“If you plan to do anything, you’ll want to start doing it.” Durant and Jackson stepped between her and the shifters, creating a protective wall.
The almost constant lightning kept the fairground bright. The thick clouds lowered ominously, so close you could reach up and touch them—an eerie color that gave them a sickly greenish cast.
The shifters tried to walk around the men. Jackson leaped forward, knocking a couple of them back like bowling pins. They scattered and went down. Durant grabbed one by the throat, literally picked the man off the ground and threw him a good ten feet. Like some deranged robot, the shifter rose, blood leaking from a gash on his head and shuffled back toward the fight.
The two men efficiently worked together as they disabled one shifter after another, Jackson protecting Durant’s weak side, but unless they started killing, they would soon become overrun.
Her hands clenched, watching them fight for her, and hated not being able to do a damned thing.
At the sounds of the fight, the werebeasts prowled forward, nothing human remaining. With the soldiers taking cover, there was no one to hold them back. They charged, claws digging up dirt as they dropped to all fours and lunged toward Durant and Jackson, fangs gleaming with saliva.
Durant threw his opponent directly at one, and they slammed into each other with a sickening crunch. The shifter yipped as they both plowed into the ground. Neither moved.
Then the other two half-shifters were on them.
Greggory flicked his claws, eying Clancy up like a side of beef, clearly wanting to help. “Your men are only delaying the inevitable. I’ll eventually have to obey. Tell them to stand down, and they might walk away with their lives.”
Everything inside her rebelled at giving up her men. No way in hell would she leave them to Clancy’s tender mercies. Jackson struggled with one werebeast, holding his own. Durant used brute strength to keep the other at bay. He dodged the snapping jaws, teeth missing his jugular by inches, and her breath caught in her throat at the near miss.
Too close.
Raven brought up her sword, gripping and re-gripping it over and over. She couldn’t stand around and do nothing while they fought for their lives.
The werebeasts didn’t act like humans, so she’d treat them like animals. Careful not to pull the energy around her and draw the storm’s attention, she scraped every speck of current from her bones. It felt like someone was slicing her up with razorblades, the agony nearly doubling her over, leaving her hollow and fragile. The blue cords crackled with static, but more worrisome, the red magic had threaded itself throughout, the teeming mass like wild lightning.
She almost changed her mind, but the dragon pressed its giant paw on her chest, forcing the energy out. Raven held it back until it felt her eyeballs were being boiled in acid, just long enough to shout a warning to her men. “Get down.”
Jackson and Durant didn’t hesitate, dropping to the ground. The magic rebounded out of her and shot through the air, ensnaring the three shifters in a net. She tightened the cords until they were surrounded, the smoldering touch of unfamiliar magic stinging.
As she’d guessed, since they were no longer human, the bindings to the pack had weakened to nothing more than faint lines. She easily snapped the cords, the backlash ricocheting in her like a flaming arrow. They stumbled to a stop, confused, no longer compelled to kill, then animal instinct took over and they ran away from the humans, disappearing into the forest in seconds.
The instant the power dissipated, her knees wobbled. She felt gutted without the comforting touch of power. Without the current to hold her shields, the storm increased in its ferocity, raw energy seeped into her body, and she had no way to stop it from overloading her.
Jackson and Durant leapt to their feet and went back to fighting, giving her time to think of a plan.
Too bad she had nothing.
“Unfortunately, you didn’t change anything.” Sadness dulled Greggory’s eyes. “I don’t want to kill you. If you hadn’t weakened yourself, you might have stood a chance to beat me.”
He might not want to kill her, but he would.
It was written on his face, but he made no move toward her.
“You’re stalling.” Raven eyed him, surprised he would try to help her.
She flinched at the sounds of flesh hitting flesh. It took everything in her not to turn around and fight with her men. The sense of time growing short sat like an elephant had parked its car on top of her chest.
Without her shields, the dragon swelled and the armor slotted into place. Her skin hardened, readying her to fight for her life. She shouldn’t be able to move with scales covering nearly every inch of her, but they shifted seamlessly with her every move.
Greggory eyes narrowed at the change, his stance shifting warily. “What did you just do?”
“I don’t want to kill you, either. Don’t make me.” Her words were pure bluff. A puff of wind could knock her over right now.
Greggory had the lethal combination of strength and determination of an alpha.
A virtual unstoppable force.
An ultimate fighter.
Her men were buying her time, but she didn’t need time, she needed a damned army. Without her dragon, she couldn’t take Greggory one-on-one even with her special enhancements. Thanks to her scales, she’d be able to take a beating, even land a few good blows, but he was too fast, too strong. The only chance she had to even the fight was to call down the storm despite the cost. With the storm brewing so heavily, she would either burn out or kill herself trying to channel the raw energy.
“Tell me more about the Wardens, and I’ll answer your questions.” She prayed he said something that she could use to get them all out of this alive. Her beast peered out through her eyes, noting every shift of his muscles, every breath, studying its prey.
It waited, ready to lunge forward to stomp on the bear and squash him.
Her pack, her hoard.
Must protect.
Her control wavered dangerously.
As the beast rose, so did the ferocity of the storm. A constant rumble of thunder drew near. The wind whipped around them like a bloodhound searching for a scent.
If the dragon burst free, they were screwed.
The creature would kill everyone, just like it did in the labs so many years ago.
She refused to believe the dragon would hurt the pack—the dragon huffed in agreement—but the storm would be another matter.
The storm was too big, too dangerous to hold back.
The dragon heeded the warning, hunkering down when it came to the same conclusion.
It gave up its chance to gain control of her at the thought of harming the pack.
The niggling worry at the back of her mind that the beast would eventually try to take over gradually faded. A warm glow of trust began to build between them.
She walked a careful balance between two worlds, spent her whole life with a caged beast. No way would the creature go back to its slumber now that it had a taste of freedom. It would fight her every step of the way if she tried. After the trouble of the last few weeks, they were so intertwined, she doubted either of them could survive without the other.
After years of struggle, Raven was finally at peace with the change, startled to realize that she’d come to care for the dragon.
The dragon was the other half of her soul.
And now it was her turn to protect them.
To stay alive, she must use her wits.
The sword warmed in her grip, reminding her she wasn’t alone.
Now, all she had to do was get close enough to use it without getting her head ripped off.
Chapter Twenty-four
Just when Raven feared Greggory wouldn’t answer her question, he spoke. “Wardens are not true alphas, but our abilities do allow us survive without a pack. It also allows us to exchange pledges with others.”
Things began making sense. “You bind yourselves to your charge, something like
an ironclad agreement of service. It’s different from an alpha oath. If you don’t protect them and they die, you die with them.” Raven shook her head at the stupidity. No wonder they were so rare. “Nothing like incentive to keep you motivated.”
“Exactly.” He smirked, as if amused by her description. “We’re an elite bodyguard service. Most jobs only last a few months, and the bindings fade when it can’t be supported by a true alpha. If the job lasts longer, the bindings need to be strengthened by another exchange of blood.”
It explained the multiple bindings. “And the boy?”
Greggory straightened, coming to attention. “My alpha’s second son. I serve as a bodyguard.”
A second son to an alpha was rare, but didn’t deserve a super soldier to guard him, unless … “Both sons are alphas.”
“Two alphas is rough on a pack, three will tear it apart. Eventually, the two sons will end up challenging each other.”
“So to protect his sons, he asked you to keep them separated.” Worried about her men, she turned a fraction of an inch to watch Jackson and Durant fight. Thankfully, the shifters were still trying to get around them and not attacking directly, but eventually, her men would tire. Her heart sank with the realization she’d eventually have to fight Greggory. “How did you end up here?”
“You mean, how did we get caught?” He jerked his chin in Clancy’s direction. “The circus came to town.”
“And the boy heard the legends and ran away to save them both.” Raven felt sick at how Clancy had turned something good into evil, duping the people who needed help the most into a trap they couldn’t escape.
“He didn’t want to fight with his brother. They’re too young to challenge each other until they crest, but it won’t be too much longer.” His gaze shifted behind her, and she resisted the urge to whirl and see what was wrong.
First rule of fighting, never give your opponent your back.
But it took all her restraint not to turn.
Greggory took pity on her. “Your men know how to fight. They could probably hold out all night by sheer determination alone.”
“Thank you.” The brittle emotions holding her hostage eased a fraction.
Until she realized the truth.
Durant and Jackson would kill themselves to save her.
She couldn’t live with the sacrifice.
No more delay.
They were out of time.
From Greggory’s deep sigh, he knew it as well.
“You’re all worthless,” Clancy bellowed, his face red, spittle flying in his rage. His eyes narrowed, his crafty mind working all the angles.
Her skin crawled when he turned and headed toward the humans. He grabbed the first soldiers he reached, yanked the walkie-talkie from his belt, then shoved the man. The human thumped to the ground so hard he bounced then stilled.
Static roared to life as he clicked the button. “Get your ass back to camp and bring the kid.”
He didn’t wait for a reply, but dropped the walkie-talkie and smiled at Greggory. “Enough stalling. If you don’t kill her by the time they return, the kid is dead.”
Greggory closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them again, everything remotely friendly had vanished, leaving the deadly alpha in its place. Undaunted by the sword, willing to die, he advanced without hesitation.
Power poured off him in waves, the strength repeatedly slamming into her weakened shields.
Some of the display was intimidation, but the majority of it was just brute strength.
The storm thickened overhead, the energy soaking in her skin until her whole body felt like it was lit on fire. Static crackled in the air, begging to be used. The dragon hummed in pleasure, swelling with the influx of pure current, all but wagging its tail and ready to pounce.
As if sensing the change, Greggory slowed and circled around her, searching for weaknesses. He lunged in a blur so fast she could hardly track him. She threw herself sideways, lifting her arm, barely blocking the blow meant to rip out her throat.
Weight slammed into her arm, the brute force numbing her from wrist to elbow. She expected to lose her hand, see flesh peeled away from bone. Instead, the tiny scales weren’t even scratched.
It still hurt like a bitch, though.
A rush of adrenaline allowed her to ignore the pain as they circled each other.
At least he was going for the quick kill and not playing with his prey.
Not giving her a chance to recover, he snapped his leg out.
She lurched backward, his kick only an inch short of taking her head off. He advanced like a predator scenting blood. She dodged the right hook aimed for her chin, but missed the fist that plowed into her gut.
Her breath whooshed out of her.
Training took over, and she danced back, wheezing for air.
Spirits plummeting, she realized he wasn’t going to let up until she was dead. She ruthlessly cut off the panic, tightening her grip on the sword, more determined than ever not to lose. If she didn’t go on the offensive soon, the fight would be over even before it began.
On the next swing, she ignored the fist aimed for her ribs, brought up her sword and sliced at the soft spot under his arm.
He grunted at the impact, and the sword hummed in pleasure at the taste of blood.
The sword cut weakened the blow meant to cave in her chest.
Instead of killing her, the fist lifted her off her feet. She sailed through the air and landed with a heavy thud. She gasped for air, the pain trying to twist her insides out, nearly causing her to throw up.
Acting on instinct, she rolled, and felt the ground vibrate as his boot landed where her head had been not seconds ago.
The sword warmed in her hand, and she automatically lifted her arm. Instead of landing a chop to her throat, his hand slammed into the side of the blade. Without thought, Raven twisted to her feet and brought up the sword before dancing away. The blade sliced through the soft flesh of his stomach, the weapon guiding her hand.
Blood spilled down his abs, pulling him out of his killing rage.
Raven halted to find Greggory studying her, the doctor in him beating back the predator as he grew more cautious. What should’ve been a quick kill for him was turning out to be an evenly matched battle.
He was fast on his feet. Strong. His only weakness was underestimating her.
Now that was gone, too.
The blood would make him slippery as hell.
Too bad it wouldn’t slow him down enough to matter. She could really use the advantage.
The blade took on a slight red glow, eager for the taste of more blood and she rotated her wrist, her muscles turning liquid with the desire to attack.
Like his bear counterpart, he charged straight for her.
Raven braced herself and brought up her sword, but he didn’t even do her the courtesy of slowing down. He used her hesitation in not wanting to kill him against her, bending low.
Alarm skittered through her when she realized his intent—he wanted to disarm her.
If she lost her weapon, she would be vulnerable.
Easier to kill.
Before she could evade, his shoulder smashing onto her stomach.
Momentum flipped her through the air.
She clutched her sword, twisted and managed to land hard on her knee instead of flat on her back to be gutted like a fish.
Greggory didn’t hesitate, charging after her again without a second’s hesitation.
Raven stumbled to her feet, but much too slow.
Claws raked through the thin armor, leaving four deep grooves scored down her back where he tried to tear out her spine.
She arched forward, desperate to escape the pain, blood trickling down her back as he dug deeper into her spine. She ripped herself from his hold before he could do more damage.
Though not deep, the gouges hurt like a bitch.
Every inhalation, every movement sent agony screeching through her, and she struggled to
turn and face the next attack, well aware she would be dead without her armor. If Raven didn’t get her ass in gear and fight back, she would eventually lose not only the fight but her pack as well.
The dragon bared her fangs in denial, pressing claws into her chest to get her moving. The sword hummed in her hand, and she could almost see the way Greggory would move next, the way she needed to strike to take his head.
Though she didn’t want to do it, she would do what it took to protect her men.
Greggory’s face hardened as if realizing that he’d missed the only chance he had to take her out.
“Clancy!” The gasping screech filled the clearing.
Raven gave a start, her head snapping up, and she twisted to keep everyone in view as she turned toward the tree line.
A smile blossomed across Clancy’s face. “About damned time.”
But it quickly became apparent that something was wrong.
A lone man charged blindly across the grass, all-out terror clutching him in its grip. Even from the distance, the stench of fear rose from him like he’d rolled in a pile of shit that wouldn’t wash away.
Clancy shifted from one foot to the other, the first hint of unease settling over him. “Where is the boy?”
Even before the soldier managed to clear half the distance between them, a golden lion bounded from the forest. Sweat stained the man’s shirt as if the beast had been stalking him for some time.
Playing with him.
Hope lit the soldier’s face as he neared the safety of the circus, his legs pumping faster, his chest heaving as his breath billowed in and out.
A movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she saw the hunter lift his gun and take aim.
“Hey!” Raven drew back her arm and heaved her sword. It spun end over end through the air before landing with a juicy thunk into his chest and straight through his heart. Shock dropped open his mouth, and he grabbed the sword as he lifted hate-filled eyes in her direction before he dropped dead to the ground.
Clancy smiled in glee and marched toward the man, leaning over to wrench the sword from the dead body.
Raven Investigation 04 - Electric Legend Page 22
