Beneath the fall scent, something else lingered, a hint of sweetness that urged her to taste and touch. She gripped her arms, her fingers digging into her flesh as she struggled to resist the temptation to explore the wide expanse of the shoulder pillowing her head.
When the house came into view, Raven tapped London’s hand, eager to escape her chaotic thoughts. “Please put me down.”
His arms tightened at first, and she didn’t think he would obey, but then he lowered her. Before letting her go, he brushed his face against hers, sending a flash of warmth to her gut, so when he straightened and stepped away, she felt chilly and lonely without his touch.
Raven turned away from him and darted across the lawn, not sure if she was running away from him or toward her future. She slammed into the house, the men only a pace behind her.
The mansion gave a hum of welcome. She waited for her magic to rise and lick at the energy pulsing around her, waited for it to consume the electricity, but it didn’t seem to care, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. Seconds later, the door to the study thumped open and Durant surged into the room, quickly followed by Jackson and Taggert.
They froze, staring at her like she was an apparition.
Her knees weakened, and she sagged back against the door—they were alive.
She was aware of people crowding the balcony above them, but couldn’t take her eyes away from her men…and the bigger threat.
The door to the kitchen burst open, and the spunky little fox, Dina, bounded into the room, all smiles, her mousy hair sleek and shiny, the scent of cherries whirling around her. “You’re home!”
She didn’t take more than a few steps when Durant held out his arm, nearly clotheslining the fox, and the petite woman skidded to a stop with a confused frown.
Treating Raven like she was an unwanted guest in her own home.
Hurt reverberated through her, and her happiness shattered in a single heartbeat.
Dina’s eyes widened, her mouth snapped shut, and her attention landed on Gavin, then remained stuck there.
Before Raven could protest, Durant prowled toward her, pure possessiveness gleaming in his golden eyes, and a shiver of lust shook her down to her bones. His tiger brushed against her mind, demanding attention, his tail coiling around her leg until she swore she could actually feel it. The scent of leather filled her, and her pulse sped as she fought the craving to throw herself at him, needing to feel his arms around her.
Jackson was only a second behind him, his whisky brown eyes splintering to a neon green as he struggled to contain his wolf. He was a stickler for following the rules and laws…unless it came to her. Then he didn’t give a fuck, doing whatever it took to keep her safe.
She healed his wolf when he never thought to shift again, when everyone else thought he was worthless, but he didn’t need his wolf for her to know he was special. The smell of fresh-cut grass and freedom swirled around her, and she curled her fingers into fists to keep from reaching for him.
On the other side of Durant stood Taggert, the last of her four mates, his sharp, woodsy scent so strong, she was surprised to see he was in human form. He was a slave when they first met, unable to shift, obedient to everyone, wanting only a place to stay and a pack to call his own. During her bumbling attempts to secure his freedom, she accidently claimed him instead.
Since then he had changed, becoming stronger, more dominant. Her blood gave him the ability to shift, but its power also altered him on a basic level. Instead of a simple wolf, he became a berserker, the only living two-legged werewolf, a subspecies said to be extinct since ancient times.
He now considered himself her knight and would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
The need to touch them became irresistible, static crackling around her at their nearness, and Gavin jumped.
All the attention in the room switched to him…the intruder.
“Oh, dear.” Dina’s faint words whispered on the air.
As one, the men surged forward, their aggression skyrocketed, and Raven barely managed to shove herself between them before they collided. “Halt.”
The men stopped dead.
One wrong move on her part, and Gavin would be ripped to shreds.
Only she suspected it wasn’t her command that stopped them.
Damn mating heat.
They inhaled, their chests expanding, their complete attention focused on her. She saw their pupils dilate, and Jackson swore viciously.
“Did he touch you?”
She’d never seen Jackson so animated or pissed, and she mutely shook her head, her brain taking a few seconds to process the emotions churning in her gut. “He saved my life.”
“If he hadn’t abducted you in the first place, you wouldn’t have been in any danger.” Durant’s silky voice sent a shiver down her spine, the seductive sound a warning that he was seconds away from violence.
She narrowed her eyes, wondering how they knew it was Gavin who’d taken her. Then she suddenly understood. They were beasts…of course the last smell in her cell at the asylum had been that of her kidnapper. She was surprised they hadn’t already picked her up, set her aside and ripped him apart.
When they looked ready to put her thoughts into action, she cleared her throat. “Well, that’s not exactly true.” Raven winced at the new mess her life had become, conscious of the way the guys stiffened and puffed up even more.
“Explain,” Jackson growled, his aggressive stance demanding the truth.
“The kidnapping was a misunderstanding.” She was being generous, but she kept that to herself. “Have you ever heard of the Cadre?”
Their reaction chilled her to the bone. Jackson spun away, swearing under his breath, while Durant flinched as if she’d kneed him in the groin.
Just great.
“Gavin and I are both on the Cadre’s hit list. Instead of collecting the bounty on me, he decided it was in his best interest for us to be on the same side.”
A growl rumbled through Durant, and he whirled to glare at Gavin. “He’s just trying to save his own ass.”
Raven shrugged. “Yes, but he also inadvertently saved mine as well. By the time we discovered I was on the list, it would’ve been too late. I owe him.” She glared at the men, daring them to object. “He’s under my protection until the end of the month.”
Jackson and Durant glowered down at her, and the distance between them became a chasm she didn’t know how to cross. Raven curled her hands into fists to keep from reaching for them, aching to be held, the mating heat rising once again.
“You’re hurt.” Taggert didn’t even spare the other two a glance as he strode toward her, the only thing on his mind was her well-being. “You should see Doc.”
“No.” Everything inside her curdled at the thought of having a doctor poke and prod at her. She’d been forced to watch while too many paranormals were dissected alive and screaming in agony. “No thank you.”
“They both should see Doc.” Dina’s eyes flicked over her, then quickly returned to Gavin, as if she couldn’t resist watching him. There was no wariness in her expression, only complete fascination, and she edged slowly around the room in Gavin’s direction.
It took everything in Raven not to bolt from the room. Thankfully Taggert took pity on her.
“What happened?” He gently traced a finger over her injuries, his tenderness almost painful compared to the others’ reactions.
He believed in her, no questions asked.
“I’m fine. Bruised and a little banged up is all.” She winced, hearing the lie in her own voice, then hurried on before they could call her on it. “We were ambushed. They were waiting for us not far from here.”
Anger crackled around Taggert, his eyes glowing a feral yellow, and she rested a hand on his chest to stop him from charging out of the house. “We took care of most of them. Rylan is hunting down the rest, and Jamie and his crew are already clearing up the mess and taking care of the bodies.”
Taggert inhaled deeply, and she knew he could smell her blood and pain. He seemed dazed by her nearness, not overcome by lust as she’d feared, his concern overriding everything else. He shuffled closer, sniffing, hesitant, as if lured forward, seeming uncertain of what he was scenting.
He lifted a hand to cradle her face when Durant spoke. “Don’t touch her.”
Taggert scowled at the other man, but Durant didn’t back down. “She’s in heat.”
Warmth flooded her face at his blunt words, but he continued speaking without sparing her a glance. “You don’t have control of your beast yet. If you touch her, you might hurt her.”
Instead of protesting, Taggert gave her a measured look, but didn’t take another step toward her. Raven glared at Durant, her annoyance tamping down her need to be near them. “Was that really necessary?”
“Yes.” Not one iota of emotion registered on his face. “He’s too young. He just crested. He’s a knight of old. None of us would be able to protect you if he decided to take you.”
“He wouldn’t hurt me.” She hated that they doubted Taggert.
When she neared Durant, her anger fizzled out, his delicious scent of leather making her mouth water instead. Something primitive and deadly moved in the darkness of her mind, rising close to the surface, and Raven paused.
Feline.
Big.
The scent of rainforest and exotic flowers whirled around her, and she could sense the swish of the cat’s tale, as if poised to pounce on its prey…Durant.
Durant inhaled deeply, his hands clenched at his sides as he worked to remain calm, only pure stubbornness keeping him in check. “What are you doing?”
Raven stumbled back, disturbed by the near loss of his perfect control. The large cat within her padded back into the shadows, and she took a shaky breath. “I think I’ve been cursed.”
She raised her hands, then called up her magic. Current leapt eagerly to her call, no struggle, no pain, red and blue sparks dancing over her skin. Even as she watched, the colors changed and merged into the new deep royal purple.
Pleasure tingled over her nerve endings, and she shook out her hands until the magic was reabsorbed back into her skin. Disturbed by the change, the way the magic almost begged to be used, she swallowed hard and scanned her pack, devastated at the thought of hurting them. “I have no idea what my touch will do to you.”
“I can help.” A young man on the balcony above them pushed his way forward—Luca. He was a wizard, which many witches considered a third-class citizen, but he was more adept at working magic than anyone else she’d ever met.
While she craved answers, she refused to put him in danger. “Tainted magic will kill you the instant it touches you.”
Luca stubbornly shook his head, tromping fearlessly down the stairs like the teenager he was. His lanky form had filled out more since he came under her care, no doubt more muscular from working out with his paranormal counterparts. He flashed her a confident smile that would seduce many a woman in a few years. “I don’t carry magic the way you do. I can’t be infected if I don’t use magic.”
A flash of hope went through her, and she ruthlessly crushed it. “You reach for magic like a person breathes. You do it so instinctively, I know you’ll forget. I won’t risk it.”
Luca lifted his chin, not in the least bit deterred. “You need me to figure out what’s wrong. I’m the only witch in your pack. I can do this.”
He had her trapped over a barrel.
His brown eyes were so hopeful, she worried that rejecting his offer would destroy his growing confidence.
“He’s right.” Jackson strode over to the kid, studying him with interest.
Raven whirled, barely remembering that she couldn’t touch him, even to smack him. “I won’t risk him.”
When Taggert came to a stop next to her, she was once again surprised by his height when she had to crank her neck back to look up at him. He was so meek and mild when they first met, it was easy to forget. His slim form had filled out some, but it was his personality that had changed the most in the past few weeks.
“You have no choice.” His voice was soft, cajoling, playing hardball with her. “We need to discover the truth before anyone else hears about what happened. They will hunt you down to exterminate the threat, and that will only happen if we’re all dead first.”
Her breath stalled at the image conjured by his ruthless description.
“They won’t risk infecting other magic users, but legends tell of infected beasts that nearly destroyed the world. If they think you can’t contain your powers, they will come after us all. The humans will see us as a threat and exterminate everyone.”
Raven couldn’t protest, not when they were right. She turned toward Luca. “Is there a way to kill wild magic?”
“The only way for any type of magic to die is for the host to be completely drained of power. No magic, nothing to feed on.” His brows furrowed, his eyes troubled. “The process usually kills the witch, so it’s not really a cure. I’m not sure whether removing your magic would kill you or not.”
And she wasn’t sure, since the dragon was suppressed, if she would even be able to come back from the brink of death.
She couldn’t risk it.
Everyone bristled, a few of them looking ready to strangle the kid, and she gave an exasperated sigh. “Without magic, my dragon could take over completely. What if I never get the power back?”
She was suddenly worried that the dragon planned the whole thing.
“Is that a bad thing?” Durant asked.
Raven huffed a bitter laugh. Though she knew she wouldn’t lose herself completely to the beast, no one else would believe it, especially the Council. “Your precious Council sees me as a threat. If the dragon takes over, if I shift, they won’t hesitate to hunt us down.”
A beat of silence saturated the room.
“Come, you need to see the doctor.” Taggert stepped to the side, and waited like he had all the time in the world.
Amusement trickled through her at how each of them hovered close, discreetly sniffing her, but very careful not to touch. Every one of them had positioned themselves at the bottom of the staircase, blocking her grand exit…sneaky bastards.
Allowing the men to overrule her, she huffed a sigh and turned toward the door underneath the stairway. They all tromped down the stairs, following her like a parade of heavy-footed ducklings.
“Gavin needs to be checked over too,” Dina protested, though Gavin didn’t seem pleased to have the attention brought back to him.
London none-too-gently guided Gavin down the stairs. Thank goodness he didn’t just shove the man down. She didn’t say anything when Luca followed silently behind the rest, hovering in the shadows, as if hoping not to be noticed.
Foolish kid.
No one ever snuck up on a shifter.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was surprised to see the bomb shelter she used to contain her powers had been transformed to a full laboratory. Digger’s head popped up at their entrance, reminding her of an underground creature checking for danger. The first time she met the man he’d been imprisoned in a cage deep underground. She was surprised when he claimed this underground space for his own, unperturbed by what had to be hideous memories.
Nicholas, a vampire who nearly died protecting her, rose to his feet from where he was resting on a cot with a speed that should no longer shock her. Since being skinned alive and left on her doorstep as a warning, he had healed enough to almost look human again. Thanks to giving him her blood, his skin was waxy and new…the exchange making him the newest member of her pack.
He gave her a tentative smile, and she relaxed. “You stayed.”
He stiffened slightly, as if he expected her to kick him out, and she hastened to correct the impression, “I’m glad.”
And she was.
While she wanted him to stay and help Rylan, she wasn’t completely heartless. Nicholas deserved a better life than
that of a lackey.
Most vampires were slaves to their masters, loners begging for scraps. She thought he would hate being part of her pack, since most vampires viewed shifters as beasts to serve them, but Nicholas was different.
He actually seemed to enjoy belonging.
“I’ve been assisting the doctor.” Which she took to mean he was being used as a Guinea pig, the poor schmuck. She must not have masked her expression well enough, because he smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Before she could say anything more, Digger bustled forward, shoving his glasses up his nose as he categorized her injuries. “Hmmm, you got yourself into a little scuffle.”
As he neared, it was a struggle for her not to retreat, everything inside her seeing him as the enemy. He was the first and only shifter she met who wasn’t a perfect physical specimen. It helped ease her anxiety slightly. Energy crackled around her, but the only reaction Digger had was to appear more curious.
“Sit. Sit. I’ll take a look.” She grudgingly crossed the room after him, her feet dragging, and she glared at the guys, blaming their overprotective instincts for her predicament.
She scanned the room, searching for escape, but the men had strategically placed themselves in front of all the exits. She opened her mouth to demand that Gavin go first, but Dina was already clucking and fussing over him.
There was no escape.
Very reluctantly she seated herself on the exam table, ready to bolt at the slightest opening in their guard.
Thankfully, when Digger said ‘take a look,’ it was exactly what he meant. He handed her a rag and ointment, allowing her to clean her injuries herself, refraining from poking and prodding, and she was pathetically grateful for that small mercy. He seemed to understand her reservations. If he wasn’t a doctor, she might actually like him.
“You probably already know what I’m going to say, but I’ll tell you anyway. You’re suffering from exhaustion and starvation. You need rest. And being in heat has exacerbated your condition.”
Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet Page 64