Primal and beautiful. Those were the two words that popped into her head to describe how he looked. Sexy, she added. Her heart rate increased suddenly at the memory of the night before, and she clenched her teeth. Thank God Kraven pulled us apart.
She had to admit that she’d wanted Drantos so bad, she’d hurt for him for hours. I’ve lost my mind. I snapped when the plane crashed. That had to account for why she was attracted to him.
“Ready?”
His voice made her start, aware her mind had drifted off with her thoughts. She met his gaze where he stood in waist-high river water. He held up a big wiggling fish to show her. Somehow he’d caught a monster-size one with his bare hands. It shouldn’t have surprised her but it did; he had a way of doing that to her often.
“I’m going to toss it to the shore. Make sure it doesn’t flop back into the water. I figure five more and we’re good. If you let one get away,” he grinned, “that one was yours.”
He pitched the fish right at her.
The fish hit the ground in front of her, lay stunned for a few seconds, and then started to flop around on the grass. She bit back a curse and lunged to prevent it from getting close to the water’s edge. Sympathy rose inside her for the poor thing but hunger won out.
“Sorry, pal. You’re dinner.”
“What?”
She turned her head to glance at Drantos. “I was talking to the fish.”
“And you think I’m the crazy one.” He dived back under the surface.
“Asshole.”
He caught all six fish in a quick amount of time, throwing her each one, and then started walking to shore. Dusti presented him with her back again when he came out of the water, to give him privacy while he dressed. She resisted the temptation to glance over her shoulder to sneak a glimpse of that amazing body he had, and he remained quiet until he approached her, fully dressed, to hover at her side.
“We’ll have to set up a temporary camp. It will be risky to light a fire long enough to cook these but we need to move on soon anyway.”
She looked up at him. “You know it’s freaky that you can fish with your bare hands, right? Is that an Alaskan thing?”
“No but you don’t believe me when I tell you what I am.”
“I asked you to turn into a dog to prove what you’ve said but you wouldn’t do it.” She figured that would shut him up about his delusions.
“You’re not ready for that yet.”
“Right. I was only kidding. Like you actually could.” She rolled her eyes. “How did I know you’d have an excuse?”
“You’re already fearful of me. You’d be terrified and fight me even harder if I showed you what I look like in ‘dog’ form, as you call it. I actually don’t look like one. I’m a lot bigger and scarier.”
“I’d have run away from you when you were in the water if I’d thought I had half a chance of surviving without you. I’m stuck.”
“You’d run. Trust me. It would probably get you killed. I’ll wait until it’s safe to give you proof. Let’s go.” He bent, picking up the fish. “See those rocks a little down the way? Let’s head there. It’s far enough from the woods not to risk the fire spreading and I can use them to build a small fire pit.”
“Do you need help carrying them?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I don’t like big wet things.” She wanted to groan the second the words were out of her mouth, the memory of Drantos’s naked body flashing in her mind.
“Really?” He bent over, easily scooping up the half-dozen fish into his big hands. “I like small wet things, myself.” He looked directly at her when he straightened.
“Okay,” she sighed. “We’re going to stop right there on that statement. I totally didn’t mean it in a sexual innuendo way when I said it.” She strode away from him in the direction of where he wanted to go.
“I did,” he called out.
“I got that.”
He made her mad. He was lucky she was the one stuck with him and not her sister. Bat would have probably killed him by now.
Worry surfaced. She hoped Bat hadn’t killed Kraven, or vice versa, wherever they were. She slowed her pace, waiting for Drantos to catch up. He placed the fish on a patch of moss and set to work building a fire. His skills impressed her when he made a small pit with rocks and twigs.
“How do you plan to start a fire? Were you a Boy Scout?”
He reached inside his jacket, withdrawing a lighter. A grin spread his lips. “I could start one without this but it’s easier.”
“Nice.” She had to admit she was hungry. Fish wasn’t her favorite but she wouldn’t complain. “I hope you know how to clean them. I don’t.”
The fire blazed as he added some larger pieces twigs. “I can. I have a knife in my boot.”
She had almost forgotten about that, and she still wondered how he’d gotten through security to get onto the smaller plane. His mysterious-eye hypnotic trick was probably the reason. He fed the fire more until it was large and set to work on cleaning the fish by using a semi-flat stone as a table. There were plenty of them littering the ground.
“Will your brother feed my sister?”
“He’ll take care of her.”
She could only hope that was true. “What are you going to do to us once we get out of here?” If we ever do. She glanced around the thickly wooded area, hoping they didn’t die. Animals could kill them or they could get lost, eventually succumbing to the elements.
“You’ll be safe at our village. Decker wouldn’t dare invade it to try to grab either of you.”
“If we find this village.” If it even exists anywhere outside of your head. “My grandfather won’t want to find me. I wasn’t kidding about how much we didn’t get along the few times I met him. He gave Bat hell when she mentioned bringing me on this trip with her.” Memories surfaced of being a young girl and feeling rejected. It still hurt a little but as she’d grown, it had turned to anger. “He’s a jerk.”
Drantos paused in cutting the fish to glance at her with a frown. “Don’t take it personal. He’s cold inside. He couldn’t even muster feelings for his own mate.”
“Your brother told me more about how he’s got some evil plan to kill a bunch of VampLycans and rule the survivors.”
She had to admit that she’d wanted Drantos so bad, she’d hurt for him for hours. I’ve lost my mind. I snapped when the plane crashed. That had to account for why she was attracted to him.
“Ready?”
His voice made her start, aware her mind had drifted off with her thoughts. She met his gaze where he stood in waist-high river water. He held up a big wiggling fish to show her. Somehow he’d caught a monster-size one with his bare hands. It shouldn’t have surprised her but it did; he had a way of doing that to her often.
“I’m going to toss it to the shore. Make sure it doesn’t flop back into the water. I figure five more and we’re good. If you let one get away,” he grinned, “that one was yours.”
He pitched the fish right at her.
The fish hit the ground in front of her, lay stunned for a few seconds, and then started to flop around on the grass. She bit back a curse and lunged to prevent it from getting close to the water’s edge. Sympathy rose inside her for the poor thing but hunger won out.
“Sorry, pal. You’re dinner.”
“What?”
She turned her head to glance at Drantos. “I was talking to the fish.”
“And you think I’m the crazy one.” He dived back under the surface.
“Asshole.”
He caught all six fish in a quick amount of time, throwing her each one, and then started walking to shore. Dusti presented him with her back again when he came out of the water, to give him privacy while he dressed. She resisted the temptation to glance over her shoulder to sneak a glimpse of that amazing body he had, and he remained quiet until he approached her, fully dressed, to hover at her side.
“We’ll have to set up a temporary camp. It will be risky to light a fire long enough to cook these but we need to move on soon anyway.”
She looked up at him. “You know it’s freaky that you can fish with your bare hands, right? Is that an Alaskan thing?”
“No but you don’t believe me when I tell you what I am.”
“I asked you to turn into a dog to prove what you’ve said but you wouldn’t do it.” She figured that would shut him up about his delusions.
“You’re not ready for that yet.”
“Right. I was only kidding. Like you actually could.” She rolled her eyes. “How did I know you’d have an excuse?”
“You’re already fearful of me. You’d be terrified and fight me even harder if I showed you what I look like in ‘dog’ form, as you call it. I actually don’t look like one. I’m a lot bigger and scarier.”
“I’d have run away from you when you were in the water if I’d thought I had half a chance of surviving without you. I’m stuck.”
“You’d run. Trust me. It would probably get you killed. I’ll wait until it’s safe to give you proof. Let’s go.” He bent, picking up the fish. “See those rocks a little down the way? Let’s head there. It’s far enough from the woods not to risk the fire spreading and I can use them to build a small fire pit.”
“Do you need help carrying them?”
“Nope.”
“Good. I don’t like big wet things.” She wanted to groan the second the words were out of her mouth, the memory of Drantos’s naked body flashing in her mind.
“Really?” He bent over, easily scooping up the half-dozen fish into his big hands. “I like small wet things, myself.” He looked directly at her when he straightened.
“Okay,” she sighed. “We’re going to stop right there on that statement. I totally didn’t mean it in a sexual innuendo way when I said it.” She strode away from him in the direction of where he wanted to go.
“I did,” he called out.
“I got that.”
He made her mad. He was lucky she was the one stuck with him and not her sister. Bat would have probably killed him by now.
Worry surfaced. She hoped Bat hadn’t killed Kraven, or vice versa, wherever they were. She slowed her pace, waiting for Drantos to catch up. He placed the fish on a patch of moss and set to work building a fire. His skills impressed her when he made a small pit with rocks and twigs.
“How do you plan to start a fire? Were you a Boy Scout?”
He reached inside his jacket, withdrawing a lighter. A grin spread his lips. “I could start one without this but it’s easier.”
“Nice.” She had to admit she was hungry. Fish wasn’t her favorite but she wouldn’t complain. “I hope you know how to clean them. I don’t.”
The fire blazed as he added some larger pieces twigs. “I can. I have a knife in my boot.”
She had almost forgotten about that, and she still wondered how he’d gotten through security to get onto the smaller plane. His mysterious-eye hypnotic trick was probably the reason. He fed the fire more until it was large and set to work on cleaning the fish by using a semi-flat stone as a table. There were plenty of them littering the ground.
“Will your brother feed my sister?”
“He’ll take care of her.”
She could only hope that was true. “What are you going to do to us once we get out of here?” If we ever do. She glanced around the thickly wooded area, hoping they didn’t die. Animals could kill them or they could get lost, eventually succumbing to the elements.
“You’ll be safe at our village. Decker wouldn’t dare invade it to try to grab either of you.”
“If we find this village.” If it even exists anywhere outside of your head. “My grandfather won’t want to find me. I wasn’t kidding about how much we didn’t get along the few times I met him. He gave Bat hell when she mentioned bringing me on this trip with her.” Memories surfaced of being a young girl and feeling rejected. It still hurt a little but as she’d grown, it had turned to anger. “He’s a jerk.”
Drantos paused in cutting the fish to glance at her with a frown. “Don’t take it personal. He’s cold inside. He couldn’t even muster feelings for his own mate.”
“Your brother told me more about how he’s got some evil plan to kill a bunch of VampLycans and rule the survivors.”
