Some guilt surfaced over that. She might be the clan’s pariah, but her father had become Decker’s whipping boy. A widowed woman in the clan should have lived in the basement apartment of the village lodge, hosting all events and visitors. Decker had assigned that task to her father instead as punishment. Her dad swore he didn’t mind but she knew some of the clan laughed at him, taunting him for being emasculated.

She sighed aloud. The entire situation depressed her. Lorn’s father and Decker were best pals. Their leader might have fled to avoid one pissed-off GarLycan clan leader but that didn’t mean his laws were no longer being followed. Ladius would rather slit her throat than allow her to be with his son.

Kira had no idea how Lorn’s brother felt about her. Lavos kept his distance. And Lorn’s mother just ignored her as if she didn’t exist.

A lot of the clan treated her as some kind of ghost. They walked by her as if she wasn’t there, not even acknowledging her.

“Boo,” she muttered.

Resentment built but she used it to her advantage. Anger had a way of making the task of cleaning up the camp seem to go faster. It was still a laborious process though. She wasn’t allowed to make any mistakes. Her father would pay for it, one way or another. The last thing she wanted was for someone to point out to him how flawed she was once again. It upset him when the clan criticized her. He took it more personally than she did. He cared what they thought. She’d stopped giving a shit years before. There was no way to please them.

Kira stepped back and studied the clearing. Darkness had fallen and her eyesight wasn’t great at night, but she didn’t spot anything that looked disturbed. The smoke-blackened stones the hunters had used were now buried under inches of dirt. The pit they’d dug had been filled in and she’d sprinkled moss over the area to mask the raw earth scent. She inhaled again, not picking up anything out of the ordinary.

Cleanup was one job she wouldn’t miss once she left the clan. Dirt clung to her hands as she brushed them down her pants. Her belly rumbled, a reminder she’d missed lunch and it was well past dinner. Her dad would be pissed that she was late but it couldn’t be helped. She gave the clearing one more check as she walked around it, studying it from every angle.

Veso would sweep the area, too. His senses were more heightened than hers. He’d find the flaws if she’d missed anything. She bit back a groan. He’d bitch at her if she had. The guy loved to bust her ass. She was one human he had to tolerate, not that he was overly happy about it.

Where is he? She cocked her head to listen. It was surprising that he hadn’t found her already. It was almost a game to him when they shared shifts to hunt her down and try to sneak up to give her a scare, just to prove she wasn’t as skilled as everyone else in the clan at being aware of her surroundings. The wind whispered through the treetops and leaves rustled but she didn’t pick up anything else.

“Huh.” She shrugged and walked to the tree she’d rested her shotgun against.

She came to a jarring halt.

Her shotgun wasn’t there.

She crouched down and saw the indent in the loose dirt where the butt had rested, sure she wasn’t wrong about where she’d left her weapon. Her body tensed as she slowly lifted her head to stare into the dark branches above. She didn’t see anything since clouds hid the moon.

“Very funny. You got me. I didn’t hear you, Veso.”

She straightened and stepped back, prepared for him to jump down to land in front of her. He liked to do that in an attempt to make her scream. She firmly sealed her lips together, not willing to give him that pleasure. The guy could be a first-rate prick, but he had some good qualities too.

Nothing happened. Which just pissed her off.

“Come on. Do you always have to pull this shit? I didn’t smell you coming either. It’s that human blood of mine. We’ve already established I don’t have enough Lycan in me. Get down here and return my gun. I’m tired and I want to go home.”

The hair at her nape prickled and she spun, expecting Veso to be behind her.

There was someone there all right, but it wasn’t the VampLycan.

Even in the darkness, the man’s face was distinctive. It was the unusually pale skin that made him appear stark against the night. Terror gripped her as it sank in what he was.

“Are you looking for a burly dog about this high?” He had a slight accent, something European, and his hand was just as white as his face when he raised it about six inches above his head. “He growls a lot and has a nasty disposition?”

“He’s indisposed at the moment.”

She jerked her head to the left, staring at another shape that seemed to just appear out of the darkness. His white face made him look almost as if he were just a floating head, since his clothes were black, hiding his shape from the neck down. He spoke without an accent. American.

“A few of our friends are playing with him.” The first one drew her attention. “He’s not very welcoming.”

Oh shit! Her heart raced but she fought to slow it down while trying not to panic. Take a deep breath. Chin up. Don’t show them fear or you’re dead for sure. It was easier said than done but she drew in air, released it slowly, and cleared her throat.

“You’re trespassing in VampLycan territory. That means you’re in violation of the treaty. You need to immediately leave the area.”

She straightened her shoulders, wishing she had her shotgun. It wouldn’t kill a Vampire but it would sure do some damage if she unloaded a few shells into their faces. They’d be damn sorry while they healed and it would give her time to run before they got back on their feet.

“She’s cute, isn’t she?” The Vampire in front of her sniffed. “And she smells so human. Of course she’s more, isn’t she? She’s going to be delicious.”

“I could use another snack,” the one to her left added.

They were doing a great job if they meant to scare her. Kira fought her instinct to run. The hunt would end up getting her killed. She held her ground, though they were faster, stronger, and she was in deep shit.

“Are you trying to start a war?” She knew they wouldn’t dare. VampLycans were feared by bloodbags because the latter had to go into hiding during the day. It made them vulnerable. Not to mention, VampLycans were far stronger. “You need to leave.”