That meant Veronica had been telling the truth.
Someone was actually stalking the circus.
Son of a bitch!
Taggert opened the door to her jail and nudged her inside.
Raven had one foot lifted to step into the trailer when she stopped, mistrustful of Taggert’s sudden silence. “They’re going to make him fight, aren’t they?”
This churning, gut-wrenching worry was her punishment for helping Leo escape.
Taggert cursed when her foot dropped back to the soggy ground, and she firmly shut the door with a quiet snick. “You have to trust him. He knows what he’s doing. If you’re caught disobeying, it will go worse for all of us.”
She trusted her pack with her life, but it was her job to keep them safe. This was her fault, her responsibility to get him out of this mess. She rubbed her brow, scrambling to find answers. When she came up empty, her stomach began to cramp with the brutal truth.
He was going to have to fight.
Changing shape took an enormous amount of energy. A strong shifter could only do one or two shifts a day. More than that, they dropped unconscious and didn’t wake for days.
“Jackson’s been shifting all night. He might be strong, but he’s not invincible.” She touched Taggert’s arm. “Don’t ask me to stand by while he kills himself.”
Taggert nodded reluctantly, staring at her hand with such deep yearning her heart hiccupped in her chest. When he blinked, the look was gone, and she found herself missing it. Made her realize how important the men in her life had become. “I won’t risk the pack further for these people. The first sign of him losing the fight, I’ll signal Durant to get out. We’ll grab Jackson and run.” And if she took down the ringmaster and some of his henchman in the process, all the better.
She started to head back to the Big Top when Taggert growled and stepped in her path. “We’ll go, but the first sign that he can fight, we get you back here.”
Raven opened her mouth to protest, when a mutinous expression filled his face. He wouldn’t feel an ounce of remorse restraining her if he thought it would keep her out of trouble, and she barely held back a snarl.
“Yes, we’re in danger, but nothing that we haven’t dealt with before. You can’t coddle us. Jackson is a fully trained enforcer, and he’s been so for years. That takes skill.” His face softened a fraction as he gazed down at her, part of the old Taggert emerging.
She swayed forward, needed to touch him, only to stop short when his head snapped up. All emotions vanished as he scented the air. Raven turned, trying to see what caught his attention, and squeaked in alarm when he hefted her off her feet, opened the trailer, and chucked her into the trailer.
She twisted mid-air, surprising herself when she landed on all fours. Right before the door slammed shut in her face, she saw Taggert roll under the trailer.
Raven straightened, her senses going on alert, trying to pinpoint what had set Taggert off. Some shifters were born with gifts to compensate for not being able to shift, others developed them as they aged and grew into power. Jackson could shift fast and gain mass, while Taggert could scent things far beyond the normal shifter.
A full minute later, she caught what he picked up.
Two of the circus henchmen approached, both of them shifters. One man moved so silently, she barely sensed him. If not for a slight disturbance of energy in the air, she wouldn’t have. The other one breathed heavily, the stink of someone who hadn’t showered in a few days clinging to him. He made no effort to remain quiet, while she suspected that it came like second nature to his companion.
Raven patted down her hair, hiding the distinct silver highlights that almost seemed to glow in the dark. By the time she stood and straightened her clothes, they were pounding on the door—a formality as it was flung open a second later.
Two men waited for her, one partially hidden in shadows. She focused on the first man, taking him in as at a glance as she leapt back, not willing to be taken so easily like some weak prey.
Average height, slim build and worse, a determined expression.
“Your presence has been requested at the games.”
An order.
Raven halted mid-attack, realizing she’d get exactly what she wanted. They’d take her directly to Jackson.
The dark-haired one reached for her, but Raven ducked out of the way of his grasping hands, jumping to the ground without help. He scowled, ready to lunge, when the second man snorted and quickly stepped forward to take the lead.
The doctor they called Greggory.
For the first time, she got a really good look at him.
He wore a pressed gray shirt, his blond hair buzzed short. Nothing about him stood out. Just a shadow in the night. He moved like a predator, all smooth grace and power, his body not built like an average shifter with massive shoulders and muscles, but she found him just as imposing.
Every inch of him was all predator on the hunt. Though his beast hovered close to the surface, she couldn’t pinpoint his breed.
From the power resonating from him, she imagined something big and ready to take a swipe at anything that bothered him.
Irritable.
Prickly.
No love was lost between the two men, and Raven liked him for it.
She kept pace at his side, able to feel the other man hard on her heels, waiting to grab her again if she fell so much as fell a step behind. Both shifters were slim, but the difference between the two couldn’t be more obvious. One smelled crisp and clean, maintaining a respectable distance, while the other had a slightly sour odor, his appearance rumpled and dirty.
As they exited the makeshift trailer park, Raven didn’t bother to search for Taggert, able to sense him moving through the darkness, keeping watch. The doctor slowed his steps and studied the shadows. He might not know what was there, but he sensed something paced them.
The slob remained oblivious.
Unnerved by his heavy breathing, Raven focused on the near silent man at her side. She scanned him as unobtrusively as possible, and his aura lit up like a Christmas tree. She’d never seen anyone so tightly bound.
She wanted to probe deeper, read the bindings, but didn’t dare. If she used any more current, they would be able to sense it.
There was more than one way to find the truth. She scanned the man following them, easily picking up the pack bindings, and nearly stumbled over her own feet when she discovered none of them led back to the doctor.
Nothing made sense. “You were born a rogue?”
The doctor stiffened, then shrugged.
She didn’t detect a lie. Usually when a person lied, their scent altered slightly. A few shifters had the ability to become the perfect lie detectors. Jackson happened to be one of them, and thanks to his blood when she claimed him, she’d inherited his gift.
“Have you never tried to petition the pack for a position?” A rogue had only three ways to earn pack status. Petition an alpha, enter the slave auction in hopes of being selected, or challenge the pack and fight for position.
Before he could answer, the dark haired one laughed. “No one would want Greggory, not even Clancy. He can’t hold his shift for more than five minutes.”
Raven didn’t laugh. “It takes more than shifting to be valuable to a pack.”
“How would you know, human?” The man gave her a rude shove, his hand like a rock slamming into her, and she shot forward a few feet.
She would’ve fallen if Greggory hadn’t grabbed her.
She hadn’t even seen him move.
He set her on her feet, then released her, touching her no longer than necessary.
But it was long enough.
Energy from his beast splashed into her at the contact. A shock jumped between them, and his body jolted. The dragon’s eyes snapped open at the potential threat, sensing something off about him. They both froze, each staring at the other. Not wanting to bring attention to what happened, Raven started walking. With no hesitation, th
e doctor followed suit. His dark eyes swirled with emotions as his gaze latched onto hers.
The instant they touched, she finally saw the pack connections binding him down harder than any other animal she’d ever seen. There wasn’t just one line but nearly a dozen, all of various strengths.
She’d never seen anything like it.
Her ass he wasn’t powerful.
Only the strongest paranormals could partially shift … or prevent a shift. If he could hold the half-change for any length of time, she’d bet her new scales that he was a full shifter. The only thing that stopped him from turning furry was his damned stubborn nature.
From the way he studied her, he’d sensed she was more than human. She waited for him to sound the alarm and call her out, but his mouth remained firmly shut. The silence stretched to the breaking point, echoing around them, a threat all its own.
After a few minutes, his shoulders relaxed a fraction, his gait smoothing out as he realized that she would no more share his secret than he could share hers, not without them both being caught.
They were at a stalemate.
Gravel crunched under their shoes, the night air crisp, the perfect evening for a stroll … if she discounted the fact they were taking her to watch Jackson be beaten near to death. Taggert tracked them, his energy an angry red hovering in the darkness, waiting for her signal to attack. While Greggory might not be able to see him, he studied the shadows as if sensing something hunting them.
Raven turned, easily able to spot Taggert’s glowing green eyes. If she hadn’t known where he hid, she would’ve never seen him peering through the canvas of a tent. Ever since she’d entered his life, his stability had been declining, growing worse every minute he remained with her. Grief sat on her chest with the knowledge she was destroying him.
As if sensing her attention, he lifted his gaze from his prey to focus on her.
She gave a tiny shake of her head.
Frustration bubbled out of him, but he obeyed, backing away until the darkness swallowed him. She stared at the spot he disappeared long after he’d gone. The rest of the circus appeared shut down, the booths padlocked, the crowd gone. The string of lights resembled nothing more than a spider’s web waiting to entangle and trip up the unsuspecting.
A cheer rose from the Big Top and dread seeped into her pores. The closer they drew, the more menacing the tent appeared, ready to collapse and smoother them all within its grasp and eat them.
“Hurry up.” The dark-haired creep slammed into her shoulder as he passed. He threw back the canvas flap and disappeared inside. “I want to place my bets before they close them down.”
Jackson waited for her inside.
It gave her the courage to step over the threshold.
Just before she could enter, a familiar darkness thickened around her until she could see nothing else, its suffocating weight stealing the air from her lungs. She reached out, only to have her hands slam against wood.
She was no longer at the circus.
She tried to roll, but banged into a wall. Same with the other side. … as if she were trapped in a coffin. She expected death to be cold, but sweat damped her clothes until they stuck to her in the most awkward of places.
She could deal with that if not for the bone-deep despair that gutted her soul.
She’d never felt so alone in her whole life. Whatever ties she had with her animal and others had been severed in one brutal swipe.
She scratched her arm, flaking off a fine layer of dirt caked over her skin. Hundreds of stings peppered her from head to foot, as if something was nibbling on her flesh.
Then a caustic smell infused her senses, the stink so vial and overwhelming it left a fuzzy taste in her mouth. She scrambled to get away, smacked the side of the wooden box, and heard the crunch of thousands of bugs.
They were everywhere.
She slapped at her skin, panicked at the thought of slowly being eaten alive. Air grew thinner until it felt like she was swallowing fire.
When she felt a hand on her arm, Raven yelped, striking out as she imaged something was grabbing her from beyond the grave. When she turned, her vision flooded back. She gasped as fresh air surged into her lungs.
“A vision?” Greggory raised his arms as he released her and stepped away, growing more intrigued by the minute.
Then his question registered
Her shoulders sagged in relief.
Of course.
A vision.
She should be worried about her secrets being exposed, but she was just too glad to be out of that box.
She scratched at her arm, still able to feel the phantom touch of thousands of bugs crawling over her. Flustered under his attention, she pulled away, wishing she could run away from the question as well. Only Greggory followed, his silence a persistent prod for answers. “Is there a graveyard around here?”
A stitch appeared in his stride.
“No.” The gruff response didn’t invite further conversation.
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. “You’re hiding something.”
He slanted her a calculated glance. “It’s a certain punishment Clancy likes to use on those who really displease him. Now it’s your turn. Explain. What did you see?”
She wanted to refuse but couldn’t risk that he’d shut her out. He was the key. Something told her that if she didn’t answer him, things would only grow worse. “I thought I was trapped in a coffin. Air was running out. I couldn’t breathe.” Her lungs struggled to work as she relived the experience, the memories a persistent stab into her brain.
He whirled on her, his face so intent that the rest of the world fell away, and his true self peered back out at her.
Big.
Vicious.
Intent.
He wouldn’t stop until he got answers. “Do you know where?”
Raven went through the memories again, wishing she could wipe the horror from her head. She rubbed her nose to get rid of the stench as sensations bombarded her. She tried to pick up flashes of images, but everything remained black. The unrelenting darkness upped the creepy factor, but it also heightened her other senses.
It was why everything felt bigger and stronger and a ton more terrifying.
So she focused on her other senses, doing her best to block the blind panic gnawing on her. Sweat trickled between her shoulder blades, her breathing growing more erratic.
She tasted dirt and something fresh.
Young.
“A boy, not yet able to shift.”
Too young to change and drag himself out.
“Where?” Greggory stepped closer until all she could smell was him.
The vision faded, leaving her queasy and intensely glad to be above ground and not trapped in a tiny wooden box. Raven stepped away, but Greggory followed, his hands curling into fists, as if he would force answers out of her if necessary.
Taggert growled in the distance and strode forward like a juggernaut, intent on protecting her no matter the cost. Raven could’ve kissed him. When he came near, she stepped into his path, pretending she didn’t want to crawl into his arms. Claustrophobia eased its crushing grip at his nearness.
Greggory growled at the interruption, his teeth lengthening to fangs. “You can find him.”
“Maybe.”
Surprise lessened Greggory’s anger. His animal eased back, allowing him to function past the need to rip off her face. “Do it.”
She suspected that if she didn’t try, he would turn her over to Clancy without an ounce of remorse.
With reluctance, she eased her stranglehold on the energy she held. She expected it to surge forward, but the current waited patiently for her command. She hated to admit it, but the control she had now exceeded the vault she’d used in the past. She and the dragon had become so integrated that there was no separating one from the other anymore.
It should’ve panicked her, but all she felt was relief.
She would never be weak again.
She went through half a dozen scenarios to locate the kid then dismissed them all. The best option would be to see if she could find any large energy signature underground. Unfortunately, it would take too much time to search everywhere. Current traveled differently underground than through the air. If she had a target, she could direct the voltage in a certain direction. Without one, it left her working blind.
Raven debated calling out to the kid using her alpha abilities to force the change, but since he’d never crested, the trauma would most likely kill him. Shifters only turned when their bodies could cope with the transformation. Any sooner could destroy both the human and animal side of him.
No, there had to be a better option.
Instead of using her own current and drawing attention to herself, possibly risk spreading the wild magic to others, she called the energy from the ground. It rose like curls of pale blue steam. She wrapped the foggy strands around the lingering trail from the kid, then released it.
She’d hoped it would shoot off in the direction of the greatest concentration, but it only fizzled out into ghostly trails in all directions. Too many people had passed through and disturbed the energy.
Raven tried again and again, using the energy taking a bigger toll each time.
On the third failed attempt, Raven shook her head in defeat. “He’s never shifted, so I’m not able to get a grip on his beast, and his human signature is too faded for me to track. Too much time has passed. If he was anywhere near, I could help, but it would take time.”
Greggory stepped closer, growing larger, more intimidating with each step. “How much time do you need?”
He acted as if he’d steal time for her if that’s what she required. She wished it were so easy. The instant she left to look for the kid, her pack was dead. If she escaped with her pack, the circus would either hunt them down or disappear altogether. “Too long if you want to find him alive.”
Raven stopped rubbing her nose when she found Taggert staring at her. She cocked her head to the side as a totally irrational idea formed. “Taggert, can you get his scent?” She pointed toward Greggory.
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 13
