Drantos Read online

  A deep growl came from Dusti’s left. She tried to turn her head but Aveoth prevented it when he wrapped his fingers around her throat. He didn’t cut off her air but he had a secure hold on her. He lifted his other hand and held it up, almost a signal for something to stop.

  “Hello, Drantos. What are you doing in my territory without calling first to inform me you wanted to visit? I knew someone approached from half a mile away. You attempted to stay upwind but my senses are too keen not to hear that lumbering body of yours, no matter how skilled you’ve become at sneaking up on a target. And the wind shifted once to reveal your identity.”

  Dusti strained against the hand still wrapped around her throat, just enough to see a sight that left her trembling on shaky legs.

  A huge, black, hairy beast crept out of the edge of the woods and onto the path they stood in.

  That’s what he looks like when he’s a hell beast, her mind acknowledged. The trembling grew worse since Drantos was a terrifying sight. Aveoth released her throat and gripped her hips to steady her. It helped.

  She couldn’t stop gaping at Drantos. He looked similar to the scary beasts she’d already seen, only bigger, with those same evil-looking black eyes. He lowered his head so they weren’t staring at each other anymore. Bone popping noises began and she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see him transform. It sounded painful and very uncomfortable.

  “That woman belongs to me.” Drantos had his voice once he’d turned back into human form. “That asshole is mine too. I’m going to kill him for stealing her away from my family.”

  “No.” Aveoth smiled coldly. “You may kill the male but you won’t touch her.”

  “She’s mine.” Drantos stalked forward, snarled viciously, but halted. “Don’t do this, Aveoth.”

  “Do what? Not allow you to harm Margola’s descendant?” The GarLycan’s voice deepened into a rumble that threatened violence.

  “She’s my mate. I’d never hurt Dusti. I’d kill to protect her.”

  “She doesn’t smell like you.”

  “She’s wearing my cousin’s coat. That’s his scent you’re picking up. She was cold and it was the only thing available.”

  He narrowed his gaze on Dusti. “He’s the one you spoke of? The cheater?”

  Drantos snarled again. “Yonda wasn’t my girlfriend.”

  Aveoth glanced between them but he cocked his head finally, arching one eyebrow at her in question.

  She was too afraid not to answer. “He was seeing someone before we met. I didn’t know and I got upset when I found out.”

  “She doesn’t understand,” Drantos rasped. “Dusti thinks like a human. I was trying to ease her into our world before I told her too much.”

  Aveoth turned his head, watching Drantos. “You haven’t completely bonded to her yet. She doesn’t carry your scent.”

  Drantos paled. “Please, Aveoth. I’ve bedded her and we’ve exchanged blood. We’ve begun the mating bond.”

  A calculated glint flared inside Aveoth’s dark gaze. “You have the sister who is not human? I will trade your mate for her.”

  “No!” Dusti blurted.

  Drantos growled softly. “Silence, sweetheart.”

  “No.” She glared up at Aveoth. “My sister is not a bargaining chip, nor will she agree to be your lover. Bat would castrate you the first time you fell asleep if you forced yourself on her.”

  “Damn it, Dusti. Shut up,” Drantos ordered.

  “You don’t speak for my sister.” She didn’t glance his way to see Drantos’s reaction. She wouldn’t deny being his mate if it got her away from the big GarLycan. “My sister is a person, not a thing to be traded.”

  “I want her.”

  That statement from Aveoth chilled her blood. “Too bad.”

  “Dusti,” Drantos warned. “Please trust me and stop talking. You are only going to make the situation worse.”

  “How is that even possible?” She gripped the strange leather arm guards Aveoth wore, avoiding the sharp silver spikes. “Please let me go. I can stand now.”

  “No.”

  “I said please.” Her temper flared. It wasn’t her life on the line at that moment. It had become about Bat’s. She’d face the devil himself to protect her sister. She pointed at Craig. “That asshole over there thought he could claw my leg open and get away with it. See that blood on him? I did that. Now please let me go. I am fed up with being manhandled.”

  “Dusti,” Drantos pleaded. “Don’t, sweetheart. He’s not someone you want to get mouthy with. Just be quiet and allow me speak.”

  Aveoth surprised Dusti by chuckling. Amusement sparked in his gaze that started to turn bright blue again. His hands on her loosened but he didn’t remove them from her body. “This is becoming entertaining.”

  “I’m glad you think so. She’s been raised human.” Drantos kept his tone soft. “Dusti has no understanding of others, our laws, or how to show respect to any type of authority. She and her sister have a distinct talent for saying anything that comes to mind.”

  “Is the sister similar to her?”

  Drantos hesitated to answer.

  “She’s way worse,” Dusti informed him. “She’s a defense attorney from Los Angeles. Her law firm had to hire Bat her own personal security team because she’s pissed off so many people she gets death threats on a daily basis.” She took a breath. “I am not kidding about that castration if you were to force her into going to bed with you. She’d actually do it, and probably buy a case to carry your balls around in her purse just for the meanness of it.”

  “Dusti,” Drantos rasped, “stop.”

  Aveoth laughed again and released her, backing up. He studied Drantos. “She’s got spirit.” His gaze lowered down his body. “I see you still have your balls.”

  Drantos sighed. “Yes. Dusti’s the sweet one.”

  All humor disappeared from Aveoth’s features. “I want to meet Batina.”

  “She already has a mate.” Drantos kept his voice very low. “He’ll never allow you to have her.”

  Dusti turned her head to gape at Drantos. “Who?”

  He met her gaze. “Kraven.”

  Her mouth fell open. “No.”

  He gave a sharp nod. “He hasn’t informed her yet but it’s true.”

  “Oh, that poor bastard.” Dusti winced. If it was true, her sister would hurt the guy. Bat had obviously liked Kraven enough to consider fooling around with him but her sister didn’t do long-term relationships.

  “Your Kraven?” Anger tinged Aveoth’s voice.

  Wariness tightened Drantos’s features. “Yes. My brother.” He shot a glare at Craig, still on his knees. “That one and several others attacked my family to steal my mate, and my brother was injured protecting Batina.”

  “How bad was he hurt?” Aveoth’s skin seemed to darken to that dusky gray again and his flesh appeared to harden.

  Drantos cautiously inched closer until he reached Dusti’s side. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hoisted her against his naked body, and backed away from the GarLycan.

  “He’ll live but it was pretty serious. They tried to rip out his spine and almost succeeded. He couldn’t defend himself because he was holding on to Bat to protect her.”

  Aveoth’s head snapped in Craig’s direction. “You attacked VampLycans from another clan? I forbid fighting amongst the clans.”

  “Decker ordered us to retrieve his granddaughter Batina at any cost. Those were his words. He said to bring Batina to you, regardless of who we had to kill to do it.” The guy’s voice shook with fear. “He specifically stated even if we had to kill VampLycans.”

  In the blink of an eye, Aveoth was gone. He moved so fast that it just seemed to Dusti as if he’d teleported. He appeared in front of Craig for a second then suddenly turned around. Dusti choked back a scream when she realized what she was witnessing.

  Craig’s head rolled in the dirt, his body slumping in another direction.

  Aveoth had avoided th