Drantos (VLG Series Book 1) (41 page)

“We should send trackers out to help search for the child.” Drantos would volunteer.

His father shook his head. “Lord Aveoth was clear. Our job is to protect your mate and keep her where she’s safe. The GarLycans can cover a lot more ground than we can. Decker is desperate. He sounded paranoid on the phone. I don’t blame him. He wanted a war and he got one by pissing off Lord Aveoth. It just wasn’t the war he wished.”

Drantos mulled over the situation. “Why don’t you call Decker and tell him we’ll make the exchange? That way we can inform Aveoth where he’ll be. We’ll have a location.”

“They could kill the child at the first sign of betrayal. Decker would be caught but at the price of that child’s life. I think we should do everything to avoid her death.”

He agreed. Decker was a vindictive bastard. “You’re right. I’m so mad I can’t think straight.”

“I’ve had years of experience dealing with this son of a bitch, Drantos. I have a plan…but you aren’t going to like it.” His father shifted his attention to Dusti. “I noticed a strong resemblance between you and your sister. Do you believe you could fool Decker into believing you’re Batina, even for a few minutes? That will give us time to grab the child and attack once she’s clear.”

Drantos released Dusti’s waist and pushed her behind him, drawing his father’s focus. “Hell no! My mate isn’t bait. He’ll kill her when he realizes she’s the wrong granddaughter.”

“Calm,” his father ordered. “Decker won’t harm her if he thinks she’s Batina.”

“What if he doesn’t buy it? He has no use for Dusti.” Drantos snarled, enraged. “
No.
I won’t risk her life.”

“I could do it,” Dusti stated.

He spun, glaring at her. “Dusti!”

She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Bat and I
do
look a lot alike.”

“I don’t agree.” They both had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar build but Drantos would never mistake the sisters. They weren’t twins.

Dusti reached up, placing her hands on his chest as she stepped closer. “Decker Filmore hasn’t seen us since we were young girls. I think I was ten and Bat was twelve.” She licked her lips. “I can do this. Do you know one of the most annoying things I dealt with, growing up with my sister? I’ll tell you,” she rushed on. “It was answering the phone. We sound alike. Our friends could never tell us apart until we’d talked to them for a little bit. Bat’s only recently talked to our grandfather on the phone a few times. I’ll just talk like she would. I can mimic my sister for a few minutes.”

“No.” Drantos shook his head and cupped his hands over hers.

“You’re being unreasonable. You heard your father. I’ll go pretending to be Bat so the little girl is set free. You guys can come to the rescue then and arrest him.”

“We don’t arrest,” his father clarified. “We capture.”

“Whatever,” Dusti murmured. “You’ll have Decker and the little girl will be safe.” She peered up at Drantos. “I can pull off playing Bat. Who knows her better than I do?”

He studied her features. “Sweetheart, you don’t look that much alike.”

“Did you miss the part about how he hasn’t seen us since we were kids?”

“What if Decker has seen photographs of your sister? She’s an attorney. Doesn’t she participate in cases that draw media coverage? It’s possible he knows what she looks like.”

Dusti seemed to consider it. “He hasn’t seen her since she’s been in a plane crash and had to spend days in the woods, without access to makeup. My sister is always really put together—so I won’t be. I can fool him. It’s not like I have to pull it off for a long time.” She leaned to the side, staring at his father behind him. “Right?”

“Yes. We just need time for Lake to grab the child and get her clear.”

Dusti smiled at Drantos. “See? I’ll just act snooty and butt hurt for a few minutes. I can do a Bat rant for that long.”

It
could
work—but what if it didn’t? Drantos considered it.

No. Decker would kill Dusti if he detected the lie. “I can’t risk your life. You’re my mate. My first priority is your safety.”

“It’s a little girl,” she reminded him, as if he could forget.

“I can’t lose you.” He tightened his hold on her hands braced against his chest. “Don’t ask that of me.”

“I’m not asking, Drantos. I’m telling.” She leaned to the side again, looking at his father. “I was told mates are allowed to argue in private so you need to step outside because I think that’s about to go down.”

“Did she just order me out of your home?”

Drantos ignored his father. “I’ve made my decision.”

Dusti’s eyes narrowed and she tugged her hands free. “It’s not your decision to make. It’s
mine
and I’m doing it.”

“It’s too dangerous! Do you ever listen to me? How did you survive in your world for so long?” Drantos felt his fangs elongating out of annoyance and anger. She could drive a man insane. “I love you. We’ll think of another way to get the child back that doesn’t involve putting you in danger.”

“Wow, that wasn’t insulting at all.” His mate rolled her eyes. “Your people think I’m useless already. Would one of your women do this? I think they would. Don’t even bother answering that.”

The matter was too important for the luxury of being sensitive to her feelings. “Our clan women grow claws to fight off an attacker and can shift to run for their lives, if need be. They are able to defend themselves long enough for help to reach them. What are you going to do? Glare at them and yell insults? Perhaps threaten to have them arrested by your human law enforcers? Decker will
kill you
. You admitted he has no use for you. He’ll know who you are!”

She surprised him by lunging forward and smacking her hands on his chest. “You’re wrong! I’m going to do the same damn thing I’ve done my entire life—which I survived without you, by the way. I’m going to use my brains and bullshit my way through this.” She shoved but wasn’t able to move him. “You’re pissing me off.”

“I know the feeling. I forbid you to do this.”

Her mouth opened and she backed away, releasing him. “As if you can. You might be my boyfriend but that doesn’t mean you can order me around.”

“Mate,” he snarled.

“Whatever!” She backed off and defied him further by addressing his father again. “I’ll do it. Count me in.”

“No!” Drantos spun on his father. “She’s not.”

His father glanced between them, finally holding his gaze. “It will only be a few moments. We’ll follow them at a distance so the lookouts don’t detect us and surround the area. Lake only needs to grab the child and run. We can attack then.”

“With Dusti in the middle of it without any defenses.”

His father took a deep breath and blew it out. “Your mate thinks she can fool Decker. He won’t want Batina dead. His life is in danger and he believes the only way to avoid Lord Aveoth killing him is to use the sister as a bargaining chip. You’re being unreasonable, Drantos.”

“Yes, he is,” Dusti huffed.

He turned to her. “Stay out of this. You thought I was insane when I told you about VampLycans. Your thinking process isn’t always clear. This is a clan matter.”

“You can’t have it both ways.” The anger drained from her face and he hated to see the sadness in her eyes. “I’m either a part of this clan or I’m not. Let me do something useful. Geez, Drantos. It’s a little girl we’re talking about. I’d rush into a burning building if I knew one was inside. I’d have to be a total selfish asshole not to. I convinced a freaked-out guy that something looking like a hell hound was actually a bear with mange. I can do this. It’s not as if I’m going to have to pretend to be some stranger. It’s Bat.” She put her hand on her hip, cocked it out, and threw back her head, jutting her chin. “Don’t make me take off my high heels and beat you to a pulp, you big ape.”

His father snarled. “Ape?”

“That’s how Bat speaks,” Drantos explained, watching Dusti. “That’s what her sister calls Kraven when she’s angry.”

Dusti eased her tense body and softened her voice. “I
can
do this, Drantos. Give me a chance. I’m not totally useless.”

Her need tugged at his heart. “This isn’t how you prove that to the clan. This is too dangerous.”

“Yeah. I’ll get pregnant instead.” She snorted.

Drantos sighed and shook his head at his father. “We’ll think of another way.”

The front door opened and his mother walked in. “What’s the holdup? Lake is pacing outside.” She nodded at Dusti. “Is she too afraid to go?”

“No. Talk to your son. I said I’d do it,” Dusti replied.

Drantos winced when his mother gave him a dirty look. “We’ll think of something else.”

Dusti glared at him. “You do that. I’m going in the bedroom, away from
you
. I need to cool down.” She left the room and slammed the bedroom door.

“Damn.” He hated to fight with his mate but he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her.

“She agreed,” his father argued. “It will help her be accepted into the clan.”

“I don’t give a damn about that. I don’t want to bury my mate!”

His mother softened her gaze. “I’ll go talk to her. I understand.” She paused next to him and patted his arms. “The mating is new and she is weak.”

Fuck! It was a no-win situation but at least Dusti would be alive. He’d get her to calm and see things his way once his parents left.

Dusti eased open a drawer and found her new shoes. She sat on the bed. The bedroom door opened and she jerked her head up, ready to continue the argument with him.

It was worse. Crayla came in and shut the door at her back, sealing them inside the room together.

“Great,” Dusti muttered. “Just what I need. Did you come to tell me I can’t pull this off too?”

“No. What are you doing?”

“Exactly what it looks like. I'm putting on my shoes. I’m not a complete idiot. I’ve already walked around barefoot in the woods and I’d like to avoid doing that again.”

“Drantos doesn’t want you to go anywhere.”

“I heard him. He heard
me
, too.” She stood when her feet her covered and hurried into the bathroom, flipping on the light. She stopped in front of the mirror to assess her appearance. She reached up and started to use her fingers to rat out her hair.

“I’m certain there’s a hairbrush in one of the drawers.”

Dusti shifted her gaze in the mirror and spotted Crayla hanging out in the doorway separating the two rooms. “That’s not the look I’m going for. I plan to be the anti-Bat.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“Maybe our grandfather saw pictures of my sister. It’s possible. She’s really neat and tidy. Her makeup is always flawless and she wears expensive clothes. I’m going to give him the version that’s opposite.” She focused on her reflection again, leaning in and turning her face as she used her fingers to mess up her hair more. “No bun. No makeup.” She glanced down at the borrowed clothes. They dwarfed her. “He knows we’ve had some hellish days and lost everything in the plane crash. He won’t expect her to be looking her best unless he’s a complete fucking moron. I’ll point that out if he says anything.”

“Your mate refused to allow you to go in her place.”

Dusti sighed. “Is that a law too? Total obedience to your mate? No one’s here to watch me defy him so I don’t see a problem—unless you plan to tell everyone.” She turned and stared into Crayla’s eyes. “I can play my sister. All I have to do is stall until the cavalry arrives. Right?”

Crayla arched her eyebrows. “Drantos said no.”

“Your husband is the clan leader. So that makes you Mrs. Clan Leader. Don’t you overrule your son?”

The other woman smiled and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “My son will be furious.”

“He can get over it. Can he unmate me, like a divorce?”

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. So are you going to help me get that kid back or listen to your unreasonable son? I need you or your husband to help me do this since I have no idea where my grandfather wants me to go, and someone needs to grab the girl at the exchange.”

Crayla pushed off from the wall and slowly advanced. She came forward until only a few feet separated them. “Are you prepared to piss my son off that much?”

“I’ve done it before. Trust me. He didn’t enjoy me calling him a nut job and insulting him when I thought he needed medication for his wild imagination. We got past it. Best case, I can tell him I told you so when I come back safe. Worst case, I’ll never get to hear him yell at me. That’s hard to do when I’m dead.”

“Why are you willing to risk your life for a VampLycan child?”

“I’d do it for
any
kid. It’s human nature.” Dusti hesitated. “And I’m human. Besides, you have to be a total dick to sit on your ass and not try to save a child if given the chance.” She bit her lip. “I also really hate my grandfather and always have. I came to Alaska with Bat to give her emotional support once she’d discovered he’s a waste of space. It was going to be a bonus to tell him off. I want him caught and stopped. Nobody fucks with my sister—and he planned to big time. I want to take him down. Are those reasons enough?”