Kraven Read online

  Kraven stepped forward and dragged Bat with him, keeping her at his back. “Do we have a problem? I won’t let you take her. She’s my mate.”

  “Batina is safe. I didn’t come here to fight with you, VampLycan. We have spies in the pack.” Michael shrugged. “Warren took over when his father stepped down eight years ago. He still has a lot to learn. It’s a big territory to share. We’ll never see eye to eye but I try to keep the peace. Wars are too damn messy with so many humans around us.”

  “I’m surprised you’d care.”

  Michael smiled. “I love humans. They’re not only a source of food, but endless entertainment. I’m a huge movie fan. You could say I’m more progressive than most masters.” His expression sobered. “I’ve also been around long enough to see too much blood spilled.” He turned his head, glancing at the carpet. “Someone call in a cleanup crew, please. I don’t want to have to pay to replace the flooring of a room this size.” He looked at Bat next. “We’d like to move you to a safer location. Word has spread you’re here and there’s a bounty on your head.”

  Movement caught Bat’s attention. Jacob crawled out from under one of the tables and tried to make it toward the back of the room and the fire-escape exit.

  Michael didn’t turn around but he did lift his hand, making a signal. “Get him before he triggers an alarm by trying to flee that way.”

  One of the Vampires by the door rushed over to Jacob and grabbed him by the back of his suit, lifting and forcing him to walk over to them.

  Michael studied Jacob. “Friend of yours, Batina?”

  “Not really; he’s a partner at my law firm.”

  “He set up this meeting so the Lycans could take her. They promised to make him one.” Kraven’s disgust sounded in his voice.

  Michael snorted. “I’m aware of how Warren works. He offers humans what they desire most to get them to do his bidding.” He turned to stare down at Jacob. “Hello, sweaty human. Nervous? Scared?”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Jacob whispered. “I swear.”

  “I noticed you didn’t say you didn’t do anything. Betrayal of one of your own is low.” Michael clucked his tongue. “I’m considering your punishment.”

  Jacob blanched. “It wasn’t like that! I didn’t know.”

  Michael’s eyes began to glow brightly. He reached out and fisted Jacob by his tie, hauling him closer. “Did you know Warren was a Werewolf? Tell me the truth now.”

  “Yes.”

  “What was the reason you believed he wanted Batina? Tell the truth. All of it.”

  “I thought he might kill her,” Jacob blurted. “She’s been a thorn in my side since day one. I hate her. She talked to my partners about sexual harassment charges if I didn’t stop trying to fuck her and they threatened to use the buyout clause to get rid of me if I didn’t cease. She’s made a name for herself and brings in more clients than I do. I wanted Warren to get rid of her.”

  Kraven growled.

  Michael leaned in closer. “You’re a pathetic human being. I don’t want you to ever forget what you are. Now stand there and sleep until you’re ordered to waken.”

  Jacob closed his eyes.

  The brightness in Michael’s eyes faded as he turned to face Bat and Kraven, releasing Jacob’s tie. “I’ll send one of my men home with him to make sure he doesn’t have a stash of evidence of the pack’s existence hidden. Humans exposed to us love to do that shit.” He reached out and grabbed Jacob’s arm, shoving back his jacket to expose his dress shirt. He unbuttoned the wrist, baring skin.

  “You’re going to feed from him?” Bat tried to hide her distaste.

  “No.” Michael lifted Jacob’s arm. “Your mate is. It’s the least this asshole can do for setting you up.” He shifted his gaze to Kraven. “How many hits did you take? Three? Four? I did my research on VampLycans once I became acquainted with Antina. Blood will heal you faster than letting those bullet holes heal on their own. Do you need our doctor to dig them out first or will they push out while you heal? I can have Morton come here now. The Lycans can wait if you need assistance. You carry both scents strongly so I’m not sure what traits you get from your parents.”

  “Grandparents. I’m second generation. My body will reject foreign objects as I heal.”

  “Blood is right here. Take it. You can kill the bastard if you want but just let us interview him first so we can destroy whatever evidence he has on the pack.”

  Kraven shook his head. “No thanks.”

  “Do it,” Bat urged. She couldn’t stand that he was hurt.

  He looked down at her.

  “Please? I’m the one who asked you to bring me here. Drink blood if it heals you.”

  “Your coloring is bad,” Michael said. “It’s safe to feed in front of us. Batina is considered one of ours and you’re her mate. Feed, VampLycan. We’re not enemies. I’d rather you take it from this asshole than her. My girlfriend is human and I have to be very careful how much I take from her. There’s nothing worse than the guilt of seeing them weakened because of our blood needs. This is how I feed, since my Christa is a jealous little thing. She wouldn’t abide it if I took blood from any woman that isn’t her.”

  That interested Bat. “You’re dating a human?”

  Michael smiled. “Yes. She doesn’t know what I am yet. It’s getting more serious. We’ll have to have the talk soon.”

  “How do you feed off her then?”

  “Very carefully, at passionate moments.” He winked. “Now urge your mate to drink. He’s being very brave and tough for you but he’s hurt. I’d hate for him to accidentally hurt you when he takes you to bed later. He’d feel like shit after he drank too much.”

  “Goddamn it,” Kraven rumbled. He held out his hand. “Fine.”

  Bat averted her gaze while Kraven bit into Jacob. But she didn’t feel bad if it hurt the conniving son of a bitch when Kraven’s fangs dug into him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kraven lifted his shirt when he stopped feeding off Jacob and grimaced. The bullets hurt as they left his body, dropping onto the carpet. He glanced at Bat, only to find her staring across the room. He released the human after licking his skin so the wounds would heal fast and nodded thanks to the master Vamp.

  Michael pushed Jacob toward one of his men. “Deal with this.”

  “Kill or salvage?”

  “Wipe him if possible. Otherwise, he looks like a man on the edge.”

  “Understood.” The Vampire grabbed Jacob and led him out of the room.

  Kraven waited until Michael looked back at him before he asked questions. “You’re going to have him jump to his death?”

  “My life would be easier if I said yes, but I value human life. Sometimes the exposure has lasted too long to erase it all, so we’ll mess with his memories a bit until he’s unsure of his sanity. He looks like he can afford a nice room in a mental health clinic. I have some experience with this, thanks to those damn Lycans. We just suggest the aliens told them about Werewolves or something, if we can’t totally remove the memories, then urge them to verbally share every unkind thought they have to every person they come into contact with for a few months.” Michael laughed. “Let’s just say it doesn’t gain them sympathy or friends. No one will believe anything he says and just peg him as a crazy asshole.”

  Kraven chuckled. “That’s kind of mean.”

  Michael shrugged. “I feel no guilt. He’ll live.”

  Bat suddenly bent and picked up the bullets from the floor. Kraven watched her pocket them. She looked up at him. “What? They have your blood on them.”

  “We’ll clean the scene.” Michael held out his hand to Bat. “You can give those to me.”

  Bat backed up closer to Kraven. “I’ll hold on to them. No offense, but I’m a defense attorney. I have no idea if you’ll dispose of them properly. I’d hate for them to be found and given to some forensics lab. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but let’s be honest. I don’t know you.”

&nbs