Dusti could relate to being a tourist who’d lost her luggage. She looked the part in her ill-fitting clothes she’d bought at Peva’s shop.
Nothing about that afternoon’s event held a familiar feel. They were in a clearing with thick woods surrounding it and three large fire pits burning. A bunch of strangers milled around. The men were all muscled and big, most sporting jeans and tank tops. The women were tall and seemed to have a “dress for less” fashion sense going on. They mostly wore summer dresses with open backs or sarongs.
“Yeah. I’m totally fitting in,” Dusti muttered.
“Everyone knows you had to buy temporary clothing.”
“As if I’d walk around in nothing but a thin towel wrapped around my torso.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Sarongs. It’s basically what they are.”
A smile curved his lips. “You’d look sexy in one.”
“With my luck, it would come untied and I’d drop it.”
“I’d like that.”
“I meant in front of everyone.”
Drantos put his arm around her. “Just be yourself and relax. You’re nervous.”
“Thanks for not saying no one is going to be judging me. They totally are.”
“We can leave.”
“Yeah. Right. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot with the new mother-in-law. No thanks. She kind of frightens me. Just make sure I don’t end up roasting in one of those pits. What does elk taste like, anyway?”
“You’ll like it.”
“I hope so. Your clan can really eat two of them? I thought they weighed a ton.”
“VampLycans can eat about six times what a human can, and we really gorge at a feast. Think of it like your Thanksgiving holiday, only we do it more often.”
“No wonder you’re all so big.”
“It takes a lot of fuel to shift. We’re also naturally toned.”
“You mean mega-muscled.”
He grinned. “Yes. Relax. You’re really talkative.”
She sealed her lips. He was right. She had a tendency to babble when anxious. He just had a nicer way of putting it. She clutched at his hand as they strolled deeper into the clearing. People stared at her and some even stopped talking. She resisted the urge to drop her chin and lean against Drantos. It might make her appear weak. She lifted her head a little higher and clenched her teeth together.
Relax, Drantos thought at her.
I’m trying.
Velder came up to them first. It was his way of letting the clan know he approved of his son’s mate. Drantos had given her a run-through of things to expect. She bowed her head to show the clan leader respect.
He reached out and brushed her shoulder with his fingertips. “I’m glad you both could make it.” He touched Drantos’s shoulder next, then stepped back. “Let them come to you,” he suggested, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I’ve got this,” Drantos muttered.
Velder spun away, retreating back to the men he’d been speaking to when they had arrived. Dusti glanced around, looking for Crayla. Where’s your mom?
She’s with the women. They prepare the food and the cooking hasn’t started yet.
Dusti nodded. Peva strode toward them with a tall, handsome man at her side. She guessed that was the woman’s mate. They stopped and Drantos did the talking.
“Hello, Peva. It’s a nice evening.”
“It is. Dusti, this is Maku. My mate,” Peva confirmed.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Dusti smiled.
He had seriously dark eyes and his nostrils flared. “You smell totally human.”
Peva elbowed him. “I told you that.”
“No offense.” Maku glanced at Drantos. “Are you certain she carries any bloodline?”
“Yes. She’s part VampLycan. Her mother was one of us.”
He looked her up and down. “I see.”
Peva elbowed him again. “Knock it off.” She winked at Dusti. “Forgive him. He’s over two hundred years old and gets a bit grumpy when it comes to humans. He remembers when they used to chase him with sharp sticks as a youngster. He liked to roam into their territory.”
The big guy grumbled under his breath. “It’s not funny.”
Peva laughed. “He also should appreciate someone finding their mate since he had to wait so long to find me. He watched generations being born and grown before I was brought into this world.”
Dusti tried to keep her mouth from falling open.
“I had to chase him.” Peva turned into her mate, hugging his waist. “He thought he should give me a few more years to mature since he was so much older. I knew he was mine when I hit sixteen but we waited to mate until I was the age of consent.”
“That’s eighteen, right?”
“Yes. Some knucklehead made that law.” Peva rolled her eyes. “Tell that to a horny teenager when she has the hots for a guy and knows he’s hers. He’d leave our village when I went into heat because I’d go to his house and climb into his bed. I told him if he touched someone else while he was in heat that I’d hunt them both down and kill them, since I was more than willing to break the law to be with him. My Maku isn’t one to break rules.”
“I’m an enforcer. How would that look?”
Peva rolled her eyes and sighed. “It was two years of hell.” She suddenly grinned again. “Just before midnight on the last day of my seventeenth year, I grabbed my packed bags and ran to his house. I got there about a minute after I hit eighteen. He knew me so well. He had the door open and was waiting on his porch.”
Her mate chuckled. “You had warned me that’s what you’d do.”
“As if you weren’t happy about that.”
“I was. It was hell for me too. Especially when I’d come home after you’d been in heat to find your scent all over my house—and you’d always leave your vibrator on my nightstand. You left it there for me to find on purpose. You’d send me into heat. I never touched another woman though, after I knew you were mine. I had to suffer through it alone.”
“Payback is a bitch.” Peva hugged him tighter and focused her attention on Dusti. “I know it’s going to be difficult for you to adjust to life here but remember that we’re people. Don’t let anyone intimidate you. That’s the plus side of being mated to an enforcer. No one will dare touch you or be overly unkind. They know your mate will make them regret it. Maku was one of our fighting instructors when I was a teen. There was a boy who wanted to nail me, so he’d planned to come after me when I was in heat, thinking I might accept him since Maku avoided me.”
Maku growled deep.
Peva nodded. “You made him rethink that, didn’t you?”
“Damn pup thought he could take what was mine while you were vulnerable.”
Drantos chuckled. “I remember. You took him with you when she went into heat and tied him up in a cave. To this day he hates small enclosed spaces. He’s a damn good fighter though since you really tore into him during training.”
“I enjoyed my work especially well with that one.” Maku’s eyes brightened in color, glowing a bit. “He never looked at her again.”
“He wouldn’t even talk to me and still changes directions when we cross paths.” Peva snickered. “He’s terrified of my Maku.”
“He wanted you. I’m never going to forget that.”
Peva rose up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’m all yours. Don’t go beating him up for old times’ sake. You have that glint in your eye.” She looked at Dusti. “Just be who you are. Our clan is curious about you. Just show them you accept us and they will do the same.”
Maku nodded. “They’re all worried that you’ll scream or burst into tears. Don’t do that.” He peered at Drantos. “You should teach her how to fight. It would make them respect her faster if she at least tried to learn our ways. Let me know if you need help. It will be difficult for you to be the one to train her. I always took it easy on Peva, since it’s impossible to hurt the one who’s yours. I had to allow another trainer to work with her and walk away during their sessions. Otherwise my instincts made me want to attack him to protect her.”
“Thank you.” Drantos reached out and touched the male’s shoulder. “I appreciate that and might take you up on it.”
“Come find us when we eat.” Peva waved. “That will help too. It will let the clan know we’ve accepted her.”
Maku inclined his head. “See you soon.” The couple drifted off to talk to others.
“They’re really nice.” Dusti squeezed Drantos’s hand.
“They aren’t. That’s the point. Maku is one of our most feared enforcers and Peva can be a terror. They want us to eat with them to send a message.”
“That they like me?”
“Mess with you and it will piss them off.”
“Oh. Well, that’s still really nice.”
Drantos grinned. “I’m glad you think so. Peva is like family. I’m not surprised by her offer but I don’t know how she managed to talk Maku into openly accepting you so quickly. He really doesn’t like humans.”
“He loves her.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Is he really that old? I pegged him at about thirty-one, maybe. And only because he’s so tall and big.”
“He’s first generation.”
“What are you?” She was afraid he’d say he was one too. That would mean he was about Maku’s age.
“Second generation. My father is a first generation.” He seemed to study her eyes. “Do you want me to tell you my age now?”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“If it helps, my father wasn’t what you’d consider young when he met my mother. He’d already taken over ruling our clan.”
“Okay. Just hit me with a rounded figure.” She braced, watching him back.
“Eighties.”
She had to force her lungs to work. He didn’t look that old. Not even close.
“How do you feel about that?”
He probed her mind. She could feel it now. It was like a gentle tap against her skull. She tried to shield against it and it seemed to work. A thought struck and it made her grin. “Can I call you my old man?”
Drantos softly growled and lowered his head, brushing a kiss on her lips. Amusement showed in his eyes. “No.”
“Kraven is younger than you?”
“By two years.”
“Oh boy. I hope Bat takes that information well.”
“He won’t tell her until she’s ready to hear it.” Drantos pulled her closer. “Are you freaking out? I know you like that term.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m just glad you’re not a few hundred years old. See? Bright side.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too. So it’s just you and Kraven? No more siblings that I don’t know about?”
“My parents had only two sons.”
“I’m surprised there aren’t more kids, considering how young your parents look and it’s been that many years since they had you and your brother.”
“It was a very calm time in our history when my parents mated. They wanted children right away, so they had Kraven and me. There were issues with Decker after our births. They decided to stop having children until there wasn’t a threat.”
“What issues?”
“A few assassins from his clan tried to take out the other three clan leaders. They failed and lost their lives. My father said he woke when someone entered our home and he attacked the bastard as he came down the hallway toward the bedrooms. He wasn’t certain at first if the assassin was there to kill him or his family. He placed a call to the other leaders to tell them what happened, only to learn two others had the same experience. They confronted Decker, prepared to have him pick one of them to fight to the death. But the coward swore his people had acted on their own. There was no proof otherwise so they had to let it go. He claimed they were unhappy members who must have wanted to lead their own clans when they’d left his.”
“Is that when he began wanting to take control of all the clans?”
Drantos nodded. “It was the start of the trouble. He’d do small annoying things, like test the borders to see if they were protected well. My father and the other clans needed to watch his every move. My parents might have more children in the future but that would be only if they decide it’s safe. Women are the most vulnerable during pregnancy and right after, when they’re caring for the very young. He wants her to be able to fight and defend herself to the best of her ability if the need arises.”
“VampLycans have birth control?”
He nodded. “It’s a Lycan thing most of us inherited. The women can go into heat without dropping fertile eggs. They can only get pregnant when they will their bodies to do so.”
“That’s freaky but kind of cool. How do you will your body into not getting pregnant?”
Drantos paused in thought. “It’s tough to explain. When I’m in danger, I grow claws to protect myself. My body just reacts instantly. I shift and my fangs drop. With Lycan women, it’s kind of like that but they can tell their bodies when it’s all right to get pregnant and when it isn’t.”
“Natural birth control.”
“Exactly.” He looked up, glanced around, and then held her gaze again. “I can feel my father glaring at me. He’s probably annoyed that we’re talking and not focusing on making eye contact with others to encourage them to approach.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
She suddenly had another thought and halted him when he started to lead her to a group of people.
He turned his head. “What?”
“I’m mostly human. What does that mean for us? I can’t will my body to do that.”
He hesitated before answering. “You’d have to be ovulating…and accidental pregnancies have occurred with humans.”
She let that sink in.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he whispered.
She had a hundred questions but Drantos led her to more of his people. They looked wary at her approach but she tried to avoid looking as nervous as she felt. It was important that she make friends.
Drantos felt great pride. Dusti masked her fear well. He couldn’t smell it but he felt traces of it through their bond. She’d been introduced to almost everyone present. He knew his people were unsure of her but they were polite. When his mother entered the clearing with her group, loaded down with food, he took Dusti to Peva and went to help. He hated to leave her side but knew she’d be well looked after.
“How goes it?” His mother scanned the clearing until she spotted Dusti. The creases in her features eased. “She’s with Peva. Good.”
“We’re eating with them.”
“Did you fight Maku to make that happen?”
“No. Peva worked her mate magic.”
His mother laughed. “Ah. That always works. Now you have a mate who will be able to make you see reason too. It’s impossible to remain stubborn when the one you love expects compromise. You will want to give it to her.”
“You lead Dad around by his nose.”
She chuckled. “It’s not that body part I grab when I want him to follow me down any path.”
“I was trying to be polite.”
“Your manners have already improved. I like seeing this new side of you.”
Drantos scanned the area again and lowered his voice. “Thank you for backing me up with Dad. I know this can’t be easy for you either, as my mother.”
She leaned in closer and reached up, laying her hand on his shoulder. “She’s not the mate I would have chosen for you but that’s not our way. You felt something for this Dusti and the bond was there when you touched her. I’m grateful you found her and didn’t have to settle for something less. It happens and it’s always sad to see. That would have broken my heart. You deserve a true mate, and the love that goes with it.”
“Dad is worried that our children will be weak. I tried to tell him that won’t happen but I can tell he’s still apprehensive.”
She released him and waved her hand in the air, a gesture to state she wasn’t concerned. “Let them be healthy and give me lots of grandbabies. That’s all I ask. Your bloodlines are strong and she’s not fully human. I have faith it will be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“You do need to speak with her about how life here is different from the world she came from. One day your father will wish to hand over leadership to you. That means you’ll need her to stand strong at your side. I know you could handle it alone but the women prefer being dealt with by another woman.”
“They would hurt or even kill her if she fought one of our women.”
“She won’t have to do things my way. I’m more hands-on than other clan leaders’ mates. I enjoy a good fight. Teach her how to earn their respect and it will never come to violence.” She paused. “You said she’s more Vampire than Lycan?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a pity.”
“Why?”
“It’s possible that carrying your young enough times could activate the Lycan traits to emerge, if it were the stronger of the two. That would have meant she had a chance at shifting in the future.”
“She needs my blood sometimes.”
“Does she have fangs?”
“No.”
She suddenly grinned. “She could use her ability to drink blood as a weapon if she had them. It would weaken her opponents if she bit them, while making her stronger.”
“I never want my mate to have to do that.”
“We’ll discuss this later. It’s time to cook. Go to your Dusti and show our people your love for her, and hers for you. No one will dare go after her. They’d have to fight you.” She winked. “None in our clan are that stupid.”
He made it to Dusti’s side and was about to take a seat when motion out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Marna ran into the clearing, her eyes wide, and the youngster appeared afraid. She waved her arms, too out of breath to speak.
Drantos straightened and rushed at her. He was the first one to make it to the seven-year-old.
“What is it?”
She pointed toward town. “Trouble,” she panted.
He crouched, gently gripping her thin arms. “Calm and tell us what is going on.”
The girl caught her breath enough to speak. “A human stopped in town. He saw one of us running in shifted form and Lake wasn’t able to wipe his memory. The human wants to call the state troopers to report it and came to use the store phone. Lake is stalling him so he doesn’t go to another town to use theirs.”
More of his clan had surrounded them, including Dusti. He sensed her right behind him. His father growled low.
“Lake is one of our strongest with human minds. The human must be immune. We need to prevent him from telling anyone what he saw or others will come to investigate. Our clan will be at risk. I need to kill him.”
Dusti gasped. “What?”
Drantos released the girl, stood, and faced her. “There’s no choice, Dusti. My father is right. Lake is a first generation with strong Vampire traits. He would have erased the man’s memory and given him a new one if it were possible. We can’t allow this human to tell others what he saw. More of them would come.”
She scowled. “You can’t just kill someone. He might have a wife and kids. I’m sure he has family.”
“We need to be safe.”
“She’s human,” someone muttered. “She’s siding with them.”
Drantos snarled, glaring at the men around them to identify the source. He found him and flashed fangs. The man stepped back, sulking out of his sight. Drantos looked back at Dusti.
“This is our home. Our children play here. Hunters will come. We’ve seen this happen before. In nineteen seventy-one someone reported seeing one of us and thought it was a bigfoot. A bunch of drunken hunters trespassed on that clan’s territory for months. Four VampLycans were shot, one nearly died. And the world is easier to share stories with now. All those humans came from one town. Imagine what would happen if they used the internet. They could come from all over the world. We can’t allow this human to tell others. Do you understand?”
“I do.”
“It’s a law to protect our secrets from the world for a reason.”
Dusti nodded. “I get it. Let me take a crack at him though.”
“You can’t wipe his mind.”
“I don’t need to. Just let me talk to him. If I can’t spin this, he’s all yours. I get it.”
“You can’t tell him the truth.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” She peered up at him in a way that tugged at his chest. “Please let me talk to this guy. I think I know how to handle this mess.”
“He saw one of us.”
“I know. Take me to this guy. I have a plan.”
“What is it?”
“I need to find out what he saw and get a look at him first.” She reached out and gripped his hand. “Let me at least try.”
“Let’s see what she can do,” his mother stated loud and clear.
Drantos was stunned when he looked at his mom. “What?”
“She’s human. She might know better how to deal with one. No one wishes to kill today.” His mom crossed her arms over her chest. “The last thing we need is for someone to go missing in our area. That would cause us problems too. Let’s see what your mate can do, Drantos.”
He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that this was going to be a disaster. He turned his gaze to his father.
He nodded, looking equally grim. “We can still kill him afterward. Let her try. There’s no harm in that.”
Shit. He grasped Dusti’s hand and tugged her toward town. “Let’s go.”
She had to almost run to keep up with him. He should have felt guilt but didn’t. He was angry. His father followed but the rest of the clan hung back.
“What are you doing?”
She didn’t answer so he glanced at her, using their link instead.
Did you hear me? What are you doing?
Trying to save a man’s life.
He saw too much. We must protect the clan. You should have said nothing. Now they might question your loyalty to our people for your own. You’re one of us now, Dusti.
That doesn’t mean I have to agree to murder without at least trying to prevent it.
Anger came through the bond from her. He felt some himself. Damn! This is a disaster about to happen.
I heard that. She shot him a dirty look.