Raven Investigation 04 - Electric Legend (6 page)

No serious relationships between the species.

Duty to the pack must always come first.

The gypsy smiled, her relief palpable as she reached for
Taggert’s hand. The sight of another woman touching him, especially after the
mermaid, left her fingertips aching as claws threatened to erupt. Her gums tingled,
her fangs ready to descend and tear into the woman. The beast stretched under
her skin, growing restless.

Taggert stared at her over the gypsy’s head, his eyes
widening at the sight of her ready to lose her cool. He shook his head once in
panic, tensing to shove the poor girl away.

The comical sight calmed Raven faster than anything else could.

Cobwebs brushed against her skin as the witch began to cast.
Without a coven, the witch was weak, the spell small. Raven tensed, ready to
suck the magic down at the first sign of a threat.

Reacting to her disquiet, the wild magic flared dark red at
being so close to a practicing witch. It wanted out, wanted to infect and
consume.

As if it sensed her attention, the tainted magic faded,
still alert but no longer desperate to break free.

It understood that as soon as it left her body, it would die.

Raven would personally kill it before it could spread.

Then the woman began to speak. “You’ve been on your own for
a while, but you found someone special.”

Only rogues would visit the circus, so there was nothing extraordinary
about her prediction, but there was something eerie in the way she spoke that
raised the hairs on the back of Raven’s neck.

The reading was real.

She smiled at Raven, guessing correctly that she was the
someone special, then focused back on her reading. She ran her fingers along
his palm, and then a frown marred her brow. “But you’ve changed recently.”

As if she solved the puzzle, her face cleared. “She made you
stronger. You would do anything for her.”

“Yes.” Taggert didn’t look away from Raven, emotions
splintering the color of his eyes from whiskey brown to the neon green of his
wolf.

The gypsy released him and smiled at them both, looking more
troubled than pleased. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

She scampered away, disappearing in the crowd, and Raven had
no doubt to report her findings. “We need to leave.”

No one else tried to stop them as they passed under the
grand banner at the entrance. The parking lot remained half-full, but she
didn’t see their vehicle at all. Worry gnawed at her. Something was wrong. “Let’s
circle around back. They should’ve been waiting for us. I don’t want to risk
doing another search if I can avoid it.”

“Agreed.”

Raven allowed Taggert to take the lead, and they turned
right. If they were going to be attacked, it would be from behind. She would
drop them on their asses before they could get near. Taggert kept his distance in
case they needed room to fight, and she missed the comfort of his hand in hers.

The closeness to him.

She stumbled over the lumpy and uneven ground.

The only thing that kept her uncoordinated ass on her feet
was her budding shifter reflexes. Even suppressed, the creature continued to safeguard
her.

As soon as they turned the corner, a ten-foot canvas outer
wall separated the back of the circus from the public, blocking the meager
lights, and they found themselves surrounded by shadows. She thought they were
for privacy, but she couldn’t help wonder if it was for a reason a bit more
sinister.

A boundary.

A warning.

Enter at your own risk.

Raven grabbed the tag on her wrist and pulled, watching it
flutter to the ground. There was only twenty feet between the circus and the freedom
of the forest.

She expected the ancient, gnarled trees to be more menacing,
but it took all her nerves not to run into it and hide. Her skin prickled,
imagining that they were being watched.

Chased.

She refused to be responsible for leading trouble back to
her pack. She needed to find them quick and get the hell out of there.

As they neared the corner of the circus, Raven dropped her
shields. Small threads of energy surged toward her from the surrounding area.
She absorbed the strings of current until it sank under her skin, just enough
to get a taste of it, taking comfort in the familiar ache.

Then she shifted through all the sources, concentrating on
the potent energy that made shifters so powerful and gave them the ability to
transform.

Careful not to disturb the shifters and alert them to her
presence, she checked the source of each flare of energy, hoping to locate
Jackson or Durant, but every source led back to one thing—the circus.

Taggert kept glancing at her as they walked, and she feared
he’d smack into a tree. When she couldn’t absorb more energy without giving
away their location, she finally cut off the stream. “I’m not able to locate
any shifters outside the circus.”

“So you couldn’t find Durant and Jackson?”

Raven shook her head in defeat, pissed with herself at the
failure. Without the help of her beast to either contact her men or consume the
excess energy, she was basically useless. “I can’t continue the search without risking
that they’ll find us. I don’t understand why the shifters continue to work at
that horrible place.”

“They’re bound to their pack. Even if they wanted to fight,
they wouldn’t be strong enough.”

She threw up her hands in the air, completely exasperated. “They
could run.”

Taggert shook his head even before she finished. “As soon as
they run, they’re marked as a rogue.”

Raven paled at the implications. “Giving everyone legal
permission to hunt and kill them.”

The burnout rate must be extremely high. Her pulse raced as
things began falling into place. “They must constantly need more shifters who
can contribute, ones they can control.”

Taggert gave her a pointed look. “Or ones who have something
to lose.”

The meaning of the reading smacked her upside the head.

They wanted her men and planned to use her to get them.

Rave increased her stride, growing more anxious to find
Durant and Jackson and put as much distance between them and the circus from
hell.

A
s they reached to the backend of the circus,
Raven stumbled to a stop and cursed. “What the devil?”

She expected a parking lot and a quick getaway.

Instead, they encountered a forest with cars parked
haphazardly between the trees, no rhyme or reason to the chaos.

Taggert looked grim. “We need to search.”

Raven nodded, and they split up, keeping within ten feet of
each other by silent agreement. The delay made her nervous. The farther the
circus fell behind, the more the crippling jealousy faded. Without all the
people surrounding them, her emotions normalized. She wished she could say the
same for her embarrassment.

She’d acted like a possessive lover.

It didn’t seem to matter that she had no right.

As they wandered deeper into the dark forest, they stumbled
upon more and more vehicles, but none of them their station wagon. The guys
would’ve tried to keep out of the way, but these cars had purposefully been
hidden, someone had gone to great lengths to ensure no one would find them.

Worry solidified like a ball of lead in her gut, and she
couldn’t help be grateful to have Taggert at her side. She glanced at him from
the corner of her eyes, her lips still tingling from his mind-blowing kiss. She
released the stranglehold on the stuffed animal she held, stroking its fur, a
poor substitute for the real thing. Thankfully, Taggert seemed oblivious to her
thoughts as he scanned their surroundings until she noticed that his gaze kept
landing on her after a few seconds.

She wasn’t sure if he thought she would disappear or if he
wanted to pounce on her.

She pushed away the chaotic thoughts, hating that she was
growing so aware of the men thanks to the dragon messing with her emotions. The
beast made it impossible for her to ignore them as she had in the past.

The absolute silence from the forest became heavy and began
to prey on her nerves.

No animals foraging.

No insects.

It wasn’t natural.

Cheering rose from the circus, and she shivered, not sure
she wanted to know what was happening. It couldn’t be anything good.

It made her nervous she couldn’t sense anyone giving chase.

That she couldn’t see and take down the threat.

What the hell were they waiting for?

Her clients usually came to her with a problem to fix, where
she could do research and gather background information on the case before
jumping into the fray. This was different, and until she had more information,
the only way to keep everyone safe was by leaving, enlist the council’s help
and come back with reinforcements.

She went over everything they’d seen, glanced back to gauge
the sheer size of the circus, and realized they’d only seen a small portion. Taggert
was hiding something from her. “You avoided taking me to see the whole circus.
Why?”

“You know why.” He gave her a measured look, betraying
nothing about his emotions, bottling himself all up.

Hurt ploughed into her gut that he kept a part of himself
apart from her, just like he did when he’d first come to her.

Like he didn’t trust her. “You didn’t think I could handle
it.”

“Circuses have animals. I knew it would upset you to see
them, and I didn’t want to ruin our special night.” A hint of vulnerability
softened his face, and Raven found herself drawn closer.

Then the truth became clear, and she closed her eyes in
resignation. “The animals are shifters locked in cages, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

Raven could understand why he thought it would upset her,
but the way his shoulders tensed, the way he angled away from looking at her
directly, she knew he was keeping something else from her. “They can’t shift
back, can they?”

Taggert’s shoulders dropped as he sighed, weighed down with
the truth. “None of the shifters we saw were in good condition.”

“When they can no longer change back into their human forms,
they are relegated to the cages like animals. And the longer they remain in
animal form, the harder it is for them to remember their human side.”

“We don’t know that.” But his protest lacked conviction

They traveled farther into the trees, found three more cars,
but never the right one. Her muscles tensed, and she shook with the urge to run
hard and fast.

This was not her mess.

It wasn’t her problem to solve.

Duty and the need to do the right thing tore her in opposite
directions.

The shifters were virtual prisoners, treated worse than
slaves, and their alpha didn’t give a damn. The very idea horrified her. Pack
was built to protect, lived and died to safeguard each other. To be betrayed by
the ones who were supposed to keep them safe was beyond unspeakable.

She waited for her beast to show outrage, but the dragon remained
locked down tight. They’d become so integrated, Raven found herself missing the
creature. No spell held the beast at bay. No outer forces were at work.

The beast was just gone.

After so many years of repressing the monster, Raven missed
the dratted creature.

She gave her dragon a careful poke but received no response.

It meant only one thing—something bad was about to happen.

Apprehension churned in her gut, and she picked up her pace,
eager to find the men. She brushed against a tree, the bark biting into her skin.
Every step without catching even a trace of them shot her anxiety higher. She
could feel people watching them from the woods like a game of cat and mouse,
their boots against her neck, ready to grab and drag them back.

She wouldn’t survive being imprisoned again.

Her breathing grew labored when she couldn’t find enough
air. Raven knew she was having a panic attack, but the knowledge didn’t ease
the swirling emotions.

She’d had enough.

There was no more hiding.

Refusing to leave without the men, Raven grabbed for a
string of current.

“Here!” Taggert took off running.

Concentration shot, the hot strands singed her palms as the
energy slid through her fingers. Raven followed, heart in her throat, darting
around trees and random cars in her path. Taggert practically vaulted over a
vehicle. No way could she keep pace.

When he drew to an abrupt halt, Raven slowed.

He whirled, pure wolf staring back at her and roared. “Run!”

In the next second, three shots echoed in the glen.

Taggert staggered and something inside her crumbled.

It took her precious seconds for her to realize that she
scented no blood.

He wasn’t dead.

She blinked to see three red darts sticking out of his chest.

They’d drugged him. They wanted him alive. He lifted an arm,
swiping away the darts, but it was much too late, the poison already coursing
through his system.

She sprinted toward him, refused to leave him behind.

Taggert growled when she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I told you to run.”

“Not happening.” They pushed deeper into the forest, the
circus offering no sanctuary. Even hampered, they moved faster than any human.
Unfortunately, the shadowy forms hovering in the darkness easily kept pace.

Without her beast, she was useless. Heart hammering against
her chest, she gathered her power when the dragon pressed down on her chest, smothering
every ounce of current.

Raven was devastated by the betrayal.

Before she could grab the damned beast and demand answers,
the bitch slithered back into her bones and vanished. The dragon obviously
wanted her to stay, but no amount of probing would tell her why.

She understood the beast wanted to protect her by keeping their
secret, but the dragon would never put her men at risk without a reason.

“Stop.” Taggert squeezed her waist until she had no air
left. He slowed to a jarring stumble, his hold on her weakening. “Leave me.”

Raven shook her head, prepared to be just as stubborn, and
he shoved her away. “They will use you against us. You have to escape.”

Everything in her rebelled at the idea, but she knew he was
right. If they took her, her pack would all be trapped. If she left, she could
come back for them, but it didn’t make abandoning them any easier to swallow.

Her chest burned as she took a step away from him, the
action so painful, it felt like she was being gutted by a butter knife.

Two large shifters stepped out of the darkness, not remotely
human, both stuck in transition like werewolves of old with furry legs, snout,
teeth and claws galore.

A human followed a few paces behind, a soldier by his
bearing, his cold gaze freezing her insides solid. He held a gun in his grip
and could’ve easily shot her. Instead, he waved to the men, malicious glee in
his eyes. “Get the woman.”

Both werewolves lifted their guns in a blur, obeying as if
the man were their master, their spirits completely broken.

No way could she elude them without the help of her beast or
magic.

Time slowed.

Their fingers tightened on the trigger.

Then the darts shot through the air.

Even as she dropped to the ground, she waited for the
piercing pain from the darts.

Instead, Taggert lunged in front of her.

He grunted as the tiny missiles struck true.

He swayed on his feet, his eyes dilating until they were
nearly black. His beast processed the drug as fast as it could, but there was
just too much.

Raven scrambled to her feet as he dropped to his knees. Her
arms ached to catch him, demand he come with her. She almost gave in when his
eyes heated with anger, his wolf ready to lunge at her to get her moving. “Go.”

She instinctively took a step back.

He’d sacrificed himself for her and wouldn’t forgive her if
she stayed. She needed to be free so she could rescue them.

With one last look, Raven took off running.

She heard grunting and chanced a glance behind her in time
to see Taggert tackle the two men who’d given chase. He fought dirty, taking
the men down long enough for her to gain ground. Running full speed, she
focused on escape.

A small shape straightened from behind a car, leaping over
the vehicle in a single bound, landing directly into her path. The thrill of
the chase had stripped the werewolf of what little humanity he had left. There
was no reasoning behind his eyes, pure predator staring back at her.

 Raven tensed as he raised a gun but didn’t slow down. A
little puff from the barrel alerted her first, and she barely managed to swerve
in time. The dart winged her arm.

Her muscles burned as the chemicals sped through her body.

Then Raven bent low, hitting the man in the gut with enough
force that they both went flying. She slammed into the ground with a grunt, while
the man thumped into a car with a heavy thud. The impact knocked the breath
from her lungs. Air became scarce as she grabbed the fender of the car and
dragged herself upright.

A shadow fell across her, and she peered up into a barrel of
a gun. Without hesitation, the man fired twice.

A sharp jab of pain slammed into her upper shoulder as if
she’d been stabbed.

More poison flooded her system.

Raven refused to go down without a fight, kicking out,
pleased when she heard the bones of his knees crunch as it bent backward.

The man bellowed, the sounds not remotely human, as if he no
longer had vocal cords. His face was misshapen, not wolf or human but caught in
between. With his mouth open, his fangs appeared more prominent. When their
eyes connected, anger burned in their depths, and he struck her across the face
with the side of the gun.

Pain exploded in her head, and she allowed herself to
collapse. She wanted to keep fighting, she could take them, but it was
important for them to believe she was human.

The werebeast threaded his hand in her hair and viciously
yanked her head back. Her neck strained at the awkward angle, and she struggled
to breathe. Muscles corded his arms, but instead of covered in fur, the beast
had a leopard pattern etched over his skin.

“Do not damage her or they’ll take it out of your hide.” The
soldier strolled into view, calmly watching her get her ass handed to her, a satisfied
twist to his lips.

The leopardman grunted in disappointment and released her.

Raven collapsed forward, gulping for air, her head growing
fuzzy. A few feet from her, she stared at the glassy-eyed stuffed animal
Taggert had given her, the little thing trampled in the dirt.

Two men dragged Taggert’s limp body between them, and her
chest hurt to see him so vulnerable. Even flooded with poison, the magic and
her dragon helped burn through the worst of it. She should escape as Taggert
had ordered her, but instinct warned that if they didn’t capture her, her pack would
be worthless to them.

Expendable.

She couldn’t leave them to die.

Someone grabbed her arm and hauled her upright before thrusting
a boney shoulder in her middle and hoisting her high. It took everything she
had to remain pliant. Even with the dragon firmly hidden, claws pressed against
her fingerprints, and she resisted the need to shred the man to ribbons. The
man carrying her had a heavy limp, and pleasure spiraled through her knowing
she’d at least maimed him. Shifters healed fast, but he could look forward to a
week of agony and think of her with every step.

Lights and noises from the circus rose as they drew closer. “Put
them in the cages.”

Canvas rippled, and she realized they’d been escorted
through the back entrance. The man carrying her stopped, and she fought against
the urge to tense. The man lifted her, then she went airborne as he tossed her.
She bit her lip to hold back a squeal. She hit the cage with a
thunk
, before
crashing to the cold metal floor.