Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet

by Stacey Brutger

  “What if I could help?”

  He slowed his pace, his expression both curious and wary. He obviously didn’t trust her…didn’t trust anyone. If they wanted to work together, they needed to learn how. Revealing one of her secrets would go a long way to building that trust.

  She just hoped his brother was right, that Gavin was one of the good guys and she wasn’t being played for a fool. Raven pulled back her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I can track paranormals.”

  “All well and good, but what about the humans?” Gavin snorted, increasing his stride again. “What we really need are reinforcements.”

  He meant her pack.

  Her wolf howled for her mates, the sound so mournful, her chest felt hollow. Raven barely resisted the urge to reach for the connection to her pack, but they were too far way to be of any assistance. Besides, she refused to draw them into danger and leave them vulnerable.

  To her surprise, the wolf quieted down and retreated at her reasoning. With one last brush of fur, the creature vanished, leaving her alone in her head. Thankfully her enhanced senses remained alive, allowing her to see clearly in the darkness.

  She noticed the smallest sounds, the scrape of shoes against gravel, and whirled.

  Two men were behind them.

  The hair on the back of her neck rose as their eyes caught the light and a gleam of yellow reflected back at her.

  Raven scanned the rundown street, searching the rooftops and alleys for a place to slip away, but nothing looked remotely friendly.

  They were completely alone.

  Pressure mounted in the tips of her fingers, followed by a stab of pain as her nails lengthened into claws. Her gums throbbed, and she fought to keep her fangs from dropping, struggling to contain the urge to turn and launch herself at the wolves following them.

  Gavin abruptly grabbed her arm, stepped off the curb and pulled her across the street. “You need to pull back your wolf.”

  Raven scowled up at him in confusion. “I’m trying, but she doesn’t appreciate being stalked like prey.”

  Anger turned his grey eyes hard, and he looked ready to argue until his attention flickered behind them. “You’re throwing off pheromones. Every shifter within a mile radius will wiggle out of the woodwork in search of you.”

  Raven inhaled deeply, trying to catch what he sensed, but couldn’t pick up anything of the sort. Instead of being deterred, the wolves tracked them down the street, not even pretending to hide.

  “We need to get you back to your pack.” Gavin actually sounded concerned, and that worried her.

  “Won’t the Cadre target my pack if I go back?” She refused to lead her team into danger, not again.

  “Maybe, but they might attack anyway to draw you out.”

  Everything inside her rebelled at the thought of leaving her men vulnerable. Indecision warred within her for a second, but her need to return to her men was too overwhelming to resist. She would not abandon them. Raven picked up her pace, no longer caring if they were drawing more attention to themselves.

  When the group of wolves edged closer, their eyes a feral yellow, Gavin quickly pivoted and stepped between her and the wolves, baring his fangs.

  He seemed bigger, blocking her view of the others…protecting her? Yet Raven had her doubts.

  The other wolves snarled in reply but kept their distance.

  But Raven knew it wouldn’t last.

  An ache under her skin began to build again. She edged away from Gavin, completely shocked when the ache actually turned harsh, her skin raw and pebbling painfully, as if she’d been dunked in freezing cold water.

  When she leaned toward Gavin, she was floored to realize he had spoken the truth…his touch was stabilizing her.

  He didn’t seem to like the turn of events anymore than she did. Being around her couldn’t be pleasant, but he remained by her side. Why?

  Gavin turned and grabbed her arm, hustling her along. “They won’t hang back for long. Their primal instincts will take over, and they will fight me for you.”

  “And I don’t have a say?”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “Why do you think the women in the pack are so heavily protected?”

  She clicked her nails in agitation, not liking the target on her back. So far the symptoms were manageable, but if push came to shove, she was worried the dragon would wake, and Raven didn’t imagine she would be able to stifle an urge as primitive as mating instincts.

  The last thing she wanted was to experience a dragon going into heat.

  “How long does the mating sickness last?” She said sickness, because that’s what it felt like.

  “Not long—a few days—or until the need is sated.”

  Raven recoiled at the thought.

  “The longer you hold off, the worse it will become.” He shot her a quick glance, then shrugged. “You could lock yourself away. It would take longer, but you don’t have to be a slave to your needs.”

  She was wary of his sudden helpfulness. “Why tell me?”

  He gave a pointed look at where she was rubbing her arm, nearly scratching off her skin in the process.

  “Your wolf is hunting for a suitable mate. You need to keep fighting and remain human as long as possible.”

  While he didn’t really answer her question, she knew she wasn’t going to get anything more out of him.

  Meanwhile, the number of shifters following them had doubled.

  Gavin stopped abruptly in front of a rowdy bar, the thundering beat of the blaring rock music hurt her eardrums and covered the sounds of the shifters moving in closer.

  “There.” Gavin lifted his chin, then wove around the few cars in the street, stopping when he came upon a rusty old pickup truck that had been sandblasted by wind. When he reached for the door handle of the truck, she shook her head, unable to bear being trapped in such confined space, especially with his scent stinking up the cab.

  “No.” She rounded the vehicle to see a row of bikes, stopping next to a sleek black Harley tricked out in full chrome. “This.”

  Gavin heaved a sigh, as if she was being an irrational woman. His interest perked up at the sight of the bike, but he ultimately turned away. “I can’t hotwire a bike.”

  Current tickled along her spine almost tentatively, and Raven gladly accepted the challenge. “Leave that to me.”

  She was more than ready to leave and didn’t especially care if the magic was trying to lure her into using it, no longer giving a fuck if it would spread the infection faster. All that mattered was getting back to her men.

  Taking her at her word, Gavin grabbed the two helmets, then tossed them aside with a scowl. “They’re only going to get in the way—limit our vision in case we need to fight. You can heal from an injury, but you might not be able to escape if they take you captive. Once they claim a female, they won’t release her. Ever. They’ll form a pack, share you among them, and fight each other until the strongest wins for the privilege of taking you first.”

  As Gavin sat, the other shifters following them edged closer, not willing to let them simply slip away without a fight. Raven threw her leg over the back seat, reluctant to sit so close to him, hating that her body relished his nearness. Surprisingly, her wolf remained quiet.

  The asshole kidnapped her, got her into this mess, so why couldn’t she stay pissed at him?

  “Any time now.”

  At his testy comment, Raven reached down and touched the frame of the bike, praying that she didn’t blow them up. A small purple spark crackled along her fingertips, and the current eagerly snaked along the metal until it reached the starter, turning the engine over with a loud rumble. There was no pain using her power, and it didn’t fight her when it sank back under her skin to rest.

  Gavin used the mirrors to scan the streets, and she turned to see the shifters were blocking the road and their escape.

  “Hang on.” Without giving her time to protest, he revved the engine, then jumped the curb, taking the side
walk, nearly unseating her in the process.

  A glance over her shoulders showed the shifters charging after them, their snarls of frustration echoing through the darkened street.

  The stagnant air of the city vanished as wind tugged at her hair and clothes, the clinging, harsh stench of the underground sewers gradually fading, replaced by the smell of oil and wolf. The speed with which the road whipped past them thrilled her beast. While the itch under her skin faded at Gavin’s nearness, her white wolf pawed the ground in her mind and hunkered down, ears pinned back, clearly not pleased to have him so close.

  The sharp smack of a bug splattering against her skin smarted, and Raven could’ve sworn she heard the wolf snicker at her predicament. Then the image of the wolf vanished, leaving her blessedly alone in her mind.

  A small reprieve.

  Of course it wouldn’t last.

  The purr of the engine was soothing, the ease with which the bike dipped and tilted around the bends in the road almost hypnotic. The crisp air eased the tight band around her lungs, and breathing became easier with every mile that fell away. The stars were crystal clear, appearing to shimmer as she and Gavin left the city behind.

  Gavin kept to the back roads, avoiding vehicles when he could, dodging around others when he couldn’t with an ease she envied. They raced along at ten miles over the speed limit, Gavin handling the bike as if he’d ridden them for years. The rumbling of the bike drowned out everything around them, thankfully preventing awkward conversation unless she wanted to plaster herself to his back and whisper in his ear.

  Yeah, no thank you.

  Her wolf was more likely to take over and rip out his throat.

  An hour later, landmarks became familiar.

  They were only twenty miles from home when she became aware of a set of headlights following them. “We have a tail.”

  Just when she didn’t think he would respond, he spoke. “We picked him up five miles back.”

  He was so calm she became suspicious. “You think they were waiting for us?”

  “You don’t?” He glanced over his shoulder at her.

  It didn’t sit well with her that they were leading danger directly to her doorstep…to her men. “Can we lose them?”

  She felt more than heard him snort. “They know where you live. They probably had the place staked out. They won’t keep their distance forever.”

  “How did your men find us so quickly?” A heartbeat of silence passed, and she felt him stiffen. “They aren’t your pack, are they?”

  “No.” His reply was grim.

  That meant they weren’t going to be captured.

  The people following them wanted them dead.

  Gavin picked up speed, leaning the bike sharply into a curve, gravel pinging the undercarriage, the ground so close she could reach out and touch it.

  Part of her wanted to be driving, push for more speed, but any faster and the shifters wouldn’t have to kill them.

  She reached for the connection to her pack, worried about the men, but refrained from contacting them directly. She didn’t know how her magic would react, nor did she want them leaving the house to come to her rescue. She didn’t doubt the men could handle themselves, but Gavin was right…they were also her greatest weakness.

  Thankfully, the connections between her and the pack remained strong.

  They were unharmed and safe back at the house.

  The smell of leather curled around her until it felt like Durant was standing right next to her.

  “Where are you?” The silky tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she’d swear she was able to feel his fingers trail over her skin.

  That tone of voice was low and dangerous, the tiger in him clearly displeased at the distance.

  “I’m close.” She clamped her mind down tight against saying more.

  “Where, baby?”

  His voice whispered into her ear, his tone cajoling, and her body warmed at the thought of his lips skimming down her neck. Heat flashed over her skin, and a familiar craving swept over her. Before she gave away her location, she ruthlessly severed the connection.

  She hated to be at the mercy of her body.

  The bastard knew she was susceptible to seduction. Hell, he could make any woman swoon with nothing more than a smoldering look and a sexy smile.

  Raven was jarred out of her thoughts by the roar of an engine. She turned in time to be blinded by headlights. Seconds later the bastard rammed the rear of the bike, sending them fishtailing while Gavin fought to keep them on the road.

  A second vehicle roared up alongside them.

  What grabbed her attention was the windows were down.

  It took her mind seconds to process the gun barrel pointed directly at her.

  “Gavin!” Without waiting for his response, she kicked free of the bike and flung herself to the side.

  But not fast enough.

  The burn of a bullet struck her upper arm, gouging a narrow groove in her flesh.

  The first vehicle sped forward, bumping into the bike seconds later, and she barely missed decorating the grill like a bug.

  As she hit the ground with a breath-stealing, bone-jarring thud, she saw the bike careening off the road and into the trees with Gavin clinging to its back.

  Chapter Five

  Raven tucked herself tight as she spun and rolled across the road, getting more battered and torn with each rough jolt and tumble. The soft grass wasn’t much better as she was flung into the woods. She cracked into a tree, the impact knocking the breath clear out of her.

  She slid down, the rough bark gouging into her back, the world around her spinning as she tried to get her bearings. When she moved to straighten, a tortured groan escaped her, the ribs along her back shrieking in pain like they were shattered into a million pieces.

  In the distance, Gavin laid his bike down into a skid, dirt and sod churning up in his wake. He went sliding after the bike and disappeared into the trees. A second later, the crunch of metal and a loud bang echoed in the air.

  The sound of a vehicle doors slamming had her staggering to her feet. Before the second vehicle had a chance to stop completely, something streaked out of the trees and slammed into the SUV.

  Shattered metal flew into the air, the vehicle rocked on its wheels, then rolled into the ditch, leaving one man standing in the middle of the road.

  “Rylan?”

  “Run!” He turned toward her, his blue eyes riveting as they glowed with power, his lean form almost invisible in the darkness.

  And despite his awesome display of power, he didn’t have a scratch on him.

  She shivered, involuntarily taking a step toward him, wanting to touch, when the four men from the second vehicle got out, not even bothering to check on their comrades as they advanced on her, uncaring of the threat Rylan posed. Wanting to protect him, Raven obeyed and took off in the opposite direction.

  Everything inside her protested leaving him behind. Only knowing that he was safer without her kept her hammering one foot in front of the other.

  Her injuries protested moving, her arm ached like a bitch, her knee was wrenched wrong, her ribs making breathing a chore, but she could already feel herself knitting together.

  Slowly.

  Painfully.

  But thankfully, she guessed correctly when she heard four distinct trails of pursuit, the group splitting off into two teams to trap her.

  As if sensing the threat, her magic and wolf surged forward in unison…working together. That freaked her out more than someone trying to kill her. To her surprise, instead of being leery of being chased in the murky woods, the thrill of the hunt sent a jolt of pleasure singing along her nerve endings. Her senses sharpened, and without even trying, she could pinpoint their location.

  Their every step.

  Every breath.

  She wanted to turn and stalk them, eliminate the threat. In the next heartbeat, her wolf took the lead. The tug of the wind became invigorating, the
pounding of her footsteps making the pain evaporate, the thrill of the hunt all-consuming.

  Raven struggled to repress her instincts and angled her way toward her manor, then hesitated at the thought of leaving Gavin behind to suffer their fate alone, possibly injured and unable to fight.

  She’d given her word that she would protect him.

  Cursing under her breath, Raven circled back toward where she last saw the bike. Even if he already made his escape, she had to be sure. Her injuries protested at the thought of the upcoming fight. A few well-aimed blows and she’d go down.

  She slowed as she neared the downed bike, the smell of gasoline and oil rich in the air.

  Gavin had his back to a tree. Two of the men from the vehicle had him cornered. They darted forward, claws slicing flesh, but the wounds weren’t cutting deeply.

  More taunting.

  A trap to lure her out.

  Gavin didn’t stand idle, bloodying them just as much.

  The sight of the circling vultures brought Raven up short.

  They were human…with claws.

  Humans usually didn’t have the balls to attack paranormals.

  They were essentially frail compared to a supernatural being.

  This attack made no sense.

  But as she moved closer, the wind shifted. The smell of death and decay emanated from them like a soiled diaper, and she recoiled at the stench.

  Whatever the hell they were, they weren’t human any longer, the stages of decay too advanced for a human to be alive and standing, much less fighting.

  Raven edged forward.

  Two against two.

  She and Gavin could win, yet she hesitated. The last thing they needed was to have the two remaining hunters following her attack while she and Gavin were distracted. While she worried about leaving Gavin exposed, she crouched and waited.

  After five minutes, the men taunting Gavin stopped circling and scanned the area, both of them perfectly still, as if scenting for their prey. Two men exited the trees, and she realized the four of them must be communicating somehow.

  “We lost her. In the middle of the chase her scent just disappeared. We followed her tracks long enough to see that she circled back.” The dark-haired man was tall and lean, his face marred by a wicked scar under his chin. They were soaked in sweat, as if the hunt had exhausted them. “She came back for him.”