Her gaze lowered down his body to the front of his jeans. She couldn’t miss the outline of his aroused cock. She frowned in response, refusing to allow him to intimidate her.
“The day I blow you is the day you turn into a eunuch. Do we understand each other?” She snapped her teeth at him to make her meaning clear.
“Don’t threaten to bite someone unless you want to be bitten back—and sweetheart, I have sharper teeth.”
“Stop calling me that. I don’t like it or you.”
He glared. “Go to the bathroom.”
She carefully stood and headed deeper into the woods to find a safe spot to empty her bladder. The fear of bears and other animals made her do her business fast before returning to the small clearing next to the water to wash her hands in the river.
Drantos wasn't where she'd left him, and one sweeping glance around didn’t show any sign of him. Her heart accelerated from the jolt of fear that he might have abandoned her. He had seemed mad when she’d stomped away.
A noise made her jump and she faced the splashing sound. Drantos’s head popped out of the water as he stood up about ten feet from the bank. Dusti gawked outright at the sight of his wide, tan back. He’d removed his shirt to expose his muscular upper body. The guy obviously belonged to a gym that he worked out in a lot to have gained those thick biceps. She’d seen bodybuilders at her own gym with less muscle mass. She had to close her mouth that had dropped open.
He turned his head, seeming to sense her there. His gaze met hers.
“Now is the time to do it if you want to strip down and use the water to get clean. Just splash yourself with water. I’m about to build a fire to cook our meal.”
“No thanks.” No way would she remove any of her clothes for a sponge bath in front of him.
He shrugged those impressive broad shoulders of his before wading deeper into the water, up to his armpits. He took a sharp breath before he pushed up with his legs. His sleek, wet skin showed as he rose to dive into the river. Dusti gasped when she saw his bare, beefy ass flash before he disappeared under the water completely.
She spun away, refusing to see that sight again. That’s when she spotted his neatly folded clothes. He’d left them near a small bush she’d walked right past when she’d left the tree line. A pair of black briefs was on top of the pile.
Water splashed behind her and she tensed. He was probably showing off his body again. Cold water hit her and she gasped, spinning around. Drantos stood in waist-high water and grinned. He shook his hair again, more drops of the river striking her skin.
“Knock that off.”
He grinned wider. “Did I get you wet? It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?”
The words sank in. He was referring to the night before when she’d lost her mind. “You’re so rude, and that was uncalled for.”
“Was it? That was for the crayons remark. Be happy I don’t walk over there, strip you bare, and remind you how much you want me. Kraven isn’t here to stop me this time from finishing what I start.”
She wanted to smack him. He was purposely being an ass. Two could play at that game. “Keep being a dick and I might toss your clothes in the river with you.”
His amusement died. “I wouldn’t recommend it. Don’t piss me off any more than I already am, sweetheart. You already insulted me. Get my clothes wet and all bets are off on what I’d do in revenge.”
His tone implied a threat. “Fine. You’re not crazy. Everything you’ve told me is true. Prove it to me then. Turn into a dog. Don’t Werewolves do that? Your brother said something about shifting forms. Show me.”
“You’d be terrified and run from me. That’s the last thing I want.”
“Right. Like I’m currently here because I volunteered to be. What are you going to do if I do toss your stuff in the river? Suck my blood? I’m not forgetting that you said you’re also a Vampire.”
“Damn it, Dusti.”
“Damn you!” She was tired of living in fear and her life had turned to hell since the moment she’d laid eyes on Drantos. He’d appeared next to her seat, and then the plane had crashed, and now she was in the middle of the wilderness worried about her sister. “I want my sister and I want to go home!”
His expression softened. “I’m sure you do. I’ll catch a few fish and we’ll eat. You’ll feel better with a full belly. Let’s call a truce for now. I could use your help.”
“I’ll feel better when I see Bat and we’re on our way back to California.” She glanced at his bared chest. His nipples were hard pebbles. “I’m not coming in there. It looks cold.”
“It is. I just meant I’m going to catch some fish and I want you to prevent them from flopping back into the river once I toss them on the bank. That’s all.” He paused. “You’ll see your sister soon. I promise that Kraven is keeping her safe. They’re probably down river already eating.”
She hoped so. “Fine. Let’s see you catch fish. Where’s your pole?”
He grinned and took a few steps closer to her, revealing more of his body. “I’ll show you.”
She spun around to give him her back when she saw his hipbones. “You’re naked. I’m not looking.”
He chuckled. “I thought you wanted to see my pole.”
She clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“I was hoping,” he muttered.
She turned back around. He hadn’t exposed more than just his upper body and his lower stomach. He had the best body she’d ever seen. It irritated her to notice that. He stared at her for a moment but then turned, walking deeper into the river. She watched the way he moved, his muscles flexing as he lifted his arms and then dived back in. His lower body surfaced, flashing his nice ass again. He disappeared under the water completely.
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.”
“He is dangerous and greedy. He won’t be happy until he’s destroyed many lives and controls everything around him.”
“I don’t like him one bit but he just seemed like a creep. I think you’re giving him too much credit.”
“He rules his clan with brutality and fear.”
“Why would they stand for it? What is a clan, exactly? And you live in a village? As in, a fishing one?” It would explain how he was so good at catching dinner if he’d been raised by fishermen.
“Our clan consists of a group of VampLycans and a very small number of Lycans. Some of us are related, most of us are not. We live together because there is safety in numbers. It’s not a fishing village. It looks a lot like this wooded area.” He shrugged, his focus back on preparing their dinner. “Village or town, same thing. I thought you didn’t believe anything I had to say?”
“I don’t but I’m bored. Tell me more.”
He arched one eyebrow as he paused in cutting the fish again. He finally looked down, going back to work. “Laws are important in a clan. It’s not a democracy. Each clan has a leader and a group of his trusted enforcers to carry out those laws. Enforcers are the strongest fighters. Decker keeps his people in line with fear and by murdering any who dare defy or questions his orders.”
“So he’s a dictator with a vicious army at his disposal?”
“A small but lethal one. It’s also about traditions. Everyone in a clan swore alliance to obey the clan leader and his rules. It would be dishonorable to break an oath.”
“Even if he’s wrong?”
Drantos sighed. “Even so.”
“That sounds stupid.”
“I agree up to a certain point.” He looked at her again. “You have your ways and we have ours. We follow our clan leaders and the laws they set forth. It’s just the way it’s done.”
“It still sounds stupid.”
“I’m certain there are some laws or rules in your world that you don’t like or agree with. You still follow them. Why?”
“I don’t want my sister to have to bail me out of jail and then ask her to defend me in court. I never want to go to prison.”
“Jail or prison would be the least of their worries if anyone in a clan went against their leader. His enforcers would kill them as punishment.”
“Fantastic.” She hoped her sarcasm was clear. “Why isn’t he in prison if he has people murdered?”
“We don’t live according to your laws.”
“Everyone has to. You live in this reality, right? Or are we back to that another-dimension scenario?”
“Humans don’t live in our village. We keep separate from them as much as possible. They aren’t aware of what goes on with our people. Your law enforcement has no way of knowing who is killed or why.”
“I’m trying to imagine this world you’re telling me about but it’s hard,” she admitted. “Why don’t they just stop voting for Decker to lead them if they aren’t happy having him in control?”
“He wasn’t voted in. He took over from his father when he reached maturity and no one fought him to the death to take his position. Decker has loyalty from his enforcers. Think of it like one of your drug lords with a bunch of thugs who take out any people in town who want the tyranny to stop. His clan members aren’t even allowed to leave. He’d kill them first or punish the family they left behind. They’re trapped, and they send us warnings when they can to stop him from starting a clan war. We were at the airport searching for you after we heard two women had been sent for by Decker, and you’d help him accomplish that war. Our spies informed us of your travel route but couldn’t get your names or why he needed you. We only became certain you were the right ones after you boarded the second plane.”
“You have spies?”
“All four of our clans are mixed together by some bloodlines. Not everyone who is in Decker’s clan agrees with what he does. They se
nd word to their families if they hear of anything that could threaten them. They don’t want to go to war with siblings, parents, or cousins.”
Dusti mulled that over, deciding to let that part of his story go. “There were other women on that plane. Why didn’t you pick them?”
“You and your sister were the only women traveling together. It made sense to us that you had to be the ones.”
“I still don’t understand why he wants Bat so badly.”
“I told you.”
“Tell me again.”
“Decker grew greedy as he aged. Now he wants to rule all four of the clans. He probably got fed up with our interference, like when he wanted to kill the humans who lived by his borders. The three clans let him know they wouldn’t allow it to happen. He can’t win a fight against us without the GarLycans fighting on his side.”
“Why haven’t the other three clans just attacked him and ended the threat?”
Drantos paused, staring at her. “Don’t think it hasn’t been discussed. It has. No one wants to fight their family though. And as I said, some of us are connected by bloodlines to his clan. The lives lost would be many. We try to avoid war.” He stabbed the raw fish onto sticks, dangling it over the fire to cook.
The smell had her stomach rumbling. She let his words sink in. It was tempting to keep arguing with him in hopes he’d see how illogical it all sounded but the smell of food distracted her. She’d rather eat. “I am so hungry.”
He finally passed her a stick. “Careful. It’s hot. Don’t burn your mouth.”
She almost drooled as she blew on the fish, taking a tiny bite. It wasn’t seasoned or the best she’d ever tasted, but it was still good. “Thank you.”
He turned his back to her to cook more. “Tell me about your life.”
She debated on answering but felt a little generous, what with warm food in her belly that he’d provided. “There’s not much to say. I work a regular nine-to-five job in an office as a secretary. I live alone. I don’t get to see my sister that much so I jumped at the chance to come with her when she said she was taking time off work.”
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