Kraven Read online

  “I liked Gargoyles, damn it.”

  He glanced at her. She looked perplexed, staring at her hands in her lap. “What does that mean?”

  “They were cute, you know? Part of old buildings that gave it character and charm. Now I know they’re real and dangerous. Is that clear enough?”

  He tried to put himself in her place. She’d learned a lot within the past few hours and hadn’t broken down yet. It showed her strength. “We’re not usually under threat from them. I’ve liked some of the ones I’ve met. You’re doing great, Bat. I’m proud of you.”

  “Great.”

  He smiled. “Look on the bright side.”

  She turned her head, staring at him. “Is this going to make me want to smack you?”

  “Probably but I’m driving.” He jerked his head to the road they traveled. “You don’t want me to wreck.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. What smartass thing did you want to say?”

  “You know I’m not crazy now.”

  “I wish you were. Then I’d be sane. Now I’m the nutcase.”

  He felt empathy. “You’re not. It’s just that life has gotten more complicated since you discovered the truth.”

  “No shit. My grandfather is a conniving lunatic monster and apparently I need to buy a diamond collar to put around my throat since I’m part dog.”

  “Lycan. There’s a difference.”

  “I’m dying to hear this.”

  He grinned. “I’ve never licked my balls or chased my tail.”

  She dropped her head and sighed.

  “Don’t forget the Vampire bloodline. I bet some of your clients have called you a bloodsucker when they received the bill for your services. Now you can smile over that because it’s not an insult anymore. You ancestors on your great-grandfather’s side did that to survive.”

  She lifted her chin, stared at him, and actually smiled. “Stop. I’m trying to dislike you.”

  “You like me, my little hellion.” He met her gaze. “You’re going to like me even more tonight after we find a safe place to rest.”

  Her features sobered. “That’s not happening. We can’t do that again.”

  “Right.”

  “No, I mean it.”

  He wasn’t about to argue with her. She was his mate, even if she didn’t know it yet. The attraction between them couldn’t be denied. She was his weakness but it meant he was hers as well.

  “Did you hear me, Kraven? I’m serious. We’re not going to have sex again.”

  “I heard you.”

  “You have this smug look on your face that I don’t like.”

  “I’m just relieved we got out of there without any trouble.”

  “You think having two monster mutant dogs chasing us wasn’t troublesome?”

  “They didn’t catch us, did they?”

  “No.”

  “See? We’re golden.”

  She stayed silent for a bit. “What are you worried about right now?”

  “Who says I am?”

  “You keep chewing on your bottom lip. It’s a tell, Kraven. What’s on your mind?”

  “I’m just plotting our next move. They usually have planes fueled and ready to fly someone somewhere during the day. We’re going to have to hijack one.”

  “You’re joking, right? I don’t want to go to prison for the rest of my life.”

  “We won’t be arrested. You’re forgetting that I can take control of human minds. I’ll make any passengers for that flight decide to take a later one. The pilot will be paid to fly us. The airport only has a few employees. They’ll be easy to handle. I’m just hoping your grandfather doesn’t have anyone posted there already. I’ll drive the car directly to the hangar where they store the planes.”

  “Aren’t these small airports only for short flights?”

  “There are a few jets that fly in and out of this one. Big-game hunting is lucrative. A few pilots cater to the rich assholes who want to experience Alaska up close and personal. I’ll get us on one of them.”

  “You make it sound easy.”

  “It is for me. I tell them what I want them to believe.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “So you can just walk up to any human and say you’re the president of the United States and they’d buy it?”

  “I haven’t done that, but it’s possible. I could convince them of almost anything.”

  “That’s so wrong.”

  “Why? Because you can’t do it? It’s nature’s way of helping us stay alive in your world, Bat. Every predator has a set of skills. That’s just one of ours.”

  “You had to say that, right?”

  He chuckled. “I won’t lie. I’m not exactly harmless if the circumstances are right.” He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. “I’m no danger to you.”

  She grew silent and he regretted mentioning that he wasn’t as normal as she probably wished. “Your mother was like me. Remember that.”

  “I keep racking my brain trying to remember anything out of the ordinary about her. I should have seen something.”

  “Can I be honest?”

  “Sure.”

  “She would have made you forget anything that gave her away. You have a susceptible mind to our kind, Bat. You could have seen her shift and all she had to do was tell you it was a dream you should forget.”

  “What do you mean I have a susceptible mind? Did you make me want to sleep with you?”

  “No! I’ve never influenced a woman to have sex with me by mind control. That’s fucked up and pathetic.” He felt insulted that she’d even accuse him of that, but then remembered this was all new to her. He reluctantly admitted it was reasonable to be suspicious. “I told you to sleep when I carried you from the crash site. You went right out like a baby and stayed that way for hours. That’s what I meant.”

  “What else have you done to mess with my head?”

  “Nothing. I give you my word.”

  She remained quiet for long seconds. “Okay. I believe you. Your ego is huge.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “You wouldn’t have a problem getting women into bed. That’s all. You know it.”

  He let it go, deciding to take that as a compliment.

  “My mom should have told me the truth. I can see why she’d keep it from Dusti. My sister is horrible at keeping secrets.”

  “I agree that Antina should have told at least one of you. She must have had her reasons though, and I’m sure she figured you’d be safer in the human world not knowing.”

  “I brought my sister here. I wouldn’t have done that if I’d known why our grandfather really wanted to see me. Mom and Dad always made me promise to look out for Dusti if anything ever happened to them. How was I supposed to keep her safe if I didn’t know the danger? It makes me furious.” She paused. “Looking back—it’s almost as if they thought something might happen to them, like they feared dying and leaving us alone. It makes me wonder if my dad knew the truth about my mom.”

  “Were they close?”

  “Very. It used to embarrass me when I was a kid. They were always kissing and hugging in public. They held hands all the time. I’d catch them making out on the couch if I got out of bed to get something from the kitchen after my bedtime. When I got older, I wanted that kind of relationship. I guess I always assumed any couple in love would be like them. But I learned later on that what they had was one in a billion.”

  It made him wonder about her past with men. Had someone hurt her deeply? He fisted the steering wheel and resisted asking. It wasn’t the time.

  “I was almost glad they died together. It was the only good thing that came out of their accident. I don’t think one of them could have survived without the other for very long. They were that in love. It sucked for us, but I think it’s how they would have wanted to go. Together.”

  “Did your father age?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t really notice. Girls tend to