Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet

by Stacey Brutger

  “We’ll need to be ready,” Taggert said, and the rest of the men nodded.

  Durant’s arms tightened around her, and her stomach pitched with unease. “Which means you will need to accept your fate. You’ve amassed an amazing group of misfits and rogues. You are their queen. Your curse came just when you needed it most. It will draw more people toward you. An army.”

  “And I have no say?” Raven clenched her fingers into fists to hide the way they were shaking.

  “None.” Rylan was ruthless. “We’ll need to prepare you.”

  “Prepare me? For what?” Raven swallowed hard, not sure she wanted to know.

  “To defend what is yours.” Rylan didn’t bat an eyelash as he talked about the coming bloodbath. One way or another war was coming, and her ability to shift would be the key to deciding who lived and who died.

  Chapter Eight

  When Rylan left, the silence deepened, and Raven stood in the middle of the room, staring after him, not sure what to think. She brushed her fingers across her lips, still tingling from his kiss.

  “We also need to discuss the side effects of what you’ll experience if you don’t submit to the mating urges.” Jackson was careful to maintain his distance, but he refused to allow her to duck away from the subject.

  Heat rushed to her face, and she was fiercely glad he’d waited until Rylan left.

  “While Rylan doesn’t go into heat, he’s tied to your powers, and he’ll go through his own personal hell.” Durant reached for her, but she quickly ducked away, facing the three men, unable to understand how their presence made the large room shrink to the size of a closet. “Taggert will have the most difficulty, because he’s tied to your power, and his beast will feel your hunger as well.”

  Raven bit back a protest, her eyes flickering toward Taggert. Instead of being perturbed, the wolf appeared content to have her attention focused on him. His shaggy, blond-streaked hair was loose around his shoulders, he had his shirt off, his chest groomed and completely devoid of hair. Muscles were roped under his skin, his abs rippled as she watched, and she realized that he was posing for her, silently urging her to come closer and touch.

  Raven tore her eyes away, swallowing hard, amazed at how close Taggert came to luring her toward him with something as simple as a look. “So you intend to keep me locked up? For how long?”

  “As long as it takes.” Jackson’s tone was intractable. Nothing she would say would budge him.

  “Unacceptable,” she snapped and began to pace back and forth, fighting to keep herself from edging closer to the guys. Every time she passed them her steps slowed and her breathing changed, trying to catch their scent.

  She shook her head at her foolishness. She was acting like a bitch in heat. If she didn’t want to be treated like one, she needed to learn better restraint. “I have a bounty on my head. They’ll show up here sooner rather than later, and I refuse to leave my pack in danger. I need to find them before they find me.”

  Durant grunted, clearly displeased. “Then you must be prepared for the consequences.”

  She stopped abruptly at his rough tone, whirling to find him gazing at her, the predator in him ready to come out to play. The change left her more than a little leery. “Explain.”

  “Not only are you a female in heat, you’re a rare female alpha.”

  “What he means is,” Jackson was clearly frustrated at her refusal to listen to their advice, “if males catch your scent, they will follow you around in droves. You don’t have a full pack to guard you, leaving just us to protect you when they try to take what they want. And more will come.”

  Raven rolled her eyes at his dramatic tone. “You exaggerate.”

  None of the guys spoke or even shared a glance.

  One by one, they solemnly shook their heads.

  “A female shifter is rare.” Taggert had edged closer when she wasn’t looking, until he was once more within touching distance. “Without a pack to protect an eligible female, she wouldn’t last a day on her own. You might be able to protect yourself, but your body will crave touch. If you wait too long, it won’t care who does the touching as long as they feed the need.”

  To prove his point, he lifted his hand, running the backs of his fingers against her neck, then dragging them across her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Her knees weakened pathetically, and the craving for more left her skin tingling almost painfully.

  Only when he stepped away did she gulp for air, stunned by her response.

  “The heat leaves you weak and at a disadvantage.” Jackson grumbled. “Not to mention that you’re being hunted. If you’re taken and they discover you’re in heat…” His eyes turned yellow with rage at the thought, his wolf rising to the surface.

  “If you keep denying the mating heat, it will only get stronger.” Durant warned bluntly. “Being in heat will make us ineffective as well.” He raked her up and down with a look. “You will distract us.”

  Raven snapped her mouth shut. They seemed so unmoved, she hadn’t been aware of just how strongly they were affected until now. She allowed herself to study Durant and noticed the way he gripped his hands on his hips, as if holding himself back from lunging for her.

  Her mouth went dry. Maybe she should be afraid, but she wasn’t. She trusted them. “What do you suggest?”

  The guys exchanged glances—again—she was getting sick of their knowing looks.

  It never boded well for her.

  “Just spit it out.”

  “Touch will keep the worst of the symptoms at bay.” Jackson spoke so casually, she narrowed her eyes on him, searching for the lie.

  She swallowed hard, unconsciously rubbing her arms, the touch painful and scratchy. “Symptoms?”

  “All your senses will sharpen,” Taggert added.

  “Your skin will become sensitized,” Durant whispered at her back, so close that his breath caressed the nape of her neck, making her shiver.

  She turned quickly, not wanting him where she couldn’t see him. It would be just like the sneaky bastard to take advantage of her weakness for him and seduce her. One touch and she would be a puddle at his feet. “And if I refuse?”

  Jackson straightened away from the wall and shrugged casually. “Your beast will become stronger and more feral.”

  His tone was even, not giving away a hint of emotion, but his eyes told her he spoke from experience. He’d lost his beast once, unable to shift. If anyone knew the consequences of denying your alternate nature, it would be him.

  “And the hit list?”

  “We have time enough to worry about that tomorrow.”

  Disappointment that nothing had been resolved sent her stomach pitching, but she was too relieved to be back home to care—then nearly swallowed her tongue when Durant casually stripped off his shirt.

  The man was packed with muscles, the definition stealing her breath…until she saw the white scar on his shoulder where she’d impaled him with a sword. She flinched away from the sight.

  As if he knew he was losing her attention, Durant reached for the zipper of his pants, and she blinked stupidly.

  “You either need to stay within touching distance of one of us, or your need will drive you to do something you might regret.” His husky tone lured her closer.

  “Or we can lock you away.” Jackson glared at Durant, as if he didn’t want to be the one to even bring up the subject.

  “Which would put her pack in danger,” Durant snorted, dismissing the man’s objections. “We both know she will refuse to be coddled like a helpless female.”

  Raven ignored the testosterone in the room and turned toward Taggert. “What danger?”

  But Taggert’s eyes were a feral yellow as he gazed at her. She ignored the other two men and carefully edged toward him, gingerly placing her hand on his naked shoulder. He shuddered at the brush of her fingers, his eyes toning down slightly. “We can feel your need through the connection. It will distract us when we need to be at our b
est.”

  “Come.” Durant captured her hand, removing her touch from Taggert, and the wolf sucked in a harsh breath. “Taggert doesn’t have a lot of control. Touching him when your need is high will only push him harder, turning pleasure into pain.”

  Raven blanched, quickly glancing back over her shoulder at Taggert to apologize, when Jackson stepped between them.

  “He’s so hungry for your attention, he won’t protest, even if the pain is killing him.” He stripped out of his shirt, and she knew he was doing it to distract her.

  “We’re only going to sleep.” Durant’s words said one thing, his silky tone said another. “We promise not to go any further than you wish.”

  But that was the problem…she was beginning to wish for so much more. She cleared her throat nervously. “And if I want more?”

  His eyes flashed a dangerous gold. “Is that you talking, or the need?”

  Raven couldn’t answer because she really wasn’t sure.

  “Nothing will be solved tonight.” Durant nudged her forward. “You just got home. You need rest. We need rest,” he amended.

  For the first time, she noticed their haggard appearance. She’d been so happy to see them healthy and whole that she hadn’t noticed…or was it because they were finally letting down their guard?

  Jackson flung the blankets back on the couch, moving his pillow as he prepared his normal bed, and her heart ached to see him so removed from the rest. She opened her mouth to tell him it wasn’t necessary, but no words emerged. What if—

  “You’re thinking again.” Durant gave her a reproving look. “Even if your dragon takes over, you will still be you.”

  Raven smiled at him, but she wasn’t sure she believed him. She swayed on her feet, exhaustion catching up to her, and he took pity on her. “It’s late. You’re tired. We should all go to bed.”

  Without prompting, Jackson stripped out of his pants, completely unabashed about his nakedness as he stretched out facedown on the couch, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from all the glowing, smooth skin on display. He had broad shoulders, lean hips. The corded muscles of his back were distracting when he moved, but it was his ass that drew her attention, her fingers itching to touch and see if he was as warm and hard as he appeared.

  “We worked out a strategy while you were in the shower.” Durant nudged her aside, and she rapidly blinked her dry eyes. Jackson finally settled under the blankets, an amused smile curving his lips.

  Then her brain finally caught up with what Durant said, and she spun to face him. “Excuse me?”

  “Physical contact will ease the symptoms.” So saying, Durant slipped beneath the covers, his pants secured around his waist, and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or disappointed. “Since Taggert and I are two different species, jointly we should be able to keep your beasts from taking over.” He gave her a leering smile and wiggled his brows suggestively. “Not to mention the additional perks of you being able to take advantage of us all you want.”

  Raven snorted as she watched Taggert crawl into the opposite side of the bed, his chest bare, his virtue protected by his pants as well. She stood at the end of the bed, the men still and tense, as if expecting her to object. She gave a small nod, her throat too dry to speak.

  They relaxed slightly. Even Jackson eased more fully into the couch, as if he’d expected to have to chase after her. She bit her lip as Durant and Taggert gazed at her expectantly. To get into bed, she either needed to crawl over them or up from the bottom.

  Since this was the second time they blocked her in the same way, she suspected they enjoyed making her crawl to them.

  Fuck it.

  Too tired to overanalyze everything, she jumped on the bed, walked between them, then slid between the covers.

  No one moved or spoke for a full minute, but being so close to them and not touching was a form of torture. Her skin felt tight and overly sensitive, like she’d been out in the sun too long.

  “We’ll be able to keep each other in check. None of us will take advantage of you.” Durant spoke soothingly, the deep timber of his voice taking the starch out of her spine. “But you’re not tied to those rules. Feel free to touch us—learn how much or how little contact you need in order to maintain your balance.”

  None of the men found the conversation or the sleeping arrangements awkward in the least, but she had been raised mostly human.

  Though she wasn’t as comfortable as the shifters about having more than one love interest, it no longer bothered her…because she was in love with each and every one of them.

  It would destroy her to choose.

  Giving into temptation, Raven grabbed Durant and Taggert’s hands, trepidation and excitement tingling through her.

  She expected to feel crowded.

  Smothered.

  Instead, their warmth and smell lulled her into the first restful sleep since she’d been taken. She just hoped they forgave her, because no way in hell was she going to sit back tomorrow and do nothing when people were hunting her as if she was a feral beast that needed to be put down.

  Chapter Nine

  DAY THREE – MORNING – HOME SWEET HOME

  Warmth surrounded her, and Raven felt rested for the first time in a long time. Her body ached in a few places, but the queasiness and constant itch were gone. She burrowed deeper into the comfortable bed, ready to drift off again, when instead of finding a pillow, she touched skin. A delicious leather scent brought a smile to her face…until realization dawned.

  Her eyes popped open, and she found herself plastered over Durant like a damn groupie. Warmth heated her face, and she couldn’t believe she slept so soundly.

  She twisted, carefully reaching out, then let out a sigh of relief when she felt nothing but cold sheets.

  “We sent Taggert away when you started to wake. He’s too new a shifter to be near you and resist the temptation to touch.” She looked over to find Jackson lounging on the couch, his hands behind his head, his pose relaxed…until she noticed the way he gripped his laced hands together so tightly his fingertips were white.

  His heated eyes locked onto hers, and she couldn’t seem to find her tongue.

  Silence filled the room, making her uneasy. The chest below her rose and fell steadily, but the breaths were short. Dread gathered in her gut as she slowly turned her head, silently cursing when she looked down to see Durant was awake and very much aware. Her breath stalled as his burnt gold eyes locked onto hers, his pupils dilated, the hunger in them sending a shiver so deep she felt him down to her soul. While shifters could remain perfectly still for hours, something about the way he remained frozen disturbed her.

  Like she was the predator, not him.

  Worried that she’d hurt him, Raven carefully began to lift her weight off him.

  Only to have his hands clamp almost painfully against her hips. His claws sliced through her clothes and scraped against her skin, pleasure dancing over her despite the implied threat. When she resisted, a growl vibrated beneath her, and she immediately stopped trying to escape.

  Durant was holding his shit together by sheer will alone.

  “Remember when I said that the women are in charge during lovemaking?” Jackson’s question startled her so badly, she broke eye contact with Durant.

  “Yes,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper so as not to set off the beast underneath her.

  “Tell me.”

  She narrowed her eyes at Jackson, barely biting back the urge to call him a jackass. “Lust brings out our baser urges. Women control how far they want to go.”

  “Repeat it again,” he demanded.

  “The woman is in control.” Her unease lessened, and she realized just how much she wanted this to work. “What do I need to do?”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw, his eyes dropping to her lips, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. “Let’s experiment. Kiss him.”

  Raven didn’t move for a second, not certain if she was ready. The way Jackson i
ssued the demand had heat flaring in her gut, and his eyes splintered yellow, as if he too was imagining their kiss.

  She licked her lips, then gave a startled jump when a rumble emerged from Durant. She jerked her attention back to him, and she marveled that she’d forgotten about Durant for even a second. The only thing remotely human left in him was his shape. Everything else was wild, predatory, and she found herself shaking, not in fear, but because she didn’t want this to go wrong. “M’kay.”

  She thought she would be embarrassed by having an audience, but she was actually grateful for the help. If anything went wrong, he would be able to save Durant.

  She leaned forward, almost able to taste Durant when Jackson spoke again. “You aren’t just engaging his human form, you must also keep your own beast in check. If you lose control, you’ll drag him down with you.”

  No pressure.

  “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” She was so afraid she’d fail them, she was doubting herself, but something in his tone put her on alert. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  His eyes darkened, and it smarted that he would hide something from her, as if he thought she couldn’t handle it. “If you want this to work, I need the truth, please.”

  Jackson gave a reluctant nod. “What happens when you lock your animal away for too long?”

  “Half my senses die…oh.” Sex with a human must be tame, if not downright boring for them. She was surprised that they considered humans even worth their time.

  “That’s why female shifters are so prized. It’s also why they’re housed with other females and trained for just this situation.”

  “Holy shit.”

  Durant remained still, but his intensity didn’t diminish in the least. She could practically feel his thick, furry ears twitch back and forth in agitation, as if worried he would scare her. “How do I help him?”

  “Lock down your beasts, don’t let them slip free.” She swallowed hard at Jackson’s prompt reply and did as he suggested. Her senses faded, leaving her feeling off balance and unsettled, and she frowned, not understanding why anyone would willingly walk through life only half alive.