Kraven (VLG Series Book 2) Read online

  Kraven

  VLG – Book Two

  Vampires, Lycans, Gargoyles

  By Laurann Dohner

  Kraven by Laurann Dohner

  Batina Dawson wants two things most in her life. She’s determined to become a partner at her law firm and secure her younger sister’s financial future. That’s why she talked Dusti into flying to Alaska, to mend fences with their terminally ill, rich grandfather. It seemed to be a perfect plan—until things go wrong.

  The plane crashes and their lives are saved by two large, muscled brothers. Kraven is a spiked-haired menace with a handsome face and a killer body. He also believes she’s in danger from her own grandfather, and that Vampires and Lycans once bred, making him a VampLycan. He even claims her mother was one too. He may have kidnapped Bat, but his misguided hero complex is almost sweet. She knows exactly what defense she’ll use if he becomes one of her clients. Insanity.

  Kraven is frustrated. Bat refuses to stop arguing with him at every opportunity. She’s stubborn, mouthy, and oh so sexy. She might be right when she accuses him of being crazy—she’s driving him nuts. But she’s in danger and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe.

  Author Note: VLG stands for Vampires, Lycans, Gargoyles…and breeds in between. Living in Alaska’s harsh, pristine territories, these creatures live and love fiercely. These are their stories.

  Dedication

  Always and forever, my thanks to my wonderful husband. He’s more than a partner and a lover, he’s my best friend. This year marks twenty years of marriage, twenty-five years of cuddling with you in our sleep. Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday when you stole my heart and changed my world for the better.

  I’d also like to thank Kelli Collins. She ROCKS as an editor. Thank you for taking me on.

  Kele Moon - You’re my sounding board and the person who always keeps me sane and laughing over the trials of writing. I cherish your friendship. You are AWESOME!!!

  VLG Series List

  Drantos

  Kraven

  Kraven

  Copyright © January 2016

  Editor: Kelli Collins

  Cover Art: Dar Albert

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-944526-02-3

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles.

  Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Kraven - VLG – Book Two

  By Laurann Dohner

  Chapter One

  Guilt and regret were two things Batina had experienced most of her adult life. She’d talked her baby sister into this trip to visit their dying grandfather. She’d believed it would be for the best if they made peace with their only remaining relative.

  Bat’s greedy need to also persuade him to leave them money in his will was about to get them killed.

  The tight squeeze on her hand drew Bat from her self-loathing. She turned her head to meet a nearly identical gaze to the one she faced in the mirror every morning. Dusti’s blue eyes were wide open, terrified, and she’d paled with alarm.

  The small charter plane’s pilot had informed them they were going to crash. Vibrations shook their seats, the overhead compartments rattled loudly, and no amount of regret would save them.

  “Fire in engine two,” a panicked pilot shouted. “Shit! The system is offline. It’s not responding. We’re only twenty miles out but we’re not going to make it to the airfield.”

  “Dump the fuel,” the second pilot demanded harshly.

  “Got it.” The pilot cursed. “Do you see anything? Do you?”

  “It’s just trees. We’re going down hard. Why the hell aren’t they answering? I know it’s a tiny airport but Jesus. Where are they? Maybe we lost communications and they aren’t getting our mayday.”

  “Damn cheap bastards for not giving us a backup system,” the other man hissed. “Fuck. We’re going down. Seventeen hundred feet and falling.” He paused. “Sixteen hundred.” He paused again for several long seconds. “Fifteen hundred. Shit!”

  “It’s been good knowing you, Mike.”

  “You too, Tim. Drop the landing gear but I don’t know why we should bother. When we hit those trees we’re going to come apart.” There was a pause. “Shit. Cut the mic!”

  The attorney inside Bat grimaced. If anyone survived, they’d probably attempt to sue the small airline for that screwup alone, never mind the crash. The pilots had obviously lost their professionalism but she could hardly blame them. They were going to crash, and one glance out the window beyond Dusti confirmed there wouldn’t be a safe place to land. In law school, she’d studied suits filed by families of the deceased enough times to know the end result of plane versus wooded area.

  Bodies—dead ones.

  Her grasp tightened on Dusti. They were born two years apart but had been as close as two people could possibly be growing up. It had fallen upon Bat at the tender age of eighteen to raise her younger sister, still in high school when their parents had died tragically. She’d had to make tough choices…selling the family home they both loved, moving them into a cheap apartment. She’d entered law school to make a better life for them both.

  What did it get me?

  Her frantic mind paused on that thought. She’d just earned a huge promotion by nearly killing herself, putting in massive amounts of overtime. She’d accepted nightmare cases no one else in her firm would touch with a ten-foot pole. No amount of soap would ever clean away the filth she called clients. Most had been guilty of crimes she’d secretly hoped would send them to prison, but losing on purpose hadn’t been an option.

  I hate my life, hate what I’ve become, and now I’m going to take my sister out with me because I thought our grandfather would leave us his damn money.

  Movement from the right tore her from her thoughts. Two burly thugs were making their way toward the cockpit along the narrow, downward-sloping aisle. They had to grip seats to avoid being pitched forward when the entire fuselage quaked.

  Terrific, she thought. They’re probably going to storm the cockpit, thinking they can do better than the pilots. Who gives a shit at this point? We’re going down either way.

  The guy in the lead suddenly paused next to her seat. His jean-clad thigh rubbed her arm before nearly crushing it against the armrest. She jerked it away—and then gasped when he lifted a leg to step over hers. He wedged his big body between Dusti and the seat in front of her.

  Something brushed her leg, again from the aisle, and her mouth dropped open completely when the second thug put a boot between her high heels. He nearly stepped on her foot. Both men faced Bat and her sister.

  Astonishment muted her when he planted the second boot between her feet and shoved her