Crayla regarded her sternly. “Hide your fear. That’s important.”
“I’m going to be channeling Bat. She doesn’t get scared. She gets pissed off and mouthy. Trust me. I’ve got her down.”
Crayla nodded. “Be strong and courageous for your mate. He’ll be furious that you defied him but his anger will be lessened if we pull this off without a hitch.”
“How pissed is Velder going to be at you?”
“He’s my mate. He knows me well so he shouldn’t be surprised by anything I do. You’re a woman in our clan and that child is a VampLycan girl.”
“Good enough.”
“I appreciate that you’re concerned for my relationship with my mate.”
Dusti forced a smile. It was more a matter of how angry Drantos would be if she was the reason his parents weren’t on speaking terms—on top of going directly against what he’d told her to do.
Chapter Twenty
“Lake?”
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Dusti peered around the dark woods behind Drantos’s home. Crayla said the VampLycan would be waiting for her there. Movement to her right drew her attention and the big guy from the store stepped out from behind a massive tree. Enough light showed from the house for her to distinguish his grim expression. He didn’t look happy to see her.
“I’m desperate to save Asha but this goes against my better judgment.”
She could respect that. “Is that your niece’s name? Asha? It’s pretty.”
“She’s a pretty girl.”
“How old is she?”
“Almost two.”
Dusti really hated her grandfather. He’d kidnapped a baby, not a little girl. It made it so much worse. “I know the risks. Let’s do this, okay?”
“I wouldn’t be doing this if Crayla hadn’t ordered me to. She said Velder would agree with her. Your mate is going to want to kill me, isn’t he?”
She decided to change the subject. “Did you call your sister and were you able to reach Decker?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He gave me a place to meet. I don’t think this is a good plan.”
“Not you too.” She sighed, feeling frustrated. “Focus on your niece. I can handle myself. Just get me there, grab that baby, and haul ass to get her back here. That’s the plan. Crayla said she told you what we had in mind when she came back from talking to you.”
“She did. I just don’t think this is going to work.”
“I can pull off being my sister to a man who hasn’t seen us in twenty years. Give me some credit.”
“Decker could hurt you if he figures out you’re the wrong sister.”
“I’m wearing Drantos’s clothes for a reason. I smell like him, don’t I? It masks my scent. I learned that when I met Aveoth. I can do this. Just get me there and save your niece.”
“I don’t know if you’re brave or stupid.”
“Let’s call it a bit of both. Do you need to tie me up or something? Crayla said you could move faster if you’re carrying me.”
He shifted his stance some, his shadow moving. “Drantos is going to kill me for this.”
“He’ll be too busy yelling at me.”
He snorted.
“Let’s get this show on the road. We don’t have a lot of time.” She glanced back, spotting Crayla watching them from the back porch. “We’re wasting what little time we have.” She faced Lake again. “We need to get going before Drantos and his dad come back to the house and notice I’m gone.”
“I told Decker I couldn’t get a vehicle so he agreed to meet us close to the border of our lands. It might be uncomfortable for you but I can move faster if you’re over my shoulder.”
“I didn’t expect this to be a picnic.” She stepped closer.
He stripped out of his shirt. “I’m going to put this over your back to further hide your scent. There are guards posted that we’ll need to pass. If they scent me, they’ll just think I’m out for a run to rid myself of nervous energy. They’ll contact your mate if they pick up his scent you're carrying, wondering why you’re out in the woods. They know he's with his father right now.”
“Smart.” She reached out and felt the big man’s broad shoulders when he crouched down in front of her. He gripped her hips gently and pulled her closer to his body until she bent, her pelvis against him. He released her hips and hooked one arm over her legs as he stood.#p#分页标题#e#
Memories of when Drantos had carried her returned. This time she was willingly letting a man treat her like a sack of laundry. He threw his shirt over her, covering as much of her as he could.