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.”#p#分页标题#e#
“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?”