The sobering thought scared the creature into behaving, and Raven found herself back in charge. But the threat would only hold the creature at bay for so long. Once they were fully merged, she would be at the creature’s mercy.
With a huff of frustration at the impossible tangle her life had become, Raven tried to yank the towel from Durant. Only he refused to relinquish his hold, wrapping it around her until she was trapped in a cocoon of warm, fuzzy cotton that smelled like him. It was all she could do not to bury her nose in it and steal another whiff.
“Durant—”
“Hush. If you don’t let me take care of you, I won’t be responsible for my actions. I’ll snatch you up, take you from here, where I guarantee no one would find us.”
So why did his rumbled threat sound like heaven?
Two things stopped her. The safety of her pack, and the knowledge she might end up killing them all if she stayed.
Chapter Two
“I’ll leave you to dress.” Durant opened the door, still staring at her as if fearing if he lost sight of her she’d disappear.
Unable to withstand his intense gaze, she picked up the clothes waiting for her and raised a brow. “My clothes?”
He shrugged. “Jase ran here and dropped them off.”
Durant meant the kid had literally ran more than ten miles to deliver them. Like most shifters, Jase wasn’t allowed to drive. He was a stray, an unregistered rogue she’d offered a spot in her pack, and loyal down to his bones.
“Thank you.”
At the dismissal, Durant failed to mask his disappointment and vanished into his office, the snick of the door echoing through the pool of silence he’d left behind. She didn’t want to be alone and dwell on her thoughts, not when her pack waited out there, silent and expectant.
And fearful.
Their dread left a bitter aftertaste.
She ached to comfort them, but refused to lie and say everything would be all right. The bonds of the pack had been forged by fire. They would kill and die to protect her. She could do no less. Because of the bindings, they were now a part of her, and she would destroy anyone who thought to take them away.
She dropped the towel and reached for her clothes when the mark on her side caught her attention. The shape had grown, the ridges more pronounced. The dark blob of coloring in the center was still too indistinct to decipher.
She brushed a finger over the tattoo, and sucked in a startled breath at its sensitivity. The mark was bitterly cold to the touch, but quickly heated at her attention…almost in welcome. She jerked back, then rubbed her tingling fingertips together, still able to feel the fading warmth. Not wanting to dwell on what she couldn’t understand, or change, she finished dressing and focused on what she could do.
Find a way to thwart any attempts by the witches to steal Taggert.
Though mostly healed, the phantom pains from her injuries throbbed with every move. She toweled her hair dry, deliberately keeping her back to the mirror. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face what she was becoming. She dropped the damp towel by the sink, and hesitated over the gift from Jackson, lightly tracing the silver links of the necklace, then reluctantly left it on the counter. She no longer needed its protection. Nothing could protect her any longer.
She picked up the pair of gauntlet gloves Durant had set out for her. The leather kept other people safe from her power in case she accidently touched them. Although that problem didn’t seem to be an issue anymore with her powers gone. More out of habit, she slid her hand into the leather, then took a deep breath to face the new world awaiting her.
She braced herself and opened the door. The first person she saw was Rylan. Her breath stopped as she waited for his reaction.
His verdict.
He appeared relaxed, his look taking in everything, gauging how close she was to losing it.
“I’m fine. I need to do this first.”
He nodded, almost too agreeable. It made her suspicious.
“Spill it.” She walked over to the desk, needing the distance and a comforting solid structure between them. Foolishness anyway, since a three-hundred pound piece of wood would not stop a vampire if he wanted something.
“I will go along with your plan on one condition.”
Raven halted on the spot, her heart pounding in her throat. Every muscle tightened as she waited for his ultimatum, knowing she wouldn’t be able to budge him. He couldn’t change his mind. Too much depended on him. “You promised.” It was an accusation.
The creature chose that moment to perk up and listen as well. In that split second, Raven knew if Rylan made a move on her, the creature would fight with everything in her to stay alive. What scared Raven the most was she wasn’t sure who would remain standing in the end.
“I’m the one who gets to decide, not you. If I believe you can…manage your new affliction, our deal is off.”
Raven gave a weak nod. Despite the fear they were making a mistake that might cost them everything, a single ray of hope burst through her. Everything she’d ever wanted was within her grasp. Rylan believed she could win the battle with her creature. Raven wasn’t so sure, but she was willing to try, desperate to do whatever it took to remain with her pack.
She had one week to outsmart the creature who’d lain dormant within her since she was born.
No pressure.
As she came around the desk and headed toward the door, Jase stepped out of the shadows. He dropped his gaze and shuffled his feet when he notice her staring at him.
“Jase.”
He snapped to attention. Shoulders back, hands behind him in a military pose.
The perfect soldier.
“Thank you for bringing my things. Keep an eye on the boys for me, will you?” The boys were brothers, a pair of wolves just shy of cresting. The teenage rogues were staying at her house until they decided what they wanted to do with their lives.
“Of course.”
When she walked past, she brushed against him, and a snap of electricity crackled between them. She desperately wanted to retreat, but held her ground for a few seconds longer. The pack lived and thrived by touch. It was seen as a reward…or a punishment if it was denied.
He inhaled deeply, a flush of pride coloring his face, and she quickly left the office.
“Come. It’s time to leave.” Rylan guided her forward, walking a step behind, the position marking her as his superior. She didn’t like all the pack rules, what they revealed, when it was so much safer for everyone if she remained hidden. Raven peered behind her, but saw no sign of Durant. A piece of her heart withered. She’d wanted to say goodbye, see him one last time, but maybe it was better this way.
She and Rylan approached the three impatient witches, stopping a healthy distance away. Magic brushed against her like a nest of cobwebs. She swept it away, along with the magic, and gave a smile that was more a baring of teeth than a pleasantry.
“We’re ready.”
The witch raised a brow. “We?”
Rylan stepped forward and bowed. “I volunteer to be her sentinel.”
The witch pursed her lips, clearly not pleased, but she couldn’t refuse to honor the age-old custom.
“I’m going as well.” Durant emerged from his office, a duffle bag dangling from his hand.
“No.”
“Absolutely not.”
Raven and the witch spoke at the same time, both in agreement for once.
“Unless you have someone willing to feed the vampire, and who can also protect her during the day, then you’re stuck with me.”
The witch’s face twisted in distaste, and she planted her hands on her hips. Her voodoo-style peasant shirt and multicolored skirt should’ve made her look plain, but instead enhanced her striking coloring and bone structure.
Raven spoke before the witch could say anything. “You detest Rylan. Why offer to feed him?”
Her heart fluttered in panic, and a nasty suspicion that he knew she wasn’t going to be returni
ng twisted through Raven. He couldn’t be allowed to go with them. He would try to stop them. The creature was already too interested in him for Raven’s peace of mind. Not to mention what would happen when he discovered the truth, that she really was a monster. She couldn’t bear to have his affection turn cold. The cut would go too deep, a mortal wound that would forever fester. “No, he can feed off of me.”
But Rylan was already shaking his head. “No, not you.”
The creature at her core gave a huff of agreement, sinking her claws into Raven’s chest for carelessly offering what was theirs. Though Raven wanted to protest, she knew Rylan was right. It was too dangerous for both of them. Her blood would only bind them tighter together…like a noose.
The vampire already craved her blood. She couldn’t risk deepening his addiction, or he might not go through with the plan to eliminate her, not if he would lose his supply as a result.
Raven scrambled to come up with an excuse, and latched on the first thing that popped into her mind. “No shifter is safe in a coven. Not too long ago, they used shifters as familiars. Not only could they harm you, they could use you against me.”
She was desperate, grasping at straws, but didn’t care. It would destroy her to lose him to the witches.
Durant shook his head, a cocky smile curling his lips in a way that didn’t bode well. “I’m too strong an alpha. They’d never gain access to me, not while you still stand.”
Raven snorted at his overblown ego. “You can’t—”
“I’m immune to their magic.”
That stopped her tirade short. Even the witch stood straighter. It was a ploy. It had to be. Raven narrowed her eyes and called his bluff. “What do you mean?”
Durant dropped the bag, then slowly pulled his shirt over his head. The awesome sight of his chest distracted her. Smooth muscles beckoned her closer. A light dusting of hair low on his stomach beckoned her to investigate lower.
Touch.
The word whispered in her mind, a craving so deep she even took a step forward to do as bidden. She fiddled with the gloves, wanting to rip off the leather so nothing separated them.
Then Durant turned.
Shimmering gold symbols dotted along his spine in a script she couldn’t decipher. “What are those?”
“A spell.” The witch spoke almost absently. “A very painful ward that must first be carved into flesh, then molten gold is poured into the bleeding wounds. The pain is excruciating. Most people don’t survive the magic, let alone the agony inflicted as the heated metal solidifies.”
Raven didn’t like the admiration in the witch’s tone or the appreciative way she eyed Durant. Her creature liked it even less. She struggled to think of another excuse, but Durant turned and stepped into her space.
Distracting her on purpose.
And damned if he wasn’t getting a little too good at ferreting out her weaknesses and using them against her.
“Take him with you or not, but I will remind you if you’re not able to fulfill your side of the agreement, my approval is rescinded, and your little dog, Taggert, is mine.” The witch turned her spooky eyes on Durant. “If you go beastly without a leash around your throat, you will be put down.”
Raven straightened, her muscles strung tight as she spun to face the witch. Durant adroitly stepped between them, his back to the main witch, effectively cutting off what would no doubt have been rash words. It didn’t matter. The creature uncurled in her body, its wrath gathering, determined to eliminate the threat to the pack.
Durant caught her hand and placed it over his chest, grunting when the kick of power slid into him. His eyes immediately went gold. Instead of retreating, she could have sworn his tiger purred under her palm.
She brushed her fingers over the warm muscles, the touch calming both of them.
You need me to ensure the pack remains safe.
Raven jerked at hearing his voice in her head, then answered in kind. Such arrogance.
You need me.
They’ll treat you as less than an animal.
It was Durant’s turn to shrug. You need me.
For him, it was that simple. There was a hard glint in his eyes that warned her if she refused him, she wouldn’t like the alternative. And he was right, she needed someone to feed Rylan, and she needed Rylan in case something went horribly wrong.
“We’ll follow you in our own car.” She tugged her hand back, immediately missing his warmth, and turned to face the witch. “Do you have any files on the case?”
“Case?” The witch narrowed her eyes, their color bleeding to black as her magic rose.
Shadows began to dance in those eyes, and Raven took care not to look too deeply lest she be sucked under their sway. Tortured souls haunted those dark orbs, just waiting for the unwary to peer too closely so they could ensnare them. “I assume there’s a reason you demanded my services.”
She and the witch both eyed each other, looking for weaknesses.
Power and grim resolve stared back at Raven. The witch’s black hair was scraped back, her light coffee-colored skin pale, the wrinkles daring to crowd the corners of her eyes were more pronounced. None of it detracted from her exotic appeal.
At the slight tilt of her head, one of the witch’s followers presented Raven with a slim folder. A quick glance showed less than a handful of pages.
“If you’re finished making demands, we must get back.” The witch turned in a swirl of multicolored skirts, the rippling fabric betraying her agitation for a few seconds. She and the two others headed toward the door without another word.
When Raven moved to follow, Rylan stepped into her path. He was whipcord thin and elegantly dressed, never a hair out of place, but she’d lay odds on him in a fight every time. There was a ruthlessness in him, a determination to survive at any cost that most people dismissed because of his easy manners.
A mistake.
He had an ungodly amount of power, enough to conceal his otherworldliness so others often mistook him for newly turned or just plain human. Though he stared at her, his words were directed toward Durant. “I will be there at sundown. Please see if you can keep her out of trouble until then.”
Raven would have protested, but in truth, she had run into more than her share of complications in recent weeks.
Durant gave a stiff nod, his eyes narrowing in displeasure at being told how to do his job.
Rylan kissed her forehead, turned abruptly and followed the witches out the door. She would have been flustered by the show of affection if she hadn’t felt a hum of power encircle her.
Testing how very little control she had left.
She could tell the instant he vanished. The warm static he carried around with him flattened out into nothing.
Only then did she relax.
She’d passed.
This time.
She smoothed out the slightly crumpled folder. She needed to solve this case quickly…before that changed.
Chapter Three
DAY ONE: SUNRISE
Durant effortlessly guided his Aston Martin through the winding mountain roads. The machine leapt forward with a smooth rumble, reminding her of his tiger counterpart. He was one of the few shifters allowed to drive, a privilege granted to only the elite…alphas and their enforcers.
High emotions could trigger a change.
Road rage took on a whole new meaning when someone could literally grow fangs and claws.
As the sun crested over the horizon, Raven read the file one more time, unable to glean anything useful from the rubbish. “There’s nothing in here.”
Durant didn’t even bother to take his eyes off the road. “Did you really think she’d just hand over information about her coven?”
Actually, Raven had. She was tired, achy and now, very cranky as well. “How the devil am I supposed to solve anything if I don’t know what the hell’s going on?”
“We’ll have to wait. They’ll only tell us what they think we need to know.”
Raven snorted. “You mean nothing?”
“Exactly.” Durant didn’t smile. “What do you know about witches?”
“The older the witch, the more powerful, and the higher the rank. Casting magic has a cost. The bigger the magic, the more you pay.” Her lips curled in disgust. “And they used to own familiars to carry the brunt of the cost.”
“They still do.”
Raven’s mouth dropped open. “Say again?”
“They no longer resort to capturing and imprisoning them, but some shifters do sell themselves into service.” His hands clenched on the steering wheel, so she could tell it bothered him, too. “You must not react or interfere between a familiar and their witch. Neither side will take kindly to it.”
“Why would a shifter consent to such a barbaric arrangement?”
Durant’s expression said she was thinking too human again. “You forget, not all shifters have a pack. Without a pack, they’d be labelled rogue and can be killed without fear of reprisal. Not to mention that not all shifters born into a pack are allowed to remain.”
“Those who can’t shift.” Raven didn’t understand how they could cut ties with family so easily. “You treat them as if they’re born with a defect and therefore inferior.”
“You have such low opinion of our culture, but there are reasons for those rules. After a young shifter crests or fails, they must choose what kind of future they want, just like any human. They’re no longer protected like children, but treated as adults. Those who are more human than shifter wouldn’t survive in the pack. We’re violent. Vicious. Pack members need to be stronger and better. Wars for territory still break out. The pack is only as strong as its weakest link. Those who can’t shift end up being cannon fodder. Their best chance for survival is outside the pack. The ultimate choice of whether they want to risk staying with the pack or leave is theirs.”
“So they’re sold to the witches.” Revulsion twisted through her at the thought.
“They volunteer.”
His answer floored her. “Why on earth would they agree to slavery?”
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 2
