Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet

by Stacey Brutger

  Durant didn’t move, his chest brushing against hers with every breath. He scanned her face, as if he could see the truth there, before he finally nodded. “You’re not going alone.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Raven shoved him away, cursing when the hard muscles refused to budge even a smidge. She resisted the urge to growl at him. “It would’ve been better if I was alone. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of you.”

  Before he could say anything else, she ducked under his arm and stalked toward the front of the vehicle. The front bumper practically kissed the trunk of a giant redwood. Wilderness surrounded them, the road behind them two barely-visible ruts nearly swallowed up and reclaimed by the forest.

  The air should have been refreshing, but it had a slight, nauseating taint.

  The labs.

  Her stomach cramped at the familiar smell, and she curled her fingers into fists to stop their shaking. “We’re close.”

  London turned toward her, his heavy brows slamming down. “How do you know?”

  “It’s in the air, a faint rot, a hint of something wrong.” Even the trees didn’t look normal, their branches stunted, more than a third of them bare of any needles or leaves. Vegetation covered the ground, the scraggly limbs twisted, stretching toward her as if to drag her back. “You can’t smell it?”

  They were shifters. Their senses should be sharper than her own. It chilled her that none of them noticed anything wrong. She wanted to blame it on her imagination, but knew it was more than that. Evil had infected the area, warping what should have been beautiful place. Even the sounds were muted, as if afraid to draw attention to themselves. The labs had been in the area so long they must have seeped into the soil and infected everything.

  Dominick stood motionless, his wolf practically bristling. “There is something, but it’s everywhere. I can’t tell what direction it’s coming from.”

  Griffin focused on her, concern and determination shading his eyes. “Can you follow the scent?”

  Raven wanted to deny it. If she did, they could all go home and stay safe, but that would only work for so long. Sooner or later her past would catch up with her, and destroy everything in its path if she didn’t stop it first. “This way.”

  It took everything inside her to force her foot off the road.

  The dragon was hypervigilant, so close to the surface her skin ached. It took in every aspect of their surroundings until the sensory overload began to make her head throb. By the time they reached the labs, she’d be such a nervous wreck a mouse fart would set her off.

  Wanting to get it over with, Raven picked up speed, letting the beast take over, effortlessly weaving through the trees. Though she was a city girl, not used to the forest, her dragon knew what to do.

  After an hour, she noticed there were far fewer animals. The trees had turned brown, the brittle, dried and decaying leaves crunching under their feet. Birds kept their chirping muted as they flew over the area looking for prey, but none ever swooped low, as if they knew it was a trap.

  The path turned craggy, the forest floor more and more rocky the farther they went up the mountain. Air was thinner, the trail more challenging.

  Ten minutes later, Dominick darted in front of her.

  She’d been so lost in her worries, she nearly plowed into him. She twisted aside at the last moment, her shoulder slamming into a tree. Branches snapped, and she nearly landed face-first against a boulder. Whirling, she snarled at Dominick. “What the hell?”

  Just as furious, he bared his fangs. “You’ve been leading us in circles.”

  Raven stared over his shoulder, refusing to meet his piercing gaze. “Something’s wrong.”

  The men gathered closer.

  And damn them, out of all of them, only she was slightly winded and sweaty.

  Durant edged toward her. “Are we being followed?”

  “No.” No one besides Randolph. He ghosted behind them like a creepy, unseen shadow they couldn’t shake. His grim presence made her more on edge, but the sense of wrongness was about more than that.

  The more silent the forest, the more uneasy she became.

  Something eerie hovered over the mountainside.

  Something wicked that was trying to reach out and ensnare them.

  The longer they remained, the more it wound around them, as if deciding which one of them to devour first.

  London lumbered through the trees like his Kodiak counterpart, almost disappearing in them from one step to the next. “I’m not sensing anything.”

  Raven shrugged. “That doesn’t change the fact that something’s out there.”

  They accepted her words at face value, every one of them turning to study their surroundings more closely.

  Dominick shook himself and turned back to her. “Then let’s head toward the site, get in and out as quickly as possible, and leave this hellhole. I have a feeling we don’t want to be around when night falls.”

  They crested the next ridge twenty-five minutes later, and Raven stopped dead.

  Recognition slammed into her as she surveyed the large clearing.

  Even after all these years, nothing had grown but scraggly grass. The place was riddled with rubble, large craters where the building had once stood were like wounds in the earth.

  The place reeked of death, something even time couldn’t erase.

  It screamed a warning. Go away! Run while you have the chance.

  Durant halted by her side and proceeded to hover. For once, Raven didn’t have the heart to push him away, not when her legs shook at the prospect of taking another step. A bright moon began to rise over the treetops, the silver rays hiding more than revealing.

  Fog wove between the trunks like spirits rising from their graves.

  “Do you feel it now?”

  She barely spoke above a whisper, not wanting to draw the attention of the ghosts crowding the small glen. Memories of stumbling away from the destruction haunted her mind. Even now, she could see the unrecognizable bodies lying strewn over the scorched earth, stones stained with so much blood that every breath left a metallic taste in her mouth.

  Durant nodded sharply.

  She edged closer to the center of the glen, each step a struggle, the dragon twitching and grumbling with unease.

  Breathing became harder, the air thicker, as if it had turned to stone.

  Only a few yards separated her from the gaping hole in ground when a snarl echoed through the trees. The pack immediately went back-to-back, keeping her trapped in the middle.

  Preventing her from fighting.

  “You don’t need to treat me like a fragile human.”

  Tiny platelets slotted together under her skin, and the dragon roared to the surface, its drive to hunt and rip its prey to shreds nearly uncontrollable. She struggled to contain the urge—the last time it happened, she destroyed everything in her path, and the proof lay scattered around her.

  “Then stop acting like it. Snap out of it.” London moved restlessly, those enormous hands of his balled into fists, ready to crack a skull with a single blow. “If they get past us, you need to be prepared to do what is necessary to stay alive.”

  He was right.

  Enough getting lost wandering in the past.

  If she didn’t focus on the here and now, she would become a liability.

  As the predators streaked through the trees, tiny pinpricks of light from their eyes gave away their positions, the wild creatures bearing down on them at an alarming rate.

  These weren’t normal wolves, they were lab rats, creatures genetically altered by sadistic doctors to make their elite army, pure animals in human form. They were faster and stronger than normal shifters, and absolutely unrelenting.

  It took every ounce of courage for her to ignore the nearly overwhelming fear that they had been sent to drag her back.

  “Don’t hurt them. We need them alive. They’re what’s left of the labs. If anyone knows what’s happening here, it
will be them.”

  London swore colorfully. Fighting a shifter was difficult. Fighting and not killing them was a near-impossible task, since they healed so fast.

  As soon as one was knocked down, they would just get back up again.

  The first wolves broke through the tree line and poured into the clearing, sweeping over the forest floor in waves…two…four…ten and more coming.

  The two sides charged toward each other and collided, the fighting savage, all teeth and claws.

  London was brutal and efficient, an economy of movement as he disabled his opponent in a few vicious blows before searching for another.

  Next to him, Griffin fought dirty, a pure street fighter, but no less brutal or efficient. He brought his arm up to a charging wolf, flipped the youngster over it, then slammed his boot down to crush his throat. Before he had a chance to incapacitate his opponent, another wolf charged.

  Dominick was a machine, trained to fight, doing what needed to be done with grim determination, while Durant used the hot passion that was so much a part of him, funneling it to ensure none of the wolves reached her, his only concern protecting her. He grabbed one guy by the arm, physically swinging the young pup around before launching him in the air, slamming him into a tree with a bone-jarring thud. He used the agility of his animal to dodge blows, not missing any opportunity to throw an elbow or fist, aiming for the most vulnerable parts.

  His shoulder wound didn’t seem to hinder him. He told her he was healed, but she hadn’t been convinced, maybe because she felt guilty for being the one who’d injured him.

  A boulder at least twice her weight went sailing past her, knocking down five wolves like they were bowling pins. When she turned, she saw London grab another equally huge rock, and heave it over his head at the next group charging toward him.

  Much to her surprise, Randolph stopped observing and waded into the fight, methodical and brutal as he slashed and tore into his opponents, clearly enjoying the rending of flesh as he went.

  No matter how much they hurt and crippled the wolves, they kept getting back up and fighting, neither side relenting, both healing nearly as fast as they were injured.

  Nothing in the attacking wolves remained remotely human, not even their scent.

  Their determination to fight made no sense.

  Lab rats were broken animals, nothing more than dangerous pets. They wouldn’t attack unless…understanding slowly dawned, and Raven wanted to smack herself.

  They were being controlled.

  The wolves would never stop, never admit defeat, not unless she could find the one giving the orders and stop them. Their opponents had the numbers. Eventually, they would wear out her team and kill them if she didn’t do something.

  Ignoring the fight, Raven charged toward the tree line.

  Durant roared in fury, doing his best to protect her back. Much to her surprise, Randolph followed her, destroying everything in his path.

  Two wolves stood in the distance, simply watching the destruction with grim determination.

  “Stop this!”

  Neither reacted to the command.

  Electricity snapped and crackled around her, and she formed a ball of pure energy in her hand. For the first time, they glanced in her direction. Sensing the woman was the linchpin, Raven ignored the man and lobbed the sphere at her.

  Chapter Eight

  The blast threw the woman backwards, where she smacked into a tree and collapsed.

  But instead of admitting defeat, she pushed up on her hands and knees with a snarl, her fangs gleaming in the moonlight. The male stumbled back at the assault then turned toward Raven with a roar.

  Raven didn’t wait, pulling even more energy up from her bones until blue strands of current wrapped around her arms and crackled into the air. The dragon urged her to destroy, the need for violence storming through her like a deep-seated craving.

  The sounds of fighting gradually faded, the wolves abandoning their targets to gather around the girl, as if to protect her.

  Raven’s men gathered at her side, bruised and battered, but still standing. Aggression filled the small glen, the two sides gearing up to battle once more.

  Raven had enough.

  Lightning cracked in the air, then slammed into the ground between the two forces, the earth shaking under the impact. The male stumbled back, lifting his arm to shield his face, while the girl’s eyes turned almost entirely wolf. Some of the lab rats jumped nimbly onto the boulders or scaled the trees, never straying too far from their leader.

  Ozone filled the forest, and Raven’s ears rang for a few seconds, before silence descended.

  “You’re her.” The male lowered his arm, shocked etched across his face. “The girl who took out the labs.”

  Raven swallowed hard, shocked at being recognized, but was spared answering when the girl snarled. “Reed, shut your trap. She left us to rot in that hellhole. She didn’t care what happened to us when she left.”

  Raven had no rebuttal. What the woman said was true. Despite being in no condition to help anyone, shame flooded her. “I didn’t know.”

  It wasn’t an excuse.

  There was no excuse for abandoning them.

  Dominick scowled, coming to her defense. “She gave us a way out, saving us when no one else could be bothered. She did what she could to protect all of us by going after the biggest threat.”

  Raven could see the girl’s wolf fighting to emerge, wanting to break free and tear into her. What surprised her was the wolf seemed to calm when Dominick spoke, only to be antagonized once more when he defended her, snarling at him in rage. “She left us behind to rot!”

  “I had no control left at that point. If I had stayed, chances were I would’ve killed you, too.” The confession was torn from her, the brutal truth revealing her most guilty secret.

  They deserved to know.

  Dominick whirled on her, pushing right up into her space. “You nearly killed yourself to give us a way out. If leaving survivors behind was anyone’s fault, it was mine.”

  He turned to face the girl, his shirt shredded in spots, and stained with blood. A motley of bruises dotted his body, but the worst of the injuries appeared to be healing. “I tried to clear the rubble and rescue those I could, but time was short. The humans weren’t going to be forgiving. I had to save those I could, while I could.”

  As soon as he finished speaking, the girl threw herself at him, only to have Reed catch her midair.

  When she struggled, the man tightened his hold. “Nadia. Behave.”

  Dainty little claws tore free from her fingertips, sinking deep into his arm.

  The man didn’t even flinch.

  She strained against Reed’s grip, completely oblivious to his protection. “You left us there to face the consequences alone! They detonated charges and trapped us like rats in the rubble. The shifters and vampires turned on each other in their panic, and hunted anything with a heartbeat.”

  “The detonations were the labs’ safety protocol that neither Dominick nor I were aware of until too late. If we stayed, we would’ve been trapped with you, or killed.”

  No one spoke for a moment, each group eyeing the other uneasily.

  “You escaped.” Dominick stepped between the two groups, stubborn in his belief that they had done what they could, but Raven still had her doubts.

  “Not all of us.” Reed slowly released Nadia, watching the girl closely, prepared to snatch her up again if she so much as sneezed in the wrong direction. “Only half of us survived. Trapped in the dark, the shifters and vampires went crazy, reverting to their primal instincts. They were in pain and starved, some of them free for the first time in years. We had to do what we could to defend ourselves and escape.”

  He wasn’t blaming Raven, just stating facts, and she envied the calm in his deep voice, an acceptance of what they all had to go through to survive.

  “This is our territory now.” Nadia strode forward, planting her fists on her hips, getti
ng right up in Dominick’s face, her chin high as she stare him in the face. “You’re not welcome here.”

  Dominick stilled, then inhaled deeply, the wolf in him snapping his restraints and leaping forward when she placed a restraining hand on his arm.

  Knowing she was about to unleash hell on them, Raven mentally braced herself. “There is another lab. We came back here to find clues.”

  “Lies. There’s nothing left.” Nadia looked stricken, the lost expression on her face making her appear young for the first time. Then her rage swarmed back. She stalked back and forth, aggression seeping from her every pore, obviously rattled by the news. “We protect our area, and kill anyone who trespasses.”

  Raven narrowed her eyes at the not-so-veiled threat. “It happened before. People are missing. My people.”

  Nadia gave a nasty laugh. “And we should care?”

  “Nadia.” Reed spoke her name like a reprimand.

  For a second, she had the grace to look ashamed. “I would never wish the labs on anyone.”

  Vivid green eyes slammed into her when Reed turned to face her. “Could you be mistaken?”

  His broad shoulders were tense, his body lean, more scrappy than starved. He remained in total charge of himself, as if terrified of what might happen if he lost control. Though he unconsciously moved with the grace of a shifter, there was something a little clumsy about him—a rigid hatred for his other half evident, as if he refused to acknowledge that he was anything but human.

  Raven wished she could tell him she was wrong. “We were targeted. The man taken was a…resident of the original labs here. I believe they are hunting us, trying to recreate the experiments.”

  Everyone froze, and Nadia slowly lifted her head. “You. They want you.”

  Raven couldn’t deny it.

  “They want to make a better me, one they can control. I can’t allow them to create their super soldiers.” And she refused to allow them to continue to capture and torture paranormals, not without retribution.

  Reed and Nadia retreated, their small pack of wolves surrounding them. Harsh whispers were exchanged, and Dominick came to stand at her side. “They know something.”