Redson Read online

  She remembered. “You only go there on weekends. Why bother? You have such a lovely home, Red.”

  “There’s no cell signal at the den and only two other people know where it is. Drantos and Kraven, my cousins, helped me build it. I helped them with theirs too. It’s something we do in our teens. They’d never disturb me there unless it was an emergency. Let’s just say that during the week, things can get hectic when it’s not winter. I often need to decompress.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “What do you do for a living? Do you work?”

  She grimaced. “Not currently. I’m on the run.”

  He stepped closer. “Before that.”

  “I worked for my grandfather. He’s an online history professor. I mean, seriously, who knows about the past better than him? He’s lived for more than four centuries of it. It sounds a bit lame to work for family, but he’s not the best at learning technology. He’s hired assistants but after the third one he had to fire, I took over.”

  “He fed on them?”

  She shook her head. “They ended up with huge crushes on him. It’s that whole powerful draw thing he has going on for him. I worked in a consignment shop in our last town, but I didn’t mind giving it up to spend more time with Grandpa. He’s fun to be around.”

  “He makes good money being a professor?”

  “He doesn’t really need the money. He’s a treasure hoarder. Plus, he always bought properties wherever he lived. Then there’s the antiques he’d sold off when he got rid of homes he owned a couple hundred years ago. The value of the land had also increased a lot in that time. Four-hundred-year-old Vampires tend to have a lot of acquired wealth. At least the smart ones.”

  “Why work at all then?”

  “Teaching keeps him entertained. It’s hell for me when he’s bored.”

  “Why?”

  “He tends focus too much on my life and training me.” She grinned. “Never a good thing. When I was thirty-four, I called it The Year of Guns. And for my thirty-sixth birthday, he bought me four kinds of crossbows. Want to guess what I did month after month that year?”

  “I’ve never fired one before.”

  “Well, if you ever want to learn, I can teach you.”

  “I’d like that.”

  A cell phone rang, and Red cursed, stalking to the nightstand where it sat charging. He disconnected the cord. “Hello, Drantos.” He paused, listening.

  She cocked her head, straining to hear. A faint male voice spoke, but she picked it up easily. “You were spotted heading toward your cabin. Dusti and I would like to invite you to dinner with your guest.”

  “I want her back in my den before dark.”

  “She’s safe in our territory.”

  “I’m not going to chance it.”

  Drantos growled. “Dusti wants to meet Edna.”

  “It’s Emma. And this isn’t a good time for that.”

  “Don’t make me tell Dusti no. Bat wants to meet your guest, too. They’ve never had an opportunity to talk to someone else like them. Both are excited to compare stories.”

  “Not tonight. I’m hanging up now.”

  “Come on, Red. Don’t be a di—”

  Red disconnected the call, plugged in the phone and turned, grinning. “We should return to the den.”

  “What was that about?”

  “Nothing.” He took her hand. “Let’s see how the sheets are doing.” He almost pushed her toward he door.

  “I have good hearing, Red. Why don’t you want to go to dinner?”

  He growled low and stepped in front of her. “They might scare you off. Dusti is sweet but Bat can rub people the wrong way.”

  “But I’d like to meet other people.”

  He scowled.

  “You said this is my clan too. That means making friends. And this Dusti and Bat have human blood, right? Their father was human? That’s what you told me. I’m certain I wasn’t followed here, so there should be no danger. Please?”

  “We can do lunch another day. This one is almost over.”

  “How many VampLycans guard your territory at night? Do you think Vamps could sneak past them?”

  “Hell no.”

  “Does this Drantos live outside of the territory?”

  “No.” The frown deepened.

  “Come on. Call him back and say yes.”

  “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

  “I will be. You’re with me.” She grinned. “Don’t make me play on your pride. You’re one of those alpha types who would hate that. I’ll tease you about being afraid of a few little ol’ Vamps if we don’t go.”

  He grumbled. “Fine.”

  “How long do you think until dinner? I’ve lost all track of time.”

  “We have a few hours.”

  “Fantastic! Mind if I raid your books to find a few I’d like to read?”

  “You can have anything you wish, Emma.”

  She smiled. He could be a sweetheart.

  * * * * *

  Red watched Emma laugh with Batina and Dusti in Drantos’s kitchen. They’d offered to do the dishes after dinner. He was glad she’d hit it off with both of his cousins’ mates.

  Kraven leaned forward on the couch and drew his attention. “I like her. She seems oddly pleasant for being raised by Malachi.”

  “Not what I had expected, either,” Drantos murmured. “Father’s stories implied the Vampire was rather intense. He trained the first-generation VampLycans to fight before he left.”

  Kraven nodded. “Dad always said Malachi wanted them prepared in case any surviving Vampires tracked them down. Some of those Vamps were old and powerful. He said he taught them how to maim and kill swiftly. I guessed his granddaughter would be highly trained but…perhaps he shielded her instead, since she’s half human?”

  “He trained her.” Red still wasn’t happy with the idea of anyone harming Emma, even if he did understand the method and reason. “Mostly with weapons, from what I gathered.”

  “It’s for the best that she came to you for protection,” Drantos said. “I can’t see her fighting off Vampires. No offense.”

  “She smells completely human,” Kraven agreed. “I’ve seen no hints of VampLycan from her, either.”

  “She has our enhanced hearing. Watch what you say.” Red wasn’t about to forget how Emma had overheard what should have been a private conversation with Drantos on his cell. “What did Uncle Velder tell the clan about Malachi coming?”

  “He gave a description to everyone, told them he was a friend to our clan, and to politely escort him to the main house. Malachi will be staying with Mom and Dad, which means he must trust him a lot. Otherwise, he wouldn’t let a Vampire near his mate.” Kraven grinned. “As if Mom is helpless.”

  Drantos snorted. “To Dad’s way of thinking, she is.”

  Red felt relief. “I’m glad Uncle Velder doesn’t expect me to take him in.”

  Kraven arched an eyebrow. “Did Emma say something that makes you leery of him?”

  “No. According to her, he’s a hero who may as well walk on water. She gets offended when I question his motives about anything.”

  “Like?” Kraven leaned closer.

  “She admitted he’s bitten her. That pissed me off. She said it was only a few times and under emergency situations, to fool other Vampires into believing she was a blood slave.”

  Drantos nodded. “It would be bad if other Vampires discovered Malachi had his partial VampLycan granddaughter under his protection. Imagine what they could do if they’d captured her.”

  Red didn’t want to. Nothing good, he was certain. “Let’s go for a walk.”

  He stood without waiting for them and headed for the front door. Emma laughed again, looking happy. He stopped outside where they wouldn’t be overheard and faced his cousins.

  “What’s wrong?” Kraven invaded his personal space, holding his gaze. “Whatever it is, we’re family. We’ll deal with it together.”

  “E