Veso (VLG Book 4)

by Laurann Dohner

  He twisted his head and glared down at her. “My people are going to come in here and clear this nest out. They can save the survivors, if there are any. I’m getting out of here to tell them about this place. You can come with or stay behind. Pick.” He tore his arm out of her hold.

  She opened her mouth, ready to argue with him.

  “We can’t rescue anyone if we’re recaptured, damn it,” he rumbled. “We need to get out and send help back for the others. You’re already slowing me down as it is. Move or stay. I’m out of here.” He spun away, stomping forward.

  It was growing darker without any wall candles lit nearby and she reached out, finding his back. She kept her hand there, afraid she’d lose him since she couldn’t even make out shapes anymore. He stopped and she bumped into his back.

  He growled low. “Why are you touching me?”

  “I can’t see anything.”

  “Fuck.” He nudged her with his elbow. “Here. Get a good grip.”

  She blindly found his forearm and clutched on.

  “Let go if I say to. I need to be able to fight. Just find a wall and hug it. I’ll get you when I’m done.”

  It wasn’t as if she had a choice. “Got it.”

  He turned a corner and she scraped against rock. Glen grit her teeth. He wasn’t doing a very good job of being her eyes, since he hadn’t even tried to stop her from accumulating scratches. She just hoped that was the least of her worries. She really didn’t want to have to let go of him and prayed he wouldn’t abandon her in the dark. Those creepers would grab her without her ever being able to see them coming.

  “That’s why,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  He paused and sniffed loudly. “Dawn.”

  “What?” she repeated, keeping her voice low.

  “I smell it. That’s why we’ve only come across two. We’re close to the entrance.”

  “Dawn has a smell?”

  “It does. Most of the newer ones have probably gone to their day rest. The two soldiers I fought were a bit weak and that explains why. They’re usually harder to kill.” He reached out and closed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers against his arm.

  His own fingers were wet, and she wanted to jerk away, realizing it had to be blood. She didn’t feel claws though. “What exactly does dawn smell like?” She was curious and it helped distract her from being afraid.

  “Come,” he ordered, ignoring her question. He moved fast, taking her with him since it was walk or stumble.

  The sight of tiny cracks of light ahead helped motivate her to move to his side instead of letting him lead. The closer she got, the more she understood what she was seeing. Old timbers blocked a hole at the end of the tunnel. Faint light peeked in through the gaps.

  “Dawn,” he rumbled. “I told you.” He stopped gripping her. “Stand back.”

  “Okay.” She let him go and moved to the side until she touched hard-packed dirt walls. It wasn’t rock in that area, a good sign.

  Veso moved forward and she could make out his shape with the help of the light. He lifted one leg and kicked. Wood snapped and big gaps appeared. He kicked again, higher, making the hole bigger. She smiled.

  They were about to be freed. She could shower and eat real food. Freedom!

  The sound of loose rocks skittered behind her and she turned her head, her heart racing. It was dark…but she swore something moved near the floor. “Um, Veso?”

  “Almost done.”

  “Veso?” She let her panic rise her voice.

  “What?” He turned. “Shit.” He lunged forward. “Go!”

  He’d broken enough of the boarded-off area that she saw the pale hand when it reached the light. The creeper’s face came into view next as it crawled forward. More movement showed behind it. The things were coming at them from the floor, moving on their bellies.

  “Go,” Veso snarled again.

  She didn’t need to be told a third time. She spun, rushing to where he’d kicked apart the boards. The hole was only waist high, but she had no qualms when it came to dropping to her knees and crawling out. She didn’t look back, not wanting to see how many of those things were in the tunnel.

  Dirt and grass met her as she shoved her hands outside and realized there was another problem. Six feet from the opening was a drop-off.

  Glen froze, glancing around. She was on little more than a wide, grassy ledge. Sheer rock rose to her right and left. She inched forward, staring down.

  “Fuck me,” she muttered.

  She was outside though, in the faint light of the sun that had just risen.

  Something slammed into the boards behind her and she rolled to the side, bumping into a big boulder to get out of the way. But it wasn’t Veso who came flying out of the hole, along with a few broken pieces of boards. It was a creeper. It hit the ground and rolled right over the edge, screaming.

  She leaned out to watch it fall. It hit the rocks far below. The screaming stopped. It seemed to be burning but there was no smoke. The skin was turning black, the shape kind of crumbling inward, and then the body was gone. It had turned to ash and the wind blew it off the rock.

  “I need a big fucking drink,” she muttered.

  More boards broke and she turned her head. Veso bent forward and he stepped outside of the tunnel.

  “We have a problem,” she informed him.

  “I just threw it into the sun. That was probably the oldest soldier in the bunch, since he was pretty strong.”

  She hesitated. “Um, this really isn’t the outside. It’s more like they blasted a hole in the wall and found a big drop-off.”

  He came forward and looked over the edge. The grimace on his face said it all. He turned his head, glancing right and left, then turned around, staring back where they’d come from. “Just my luck.”

  Glen glanced at the hole he’d made for their exist. “We have to go back in there, don’t we?”

  He shook his head. “No. The soldiers are weak but still conscious. I killed one of them but more managed to crawl toward us. They’re about ten feet or so back. The only thing keeping them from coming closer is the sun. But the master won’t be feeble. I don’t know how strong he is, but most masters can withstand daylight and move around well as long as they aren’t directly in it. I’d rather avoid a fight if I can. There could be more full-blooded suckheads, and they might attempt to drug me again. I can’t see any master only keeping one true Vampire in his nest, besides himself. He’ll want strong ones to help defend him.” He turned back around and stared down. “I’ll take my chances climbing.”

  “We don’t have any rope.” She worried that she even had to point that out. He should have already thought of that particular problem.

  He lifted both hands and unleashed his claws. “I don’t need any.”

  “What about me?” She glanced at her hand. “No claws.”

  His eyes had returned to a golden brown and he seemed amused when he grinned. “Those soldiers are lying just a dozen feet inside. You can climb with me or wait until the sun lowers. They’ll come out here to get you, if their master doesn’t first.”

  She turned, staring at the hole he’d made in the timber. It scared her knowing those things were lying on the floor, just waiting for the sun to go down so they could move around again. She looked over the edge. It was at least a two hundred foot drop to a bunch of rocks and vegetation below.

  “Shit.”

  He chuckled. “I promised I’d get you out of there. I did. Now you can remain here or go with me to safety. Your choice.”

  She pushed up, standing. Her legs felt shaky. He could have just left her there. She appreciated that he even offered to help her climb down. “This is so going to suck ass if I fall to my death after all this.” She wiped her hands on her shirt. “What do I do?”

  He stepped closer, looking her over. “You’re totally helpless.”

  There was that disgusted look that she was starting to hate seeing on his smug face. “I got yo
u free. Don’t forget that. Please don’t leave me here. Is that better? Just tell me what to do. I don’t have shoes and rock climbing was never on my bucket list.”

  He sighed. “I’ll have to carry you, rather than you climbing beside me. You’ll fall otherwise.”

  She gritted her teeth. The guy could be an asshole. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “You don’t have to sound so disgusted.”

  He surprised her when he grabbed her hips. She gasped, afraid his claws were going to puncture her. No pain came, though. Veso lifted her off her feet.

  “Hold on and wrap tight around me. Understand?”

  She hugged his broad shoulders. He was really warm. His hands shifted, getting a better hold on her.

  “I said wrap around. That means your legs too.”

  She lifted her legs and muffled a curse when he grabbed her ass with both hands, hiking her up his body more. It made her very aware that her shirt had lifted and she only wore underwear. He had her high enough that her thighs were just above the waist of the borrowed skirt he wore. It meant her pussy pressed against his belly, only a thin layer of cotton separating skin from skin. She adjusted her arms, wrapping them around his neck.

  He tipped his head back, staring into her eyes. “Close your eyes and hold on. Do not scream or whimper. I need to focus on climbing. No distractions.”

  “Got it.”

  He let go of her ass and she tightened her grip so she didn’t slide down his torso. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, none too gently shoving it against his shoulder.

  “And don’t move your head. I need to see.”

  “Okay,” she muttered against his skin.

  She stared over his shoulder as he turned and began to climb the boulder to his left, her right. Her back brushed rock but he was careful not to crush her. She squeezed her eyes closed when they started to move higher and away from the ledge. One glance down assured her they’d plummet to their deaths if he fell.

  She’d gone from one terrifying experience to another kind of hell.

  Veso dug his claws into the crack in the rock. It was a little painful with the extra burden of the woman but it could have been worse. She wasn’t too heavy and he was grateful for her smaller size. He normally liked to keep his chest closer to the surface when he climbed but she was in the way.

  He reached up, finding another hold, and pulled, rising another twelve inches.

  Glenda kept quiet, something he was grateful for. Her breathing against his neck tickled though. He hated being aware of the feel of her against him when he paused, looking for each handhold. She had soft thighs that were pressed against his sides. Her heels were dug into his ass muscles. The heat from her sex was noticeable too. It reminded him that he needed to get laid if a human was making him a bit horny.

  He flexed his hand and dug his claws into another crevice. He blindly felt with his feet, finding a solid place to anchor with his toe claws. He pulled, staring up at what he hoped was the top about sixty feet above.

  He distracted himself by plotting what his next move would be. The nest had at least one vehicle. They’d driven him to the mine. He’d woken when they’d dragged him out of the back of a truck. He’d have to steal it and figure out how far they’d taken him from VampLycan territory. It could have been a short ride or hours. The drugs they’d given him had kept him unconscious for an unknown duration of time. The view he’d seen from the ledge wasn’t of any familiar landmarks.

  The woman would have to be dealt with after that. He’d find the nearest human dwelling, wipe her mind, and send her to their front door. He still needed to think of a cover story to replace her real memories. He remembered seeing a report on the news about how a human man had kidnapped a woman and stolen her to be his bride. He could tell her something similar, and that the male had been killed by falling over a cliff.

  He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder. She probably feared falling herself, not knowing how well he could climb.

  The sun rose higher, warming the rocks around him. Sweat began to bead on his skin and when he pulled them up another foot, the woman slipped a little down his body. Her hold around his neck tightened and she sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t speak.

  He stifled a growl, realizing he couldn’t let go to reach down and adjust her higher up his body. He pushed her against the rock though to take a moment to rest. It made him acutely aware of her new position. Her sex was right over his groin.

  His dick responded, and she obviously felt it too, because she sucked in another breath. He tried like hell to ignore the hard-on he sported. At least the tightness of the woman’s skirt kept his shaft from pressing too much against her body. That was the only highlight of the hellish experience. He reached up, finding another handhold.

  “We’re almost there,” he informed her.

  Glenda didn’t answer, and he grinned. She was either too terrified by his current aroused state or she was following his instructions. He didn’t like where that second thought led, wondering if she’d do anything he demanded. A few ideas came to mind that made his dick even harder.

  I don’t fuck humans, he reminded himself.

  It didn’t help. He imagined Glenda on her hands and knees in front of him. She was an attractive woman, for a human. Too small…but big enough.

  He growled, irritated with himself and her. He wouldn’t be thinking about fucking her if she wasn’t riding him. He took a deep breath and swiftly regretted it. Her scent was stronger now, between them sweating and with her throat so close to his mouth. She smelled good.

  Veso focused on climbing, finally seeing the top. The line of trees assured him there was space above him that would be more than another ledge.

  “Almost there.” He wasn’t certain if he’d repeated that for her, or to assure himself that he’d be rid of her soon.

  She liked to use a man’s name. He refused to call her that. It was best if he kept her angry. “Did you hear me, Glenda?”

  “I heard,” she whispered. “You said not to talk.”

  He reached the top and found a good place to brace his toes. “This is the difficult part. I have to find something to hold on to that won’t slide off the side. Just hang on.”

  He blindly reached up, feeling grass. It was loose when he dug his claws in, and he had to duck his head when it rained down on them, hitting their bodies. She clung to him tighter and he dug his claws in deeper, finding something solid under the dirt. It felt like rock and he pulled hard, seeing if it would come down too. It held.

  He climbed a few inches higher and hoped her added weight and bulk wasn’t going to be an issue. He got high enough to peer over the top, seeing forest and trees. The opening to the mine where he’d been taken inside loomed, but the truck wasn’t parked near the entrance anymore.

  It infuriated him as he reached down and hooked Glenda under her ass with his free arm. There was no way he could make the rest of the climb with her in front of him. His weight might snap her back when he dragged himself over the ledge.

  “Listen to me,” he demanded. “I’m tired and I won’t argue with you. Do exactly as I say. Ready?”

  “Shit. Yes.”

  “Lift your head up and look above us.”

  She did as she was told. “We’re here.”

  “Almost.” He braced his legs and moved the arm under her ass. He used it to reach up, finding another spot to grab that didn’t crumble so both of his arms were pinning her in between the cliff and his body. “You can step on my thighs. Just stand up, brace your hands on my shoulders. Then turn and climb the rest of the way.”

  Her soft brown eyes widened and he identified fear. “What?”

  “Would you prefer to climb around me and cling to my back with your arms while the rest of your body is just hanging?”

  “No.”

  “Then do it. I’m braced. You won’t fall. I’m not going to let you.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.”

  He almost fe
lt proud of her as she eased her grip with her thighs and tried to follow his instructions. He bent a little, giving her more room to maneuver between him and the rock face. One of her feet found his calf after she wiggled a bit. It was hell since it meant her pussy rubbed against his erection trapped under the borrowed skirt. He silently swore to personally rip off the head of the master who called himself a king.

  And so way would he return home in Glenda’s skirt. He’d have to steal clothes first or he’d shift into his other form.

  She managed to use his calf as a foothold, then lift herself enough to find purchase with her second foot on his thigh. She stopped hugging his shoulders and gripped them instead. She wobbled, reminding him of a baby moose first learning how to stand. He was amused watching her expressions. She was terrified but had a determined look on her face. He gave her credit one more for bravery.

  Straightening put her breasts directly in his face. The shirt separated them from his view, but he was more than aware of those soft mounds as she moved around. The bra had been left inside their cell. He would have forgotten about that except her breasts jiggled when she trembled again, her balance unsteady.

  He clenched his teeth. “Turn and climb now.”

  “Easier said than done,” she muttered but she released his shoulder with one hand, throwing an arm out and finding something to grab. She looked down, moved one foot, turning it. “Are you sure you have me?”

  “You’re not getting any lighter, Glenda. Move your ass.”

  She turned and started to climb. He lifted slightly, giving her a boost. She bent over in front of him, her shirt rising up with her arms. It gave him a clear view of the silky black panties she wore. She had a nice ass, both sides of it clearly revealed with the cut of the small material.

  He had the urge to lean in and shove his nose between her legs to take a sniff at her pussy. He closed his eyes after she wiggled her ass, almost teasing him with it. His dick suffered the consequences. He wanted to fuck her. He couldn’t see anymore but the memory seemed imprinted onto his brain.

  He growled when she lifted one foot off his thigh and he had to look at her to make sure she didn’t fall back and land on him. She almost kicked him in the chest as she wiggled again, gaining more of her upper body on solid ground. He stared at her ass, suffering. She made it to the top and crawled away.