The large bonfire kept the darkness surrounding them at bay. Dusti inhaled the scent of leather coming from the oversized jacket wrapped around her. She tracked Drantos’s movements when he strode closer to the fire pit he’d dug. He’d made sure she hadn’t had a moment alone with Bat since her sister had given her the iron shot. As a matter of fact, he kept her at least ten feet away from all the other passengers, who huddled around the fire he’d lit before the sun had gone down.
Drantos had carried Dusti off the plane and made a camp while Bat and Kraven had helped the injured off the damaged aircraft. Both pilots had died and there were no survivors in the tail section. Kraven had gone to look while Bat had been ransacking the plane for blankets and supplies. Drantos constantly watched Dusti, and her sister had gone right along with his plan to keep them separated, agreeing that Dusti should lie down to avoid fainting. Bat was worried about her.
“Don’t say a word about what Kraven and I discussed—to your sister or anyone else,” Drantos had warned.
She’d taken the threat to heart. He was a big man, muscled, and probably had some kind of criminal history that would be terrifying if she knew the extent of his rap sheet.
His dark gaze fixed on her from across the small clearing while he crouched by the fire, adding broken branches to the flames. The harsh expression on his face scared her but she remembered that he’d said he didn’t kill women. He’d even removed his jacket to wrap it around her to help keep her warm.
That has to mean something, right? How bad can the guy be if he would worry about me being cold? Then again, don’t forget there are always people on the news being interviewed about how the serial killers they were friends with are such nice guys. But there are witnesses. He can’t kill us all. Well, he could, so maybe he’s just playing nice for right now.
Bat walked out of the woods with Kraven. He carried a bunch of cushions that they’d removed from the plane, while Bat clutched the handles of a few small suitcases. The two had worked together for the past couple hours. It shocked Dusti, frankly. Her sister was abrasive at best around men so she’d expected yelling and a little bloodshed to ensue.
Bat smiled encouragingly at her after she dropped the suitcases and approached. “How are you doing? Your coloring is much better. You hadn’t taken your shot in a while, had you?”
Dusti shook her head, glancing toward Drantos. He was watching her. She was afraid to speak.
“Damn it, hon. You know better. Your body needs the iron it can’t produce or you get all chalky white and go unconscious. You’re supposed to take one every other day at least, even if you’re feeling fine.” Bat reached into her dressy suit jacket to pull out a small black case. “I’ve got good and bad news. The bad news is your purse is toast. It was torn up when it was batted around during the crash. The good news is I found your shots. The case protected them from breaking.” Bat crouched down to hand over the container. “Don’t lose those, Dusti. I mean it. I only have one of your shots left and you have the five I found in your purse. I’m certain we’ll be rescued soon but we both know these need to last us until we return to California.”
Dusti decided this might be the only chance to speak to her sister alone. “Bat, we’re in trouble. I—”
Drantos suddenly appeared next to them, sporting an unhappy expression.
Dusti stopped talking, terrified that he might have overheard her whispered words. His gaze narrowed on her in silent warning. She tried to appear as innocent as possible by holding his stare for a few seconds. He didn’t seem to be buying it when he continued to give her a dirty look, so she swallowed hard, breaking eye contact.
“Don’t worry,” Bat assured her. “We’re going to be rescued. They’ll have a fleet of planes searching for us in the morning. That’s procedure when a plane goes down. I just hope the emergency beacon is working. I believe they’re usually a part of the tail section. That will help them pinpoint our exact location.” Bat peered up at Drantos. “I forgot to ask your brother how bad the tail section was damaged when he went looking for it. Do you know? Is it possible the beacon still works?”
“I don’t know.” The big man shrugged.
“I should ask Kraven.” Bat glanced around, seeming to search for him. She waved her arm to get his attention then focused on Drantos again. “We’re safe from animals with the fire burning, right? It will scare them away? Dusti and I don’t want to end up having to take rabies shots.”
Dusti bit back a groan. Bat had clearly mistaken her few words for worries about them not being found, or being in danger from creatures in the woods. Dusti was more concerned about the two brothers. It wasn’t possible to correct her with Drantos right there, so she just shook her head. “I’m sure that won’t happen, Bat. Thank you for finding my shots. I didn’t like that purse anyway.”
“We found some snacks and water bottles on the plane,” Kraven announced, joining them. “I’ll pass them out to the survivors.”
“They were talking about the emergency beacon from the plane.” Drantos stared at his brother. “How it’ll make it easier for the plane to be found. You tracked the tail section. What do you think?”
Kraven shook his head. “I’m sure it didn’t survive. The tail was completely destroyed.”
“You don’t know that for certain,” Bat argued.
Kraven narrowed his eyes, fixing them on her sister. “It hit a tree and was wrapped around it. Everything in that part of the plane is smashed to hell and back. I checked for anything I could salvage but it was a lost cause.” He turned his attention back to Drantos. “I’m going to go hunting. Everyone could use some fresh meat.”
“Sure you are,” Bat muttered.
Kraven glared at her. “What?”
Bat stood and faced him. “What are you going to use to hunt with? Your bad manners? Maybe you can just talk to the animals and they’ll commit suicide.”
Kraven inched forward to glare down at her sister with an intimidating-as-hell look. “I told you to shut up. We have an agreement, remember? I don’t whip your ass if you keep your lips sealed together.”
Bat opened her mouth but she held her tongue, to Dusti’s amazement.
Her sister actually backed down. It was something that never happened, ever. But now, Bat just nodded silently and brushed both of her hands down her tailored skirt. She looked everywhere but at Dusti or Kraven.
A smirk twisted Kraven’s lips before he winked at his brother. “I’ll be back soon. I’m going to scout while I’m out there to see just how fucked things are.”
“I’m sure rescue crews will be searching for the plane at first light. They’re going to have to fly out of Anchorage. The smaller airport won’t have helicopters. And with no place to land, the best the planes will be able to do is help with the air-spotting.” Drantos sighed. “The question is, do we leave on our own or wait for help?” He darted a glance around the group by the fire. “They’re helpless if we walk out of here on our own. I’m afraid they won’t be found and will die from exposure. Not one of them has survival skills. I asked.”
“We’ll worry about it later.” Kraven shot a glare at Bat. “I’ll be back.” He turned on his heel to march out into the darkness.
Bat watched him go before turning her attention to Drantos. “Are you sure it’s safe for him to be traipsing around the woods at night? We didn’t find a flashlight or anything to use as a weapon. Aren’t there wild animals around here that we should be worried about? The fire is here, not out there. He won’t be able to see them but I’m sure the same can’t be said for anything that might attack him.”
Any hope Dusti had of warning her sister died when Drantos settled down crossed-legged right next to her. Only inches separated her hip from his knee. It was probably intentional, to remind her of the warning.
He shook his head. “We live in Alaska and were raised not too far from here. We know what we’re doing. It’s not unusual for us to hunt at night and nothing out there can hurt Kraven. Trust me on that one. He’ll be back within the hour and have something for us to eat.”
“I couldn’t even find a real knife, just plastic ones.” Bat carefully sat down on a cushion and tucked her skirt neatly around her legs. “How will he skin it? I guess he could try to tear off part of the plane. Some of it is pretty jagged and sharp.”
Dusti wanted to scream in frustration. They were in danger but her sister seemed fixated on how someone would get them food. Bat didn’t realize missing dinner was the least of their worries. They may have survived a plane crash, only to become victims of two men who had something against their biological grandfather. It just wasn’t fair or right.
Drantos reached inside his boot and pulled out an impressively large folded switchblade. “He’s got one of these.”
“But those are illegal to take on planes,” Bat sputtered. “How did you get that past security to smuggle it onboard?”
He arched a dark eyebrow. “We have our ways, and the smaller airports are more lax about rules up here. It’s common to carry weapons when you’re flying in and out of smaller airports. It’s life in Alaska. Don’t worry about it.” He shoved the knife back inside his boot. “He’ll be fine. He’s going to bring back something tasty to eat and then we’ll all get some shuteye.”
Bat turned her head to peer at Dusti. “Help will find us tomorrow. I bet they’re already putting together a huge search party to look for us as soon as the sun rises. We’ll be rescued in no time and will arrive at our grandfather’s house by tomorrow night.”
Dusti noticed Drantos tense up next to her. Her heart raced but she said nothing, afraid he might hurt Bat if she did. He and his brother looked like real badass thugs with their muscular bodies and dark looks…and they did dress as though they were bikers. They kept switchblades inside their boots, for cripes’ sake. Nice guys didn’t do that.
Then she noticed something else when she studied his handsome features.
“Your cut is gone.” She stared hard at his once-injured cheek.
He frowned. “I washed my face. The blood wasn’t mine. I’m assuming it splattered on me from someone else in the crash.”
Confusion had Dusti shaking her head. “It was cut. I saw it myself.”
“Do you see it now?” He cocked his head toward the firelight to show her that side of his face better. “It was just blood, not even mine. It wiped right off.”
Dusti let it go. She’d been traumatized at the time and must have just assumed he’d been cut when she’d seen the blood. He obviously didn’t have a mar on his skin.
Bat sighed. “I’m really sorry I dragged you along, Dusti. You’d be safe inside your apartment right now, watching one of those lame shows you love so much if it wasn’t for me. I…I manipulated you into taking this trip. I knew you’d insist on coming with me as soon as I told you who I was planning to visit. I didn’t want to go alone, and I thought it would be nice to spend some time together since this is technically my vacation.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know this would happen. No one could have. I did insist on coming, remember? We know each other well. I’ve manipulated you a few times into doing what I wanted. We’ve never kept track before. Stop beating yourself up. Shit happens.”
“You made me go watch a few movies with you.” Bat teared up. “Big difference. I might have been bored but we were always safe.”
“The neighborhoods weren’t the greatest,” Dusti reminded her. “You were always pointing out that we could get mugged, carjacked, or murdered when I took you out. Flying is supposed to be safer than driving.”
Drantos cleared his throat. “You were on your way to visit your grandfather?”
Bat seemed to get her emotions under control. “Thanks, Dusti.” She turned her attention to Drantos. “Our grandfather is terminally ill and he wanted me to come say goodbye to him. He’s a mean old bastard but he’s the only family we have left. He and Dusti never got along, so he didn’t bother to invite her, but I told her I was going to see him. I’d hoped she could make her peace with him before he dies.”
“Why don’t they get along?” Drantos’s tone sounded casual but Dusti knew better.
“Oh, as I said, he’s a tough old bastard. Our mother ran away from home as a teenager and moved to California, where she met our father a few years later, and they had the two of us. When we were young…” Bat hesitated, thinking. “I must have been seven and Dusti about five when our grandfather showed up at our front door. He’d somehow found out where we lived. We moved after that, but we still saw him again when we were about ten and twelve. He invited me to visit him for the summer but he didn’t want my sister to go. I guess he just didn’t like the way Dusti refused to speak to him, or maybe he thought she’d be a pain in the ass.”
Bat chuckled, winking at Dusti. “You always were a brat. She pitched a fit to stop me from going with him, so I stayed home. I didn’t want to go by myself anyway. I didn’t know him that well.”
“He was cold and he never talked to me,” Dusti informed Drantos quietly. She focused on her sister. “He gave me the creeps. It wasn’t that I didn’t want you to go spend the summer in Alaska. It was that I didn’t want you to go with him. I still think something is wrong with that guy, like maybe he’s a pervert or something. Mom always refused to talk about why she ran away from home except to say he planned a life for her that she wanted nothing to do with. If you’ll remember, it was Mom who refused to let you go anywhere with her father. That should have spoken volumes that something is really off with him. She flat-out told us to have nothing to do with him and we moved both times after he showed up. It was obvious she hated him. Maybe he tried to molest her. He was too nice to you.”
“She would have just told us if that were true.”
“She always tried to protect us, Bat. I’m the quiet one, remember? I tend to watch people,” Dusti reminded her sister. “And Mom seemed almost afraid when he showed up. She wouldn’t even talk about the birds and the bees until we were teens and already knew everything. Do you really think she was going to explain perverted sickos to us when we were that young?”
Bat fingered her jacket hem. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s rich and dying. We’re his only family that I know of. I think it’s a good idea if we spend a little time with him.”
“What she means is,” Dusti looked back at Drantos, “she hopes he’ll leave us something in his will. I don’t want his money. I hope when he dies, they stuff it all up his ass and he takes every dime with him.”
“Damn it, Dusti.” Bat shot her a glare. “You live in a crappy-ass apartment, barely scraping by. I tried to talk you into going to college after I graduated but you wouldn’t go.” She switched her attention to Drantos. “She’s seriously pissed at our grandfather. Our parents died the year I turned eighteen and I tracked him down via phone. He refused to send us any money. We had to sell the house to survive. I had just started college full-time, with a heavy study load, and we had to use the money from the house to support us until Dusti graduated high school. We couldn’t afford college for both of us at the same time, so when I graduated, it was supposed to be Dusti’s turn. She worked to help me finish law school and I wanted to do the same for her, but she refused to go.”
Dusti turned her head to stare directly into Drantos’s dark gaze. “We haven’t seen that asshole since we were kids. We’re not close to him and he didn’t send us one cent in all those years we were struggling. He doesn’t care about either of us. I don’t think he would have even called Bat if it weren’t for the fact he’s dying and probably trying to be nice for once, thinking he’ll earn some brownie points to get him into heaven.” She shot a dirty look at her sister. “Not that it will work. That bastard is going straight to hell.”
“You’re right. He is an asshole but I’m still hoping he leaves us something in his will. Why should it go to total strangers?” Bat huffed. “You say I’m the negative, jaded one. You have more compassion for strangers than you do for your own family. He was our mother’s father.”
“He’s an asshole who had plenty of money but didn’t step in when we needed help. We had to sell the home we lived in with our parents, Bat! We survived on peanut butter sandwiches a lot of times and lived in hellholes just to have a roof over our heads. What kind of jerk lets that happen?”
“Blame me,” Bat whispered. “I probably made bad decisions. Maybe there was another way to get by that I couldn’t think of at the time.” Tears filled her eyes. “I should have sent you to college first at least. I would have made it easier on you if I had just let go of my dream.”
“You earned those scholarships, Bat. I wasn’t letting you waste the help they offered.” Dusti looked away, hating to hear Bat’s guilt one more time. There was no reason for it. “Just stop. We’ve had this argument a thousand times. I’m not mad at you. You’re an awesome attorney, even if I think you’re working on the wrong side of the law. You’re doing what you love. I’m just pissed that our grandfather could have sent money to help us out. He’s rich enough that it wouldn’t have been any skin off his nose. He didn’t.”
She looked back at her sister. “He deserves to die alone and miserable. We shouldn’t even be here because neither one of us owes him a second of our time.” She curled her hands in her lap. “I don’t give a shit about the money. I like my life just fine the way it is. I’m used to struggling. It builds character.”
Bat smiled. “You remember me saying that, huh?”
“All the time, usually when I was bitching about whatever lame job I had to deal with in high school.” Dusti smiled back. “We don’t need anything from him.”
“It’s just a few days of our time. We go, see what he wants, and leave. Perhaps he regrets his actions, or lack thereof.”
“Fat chance. He’s a dick, Bat.” Dusti addressed Drantos once more. “He doesn’t care about us. Do you understand what I’m saying? It would be a mistake if someone were to think otherwise. We’re nobody to him and not worth anyone’s time if they have a grudge against that bastard. I could totally relate to it if someone did. The only reason I’m here is to spend time with my sister, since she doesn’t take vacations. This is the first one she’s had in five years. Plus, I don’t want her alone with that asshole. I never liked him as a kid and I still don’t. I believe he tried to molest our mother, or something equally terrible. She told us to stay away from him, to tell her if he ever contacted us, and you don’t do that with a loving grandparent.”
“I’ll kick his ass if he’s some kind of pervert,” her sister muttered. “I’m the meaner of the two of us.”
Drantos silently watched Dusti. She held his gaze. In the firelight his dark blue stare had taken on golden flecks that she hadn’t noticed before. He had gorgeous eyes, framed with thick, long black eyelashes. Even their shape was attractive, kind of exotic looking. He’d be extremely handsome if his bone structure wasn’t so severe.
“I understand,” he acknowledged softly.
Dusti relaxed slightly and turned her attention to the other passengers who had survived the crash. Most of them were sleeping but a few remained sitting upright. They huddled together in small groups, talking. A couple of them had been severely injured but were hanging in there.
Bat fiddled with her clothes, which drew Dusti’s attention.
“Your suit is ruined. You can try to smooth out that skirt until your hands fall off but it’s toast. Were you able to find our suitcases?”
“No. The belly of the plane ripped open so the bags were scattered all over the place. It was getting too dark to widen the search. We only brought back those few suitcases so people could use whatever clothes were in them to help keep warm tonight. I’ll look again in the morning. Until then, I’m stuck wearing this. I refuse to put on some stranger’s outfits.” Bat tried to button her jacket.
“Give it up,” Dusti urged.
“I’m trying to do something, anything. I’m not used to just sitting around, and I’m hungry.”
Drantos stood. “Kraven forgot to pass out the food you salvaged from the plane before he went hunting. I’ll do that now so you can eat something while we wait. Just say my name if you need anything. I have very good hearing.” He shot Dusti another warning look before moving away.
“Weird guys, huh?” Bat watched him walk to the pile of stuff on the ground. “I’m totally getting ‘future client’ vibes off both of them but they don’t have dead eyes, so I think we’re safe.”
“It scares me that you can say shit like that. Dead eyes?”
“You’d know if you saw them. Trust me.”
Dusti lowered her voice. “Bat, we need to get out of here and away from them.”
“Fuck that! Those guys were raised in Alaska, and look at what they’ve done so far. They handled setting up a camp and built a fire. There’s no way I’m going to go walking into the woods to get lost searching for a cabin or a house that might have a working phone. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Our best hope of being rescued is to stay beside the crash site. I’m sure there’re plenty of signs from above that we went down, where the plane took out those trees. It will probably resemble a path from way up there when the search planes fly over. Like it or not, we’re stuck with these guys, and trust me, I’m not happy with that concept. Kraven is a lunatic.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But he’s hot.”
Astonishment tore through Dusti. She glanced at Drantos to find him watching her from not too far away. He was close enough to overhear them. She didn’t dare warn her sister of the real danger yet. “You’re attracted to Kraven? Do you have a concussion? I realize you were thrown out of your seat into the aisle and hit your head. You still have a mark on the side of your temple. He’s not your type, Bat. A briefcase isn’t surgically attached to his hand and he doesn’t have news anchor helmet-head hair.”
Bat smirked. “I did hit my head but nothing is wrong with my eyesight. I see the way Biker Bear there has his eye on you, and how you keep watching him when you think he’s not looking.” Bat climbed to her feet. “I have to pee. I’ll be back.”
“But—”
Dusti talked to air as her sister disappeared into the tree line.
She sighed. She needed to warn her sister about the brothers but she feared Drantos would hurt them if he knew she’d tried. Her attention returned to the man, only to witness him glaring at the area her sister had disappeared into. He shoved a bottle of water at a passenger before storming in that same direction.
“Drantos!” She pushed herself up to a standing position, feeling a second of dizziness. His head snapped in her direction and he shot her a seriously pissed look as she caught up with him at the tree line. “She had to go to the bathroom. You don’t want to follow her into the woods. She’ll be right back.”
He’d gripped her arms in a heartbeat and jerked her into the woods. In seconds, she found herself out of the firelight with her back pressed against the bark of the nearest tree.
Drantos glared down at her, his tight hold on her arms nearly bruising. She could see his features since he faced the fire behind her in the small clearing.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing! I swear.”
His suspicious gaze narrowed. He released her arm, hesitated, and then cupped her cheek gently with his big warm hand. He lowered his face to hers, making her heart pound. She was pretty sure he planned to kiss her.
She jerked her head back when his hot breath fanned over her parted lips.
He froze. “I want some answers, and you’re going to give them to me.”
She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “Okay. Just please don’t hurt us.”
That response made his gaze narrow even more. “I’ve never harmed a woman before.” He tilted his head a little, his focus lowered to roam down her body then back up. “You smell totally human. I couldn’t get a good read on you before and thought it might just be your clothes. Some of us borrow already-worn clothing to fool the senses of others.” Their gazes met again. “I take it your mother mated to one? You have human blood?”
Dusti stared up at him while his words sank in. “Shit. Seriously?”
He frowned. “Just answer the question. It’s important.”
Then it sank in that something was really wrong with Drantos.
She had a friend from high school who’d become paranoid and antisocial in his late twenties. He’d been diagnosed bipolar after a group of their friends had gone to check on him. They’d discovered he’d used rolls of aluminum to wrap all the walls of his apartment and screamed at them about how no one was safe. They’d called an ambulance. The meds they’d put him on helped him stay more rational, but she was familiar with how a chemical imbalance could mess with someone’s sanity.
It was possible the guy in front of her had the same medical condition. He even sounded like Greg. It had all been about humans vs. aliens for her friend.
“Human? Is that what you said? It’s bad enough that you’re a possible kidnapper-for-ransom bad guy, but you’re also off your meds, aren’t you? Of course I’m human! So are you. You said my mother mated to one? Really? Mated? This is the planet Earth.” She shook her head. “Could my day get any worse? What’s next? A meteor shower? A forest fire? Maybe rabid squirrels will attack us.”
He slowly smiled. “I enjoy your sense of humor.” His smile fled. “Maybe you don’t know my scent, but I’m the same as your mother was. Cut the act.”
He was totally bonkers. She normally wouldn’t have messed with someone like him and just backed away, but he had her pinned where she stood. “You used to be a woman?” She looked him up and down. “That’s the best sex change I’ve ever seen. Wow. Impressive. I never would have guessed. You might want to back down on the male hormone shots. I think you’ve overdosed on them.”
“What?” He looked angry.
“You just said you were what my mom was. She was a woman. Were you born a little girl and then had a sex change? Otherwise, I wouldn’t say that.” She smirked.
He studied her face and then paled a little. “Shit. You’re not acting, are you? You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what? That you’re bipolar and went off your meds? I’m understanding that fact real quick. Didn’t your doctors warn you that you’d lose your grasp on reality if you stopped taking them? Let me guess. You felt better and thought you were cured. Listen, the only way for you to be functional is to continue taking your pills. Do you have them with you? Let’s find you some water, okay? You’ll feel much better within a few days once you’re back on them.”
He stayed quiet for long seconds, studying her face again, until she shifted her body from the uncomfortable moment. His eyes closed and his head tilted back.
“Shit. You have no clue.”
“Believe me, I do.” She patted him awkwardly. “I have a friend like you. He goes off his meds sometimes too. It’s going to be fine. Where are your pills? I’ll help you. You’ve obviously stopped taking them, which has led you to think up some crazy scenario that will land your ass in prison if you end up hurting someone. Rethink it. My grandfather might be a dick but he’s a human one. He’s not some alien bad guy trying to attack Earth or whatever you think.”
“I don’t take meds.”
“Of course you didn’t. That’s why you’re like this.”
He grew angry. “Shut it now. I’m not crazy.”
He wasn’t about to listen to reason. That was apparent. She decided to play along with his delusions. It was possible to reach him if he had any compassion. “Fine. All I’m asking is that you don’t take it out on us if he doesn’t do whatever you want. I’m serious about how he never lifted a finger to help us. I think he tolerates Bat, so he may give you money for her, or whatever you demand, but don’t hold your breath when it comes to me. He flat-out didn’t even want me to come to Alaska and was kind of a prick when Bat mentioned bringing me. He told her no, but she never listens to anyone.
“I came because I just wanted to spend time with her and—bonus—he’s dying. I really hated him as a kid. He treated me like I didn’t exist when he came to our house. Do you know what that does to a little girl? He made me cry at first, wondering what I’d done to make my own grandfather hate me. I finally came to the realization that he was just an asshole.”
“I’m not going to ransom you. Is your illness real? Did you need that shot your sister gave you?”
She bit back a curse. He was really into his delusions. “Of course. Like any sane person would want to be jabbed with needles. I’m not a drug addict. I don’t get high. I really needed it. It’s for my anemia. I have a rare form of it. Iron pills don’t work.”
Drantos looked down at her, his gorgeous eyes seeming to study her again. “You’re flawed. Decker would consider that an embarrassment to his bloodline. I assume your sister doesn’t have to take any form of medications?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so, if Decker wants her to come to him.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “Whatever that means.”
“It’s all about the bloodlines sometimes.” A thoughtful expression gripped his handsome features. “I believe I’m starting to figure out why he sent for your sister.”
“Again with the whatever that means.”
“There would have been a larger chance of birthing a weak-blooded child when your mother bred with your father. You’re flawed, as far as Decker is concerned, but your sister is still useful to him. You’re dependent on those shots. I take it that you’ve had this condition most, if not all of your life?”
“I was diagnosed as an infant. It’s severe anemia, not a flaw or an illness. My body just doesn’t produce enough iron and I have to take supplements. We have that in common. Where are your pills? You need them just like I need my shots.”
“With our people, any type of need for medicine makes you flawed. It means you’re weak. And you smell totally human.”
He completely ignored her question about his pills. It irritated her. “What planet are you from? Mars? Saturn? I’m thinking Uranus.”
He caressed her cheek. “Very funny.” He didn’t look amused. “Don’t scream or be afraid. I need to know how human you truly are.”
That so doesn’t sound good for me, she thought, her body stiffening. She wanted to fight, to push him away, but instead held very still when he tilted his head to lower his face into the crook of her neck. A shiver ran down her spine and goose bumps broke out down her arms when his hot breath fanned her sensitive skin.
She had no idea what he would do but fighting him would be as effective as trying to attack a tree. The blows would only hurt her hands, and she knew she couldn’t move the heavy guy away from her.
Something warm and slightly wet dragged along the top of her shoulder. She gasped when pain jolted that area for a second before his warm tongue flicked where the pain had emanated from. Her eyes widened and her hands gripped his shirt. She pushed at him when she realized he had licked her.
A deep growl sent her heart into overdrive but he didn’t budge an inch. His tongue left her skin but his hot breath against her neck remained. The sound he’d made reminded her of a vicious dog. It scared her.
He stayed in that position, breathing on her neck, and kept her pinned against the tree. She stopped pushing when it was clear it didn’t work.
“Not all human,” he rasped. “I can faintly taste it on you, but it’s very weak.” He suddenly chuckled. “You’re not ill. You’re just starving for what you really need. Marvilella’s bloodline is stronger in you than Decker’s is. Your father’s blood is also strong, and masks it.”
The guy is flat-out bonkers, she realized, deciding he must be just like Greg. He probably saw aliens everywhere, certain they were spying on Earthlings so they could attack one day.
The smile that curved his mouth shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did when he lifted his head.
“Your grandfather doesn’t realize what you are. You smell completely human and he took that at face value.”
“Okay.” Dusti cleared her throat. “Can we go back to the fire now? I’m cold.”
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”
“Not a word.”
“Do you know who Marvilella was?”
“No.”
He shook his head and his hand returned to cup her cheek. The pad of his thumb stroked her skin lightly. “She was your grandmother.”
“My mom said her mother died when she was a teenager but it was too painful to talk about. They were really close. That was her name?” Dusti wasn’t sure if she could believe a word out of his mouth. His mind obviously wasn’t all there but he did seem to know more about her grandfather than she did. It was possible he knew about his wife. “What kind of weird name is that? It sounds European.”
“She came from my clan and married your grandfather to bring peace between us.”
Dusti let that statement settle into her brain. Nope, he’s totally unreasonable and gone, she concluded. Nothing he said made sense and it sounded as though he’d watched way too many movies. “Just stop. Let me go.”
“You need to understand what you’ve been brought into. Decker Filmore is dangerous to you and your sister. You said yourself your mother warned you, that she disliked him. Bat said she died. Is that true?”
“Yes.” She pushed at his chest again but he didn’t budge. “Nobody would lie about a horrible thing like losing both of their parents.”
“Decker didn’t molest your mother. He killed your grandmother so she wouldn’t stand in his way anymore. That’s when your mother fled. We assumed she figured out it was no accidental death. He wanted to use his daughter to bargain with Aveoth. To Antina, death would have been preferable. Trust me. Now I understand why he’d want your sister to come to him. It’s the only way he could force Aveoth to break our alliance. Bat is his bargaining chip to start a war.”
“I’m glad one of us understands what you’re saying. Did you know my mother? You seem to have.”
“I know more about your family than you seem to. Aveoth’s lover died a week ago. He’ll be looking for another to replace her…and he wouldn’t be able to resist your sister if she were offered to him.”
“Offered to him? Who the hell is Aveoth? Some alien warlord in your head?”
“Stop with the aliens. I’m not insane. Aveoth is a powerful clan leader. He will be looking for a new lover and Decker will give your sister to him.”
“Whatever.” She was getting a headache trying to make sense of his ranting. “You’re making my grandfather sound like some pimp, as if my sister is a hooker. She’s not.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“Oh hell,” Dusti sighed. “I’m not even going to try to follow what you’re saying. There’s medication out there that will help you. You really need to see your doctor. I believe Decker Filmore is a rich ol’ perv, but you’re saying he wants to turn Bat into some kind of hooker? No way.”
“Your mother should have told you the truth.”
“About what? That there are crazy people who live in their own made-up worlds? She covered that when I started noticing boys and she taught me about stranger danger.”
He hesitated. “Now isn’t the time to go into all of this. We’re going to talk later, when we’re somewhere more private.”
She wasn’t about to point out that he’d dragged her out of the clearing so no one could see them. She just wanted to get away from him. “Great. Let me go.”
He took a deep breath. “Your mother wasn’t human.”
“Really?” Dusti relaxed, the bark of the tree lightly digging into her back when she leaned away from the man pinning her to it. “She was an alien?”
He smirked and his eyes seemed to crinkle at the corners. “We’re from the same planet, just different worlds.”
“Ah. That makes total sense.” Dusti rolled her eyes, not caring if he saw her reaction. “So we’re talking different dimensions? Okay. Why don’t you let me go and return to yours then? Have a safe trip. Do you click your boot heels together to get there?”
The amusement left his strangely intriguing gaze. “There’s the world that humans live in and the part of it that they never see.”
“Ghosts then?” She couldn’t resist. Her hands brushed the front of his shirt, feeling the warmth that seemed to radiate from him even through the thin cotton material. “You feel solid enough to me.”
A soft growl came from deep within his throat. It disturbed Dusti, frightened her. She pressed tighter against the tree and jerked her hands away from his chest. Something in his dark gaze flashed, seeming to glow for a split second, before he leaned in closer until their noses touched.
“We’ll discuss this later.” He backed off, released her, and took a few steps away. “Return to camp.”
Drantos watched Dusti stumble away, nearly running back to the blanket. The taste of her blood remained on his tongue. He’d only taken a few drops, but it was enough.
She didn’t know what she was. It stunned and pissed him off at the same time. He thought she might have been lying at first but her responses were proof enough. She thought he was crazy and didn’t believe anything he’d said.
Uranus. He snorted and turned, quickly moving into the woods. The sister was easy to find. She softly cursed, almost walking into a tree. Her night vision seemed nonexistent.
He approached her, making sounds so she wouldn’t be alarmed. She froze, eyes widening.
“It’s Drantos,” he called out.
She turned in his direction. “I went too far. I can’t find the camp.”
That made his anger deepen. It was obvious she didn’t know what she was, either, and her senses were those of a human. She was only about fifty yards from temporary camp but the thick vegetation blocked the fire from her view. She still should have been able to smell burning wood and hear the soft voices of the survivors.
He reached out and curved his fingers around her upper arm. “I’ll lead you back.”
“Thanks.”
“I take it you can’t see anything?”
“No. I hope I didn’t pee in poison ivy.”
“There isn’t any in this area.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” She gripped his arm as they walked. “Thank you for looking after my sister.”
He escorted Bat past the edge of the trees to the clearing. “Could you help me calm some of the passengers? They’re still pretty upset.” He wanted to keep her away from Dusti. “I think you’d do a better job of it than I would. My size seems to scare a few of them.”
“Sure.” She turned her head, staring at her sister. “I should check on her first.”
“She’s fine. I just left her to look for you. She was worried.”
Bat walked away from him and toward an elderly couple. He stood there watching her, to ensure she kept far from Dusti. He needed to think.
Decker Filmore had been denied using his own daughter to bargain with Aveoth when she’d fled, but now he must be planning on doing the same thing with her daughters. Daughter, he corrected. Decker believes he can only use Bat. He mistook Dusti’s scent to mean she didn’t inherit any of her mother’s traits.
Aveoth would never want to take Dusti as his lover with her being so human. She’d be considered too frail. She’d age faster too, if the harsh life of living with the GarLycan didn’t kill her outright. He’d want Bat instead. She’d be considered more worthy because at least there were hints of some of her mother’s heritage, implying she would be tougher.
The smell of a fresh kill teased his nose and so did the familiar scent of Kraven. He backed into the darkness and located his brother quickly. Kraven dumped the deer on the ground and bent, wiping his hands on the grass to clean them of blood.
He heard Drantos approach. “That was easier than I’d thought.”
“I know why Decker sent for the women.”
“I’ve been thinking about it too. Aveoth lost his lover. They’re Marvilella’s granddaughters. Her sister was once promised to Aveoth, so he’ll be interested in her kin.”
“We’re both in agreement then.”
“Yeah. Decker wants to break the alliance we have with Aveoth. That is, if the rumors are true that Aveoth is addicted to that family’s blood. Maybe it’s just a bullshit tale.”
“I don’t want to bet on it. Do you?” Drantos softly growled, annoyed.
“Hell no.”
“It’s Bat that Decker will use. We can’t allow that to happen.”
“Damn.” Kraven sighed. “I might want to wring the mouthy one’s neck when she gets going but not literally. I thought about killing them at first but it was just the shock of finding out who they were. I got past that. I’m not going to hurt a helpless woman.”
“We’re not going to kill them. We need to get them to safety.”
“Decker isn’t going to just allow them to return to wherever they’ve been living. Hell, he probably sent some of his men searching for the crash site as soon as he realized what happened when the plane didn’t land. We might have company by morning if they can pinpoint where we went down.”
“Do you recognize this area? I think we’re about fifteen miles from our southern border.”
“I agree. That means Decker is about thirty miles away. The darkness will slow down whoever he sends but they can cover a lot of ground when the sun rises.”
“We have the advantage,” Drantos whispered. “Decker doesn’t know someone warned us about those women, or that we were on the plane to stop them from reaching him. And we used false names so we’re covered if he gets a look at the passenger list.”
“That’s true.”
“We have another problem.”
“What’s that?”
Drantos hesitated but his brother needed to know. “Dusti and Bat don’t know the truth.”
“You mean that Decker plans to use one of them as a pawn?”
“I mean they’re unaware of anything about our existence. Their mother mated to a human and they were raised that way.”
Kraven sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes widened. “What?”
“I mentioned to Dusti that she smells totally human and she had no idea what I was talking about. She thought I was crazy. They honestly believe Decker is dying of old age or illness.”
“Son of a bitch.” Kraven growled. “I thought that was just a bullshit story they made up, hoping to fool us. And that they’re really good at masking their scents. I figured they just perfected how to do it while living with humans.”
“Nope. Dusti is clueless and I’m certain Bat is too. I found her lost not far from the camp. She’s never been trained to use her senses. Her mother would have done that if she had told them what they were.”
“But how is that even possible? They lived in a city with Lycans and Vamps. I could pick up a hint of what Bat was right after the crash. She has a few small cuts. It’s faint but there. Why haven’t any Lycans or Vampires gone after her? They would have attacked her as soon as they got a whiff. You think the mom is protecting them? She might have made some kind of pact to protect her daughters with both packs and nests.”
“Antina is dead.”
“You sure?”
“You were gone when they discussed losing their parents. It happened when they were younger.”
“None of this makes sense.” Kraven softly growled. “Maybe they left Bat alone because she’s a lawyer? I’ve heard some of the city packs have an agreement not to touch someone with an important job. Doctors, lawyers…even anyone in law enforcement can be seen as neutral and helpful to all of them, regardless of their associations. They sometimes work together to keep humans from discovering the truth. But that doesn’t explain why Vamps leave her alone, unless she’s got a client associated with them. Maybe she unknowingly keeps their day guards out of prison? They’d want her protected if that’s the case.”
“I agree.”
“This just gets better and better.” Kraven sighed again. “I can’t believe what a mess this has become.”
“I know.”
“I still think maybe those sisters aren’t as ignorant as they’re leading us to believe. I’ll buy that the younger one might not know the truth. I smelled her when Bat gave her a shot. There was nothing to indicate she’s more than what she seems. I can understand how she could pass as totally human, but the older one? Not a chance. She has periods, she bleeds. At some point she’d have had to cross paths with someone who hates our kind enough to go after her, regardless of any city rules or her being on the payroll of some suck head. Lawyers make enemies. That means she had to know how to defend herself.”
Drantos considered it. “Maybe the packs are confused by her human blood. I smelled her too when she was still bleeding. It’s possible they believe she’s half Lycan, since that’s all I picked up off her. Not all half-breeds are taken into a pack. They get rejected for being too human and never showing any traits. She’d be deemed harmless.”
“Maybe.”
“It’s possible none of them would even consider that one of us would live amongst them. We stay with our clans. Anyone checking into her would know she isn’t just visiting the area. She has a job and a home in the city.”
“I will say that Bat seems to really love her sister. Is it possible her and the mother decided not to tell the mostly human one? To keep her safe? Ignorance would have kept Dusti from doing anything to draw suspicion. Humans are oblivious to our kind unless they know what to look for.”
“I’m stumped by the entire mess, Kraven. I don’t think Bat was aware of me out in the woods. It would have been easy for her to find the camp if she had used her senses.”
“I don’t trust Bat. She’s sneaky. Just keep your guard up around her. I think she knows exactly what she is.”
“Why would she visit Decker? I can’t see her agreeing to be handed over to Aveoth. Her mother fled to avoid that from happening. She would have warned Bat that Decker might plot to do the same thing to her one day. Do you think Bat realized he’d take her by force, so she figured it would be easier if she just came back on her own?”
“Maybe it’s a revenge quest for Bat. Her mother fled Decker and had to give up her heritage to live amongst humans. That had to be tough and it left her without the safety of numbers. We should find out how Antina died. Maybe it wasn’t a human who took her life. Decker might have wanted his daughter out of the way by killing her. I’d want revenge for our mother, if that were the case. Perhaps Bat thinks she can kill him if she gets close enough. We’ll have to proceed with caution, but one thing is certain. Decker is going to come after the granddaughter he can use. He needs to force Aveoth to side with him.”
“I agree. Decker murdered his own mate out of greed and from what I’ve guessed, he wasn’t able to find his runaway daughter until after she’d mated to a human and had two daughters of her own. Aveoth already had Lane as his lover by then, so Decker had to bide his time until Aveoth needed another.”
Kraven softly cursed. “Do you think Decker had Lane murdered?”
Drantos debated it but then shook his head. “No way in hell. Aveoth sent guards to keep her safe the few times she visited her parents. Decker and his enforcers wouldn’t have been able to get to her.”
“We’re not even sure how she died, though.”
“I’m certain Aveoth would have left a trail of blood if someone had murdered his lover, until he found the one responsible.”
Kraven nodded. “Yeah. He’s not one to fuck with.”
“No. He’s not. Decker wouldn’t be a problem anymore if he’d ordered Lane’s assassination. Aveoth would have ripped him apart to avenge her.”
“Perhaps he’s become as cold as we’ve heard.”
“Regardless, it would be a pride thing. If someone took something of his, they’d pay in blood for that offense and lose their lives.”
“True.”
“We can’t allow Decker to get his hands on either granddaughter. Dusti might smell all human but she’s not. I tested a few drops of her blood.”
Kraven groaned. “Fantastic. That means we’ll have to take them back to our clan, where he won’t be able to get to them.”
“I know.”
“Decker will try to get them back by force.”
“I’d rather we have to fight Decker’s clan than Aveoth’s. We have a chance of winning.”
“What if he tells Aveoth we have them? Father would have to hand over the sister to avoid a fight with him.”
“Let’s worry about that after we get them to the safety of our clan.”
“One problem at a time.” Kraven nodded. “Right.” He paused. “You understand that taking them home will put us all in danger, don’t you?”
Drantos reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Of course I do. I’d rather deal with Aveoth directly over Decker. He’s not insane.”
“Are you certain? It’s been many years since we’ve spoken to him. He’s changed a lot since then.”
“Aveoth has honor.”
“We hope he still does. Who knows what happened to make him take over his clan. I mean, he killed his own father to do it. That’s pretty cold.”
One of the passengers started to raise hell. Drantos cocked his head, listening to what the man was ranting about. He was starting to panic the other survivors about being attacked by wild animals or dying if the wreckage wasn’t spotted by rescue teams.
“I’ll go deal with that,” he announced. “You work on getting them fed.”
Em's EORD