Electric series- Raven Investigations BoxSet

by Stacey Brutger

  And the men in the room tensed, prepared to leap into action. Raven shook her head minutely. She had given her word they would not be harmed, dammit! She would not be provoked. She tightened her grip on her chair to keep herself in check.

  “We were soldiers, each of us injured in action. They offered us a cure, a way to continue to serve our country.” His eyes hardened at some forgotten memory. “What we didn’t know was that the cure would kill more than half of us.”

  Raven closed her eyes against the horror of it. “Did they tell you anything about this supposed cure?”

  “No, but we would’ve taken it regardless.” The lean man interrupted. “We’re soldiers. It’s all we know.”

  “Were you given a choice?” She needed to know, but their silence spoke volumes.

  “We volunteered,” the woman replied with a sneer. “We either took the serum, became their enhanced soldiers, or we would die slowly of our wounds. After we were first injected, things were wonderful. Our injuries healed amazingly fast. Broken bones mended. Shrapnel pushed its way out of our bodies.”

  “Our speed and strength increased, our reflexes were incredible.” The second man’s voice was tinged with awe, still marveling at the changes, despite knowing it was killing him. “Then things began to go wrong. A few of our team became violent, unable to resist their most basic urges.”

  “They began to hunt…people,” London interrupted, and the soldier grunted in agreement.

  “We tried to keep them in check, but they were…”

  “No longer human.” She finished for them, and the leader lifted his head, his obvious devastation at the betrayal heart-wrenching.

  “Within a week the first of us began to die.” The woman glared at her as if it was Raven’s fault.

  Raven shook her head. “Then you were lucky, since most people die within minutes, if not hours, of the transition.”

  The leader stiffened slightly, his attention sharpening. “You know what’s happening.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  “I have my suspicions.” Raven pushed herself to her feet, suddenly incredibly tired. “Tell me your names.”

  No one spoke for a full minute. Just when she thought they would refuse, the leader capitulated. “Tuck.” He pointed to his friends. “Laura and George.”

  While Raven didn’t sense a lie, she suspected that they hadn’t told her the whole truth either. But what they said was enough. For now. “I would like my doctor to take a look at you, take a few blood samples, before I can confirm what I suspect.”

  Laura and George looked ready to revolt, but Tuck squashed their qualms, speaking through gritted teeth. “Do it.”

  Raven gestured toward Jase, who immediately slipped out the door.

  Digger practically exploded into the room five minutes later carrying a small kit. “If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can draw your own blood.”

  “How generous.” Laura sneered, but quickly subsided at a sharp look from Tuck.

  When he was finished, the doctor disappeared, not even bothering to watch where he was going as he hurried out the door, never once lifting his attention from the vials, as if they contained the secrets of the universe.

  “What do you hope to find?” Tuck’s patience had come to an end.

  “Humans have been trying to create their own army of shifters for decades. You’re not the first test subjects, but you might be the most successful to date.”

  “Bullshit.” Laura marched forward, halting when George wrapped his arms around her waist and held her back. “You lie.”

  But Raven could see that they’d already guessed the truth of it for themselves.

  Tuck faced her directly. “How often do humans survive the conversion?”

  “Less than one percent.” Raven grimaced. They were dead men walking, and they knew it.

  “There is no cure.” Tuck wasn’t asking a question. Everyone knew the answer.

  “Give me your hand.” Raven held out her arm, keeping the desk between them.

  “Raven, don’t.” Durant no longer appeared relaxed, now looking ready to rip the man’s head off.

  Raven met his glare directly. “They’re dying.”

  “Not your problem.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “They’re trying to kill you.”

  “Not all of us.” Tuck interrupted, and everyone in the room stilled in a way that only shifters could. He mentioned it once before, but something about the way he said it this time lifted the hairs on the back of her neck.

  “What do you mean?” Rylan’s voice was deceptively soft. He heard the shift in tone as well. If he didn’t like what they told him, she had no doubt he would have them by the throat before she could leap over the desk. She gave him a look of warning…which he pretended not to see.

  “Some of us are still soldiers, while the rest of them have become mercenaries.”

  “You follow orders.” London harrumphed.

  “Yes, but the question is whose orders.” Tuck relaxed for the first time since entering the room. “The group is split. Many of us don’t want to be cured. They love their new power over others.”

  “And you?” Jackson had moved, unnoticed, placing himself in front of the door, blocking the exit, and she saw the others had shifted around the room to do the same.

  “The last order we received was to keep you alive.” His gaze was steady on hers. She couldn’t detect a lie, but that didn’t mean he was telling the complete truth.

  “The government acquired my contract.” She grabbed a pen on her desk to keep her hands busy and her claws from slicing free. They didn’t spend that much money out of the goodness of their hearts. “You were ordered to take me in alive.”

  Tuck didn’t move, his two subordinates angling subtly to keep the whole room in view.

  He wasn’t going to answer, which was answer enough.

  “If you follow your orders, you will start a war.” Gavin spoke for the first time, and she gaped at his unexpected words. He met her stare, then shrugged. “You’re the linchpin. One of the few female alphas. Over the past few months, you’ve made an impression on the supernatural world. You saved lives in every paranormal sector at great risk to yourself.”

  “What he’s saying is you’ve made powerful friends,” Durant interrupted. “If these soldiers capture you, the Council will be forced to take action.”

  War.

  Raven shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but it was the soldiers’ reactions that interested her most. It didn’t matter what they learned, they would follow orders. Curiosity got the better of her. “Why don’t you just leave?”

  Tuck struck out his arm and began to roll up his sleeve. The inside of his elbow was a full of deep bruises. “Without continual doses of the serum, we die faster.”

  At least with the serum they could hope for a cure.

  Without a word, Raven set her pen aside and held out her arm.

  Tuck hesitated for a fraction of a second, then took a step forward. Before she grabbed his hand, she glanced up at him. “Whatever you feel, don’t pull away.”

  Suspicions narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t back away, giving her a sharp nod of permission. “Do it.”

  Without giving herself time to doubt the wisdom of touching him, she grabbed his wrist and latched onto him. He automatically completed the hold over her own wrist. She closed her eyes, then drew on her power, sending small strands into his body that should feel like nothing more than static.

  She expected his insides to match that of a human, but she was wrong. His insides were pure shifter, with one significant difference…he was dying. Instead of his cells being a bright red, almost glowing with power, they were a burnt maroon.

  Raven sent the current deeper, noticing the same issue throughout his system. While he was enhanced, it was a knockoff version of the real thing.

  It couldn’t be sustained.

  His body was literally consuming itself in order to keep running.

  She p
ulled back gently, when something caught her attention. Wherever the current touched, it was quickly absorbed, as if his body was starving. The cells and flesh brightened slightly, and she quickly withdrew, releasing her hold.

  When she opened her eyes, it was to find Tuck fighting to catch his breath. The two remaining soldiers quickly fell into line beside him, pulling their weapons. While Laura drew a gun, taking aim at a different person every few seconds, George pulled out a wicked-looking knife. Her men shot to attention, inching closer ever so slowly.

  “Stop.” Tuck’s voice was raspy as he grabbed Laura’s arm and shoved down the weapon, his almost fevered attention focused solely on Raven. “What did you do?”

  “You’re basically a shifter.” She ignored his question, not sure she wanted him to know the truth.

  “Basically?” George lowered his weapon, but didn’t put it away as he turned to face her.

  “You’re dying because your body can’t sustain the demands of keeping a shifter alive.”

  “The serum—”

  “It’s not enough.” Raven cut off Laura before she could finish. Raven would say she was a paranormal hater, but that didn’t ring true. No, the woman hated Raven, but she wasn’t sure why. While she didn’t really care, it left her curious—then it clicked.

  As a female shifter, she was territorial about her men.

  Raven addressed Laura instead of the men, only to have them stiffen, as if expecting an attack of some kind. “Has anyone explained to you how the shifter hierarchy works?”

  Laura calmed a little, her eyes narrowing, before she answered grudgingly, “Some.”

  “Not enough.” Raven muttered. “Shifter females are treasured.”

  Laura snorted in derision, and Raven just raised a brow, waiting for her to subside. “Most outsiders think it means the female is weak, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Female shifters are the bedrock of the pack. While many know that the males will kill anyone for touching the female, most don’t know that the female can be more vicious, and far more dangerous, when she believes her men are in danger. The women aren’t tucked away because they’re weak, they’re sheltered because they leave men vulnerable. They’ll do anything to keep their female protected.”

  Laura was no longer smiling.

  “Whether you wanted to or not, your unit formed a pseudo-pack. You claimed them, and they claimed you.” Raven didn’t smile. Nothing she would say would ease the woman’s nerves. “You’re no longer functioning as humans, and you need to stop acting like them.”

  George understood first. He tucked his weapon away, then tugged Laura back. Tuck automatically shifted to stand in front of the girl.

  “If you put your gun away, everyone in the room will calm.” Raven could tell Laura didn’t want to obey. “Your gun will slow only one or two of them anyway.”

  Laura flashed her a cruel, smug smile. “Not if they’re silver bullets.”

  Tension in the room increased, her pack moving in closer as her men tightened ranks.

  “Is that what they told you?” Raven shook her head. “Silver is poison to us, but it won’t kill us immediately. The stronger the shifter, the more silver is needed.”

  Laura lifted her chin mutinously, her smile fading.

  “My guess is you’ve never dealt with a strong shifter with a full pack.” Raven reached over and lifted a letter opener. “If so, you might have noticed that some paranormals aren’t affected at all.”

  She held out the opener to Tuck, daring him to take it.

  A heavy frown lined his face, and he reached out, stopping short of touching it. Even at the distance, she could see his fingertips redden from the effect. His shifter blood was too weak to protect him even a little.

  He reached back and yanked the gun out of her hand, shoving it into his pants. Laura scowled at him, then glowered at Raven. “She’s lying. They don’t hide her away like some dirty little secret.”

  Durant snorted, Jackson huffed, London sighed, while Rylan rolled his eyes, then all four resumed their deceptively leisurely poses. “We would if we thought we could get away with it, but she’s an alpha.”

  “What does that mean?” George glanced at the men, not meeting her eyes, easily reading the room and adapting.

  “Look at me.” George obeyed, and Raven repressed her smile. “Why did you obey?”

  His brows furrowed.

  “You obeyed the order without hesitation, as if I was your superior.” Raven sat, then leaned back into her seat. “The stronger the alpha, the more control they have over other shifters.”

  “Do it again.” George braced himself.

  Raven looked at him and shrugged. “Your shoe’s untied.”

  He immediately looked down, then jerked his head up and scowled. “That’s cheating.”

  Her humor vanished. She wanted to avoid freaking them out, because no one liked knowing that they had no choice. She reached for her power, bathed in it, practically able to feel the air move around her in a loving caress. She tossed the letter opener onto the floor. “Pick it up.”

  Not surprisingly, all three of them bent to retrieve the weapon, as well as Dina and Jase. Everyone else shifted restlessly but managed to contain themselves. Even though the order wasn’t directed at them, she used enough force that they felt the urge to obey.

  Laura hissed, having reached the opener first. She stood with the weapon in her hand. The smell of burned flesh filling the space.

  “Drop it.” George grabbed her wrist, trying to pry the opener out of her grip. No matter how much Laura tried to drop the letter opener, her muscles refused to obey.

  Tuck looked at her, his face grim, and Raven finally relented.

  “Drop it.” The metal clanged to the floor a second later. The girl’s hand was raw and blistered, the skin even burned off in spots.

  “What the fuck!” Laura curled her hand protectively in front of her, hugging it to her chest.

  “Durant?” Raven turned toward him, and he heaved a sigh but did as she silently asked. He picked up the metal opener and placed it on the desk. When he turned and held out his hand, his skin was slightly red. Even as they watched, it faded and returned to normal, and he quietly returned to his spot.

  “There are two kinds of alphas. The ones who are willing to sacrifice members of their pack to keep the whole safe, those who are willing to order their members to die for them.” Raven grimaced in distaste, though she was beginning to understand that they didn’t always have a choice.

  “Much like a general in war.” Tuck watched her speculatively. “And the other?”

  “The other is so rare they might as well be a myth.” Jackson interrupted, and she blinked at him in surprise. He met her gaze directly, completely serious. “The other kind of alpha doesn’t have to order or ask anything of their pack, because they would willingly sacrifice themselves to keep the pack protected.”

  Raven flinched at the truth. She knew beyond a doubt that everyone in the room would lay down their life for hers…and she would do the same for them.

  “You asked what I did to you.” She directed the words at Tuck. “I sent a ribbon of current into your body, which allowed me to see what was wrong with you.”

  Everyone in the room focused on her.

  Waited.

  It meant life or death if the humans could create their own super soldiers.

  “Do you know what makes a person a supernatural?” Even her people were curious to hear her answer, and no one attempted to interrupt. “It’s a tiny spark of magic. You either have it or you don’t. Shifters need it to shift, vampires need it for their dead bodies to function, witches need it to cast spells. You take the magic out of the world, and almost everyone would die.”

  “Fuck.” Laura snorted a laugh. “You’re saying we’re missing fairy dust?”

  George and Tuck looked as if they wanted to muzzle her.

  “My guess is the serum doesn’t contain magic, only enough energy to keep you alive…enou
gh to prolong your existence.” Raven saw the speculation in their gazes and cut them off before they could form an idea. “Humans need only this much energy to survive.”

  Raven held her fingers about an inch apart.

  “Depending on the paranormal species, they need this much for them to even function.”

  She held her palms six inches apart.

  “If you’re thinking of hunting down witches, don’t bother. The instant the magic leaves their body, the power fades. Same with other creatures.” She would not allow open season on other paranormals.

  “So we’re fucked?” Laura spoke bitterly, still clutching her injured hand.

  Raven rose to her feet and circled the desk. She stood in front of them, then faster than they could react, latched onto Laura’s arm. George and Tuck tensed but didn’t object. Laura struggled for a few seconds, reluctantly halting when she realized she wouldn’t be able to pull free.

  Raven lifted Laura’s injured hand between them, then called the current in her body, until sparks danced over her fingers. She brought her other hand over the girl’s palm, a hair short of actually touching, and they watched in awe while the blisters shrank, the redness faded, and the skin began to stretch over the open wounds, even healing the bruises underneath. Only then did Raven release her hold and drop Laura’s wrist.

  All three of them eyed her unblemished palm. “But you said—”

  “I did nothing more than your serum would.” Raven turned and walked toward Jackson, leaning against him, suddenly tired as she watched as the sun began to lighten the horizon.

  “I can get you into the compound where they’re doing the testing.”

  Raven stopped at Tuck’s words. “Why?”

  “They need to be stopped. If what you say is true, they’re never going to find a cure. They’ll just end up killing more soldiers.” His face was grim, a true soldier to his core, the need to protect and serve ingrained into him.

  “And if you could be saved?” Everyone in the room stopped breathing.