Electric Storm (42 page)

“And under arrest for murder.” Scotts’ voice broke through her shock. She turned from Jackson to face the resolute expression of the police.

 
Chapter Thirty-three

T
he pain grew in waves as the numbness wore off, but if Raven could’ve reached Scotts, she would’ve smacked him. The worst thing was that she couldn’t even catch her breath to curse him. Remorse darkened Scotts’ gaze, but it wouldn’t prevent him from doing his job. Jackson licked her face, distracting her from her anger almost like he was trying to tell her that he’d be all right.

“Taggert?” Her voice emerged as a rasp. She tried to turn, but Jackson had crawled in her lap, effectively pinning her in place.

“He’s fine. A few nasty scratches, but he’ll be as good as new after a few days.” Dominic helped Taggert stand and eased him down next to her. Only when he carefully leaned against her did she finally believe that everything might work out.

Dominic’s laser-green gaze pierced hers. “I’m more worried about your wounds. Let me see your injuries before Scotts calls those medics he’s been threatening to have trample through the forest and destroy evidence.”

Raven stilled at Dominic’s warning. That’s the last thing she needed. She couldn’t allow others to touch her blood and question how fast she healed. If someone got curious and ran her DNA, she’d be screwed.

“Fine.” She gripped the knife, ready to jerk it out when Durant’s large hand latched onto her wrist.

“Wait. Let me get a bandage first.” With a serious flex of muscles, he slipped out of his shirt to reveal a close fitting tee that drew attention to his body. He ripped the material into strips. The men exchanged a look. Taggert slipped an arm around her waist and tightened his grip.

“I can do it.” She wiggled, trying to break free. Durant couldn’t touch her blood.

They ignored her. Durant nodded, lifted the makeshift pad, while Dominic gripped the knife handle. One jerk and the metal slipped free with a juicy sound. She struggled, but it did no good. Blood spilled down the front of her shirt. The pain spiked when fresh air hit, twisting through her chest as if the knife took a chunk of her shoulder with it.

Durant knocked away her hands when she grabbed for the pad and deftly applied enough pressure, stopping any protest she might have given by stealing her breath.

She gritted her teeth, cursing her weakness. Tears tore at her soul as blood soaked his hands. The fight drained out of her, and bitterness sought a target. 

Unwilling for the police to see them in such a vulnerable position, she snarled. “There is a cave that way. Why don’t you see if you can rescue someone there.”

She jerked her head, indicating the vast darkness beyond the circle of trees. As soon as Scotts glanced away, Dominic pocketed the knife with her blood on it.

“Head south about two hundred yards. Why not try to catch the others before they escape.” She didn’t say instead of harassing us like she wanted, but it was a stretch.

Tact.

That was her.

A mask descended over Scotts’ dusky, dark complexion and the hardnosed detective took over as he ordered his men about. What he didn’t do was leave them alone. Raven gave a subtle nod to Dominic to oversee the police. He hesitated, gave her one last searching glance and melted into the surroundings like he’d never been there.

“Too many people saw your wolf kill. I have no choice but to haul him in to the station.” Scotts paused, a bit resigned at her stiff attitude. Raven kept quiet less she say something irrevocably damaging. “I’ll do my best to process him quickly. I don’t see any issues with you being able to pick him up in the morning after we’ve cleared him. This is a clear case of self-defense.”

Despite the turmoil, Scotts’ statement was a huge concession.

For her.

Though she fought it, she was grateful. And that made her all the grumpier. Most shifters brought in on murder went through an inquisition that took months. By the time they gained their freedom, most went a little insane at being confined.

Only a very few packs had the political sway to reclaim their members from such a charge without huge fines and a lot of favors changing hands. Any law enforcement officials would say it doesn’t happen at all.  

“Thank you.” Although she knew she was pushing him, she couldn’t resist making a demand. “Will you allow me to see if I can get him to shift?” She couldn’t stand to see him locked with chains and shoved in the metal wagon reserved for shifters in their animal form with only the bare minimum of padding to protect them.

Depending on the strength of the shifter, it could take hours to revert back to normal. Most didn’t have a choice when their animal contorted back to their human shape. But she had a feeling that Jackson was different. And a sinking suspicion that she’d made it worse with her interference.

Now she’d possibly infected Durant as well. Guilt battled for dominance, and she quickly shoved it away. She’d deal with Durant later.

“Jackson—” Even as she spoke, his fur receded, flowing into him like water. His back arched, a hiss escaped as his muscles pulled tight, and his body settled back into itself. He blindly reached for her, and she grabbed his hand. “I’m here. I have you.”

The whole process was very private, and she hated that Jackson had to go through it in such a public manner. She brought his hand up to her face and brushed her cheek against his fingers to soothe them both. Someone thoughtfully handed him a pair of shorts.

“Sir.” The radio crackled to life, the static startling in the deep silence of the forest. “We have two bodies slaughtered here.” In the background, you could hear someone retching. “They’re bad.”

 “Shifter?” Scotts gave her a probing look. They both knew he wasn’t asking if the victims were shifters.

“From the pieces we can find, it appears so.”

Raven lifted her chin, daring him to even suggest that it was one of hers. When no other report came across the radio, the sour taste in the back of her throat dissipated. Digger and Griffin had escaped. The guards were dead. Somehow, she didn’t think Grandpa was one of the casualties.

“Secure the scene and search the forest near the opening. See if you can find any tracks leading from the cave. Watch for both human and animal. I’ll send the techs in with the crime kit. We should be there in twenty minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” The young voice wobbled a little, but she had to give him credit, the man didn’t back down at the prospect of being alone in a forest full of shifters. Scotts replaced his radio and nodded to rookie at his side. “Cuff him.”

A deputy licked his lips and resolutely pulled out a set of cuffs from his belt.

Affronted on Jackson’s behalf, Raven glared at Scotts. “Are those really necessary?”

Jackson sat up, taking her by surprise when he brushed his lips against hers. “I’ll be fine.”

A tremor shook her hands, and she reached for him. The feel of his arm beneath her fingers calmed some of the unease that insisted she not let him go. “Did I say thank you, yet?”

Jackson winked despite the fatigue that had to be dragging him down. The length of time shifters were in their animal form often left them asleep for hours, if not days as their system recovered from the trauma. The shorter the shift, the longer the recovery time. “You can thank me properly in the morning.”

She knew what he wanted. Pack status.

She gave a hesitant nod, and Jackson allowed himself to be cuffed and led away with a limp and one last self-satisfied glance at her. Darkness swallowed him, and she bit back the demand that he come back. 

Scotts hesitated. “Go home. Rest. Take your friends with you.” He stared at the trees where Dominic had disappeared. “All of them.”

Raven complied without another word. They wouldn’t find anything incriminating here, Dominic would make sure of it. The hunters were gone. Everyone was safe. It was time to close the case.

Too bad she feared it was much too late to keep the others safe from her.

* * *

“Will the police find the others?”

Durant snorted, not bothering to lift his gaze from the windshield. “They won’t be searching for the right things, nor do they have the tracking skills that shifters do.”

The agitation eating Durant alive wasn’t revealed by any actions, but it grew beneath his surface, ready to tear through his skin if provoked. That was fine. His mood matched hers perfectly.

The pain of being moved to the car gradually faded as she concentrated on the feel of Durant’s and Taggert’s warm bodies pressed on either side of her. Her animals responded to their nearness, accelerating the healing process.

Raven agreed with Durant’s assessment of the police. “I’ll have London come back at dawn to track the few hunters that had managed to escape. They were planning to disappear after tonight. My guess is they’ve already moved onto the next hunting ground.” But not if she could help it. She’d track them and ensure this never happened to others.

Right after she talked to Lester. She had most of the pieces of the puzzle. The biggest gap in the case was what had happened to Jason’s body.

The road to the house loomed, and the occupants of the car fell silent. Part of her hadn’t believed she would be returning with everyone relatively safe.

They had won.

“What about Sarah?” Taggert voiced the question that had been nagging at her. They limped together to the house, Durant doing his best to keep them both standing. “She’s still out there.”

“They were controlling her.” To some extent.

“She might have killed at their command, but she’s still a killer,” Durant’s voice rumbled with violence. “You nearly died from her first attack.” Though his words were harsh, his touch remained gentle as he eased her up the stairs. They followed Taggert’s unsteady gait as he lead them to her room. 

Raven didn’t have the strength to shrug. “She’s more animal than anything, squirreling away body parts for food stores. She wanted away from them.”

“And now that the police removed her food supply,” Taggert reminded her, “she’ll hunt for more.”

Raven shook her head. “They’ve been hunting in these woods for months. There were dozens missing, and we found only a fraction of them.”

Neither man was satisfied with that answer. Hell, she wasn’t either. “Taggert, shower first, then food.”

The glaze in his eyes told he was at the end of his rope. The wolf had been too close to the surface for too long, taking a toll on his body. Seconds later, the shower thrummed to life.

“Let me clean you up.” Durant guided her to the bathroom. He wasn’t asking.

He prowled around her, always remaining within touching distance, always watching. The large tiled bathroom felt cramped with him in the room. No place to hide from the strong leather scent that always clung to him. It softened her edge when she needed it most.

Before she knew what to expect, Durant slipped his large hands over her hips and lifted her onto the counter. Cold granite sucked a gasp from her. When she opened her mouth to object, the tightness around his mouth had her rethinking her protest.

“The first aid kit is under the sink.”

He bent, retrieved the cardboard box, inspected the healthy supply and grunted as if the abundance of products was barely adequate. He carefully unwound the makeshift bandages, his touch so light she barely felt it. The slice on her arm was a thin line, the wound already clotted and sealed thanks to her animals. The gunshot was the same but had more of a singed look. He wet a cloth and cleaned each area, edging closer until he was wedged between her thighs with her having no idea how he got there.

Under the light, with his head bowed, she could see faint stripes in his wild mane of hair. Something about it had a smile curling her lips, but she resisted the urge to pet him. She didn’t think he’d appreciate the fact that she thought it was cute.

She shifted to give him better access, and the scab on her leg broke open in protest. She didn’t say a word, but Durant stilled. He inhaled deeply, a line forming between his brows.