The guard glanced in her direction, then faltered. His beast shimmered in his eyes, recognizing her for what she really was … a female alpha.
The distraction was all Durant needed.
One blow to the jaw, and the little hyena dropped like a stone.
Raven stepped over his body, more than ready to leave this place.
“We’ll stay to the back, remain in the shadows.” He gave her a pointed look. “Don’t draw attention to yourself.”
Instead of lying outright, Raven just nodded.
It was the best she could promise.
Durant narrowed his eyes, noticing the lapse, but didn’t say more as he tossed back the canvas flap.
The noise doubled as soon as they entered the tent, people yelling and cheering. Curiosity drew her forward. Durant snatched at her arm, but she slipped away from him until she could see what captured everyone’s attention, but she feared she already knew.
Jackson.
“Remember folks, you’ll get one night to do whatever you want, just short of death.” Clancy gave a smarmy smile, winking at the women and nodding to the men, working the crowd.
A growl came from her side, the ghost wolf shimmering into view as his attention latched onto Clancy. The wolf hunkered down and wound his way through the audience, the ghostly form vanishing as soon as he left her side.
“Sold to the beautiful woman in red.”
Raven’s head snapped up and swung to the left where a group of five women smiled and whooped. The girl in red fanned her face, eyeing Jackson like a lollypop she wanted to lick. She boldly sashayed forward with a sexy swagger, her eyes greedily eating up Jackson.
The same woman who’d marked him the previous night.
Raven studied Jackson to find him staring blindly into the crowd, his face grim, but nothing would appease her beast as she sank her claws in her chest … just like she wanted to do to that bitch in red.
Durant cursed but didn’t try to stop her as she strode through the crowd, her control held by threads.
Clancy gave a smug, self-confident smile to the woman and guided her toward Jackson, placing her hand on his naked skin.
Something inside Raven snapped.
Electricity surged toward her, and she welcomed the voltage even as it soaked into her skin like acid. Pain twisted into pleasure, euphoria speeding through her veins to be using her power again. Red tainted magic merged with the blue cooling electrical current, coating the glass bulbs strung at the peak of the tent.
The lights dimmed, flickered then went supernova, lighting up every inch of the tent like it had fallen into the sun. The overload lasted for seconds before the lights began to pop. One after another, seconds apart, they shattered, raining glass down onto the confused crowd.
Over a thousand bulbs popped in under a minute.
Guided by magic, the glass seemed to target the people, slicing them, almost as if they craved the taste of blood.
The world turned into chaos as people screamed and panicked, stampeding toward the exits to get away from the deadly rain. Not content to wait, the humans tore at the bottom of the canvas, dropping to their stomachs to wiggle out.
The faint glow of the ghost wolf shimmered into view as he romped in the crowd like a little puppy, nipping at those who didn’t move fast enough.
Pleasure shimmered through her at the mayhem, and Raven knew the tainted magic was influencing her. The knowledge cooled her enjoyment. She pulled back, drawing the current back into her.
Much to her surprise, it obeyed without protest like an obedient child, curling back into her body with a contented hum.
Clancy appeared confused but not fearful, solid as a rock in the middle of all the discord as he scanned the crowd for the source.
Then his gaze locked on her.
His eyes widened, then narrowed before allowing himself to be swept away. It took less than five minutes to empty the tent.
Jackson calmly closed the distance between them, heat kindling in his eyes until they glowed a vivid green. “You came.”
Surprise flashed across his face before he could cover it, as if he expected her to leave him to his fate as punishment for their argument. She wanted to smack him for his stupidity … and craved to touch him and wipe off the other woman’s stench. Instead, she curled her fingers into fists, knowing he wouldn’t welcome her caress.
Hurt crackled in her chest so strong she thought her heart was breaking. Even the beast retreated to get away from the pain. Loss hollowed out her chest, where it once carried a warm glow of attraction, and some emotion she couldn’t put a name to.
It was too new. Too fragile to describe.
And now it was gone.
Jackson reached to touch her face, and she flinched. “Don’t.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Clancy’s voice boomed into the hollow tent until it felt like the vile man spoke from inside her head. She should be more freaked out, but Raven could only be relieved by the reprieve. She whirled away from both men and hurried toward the entrance, anything to get away from the tension creeping up her spine.
She needed to finish this before her pack was completely ripped apart from the inside out.
A few of the men and women looked furious enough to strangle the ringmaster, deadly and dangerous enough to do it, too. If he had been human, no doubt they would’ve tried.
“Please, return tomorrow and enjoy the night on me.” Clancy’s eyes flashed black as if it hurt him to give away money. In less than five minutes, the circus had emptied of people, leaving behind confused shifters and circus workers.
Clancy roared, “Find me that bitch!”
The dragon gave a little rumble of satisfaction at the coming confrontation, and Raven stepped out of the shadows before the others could stop her.
Enough was enough.
“Were you looking for me?” she asked sweetly.
“You just killed your boy.” Clancy gave a nod to one of his soldiers. “Kill the useless whelp.”
Then he waved at two more men. “Get the wolf and tiger back into their cages. We’ll decide their punishment in the morning.”
When first soldier lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth, panic reached through her chest and seized her heart. Without thinking, she grabbed the tiny spark of power from the battery and sucked down the juice in one gulp. The charge snapped along her nerve endings like static shock, leaving her body craving more.
The device gave a chirp of distress, then wound down in a slow death song. The man quickly dropped it as if stung. The other two men stopped short as energy whipped through the air at the small use of her gift. “One more step, and I’ll do the same to you.”
A lie.
The second she dared to use a large amount of her power, the fury of the storm would rain down and kill them all in its search for her. Thunder cracked, the very air vibrating with the sound. Wind tugged her hair free, the storm urging her to take and use the building charge. Like an addict, her fingers shook with temptation.
As a conduit, she could call down the lightning, but it wouldn’t be long before she became overpowered. If the energy leaked, it would infect the others.
If shifters absorbed too much electricity, they would go furry … maybe even feral. The humans wouldn’t survive so well either. If the shock didn’t outright stop their hearts, the shifters would slaughter them for sport.
To her relief, the guards didn’t move. She turned to the root of the evil—Clancy.
The faster she could get rid of him, the sooner she could escape the storm. “You’re nothing more than a bully, and that’s the last time you threaten what’s mine.”
Clancy let loose a booming laugh. “You might have some magical talent, I’ll give you that, little girl, but you’re not nearly strong enough to stop me.” All amusement vanished and he glanced over her shoulder. Her soul shriveled when his gaze landed on her men. “Get on your knees.”
The strength of his alpha power slammed into them
all at once, the effect like a car had fallen on top of her head. Both men grunted at the impact, Jackson growled and Durant swore.
The pack connection thinned, smothered under the assault.
The men staggered under the command.
A stronger alpha can break the connection and claim her pack as his own.
Not happening.
Not without a fight.
Raven shoved back, and Clancy grunted at the impact. Then the bastard pulled power from his pack. She could see the links between his shifters flare to life as he sucked it all toward him, uncaring that if he keep stealing the power, he would kill his own people.
She never expected Clancy to be able to wield so much power, the air all but being pulled from her lungs as it tightened around her. Desperate to breathe, her hands twitched against the urge to claw at her throat.
Raven gathered all the electricity stored in her bones. When a fine mist of red tainted magic twined around her cool, blue current, she hesitated, and the power stuttered.
The dragon nudged her forward with a swipe of her paw, the strength nearly knocking her on her ass … asking for her trust.
Trust that she wouldn’t accidently sentence her pack to death.
It could be a trap.
Without her pack there to balance her, she would not be able to keep the dragon in check.
She would become the deadly threat the witches had warned about.
“Do it.” Durant held out his hand, Jackson quickly mimicking him.
She marveled at their complete faith … how could she do any less.
Instead of throwing the current she’d gathered at Clancy, she reached back and clamped her hands down on their wrists. The tainted magic didn’t seem interested in the men and relief nearly cut the strength out of her legs. Electricity arced through the pack connection, shredding the strings Clancy tried to tighten around her men faster than he could form more.
The excess energy crackled with power, so strong it vibrated in the air around them. The ghost wolf shimmered at her side, absorbing some of the extra current.
She could feel its need for vengeance obliterate all thoughts, and she turned toward Clancy. “I warned you. You’ve touched my men for the last time.”
The demand for blood slammed into her like a compulsion. The tainted magic swelled in her veins, and she struggled to hold it back. She couldn’t risk it infecting Clancy and spreading to his whole pack. The three of them weren’t equipped to fight walking, killing, unstoppable zombie shifters.
The tainted magic sputtered, then centered into her palm as if her flesh was being filleted from bone. Her fingers twitched and curled, the pressure increasing until a blaze of light spiraled through the air.
The red mist thickened, shimmered then slowly faded … leaving her holding her sword.
Clancy took a step back in surprise, the first hint of alarm etched on his face. “What the hell kind of witch are you?”
Everyone leapt away as if sensing the coming battle. The hope for freedom tinged the faces of some, and they lingered to watch the outcome.
“No witch, not really.” Raven locked him in her sight and began circling him like prey. “I’m an alpha.”
Clancy blanched, sweat pouring down his face and drenching his shirt. His panic urged her beast to attack. Until he could banish his fear, he couldn’t grab enough power to order his pack, but it was only a matter of time. His nervous gaze jumped from one person to the next as he searched for aid, but no one dared meet his stare lest they become ensnared by his beast and fall under his sway again. The humans sensed the danger and wisely kept to themselves.
She’d basically bitch-slapped his beast when she severed his attempt to take over her pack. The bull was so massive and strong, she doubted anyone had been able to do that in a long time.
“There is no escape.” She edged closer, her fingers clenched around the sword, pleased at the feel of comforting metal against her palm.
It made her feel invincible, able to conquer the world.
Her brows furrowed and a sense of unease prickled along her nerves as if she’d rolled around in a cactus plant. The tainted magic was influencing her. She gave a single thought of pulling back, and her hand reflexively tightened on the sword in denial.
It refused to be parted again, especially not with her pack in danger.
In a fair fight, she had a chance to beat him, but she very much doubted he had enough honor to play fair. Without using the electricity from the storm, the sheer number of Clancy’s men would eventually overwhelm her. If he managed to kill her, his stranglehold on his pack would increase. She could see the knowledge in his eyes.
It all came down to one question.
Could he run far and fast enough to survive the death sentence for killing a valuable and rare female alpha?
She’d give him a week.
Two at most.
He came to the same realization.
The best he could hope for would be to wound her and escape.
Like a rat caught in a cage, he searched for a way out, and his attention stopped at something beyond her. Malicious glee crossed his face as all his good cheer returned. “Greggory! Kill her.”
Raven whirled, not giving either man her back. The tip of her sword dropped toward the ground as the slim bear strode out of the crowd. “Greggory?”
“I hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” Face grim, he tugged his shirt over his head. “I told you to run.”
“What are you doing?” Raven was too stunned to move. Clancy had found the perfect way to kill her and not take the blame. Clever that and it galled her to be outsmarted by the likes of him.
The air shimmered around him as he prepared to shift.
If he turned into a beast, it wouldn’t even be a battle.
“You don’t have to obey him.” She dropped into her second sight, but couldn’t find any strings connecting them to enforce the order. Nothing she could cut to free him. “I can help you.”
She didn’t want to fight him. He might not be innocent, but he was a good man. He stood by a moral code, doing what needed to be done to save those around him.
A bitter smile twisted his lips. “I am bound to obey.”
“Bound?” Her brows furrowed, then things clicked into place. It wasn’t the Clancy he wanted to protect. “The kid.”
He nodded, determination tightening his jaw. “The kid.”
Raven had known that the kid was the key.
A wave of helplessness clawed at her.
They were so close, they just needed a few more minutes.
“Taggert’s been searching for him all day. We’ll find him. If we work together, we can take down Clancy and eliminate the threat once and for all.”
“I can’t take that risk.”
She listened to the nuances of his voice, something niggling at the back of her mind. “Can’t?”
His muscles tensed at the soft murmur, his whole body strumming with emotion.
She dropped into her second sight, searching for something she missed. Urgency dug its claws into her when things finally began to make sense.
Why his lines were attached to different packs.
Why they tasted different.
Why they were so different from a normal pack bindings.
“You’re not bound to a pack, not in the normal sense. You’re bound to the boy, like some type of specialized bodyguard. With each job, you take an oath, and bind yourself to your clients. You actually need to protect them, don’t you?”
He closed his eyes in surrender. “I am truly sorry.”
And she could tell that he really was … even as his skin rippled, preparing to rip her apart.
Chapter Twenty-four
Raven should’ve attacked Greggory while at his weakest, during the change, but she couldn’t make herself lift the sword. “What if I can cut the ties to the boy?”
His mouth pursed as if she’d asked him to eat shit. “I’m a Warden. I’ve given my oath.”
Great, now she offended him.
Big black claws curled from his fingers, each well over an inch long. He wasn’t going to stop coming after her until one of them was dead. Hampered by the storm, she wasn’t sure which one of them would come out alive.
“What is a Warden?” Raven resolutely tightened her hand around her sword, but kept the blade pointed down. As much as she hated it, if he gave her no choice, she would kill him.
The question seemed to throw Greggory, and he stopped advancing.
Which only served to infuriate Clancy. “Just kill the bitch.”
Hatred darkened Greggory’s eyes, and he clicked his claws in agitation. Clancy was a dead man walking. As soon as the kid was safe, Greggory would tear the ringmaster into itty-bitty confetti pieces.
Raven ignored the tyrant and focused on one very important fact … Greggory didn’t want to kill her. She intended to use that to her advantage.
Every minute counted, giving Taggert enough time to locate the kid and get back.
He had to be close.
“Don’t you think I deserve to know?”
As if to antagonize Clancy, Greggory crossed his arms and studied her thoughtfully. “You really don’t know?”
Raven shrugged her shoulder, hating to reveal her stupidity. “I’m learning as I go.”
“Dangerous that.” His face softened as their gazes connected. “Very well. An alpha is usually born an alpha. In some rare cases, shifters can become stronger as they get older. They gain the strength of an alpha, but they don’t have all the abilities to control a pack. It’s not something one can learn, but it doesn’t stop some from still trying. While some are content to remain part of the pack, the majority ended up being pushed out by their alphas. They don’t want the competition. We’re too big of a threat to their rule.”
He said the words like a history lesson, impersonal and detached, but emotions rolled beneath the surface. Raven narrowed her eyes. “You never had any interest in building your own pack.”
His lips kicked up at the corners. “I’m part of a pack already. I have no need to build my own.”
“So a Warden is an alpha without a pack?”
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 21
