Kraven

by Laurann Dohner

  One of his men snorted. “He thought about fucking you to get close but your smell puts most of us off.”

  Bat glared at Warren. “That wouldn’t have worked. You’re not my type.”

  His guard growled and took a threatening step forward. “You’d be lucky to have our alpha fuck you.” The man flashed his fangs. “Weak bitch. You’re going to apologize or bleed.”

  Kraven reacted by shoving Bat behind him. He opened his hands and claws grew out of his fingertips.

  Warren motioned with two fingers. “No, Cary. Be nice. Back off. I promised she’d be handed over unharmed. The VampLycan would take your arm for trying to get near that weak-blooded bitch.”

  “She’s a Werewolf too?” Jacob gawked at Bat. “I had no idea. You never said a word, Warren. You should have told me.”

  Bat recovered and her temper replaced the shock as she stayed mostly behind Kraven. “Rethinking all those times you palmed my ass, Jacob? How do you even know about Lycans?” She glanced at Kraven. “Is he one?”

  “No. He’s completely human. I’m curious about that myself.”

  “They’re going to turn me.” Jacob grinned smugly. “I’ve known about Werewolves for a few years now. I’m earning my way into becoming a pack member. I’ll be young and strong one day soon.”

  “Shut up,” Warren snapped.

  “Sorry.” Jacob closed his mouth.

  Kraven surprised Bat by suddenly laughing. She moved closer to him, pressing against his body. “What’s funny?”

  “Is that what they told you, Jacob?” Kraven shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. Being turned is brutal. At your age, and given how out of shape you are, you’d die within minutes of receiving multiple bites. And I have no idea why you think it’ll turn back the clock. That’s absolute bullshit. The strength is accurate, but I’ll state again—you won’t survive being turned.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Jacob’s tone took on a whining pitch. “You said I’d get a blood transfusion and become young again after I became one of your kind.”

  “He’s full of shit.” Warren growled again. “Shut up, VampLycan. Your alpha made a deal! I called him last night to let him know where she is. If you have her, that makes you one of mine for the next few weeks. The other nineteen VampLycans I was promised better be on their way. You’re going to help me become top of the food chain in this territory.”

  “Ah. You want us to take out the Vampires and stronger packs for you.” Kraven kept remarkably calm.

  “There is no stronger pack than mine. I’ve got that handled. It’s those fucking Vampires. They’re like damn rats in the sewer. They spread like a disease and think they have the right to tell us what to do. I’m fucking sick of it! No team I’ve sent after them ever returns. But they won’t stand a chance against twenty of your kind. I want Michael’s fangs torn from his mouth before you ash that fucker. I plan to wear them as a necklace.”

  Kraven took a deep breath. “Decker Filmore believes Lycans are beneath him, and won’t keep his word. He’ll use you to get what he wants. Any promises he made are lies. Twenty VampLycans will show up—but they’ll slaughter your entire pack before he allows you to tell any of his enforcers what to do.”

  Warren’s face twisted with rage. “That’s not true.”

  Bat took the opportunity to speak. “Did Decker inform you that I’m his granddaughter?”

  Warren couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “Let me handle this, Bat.” Kraven sounded pissed.

  “Shut up and look pretty,” Bat snapped, keeping her attention on Warren. She’d dealt with him plenty of times. “Do you know why Decker wants me, Warren? My mom ran away from him because he wanted to sell her into sexual slavery to some GarLycan clan. You have two sisters…I’ve met them. I’ve seen the love you feel for them. Would you sell them?”

  Warren scowled.

  “That’s what I thought. Decker Filmore is my grandfather, but I’d shoot the bastard between the eyes if I got the chance. He lied to me, and I’m his own flesh and blood. Be reasonable, Warren. Be smart. He’s scum with the morals of a longtime drug addict. Remember Bradley Mars?”

  Warren growled low. “I killed that bastard.”

  Bat inwardly winced. Her client had gone missing and she’d suspected he’d met a bad end. Now she knew for certain. “But when he worked for you, you paid me to represent him. He wanted to make a deal with the DA, regardless of how many times I told him he didn’t need to. I could have had his charge knocked down to a misdemeanor. At worst, he would have only been looking at sixty days in lockup and I could’ve had it reduced to half that. I even told him I could probably get him off with monetary fines.” She shot a dirty look at Jacob. “I wondered how you’d found out he’d requested to speak to the DA. Mystery solved.” She held Warren’s stare. “Regardless, I bring it up because he wanted to rat you out in order to avoid any possible jail time. And he was a standup guy compared to my grandfather.”

  “Brad was human. They’re weak and have no loyalty. VampLycans have a reputation for being honorable.”

  “Most.” Bat licked her lips. “Do you have any bad Werewolves in your pack? You’re an alpha, right? Don’t you ever have to punish any of yours because they do bad shit?”

  He said nothing.

  Bat felt she was on to something, despite only making educated guesses. “There are always bad apples in every group. Decker Filmore is on the top of that rotten barrel. He’s greedy, power hungry, and he’d stab you in the back the first opportunity he finds. He’ll send enforcers here to pick me up, but they won’t take orders from you. He’s going to fuck you over—because it’s what he does best.”

  Warren seemed to consider it for long moments. “That’s a shame.” He glanced at his men. “Plan B.”

  Bat startled when shots rang out but Kraven had already jerked in front of her, his body nearly knocking her over. His knees buckled, and she tried to hold him up briefly by latching on to his waist, but he was too big and heavy so they both went down. He twisted though so they landed on their sides.

  Kraven had been shot.

  The horror, the suddenness, and the shock slammed into her all at once. She sat up and yanked on him, pulling him to his back. Blood soaked his clothing. It was dark and wet, spreading as she watched.

  It didn’t matter that men stood behind her with guns. She shoved at Kraven’s duster, getting a better look at where he’d been shot. At least three bloody spots were revealed.

  “No, no, no,” she whispered, bordering on hysteria. His chest rose and fell but his eyes were closed. She slapped her palms over the worst two and leaned forward, using her weight to apply pressure. “Call an ambulance!”

  “That would be defeating the purpose of killing him. Move out of the way so my men don’t accidentally shoot you when they put more rounds into him.”

  Bat whipped her head around and wished she could shoot Warren Otis. “You son of a bitch! Why would you do this?”

  “I’m going to force the VampLycans to kill my enemies or you’re going to bleed out next to him. You’re important to Decker Filmore for a reason, if he wants you so bad. Now he’ll do exactly what I say—or I’ll send you to him in pieces.”

  “You didn’t say anything about killing anyone,” Jacob sputtered. “I can’t be here for this. I need to leave.”

  “Ball-less coward,” one of the guards spat. “Pathetic.”

  “Knock it off,” Warren ordered. “You want to become one of mine, Jacob? Blood and death are part of it. Stop being so damn squeamish. Grab the bitch so we can put more bullets into the VampLycan before he begins to heal. I have a phone call to make and new terms to set. Nobody fucks with me.”

  Bat remembered that Kraven had kept a knife in his boot in Alaska, and hoped it was still there. “Don’t touch me!” She released his chest and turned a little on her ass, gripping one of his legs as if to steady herself while tugging at the material. “I’ll get up by myself.”

 
; She slid her hand into the boot on his right leg and her fingertips brushed against a metal handle. She slowly got up, using her body to hide the motion of withdrawing the knife.

  “Un-fucking-believable,” she loudly protested. “I try to give you advice and this is what you do? Kill my bodyguard?!” She turned, pressing her hand against her side to keep the hunting knife hidden. “He didn’t work for Decker. That was totally unnecessary.”

  “He’s not dead yet. I can hear him breathing.” Warren looked at one of his men. “Take off his head just to be sure he stays down. Who the hell knows what it takes to kill one of them, but that should do it.”

  Kraven needed her. He seemed unconscious. No way would she stand there and just allow them to decapitate the man she loved. “You got his heart. He’s toast. I’m an expert on VampLycans. I am part one, remember? Hit the old ticker and it’s just a matter of time before he takes his last breath if he’s not given blood right away.” She stepped closer to Warren. “Someone probably heard those shots. We should go.”

  He frowned, looking unconvinced. “You should want the cops to come.”

  “I’m still an attorney and you keep our firm on retainer. I’m advising you to get the hell out of here before they arrive.”

  “You expect me to believe you’re okay with this? I don’t buy it.” He stalked forward. “You’re my insurance that I get those damn Vampires dusted so they aren’t my problem anymore.”

  He reached out to grab her. Bat tightened her fisted hold on the knife handle but allowed him to grip her arm, jerking her closer. He let go and looked at his men.

  “Do it. Take the VampLycan’s head. I want to keep it as a trophy.”

  Bat knew time was up. She fisted his belt buckle and shoved the tip of the blade between his slightly spread thighs. “How attached to your dick are you?”

  Warren’s eyes widened and he looked down.

  “I don’t know how to kill a Lycan but I’m pretty sure you don’t want to spend the rest of your life as a eunuch. Tell your men to back the fuck off and stay away from Kraven.”

  He wrapped his hand around her upper arm, the one attached to the hand gripping his belt. “I’ll crush the bones.”

  “Too bad that’s not the arm holding the knife. You do it and I start slicing. That’s going to hurt just as much. Tell your men to do as I said.”

  “Do it,” Warren snarled to the guards, glaring at her. His eyes took on an inhuman look, yellow showing in the irises. Some hair began to grow on his cheeks.

  “Wolf form or human, balls are balls, Warren. Want to keep them? Ease your paw off me, and remember, you move, I move with you.” She tugged on his belt. “And so does the knife.”

  “Do you really think you’re going to get out of here? That you can escape?” He grew fangs but he let go. “You stupid bitch.”

  She shook her head. “No. You’re stronger, faster, and have extras that I don’t. I’m just going to stand here and think about my options. You do the same.”

  “Just put down the knife,” Jacob ordered.

  Bat refused to look away from Warren or move her head, since she could see the other Lycans from the corner of her eye. “Screw you, Jacob. You’re such a kiss-ass moron. Kraven was right, you know. You’ve been lied to. They aren’t going to change you, and you sure as hell aren’t getting any younger.” She pressed the knife tighter against Warren. “Have your men toss the guns. What do you care, anyway? You don’t plan to shoot me, right? You need me alive to compel Decker to do what you want. I hate guns.”

  “I’m going to make you pay for this.”

  She studied Warren’s eyes. “It’s so rare to see such honesty from a client. Have them toss the guns.”

  He didn’t so she slid the knife just a little.

  He snarled. “Throw them.”

  “We can still shoot her,” one of his men said. “In the arm. She’ll drop the blade.”

  “It’s not your nuts on the line. Toss the damn guns!” Warren yelled. “Now. She won’t get away.”

  They threw their guns and Bat breathed a sigh of relief. Come on, Kraven. Get up. She started to pray he’d recover; she just wasn’t certain if he could do it without blood.

  The doors from the hallway opened suddenly. Bat assumed it would be more Lycans from Warren’s pack. She tightened her grip on the knife and turned her head.

  Instead, Doug walked in, wearing his security uniform. He pointed at Batina. “There she is.”

  At least twenty men filed into the room on his heels, led by a tall brunette man sporting all leather. He wore a trench coat and shoved it apart in the front, his hands resting on a set of guns strapped to his thighs.

  Oh shit. All hope for her and Kraven faded with their arrival. A sweep of her gaze revealed they’d all opened their coats, displaying more guns. It was like something out of a gangster movie. It had to be the rest of the pack.

  “My ears were burning,” the brunette stated. “What are you up to, Warren?”

  “Fuck you, Michael.”

  They weren’t Lycans, but Vampires. One glance and Bat figured they must use the same person to get their spray tans as Dr. Brent. There wasn’t a pale-faced member in the group.

  The tall Vampire leader cocked his head, his gaze lowering to Bat’s hand. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “Just me, trying to survive and stall for time,” Bat answered. “Are you here to use me against Decker too?”

  Michael shook his head. “No. A friend tipped me off that Warren was up to no good and that he was heading here. I’m aware of where you live, Batina. We wanted to check on you.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m just consulting my attorney,” Warren lied.

  “I would have hired Batina myself if I’d known she conducted business in such a kinky way.” Michael grinned.

  “Could you please stop joking around? I’d like to back away without getting my arm broken in the process, or worse.” Dr. Brent had implied his nest wouldn’t want any harm to come to her. She trusted him.

  Michael pulled one of his guns free of its holster and aimed it at Warren’s face. “I always like to accommodate a woman. He won’t move, or I’ll shoot.”

  Bat backed away but kept hold of the knife. Warren didn’t do anything but stand there very still. She relaxed when she reached Kraven’s side.

  He surprised her by leaping to his feet and grabbing her around her waist. She gasped as he lifted her, putting her behind him.

  “No one touches her,” Kraven snarled.

  “Are you okay?” Bat couldn’t see how he could be, with bullets in his body.

  “Worry about that later,” he muttered.

  Warren slowly moved his arms and gripped his suit jacket, taking it off. He threw it to the floor. “Put away your toys and let’s deal with this like real men, Michael.”

  Michael cleared his throat. “Doug?”

  The building security guard turned to him. “Yes?”

  Michael’s eyes began to glow. “Return to your station. Everything is normal, regardless of what you hear, and if calls come in, tell them everything is fine. Do you understand? We’re not here. We were never here. Delete all the video surveillance for the evening. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.” Doug walked around the men and left the lounge.

  “I told you your security would be shit keeping out Vamps,” Kraven murmured.

  Bat flashed him a dirty look. “Really? You’re going to say I told you so now?”

  Michael withdrew his second gun and pointed it at Warren. “The Dawson girls are off-limits. You were warned there would be repercussions if you fucked with someone under my protection. I always keep my word.” He lowered the barrel of one gun and shot the Lycan in the knee.

  Warren screamed out and dropped into a crouch. Blood stained the carpet under him. Kraven hooked Bat around her waist and lifted her, moving swiftly toward the wall and far from everyone else in the room. She couldn’t look away though as Warren’s
white dress shirt started ripping and he began to transform, his skin quickly disappearing under fur.

  Motion drew her attention away from him to the Lycan men who’d come with Warren and Travis Bales. They shifted too. The Vampires spread out, blocking the door, sealing them inside.

  “Jesus!” Jacob yelled, throwing himself under one of the tables.

  Bat could relate. The Vampires held their guns steady while the Lycans changed forms. They weren’t anything like what she’d seen in the woods of Alaska when Carver had shifted into a scary beast. Warren and his crew looked more like actual wolves, only larger.

  “Stay behind me.” Kraven shoved her against the wall and planted his body in front of her, but she still had a great view of the violence about to take place between the two races.

  “No problem.”

  “Crazy bastards.”

  Bat could agree with Kraven’s assessment as the Vampires took well-aimed shots at the Lycans, targeting their legs. Warren tried to stagger toward Michael and his men but the lead Vampire fired again.

  Warren dropped to his belly, whining.

  Dozens of shots rang out but it ceased almost as soon as it began. Michael holstered his guns and crossed his arms over his chest as he glanced between the downed Lycans. A few of them tried to crawl but their injured limbs prevented them from getting far.

  “I don’t want you dead, Warren. I’d have to deal with a new asshole if I did and at least I have you figured out. This was just a friendly reminder that I’m watching everything you do, and I’m always aware of your actions. You can’t get anything past me.” He sighed. “You might view us as rats but I know a certain doctor who will pull those slugs out of you and set the bones. Now muzzle your men and I’ll have mine take you to Morton. I called ahead and he’s prepared to treat all of you.”

  Michael jerked his head and some of his men moved cautiously forward, scooping up the furry bodies. They carried them out of the lounge, a few more Vampires leading the way and taking care of opening and closing the doors. Michael and eight of his nest remained.