Kraven (VLG Series Book 2) (17 page)

“Take what personal?”

“Hang on.”

She stared ahead and her mouth opened, a scream trapped inside her throat. There was a gap in the road where it dropped off to a lower section. It looked as if part of it had washed away at some point.

The car left the ground and flew across the small gap, landing hard on the other side. The belts dug into Bat.

Kraven swerved the wheel and they skidded a good twenty or so feet before he recovered, straightening it out to avoid striking a tree. “That’s what I’m talking about, Bat!” he yelled. “Come on. Don’t be squeamish. I swear you’ve got no sense of humor, Batina. What kind of lawyer are you if you can’t handle life in the fast lane?” He paused. “Stop moaning, Batina. It’s fucking annoying.”

He lowered his voice. “It worked. They’re on our ass. They heard.”

She peered into the rearview mirror and spotted two of those ugly beasts running after them. They looked like demented mutant dogs.

She said something she was sure she never would since getting in the car.

“Drive faster!”

He laughed. “Hang on, Batina. I’ll get you out of here.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the beasts following them. It was tempting to lean over to glance at the dash, check their actual speed, but those things were almost on their bumper. She could even see their open mouths and sharp fangs as they panted in the side mirror, hauling ass to keep up with the car.

“Oh shit. They can
run
.”

“Yes, we can.” Kraven almost sounded proud. “We’re about to hit a paved road. Close your eyes, I don’t want you to scream. I’m just hoping there isn’t any cross traffic. We’ll lose them then. Pavement is going to hurt their feet after a good mile.”

She should have listened. The trees thinned and she saw a paved two-lane road ahead. She could also see a big truck barreling down it, toward the dirt road they were on—and Kraven accelerated more. Pure terror filled Bat when she realized the truck would probably slam into them if he didn’t hit the brakes.

He twisted the wheel when the tires hit pavement, sending them skidding again. The truck blared its horn and tires screeched in protest as the driver hit his brakes.

The truck barely avoided hitting them as they slid into the other lane and Kraven got control of the car, taking off in the opposite direction.

Bat panted, tears blinding her. It took her a good minute to recover enough to remember to look in the side-view mirrors. Only one of the beasts followed, and Kraven was putting distance between it and them.

“It’s okay.” Kraven reached over and patted her leg. “I’m a great driver. One of them was almost hit by the truck but they didn’t collide.”

“It’s
not
okay.”

“I’m sorry that frightened you. I was hoping there wouldn’t be any traffic at all. Only truckers and the random tourist use this road as a shortcut from the main highway.”

“Don’t
ever
do that again.”

“Look. He’s giving up.”

She glanced in the side mirror and the beast slowed even more, seeming to stop pursuing them. “You don’t get it. That’s how my parents died, Kraven. A big semi T-boned their car.”

“Ah shit. I’m sorry.”

She reached up and wiped at her tears. “I think I know how they must have felt now. I always hoped they never saw it coming but I can’t see how they didn’t. That truck looked huge.”

He rubbed her leg. “I’m really sorry. The good news is they heard me saying your name, they followed, and they’ll report back to your grandfather that we took off toward the airport. Dusti will be safer now.”

“If your brother manages to get her back.”

“Have faith.”

She stared out the window, deciding she really hated vacations and Alaska, and she regretted ever boarding that airplane. The prospect of inheriting a lot of money hadn’t been worth it.

Kraven hated the way Bat had grown silent. He glanced at her every few seconds. She seemed lost in thought. He felt guilty for scaring her, and for making her think she might die the same way her parents had. He promised to make it up to her somehow.

He kept alert as he drove. It was possible Decker might have thought about assigning a few of his people to the airport in case the sisters made a run for it. He should have put the cell phone in his pocket but he knew it would take hours for Drantos to reach the village, even if he’d found Dusti right away. He’d have to walk her there.

He hadn’t lied to Bat. Drantos was driven to get her sister back safely. His big brother would stop at nothing to protect Dusti. He had no doubt he’d succeed. Drantos wouldn’t settle for anything less.

He watched his speed. State troopers usually didn’t patrol this far out but he couldn’t risk being pulled over. Even a few minutes to deal with wiping the human’s memory of ever seeing them and ordering him to go away were minutes he couldn’t afford to waste. He needed to get Bat to the airport and in the air before Decker could launch an attack.

“Why don’t we just drive and not fly? I really don’t look forward to getting on another plane after the last one we shared.”

He was grateful to hear her voice, and that she seemed to have recovered enough to complain. “GarLycans can fly. They’ll be in the air by nightfall if they’re working with Decker. This car is fast but traffic will slow us down. We’d hit plenty near the cities we’d eventually pass through.”

“We could switch out cars so they don’t know what to look for.”

“Or we could just play it safe and go by plane. You’re going to need to trust me, Bat. I know what we’re dealing with. You don’t.”

“Aren’t they afraid to be seen? You know. Like someone stargazing and then there’s a big freaking guy with wings flying overhead?”

“They can change their flesh tones to dark gray and their wings are black. You’d be surprised how well they can blend into a night sky.”

“How fast can they fly?”

“Fast. I’ve never exactly clocked one but I’d guess about seventy miles an hour if they’re motivated. Maybe faster.”

“How is that even possible? Are they super skinny or something so their wings can support their weight?”

“They’re about my size, for the most part, and they have large wingspans. They don’t stone-out completely while they’re flying but they can control their coloring if they need to. It’s how they’ve never been detected. They just have to watch out for radar devices in bigger cities.”

“I
liked
Gargoyles, damn it.”

He glanced at her. She looked perplexed, staring at her hands in her lap. “What does that mean?”

“They were cute, you know? Part of old buildings that gave it character and charm. Now I know they’re real and dangerous. Is that clear enough?”

He tried to put himself in her place. She’d learned a lot within the past few hours and hadn’t broken down yet. It showed her strength. “We’re not usually under threat from them. I’ve liked some of the ones I’ve met. You’re doing great, Bat. I’m proud of you.”

“Great.”

He smiled. “Look on the bright side.”

She turned her head, staring at him. “Is this going to make me want to smack you?”

“Probably but I’m driving.” He jerked his head to the road they traveled. “You don’t want me to wreck.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What smartass thing did you want to say?”

“You know I’m not crazy now.”

“I wish you were. Then I’d be sane. Now
I’m
the nutcase.”

He felt empathy. “You’re not. It’s just that life has gotten more complicated since you discovered the truth.”

“No shit. My grandfather is a conniving lunatic monster and apparently I need to buy a diamond collar to put around my throat since I’m part dog.”

“Lycan. There’s a difference.”

“I’m dying to hear this.”

He grinned. “I’ve never licked my balls or chased my tail.”

She dropped her head and sighed.

“Don’t forget the Vampire bloodline. I bet some of your clients have called you a bloodsucker when they received the bill for your services. Now you can smile over that because it’s not an insult anymore. You ancestors on your great-grandfather’s side did that to survive.”

She lifted her chin, stared at him, and actually smiled. “Stop. I’m trying to dislike you.”

“You like me, my little hellion.” He met her gaze. “You’re going to like me even more tonight after we find a safe place to rest.”

Her features sobered. “That’s not happening. We can’t do that again.”

“Right.”

“No, I mean it.”

He wasn’t about to argue with her. She was his mate, even if she didn’t know it yet. The attraction between them couldn’t be denied. She was his weakness but it meant he was hers as well.

“Did you hear me, Kraven? I’m serious. We’re not going to have sex again.”

“I heard you.”

“You have this smug look on your face that I don’t like.”

“I’m just relieved we got out of there without any trouble.”

“You think having two monster mutant dogs chasing us wasn’t troublesome?”

“They didn’t catch us, did they?”

“No.”

“See? We’re golden.”

She stayed silent for a bit. “What are you worried about right now?”

“Who says I am?”

“You keep chewing on your bottom lip. It’s a tell, Kraven. What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just plotting our next move. They usually have planes fueled and ready to fly someone somewhere during the day. We’re going to have to hijack one.”

“You’re joking, right? I don’t want to go to prison for the rest of my life.”

“We won’t be arrested. You’re forgetting that I can take control of human minds. I’ll make any passengers for that flight decide to take a later one. The pilot will be paid to fly us. The airport only has a few employees. They’ll be easy to handle. I’m just hoping your grandfather doesn’t have anyone posted there already. I’ll drive the car directly to the hangar where they store the planes.”

“Aren’t these small airports only for short flights?”

“There are a few jets that fly in and out of this one. Big-game hunting is lucrative. A few pilots cater to the rich assholes who want to experience Alaska up close and personal. I’ll get us on one of them.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It is for me. I tell them what I want them to believe.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“So you can just walk up to any human and say you’re the president of the United States and they’d buy it?”

“I haven’t done that, but it’s possible. I could convince them of almost anything.”

“That’s so wrong.”

“Why? Because
you
can’t do it? It’s nature’s way of helping us stay alive in your world, Bat. Every predator has a set of skills. That’s just one of ours.”

“You had to say that, right?”

He chuckled. “I won’t lie. I’m not exactly harmless if the circumstances are right.” He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. “I’m no danger to
you
.”

She grew silent and he regretted mentioning that he wasn’t as normal as she probably wished. “Your mother was like me. Remember that.”

“I keep racking my brain trying to remember anything out of the ordinary about her. I should have seen something.”

“Can I be honest?”

“Sure.”

“She would have made you forget anything that gave her away. You have a susceptible mind to our kind, Bat. You could have seen her shift and all she had to do was tell you it was a dream you should forget.”

“What do you mean I have a susceptible mind? Did you make me want to sleep with you?”

“No! I’ve
never
influenced a woman to have sex with me by mind control. That’s fucked up and pathetic.” He felt insulted that she’d even accuse him of that, but then remembered this was all new to her. He reluctantly admitted it was reasonable to be suspicious. “I told you to sleep when I carried you from the crash site. You went right out like a baby and stayed that way for hours. That’s what I meant.”

“What else have you done to mess with my head?”

“Nothing. I give you my word.”

She remained quiet for long seconds. “Okay. I believe you. Your ego is huge.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You wouldn’t have a problem getting women into bed. That’s all. You know it.”

He let it go, deciding to take that as a compliment.

“My mom should have told me the truth. I can see why she’d keep it from Dusti. My sister is horrible at keeping secrets.”

“I agree that Antina should have told at least one of you. She must have had her reasons though, and I’m sure she figured you’d be safer in the human world not knowing.”

“I brought my sister here. I wouldn’t have done that if I’d known why our grandfather really wanted to see me. Mom and Dad always made me promise to look out for Dusti if anything ever happened to them. How was I supposed to keep her safe if I didn’t know the danger? It makes me furious.” She paused. “Looking back—it’s almost as if they
thought
something might happen to them, like they feared dying and leaving us alone. It makes me wonder if my dad knew the truth about my mom.”