Kraven (VLG Series Book 2) Read online

  It’s going to be a long night.

  He left the bedroom every ten minutes, making a security check throughout Bat’s home, before returning to keep close to his mate while she slept. Eventually the sun began to peek over the horizon of buildings. Kraven rolled his shoulders and stretched. It was time to wake her up.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bat watched Kraven take the lead as they exited the elevator. He waved his hand behind his back, indicating she should stick close and stay behind him. He acted like one of her bodyguards on high alert. He even paused to run a sweeping gaze down both sides of the corridor. It was kind of cute, if a little annoying. She decided to go with being amused. So far they’d avoided an argument, even when he’d informed her to pack. She had done it just to shut him up.

  He hadn’t been happy about her suggestion to take her car. No way would she trust some stranger with their bags while they talked to Dr. Brent, and toting them around a large medical building sounded like a pain in the ass.

  Kraven had examined her car and sniffed at it.

  “I’ll assume you’re worried about a bomb. That would imply blowing someone up. I thought you said my grandfather wants me very much alive.”

  He’d shot her a dirty look. “You have other enemies. We’re around too many humans.”

  “They’d have a really tough time gaining access to the parking area. I’ll say it again. I live in a high-security building for a reason, Kraven. It’s so I know I can park my car without anyone fucking with it. Do you want to talk to Dr. Brent or not? I’d like to get there before he starts seeing patients. The idea of waiting in the reception area for an hour or so doesn’t appeal to me.”

  “Which way?”

  His voice brought her back from her thoughts of earlier that morning to the present. She walked around him and strode left down the hallway. Kraven growled low and lengthened his stride to get ahead of her again. He spun and gripped her hips firmly.

  “Stay behind me.”

  “I’ve been here hundreds of times. It’s not dangerous. Most of his patients are kids and pregnant women. You’re being paranoid. Do you want to talk to Dr. Brent or not?”

  “That’s why we’re here.”

  “Let’s go.”

  He released her and took a step back. “At least stay at my side.” His nose flared. “I smell Vampire.”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath and continued down the hall to room B2. She opened the door and entered the waiting room. There wasn’t a receptionist at the desk but instead, a sign to push a bell for assistance. No patients had arrived yet. She reached out to put her finger on the bell but Kraven grabbed her wrist.

  “No.”

  “This is how we’re seen. Push and wait. Just like the sign says. Dr. Brent will come out as soon as he’s able.”

  He kept hold of her as he moved to the inner door and tried to open it. It was locked.

  Bat sighed. “That’s also why you push the button.”

  Kraven gripped the handle tighter and the metal creaked, then made a popping noise. He shoved open the door and dragged her into another hallway. He sniffed the air and pulled her forward. He paused at one of the doors and suddenly released her.

  He threw open the door, storming inside.

  Bat peered into Dr. Brent’s personal office. He sat behind his desk doing something on his computer.

  His head snapped up and he stared at Kraven—then his mouth opened and sharp fangs flashed as he loudly hissed.

  A second later his chair clattered to the floor as the older man seemed to leap backward in some crazy acrobatic way that shouldn’t have been possible. He landed feet first on his five-foot-tall file cabinets in the corner.

  Dr. Brent had fangs.

  Bat gawked at them. Their family doctor hissed again, reminding her of a pissed-off cat. He didn’t spare her a glance. His full attention was on Kraven. Some of the shock wore off as long seconds passed and it sank in that Dr. Brent might actually be a Vampire. Her gaze lowered down his body. He was sure tan though for someone who should burn up from the sun.

  “I have questions, and you will answer them,” Kraven snarled.

  His harsh tone caused Dr. Brent to spin on his feet and claw at the wall, as if he wanted to tear through it to get away. Sheer terror showed on his expression as he twisted his head to stare wide-eyed at Kraven, and he did do some damage to the drywall. Small chunks of it rained down onto the file cabinets.

  “Stop it!” Bat had known Dr. Brent most of her life. Whatever he was, she felt bad for him in that second.

  Morton Brent was usually an easygoing man with a good sense of humor. She’d always liked him. It bothered her to see him terror-stricken, almost as much as it bothered her to learn he had sharp fangs.

  “It’s okay, Dr. Brent.”

  His gaze turned to her and he stopped trying to dig through the wall. He stilled completely. She wasn’t even sure if he were breathing as she stared back. The fangs were still present and really disturbing.

  Kraven growled.

  She reached his side and threw her arm out, smacking his stomach. “Enough!”

  Dr. Brent turned to face them but kept pressed tight to the wall from his perch on the cabinets. His arms raised in a defensive motion, as if he feared being strangled when he covered his throat with both hands. It looked ridiculous.

  Bat glanced at Kraven. He glared at the doctor, his expression intimidating. She looked back at Dr. Brent.

  “Get him away from me,” Dr. Brent pleaded.

  Bat stepped in front of Kraven, putting her body between him and the doctor. “It’s okay. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

  “He’s a Vampire. Get behind me, Bat!” Kraven gripped her arm.

  She spun on him and tore out of his grasp. “Stop grabbing me! I know Dr. Brent. He’s never hurt me.”

  Kraven refused to stop glaring at the doctor. “Did you see the way he moved? The fangs?”

  “I did, and I’m duly freaked-out by that. Now stop being a bully. He’s scared. Can’t you see that? Back off. Let me handle this.” She turned, took a step closer to the desk, and tried to remain calm. “Hi, Dr. Brent. I’m sorry for showing up without an appointment. This is Kraven. He wants to ask you some questions about my mom. He isn’t going to hurt you. Can you come down from there?”

  Dr. Brent closed his mouth and licked his lips. He didn’t remove his hands from around his throat or climb down though. “He’s going to kill me.”

  “No, he’s not.” Bat motioned with her hand for Kraven to back off. She wasn’t sure if he did it or not, her focus remaining on Dr. Brent. “Please come down.”

  “No.”

  Kraven was a big man. She understood how he could frighten someone much smaller in stature. “You were friends with my mom,” she reminded Dr. Brent. “Dusti and I went to go visit our grandfather in Alaska but then—”

  “What?” Dr. Brent lowered his hands. “You did what? Why didn’t anyone mention that to me?”

  “There was no reason to, unless Dusti was going to be gone for an extended amount of time and would have run out of her shots.”

  Dr. Brent jumped off the file cabinet and landed gracefully on his feet behind his desk. “I feel faint. I need to sit.” He bent, lifted his chair—and surprised Bat when he straightened, holding a gun. It must have been attached to the back of it somehow. He trained it on Kraven. “This will blow a nice hole in your heart and it will take you time to recover, VampLycan. Bat, get away from him right now! Your grandfather’s people are a danger to you.”

  Bat didn’t budge.

  Kraven tensed but he held still. “Don’t shoot. You could hurt Bat by accident.”

  “I’m aiming at you, and I wouldn’t miss, VampLycan.”

  “Kraven is with another clan. He’s not one of my grandfather’s.” Bat managed to keep her voice calm. “Lower the gun. Please? He’s been protecting me.”

  Dr. Brent scowled. “You can’t trust them. They’ll just want to use you.