Drantos Read online

  “I want,” Drantos softly rumbled. “Bad.”

  “No shit. You’re about to bust your zipper and I’m really going to mental hell for noticing that. I can smell the damn lust; it’s so thick I’m about to choke on it. Take a walk and have some private time to deal with your issue. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you and your hand need to get busy to prevent you from putting on a free porn show for everyone. That will curb some of your lust for now. You can’t touch her, Drantos. You know what will happen when you do. The last thing you’re going to want is to let her go once you’ve had her, and we need to get them to safety first. We don’t have a few days for you to create a bond.”

  “Fuck,” Drantos cursed.

  Dusti watched him stand. He refused to meet her gaze before he spun around to stomp out into the woods. She whimpered the second she lost sight of him. The reaction scared her, and worse, made her certain she had lost her mind.

  Maybe someone had slipped her drugs. Maybe that iron shot Bat had given her had been defective and she was experiencing some freaky hyper-aphrodisiac reaction.

  Kraven turned his head to frown at her. “Lay your ass down and curl up with your sister. It will pass now that he’s gone. Take some deep breaths. That will help too.”

  Drantos couldn’t go far. His instincts demanded he keep Dusti within sight. His body hurt with the need to go to her and finish what he’d started. It became so strong he actually grabbed hold of a tree trunk to stay put.

  Kraven had made a valid point. He wasn’t in control and Dusti was fragile. He might accidently cause her harm by being too rough. He needed to calm.

  It helped as time passed and he breathed in fresh air that didn’t carry her scent. He hadn’t suspected she might be his mate when he’d tested her blood. She’d tasted good and had affected him, but the truth hadn’t really hit him until he’d been seducing her.

  No damn way would Decker get Dusti. She was his.

  He finally got his lust under control. Kraven’s suggestion of taking care of his own needs wouldn’t have fixed the problem. It was Dusti he wanted. The urge to protect her and keep her close overruled everything else. He slowly released the tree and returned to her side.

  She lay facing her sister. Kraven sat behind Bat and regarded him with a frown. He glanced away from him to view the other passengers. Most of them had settled down to go to sleep or were already snoozing.

  “You’re still pretty tense,” Kraven whispered. “You didn’t jack off.”

  He clenched his teeth. “It won’t help.”

  “Shit. I hope to never suffer what you are.”

  He gently tucked the blanket closer to Dusti. She tensed, her body rigid. He knew she hadn’t fallen asleep. He pulled his hand back, too tempting to continue touching her. It wasn’t the time or the place.

  “We need to get them out of here. I feel as if we’re sitting ducks.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Kraven reluctantly agreed. “It’s going to be tough traveling with them and they’ll slow us down…unless we give them a ride.”

  He winced. Dusti didn’t believe anything he’d told her. She wasn’t prepared yet for the reality of how much her life had changed. He wanted to ease her into it, and seeing him in shift would terrify her. It would make her fight whatever attraction she felt toward him with more conviction. Terror tended to do that.

  “No.” He glanced down at Dusti and then back at his brother. “Watch your words.”

  “Showing is knowing,” his brother muttered.

  “It’s too soon. It’s better to reveal ourselves slowly over time.”

  “I understand your caution but that plan is going to hell if Decker’s enforcers find us before we can reach home. Is that really how you want her to learn the truth of your words? Did you even warn her how we look?”

  Kraven had a point. Dusti would know he hadn’t lied if any of Decker’s clan found them. She’d be confronted with evidence in the form of what her eyes could actually see. The shock of seeing a shifted VampLycan in animal form might damage her mental health, since she was so resistant to everything he’d told her so far. He bit his lip, debating what to do.

  Kraven continued, “Isn’t the most important thing getting them swiftly to where they’ll be safe and we have backup? We’re going to be outnumbered if Decker sends a dozen of his enforcers after us. You can deal with the fallout later.”

  Drantos wasn’t so certain of that. Dusti had already suffered enough traumas in a short period of time. Humans could hear stories of other kinds of creatures and chalk it up to harmless fiction, but he’d heard of people whose minds had snapped when they were actually confronted by the world they didn’t know existed.

  He focused on Dusti, picking up her rapid heartbeat. He reached out again and ran his hand over the blanket covering her hip. She shifted just slightly, pulling away. He let her.

  “We’ll leave at first light—and walk it,” he decided. “Decker doesn’t know we’re with them. He’ll expect to find his granddaughters waiting here to be found by the rescue party and totally unprotected. We’ll skirt any areas where we think we might run into them. They’ll make a beeline for where they think the plane went down.”

  “Damn it, Drantos.” Kraven bared his teeth. “You’re not being rational.”

  “I’m being cautious, and I don’t want to traumatize her any more than necessary.” He left the rest unsaid, since Dusti could hear his every word. “She needs time to adjust to everything before it’s in her face.”

  Kraven closed his eyes and long seconds passed before he held his gaze again. “You think she’ll reject you if she sees anything before she’s ready?”

  “I’m certain of it. We’ll walk.”

  “This one doesn’t even have shoes.” Kraven glanced at Bat. “I couldn’t find anything that would fit her. All she has are those high heels. Can you imagine a hike in the woods wearing those? She’ll break her ankle.”

  “Are you out of shape?”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Then just deal with it. You wanted some sleep. Lie down and rest. We’re out of here at first light. We’ll make sure the passengers are kept warm and send them help if they haven’t been found by the time we reach our people. They’ll have to make it one night alone at the most. I figure we’ll reach home within twenty-four hours.”

  “That’s pretty damn slow.”

  “The terrain is going to be rough, and don’t forget the river. We’ll have to find a way to get them across it while keeping them dry at the same time. They’re weak and susceptible to hypothermia or catching a cold. I’m thinking we might have to build a little raft and float them over. The water is still going to be pretty cold. I’m not taking any chances with their health.”

  “Shit.”

  “Our people will be looking for us too, so I doubt it will take that long. They could run across us by nightfall tomorrow. Best situation.”

  Kraven lay down, curling against Bat’s back. “You owe me.”

  Drantos lay down and scooted closer to Dusti to keep the wind from hitting her back. He wanted to pull her into his arms but refrained. He desired her too much and it would be too tempting to do more than hold her.

  Once he got her to his home, all bets were off. He’d take her. She wouldn’t be able to deny there was something special between them. He’d just have to help her learn to trust him before she discovered how different he could be from anyone else she’d ever known.

  He knew there were still going to be issues once he took her home. His parents wouldn’t be thrilled that she was so weak-blooded. He was their firstborn. That came with responsibilities but he doubted they’d refuse to accept Dusti. They knew him too well. He’d leave before giving her up. His father would understand though. He knew the importance of a true bond.

  Decker would probably try to come after Dusti and Bat, even if that meant he’d have to attack the clan to get them back. Drantos didn’t have to worry about anyone wanting to hand