Electric Moon

by Stacey Brutger

  “Old Lake Front Street.” He panted from pain...or the middle of a shift. Neither option was an acceptable alternative in public. If caught in beast form without a collar and tags, he would be arrested, if not outright killed. If he was so injured that he wasn’t healing, it could only mean the worse.

  “I’m on my way.” But he’d already disconnected...or fell unconscious. Taggert followed her to the house. “Grab my weapon and badge.”

  It took them twenty minutes, even with her speeding, to reach the far side of the city. The new car London had purchased ate up the miles quickly. She pulled up to the abandoned street. The windows of the worn-down buildings were boarded up, the people kept clear, knowing better than to get involved in something that could be detrimental to their health...like a police investigation.

  She pulled out her phone and hit the re-dial. No one answered.

  “Call again.” Taggert rolled down his window.

  She did as told, and Taggert held up his hand. “He’s near. I can hear the ringing.”

  Raven veered to the curb, slammed the vehicle in park and hopped out before the engine stopped rumbling. A chime sounded.

  Distant.

  Muffled.

  Raven cocked her head then took off running, Taggert hot on her heels. She turned the corner to the alley and skidded to a stop. Jamie lay sprawled in the shadows where the falling sun couldn’t reach, only his shoes visible from the sidewalk.

  “Jamie?” She hurried to his side when Taggert placed a hand on her shoulder to halt her.

  “I smell blood. Be careful. An injured animal can react to the pain before they’re aware of their surroundings.”

  Raven nodded and carefully knelt. Jamie was unconscious when she rolled him onto his side. It was only then that she spotted his injuries. From the grievous wounds all over his torso, she was amazed he’d managed to stay conscious long enough to call her, let alone remain breathing.

  Then she recognized the wound pattern.

  The same injuries that the woman trapped in the car at her last crime scene had carried. Her head shot up, and she peered into the shadows.

  Liquid saturated the stone walls of the buildings.

  Raven nearly jumped out of her skin when Jamie grabbed her arm. His mouth moved, but no sound emerged. She leaned forward.

  “He wasn’t rogue. If the shifters believe rogues are behind the deaths, they’ll purge all rogues to protect themselves.”

  The news was shocking. Then another thought threatened to knock her on her ass. “Where is Dominic? The big black wolf I had trailing you. Did you see him?”

  Jamie cracked a smile, revealing blood stained teeth. “Caught him the first night. Left him to watch the rogues.”

  He coughed heavily, blood speckling his lips. Raven grabbed his hand when it trembled, and she noticed the same tattoo on his hand that the woman had worn. “Where did you get this?”

  She received no answer. He’d already fallen back into unconsciousness. Concern clutched at her chest. She concentrated until she heard the beat of his heart pounding reassuringly if a little unsteady. She glanced at Taggert for confirmation of her diagnosis.

  “His wounds are severe. He needs all his energy to heal.”

  “So he’ll be all right?”

  Taggert hesitated, his eyes stark with the truth. “He’s still alive.”

  But not for long went unsaid. Raven pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the stamp on his hand, then stood. Her first priority was to get Jamie to safety.

  He was alive. He would stay that way until she could get him to the privacy of her home and the help he needed. “I want you to take Jamie and leave. I need to call the police and stay until they arrived.”

  “I haven’t driven a day in my life.” Taggert crossed his arms. “And I’ll not leave you alone at the site of a murder.”

  Raven cursed, having forgotten that as a slave, Taggert wasn’t allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle. “Jamie can’t be found here. The police will take him into custody. Since he has no affiliations, I’m not sure how long they’ll detain him. With his injuries...” She trailed off. Nothing more needed to be said, they both knew he’d never see another sunrise if taken into custody. She pulled out her phone and snapped a dozen pictures of the alleyway.

  Taggert conceded her point, but not enough to relent. “I’ll take him to the car and park around the block. We’ll wait for you there.”

  “He needs to be seen by a doctor.”

  “Then hurry. I’ll call Digger and put him on alert.” Taggert bent and lifted Jamie with an ease that surprised her as the man was nearly twice his own weight. Before she could protest either of his commands, they were gone.

  Taking a deep breath, Raven dialed Scotts.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  “Why didn’t you call before entering the scene?” Suspicion coated Scott’s voice, the same suspicion that had shown up when she’d first started hanging around the wrong group, as he put it.

  He’d meant shifters.

  Raven bit back her response and nodded toward the alley. Without the falling sun, there was nothing but shadows. “What do you see?”

  Scotts rubbed a hand over his scalp. “Point taken.” Pale light from a few flashlights traced across the stained bricks, the techs still setting up their equipment.

  Scotts scraped the tip of his toe over the spot where Jamie had lain, a pool of his blood still discoloring the cement. She waited for him to question her, but he didn’t say a word.

  “What did you see?”

  His question caught her off guard. “Nothing. Once I knew it was a crime, I secured the scene. I didn’t want to ruin evidence before forensics arrived.”

  “And how did you come to find,” he waved his arm toward the slaughter, “him?”

  His attitude was beginning to piss her off. “A tip that came through.” She gave him a tight smile. “Someone smelled something and called. They didn’t leave a name, but I suspect it was a shifter.”

  She wasn’t necessarily lying. Jamie did call, and he was a shifter. What she didn’t admit was to taking pictures of the crime scene. She needed answers now instead of waiting for the police to analyze everything and decide what they wanted to share with her. She wasn’t sure when she’d stopped trusting Scotts, thinking of him as a normal instead of a cop.

  He looked doubtful but took her words at face value. “Then let’s look now.”

  Scotts was a big man. She wasn’t able to fit her steps into his without looking like she was trying to play a game of Twister with shoe print. What remained of the body was spattered over a five-foot diameter. Tatters of a shirt lay scattered everywhere, half hidden in the gore. The jeans were harder to destroy, remaining mostly intact, including a pair of boots that were a little worse for wear.

  The team snapped pictures, set lights and secured samples. After twenty minutes, Raven couldn’t take it anymore. Jamie needed a doctor sooner rather than later. “I need to speak with a few of my contacts to see if I can find any leads.”

  Scotts waved her off, not taking his attention away from what one of the techs was unearthing. “Don’t forget that you have to take your turn to man the desk at the office as well.”

  Taking that as permission, Raven shot out of the alley at a near run. She turned the block, relieved to find the car still waiting. Taggert was leaning over the front seat, tending to Jamie.

  “We should hurry.”

  His voice sent her heart skipping a beat and fear crawled up her spine. Not waiting to confirm his condition herself, she shoved the car into gear. The ride home seemed interminable. Each second, she expected to hear the raspy breathing cease.

  When the lights of the house finally came into view, she didn’t take her eyes away from the beacon of hope.

  They would make it.

  Even as they pulled up, the door opened and Digger rushed toward them. All that was missing was to see his coattails flapping. He opened the door and examined the patient like
any seasoned ER doctor. She hadn’t even seen London follow until he nudged the doctor out of the way and extracted Jamie’s too still body.

  The line to the house reminded her too much of a funeral procession for comfort. “What can you tell me?”

  Digger’s shook his head. “I won’t know until I can examine him closer.”

  Raven follow them into the house, and Digger waved her away from the basement. “We’ll inform you of any changes.”

  “But—”

  The door snicked shut in her face, leaving her staring at the wall with a helpless feeling she knew all too well. She clenched and unclenched her fists only then noticing Taggert had remained at her side.

  “It’s a good sign that he’s still alive. Digger will keep him that way.”

  She didn’t know why she cared. He was just a rogue. He didn’t matter. Or that’s what everyone kept telling her. “Where the hell was Griffin? He was supposed to be watching the rogues. I want to know what happened.”

  She whirled, her beasts rising with her agitation, and she had no idea how to calm them.

  “I’m here.”

  She crossed the floor to Griffin and grabbed him by the neck before he could react. He seized her wrist, but couldn’t force her hand away without ripping out his own throat.

  Raven dropped her beasts. She wouldn’t be able to win that way. They were both too alpha to give way. Electricity poured over her in welcoming waves. She took Jackson’s advice and didn’t try to control current, but let it wash over them.

  Griffin grunted as if she’d struck him, and he dropped to his knees. The grip on her wrist tightened, but the expected pain never came. She felt nothing but rage at the thought of him betraying his own kind. That he would betray her. “What game are you playing at with these people?”

  His brilliant green and yellow eyes stared up at her. Sweat beaded his hairline as her energy snaked around him seeking answers. “No game. Trying to save.”

  The scar on the back of his hand reminded her of all that he’d lost. “You’re an alpha in your own right. Why bother with these rogues? You’re not one of them. Not really.”

  “You’re right. Partially right.” His smile was more of a grimace. Despite her control, he struggled to his feet, surprising her with his will not to be seen as weak. “I volunteered to infiltrate them and find out who was hunting shifters. Then, when rogues started to die,” he raised his fist to show his scar. “I decided that I might as well make use of this.”

  She dropped her hold. The energy reluctantly retreated, leaving a sting in its wake. She’d almost swear that the lash was more of a caress.

  As if the creature sensed her watching and listening, it settled down content just to be noticed. No matter how much she wanted to explore this new phenomenon, she had more pressing issues.

  “And the story of how you became a rogue? Was any of it true?”

  Every emotions shut down. “Every word.”

  “And Jamie?”

  “He was following a lead.”

  “So he was helping you?”

  “You might say we had an unsteady truce.” Griffin paused, debating what to share. “He knows little of my past, but he also knows that without help, the rogues will suffer.”

  “Maybe it’s time you tell me what’s happening.” It wasn’t a question.

  Griffin did smile then. “I know little more than you. There is a drug on the market that’s making shifters act like alphas, but there are side effects. I’m not sure if they’re caused by the drug or if the addicts were targeted. Maybe both. I’m trying to narrow it down.”

  “And getting nowhere.” Raven couldn’t help be suspicious if he really wanted the drug shut down or if he just wanted it for himself.

  He didn’t say anything more.

  “You have an in with the rogues, but you are also limited on what you can do. I’m not. In the morning, we will discuss this further.” Raven paused to push home her point. “The shifter who died tonight wasn’t a rogue.”

  Griffin flinched, the action barely noticeable. He must have come to the same conclusion as Jamie. If the shifters thought they were being targeted, they will remove the threat.

  They’ll destroy all rogues.

  * * *

  Raven trudged up the stairs, each step heavier than the last. Taggert followed her, ever silent, and she was grateful for his quiet presence.

  Dating three men at one time was insane, but it didn’t feel like she was cheating by being with the others. She didn’t understand the bonds forming between them, and wondered how much her animals were influencing her decisions.

  “Why don’t you let me run you a bath?”

  Raven turned toward him and smiled. “It sounds lovely except that my bathroom is currently under construction. I’m lucky I still have a shower.”

  Though no expression showed, she couldn’t help sense his crestfallen emotions. “I’m sorry our date didn’t turn out the way you wanted.”

  Taggert eyes brightened, a smile tipping his lips. “I had time alone with you. It was perfect.”

  When he turned to move away, she grabbed his wrist.

  He inhaled sharply, a small whimper in his throat. She immediately dropped his arm, the sound more effective than if he’d slapped her. “You’re hurt?”

  He whirled on her, stepping right into her personal space like it didn’t exist, backing her up until her ass hit the wall. Lust poured off him, but he controlled himself, not touching her in any way.

  “Do it again.” He placed his hands against the wall on either side of her head. His voice was part plea, part demand.

  Only when she was able to tear her gaze away from the yellow glow of his eyes did she realize what she’d done.

  The scar where she bit him stood out pale against the tanned skin of his wrist.

  She should’ve been horrified to see her mark on him, know that she’d scarred him. Her wolf trotted forward, pleasure and possessiveness shivering down her spine. He was hers. Now and forever. “Will it always be so sensitive?”

  Taggert inhaled deeply, breathing her in. “Only your touch.”

  She knew what he craved. What her wolf wanted. And if she was truthful, she was curious at what it would be like to indulge in touching him again.

  Eyes on his, she leaned over and licked his wrist. The taste of him hummed through her.

  As if she’d flipped a switch, he flattened her against the wall with his body. His lips sought hers, the hunger in them almost desperate as he kissed her. The wildness of him called her own, and she returned his embrace.

  But concern edged out desire. It was harder than she thought to pull away from him. “Taggert?”

  He jerked away from her as if she kneed him in the groin instead of said his name. “I’m sorry.”

  Raven was confused. What the hell was going on here? “Why are you sorry?”

  He wouldn’t face her. When she reached for him, he ducked away in panic. That only served to piss her off more.

  “I shouldn’t have touched you without permission.” His voice was a raw, a barely-there whisper.

  His reply gave her pause. “Because I’m an alpha?”

  Raven knew he’d enjoyed their exchange, his arousal proof enough. Her gaze landed on his clenched fists, and the truth dawned on her. “Have you ever kissed anyone without being ordered?”

  He glanced at his feet, never lifting his head. “No.”

  “Does it feel wrong to touch me?”

  He shook his head then nodded. “Not without permission.”

  “So, the only way you’d feel comfortable being near me is if I ordered you.” Raven was talking more to herself, their treatment of him horrifying.

  The way they’d trained him.

  She hadn’t realized how deeply integrated he was into the submissive life.

  “Orders are the only things that keep us alive.”

  His logic made sense in a sickening way. Any move he made without approval was a death sentence hang
ing over him. One she wasn’t sure she was prepared to lift if it meant opening herself up and giving him permission to touch at any time.

  It was too dangerous.

  But she could give him one thing that no one could take from him. “You are part of my pack whether the conclave agrees or not.” Then she licked her lips, suddenly uncertain. “If you want it.”

  His head jerked up at that. “I would be honored.”

  “But I’m not used to all the romantic attention. I’m used to blending into the crowd.” His sudden smile gave her pause, and she eyed his sudden cheerfulness. “What?”

  “You are an unmated female. Even with the best shields, shifters will seek you out.”

  Raven scowled at him. He was right but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

  His humor faded. “The system is not something you should try to fix. Not all rogues are worthy of being pack. If you intend to move forward and claim pack status, you need to get used to taking charge in all things. Even sex.”

  She could never order someone to service her like some animal. As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head.

  “You’re evaluating the situation like a human. A shifter would see selection as an honor.”

  Raven wasn’t ready for that type of thing. “There has to be a compromise.” She entered her room, but Taggert held back, hovering by the door. It brought home how rigid the slave lifestyle really was. “Enter.”

  Taggert opened his mouth but hesitated.

  “Say it.”

  “Use me as practice. By giving me demands, you’ll become comfortable to our ways.”

  Raven paced the room. “But it gives you no freedom.”

  He stepped in her way, blocking her so un-expectantly that she nearly ran into him. “I don’t want freedom. If I wanted freedom, I could have become a rogue.”

  Raven plopped onto her bed, his reality finally coming home to her. “You really prefer me ordering you around.”

  Taggert tipped his head forward in agreement.

  Her stomach launched up into her throat at the thought of ordering him to kiss or touch her.