Drantos Read online

  The beast’s entire body tensed and his eyes flickered with something akin to fear.

  Got you, asshole, she thought.

  “He’s really going to flip when I tell him how you tried to touch me in bad places.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “I’m going to assure Aveoth that I only ran from you because you tried to get under my skirt. Sarong. Whatever.” She lifted her hand and shook a finger at him. “Tsk! Tsk! Shame on you. From what I hear, GarLycans are pretty vicious guys and Aveoth is the worst. Do you think he’ll just beat you or tear your limbs off one at a time?”

  The beast lifted to his feet and snarled.

  “What was that? I don’t speak growl.”

  He crept closer and the threat of retribution showed clearly in his furious black gaze.

  “I’m going to cry and cling to this Aveoth.” She inwardly winced at that image. “And as his future lover, I’ll ask him nicely to please hurt you really bad before he kills you.”

  He pushed against two trees hard but his broad, hairy chest still wouldn’t fit. He squeezed until some of his body became trapped and he had to jerk back when he realized the pointlessness of it. Another snarl tore from him.

  “What was that? I still can’t understand a thing you say. If you want to talk me out of my brilliant payback plan for tearing up my leg then you better change into skin so you have a voice, asshole. I’m willing to make a deal,” she lied. “I don’t want to be taken and you don’t want Aveoth to tear you apart.”

  He just watched her.

  “I’m going to lie my ass off to make sure this Aveoth guy wants you dead,” she promised softly. “Understand? Change into a person and let’s make a deal.”

  His black glaze seemed to glisten with pure rage before he started to change. Hair receded and the squishy noises they made as they transformed was sickening. The good news is, she thought, the planned worked. The bad news is, now those trees probably won’t prevent him from reaching me.

  The second his head lowered, she bent and grabbed the rock in her palm, hiding it behind her sarong skirt. She straightened and maneuvered it in her hand, cupping it until the sharpest part ended up in the open space between fingers and wrist. Her heart hammered from terror and uncertainty.

  She may have to kill someone, beast guy or not. Anxiety had her stomach rolling with nausea as she realized it had come down to survival.

  Chapter Ten

  Craig rose to his feet to glare at her with dark brown eyes. He didn’t appear very friendly with the sneer plastered across his thin lips. In skin, he stood about five feet nine, had a wiry but average-sized body. She put his age in his early twenties.

  “I’ll kill you before I allow you to tell those lies about me.” He had a rough voice, deep and raspy. “I didn’t try to fuck you.”

  “You wouldn’t survive if you killed me,” she bluffed. “My grandfather is an asshole. He assigned you to complete a task and he won’t be a happy camper if you fail to bring me back breathing. We both know he doesn’t tolerate that kind of shit. I’m worth too much to him.”

  He took a step forward.

  “Freeze. Don’t come any closer.”

  The guy glared at her but stopped advancing. “You don’t tell me what to do, you little bitch.”

  “I can’t shift to gain a tail so I’m assuming you don’t mean that term in a doggy way. My feelings are hurt by that insult, really.” She hoped he could pick up on her sarcasm.

  He snarled. It only sounded a smidgen less frightening when he made that noise looking human. “What do you want? I can’t free you. You know your grandfather will kill me if I don’t follow his orders. The team he sent knows I have possession of you.”

  “Fine,” she lied. “You’re right. I’m reasonable. I’m not opposed to going with you but I don’t want to be strapped across your back as though I’m a side of beef. I’ll walk.”

  His focus lowered to her legs. “You are injured and barefoot.”

  “I’ll be fine right after I wrap this up to stop the bleeding and I can use part of this sarong to wrap my feet.” It sounded so good, she hoped she’d be able to really do that part of the plan. “Riding on your back doesn’t agree with my stomach.”

  She noticed when some of the stiffness eased from his frame. He bought her bullshit. His gaze lifted. “And you won’t lie about me if I take you there your way?”

  “Nope.” She had no intention of going anywhere with him. “I give you my word as a Filmore.” Her grandfather was a lying bastard who’d told Bat he was dying to get them to Alaska. She wasn’t a Filmore. She was a Dawson. Her father had been a good man. Decker Filmore could never claim that honor. “I’ll behave, and look on the bright side. Carrying me probably wasn’t fun for you either. That belt was cutting me in half and it was against your stomach.”

  “True.” The anger faded from his features. “You may come out of there. I won’t attack you.”

  I don’t feel the same, she silently warned him. “Sure. I don’t suppose you could turn your back though so I can pee in private? That motion of you running and the squeezing from that contraption holding me against you didn’t do my bladder any favors.” She inched closer, overstated her limp to make him think he’d hurt her more than he had.

  The guy nodded. “Do it there. You will not leave my sight.”

  Ignoring him, she squeezed between the trees. “It’s too cramped in there.”

  She flung the dirt when mere feet separated them.

  It hit his face before he could react, totally unprepared for the attack. He jerked his head back to claw at his eyes with his hands.

  She took advantage of his blindness in those critical seconds. She swung her other arm as hard as she could manage with her remaining strength.

  It hurt her wrist when the rock connected with the side of his head but it must have been effective, considering he dropped to his knees with a cry of pain.

  She drew her arm back and hit him again. This time he slumped to the ground.

  Dusti hesitated, watching him. He seemed lifeless except for the rise and fall of his chest. Her gaze avoided the bloody gash to the side of his head. She’d puke if she looked at it too closely or acknowledged her hand was wet from his blood.

  Seconds ticked by. He was breathing but seemed knocked out. She kept hold of the rock and turned, moving as fast as her injured leg would allow in the direction he must have carried her. The dirt path was the only thing she knew to follow. She hoped that someone from Drantos’s clan was looking for her and found her before the guy woke up with a headache from hell.

  The pain in her leg grew worse with each step but she kept going. She didn’t have time to really bind her leg until she felt safe. That wasn’t going to be anytime soon. A little blood loss was a lot better than being recaptured. Craig would be furious and he’d strap her to his body again.

  She ran when she was able to find flatter ground. The sun would go down at some point. It was scary, since she’d eventually lose sight of the path, but every step took her farther away from Craig and everyone associated with him. She’d already been lost at night in the woods once but she wasn’t soaking wet this time. It would have to be better than before.

  A roar tore through the woods a short time later. She turned her head, her gaze searching for any sign of pursuit. Nothing moved except the trees from the wind. Her labored breathing hindered her, along with her limp. She strained to hear a river or perhaps vehicle traffic. If she could stumble into a highway, if one existed in this remote area, it may save her. The icy river water would even be a welcome sight. Its strong current would wash her downstream and perhaps lose the asshole who she knew had to have already started tracking her. He’d obviously recovered from the blows to his head if that was him screaming out his rage.

  A howl tore through the woods next, much closer, and she came to a stop when she realized she wouldn’t be able to outrun him. She turned to wait for Craig to come after her again. He wouldn’t dare kill her but that didn’t m