“Bear?” Bat’s eyes widened with alarm. “Will it come back and attack? Some of these people are injured. Won’t the smell of blood attract it to come investigate?”
“He won’t return.” Kraven shoved the other blanket under one arm. “I’m wiped out.”
“It’s been a long day,” Drantos agreed. “We’ll get up early and reevaluate the situation.”
Kraven sat down on his blanket and dropped the rolled one next to his lap. He peeled off his leather jacket next. In seconds, he’d bunched it into a ball to shove behind him. He completely ignored the women while he spoke to his brother.
“The search-and-rescue teams will easily spot this mess from above. I tracked back and there’s a lot of damage to the trees. They can’t miss it.”
“We need to make a decision then.” Drantos motioned his head in the direction of the survivors. “Stay or go? You know he’ll have heard the news by now and sent out his enforcers to find them.”
“I was thinking the same.” Kraven sighed. “We’ll leave at dawn before they can find the site. We’ll have to move fast. They’ll be tracking us as soon as they realize some of us are missing.”
Drantos nodded. “It’s going to be rough.”
“What are you talking about?” Bat frowned. “Are you wanted by the police? You’re plotting to take off before the rescue teams arrive, aren’t you?”
Both brothers turned their attention on Bat, silently regarding her. Dusti opened her mouth to tell her sister to shut up. She was afraid Bat would set them off somehow and make the situation worse. Bat spoke again before she could.
She blew out a breath. “I’m a defense attorney. I can help.”
Dusti’s mouth sagged open in surprise, then outrage. “You’re offering to represent them? Really?”
“It’s what I do, and while I didn’t appreciate getting manhandled, they did get banged up in the crash trying to protect us. And the meal was good too. It beat eating those tiny cookie and nut packages we found on the plane.” Bat shrugged.
“I just…” Dusti stopped talking before she blurted out that she’d just informed her sister that Drantos was off his meds. She worried he’d have some kind of meltdown if he realized she’d shared his secret.
Bat smoothed things over. “You know who my clients are, Dusti. It’s what I do. They have the constitutional right of being represented in a court of law, even if they are guilty. I know the justice system is flawed but everyone deserves the best defense possible. Innocent until proven guilty. Ring any bells?” Bat lifted her chin, her gaze narrowing on her sister. “I know you hate my job but I’m damn good at it. I’d defend Greg if he hurt someone.”
She shouldn’t be surprised by her sister offering her services. At least she’d have a good defense for Drantos—insanity. “I know that.” Dusti sighed. “I’m tired. It’s been an awful day and I just want to get some sleep.”
“Good idea.” Drantos suddenly shifted his position and slid to his hands and knees, facing Dusti. “Move over and make room for me on the blanket.”
“What?” She gaped at him.
“The temperature is going to drop more within a few hours. Take off my jacket, we’ll use it for a pillow, and I’ll keep you warm.”
“I’m not sleeping with you!”
Those strangely beautiful eyes of his seemed to glow for a split second again. It startled Dusti and made her realize she hadn’t just imagined seeing it in the woods.
“You are.” His voice deepened. “Lie down on your side after you take off my jacket. My body heat will keep you warm if I spoon with you. My brother and I are going to make sure both of you make it through the night.”
“Hell no,” Kraven groaned. “They can keep their own body heat.”
“They can’t.” Drantos stretched out beside Dusti and literally pushed her over a few inches to make room for him. “You know they need us.”
Kraven clenched his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tensing visibly. “I’ll trade you.”
Drantos seemed to ignore the comment, instead arching an eyebrow at Dusti. “Take the jacket off now and lie down.”
“No.”
The blue of his eyes turned colder. “Now. You and I are going to curl up and get some rest together. You will allow me to hold you to keep you warm.”
A shiver ran down her spine at his raspy, deep tone. Fear had her moving to do as he’d ordered. She removed his warm jacket. She shivered again, this time from the cold, and handed it to him.
“Wait a minute,” Bat protested. She gasped in the next instant.
Dusti swung her head to stare where her sister had been, only to find her gone. She turned her head farther and spotted Bat flat on her back with Kraven stretched out next to her. He had one thigh over her sister’s legs and his hand cupped her face. They seemed to be staring at each other, faces inches apart. She couldn’t be sure though, since she couldn’t see Kraven’s eyes. But he had obviously put her sister in that position and had her pinned.
“He won’t hurt her. He’s just going to keep her warm and quiet until she falls asleep.” Drantos gripped Dusti’s arm to force her to face him. “Don’t make me control you too. You wouldn’t like it, and I wouldn’t either.”
“You’re threatening to hurt me? You said you wouldn’t do that.” Fear shot up her spine.
He suddenly sat up and gripped her head. His long fingers curled around the back of her neck while his face drew closer. She stared into his gaze and saw the blue of his irises seem to lighten, turning a brighter shade. His hot breath fanned her lips when he leaned closer until their noses lightly touched. She couldn’t look away from his incredible eyes. They stunned and frightened her at the same time. Eyes shouldn’t change colors that way.
“I’m strong-blooded and you’re not. I probably won’t be able to take your free will but I can immobilize you. Your body will refuse to move. I’m ordering you to hold still.”
Dusti attempted to lift her arm to push him back but her body didn’t respond. Her limbs hung limply at her sides. Panic set in as she tried to do it again but it was as if she’d been paralyzed.
“He won’t return.” Kraven shoved the other blanket under one arm. “I’m wiped out.”
“It’s been a long day,” Drantos agreed. “We’ll get up early and reevaluate the situation.”
Kraven sat down on his blanket and dropped the rolled one next to his lap. He peeled off his leather jacket next. In seconds, he’d bunched it into a ball to shove behind him. He completely ignored the women while he spoke to his brother.
“The search-and-rescue teams will easily spot this mess from above. I tracked back and there’s a lot of damage to the trees. They can’t miss it.”
“We need to make a decision then.” Drantos motioned his head in the direction of the survivors. “Stay or go? You know he’ll have heard the news by now and sent out his enforcers to find them.”
“I was thinking the same.” Kraven sighed. “We’ll leave at dawn before they can find the site. We’ll have to move fast. They’ll be tracking us as soon as they realize some of us are missing.”
Drantos nodded. “It’s going to be rough.”
“What are you talking about?” Bat frowned. “Are you wanted by the police? You’re plotting to take off before the rescue teams arrive, aren’t you?”
Both brothers turned their attention on Bat, silently regarding her. Dusti opened her mouth to tell her sister to shut up. She was afraid Bat would set them off somehow and make the situation worse. Bat spoke again before she could.
She blew out a breath. “I’m a defense attorney. I can help.”
Dusti’s mouth sagged open in surprise, then outrage. “You’re offering to represent them? Really?”
“It’s what I do, and while I didn’t appreciate getting manhandled, they did get banged up in the crash trying to protect us. And the meal was good too. It beat eating those tiny cookie and nut packages we found on the plane.” Bat shrugged.
“I just…” Dusti stopped talking before she blurted out that she’d just informed her sister that Drantos was off his meds. She worried he’d have some kind of meltdown if he realized she’d shared his secret.
Bat smoothed things over. “You know who my clients are, Dusti. It’s what I do. They have the constitutional right of being represented in a court of law, even if they are guilty. I know the justice system is flawed but everyone deserves the best defense possible. Innocent until proven guilty. Ring any bells?” Bat lifted her chin, her gaze narrowing on her sister. “I know you hate my job but I’m damn good at it. I’d defend Greg if he hurt someone.”
She shouldn’t be surprised by her sister offering her services. At least she’d have a good defense for Drantos—insanity. “I know that.” Dusti sighed. “I’m tired. It’s been an awful day and I just want to get some sleep.”
“Good idea.” Drantos suddenly shifted his position and slid to his hands and knees, facing Dusti. “Move over and make room for me on the blanket.”
“What?” She gaped at him.
“The temperature is going to drop more within a few hours. Take off my jacket, we’ll use it for a pillow, and I’ll keep you warm.”
“I’m not sleeping with you!”
Those strangely beautiful eyes of his seemed to glow for a split second again. It startled Dusti and made her realize she hadn’t just imagined seeing it in the woods.
“You are.” His voice deepened. “Lie down on your side after you take off my jacket. My body heat will keep you warm if I spoon with you. My brother and I are going to make sure both of you make it through the night.”
“Hell no,” Kraven groaned. “They can keep their own body heat.”
“They can’t.” Drantos stretched out beside Dusti and literally pushed her over a few inches to make room for him. “You know they need us.”
Kraven clenched his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tensing visibly. “I’ll trade you.”
Drantos seemed to ignore the comment, instead arching an eyebrow at Dusti. “Take the jacket off now and lie down.”
“No.”
The blue of his eyes turned colder. “Now. You and I are going to curl up and get some rest together. You will allow me to hold you to keep you warm.”
A shiver ran down her spine at his raspy, deep tone. Fear had her moving to do as he’d ordered. She removed his warm jacket. She shivered again, this time from the cold, and handed it to him.
“Wait a minute,” Bat protested. She gasped in the next instant.
Dusti swung her head to stare where her sister had been, only to find her gone. She turned her head farther and spotted Bat flat on her back with Kraven stretched out next to her. He had one thigh over her sister’s legs and his hand cupped her face. They seemed to be staring at each other, faces inches apart. She couldn’t be sure though, since she couldn’t see Kraven’s eyes. But he had obviously put her sister in that position and had her pinned.
“He won’t hurt her. He’s just going to keep her warm and quiet until she falls asleep.” Drantos gripped Dusti’s arm to force her to face him. “Don’t make me control you too. You wouldn’t like it, and I wouldn’t either.”
“You’re threatening to hurt me? You said you wouldn’t do that.” Fear shot up her spine.
He suddenly sat up and gripped her head. His long fingers curled around the back of her neck while his face drew closer. She stared into his gaze and saw the blue of his irises seem to lighten, turning a brighter shade. His hot breath fanned her lips when he leaned closer until their noses lightly touched. She couldn’t look away from his incredible eyes. They stunned and frightened her at the same time. Eyes shouldn’t change colors that way.
“I’m strong-blooded and you’re not. I probably won’t be able to take your free will but I can immobilize you. Your body will refuse to move. I’m ordering you to hold still.”
Dusti attempted to lift her arm to push him back but her body didn’t respond. Her limbs hung limply at her sides. Panic set in as she tried to do it again but it was as if she’d been paralyzed.
