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  “What is that in VampLycan terms?”

  “A teacher.” He wanted her to know he was good with kids. “All the adults pitch in to help our young learn survival skills. I have a workshop for furniture building, too, and I also work at the garage in town. I can fix anything with a motor.”

  “We can really get out of here?”

  “For a few hours. I want us back inside the den before darkness falls.”

  “I don’t think Eduardo is going to be able to find me. I stuck to my grandpa’s plan, except for having to bribe the bus driver to bring me to Howl. It was very detailed. We’ve had to flee before. We’re good at losing that prick when he’s tracking us.”

  “I’d rather be safe than sorry. Has he ever had the Vampire Council help him before?”

  “No. Good point. Okay, I can understand that. Nests are almost everywhere. Let’s go.” She almost lunged toward the exit.

  “Shoes, Emma.”

  She halted and looked down. “Oh. Right.” She grinned. “That would probably be a good idea, or I’ll end up over your shoulder again.”

  He almost regretted pointing out her lack of footwear. He wouldn’t mind carrying her. It would mean she remained close to him. She took a seat on his couch and put on the shoes that she’d stored under it. He left her there to shove on a pair of his boots. They weren’t needed; years of running barefoot had left his feet pretty resilient. But he wanted to give her a good impression. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to act as human as possible until she adjusted to life with him.

  She was waiting by the door when he reached her side. Her excitement showed on her face, and he realized how difficult being underground must be for her. Guilt struck but she was safer inside his den. He opened the door and took her hand, leading her up and outside. The expression of joy on her face when she saw the blue sky and breathed the fresh air had him silently promising to bring her out the following day. Vamps couldn’t come at her with the sun up.

  “Let’s stop by the river first. I need to hang the sheets to give them time to dry before dark.”

  “Right.” She closed her eyes.

  “What are you doing?”

  She opened her eyes and pointed. “It’s that way. I can hear the water.”

  Her hearing impressed him. A normal human wouldn’t have been able to do that. She wasn’t totally without some VampLycan traits. “You’re right.”

  “Grandpa makes me practice using my senses.”

  “What else does he have you do?”

  “I can fight. I’m not strong or fast enough to win if I have to duke it out with a Vamp, but I could put one down long enough to run.”

  He didn’t like the idea of her dealing with any kind of violence. “How?”

  Emma grinned. “You know, snap a Vampire’s neck or stab them in the heart if I have something handy to use. Beheading them is better, since they die, but that’s tough to do unless I have a sword or something similar. I can’t exactly walk around with one strapped to my body. He taught me how to incapacitate one, to give me the opportunity to run like hell. He also taught me how to mask my scent and hide my heat signature if I’m being tracked.”

  “You learned how to fight with a sword?”

  “Some of the older Vamps still use them. I’m skilled with one. I’m also decent with throwing knives. They’re easier to hide on my body, and not having physical contact is better if I can avoid it. I’m also familiar with guns and I’m a decent shot.”

  “It’s tough to kill a Vampire with bullets. You’d have to totally decapitate one with them.”

  “True but the trick is to blow enough holes in their head, throat, and heart. That bastard is going to be hurting and down for bit. It gives me time to get out of his hunting zone. Grandpa also taught me hand-to-hand combat, but as I said, I’m not good with that against a Vamp unless it’s a newly turned one. Mostly, I get my ass handed to me and I’m the one who goes down. I don’t heal as fast as my grandpa does, or you. But pain teaches me to win.”

  Anger filled Red, imagining anyone striking Emma. “He beats you?”

  She scowled. “You make it sound so bad. He just makes sure that I’m not a wimp. It might save my life if someone ever comes after me.”

  “By striking you?”

  She jerked her hand out of his and faced him. “Stop it. My grandpa isn’t a bad person. Do you know how most Vamps attack? They strike quickly. Boom!” She pushed hard against his chest. “They knock you down and are on you before you knew what happened. The victims are stunned, in pain, scared. They make eye contact with their attacker and guess what happens then? Yeah. Their mind is toast, and they’re lucky if they wake up alive with only a little blood loss. So yes, my grandpa has knocked me on my ass. He’s taken me down, and I know what to do when it happens. I don’t make eye contact. I attack when they least expect it. That gives me an advantage. I’m used to pain. It doesn’t confuse or stun me.”

  He was still furious but he didn’t want to upset her further. “I see.”

  She sighed. “It’s like you’re always looking for an excuse to hate him. I bet you don’t train your youth without knocking them around. It will save their lives if you hand them their asses from time to time, right?”

  He reluctantly nodded. She had a good point. “It keeps them from getting cocky and teaches them how to defend themselves better. To fight through the pain since their lives can depend on it.”

  “Exactly. That’s what my grandfather has done for me. I need every advantage I can get. He’s always been afraid something would happen to him. I’d be left on my own, adrift.”

  He saw the pain in her eyes. “What does that mean?”

  She eased her hands off his chest. “I’m not totally human. I have to hide what I am from them. But I’m too human to fit in with Vampires, Lycans, or VampLycans. See where this is going? Most VampLycans wouldn’t touch a human, so there probably aren’t many people like me. I’ve never personally met one. Nobody is going to accept me, from any race. If Grandpa dies, I’m a boat floating on an ocean without any safe place to dock, Red. I’m alone.”

  “No, you aren’t. My cousins are mated to women like you. Their father was human, their mother a VampLycan. You’re not a boat. I’ll introduce you to them when the time is right.”

  “When will that be?”

  “Not today. We don’t have that much time.”

  Chapter Eight

  Emma loved being outdoors. It was a beautiful day and Alaska held a lot of wonders. She’d never been there before and she’d slept most of the trip on the bus, missing the sights. Red stayed close, his hand brushing against hers as they walked to the river. She grinned, staring at the trees and the wide stretch of water that unfolded in front of her.

  Two large moose were in view downstream, drinking. “They’re bigger than I imagined.”

  Red followed her gaze as he took a seat, removed his boots, then stood again. “Those are fully grown. Just don’t wander far, Emma. There are dangers.”

  “Bears. I read that there are a lot of them here.”

  “Not many in this area. We chase them away to keep them from our homes.”

  She turned, gawking a little as Red removed his pants.

  He smiled, taking off his shirt. “What?”

  “Why are you naked?”

  “I have to go in for the sheets I weighed down. I don’t want to get my clothes wet.”

  That made sense. “Oh.”

  He turned his head in all directions, his gaze constantly moving. He also kept sniffing.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Seeking any danger to you. It’s clear. Just stay put. I’ll be right back.”

  “I won’t budge.”

  Red waded into the water and dove under the surface. It surprised Emma. “How deep did he bury those sheets?” She inched closer to the water, waiting. Long seconds passed, turning into a minute.

  Worry started to fray her nerves when Red’s wet head suddenly popped up and he sw