“I’ll be right back. That was my father bellowing.”
“I know. I’m so sick of them walking into the house.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of him. Meet me in the bedroom.” He stormed out of the bathroom, through the bedroom, but took a moment to close the door. His father waited in the living room. “What?”
“You’re supposed to be on patrol.”
“I was. Red relieved me. My post is covered.”
His father glanced down and inhaled. “Sorry.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait. Now is not a good time.”
“We have trouble. I just got a call from Decker’s clan. He and a few of his enforcers returned to their village. They kicked in the door of someone’s home and stole a young child.”
His passion cooled quickly, replaced by anger. Only Decker would use a child. It was a cowardly thing to do. He had no damn honor. “This shouldn’t surprise me anymore but a child is low even for him.”
His father glanced toward the hallway, then back at him. “Get your mate. This involves her family.”
Drantos spun and found Dusti in their bedroom, putting on one of his t-shirts. “You need to come out. My father wants to speak to both of us. Decker has kidnapped a child.”
She appeared shocked. “What? Why?”
“I’m not certain. That’s probably what my father wants to discuss.”
“Give me a minute.” She rifled through a drawer in his dresser.
He opened the one that contained his sweatpants, secretly pleased that she preferred to cover herself in his scent, and then helped her by crouching and rolling the bottoms of them. They were far too long for her shorter legs. He straightened and held out his hand, leading her into the living room.
“What has my asshole grandfather done now?”
Drantos saw his father’s eyes widen slightly at her question. It amused him. His mate was direct and to the point. He put his arm around her to keep her close.
“Lake’s niece was kidnapped by Decker. His sister mated to a member of Decker’s clan and lives there. He told her to contact us. He’s willing to trade the little girl for Batina and has threatened to kill the child if we don’t make the exchange. He left a phone number for us to call, so I did. He obviously believes his enforcer really had grabbed Batina at the ambush, and he thinks Kraven took Dusti away, in an attempt to fool him. He’s also aware that Lord Aveoth is hunting for him but he clearly thinks that’ll change after Aveoth gets a whiff of Batina. As if scenting her blood will appease the GarLycan leader.” Velder snarled. “It won’t. I talked to him too.”
Drantos clenched one of his fists. He wanted to kill Decker. “What did Aveoth say?”
“He was with his clan handling some internal matter, but he’s taking to the air to search for the child and Decker with some of his enforcers. He ordered us to stay out of it.” His father looked and sounded frustrated.
“Where’s Lake?” Drantos wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left to go track the child.
“I told him to wait outside. He’s beside himself with worry. The child is barely a toddler. She’s defenseless. Damn Decker. Lake’s sister said he and a group of his strongest enforcers disappeared after they attacked us on the road yesterday. Then they just showed up and took her child half an hour ago. She also said some of her clan were outraged and left to try to retrieve her daughter, but Decker has a head start. He knocked her out but she wasn’t down for long. Her mate wasn’t there at the time or they probably would have killed him. I’ve notified everyone to be on high alert in case that son of a bitch tries to come in here himself and take who he thinks is Batina.”
“We should send trackers out to help search for the child.” Drantos would volunteer.
His father shook his head. “Lord Aveoth was clear. Our job is to protect your mate and keep her where she’s safe. The GarLycans can cover a lot more ground than we can. Decker is desperate. He sounded paranoid on the phone. I don’t blame him. He wanted a war and he got one by pissing off Lord Aveoth. It just wasn’t the war he wished.”
Drantos mulled over the situation. “Why don’t you call Decker and tell him we’ll make the exchange? That way we can inform Aveoth where he’ll be. We’ll have a location.”
“They could kill the child at the first sign of betrayal. Decker would be caught but at the price of that child’s life. I think we should do everything to avoid her death.”
He agreed. Decker was a vindictive bastard. “You’re right. I’m so mad I can’t think straight.”
“I’ve had years of experience dealing with this son of a bitch, Drantos. I have a plan…but you aren’t going to like it.” His father shifted his attention to Dusti. “I noticed a strong resemblance between you and your sister. Do you believe you could fool Decker into believing you’re Batina, even for a few minutes? That will give us time to grab the child and attack once she’s clear.”
Drantos released Dusti’s waist and pushed her behind him, drawing his father’s focus. “Hell no! My mate isn’t bait. He’ll kill her when he realizes she’s the wrong granddaughter.”
“Calm,” his father ordered. “Decker won’t harm her if he thinks she’s Batina.”
“What if he doesn’t buy it? He has no use for Dusti.” Drantos snarled, enraged. “No. I won’t risk her life.”
“I could do it,” Dusti stated.
He spun, glaring at her. “Dusti!”
She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Bat and I do look a lot alike.”
“I don’t agree.” They both had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar build but Drantos would never mistake the sisters. They weren’t twins.
Dusti reached up, placing her hands on his chest as she stepped closer. “Decker Filmore hasn’t seen us since we were young girls. I think I was ten and Bat was twelve.” She licked her lips. “I can do this. Do you know one of the most annoying things I dealt with, growing up with my sister? I’ll tell you,” she rushed on. “It was answering the phone. We sound alike. Our friends could never tell us apart until we’d talked to them for a little bit. Bat’s only recently talked to our grandfather on the phone a few times. I’ll just talk like she would. I can mimic my sister for a few minutes.”
“I know. I’m so sick of them walking into the house.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of him. Meet me in the bedroom.” He stormed out of the bathroom, through the bedroom, but took a moment to close the door. His father waited in the living room. “What?”
“You’re supposed to be on patrol.”
“I was. Red relieved me. My post is covered.”
His father glanced down and inhaled. “Sorry.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait. Now is not a good time.”
“We have trouble. I just got a call from Decker’s clan. He and a few of his enforcers returned to their village. They kicked in the door of someone’s home and stole a young child.”
His passion cooled quickly, replaced by anger. Only Decker would use a child. It was a cowardly thing to do. He had no damn honor. “This shouldn’t surprise me anymore but a child is low even for him.”
His father glanced toward the hallway, then back at him. “Get your mate. This involves her family.”
Drantos spun and found Dusti in their bedroom, putting on one of his t-shirts. “You need to come out. My father wants to speak to both of us. Decker has kidnapped a child.”
She appeared shocked. “What? Why?”
“I’m not certain. That’s probably what my father wants to discuss.”
“Give me a minute.” She rifled through a drawer in his dresser.
He opened the one that contained his sweatpants, secretly pleased that she preferred to cover herself in his scent, and then helped her by crouching and rolling the bottoms of them. They were far too long for her shorter legs. He straightened and held out his hand, leading her into the living room.
“What has my asshole grandfather done now?”
Drantos saw his father’s eyes widen slightly at her question. It amused him. His mate was direct and to the point. He put his arm around her to keep her close.
“Lake’s niece was kidnapped by Decker. His sister mated to a member of Decker’s clan and lives there. He told her to contact us. He’s willing to trade the little girl for Batina and has threatened to kill the child if we don’t make the exchange. He left a phone number for us to call, so I did. He obviously believes his enforcer really had grabbed Batina at the ambush, and he thinks Kraven took Dusti away, in an attempt to fool him. He’s also aware that Lord Aveoth is hunting for him but he clearly thinks that’ll change after Aveoth gets a whiff of Batina. As if scenting her blood will appease the GarLycan leader.” Velder snarled. “It won’t. I talked to him too.”
Drantos clenched one of his fists. He wanted to kill Decker. “What did Aveoth say?”
“He was with his clan handling some internal matter, but he’s taking to the air to search for the child and Decker with some of his enforcers. He ordered us to stay out of it.” His father looked and sounded frustrated.
“Where’s Lake?” Drantos wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left to go track the child.
“I told him to wait outside. He’s beside himself with worry. The child is barely a toddler. She’s defenseless. Damn Decker. Lake’s sister said he and a group of his strongest enforcers disappeared after they attacked us on the road yesterday. Then they just showed up and took her child half an hour ago. She also said some of her clan were outraged and left to try to retrieve her daughter, but Decker has a head start. He knocked her out but she wasn’t down for long. Her mate wasn’t there at the time or they probably would have killed him. I’ve notified everyone to be on high alert in case that son of a bitch tries to come in here himself and take who he thinks is Batina.”
“We should send trackers out to help search for the child.” Drantos would volunteer.
His father shook his head. “Lord Aveoth was clear. Our job is to protect your mate and keep her where she’s safe. The GarLycans can cover a lot more ground than we can. Decker is desperate. He sounded paranoid on the phone. I don’t blame him. He wanted a war and he got one by pissing off Lord Aveoth. It just wasn’t the war he wished.”
Drantos mulled over the situation. “Why don’t you call Decker and tell him we’ll make the exchange? That way we can inform Aveoth where he’ll be. We’ll have a location.”
“They could kill the child at the first sign of betrayal. Decker would be caught but at the price of that child’s life. I think we should do everything to avoid her death.”
He agreed. Decker was a vindictive bastard. “You’re right. I’m so mad I can’t think straight.”
“I’ve had years of experience dealing with this son of a bitch, Drantos. I have a plan…but you aren’t going to like it.” His father shifted his attention to Dusti. “I noticed a strong resemblance between you and your sister. Do you believe you could fool Decker into believing you’re Batina, even for a few minutes? That will give us time to grab the child and attack once she’s clear.”
Drantos released Dusti’s waist and pushed her behind him, drawing his father’s focus. “Hell no! My mate isn’t bait. He’ll kill her when he realizes she’s the wrong granddaughter.”
“Calm,” his father ordered. “Decker won’t harm her if he thinks she’s Batina.”
“What if he doesn’t buy it? He has no use for Dusti.” Drantos snarled, enraged. “No. I won’t risk her life.”
“I could do it,” Dusti stated.
He spun, glaring at her. “Dusti!”
She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Bat and I do look a lot alike.”
“I don’t agree.” They both had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar build but Drantos would never mistake the sisters. They weren’t twins.
Dusti reached up, placing her hands on his chest as she stepped closer. “Decker Filmore hasn’t seen us since we were young girls. I think I was ten and Bat was twelve.” She licked her lips. “I can do this. Do you know one of the most annoying things I dealt with, growing up with my sister? I’ll tell you,” she rushed on. “It was answering the phone. We sound alike. Our friends could never tell us apart until we’d talked to them for a little bit. Bat’s only recently talked to our grandfather on the phone a few times. I’ll just talk like she would. I can mimic my sister for a few minutes.”
