Drantos (VLG Series Book 1) (25 page)

Aveoth turned his head to give him a warning look and rumbled again inside his massive chest. The VampLycan dropped back to his knees.

“She lied to me. She’s the younger granddaughter,” he hurriedly explained. “The the more human one who didn’t inherit the strong bloodline.”

Aveoth’s color started to return to a normal shade as he took deep breaths. His hand on her face seemed to warm while he calmed down, the texture of it softening to flesh again. His silvery eyes cooled to blue. Dusti couldn’t look away from his gaze when he gave her his full attention again.

“What is your name?”

“Dusti.”

“Your full name.”

“Dustina Ann Dawson.”

“Are you also the granddaughter of Marvilella?”

“I…that’s what I’ve been told. I never met her. My mother’s name was Antina.”

His hand slid down her throat, his thumb pausing on the area just above her collarbone, before inching forward until she knew he could feel her rapid pulse over her carotid artery. She prayed he wouldn’t slice it open to just kill her where she stood.

“Feel no fear.” He lowered the volume of his voice to a husky rasp. “I would never hurt a descendant of Margola. She was Marvilella’s sister. We’d intended to become lovers but she died before reaching maturity.”

“I don’t want to be your lover,” she blurted. “No offense.” She couldn’t seem to shut up once she got words to pass her lips. “You’re a good-looking guy for someone who makes me want to run away from you screaming. But I met someone. He might be a cheater. I’m not sure. But I fell in love with him. I didn’t even know Vampires, Werewolves and what you are existed until a few days ago. You wouldn’t like me anyway. I’m a shitty cook. I’d end up killing you with food poisoning. And I drool when I’m asleep if I’m really tired.” She sucked in air. “Also, I think my grandfather is a piece of shit who doesn’t have the right to give me to someone as a gift. He’s a cheap bastard who never lifted a finger to help my sister and me. I hate him.” She sealed her lips together to stop babbling.

One of his black eyebrows arched upward. “Are you done?”

She managed a small nod.

He watched her silently but his thumb moved slightly to caress her throat. The soft touch distracted her from her terror a tiny bit. He didn’t seem angry over anything she’d said. He actually appeared to be a little amused, if she were to judge the softening of his features and the way one side of his full lips lifted as if he tried to hide a smile.

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 the blood spray by taking one step to the side. He’d beheaded the guy.

Drantos snarled and transferred her from his arms to behind his back. She knew he did it to protect her, just as surely as she knew he didn’t stand a chance against a GarLycan. Aveoth could move too fast. An image of Drantos ending up that same way flashed through her mind, his head removed from his neck…

She didn’t think. She just reacted by lunging around him and throwing her arms up, putting herself between him and the threat.

What am I doing?

She wasn’t sure, but Aveoth hadn’t killed her when he’d had the chance. He’d said he wouldn’t hurt a descendant of Margola. She prayed he’d meant that.

Drantos gripped her hips but she just pressed back against his front tightly and clutched at his bare hips to keep him from moving her. She didn’t want Drantos to die. Even if that meant using her body as a shield. She stared at Aveoth, praying he wouldn’t come at them next. He was a terrifying sight with his slate-gray skin, appearing more stone than flesh.

“Please don’t hurt him,” she pleaded softly.

Drantos growled and tried to lift her. “Release me and be quiet.”

“No.” Her nails dug into his skin and she shoved her back against him harder. “
You
shut up.”

Aveoth didn’t move but he did watch Dusti closely. “She protects you? Interesting.”

“She is unique,” Drantos said, sighing again. “Are we going to fight?”

Aveoth’s gaze lifted to Drantos. He waved a hand at what used to be Craig. “He deserved it. He attacked another clan against my orders, stole a woman, and his scent is on her leg. He drew her blood. I hate anyone who would abuse a woman. The fact that she’s so human and helpless to defend against him really riles my sense of vengeance.”

“Understood. I would have liked to kill him myself, though you were kinder than I would have been for drawing my mate’s blood. I wanted to make him suffer first.”

Dusti wondered if either of them realized how cold they sounded discussing the dead corpse on the ground. She refused to glance at what used to be Craig. Throwing up would ruin the image she wanted to display of being tougher than she really felt.

“
You
killing him may have caused tension. I do it and it’s justice. These are my lands and my laws were broken.” Aveoth took a deep breath. “Speaking of laws, what does your father think of you mating to someone who smells so human? You’re the eldest son and it’s your duty to produce strong offspring. You risk failing with her.”

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. She’s mine.”

“He could reject her.”

Drantos softly growled. “I don’t care.”