“No. Talk to your son. I said I’d do it,” Dusti replied.

Drantos winced when his mother gave him a dirty look. “We’ll think of something else.”

Dusti glared at him. “You do that. I’m going in the bedroom, away from you. I need to cool down.” She left the room and slammed the bedroom door.

“Damn.” He hated to fight with his mate but he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her.

“She agreed,” his father argued. “It will help her be accepted into the clan.”

“I don’t give a damn about that. I don’t want to bury my mate!”

His mother softened her gaze. “I’ll go talk to her. I understand.” She paused next to him and patted his arms. “The mating is new and she is weak.”

Fuck! It was a no-win situation but at least Dusti would be alive. He’d get her to calm and see things his way once his parents left.

Dusti eased open a drawer and found her new shoes. She sat on the bed. The bedroom door opened and she jerked her head up, ready to continue the argument with him.

It was worse. Crayla came in and shut the door at her back, sealing them inside the room together.

“Great,” Dusti muttered. “Just what I need. Did you come to tell me I can’t pull this off too?”

“No. What are you doing?”

“Exactly what it looks like. I'm putting on my shoes. I’m not a complete idiot. I’ve already walked around barefoot in the woods and I’d like to avoid doing that again.”

“Drantos doesn’t want you to go anywhere.”

“I heard him. He heard me, too.” She stood when her feet her covered and hurried into the bathroom, flipping on the light. She stopped in front of the mirror to assess her appearance. She reached up and started to use her fingers to rat out her hair.

“I’m certain there’s a hairbrush in one of the drawers.”

Dusti shifted her gaze in the mirror and spotted Crayla hanging out in the doorway separating the two rooms. “That’s not the look I’m going for. I plan to be the anti-Bat.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“Maybe our grandfather saw pictures of my sister. It’s possible. She’s really neat and tidy. Her makeup is always flawless and she wears expensive clothes. I’m going to give him the version that’s opposite.” She focused on her reflection again, leaning in and turning her face as she used her fingers to mess up her hair more. “No bun. No makeup.” She glanced down at the borrowed clothes. They dwarfed her. “He knows we’ve had some hellish days and lost everything in the plane crash. He won’t expect her to be looking her best unless he’s a complete fucking moron. I’ll point that out if he says anything.”

“Your mate refused to allow you to go in her place.”

Dusti sighed. “Is that a law too? Total obedience to your mate? No one’s here to watch me defy him so I don’t see a problem—unless you plan to tell everyone.” She turned and stared into Crayla’s eyes. “I can play my sister. All I have to do is stall until the cavalry arrives. Right?”

Crayla arched her eyebrows. “Drantos said no.”

“Your husband is the clan leader. So that makes you Mrs. Clan Leader. Don’t you overrule your son?”

The other woman smiled and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “My son will be furious.”

“He can get over it. Can he unmate me, like a divorce?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. So are you going to help me get that kid back or listen to your unreasonable son? I need you or your husband to help me do this since I have no idea where my grandfather wants me to go, and someone needs to grab the girl at the exchange.”

Crayla pushed off from the wall and slowly advanced. She came forward until only a few feet separated them. “Are you prepared to piss my son off that much?”

“I’ve done it before. Trust me. He didn’t enjoy me calling him a nut job and insulting him when I thought he needed medication for his wild imagination. We got past it. Best case, I can tell him I told you so when I come back safe. Worst case, I’ll never get to hear him yell at me. That’s hard to do when I’m dead.”

“Why are you willing to risk your life for a VampLycan child?”

“I’d do it for any kid. It’s human nature.” Dusti hesitated. “And I’m human. Besides, you have to be a total dick to sit on your ass and not try to save a child if given the chance.” She bit her lip. “I also really hate my grandfather and always have. I came to Alaska with Bat to give her emotional support once she’d discovered he’s a waste of space. It was going to be a bonus to tell him off. I want him caught and stopped. Nobody fucks with my sister—and he planned to big time. I want to take him down. Are those reasons enough?”

It surprised Dusti when Crayla reached out and brushed her fingers against her cheek and smiled. “I like you, Dusti. You have courage and inner strength.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re also willful and stubborn.” Crayla dropped her hand and stepped back. “I’ll help you. Just don’t die. My son would never forgive me.”

“I don’t plan on it. I’m kind of addicted to breathing.”

Crayla chuckled. “Stay here and I’ll send my mate and son to our house. They can plot another way to save the girl while us women get this done.”

“Nobody is going to whip Drantos if I disobey him, will they? I don’t want him offering to take my punishment again.” It was her only concern.

“No. I’m in charge of the women and you have my permission to do this.”

“Good enough.” Dusti faced the mirror again, messing up her hair more.

Crayla left her and Dusti returned to Drantos room. Without claws or fangs, she’d need a weapon. A quick search of his bedside drawers was helpful. She might not have ever fired a gun but she’d seen a lot of movies. The weapon was heavier than she thought it would be. She made certain to point it toward the outer wall as she learned where the safety was, how to remove the clip, and ensured it had bullets. She snapped the clip back in and double-checked the safety again, using her thumb to move it a few times to get a feel for it.