“They aren’t. That’s the point. Maku is one of our most feared enforcers and Peva can be a terror. They want us to eat with them to send a message.”

“That they like me?”

“Mess with you and it will piss them off.”

“Oh. Well, that’s still really nice.”

Drantos grinned. “I’m glad you think so. Peva is like family. I’m not surprised by her offer but I don’t know how she managed to talk Maku into openly accepting you so quickly. He really doesn’t like humans.”

“He loves her.”

“Yes, he does.”

“Is he really that old? I pegged him at about thirty-one, maybe. And only because he’s so tall and big.”

“He’s first generation.”

“What are you?” She was afraid he’d say he was one too. That would mean he was about Maku’s age.

“Second generation. My father is a first generation.” He seemed to study her eyes. “Do you want me to tell you my age now?”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“If it helps, my father wasn’t what you’d consider young when he met my mother. He’d already taken over ruling our clan.”

“Okay. Just hit me with a rounded figure.” She braced, watching him back.

“Eighties.”

She had to force her lungs to work. He didn’t look that old. Not even close.

“How do you feel about that?”

He probed her mind. She could feel it now. It was like a gentle tap against her skull. She tried to shield against it and it seemed to work. A thought struck and it made her grin. “Can I call you my old man?”

Drantos softly growled and lowered his head, brushing a kiss on her lips. Amusement showed in his eyes. “No.”

“Kraven is younger than you?”

“By two years.”

“Oh boy. I hope Bat takes that information well.”

“He won’t tell her until she’s ready to hear it.” Drantos pulled her closer. “Are you freaking out? I know you like that term.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m just glad you’re not a few hundred years old. See? Bright side.”

“I’m glad.”

“Me too. So it’s just you and Kraven? No more siblings that I don’t know about?”

“My parents had only two sons.”

“I’m surprised there aren’t more kids, considering how young your parents look and it’s been that many years since they had you and your brother.”

“It was a very calm time in our history when my parents mated. They wanted children right away, so they had Kraven and me. There were issues with Decker after our births. They decided to stop having children until there wasn’t a threat.”

“What issues?”

“A few assassins from his clan tried to take out the other three clan leaders. They failed and lost their lives. My father said he woke when someone entered our home and he attacked the bastard as he came down the hallway toward the bedrooms. He wasn’t certain at first if the assassin was there to kill him or his family. He placed a call to the other leaders to tell them what happened, only to learn two others had the same experience. They confronted Decker, prepared to have him pick one of them to fight to the death. But the coward swore his people had acted on their own. There was no proof otherwise so they had to let it go. He claimed they were unhappy members who must have wanted to lead their own clans when they’d left his.”

“Is that when he began wanting to take control of all the clans?”

Drantos nodded. “It was the start of the trouble. He’d do small annoying things, like test the borders to see if they were protected well. My father and the other clans needed to watch his every move. My parents might have more children in the future but that would be only if they decide it’s safe. Women are the most vulnerable during pregnancy and right after, when they’re caring for the very young. He wants her to be able to fight and defend herself to the best of her ability if the need arises.”

“VampLycans have birth control?”

He nodded. “It’s a Lycan thing most of us inherited. The women can go into heat without dropping fertile eggs. They can only get pregnant when they will their bodies to do so.”

“That’s freaky but kind of cool. How do you will your body into not getting pregnant?”

Drantos paused in thought. “It’s tough to explain. When I’m in danger, I grow claws to protect myself. My body just reacts instantly. I shift and my fangs drop. With Lycan women, it’s kind of like that but they can tell their bodies when it’s all right to get pregnant and when it isn’t.”

“Natural birth control.”

“Exactly.” He looked up, glanced around, and then held her gaze again. “I can feel my father glaring at me. He’s probably annoyed that we’re talking and not focusing on making eye contact with others to encourage them to approach.”

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

She suddenly had another thought and halted him when he started to lead her to a group of people.

He turned his head. “What?”

“I’m mostly human. What does that mean for us? I can’t will my body to do that.”

He hesitated before answering. “You’d have to be ovulating…and accidental pregnancies have occurred with humans.”

She let that sink in.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he whispered.

She had a hundred questions but Drantos led her to more of his people. They looked wary at her approach but she tried to avoid looking as nervous as she felt. It was important that she make friends.

Drantos felt great pride. Dusti masked her fear well. He couldn’t smell it but he felt traces of it through their bond. She’d been introduced to almost everyone present. He knew his people were unsure of her but they were polite. When his mother entered the clearing with her group, loaded down with food, he took Dusti to Peva and went to help. He hated to leave her side but knew she’d be well looked after.

“How goes it?” His mother scanned the clearing until she spotted Dusti. The creases in her features eased. “She’s with Peva. Good.”

“We’re eating with them.”