“He is dangerous and greedy. He won’t be happy until he’s destroyed many lives and controls everything around him.”

“I don’t like him one bit but he just seemed like a creep. I think you’re giving him too much credit.”

“He rules his clan with brutality and fear.”

“Why would they stand for it? What is a clan, exactly? And you live in a village? As in, a fishing one?” It would explain how he was so good at catching dinner if he’d been raised by fishermen.

“Our clan consists of a group of VampLycans and a very small number of Lycans. Some of us are related, most of us are not. We live together because there is safety in numbers. It’s not a fishing village. It looks a lot like this wooded area.” He shrugged, his focus back on preparing their dinner. “Village or town, same thing. I thought you didn’t believe anything I had to say?”

“I don’t but I’m bored. Tell me more.”

He arched one eyebrow as he paused in cutting the fish again. He finally looked down, going back to work. “Laws are important in a clan. It’s not a democracy. Each clan has a leader and a group of his trusted enforcers to carry out those laws. Enforcers are the strongest fighters. Decker keeps his people in line with fear and by murdering any who dare defy or questions his orders.”

“So he’s a dictator with a vicious army at his disposal?”

“A small but lethal one. It’s also about traditions. Everyone in a clan swore alliance to obey the clan leader and his rules. It would be dishonorable to break an oath.”

“Even if he’s wrong?”

Drantos sighed. “Even so.”

“That sounds stupid.”

“I agree up to a certain point.” He looked at her again. “You have your ways and we have ours. We follow our clan leaders and the laws they set forth. It’s just the way it’s done.”

“It still sounds stupid.”

“I’m certain there are some laws or rules in your world that you don’t like or agree with. You still follow them. Why?”

“I don’t want my sister to have to bail me out of jail and then ask her to defend me in court. I never want to go to prison.”

“Jail or prison would be the least of their worries if anyone in a clan went against their leader. His enforcers would kill them as punishment.”

“Fantastic.” She hoped her sarcasm was clear. “Why isn’t he in prison if he has people murdered?”

“We don’t live according to your laws.”

“Everyone has to. You live in this reality, right? Or are we back to that another-dimension scenario?”

“Humans don’t live in our village. We keep separate from them as much as possible. They aren’t aware of what goes on with our people. Your law enforcement has no way of knowing who is killed or why.”

“I’m trying to imagine this world you’re telling me about but it’s hard,” she admitted. “Why don’t they just stop voting for Decker to lead them if they aren’t happy having him in control?”

“He wasn’t voted in. He took over from his father when he reached maturity and no one fought him to the death to take his position. Decker has loyalty from his enforcers. Think of it like one of your drug lords with a bunch of thugs who take out any people in town who want the tyranny to stop. His clan members aren’t even allowed to leave. He’d kill them first or punish the family they left behind. They’re trapped, and they send us warnings when they can to stop him from starting a clan war. We were at the airport searching for you after we heard two women had been sent for by Decker, and you’d help him accomplish that war. Our spies informed us of your travel route but couldn’t get your names or why he needed you. We only became certain you were the right ones after you boarded the second plane.”

“You have spies?”

“All four of our clans are mixed together by some bloodlines. Not everyone who is in Decker’s clan agrees with what he does. They send word to their families if they hear of anything that could threaten them. They don’t want to go to war with siblings, parents, or cousins.”

Dusti mulled that over, deciding to let that part of his story go. “There were other women on that plane. Why didn’t you pick them?”

“You and your sister were the only women traveling together. It made sense to us that you had to be the ones.”

“I still don’t understand why he wants Bat so badly.”

“I told you.”

“Tell me again.”

“Decker grew greedy as he aged. Now he wants to rule all four of the clans. He probably got fed up with our interference, like when he wanted to kill the humans who lived by his borders. The three clans let him know they wouldn’t allow it to happen. He can’t win a fight against us without the GarLycans fighting on his side.”

“Why haven’t the other three clans just attacked him and ended the threat?”

Drantos paused, staring at her. “Don’t think it hasn’t been discussed. It has. No one wants to fight their family though. And as I said, some of us are connected by bloodlines to his clan. The lives lost would be many. We try to avoid war.” He stabbed the raw fish onto sticks, dangling it over the fire to cook.

The smell had her stomach rumbling. She let his words sink in. It was tempting to keep arguing with him in hopes he’d see how illogical it all sounded but the smell of food distracted her. She’d rather eat. “I am so hungry.”

He finally passed her a stick. “Careful. It’s hot. Don’t burn your mouth.”

She almost drooled as she blew on the fish, taking a tiny bite. It wasn’t seasoned or the best she’d ever tasted, but it was still good. “Thank you.”

He turned his back to her to cook more. “Tell me about your life.”

She debated on answering but felt a little generous, what with warm food in her belly that he’d provided. “There’s not much to say. I work a regular nine-to-five job in an office as a secretary. I live alone. I don’t get to see my sister that much so I jumped at the chance to come with her when she said she was taking time off work.”

He glanced back. “Even though you hated who she was planning to visit?”

“Especially because of him. No way did I want her to be alone with that jack off. Bat comes off as tough as hell but she’s really not. I didn’t want him to get past her defenses just because he’s family. She expects him to be grandfatherly and I think it would hurt her deeply when she sees him for what he is. It would really mess up her head. I wanted to be there for her.”