That didn’t really put her more at ease. “Thanks.”

“We just need to get the clan to accept you. It helped today when you dealt with the human in town. Everyone is talking about it. At first they assumed you were weaker than previously thought because you seemed upset about having to take a life, but you handled the problem well. That made them respect you.”

“Everyone should be upset when it comes to taking a life.”

“Will you mourn if we have to kill Decker?”

“Except him,” Dusti amended. “I’m not a fan. I think I made that pretty clear. I don’t care what happens to him.”

Crayla regarded her. “I’m still concerned. You’re mated to my son. We’re enemies of Decker. Do you feel split loyalties between your mate and your family?”

“Bat is my family. You are my family since you’re Drantos’s mother. Kraven, Velder, and this clan are now family because they are to Drantos, too. I don’t see Decker as family. Blood means nothing when it comes to him. Is that clear enough? I’m not going to shed a tear if he dies. He wants to hurt my sister. Being given to that scary Aveoth guy I met would be a death sentence for her. I love Bat but she’s a nightmare to men. He’d kill her.”

Crayla leaned closer. “That displeases me since Kraven told us Batina is his mate.”

Dusti thought about it, remembering the interaction she’d seen between the two. “Kraven handles her better than anyone I’ve ever seen. She’s attracted to him and he doesn’t take her shit.”

“Is she like you?”

Dusti grinned. “No. I’m the mellow, easygoing one.”

Crayla nodded. “I understand. I have a sister and we are nothing alike. We barely see each other and I’m glad. I was grateful to leave my clan to come to this one. We fought often.”

“I love Bat. We get along great but we’re just different.”

“She’s the stronger of you two.”

Crayla’s words rubbed Dusti the wrong way, as if it were an insult. “Bat deals with lowlifes all the time with her job. She’s abrasive. That’s a kind way to put it. She makes it difficult to allow anyone to get close to her by being a shit-starter. I’m the calmer one, a mediator type who tries to avoid trouble. We even each other out. She blows things out of proportion and I smooth things over. Does that make sense?”

“You work well together as a team.”

“Yes.”

“I wanted to meet her but Kraven took her away before I could.”

“That’s probably a good thing.”

“Why?”

“You know how you threatened to punch me out when you were giving me the lecture about how I needed to tend to Drantos when he was hurt? I backed down. I don’t want to make waves with you because you’re Drantos’s mother. It’s important that we get along and I’m also willing to admit you’d kick my ass in a fight. But Bat has a temper. She’d have told you off and probably gone for your throat, regardless of knowing she couldn’t win. She’d regret it later but she’s…impulsive. She wouldn’t like you telling her how to act with a man she’s with.”

Crayla sighed. “She doesn’t sound like the mate I had in mind for Kraven.”

“Life rarely turns out the way you think it will. I bet she’s in for a shock when Kraven tells her he’s her mate. I know I was thrown when Drantos told me. We deal.”

Her mother-in-mate nodded. “True. It would be boring if there weren’t surprises, wouldn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

“What did you do in the human world? Let’s start there.”

“I worked in an office as a secretary.”

“That implies you have useful skills. It’s why you’re good with speaking to humans.”

Dusti shrugged.

“And your sister? What does she do in the human world?”

“She’s a criminal defense attorney.”

Crayla’s eyebrows shot up.

“She’s really good at what she does. I know what you’re probably thinking. Why does she try to keep bad guys out of jail? I can relate but Bat believes everyone is innocent until proven guilty. She’s assured me many a time that not all of her clients actually committed the crimes they’ve been accused of. She’s saved some innocent people from going to prison.”

“That’s not what entered my mind. She knows human laws. We have to hire outsiders if there are any issues that arise that deal with human authorities. Your sister will be useful to our clan. That’s a good thing.”

“Do many VampLycans get arrested?”

“No. Of course not. They would wipe the memories of the humans they dealt with to avoid it. Our legal issues arise with land dealings. We buy up territory surrounding ours to expand as our numbers rise.”

“Bat doesn’t do that kind of law.”

“An attorney is an attorney.”

Dusti decided to let that go. She didn’t want to be the one to explain that wasn’t true. Bat could burst Crayla’s bubble.

“I was told your sister has more Lycan blood than Vampire. Does she have any abilities?”

“No.”

“Are you certain?”

“Definitely. She can’t shift. I’ve seen her pissed plenty of times. The only sharp pointy things she attacks with are her high heels. She can tear those off her feet in a heartbeat and nail someone with them.”

“You said she has a temper.”

“She does.”

Crayla smiled. “That’s a Lycan trait. I can work with that. I love a good fight myself. Both of you will need some training. That might help you bond with the other women if I ask them to assist. You may make friends and they can take you under their wings.”

“Great.” Dusti inwardly winced. She pictured lots of bruises and pain in her future. Her parents had signed her up for karate when she’d been nine. A week later they’d pulled her. She just wasn’t a fighter. “Maku already offered.”

“He did? That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah. It seems like everyone wants to kick my ass. I can’t say I’m as thrilled about that as you seem to be.”

Crayla’s cheerful expression faltered.

“I’m not really into violence. That’s more Bat’s thing.”