Dusti got to her feet and shivered from the cold, missing Drantos’s jacket that he’d made her remove the night before. One quick glance around revealed it was gone. She jerked up the blanket they’d slept on to wrap around her body. She nearly bumped into Bat when she stepped into the woods.
“Remind me to never visit Alaska again.” Bat softly cursed. “It’s so cold I didn’t even want to pee. I think it froze before it hit the ground. I thought it would be warmer here this time of year. It’s almost summertime.”
“Always a lady.” Dusti smiled to soften her words. She glanced around, still not seeing Drantos, and Kraven had his back to them while he fed kindling to the fire. “Bat,” she began, staring into her sister’s eyes. “We’re in deep shit.”
“I know.”
“You really have no clue what is go—”
“There you are.”
Dusti jumped. Drantos stepped out from behind a tree. She hadn’t even heard him approaching but there he stood, inches from her. He wore his jacket. She stared up into his dark gaze, seeing a warning in them. She sealed her lips together.
“Did both of you empty your bladders?” He didn’t look away from Dusti.
“I did, and I hope it warms up more when the sun rises.” Bat shivered. “I’m going to go sit by the fire to thaw.” She headed back to the clearing.
Dread gripped Dusti at being left alone with Drantos.
“You were going to warn her.”
“Don’t you think she’s going to notice when you and your brother drag us out of here?”
“Go to the bathroom but don’t go far. We’re leaving when you return.” His gaze narrowed. “Don’t try anything, Dusti. You don’t want to see me angry.”
“Right. You’ll suck my blood or something.”
He took a step closer until they nearly touched. Dusti held her breath, fear inching up her spine at the chilly look on his face. He may be hot but he is also huge and scary. Those were things she needed to remember.
“You love your sister and want to protect her. We have that second thing in common.”
Dusti took a step back. “So let’s say I believe everything I’ve been told. You want to keep Bat away from my grandfather but what are you going to do with her? Hand her over to that Aveoth yourself?”
He shook his head. “He’d probably kill her. My brother spoke the truth. Aveoth is used to getting his way. Your sister might try to attack him and it wouldn’t end well for her.”
She instantly knew he’d somehow been listening to the conversation she’d had with Kraven. The tree line where he’d stepped out from wasn’t far from where the two of them had been.
“What are you going to do with us?”
“You are the descendants of a member of my clan.” He invaded her personal space again to nearly touch her. “And I have my reasons to protect you. It would cause you pain if any harm came to your sister, so I’ll protect her as well, for you.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel gratitude toward you? You’re saving us from the big bad wolf or whatever the hell Decker Filmore is, supposedly? What do you want from us, Drantos? I don’t trust you.”
Anger drew his mouth into a scowl. “You should. Go to the bathroom and hurry back.”
She backed away and turned. The urge to run from him gripped her but she kept up a slow pace as she moved farther away from the clearing.
She hated the great outdoors, had never been the type to go camping, and really resented not having an actual bathroom to use. If it wasn’t for Bat, she’d make a run for it. She’d rather face bears than two brothers spouting off about Vampires, Werewolves and Gargoyles.
Kraven handed Dusti some of the leftover meat from the night before when she returned. The air had been so cold it had refrigerated it. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She sat next to Bat and Kraven handed her sister a chunk of venison too.
“Eat quickly.”
Kraven stayed with them to make sure Dusti couldn’t speak privately to her sister. She knew both men were aware she wanted to. Her gaze drifted to study the survivors but not one of them could have taken on the two muscular brothers. Most of them were still sleeping or just too injured to be of any help. She realized she and Bat were on their own if they wanted to be saved. Even if she created a scene, that wouldn’t do anything to prevent them from being taken from the clearing.
All she wanted was to get herself and Bat back home safely. She’d talk her sister out of visiting their grandfather. Better to be safe than sorry. I’ve had enough of this shit. The rescue team was the best chance they had of hitching an immediate ride back to Anchorage and catching the first flight back to L.A.
“We should get going.” Kraven glanced around, looking for his brother. He wasn’t within sight.
“I meant it last night when I offered to defend you and your brother if you’re in some kind of legal trouble,” Bat informed Kraven. “I’m not licensed to practice in Alaska but all we need to do is use your court-appointed attorney to file motions for me to be a consultant. I’ll wave my fees. I can walk your attorney through every filing to help you fight whatever charges you’re facing. I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I’m damn good at what I do. You guys don’t have to take off before the search party finds us.”
“We have no legal trouble,” Kraven announced. “We appreciate the offer though.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, just look me up and call my office. I’m located in Los Angeles.”
Dusti opened but then closed her mouth, biting back a protest. She had to find a way for her and Bat to escape from both men. It still irritated her that Bat kept offering to represent them. Then again, her sister dealt with scary men every day in her line of work. Most of her clients were hard-core murderers, rapists, or criminal thugs.
Drantos stopped next to where they all sat minutes later. “It’s time.” He dropped a pair of her slip-on shoes into Dusti’s lap. “Take off the ones you have and put those on. They’ll be more comfortable.”
She frowned. “How did you know these were mine, and where did you find them?”
“Do it,” he ordered, looking angry.
She switched the shoes.
Kraven leaned forward. “Bat? Look at me.”
“Remind me to never visit Alaska again.” Bat softly cursed. “It’s so cold I didn’t even want to pee. I think it froze before it hit the ground. I thought it would be warmer here this time of year. It’s almost summertime.”
“Always a lady.” Dusti smiled to soften her words. She glanced around, still not seeing Drantos, and Kraven had his back to them while he fed kindling to the fire. “Bat,” she began, staring into her sister’s eyes. “We’re in deep shit.”
“I know.”
“You really have no clue what is go—”
“There you are.”
Dusti jumped. Drantos stepped out from behind a tree. She hadn’t even heard him approaching but there he stood, inches from her. He wore his jacket. She stared up into his dark gaze, seeing a warning in them. She sealed her lips together.
“Did both of you empty your bladders?” He didn’t look away from Dusti.
“I did, and I hope it warms up more when the sun rises.” Bat shivered. “I’m going to go sit by the fire to thaw.” She headed back to the clearing.
Dread gripped Dusti at being left alone with Drantos.
“You were going to warn her.”
“Don’t you think she’s going to notice when you and your brother drag us out of here?”
“Go to the bathroom but don’t go far. We’re leaving when you return.” His gaze narrowed. “Don’t try anything, Dusti. You don’t want to see me angry.”
“Right. You’ll suck my blood or something.”
He took a step closer until they nearly touched. Dusti held her breath, fear inching up her spine at the chilly look on his face. He may be hot but he is also huge and scary. Those were things she needed to remember.
“You love your sister and want to protect her. We have that second thing in common.”
Dusti took a step back. “So let’s say I believe everything I’ve been told. You want to keep Bat away from my grandfather but what are you going to do with her? Hand her over to that Aveoth yourself?”
He shook his head. “He’d probably kill her. My brother spoke the truth. Aveoth is used to getting his way. Your sister might try to attack him and it wouldn’t end well for her.”
She instantly knew he’d somehow been listening to the conversation she’d had with Kraven. The tree line where he’d stepped out from wasn’t far from where the two of them had been.
“What are you going to do with us?”
“You are the descendants of a member of my clan.” He invaded her personal space again to nearly touch her. “And I have my reasons to protect you. It would cause you pain if any harm came to your sister, so I’ll protect her as well, for you.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel gratitude toward you? You’re saving us from the big bad wolf or whatever the hell Decker Filmore is, supposedly? What do you want from us, Drantos? I don’t trust you.”
Anger drew his mouth into a scowl. “You should. Go to the bathroom and hurry back.”
She backed away and turned. The urge to run from him gripped her but she kept up a slow pace as she moved farther away from the clearing.
She hated the great outdoors, had never been the type to go camping, and really resented not having an actual bathroom to use. If it wasn’t for Bat, she’d make a run for it. She’d rather face bears than two brothers spouting off about Vampires, Werewolves and Gargoyles.
Kraven handed Dusti some of the leftover meat from the night before when she returned. The air had been so cold it had refrigerated it. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She sat next to Bat and Kraven handed her sister a chunk of venison too.
“Eat quickly.”
Kraven stayed with them to make sure Dusti couldn’t speak privately to her sister. She knew both men were aware she wanted to. Her gaze drifted to study the survivors but not one of them could have taken on the two muscular brothers. Most of them were still sleeping or just too injured to be of any help. She realized she and Bat were on their own if they wanted to be saved. Even if she created a scene, that wouldn’t do anything to prevent them from being taken from the clearing.
All she wanted was to get herself and Bat back home safely. She’d talk her sister out of visiting their grandfather. Better to be safe than sorry. I’ve had enough of this shit. The rescue team was the best chance they had of hitching an immediate ride back to Anchorage and catching the first flight back to L.A.
“We should get going.” Kraven glanced around, looking for his brother. He wasn’t within sight.
“I meant it last night when I offered to defend you and your brother if you’re in some kind of legal trouble,” Bat informed Kraven. “I’m not licensed to practice in Alaska but all we need to do is use your court-appointed attorney to file motions for me to be a consultant. I’ll wave my fees. I can walk your attorney through every filing to help you fight whatever charges you’re facing. I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I’m damn good at what I do. You guys don’t have to take off before the search party finds us.”
“We have no legal trouble,” Kraven announced. “We appreciate the offer though.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, just look me up and call my office. I’m located in Los Angeles.”
Dusti opened but then closed her mouth, biting back a protest. She had to find a way for her and Bat to escape from both men. It still irritated her that Bat kept offering to represent them. Then again, her sister dealt with scary men every day in her line of work. Most of her clients were hard-core murderers, rapists, or criminal thugs.
Drantos stopped next to where they all sat minutes later. “It’s time.” He dropped a pair of her slip-on shoes into Dusti’s lap. “Take off the ones you have and put those on. They’ll be more comfortable.”
She frowned. “How did you know these were mine, and where did you find them?”
“Do it,” he ordered, looking angry.
She switched the shoes.
Kraven leaned forward. “Bat? Look at me.”
