And instantly noticed they were being watched.
The street where they parked was deserted, no traffic, no hint of pedestrians or clubbers, as if they knew better than to venture down monster alley.
Trespassers could get eaten.
Luca’s excited chatter gradually faded under the grim atmosphere.
London and Jackson patiently waited for her to move first.
When no one attacked, Raven grabbed the door then paused. “Stay alert. We’re no longer alone.”
Without waiting for a response, she exited and took the lead. The temperature was cool, a hint of winter in the air. The night sky remained overcast, ready for her to call down a storm.
As they neared the building, shadows shifted. Raven stopped and tensed. The dragon pressed forward, and energy swirled around her. Static crackled between her fingers, and she wove them into a familiar pattern, a sphere of electricity beginning to take shape.
Griffin stepped forward, hands raised in surrender, his gazed riveted on her hand. “You made it.”
His covert approach made sense, since rogues needed to be sneaky and undetected if they wanted to survive.
Raven closed her fingers, crushing the globe, sucking in a sharp breath then shaking out her hand at the bite of pain. Energy didn’t want to fall dormant, fighting her every step, before it gradually faded away. “I’m surprised to see you. Rogues are not usually invited to council meetings.”
He raised a brow, his eyes finally lifting to meet hers. “You don’t know.”
Raven frowned, not liking surprises. “Know what?”
“Rogues have an alpha and territory thanks to you. We’ve earned the right to attend the council meetings.” He lowered his hands, shoving them into his pockets. “Jamie and I decided to show you our support.”
Raven repressed a growl. “You’re putting them in danger.”
He snorted. “Rogues are always in danger. There is no getting around that. You’ve protected them as much as you can. Now they want to do the same for you.” He paused, turning to nod at the building behind him. “They know what they have to lose, but they also have the highest number of missing people. They can help make our case.”
When she opened her mouth, Jackson placed a hand on her arm. “Trust them.”
It went against everything in her to put others in danger, but both men were right. There was more at stake than just them. With a scowl, she shrugged off his hold and marched toward the door. When she entered the club, she found the unnatural silence jarring.
The hallway was empty, a last reprieve before she faced the council. There was no décor in the confining space, except for one prominent word clawed into the heavy wooden panels. Drawn forward, she lifted her hand, letting her fingers sink into the grooves.
She shivered, swearing she could feel the presence of Durant’s tiger where he so boldly marked his territory.
“Holy shit, that’s cool.” Luca stopped at her side and lifted his hand to mimic her, but stopped short of touching, as if he sensed the intent behind the word…mine.
The club had its own rules, and Durant ran it with an iron fist.
This was his territory.
You messed with it, and you messed with him.
A slight pressure brushed against her shield, a polite knock, and Raven recognized the signature. “Durant?”
“Please be careful. I don’t like the tone of the club. Something’s wrong.”
Her senses sharpened. “A trap?”
“Uncertain.” He hesitated just a fraction of a second, the action telling.
“Keep your distance until we know more.” She would not put him in danger, or have him risk ownership of his club on her account.
His tiger gave a rumble of displeasure, but he didn’t protest. “Agreed.”
As he severed the connection, his essence wrapped around her like a giant hug, and his natural calmness seeped into her. She pushed through the second door and entered the club with more confidence than she had all evening.
The room was packed, with over three hundred people crowded into the space, and all of them some sort of paranormal. Raven was surprised they were waiting so passively, since their more primal side was known for striking first and asking questions later.
Everyone was tense, and she could sense their curiosity pressing against her shields. Raven had no doubt that they came because of her. While some might be counted as friends, she didn’t recognize the majority.
“Oh, shit.” Luca’s voice was only a breath of air, and echoed her sentiments exactly.
She expected unease or awkwardness, but there was a calculation in his expression when he surveyed the room. He took in the exits, the biggest threats. The amulets subtly brightened under his shirt when he began to invoke a spell, his magic splashing against her like a brush of cobwebs.
The spell snapped into place around them.
A shield.
Those who wished them harm would not be able to pass without receiving a nasty shock that would knock them on their asses, but not enough to pull their beasts forward.
Griffin’s observation about the paranormal community being uneasy was correct, but he had underestimated the strength of their disquiet. They came tonight to judge her. She could almost see the bloodthirstiness in a few of them, their fear urging them to rip her apart.
Her gaze connected with Durant’s from across the room. He leaned casually against the wall near his office, his pose deceptively lazy, but his golden eyes gave away his agitation. He was big and lean, everything about him polished and unruffled…until you noticed the stiff way he held himself.
It took all his willpower to keep from coming to her.
The heat in his eyes kicked up a notch when he caught her gawking at him, and she felt her face warm. A smirk kicked up the corners of his mouth, and he relaxed at her telling reaction.
Movement at the other end of the room caught her attention, and she reluctantly tore herself away from the distraction that was Durant. Jamie and two of his pack members rose. They wove around the tables and strode toward her, their attention locked solely on her. Some people glanced away in disgust, others bared their fangs, but not a one raised a hand against them.
Jamie stopped before her and gave a short bow, showing his allegiance. His men followed suit. Then they swept around and stood at her back. The men were big and vicious, their beasts close to the surface, violence waiting to erupt.
She wasn’t sure how they were able to do it, but they kept their calm.
The aggression level went through the roof. Murmurs ran throughout the room, a few packs shifted uncomfortably, while a number of others stood straighter, their claws slipping free from their skin, their fangs flashing as their lips curled back.
Ignoring all of them, Raven focused on the biggest threat in the room.
The four men and one woman seated on the dais at the back of the room.
The infamous council.
They were the strongest of the paranormals, purebreds of their species, and had fought tooth and claw for their positions. They studied her impassively, and a sudden suspicion left her chilled in its wake.
“You summoned me.” Raven didn’t doubt it for a second, no matter what Griffin believed. She needed to tread carefully, already able to feel the steel jaws of a trap ready to snap around her neck.
“A few concerns about your recent behavior have been brought to our attention.” Donaldson sat in the middle, the spokesperson and leader of the group. Power was tightly leashed around him, and he contained it with iron control. The imposing wolf reminded her of Griffin…the father and son a matching pair in strength and power. He gave nothing away while he watched their approach.
Raven cocked her head, hearing an undertone to his voice. They’d worked well together in the past, but shifters always did whatever was needed to protect their own. She understood his unspoken warning to tread carefully.
“This is an official inquiry,” Donaldson continued.
The o
ld wolf at the end of the table held up his hands. “Before we begin, let’s clear the room of the unwanted.” Hatred burned in his eyes as he stared at her group with disgust, as if they’d invaded his territory and pissed on his shoes for good measure.
He was old school down to the bone, and clearly despised rogues.
And he obviously blamed her for their presence.
“Actually, they have every right to be here. They have their own alpha, they have territory, and they have the numbers. They pass the stringent rules required to attend.” Raven refused to back down. If she relented, any ground the rogues had gained in the past few weeks would be for nothing, and the shifters’ kill first and ask questions later rule for rogues would continue unabated. “What happens tonight will impact them as well.”
The old wolf puffed up, affronted that she would challenge him. He opened his mouth to retaliate, when the witch spoke. “I would like to hear what they have to say.”
Heloise was the only female, and the only witch. She looked regal—a beautiful, cold queen. Her light coffee-colored skin gave her an almost ageless appearance. Most would assume because she was a woman, she would be the weakest link. They would be wrong.
Her spine was made of pure steel, ruthlessness second nature to her. If anyone had any doubts about her intent, all they had to do was peer into her spooky, deep brown eyes. They were so dark they appeared almost black. Shadows moved in their depths, tortured souls withering in torment, begging for mercy. Raven saw flashes of the past in those eyes, when voodoo priestesses ruled the world.
Heloise gave her a slight nod, and Raven knew that she would receive no more concessions from the board tonight. Raven had risked her life to save Heloise’s coven, but it didn’t mean they were friends—more like uneasy allies, and only if Raven stretched the truth a bit.
“Agreed.” The vampire of the group resembled a teenager, but there was a stillness to him that belied such innocence. She could practically feel the blood of the dead he’d consumed throughout the centuries saturating his body. There was something in his expression when he looked at her that worried her more than anything…curiosity.
The old wolf growled, and Raven smothered her smile of relief at passing the first hurdle, resisting the urge to antagonize the wolf further. From this point forward, things were going to become progressively worse.
The large cat sighed dramatically, his leg lazily swinging where it rested over the arm of his chair, almost like the annoyed twitch of a tail. Raven didn’t mistake him for weak, knowing he could spring into action at a moment’s notice. His gaze dropped from the ceiling to sweep over her dismissively. “Let’s just get this over with, shall we? The council has concerns about your growth in power. Tell us, have you gained the ability to shift forms?”
Shifters learned to change at puberty. If they couldn’t shift at that time, they almost never mastered the skill. Those who couldn’t shift were considered weak, and not worthy of notice. Raven lifted her chin, not at all ashamed. She felt more comfortable in the shadows. “No.”
An uneasy silence crawled through the room when no one spoke.
Then the cat snorted and turned toward the council, dismissing her. “She’s not a true shifter. Problem solved.”
“I disagree.” Heloise shook her head, her eyes locking on Raven. “We’ve heard rumors that you plan to challenge the council for rule.”
Raven went lightheaded at the thought—she’d rather be turned over to the labs—and the true reason for her being summoned became startlingly clear. “I have no interest in taking over anything. My goal is to find my missing pack member.”
“But you don’t dispute that you have the power to take the leadership if you wanted.” Heloise’s voice was silky smooth. “You have nominal ability to use magic. You have some sway over the shifters and vampires. Your association with the rogues is troublesome to more than a few packs.”
Understanding dawned.
They were scared.
If she didn’t answer very carefully, she would find herself challenged over and over again, until she was dead, and everything she’d worked for…her pack…would be dismantled. “The council works because there’s more than one person in charge. It offers equality, a balance, so one person can’t destroy us from within. No single ruler would work in these modern times.”
A full minute of silence fell. Durant pushed away from the wall, and she shook her head just a fraction. He looked pissed, before reluctantly subsiding, his arms crossed, as if to stop himself from charging forward to pick her up and carry her to safety.
Her pack shifted, Luca standing next to her, while the others spread out a bit more, as if preparing to fight their way free.
The tension in the room thickened, and her patience snapped. “We have more pressing concerns. I want permission from the council to investigate the reports of missing people.”
“Shifters travel in and out of different territories all the time.” The old wolf shrugged away her concerns as unimportant.
“I think that’s exactly what you’re supposed to believe, but what about the others? The ones who aren’t shifters?” Raven refused to give up.
“You mean your missing Rylan.” The vampire tilted his head in inquiry.
“Him, yes, and hundreds of others who have gone missing in recent years.” Her heart ached at the mention of Rylan’s name, and she carefully adverted her eyes to avoid being mesmerized. Something about this vampire’s nearly black eyes raised her hackles. “You think I had something to do with his disappearance.”
“You’ve already been cleared.” The young vampire shook his head, the intelligence in his gaze revealing his true age. “Rylan has gone missing on and off throughout the years. Why is now any different?”
He looked willing to be convinced. He didn’t believe Rylan simply walked away any more than she did. “I think they were purposely taken. Rylan would never have left the pack defenseless. He was in charge while I was away.”
Donaldson spoke for the first time. “Taken by whom?”
Raven debated what to say, knowing they wouldn’t believe the truth, but lying was out of the question when some shifters could sense falsehoods. “I believe the humans have begun their experiments again.”
A number of shifters in the room scoffed at the thought of humans taking shifters against their will. Donaldson just sighed. “Myths.”
Raven knew she’d lost them. No shifters would believe that a human could overpower them. She couldn’t let it go that easily. “And if it’s not?”
“Then they were weak and deserved to be taken.” The cat waved a dismissive hand, losing interest and returned to studying the ceiling.
She was appalled and pissed. “You’re underestimating humans. War is coming. We might have strength and power on our side, but they have the numbers. And if their experiments are successful, we won’t stand a chance.”
Her declaration gained the undivided attention of the council, an uncomfortable place to be. “What could it hurt to allow me to investigate?”
After a moment’s pause, Donaldson finally nodded. “I call a vote.”
The cat went first. “Nay.”
The old wolf quickly followed. “Nay.”
Donaldson studied her for a few seconds, then dipped his head. “Aye.”
“Aye.” The vampire blinked for the first time, breaking his stare.
Everyone focused on Heloise. She sighed heavily. “I’ll agree…with the cravat that all participation must be voluntary.”
With those words, she doomed the investigation before it even began. No alpha would come forward and admit they had pack members missing. It would make them appear weak.
Donaldson compressed his lips at the stipulation. Even the vampire exhaled in disgust, a special feat in itself since vampires didn’t need to breathe. “Then we’re settled.”
“Not quite.” The old wolf leaned forward, his yellow eyes pinning her in place. “We’re giving her exactly what she wants, but
I’m not satisfied by her constant use of power to terrorize and intimidate the rest of the packs. I want her oath to serve the council.”
The room erupted in a cacophony of voices, and even the other council members look taken aback. Durant strode through the crowd, anger vibrating in the air around him like a physical beast. Everyone wisely stepped out of his path, the crowd parting around him like a rock in a river. As he passed under the dimmed lighting, the subtle stripes in his hair gleamed, reminding her of his tiger counterpart, and she itched to run her hands over him, needing his soothing calm. The room gradually quieted, no one wanting to miss what would happen next.
None of them looked happy.
Durant stopped before her, the protest from his cat vibrating in his chest. He cupped her chin, lifting her face up to his. “Tell them no.”
It was a demand.
Raven had done her best to avoid the drama of the paranormal world over the years, so she didn’t have a clue what they were asking of her. “What do they want?” she whispered
“Servitude. Forever.”
Jackson headed toward her, not stopping until he stood at her side. “It’s also an honor to be chosen. It’s a way to show favoritism.”
Raven doubted that was why the old wolf made his demand. She grabbed Durant’s wrists, waiting until she had his undivided attention. “Tell me.”
“I took the oath in exchange for ownership of my club. Randolph took the oath, and is now their trained killer. Your loyalties will be divided. If you break your oath to them, you will not only lose your pack, but be hunted down and killed.”
Her breath hitched at the harsh penalties. Both Durant and Randolph were indomitable men. The only way they would bend is if they were offered something they wanted more. Durant got his club. It made her wonder what Randolph had wanted so badly he was willing to sign over his freedom. “Do you trust me?”
The rumbling purr she so adored immediately halted. She found it unnerving to be the focus of all his attention, as if the rest of the world didn’t exist for him, and the dragon stretched beneath her skin, pleased at the attention. “With my life.”
Raven smiled up at him, stunned by his prompt answer, and reluctantly released him. She stepped around him, grateful for his presence at her back, his warmth soaking into her, offering her his silent support. She met the gazes of each council member. Donaldson and Heloise looked perturbed, since they already knew her well enough to know she would never willingly give her oath.
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 30
