Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet

by Stacey Brutger

  “I’ve been loyal and followed your restrictions and rules to the letter. I’ve offered my help to solve problems the council has ignored or thought beneath them. I’ve offered my services to the entire paranormal world.” The old wolf narrowed his eyes, not willing to back down, and Raven smiled at him. “I won’t be a pawn in a situation where I’ll no doubt eventually die tragically in the line of service.”

  The old wolf growled, his fangs flashing as he stood and leaned over the dais. “I can have your alpha status revoked.”

  The dragon sank its claws into her spine, the deep craving to attack through her blood. Raven laugh at the wolf’s threat, and the dragon paused in confusion. “Actually, no, you can’t. You can kick me out of your territory, but I’ll always be an alpha. We’ll move to a new state, and offer our services to a different council. Or you can allow us to stay, and accept my oath that I have no intention of taking over the council. But I will not bind myself to you.”

  Conrad, the old curmudgeon practically quivered in outrage. Worse, he knew she was correct.

  Before he could speak, Donaldson stood, his chair scraping loudly along the floor, and he took control. “We accept your oath.”

  Bindings instantly wrapped around her, drawing tighter and tighter until her lungs screamed for air. The magic finally sank deep into her bones.

  “It is done.” Heloise tapped her finger against the dais, giving away her agitation.

  Without another word, Donaldson shoved away from the table, and strode toward the back of the club, disappearing into the office. Two of the others followed, seemingly more interested in the turn of events than disturbed. Conrad growled, his claws gouging into the dais before he stormed after the others.

  “You’ve made a very dangerous enemy today.” Heloise stepped down and approached, her tone contemplative.

  Raven was suddenly exhausted. “He didn’t give me much choice. He wanted to see me on bended knee, subservient to him, and I couldn’t do it, not just to appease his pride. He couldn’t honestly believe that any other alpha would’ve bowed to his demands when their pack was threatened.”

  Jackson made a strangled sound, and Heloise smiled at her in amusement. “Not many would risk getting on his bad side.”

  Calculation darkened her eyes, as if she were trying to decide whether Raven was incredibly brave, or just incredibly stupid. Then her gaze slid toward Luca, and Raven’s blood chilled to ice.

  The kid had a talent for casting magic. He’d been training with the other wolves, learning combat, but Raven was teaching him how to be so much more than a wizard. While he could sense energy, he couldn’t yet gather it like a witch…leaving him in the position of a second-class citizen in his coven.

  Now Luca was hers. Every day he spent at the house, surrounded by current that was practically alive, he developed and refined his abilities. If she pushed current at him, he could manipulate the raw energy into a spell. In time, with enough practice, she believed he would be able call the energy all by himself.

  Unless Heloise decided to make things difficult.

  The witch studied him for a bit. “You are well.”

  Luca swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing awkwardly. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Heloise turned her attention back to Raven. “I will see if I can find a list of names from the covens.”

  It was a huge concession, one Raven never expected. “Thank you. I’ll do my best to find out what happened.”

  Heloise gave a regal nod, the pupils of her eyes seeming to grow larger. “The sword has not yet been returned.”

  She meant the magical sword that claimed Raven as its owner. Raven curled her hand into a fist, almost able to feel the cold steel of the pommel in her grasp. The need to call the blade was almost overwhelming. The dragon hissed, and Raven blinked, breaking the subtle spell Heloise wove around her.

  Raven had no doubt if she’d produced the weapon, Heloise would have demanded its return. Raven wasn’t sure if the blade would abandon her or not, and she wasn’t willing to take the chance. “It’s safe, the blade just as bloodthirsty as ever.”

  The threat wasn’t subtle, but Heloise only smiled, not in the least bit fazed. Durant grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest, his skin a shade paler than normal.

  Before she turned to leave, Heloise said, “Walk softly, little queen, I fear change is coming.”

  Raven watched Heloise stride away, not sure if her statement had been a warning or a premonition, but worried it was both.

  Chapter Three

  Durant exhaled so heavily, his breath ruffled her hair, and he clamped his arms around her. “You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

  Raven wanted to burrow closer and revel in the faint, musty smell of leather that she associated with him. Instead, not wanting to give their audience anything more to gossip about, she reluctantly leaned away and smirked. “I think it went well.”

  His eyes splintered orange as his tiger rose to the surface. He lifted his big mitts, cupped her chin and tipped her head further back. “The conclave is entrenched. I won’t be able to leave until they’re done. Don’t even think of doing anything without me.”

  “Of course not.” She blinked innocently, pleased by the slight growl beneath her palm.

  Frustration sizzled in the air around him. When he appeared ready to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder, she finally relented. “I promise.”

  He exhaled slowly, still eyeing her suspiciously. If he was in his animal form, she was sure the ruff on the back of his neck would be standing on end. She reached up and ran her fingers over his hand, then down his arm. “I’ll wait.”

  Durant didn’t waste any time seating her at a small table, Luca and Jackson quickly taking up a protective stance around her.

  Jackson tunneled his fingers through his hair, his whisky brown eyes splintered with the neon green color of his wolf. He had phenomenal control, so the change startled her, and only then did she realize how worried he’d been, probably already preparing to fight their way out of Talons.

  Raven looked at Jamie and his rogues. “Maybe it’s best if you leave before anyone else. We wouldn’t want any incidents to follow you home. I would appreciate any information you can collect about the missing rogues in the area.”

  Jamie was a bull of a man with a mop of wild, curly, reddish-brown hair that defied a comb. He was also ruthless in his determination to see that rogues were protected. “We can stay if you need us.”

  Raven waved him away. “We’ll be fine. I want to see what kind of information I can gather.”

  With one last, piercing look around the room, Jamie and his companions turned and left.

  “Its best I head out as well. I’m going to see what kinds of files I can pull at the police station.” Griffin looked grim. “I’ll stop by tomorrow with what I find.”

  After an hour passed and no one approached her with information, Raven shook her head at the stubbornness of paranormals, shifters in particular. They believed they were indestructible, but they were wrong. They were more vulnerable than ever. If the paranormal community didn’t start working together, they would soon find themselves on the endangered species list. “I can’t believe no one has come forward with names.”

  Pity shaded Jackson’s expression when he looked at her. “You’re asking them to admit to a weakness. That they couldn’t protect their own pack or clan. Did you really think they would just volunteer the information?”

  Raven sighed, dispirited, but not nearly ready to give up. Durant narrowed his eyes at her sudden silence and leaned over, purposely invading her space. “Whatever you’re thinking, I forbid it.”

  She snorted at his high-handedness. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

  “I know that glimmer in your eye. It only means trouble.”

  “I know a way to get people to participate.” Durant groaned, while Jackson stiffened, as if the weight of the world just landed on their shoulders. Raven res
isted rolling her eyes. “Let everyone know that one emissary from each pack, clan, or coven willing to participate is invited to my home to discuss the matter in private.”

  No one spoke for a second of stunned silence.

  “Smart.” Durant sounded grudging. “They’ll show up out of curiosity, if nothing else.”

  “And dangerous. More than a few will show up just for the chance to spy.” London didn’t reject the idea out of hand. “You can’t expect to receive the truth.”

  “Understood, but it leaves us a place to at least start.” Raven pushed back into her seat, conscious of everyone watching her. Her skin prickled with the need to be out searching for Rylan. If too much more time passed, she feared it would be much too late to save him…or any of them.

  Despite being the only car on the road, London drove defensively, using the speed limit more as a guideline. They made it home in record time. The car barreled down the road, gravel pinging against the undercarriage, before skidding to an abrupt halt.

  Driving was a privilege reserved for elite shifters only. When one could literally turn into an animal, it brought a whole new meaning to the words road rage. She suspected London might not have come by his license legally, but didn’t broach the subject. If they ran into trouble, she trusted no one else behind the wheel more.

  Raven waited until the dust settled, then shoved open the door.

  And froze.

  The hair on the back of her neck rose, the stillness in the air prickling along her back.

  Rylan!

  She nearly sprinted toward the tree line, but forced her feet to remain still.

  Something about the spicy scent floating on the breeze was wrong.

  The truth nearly devastated her.

  A vampire waited for them, but it wasn’t Rylan.

  Her friend was still gone.

  The men headed toward the house, oblivious to the wrongness that permeated the forest. Luca entered the mansion, exhaustion bowing his shoulders after being on edge all night. Jackson stopped at the bottom of the steps, studying her curiously. London took one look at her, then turned toward the tree line. “How many?”

  Raven swallowed her disappointment, ignoring the ache in her throat, and stepped forward. “What do you want?”

  The vampire seemingly emerged from the darkness, shadows peeling back from his form. He was tall and slim, immaculately dressed.

  In an instant, Jackson leapt forward, coming to stand at her side, aggression pooling around him.

  The vampire gave her a barely polite bow, more to show respect than any friendliness, completely ignoring the others. He silently held out his arm, a folded note in his outstretched hand. “From Master Lester.”

  A thunderous growl escaped London, but he had enough presence of mind not to act on his aggression. Jackson bared his fangs, his whisky brown eyes turning a neon green as his wolf rose, practically salivating at the chance to attack, his fury barely held in check, waiting for even a hint of aggression so he could rip out the vampire’s throat.

  If she reached out, the vampire could shred her in a matter of seconds. Hell, if he wanted, he could rip off her whole arm before anyone could blink.

  Not all vampires were beautiful, but after years of practice, they learned what made them more attractive to their prey. They could mesmerize a person with their voice or gaze. They groomed themselves appropriately to cover their supernatural oddities, but no one could entirely mask the power they exuded. They learned to twist humans’ natural curiosity until people actively pursued them, seeking a thrill.

  But if this vampire thought she was prey, he had another thing coming.

  Raven accepted the note silently, meeting the vampire’s soulless black eyes. The lack of any white in those dark orbs was a harsh reminder that he was pure predator. “Thank you.”

  The vampire straightened, met her gaze, assessing and judging her. She must have passed some test, as he inclined his head slightly…then seemingly vanished into nothingness.

  If she squinted hard, she could see his blurred shape while he moved faster than the eye could track. In less than a minute, she could no longer sense him.

  She looked down and opened the note, then bit back a curse.

  “What is it?” London didn’t even bother looking at her, surveying the trees, looking for trouble.

  “A note of his missing and dead spanning the past five years.”

  He looked at her then. “That bad?”

  “More than ten missing, and another twenty dead by unknown means. They disappeared, never to return.”

  Jackson’s brows furrowed. “Why couldn’t they track them?”

  “A few are able to cover their connections to their masters, depending on their age. The older the vampire, the more power they gain.” Raven crammed the note in her pocket. “Another way to sever the connection is—”

  “Bloodlust.” Nicholas leaned against the doorway, staring off toward the tree line, as if still sensing the other vampire.

  Raven’s lips tightened, her thoughts turning grim at the thought, worried it might be the reason she couldn’t sense Rylan anymore.

  She held out hope that he was just blocking her, but the more time passed, the more it felt like she was grasping at lame excuses.

  She shoved her way toward the house, ignoring the men, her mood turning vicious. Energy crackled along her skin, eager to be put to use and continue their search.

  Only to be confronted with Taggert standing in the middle of the hall. His normal pleasing demeanor was hidden behind the bland, emotionless mask he wore when he first arrived, and it irritated the snot out of her.

  He knew it, too, and did it anyway.

  She marched up to him, not stopping until only inches separated them. His eyes widened slightly, his breathing picked up, his fingers clutching the pen and paper he held. “You have a number of messages waiting.”

  It pleased her that his voice deepened slightly at the end.

  When she noted the slight tremor in his hands, her annoyance vanished, and she was tempted to lean in further and touch.

  Taggert cleared his throat nervously, then lifted one of the messages. “Griffin called—Donaldson promised to share whatever information he could gather. He also warned that Conrad is urging shifters not to participate.”

  She blinked to clear her head of lustful thoughts. Then her mouth tightened when she processed what Taggert said, and she tapped the other notes in his hand, a little hopeful that more people would ignore the contentious old bastard. “And the others?”

  “A dozen paranormals have called so far.” As if to emphasize his point, the phone in the office started to ring.

  Energy continued to crackle under her skin, leaving her restless. Taggert’s eyes narrowed on her face. “You will have a full day tomorrow. You need to rest.”

  Her plan to slip up to the roof and continue her search was thwarted by the determined look in his eyes. Since he’d come into his power, he was more comfortable with himself. While she liked some of the changes, she could do without the bossiness when it came to her welfare.

  He was taking his role as protector too seriously, and would eventually put himself in danger trying to keep her safe. She couldn’t stand it if he was hurt because of her. “Fine, but that goes for you as well.”

  She didn’t wait for him to protest, but preceded him up the stairs. As she prepared for bed, she carefully lifted up her shirt, admiring the assortment of green and yellow bruises covering her torso, thanks to her earlier training with Taggert in his two-legged werewolf form. He wasn’t pulling his punches, becoming faster and stronger each day.

  The injuries didn’t worry her. They would be healed by morning. What captured her attention was the metallic tattoo stamped on her side. She brushed her hand over the little dragon, the cool metal warming to her touch, as if in welcome.

  The dragon tattoo had stopped growing, but the details were becoming more defined, clearer, as if the dragon had laid its claim on
her and was never going to release her from its hold.

  She lifted her hand and concentrated until tiny scales began to slot together under her skin. It took daily practice to master. Her whole body prickled to life as the dragon curled itself possessively around her bones. They were so intertwined, there was no separating them anymore.

  She shook out her hand, a tingling sensation rushing down her arm, as the dragon retreated with a grumble for being disturbed.

  When the dragon first made itself known, Raven had been terrified the creature would destroy her. Any unease evaporated when she realized they wanted the same thing…to keep her pack safe.

  She grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. When she exited the bathroom, Taggert was readying for bed, not bothering to look at her. Raven couldn’t move for a moment, surprisingly stung by the rejection. Since their first meeting, Taggert had always seemed to be aware of her presence, watching her with those warm chocolate eyes of his.

  She’d become accustomed to him.

  She didn’t like this new change, or the distance he was putting between them.

  “You’re upset.”

  Taggert’s shoulders stiffened slightly, but he kept his back toward her.

  Raven rubbed her fingers together, the current like static on her skin. She watched him walk toward the bathroom and closed the door with a finality that created a fissure in her heart. She whirled and studied Jackson, who was reclining on the couch, his hands behind his head. “Explain.”

  “Taggert has always been perceived as weak.” He rubbed the stubble on his jaw, gathering his thoughts. “He’s come into his wolf and wants to be treated as an equal, not someone to be ignored.”

  Raven considered what he said, but when she opened her mouth, he waved her away. “You made the right choice. He’s not ready. He’s a young pup, and thinks he’s invincible. Until he’s been trained properly, he will be a menace, more to himself than anyone else.”