Electric Heat (11 page)

Of course, he noticed her predicament. He didn’t smile, but
his neon eyes faded to an enticing whisky brown that invited her closer to
investigate.

“He’s been unconscious. The instant he woke, he insisted we
track you down.” Jackson scowled at the younger wolf. “I wasn’t able to talk
sense into him. The only way to stop him would have been to lock him down. As
soon as my back was turned, he took off.”

“How did you get here?”

Jackson grimaced. “We ran.”

Ran.

They must have traveled all day. They didn’t have to use the
roads, so the miles were cut in half, but it meant they had charged straight up
the mountain. Their stamina was remarkable. Her eyes sharpened as she took in
their appearance. Both men appeared a little ragged, Jackson’s ribs more
pronounced, the angles of Taggert’s face sharper. Their beasts hunger pounded
at her. Then the reality of them being there struck her.

If the witches caught them, they would be treated like
intruders.

“You can’t be here. It’s too dangerous.” She glanced over
her shoulder, expecting to be caught any second. She refused to lose these men,
not when the pack was almost safe. All she had to do was find the killer and
Taggert would no longer be a slave. He would officially belong to her. “You
have to leave now before they find you.”

Jackson scowled at Taggert. “Good luck convincing him of
that. He won’t budge.”

Taggert had yet to speak, didn’t react to anything, but continued
to stare at her in an unnerving way. Something off about him had the hairs on
the back of her neck rising. She found herself wandering closer. “Taggert?”

Fear tightened its grip on her throat. She closed the
distance between them and ripped off the tinted glasses he wore. A gasp of devastating
pain tore from her throat. There was nothing of her gentle Taggert remaining. His
beautiful chocolate eyes had gone feral, splintering with the green of his
wolf.

“I did this to you.” To save his life, she had unleashed
every ounce of her power. It had changed him on a cellular level. She stumbled
away from him, horrified by her actions, and the irrefutable proof that she
damaged whatever she touched.

He reached out lightning fast to touch her, and she grabbed
his wrist, terrified the contact would only cause more damage. He shuddered at
the contact, his eyes softened, and she realized she was touching the bite mark
on his wrist that claimed him as hers. Even the slightest touch from her would
give him pleasure.

Not the least bit afraid, he moved until his fingers grazed her
cheek in a caress. “Raven.”

The rasp of her name sent a shiver down her spine, and she
found herself brushing her fingers against his wrist. The scent of woods curled
around her, luring her closer.

“Let me stay.”

The fantasy that everything was fine shattered, and she
backed away, shaking her head, almost whimpering at the loss of contact. “I’m
not strong enough to protect you without access to my power.”

Taggert leaned forward and inhaled. “It’s still there. Once
you come to terms with your beast, you’ll be fine.”

Raven blinked at his matter-of-fact comment, so close to
what Durant had just said, it gave her pause. She wasn’t sure is she was
relieved or not. That they could sense her beast sent a shiver of dread through
her, but no one else seemed at all concerned about the changes happening.

They should be.

They just didn’t know better yet.

Taggert sniffed again, a growl vibrating up his chest. “You
were in danger.”

“We’re hunting down a killer. Both Durant and Rylan are here
to protect me. I need you and Jackson to go back and keep the pack safe while
we’re gone.”

Denial burned his eyes a harsh green. Aggression poured off
him, so potent that her heart gave an instinctive leap of fear. “What the hell have
I done to you?”

Taggert straightened to his full height, standing a few
inches taller than her, all proud warrior. “You saved me.”

Raven shook her head, mourning the harsh changes one
unthinkable act had wrought. “But at what cost?”

“I’m stronger and faster. Strong enough to stand and fight
at your side.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m better
this way.”

As if sensing her panic, Durant stepped into view. “Alphas
have the ability to pull out latent traits in others.”

Raven rubbed her fingers together, distracted by the feel of
skin instead of leather she’d grown accustomed to wearing. “Maybe, but I
shouldn’t have been able to build on power he didn’t already have to start.”

The men exchanged looks proven to drive women insane with
frustration. “Spit it out.”

Jackson walked right into her private space—damned touchy-feely
shifters. He sucked up all the oxygen until she couldn’t focus on anything but
him. It was all she could do to keep her attention above his chin and ignore
the glorious chest and manly parts on full display.

He angled his body to block the wind, and the smell of freshly
cut grass wrapped around her. The simple gesture softened her anger. He’d lied
to her by omission, forced her to claim him, and risked his life in the process,
when he’d known there was an alternative. He’d had his reasons, though, and she
was beginning to suspect he might have been right.

And if she were truthful with herself, she was glad to have
him as part of her pack. By claiming him directly, she had made him irrevocably
hers.

The creature gave a little hum of pleasure that she’d
finally admitting it.

“You have never been normal. Why would it change now?”

She pursed her lips. He had a point. “Neither of you can
stay.”

Jackson nodded, studying her face as if memorizing her
features. “I know.”

She cocked her head at his easy acquiescence. “Then why did
you come?”

“Because Taggert needed to assure himself that you were all
right. He was coming with or without me.” Jackson didn’t move or even twitch,
and she narrowed her eyes.

“You’re lying.” It was a gift she shared with him thanks to
their blood connection.

The skin around his eyes tightened a little. “No, I’m just
not telling you the complete truth.”

When he said nothing more, she raised a brow.

Something inside him snapped, and he stepped closer. He
inhaled, savoring her scent. “When you left, you weren’t going to come back.”

Raven didn’t deny it. “And you thought if I saw you again
that I would change my mind?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, letting her know how close she had
come to the mark. Raven hesitantly placed her hand on his chest, her fingers
coming to rest on the faint scar below his collarbone. His eyes dilated, and he
sucked in a startled breath, his body going rigid.

“Fight for us. We’ve gone through too much for you to give
up on us now.” He pressed her hand over the mark that claimed him as hers. “We will
never give up on you.”

Raven tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. If only
it was that easy. She refused to become a monster. If she wasn’t able to find a
compromise with the creature, she might not have a choice. She’d do whatever
was necessary to keep them from harm…even if it meant never seeing them again.
“I’ll do whatever’s in my power to preserve the pack.”

Jackson’s brows furrowed at her choice of words, immediately
noting her omission. “Just remember, you are the core of the pack. Come back to
us.”

She couldn’t give him a promise she might have to break. She
pulled away, ducking from his too-perceptive gaze. He always sensed too much,
much more than she was willing to share. “Taggert, go on back with Jackson—”

“No.” The kid’s expression shut down and he crossed his
arms, suddenly an immovable object.

There was no way he could stay. He was too vulnerable. He
wouldn’t survive another attack. She had to find a way to make him obey, but no
matter how hard she wracked her brain, she couldn’t come up with anything that
might tempt him.

All Taggert had ever wanted was to be part of a pack.

Then that’s what she would give him.

“If you go back with Jackson, when this case is complete, I
promise to give you and the pack my undivided attention.”

Taggert narrowed his eyes, the calculation there a little disconcerting.
“One week. No work.”

Raven studied the demand from all angles. If she could hold
everything together and survive this job, a week with the pack should be
simple.

But when was anything in her life simple?

Taggert ventured closer. “We’ll go on vacation. You’ll be
alone with just the pack.”

His offer sound like both heaven and a threat. “You’ll leave
and stay away from this case?”

He gave one short nod. “I’ll use the time to plan the trip.”

“Durant, give them your keys.”

Durant snapped to attention, glowering at her. “Excuse me?”

“They need to leave, and they can’t go back the way they
came. The fastest, surest way is by car.”

When he saw she wasn’t going to back down, he cursed and closed
his eyes in resignation. “And I have the only vehicle.”

She watched him hesitate again before digging the keys out
of his pocket. His body remained tense, as if he was ready to run off at the
slightest provocation. He figured the keys, then tossed them. “Damage her, and
I’ll take it out of your hide, mutt.”

Jackson caught them with ease, then gave Raven a measured
look. “One week. If you don’t show, we’re coming after you.”

Jackson walked by her, and she didn’t resist the urge to
turn and watch him stride away. She followed the muscular lines of his back,
watched the flex of his ass, and envied his ease with himself. Taggert brushed
against her as he passed, his eyes alive as he watched her.

There was an unspoken promise in them…there was nowhere she could
hide that he wouldn’t find her.

Then the darkness swallowed him, too.

 Chapter Nine

DAY TWO: MORNING

R
aven
woke to sunlight streaming into the room, and she frowned, uncertain why her
mind was racing a mile a minute. Then it hit her. The sun.

“Rylan!” For a panicked second, she searched the room, her
heart fluttering. He’d never reported back last night. She must have drifted
off while waiting up for him.

Durant’s big frame filled the doorway. He leaned his
shoulder against the jamb and crossed his arms. “If you’re looking for the
vampire, he went to ground earlier this morning.”

Relief flooded her until the silence of the cabin grabbed
her by the throat. “Where’s the jaguar?”

Durant scowled at the mention of the other cat, as if the
jaguar was an unwanted stray who had invaded his space. “He let himself out
just after sunrise.”

Raven relaxed back on the bed and stretched. “What time is
it?”

There was a lengthy pause, and she lifted her head to find
him staring at her, looking ready to crawl into bed at the slightest bit of
encouragement. She blushed, but her self-consciousness faded at the naked
hunger in his eyes. She tucked her hands under her to keep from reaching for
him, her nails sinking in her flesh, until her sanity finally returned.

“Time.” It came out a croak.

The fire in his eyes banked at her rejection. When he
glanced at the clock without a word of protest, she blew out a heavy breath, deflated
that he hadn’t pushed for more. She knew it was her own fault for sending mixed
messages, even if they weren’t intentional.

“A little after ten.”

“What?” Raven scrambled from bed, nearly tripping when her
legs tangled in the sheets. “Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

She gave him her back and quickly pulled on her pants. When
he didn’t speak, she glanced over at him to find his attention cemented on her scantily
clad ass. The near-scorching look in his eyes made her breath catch, and she couldn’t
decide whether to be flustered or flattered. She pulled a shirt over her tank
top, tucked it into her pants then turned and faced him. “Well?”

He finally looked up, met her eyes, then shrugged. “You
needed the rest.”

It was as simple as that for him. She was still
uncomfortable with how focused her pack was on her well-being.

“No, what I need to do is finish this case.” The urgency to
find the killer and hurry home had only increased after she’d seen Taggert
again. There was brittleness about him that warned he would snap if she failed
and never returned. He’d go rogue and risk being hunted before going back to
being a slave.

Durant narrowed his eyes at her irritation. “You’ll solve it.
A few hours won’t make a difference.”

His confidence in her was nice. She just hoped she could
live up to their expectations. First, she needed to get away from his simmering
eyes before she completely forgot why being in the same room with him and a bed
was such a bad idea. “I’ll meet you out front in five minutes.”

The instant his broad back disappeared out the door, Raven
closed her eyes and searched her core in a desperate hope that everything was
back to normal, but the spot remained barren. The damage she’d inflicted on
herself was healing, but there was still no hint of her power.

Without her power, she and her pack were vulnerable. To keep
everyone safe, she needed to assert her dominance over her animal…but how was
she to do that when she couldn’t catch and hold the elusive beast?

The creature emerged on a whim, wreaked havoc on anyone near,
and then disappeared, leaving Raven with a mess to clean up. She needed to find
a way to communicate with it, because without her power, they were all lost.

Heat spread through her veins, flooding her system with raw
energy at the thought of losing her pack. She waited for the creature to
emerge, but Raven suspected the animal was pacifying her, biding its time.

She clutched a single ray of hope to her chest. She and her
creature had the same goal—the survival of the pack. It could give her an edge
when dealing with the creature.

She splashed water on her face, twisted her hair up, but
there was no more hiding the silver that streaked the black strands. The tips
were almost solid silver. Since she was no longer able to use the power
directly, she wondered if the electrical current would stop eating away the
color.

She slipped out the door to find Durant standing perfectly
still, waiting for her to emerge. The two guards from last night had been
replaced, judiciously maintaining a healthy distance. She eyed them curiously,
but felt no malice.

“What did Rylan learn?” She led the way toward the main
building and breakfast, wanting to avoid any more personal talk.

Durant didn’t take her arm, but lingered close enough that
his leather scent distracted her. “The coven is secure. He couldn’t detect
anything out of place.”

Curiosity made her ask. “Would he be able to tell if the
person responsible had been here for a while?”

Durant scanned the courtyard for possible danger, ever alert
for trouble. Not even the students escaped his perusal. “By smell, no, but he
might be able to sense if something was off.”

“Everything feels off,” Raven mumbled, knowing he would hear
her anyway. She watched as a group of students detoured around them before they
scampered off toward class, and she snorted in amusement at their antics.

“Everyone’s on edge.” He corrected, dismissing the kids as
any kind of threat, seemingly unaware he was being treated like a leper.

“Keep an eye out for the jaguar.” She raised a hand when he
opened his mouth to protest. “Whether you like it or not, he knows more about
what’s happening here than anyone else. We need him.”

Durant grumbled but didn’t say anything more as he scanned a
small knot of people scurrying from one building to the next. They received a
few curious looks, an annoyed glare or two, but nothing overtly menacing.
“Something is killing people.”

“Yes,” Durant glanced over at her.

“Then why didn’t they send the children back to their
parents for protection?”

Durant raised a brow, looking surprised that she didn’t
already know the answer. “It would mean admitting the witches aren’t able to
protect their own.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? These witches are the best in the coven, put in
charge of teaching the next generation. If they admit they can’t handle the
danger—”

“They would lose status.” Raven still didn’t understand it.
“That doesn’t excuse them for putting children in danger.”

Durant continued to look at her, and she resisted the urge
to fidget. “What?”

“They might be children, but they’re witches first. Going
home would mean failure. People would know and remember.”

She waved her hand, dismissing his ludicrous comment. “No
one thinks that way.”

“Shifters are the same way.” Tension mounted in the air
around Durant, his reluctance to say more was obvious, and she bit her lip to
keep from asking what happened in his life to make him think he was a coward.
She didn’t believe it for a second. “If there is even a hint of weakness in a
shifter, they immediately lose status. No one wants to claim a shifter who has
shown cowardice.”

“Fear is a healthy response to danger. It keeps you alive.”
Fear was her daily companion, it swarmed around her, trying to drag her down the
moment she relaxed her vigilance. She would not be swayed in her belief that
fear was a healthy response. To do so would be to admit that she didn’t deserve
her pack.

Those mesmerizing green and gold eyes of his bore into hers.
“Fear doesn’t mean you’re a coward. Think of it more like a test. The best and
the brightest don’t run from danger, they run toward it. People like you.”

She couldn’t help be flattered at his roundabout complement.
“Then why have they brought me here? Isn’t that admitting they couldn’t handle
it on their own?”

“When you can’t solve a problem, you bring in someone who
can.”

She narrowed her eyes, wishing she could read him as easily
as he read her. “But you still believe they requested me for more than my
ability to solve cases.”

He stared at her with golden eyes, his tiger close to the
surface at the possibility of her being in danger. “Don’t you?”

She took her time answering. “I don’t think it matters at
this point. I’m trapped. If I leave without finding the killer, they’ll make
sure I lose Taggert just for spite.”

“They’re watching you, taking notes on everything you can
do.” He practically bristled at the idea.

As they neared the building, her stomach rumbled, and she
quickened her pace. She needed to consume a lot of calories or her body would
steal energy from those around her. The last thing she needed was to accidently
kill a witch.

The building was cool when they entered. People, both past
and present, walked through the halls. She dodged around the ghosts for fear of
repeating yesterday’s performance. Durant didn’t comment on her odd dance, and
she ignored the few witches who eyed her as if she was a lunatic. The cafeteria
was empty but for a few stragglers scattered throughout.

And no shifters.

Again.

“Shifters aren’t even allowed to eat in the same building,
are they?”

Durant nudged her toward the food. “If you were a familiar,
would you want to eat with the one who had purchased your contract?”

Her lips curled with revulsion at the thought of being
forced to interact with anyone twenty-four hours a day. “Point taken.”

She loaded her plate, her mouth watering despite the fact the
food was a congealed lump that had been sitting out a little too long. They ate
in silence. It was only after she swallowed the last mouthful that she noticed
Durant watching her with a peculiar smile.

“What?” She snatched up a napkin and wiped her mouth,
feeling her face heat. “Did I get it?”

His smile widened, and her paranoia escalated. “Why are you
smiling?”

“Do you realize this is one of the few times I’ve had you
all to myself without one of us being injured or someone trying to kill us?”

Raven dropped the napkin on her plate. Her eyes dipped to
his lips, her mind immediately going to the time when she had him all to
herself, cuffed to a chair, urging her to do anything she wanted to him. A
blush heated her face as she imagined stripping off his shirt, and Durant
chuckled, smugly confident where her thoughts had gone.

Raven shot to her feet, sure that at any moment she would be
able to see his tiger peek out and lick his lips while he watched her. “Stop
it.”

Durant slowly straightened, giving her time to admire all those
sleek muscles at work. “Stop what?”

Mischief danced in his eyes, and she huffed out a breath.
But he had succeeded in distracting her from her worries. She turned toward the
door as he rounded the table.

“You’re still you. The beast you fear won’t change that.”

He had to go and ruin it all by mentioning her creature. She
hurried toward the exit, not wanting to encourage him. “We need to find out if
the witch lived. She could know something.”

Instead of wasting time searching the campus, Raven headed
straight for Heloise’s office. The door was open, thankfully, but the wards
clung like sticky taffy as she passed through them. “Did the witch survive?”

Heloise finished signing a document, not even bothering to
look up. “Her name is Crystal. We did all we could for her.”

Raven cocked her head, noting something off about the
answer. Then it clicked. She didn’t say she had died. “I’d like to question
her.”

Heloise sighed in annoyance and finally glanced up. “I’m
afraid that will be impossible. We’ve made her comfortable, but there was
nothing we could do to reverse the process. She’s dying.”

Raven understood the rejection, but cooperating wouldn’t get
her answers. “Your first impulse is to protect, but you have more than one
person under your care.”