Can you say limited merchandise choices? They should. Did you get us another plane?”