“Other?”
She wondered if Bat could hear them but doubted it, since they were a good five feet away from the other couple. Drantos also had lowered his voice to a soft, husky level that wouldn’t travel. The voices from the survivors were just a murmur but their words weren’t recognizable. Drantos didn’t answer.
“Let me go. Please?”
He turned his head, reached for something, and then pulled the other blanket over their bodies. He met her gaze again but an almost sad expression softened his features. “Not until you know the truth.”
Dusti hesitated. “Okay. Hit me with it. I’m dying to hear this. What was my mother?”
Sincerity softened his gaze further. “We’re VampLycans.”
“Sounds Russian or something.”
“We’re considered blooded wolves.”
“You don’t look red to me and you hide your tail really well in those tight jeans.”
He ignored her smartass comment. “A long time ago, Lycans and Vampires banned together and had formed an alliance. The Vampires usually hired humans to protect them during the day, but they’d been betrayed too often and suffered heavy losses. They were desperate enough to turn to their enemies, the Lycans. It worked for a while. The Vampires got their protection and the Lycans enjoyed the lifestyle the Vampires could provide.”
Dusti let that settle into her mind. She decided to humor him. “They had good parties, huh?”
Drantos’s features tensed. “This isn’t a joke. I’m attempting to inform you of your heritage.”
Irritation arose inside her at having to listen to his insane garbage. “Two words for you: Take. Meds. Vampires and Werewolves aren’t real. You’ve watched too many movies.”
A soft growl burst from his parted lips. “Vampires have abilities that Lycans don’t. They can control minds and make humans do as they wish, and can even erase some of their memories. Lycans found that really helpful since they were forced to live nomadic lives. It meant keeping their numbers low and never staying in one area to build homes. It was a dream of theirs to settle in one place. The Vampires gave them that luxury. They suddenly could live without fear of being hunted. If a human happened upon a Lycan in a compromising situation, the Vampires could make the humans forget.”
“What did these Lycans do that gave them away?”
“They lose their skin if they’re highly emotional. Rage. Fear. Grief. Humans panicked when they caught sight of claws, fangs, sudden hair growth…and they told others about the ‘monsters’. They’d hunt and kill entire families of Lycans.”
“Why not just take out the person who saw something?” Her fingers relaxed their hold on his shirt since he wasn’t causing her pain. “That would protect them.”
“It wasn’t the way it is now. In the past, towns were smaller and they tended to be very superstitious when people just disappeared. They totally believed in monsters and they’d gather in large groups to hunt and murder anything they feared. Ever hear of the witch trials? Try a bunch of angry villagers with weapons willing to kill anyone they didn’t like or didn’t know well. They didn’t even bother to hold a trial for someone they suspected of being a monster. They’d just lynch them.”
“According to your Vampire and Werewolf tale, they would have been justified in trying to kill them.”
“Exactly, if you were to see us in that light. But we’re not really monsters. We’re just different. You asked why Lycans didn’t end the lives humans who discovered the truth. Lycans didn’t want to harm innocent people, period. Vampires don’t have to kill to obtain blood from their prey. I was able to control you with my eyes. I gained that ability from my Vampire ancestors. Their abilities to control human minds and wipe memories protected them but it was a constant fear they’d be discovered while they slept. They had Lycan protectors to prevent that from happening, to stand guard when they were vulnerable after the sun rose.”
“You didn’t burn up in the sun,” she pointed out. “Your teeth aren’t sharp either. Everyone knows Vampires are allergic to sunlight and have fangs.”
“I said I’m half. The sun doesn’t bother me at all. ” Drantos paused to glance toward the fire, then looked back at her. “The Vampires began to gorge on blood, feasting on humans after they formed the alliance with Lycans. They grew bolder with powerful guards to protect them when they were vulnerable. It made it safer for them to feed more often. They—”
“Started killing everyone?”
“No. They just overfed on them.”
“Wow. Do Vampires gain weight? Wouldn’t it make it kind of hard for them to turn into bats and fly? I’m imagining a big, bloated flying rat with little tiny wings now.”
He growled again. “You aren’t taking this seriously.”
“And you’re nuts. I’m trapped under you and you seem determined to share your dementia with me so forgive me for the snarky comments.”
“Stop it.”
“Ditto.”
He shifted his chest, pinned her tighter under his body. “No, they didn’t gain weight. But all the blood fooled their bodies into believing they were more human than Vampire. No one realized the consequences—until a few of the female Lycans who had Vampire lovers ended up pregnant. It only happened with Vampire males and female Lycans. Vampires aren’t able to breed with each other, but when they realized they could impregnate the Lycan women—”