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“Yes. He’s taking over for Ted next week after he officially retires. I always wanted to be the first female enforcer for the pack, but I guess I’ll have to settle for being mated to one.”
“I’m sorry, Marcia. I know that’s always been your goal.”
“Kale thinks maybe I can help him do his job sometimes, to show Arlis and the others what I’m capable of.”
“That’s a good plan.”
“He’s a smart mate. Supportive.” She winked. “I’d better go. I wasn’t letting you leave without saying goodbye again, since you never got the chance to see me after I left your cabin earlier. I love you.” Marica hugged her. “Be happy, call me often, and try to check your phone once in a while after you remember it’s charging on the counter somewhere.”
Shay laughed, hugging her back. “Promise. I’m going to miss you.”
She watched her sister leave and then got back into bed.
Trayis approached the brick building the pack kept deep in the woods. Two enforcers were guarding it. Arlis was already waiting. His brother appeared grim as they faced off.
“I want to end him,” Trayis demanded.
“He’s yours. Unfortunately, he hasn’t woken. He fucked himself up with that bullet. The healer said it could be a full day or two before he comes around.”
“Fuck.”
“I know you wanted to talk to him, let him know your feelings on what he did to Shay, and probably make him piss himself before putting him down. You won’t get that satisfaction, brother.”
That was disappointing.
“You could feed him some of your blood to heal him enough.”
Trayis shook his head. “Bad idea. One, I already fed Shay some of my blood. I don’t want to be weakened. And while she’s recovering, I refuse to take blood from anyone else. It wouldn’t sit right with me. Then there’s the fact that if I had to give him enough blood to reverse damage to his brain, it would only make him tougher to kill. He’d heal a lot quicker from anything I did to him, at least at first. While that might be fun for me, since I’m furious, I’m not going to weaken myself. I’m taking Shay home in the morning. I want to be at my best while we’re traveling.”
Arlis stepped closer. “It’s your right to kill Tegan…but allow me to do it for you when he’s awake. Otherwise, you’re going to have to take him out while he’s unconscious. That’s not our way.”
“I know. It’s only an honorable kill if he’s fully aware he’s been judged and sentenced to death for his crimes.”
“I won’t take him out fast. I promise. He’ll suffer for what he did to Shay. My word.” Arlis touched his chest, making the pledge. “I have my own issues with him. He tried to blackmail you into killing me and my enforcers. Shay is yours now, but she was one of mine. You know I care about her. I’d have adopted her if I hadn’t been single when her parents died. But I still counted her as family before you claimed her.”
Trayis was disappointed he wouldn’t be the one to take out Tegan, but he nodded and touched his own chest. “I trust you to do it. He’s yours. Make it painful.”
They clasped hands. Arlis grinned. “Are you going to mate her tonight?”
“It’s tempting, but I have my reasons for waiting until I’m back with my clan.”
Arlis’s eyebrows rose.
“She’s half human. I’m going to tightly bond her to me, and there could be some side effects on the human part of her.”
“She won’t change, will she? As in, turn any part Vampire?”
Trayis shook his head. “Her Lycan blood will prevent that, but I saw what happened to Lorn’s mate. She was a half VampLycan who was turned more Vampire than Lycan when she was attacked, and had to drink a lot of pure Vamp blood. It tipped the scales of her existing DNA. The human side of her allowed for that. Shay might become more Lycan than human. My blood could enhance her Lycan side.”
Arlis released him with a stunned expression.
“It probably won’t happen. But I don’t want to risk it right before flying to Alaska. It would be a nightmare if she shifted for the first time on an airplane full of humans.”
“Fuck. How did Shay react to that news?”
“I haven’t told her yet. It’s a small possibility. I didn’t want to get her hopes up. She really feels less worthy for being so human.” He glared at his brother. “Your pack has made her ashamed to be the way she is.”
“We didn’t mean to.”
“I get that. Her grandparents didn’t help. Speaking of two people I’d like to kill…”
“Get in line.”
Trayis snorted. “You might get the chance if Ellis leaves his parents to live with Sylvia and Dean. They offered to take him in. And I can’t see those bastards letting him return to this pack without raising hell.”
“I hope Mildred and Elvis file a protest. I’ll challenge them. They caused rifts in the pack plenty of times, and then had a son they didn’t even inform me about. That was pure disrespect to me and the whole pack. Ellis already should have been one of mine. I’ll fight to keep him if he chooses to live here.”
“The kid might take it hard if you kill them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Trayis backed off the subject. His brother didn’t need more of his advice. He respected him as leader of his pack. “I’ll say goodbye to you now. Shay and I are leaving early in the morning to head toward the airport.”
“I remember. One of the enforcers will drive you both.”
Trayis nodded. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Come back more often. Stay longer.”
Trayis chuckled. “Okay.”
“Then again, you might be having a son or daughter soon.” Amusement sparked in Arlis’s eyes. “Shay’s very human. At least for now. Let me know how that goes.”
“I will.”
They hugged and parted ways. Trayis returned to the trailer and thanked Martin.
“I let Marcia in for a few minutes. I felt sorry for her. She was all puppy eyes and pleading to see Shay for herself. Those two have always been closer than sisters.”
“Thanks. I should have allowed it myself.”
“You were in full-blown protective mode after what happened to Shay.” Martin grinned. “It happens. Totally natural. For a VampLycan, you’ve got a lot of Were instincts inside you.”
“Guilty.”
“Have a good night. I’ll be patrolling. Ted’s taking over in a few hours. I don’t think Tegan had any close friends who’re willing to try to get a little payback. He was a dick to everyone. We’re not taking any chances though. Rest easy tonight.”
“I appreciate it.”
Trayis entered the trailer and found Shay sleeping in bed. He stripped, set the alarm on his phone, and climbed into bed with her, holding her close. She murmured in her sleep but didn’t wake. He’d never been so grateful to feel her safe in his arms.
Chapter Sixteen
Shay felt nervous, clutching Trayis’s hand. The commercial flight they’d taken had been a pleasant experience. Being seated in first class had been nice. They’d served food, offered her a pillow and blanket, and she’d had a cocktail, since Trayis insisted that it would relax her.
Then they’d climbed into a small four-seater plane. That had been terrifying. Every breeze had bounced the little plane in the sky—and then she’d realized they would be landing on a road instead of at an airport. Trayis used his mind-control ability on the pilot to get him to agree to do it. They’d landed safely and Trayis had sent the plane off.
“Why do you have to control his mind?”
“We don’t want any of the bush pilots to remember us using this road as an airstrip. Humans talk. What if someone overheard a pilot talking about it and it caused suspicion? They might think we’re doing illegal human things, like drug running or something. It’s best if we wipe their memories and let them think they dropped us off at an airport. Then there’s nothing to investigate if the authorities get the urge.”<
br />
That amused her. “Is there a huge drug problem out here in the middle of nowhere Alaska?” She peered around, seeing no sign of civilization except for the road. There were tons of trees and land, though.
He chuckled, raised her hand to his lips, and kissed the back. “No. The other reason is we like to keep our privacy. Humans got the bright idea to open a resort in this area a while back. A company invested in some stores and a gas station, too. They’re the ones who paid for this road. But it’s next to VampLycan territory, and the resort attracted human hunters, and that pissed me off. Some of them invaded our territory with guns.”
“I take it that it’s no longer open?”
He shook his head. “We couldn’t have a bunch of humans running around shooting at everything that moved, including my clan. It needed to be closed.”
“How did you accomplish that?”
His eyes began to glow but it faded fast. “Their guests had a terrible time and never wanted to return. Let’s just say no one recommended it to their friends. It closed after two years.”
“The poor owners.”
He shrugged. “They could afford the loss. We bought the resort, the tiny town they built, and the land it sits on. We just don’t want humans coming out here. It might be tempting for some to break into the buildings and become squatters.”
“No one lives there?”
“It’s a huge lodge with dozens of guest cabins. We run patrols through that area every few weeks but we boarded up all the buildings after purchasing it, to prevent damage from storms and the harsh winters.”
“So…it just sits there then?”
He nodded. “I’ll take you on a tour one day if you want to see it. They sold it with the furnishings. It was more cost effective for them to abandon it all, rather than ship it a long way to a large city to auction everything for a fraction of the cost.”
“I would like to see it.” Shay glanced toward the road when she heard an engine.
“I’ll take you soon. That will be Wen or Tymber picking us up.”
“Wen is your head enforcer?”
“Wen and Tymber share that responsibility.”
“But you left Wen in charge when you visited my pack?”
He nodded. “Tymber watched things for me the last time I left. Wen was on a mission. It only seemed fair to switch turns. It can be a pain in the ass to keep a clan in line. I consider them my friends.” He grinned. “It’s why I make sure they aren’t overburdened by sticking them with my problems too often.”
“Two head enforcers. That’s different.”
“We’re VampLycans. I told you we’re not exactly like a pack.”
She turned her head and watched as a dark SUV made a turn in the road. The guy behind the wheel had dark hair, wore sunglasses, and he stopped about ten feet away. He left the engine running as he climbed out. He was super tall. A big grin split his face, revealing gorgeous, straight teeth any dentist would have been proud to work on.
“I’m so glad you’re home.” His face turned more toward Shay. “And you are fucking adorable. Look how short you are! Gerri’s going to love you.”
Trayis sighed. “Meet Wen, Shay. He might be large but he’s like an overgrown teenager. Gerri is the human I adopted, and she’s this lug’s mate. It’s amazing that she hasn’t tried to strangle him.”
Wen chuckled, going around them to their bags sitting on the ground and picking them up. “Who says she hasn’t tried? I’m tough, though, and she’s just not that strong.”
Shay liked the enforcer immediately, and the way the two men joked with each other. Wen took their bags to the back of the SUV and opened the hatch, putting them inside. He walked to the front passenger side and opened the door. “My lady.”
Trayis growled at him, released her hand, and shoved the slightly taller Wen aside. “I can get her door. I do remember my manners.”
Wen shoved his sunglasses up, revealing blue eyes. He looked amused as he stared at Trayis. “Do you? Did they have vehicles the last time you went on a date? Have you ever actually gone on a date?” He winked at her. “Our esteemed leader isn’t exactly a ladies’ man, if you get my drift. We’re so thrilled he found you. Welcome to the clan, Shay. Him having a mate is going to awesome for the rest of us. His moods will improve.” Then he lowered his voice. “He was kind of grumpy before.”
“Fuck you,” Trayis snapped, but then he laughed.
Shay grinned, climbing up into the passenger seat. Trayis leaned in and buckled her belt. “The roads here aren’t so bad but they get worse closer to our territory.”
“You don’t do road repairs?”
Wen laughed, opening the back door and climbing in. “That would imply we wanted to make it easy for people to visit us. That’s a big hell no. Especially from this side of our territory.”
Trayis closed her door, rounded the SUV, and got into the driver’s seat. “Ignore him. I try really hard to most of the time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Wen muttered. “Clan leader abuse. See what I put up with?”
“You’ll survive.” Trayis turned the SUV around on the road and headed back the way Wen had come. They eventually left the road for a dirt trail. Trayis slowed to make the ride less bumpy. “This is a shortcut to my place.”
“Which has been cleaned, stocked with food, and dinner should be waiting when you arrive. Tymber is grilling you some steaks. Just for the two of you,” Wen added. “We don’t want you overwhelmed, Shay. Tomorrow is soon enough to let the clan rush in to meet you. We kept your arrival on the down low to avoid a crowd waiting at the cabin.”
She turned her head, staring at him. “Would there be one?”
“Once word spreads that Trayis has found his mate, everyone is going to want to meet you. The curiosity alone will drive them to rush to his place.” Wen chuckled, his gaze going to the back of Trayis’s head. “We never thought he’d take a mate. It’s a huge deal. The other clan leaders might drop in, too.”
Her nerves came back full force. “Great.”
Trayis shot her a concerned glance. “It’s fine, Shay. Damn it, Wen! You’re upsetting her. Shut up.”
“It’s cool.” Wen leaned forward and gently touched her shoulder for a split second to get her attention. “I mated to a full human. Trayis was so great about it that he adopted Gerri. Velder, another clan leader, has two sons mated to half humans, half VampLycans. The women didn’t even know they were more than human until they got to Alaska. So basically, they’d inherited the human side more so than the VampLycan.
“Crocker doesn’t have a mate. He’s another clan leader. But he won’t care that you’re a half-breed. He’ll just be jealous that Trayis found you. As for Lorn, the last clan leader, his mate is also half human and half VampLycan. She turned more Vampire for a while, but drinking Lorn’s blood has her walking in the sun without burning, and we hear she can eat food again. No one is going to have a problem with you. Hell, even the GarLycan clan leader, Aveoth, took a mate with some Vampire bloodlines. That was a huge no-no, since Gargoyles are dicks about not breeding with us VampLycans. He said ‘fuck you’ to his clan and did it anyway.”
Trayis shot her another concerned look. “Shay thinks some of the clan might have a problem because she can’t shift.”
Wen snorted. “Not a problem. Everyone has been great to Gerri except for my parents. And they left the clan. That’s a long story, but they went crazy after my older brother died. I’ll tell you about them sometime. You’re going to fit in just fine. If anyone gives you any shit, it would be Mya and her few friends. Emphasis on the ‘few.’ She’s kind of a bitch.”
“Trayis told me about her,” she admitted.
“Ignore Mya if she ever says she fucked Trayis. Not true. Neither of us are that stupid.” Wen made a funny face. “Not even drunk, desperate, or in heat. Big hell no.”
“Is she still locked up?”
Wen nodded at Trayis’s question. “She sure is—and whining about it loudly. It’s been amu
sing as shit. No one deserves it more. It was brilliant when you suggested that Vassa be her guard. She’s protective as shit of her big brother Brigs, and she has a crush on Roe. Vassa has been verbally tearing her a new ass.”
“Shit, I didn’t know Vassa was attracted to Roe,” Trayis admitted. “Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, since Mya screwed him.”
“Nope. It’s perfect. Trust me. I’ve been watching them closely. So has Tymber. It’s been amusing as hell. Vassa won’t physically attack her, since she takes her duty seriously, but women are vicious with words. She made Mya cry a few times. I didn’t even think she was capable.”
Trayis scowled.
Shay reached over and rubbed his arm. “That’s a good thing. I grew up with the Bitch Trio, remember? I’d consider it progress if one of them were capable of crying. Usually they were the ones causing me to. Maybe this Mya will learn what it’s like to be on the receiving end of being treated bad enough to get upset over it.”
“Bitch Trio? Tell me more.”
She turned her head to peer at Wen. “They really aren’t worth talking about.”
“Like Mya and her friends,” Trayis offered. “Only the Lycan versions.”
“Got it. Bitch Trio. Appropriate. We have the Blood Bitch Foursome, then.” Wen chuckled. “I like that. I’m so calling them that from now on.”
Trayis shook his head and sighed loudly. “See? He’s like a big fucking teenager.”
“You love me, man.”
Trayis glanced at Shay and rolled his eyes.
She laughed. Her gaze went to the windows. The VampLycan territory was beautiful. She still didn’t see any signs of civilization but eventually she spotted a few cabins. They were nicer than she’d expected. Part of her had wondered if they’d be really old. Trayis had mentioned on the plane that they’d updated things over the years. She knew to expect electricity and cell service close to where most of the homes were located.
He finally pulled in front of a two-story cabin. It was a beautiful A-frame that had to be a good four thousand square feet, if she were to guess. The covered porch was massive, too. Trayis parked the SUV and turned it off. He reached over and took her hand. Their gazes met.