He skirted the room, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His chest billowed, his eyes locked on her as he huddled in a corner, terrified she would force him to leave. Pain hovered around him, so intense she feared one touch might shatter him.
His blood on the floor appeared slightly congealed, almost putrid. Even if he wasn’t a full shifter, he should’ve begun the healing process. The damage must have been more extensive than she first guessed.
She’d only taken two steps to investigate when Durant marched across the room and grabbed her arm. “Leave him.”
“He’s injured.”
Durant scowled back at her. “He isn’t yours.”
“Actually, I believe he became mine as soon as he gave his pledge.” She shrugged off Durant’s hold, pissed that he would deny a fellow shifter assistance.
“The witch is still alive. Their contract is still valid.”
She pursed her lips mutinously. “That deal was made with his old pack. We’re his new pack now, which makes any previous contract invalid.”
Durant didn’t say anything, which meant she was right.
The last thing she needed was a new shifter in her life. She had more than enough trouble of her own, she didn’t need to borrow more. But when she turned to look at his cowering form, she couldn’t leave him to suffer if it was within her power to save him.
Not to be defeated, Durant narrowed his eyes at her. “We’re not finished with our conversation.”
“Oh? What conversation? The one where you were going to tell me what the hell is happening to me?”
The smile he gave her wasn’t pleasant. “How about the conversation where we discuss the risks of running into danger without a plan?”
She froze for a second, avoiding his probing gaze. “I had a plan…of sorts.” It had been to rescue the witch, but she was smart enough to keep that to herself. She didn’t want to find out if that throbbing vein in his forehead would actually explode if she pushed him.
“That magic was consuming those witches, and you rushed into danger without hesitation.”
“I—”
“No,” he slashed his arm through the air, “you don’t get a say. You will listen. You have a pack to take care of now. You have to stop taking chances.”
“We’ve been through this already.” Raven barely resisted the urge to smack him, her fingers aching where she balled them into fists. “You promised not to interfere in my cases.”
Durant stiffened. “I didn’t stop you from doing anything.”
No, he hadn’t, which only made this dressing-down worse, because he was right. “What do you expect me to do? I’m fighting for my pack.” She stalked toward him, her creature rising closer to the surface with each step. “You can’t expect me not to take risks if it means saving us.”
He heaved a sigh of defeat and began pacing. “The magic reacted differently to you.”
She wanted to soothe the agitated tiger she sensed hovering just under Durant’s skin. “Everything tends to react differently around me. I’m different. I can’t promise to follow some nebulous plan to stay safe. Any hesitation on my part would most likely put me in more danger.”
“I know.” Raven could see the muscles rippling along his jaw as he gritted his teeth, pacing and fighting his instinct to protect. “It doesn’t mean I have to like it.
She stepped in front of him, wishing she could ease him. “You kept me within sight the whole time.”
The shifter had sneaked closer to her during the discussion, reaching out to touch her when Durant bared his teeth at him. The cat scurried back to his corner.
“Feel better?”
Durant shrugged and shoved his fingers through his wild mop of hair, the lights shimmering across the streaks that so resembled his animal’s stripes. “I couldn’t get to you.”
His anguish squeezed her heart. She rested her hand on his chest, unable to resist touching him. Without the barrier of her gloves, the simple gesture was far more intimate than otherwise. The heat of him soaked into her skin, urging her closer. “I don’t need you to rescue me. Just be there, and catch me when I stumble.”
He heaved a heavy sigh, and his aggression toned down a few degrees. “I’ll try.”
It was all she could ask, and more than she had expected. “Good.” Raven smiled and gave him a shove. Then she rubbed her fingers together, still able to feel him. “Now go see if you can find some medical supplies.”
It took some coaxing to get the jaguar shifter to sit on a stool by the counter island. Every time Durant came close, the cat would tense up. “And while you’re at it, why don’t you check the cabin for weaknesses?”
Or escape routes. With her luck, they might need them.
Durant narrowed his eyes but did as she suggested, always making sure she was in his line of sight.
The medical supplies he produced were meager. She peeled up the jaguar’s bloodied shirt, wincing when it stuck to the wound. The cat flinched, but seemed too fascinated with watching her to be bothered much.
Small swirls decorated his back. Curious about the marks, she brushed her fingers over them. Much to her surprise, it felt like she was running her hand over fur. The cat arched into her touch and purred, watching her through eyes narrowed in pleasure.
Unnerved by his reaction, Raven jerked back then flushed when she realized the small touch had been such an intimate gesture. Pushing away her embarrassment, she focused on the injury. If anything, it looked worse than when he’d first hacked away a piece of himself.
Blood and pus oozed from the wound, along with a rotten stench that discouraged breathing. When she probed the skin around the injury, she found it hot to the touch. More than just shifter hot. “He has a fever.”
Durant nodded without bothering to look away from his search. “We run hotter when we’re fighting infection and healing.”
She accepted his answer but wasn’t satisfied. She smeared a whole tube of antiseptic on the wound, and covered the injury with gauze before wrapping his torso with the meager bandages. Not once did he react to her touch or flinch away from her, despite the pain she must have caused.
She went to the sink, soaped up a rag and walked back to the shifter. “Why don’t you clean up?”
He cocked his head as if trying to understand her, automatically accepting the rag. The tips of his fingers brushed along the back of her hand, but before she could react, the touch was gone. He avoided her eyes and sniffed the rag.
All at once the air hummed with power and pleasure tickled along her skin. Raven straightened, a smile tugging at her lips. Only one person could make such an entrance. “Rylan.”
She walked toward the door, placed her hand on the knob, but couldn’t make herself turn it. At the prospect of seeing him again, her every muscle locked tight. In the next few days, he would literally decide her fate. She trusted him with her life and those of her pack, so why couldn’t she open the blasted door?
A knock sounded a few seconds later. It broke her paralysis. Raven took a deep breath, turned the knob and stepped aside. “You made it.”
Rylan entered without a word. As usual, his whipcord frame was immaculately dressed, his black hair in perfect order. He walked by her, then halted and dipped his face next to her neck and inhaled. “I see you’ve been busy.”
Raven lifted her wrist and took a whiff.
Decay from the witch and sweat from the shifter covered her like she’d sprits herself with the foul scent, like it had been perfume. Mortification heated her cheeks. How did she always end up feeling like a gutter rat around him? “Sorry. Why don’t I grab a quick shower while you get settled? Durant, please see to it the jaguar gets clean.”
She didn’t wait for an answer, darting toward the bathroom before either of them could stop her. It wasn’t running away, she justified, not when she knew damned well that they would both simply wait until she’d finished her shower. So shoot her if she took a little extra time washing away the smell.
Once she toweled her hair, she knew she couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. When she left the bathroom, she pulled up short at the sight of Durant stretched across the bed. Rylan leaned casually against the windowsill, watching the posted guards, while the jaguar peered through the doorway into the bedroom. When he saw her, he sneaked into the room, found a corner, and circled twice before curling up. He was still mostly naked, but he appeared relatively clean…or just very wet. She wasn’t sure which.
“Did you spray him down?” She narrowed her eyes on Durant.
He raised an imperious brow, seemingly surprised that she asked. “You wanted him clean.”
Raven sighed and yanked the folded blanket off the end of the bed. She should just be grateful he’d listened.
The jaguar—even in his human form, she couldn’t think of him any other way—watched her through narrow slits. When she stooped and tucked the blanket around him, he sniffed her hand, closed his eyes, and snuggled deeper under the blanket. He appeared so content she couldn’t resist brushing a strand of hair off his forehead.
When she glanced up, it was to find both men staring at her.
“You know he might never be more than a beast in human form. The damage done to him is extensive.” Rylan nodded to the wounded shifter.
“They were going to kill him.”
Rylan raised a brow, his opinion obvious—she should’ve let them—but he let it go. “What did you learn about the case?”
“Something isn’t right here, and it’s more than the murders. Someone is stealing their powers. I think the murders are just collateral damage.”
The men exchanged a telling look, and Rylan spoke. “It could be a trap.”
They meant for her. “We were discussing that very thing. It makes no sense. Why go through the pretense and effort…not to mention the loss of life…just to lure me here? No, something else is happening. The magic being used isn’t normal.”
Durant crossed his arms behind his head, all relaxed as she imagined his big cat would look lying on a rock, sunning himself. “The witches could’ve waited for their Council to send reinforcements. The killer is very real, but they’re using this case to study you as well. You’re a big enough prize to warrant the trouble.”
He wasn’t being smug, only stating what he saw as the truth.
“Durant said you’re more reckless than usual.” Those keen eyes of Rylan’s studied hers, rooting out the truth. “What happened last night?”
Raven stiffened, her stomach churning at his question. It was too soon for him to cast judgment. She hadn’t had time to secure Taggert’s freedom yet. She fought the nearly overwhelming urge to bolt. “Not now. I need more time.”
Rylan straightened from the wall and strode toward her, intent on getting answers. “Right now is the perfect time if you’re having trouble.”
She recognized that look. He wouldn’t relent unless she gave him something. “I no longer have any control over my power.”
Rylan cocked his head, staring at her with those eerie blue eyes of his. “You’ve never had control. Why is now any different?”
“Because it’s gone.”
Durant sat up abruptly, all laziness vanished as he pinned her under his gaze like a mouse under his paw. “What do you mean it’s gone? I saw you use it today.”
Raven grimaced, his pointed question leaving her no option but confess. “Not exactly.”
They were going to keep picking away at her until she admitted the truth. “Something awoke last night. My power is connected to this creature somehow.”
Durant stood, leaned in closer, and inhaled. She locked her knees to keep from putting distance between them, the instinctual need to keep her secrets safe nearly overriding her good sense. He turned toward Rylan, his brows furrowed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’s cresting.”
Raven snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not a true blood. I can’t shift.”
Their silence spoke volumes.
Durant was the first to speak. “I think you’re wrong. You smell like a shifter to me.”
“You mentioned your power vanished the moment your creature awakened. I think you’re right to believe they’re connected.” Rylan rubbed his chin. “You could be something new.”
He didn’t sound very confident. “But you don’t think so.”
“I would lay odds you’re something really, really old. There were a few mythical beasts, not seen for thousands of years, who are said to have been able to wield unimaginable power.”
Raven laughed then nearly choked when neither Durant nor Rylan joined her. “You can’t be serious.”
“You expelled a lot of power last night, plus strong emotions tend to trigger our beasts. It could have roused the creature from its hibernation.” Durant’s eyes were soft, his voice gentle as if to lighten the blow.
The answer was terrifying. Each time the creature surfaced, it became more aware.
Stronger.
And each time its possession of her became easier.
When it was awake, it dragged a slight electrical charge from her bones, like a boost of pure excitement. She felt more alive. Sharper and faster. The creature didn’t try to take over, and maybe that was more frightening.
They were blending together.
“What kind of shifter?” Her voice was hoarse.
“Your powers might actually be accelerating the process.” Rylan appeared to be completely serious. “You mustn’t let the witches see you as any more of a threat, or they might take action.”
Something inside her trembled when he didn’t answer. “What kind of shifter?”
Rylan tightened his lips and evaded again. “I’ll need to do some more research.”
“Bullshit.” The urge to lunge for his throat and demand answers was almost irresistible. The creature curled tighter around her, squeezing the air from her lungs, and Raven froze. He was her only failsafe. She wondered if the impulse to tear into him was to get answers or the creature’s desire to keep him quiet and eliminate the threat.
As if sensing the danger, Rylan didn’t move, studying her with a detachment that sent a chill down her spine. Since she was already tempted to do him harm, she wasn’t sure it would be safe to wait and find out what she was becoming. It would kill her to hurt those she’d come to care about most.
The creature grumbled in protest at her accusation, but Raven ignored it.
Durant stepped between them, drawing her attention. “You’re going through puberty.”
She blinked in response. “Say again?”
“Most kids are born with their beasts. Only a rare few awaken later in life. The transition is so brutal most don’t survive the change.”
Raven didn’t care for the sound of that at all. “If what you say is true, what can I expect?”
“Your beast will be stronger and harder to get along with since you missed the chance to grow and learn together. It could take years before the battle for dominance is settled.”
She gulped at the prospect of battling herself for so long. “You’re kidding, right?”
“If you both survive and mature, you will shift.”
At his announcement, everything stilled and she nearly fell on her ass.
She glanced at Rylan to gauge his response.
He eased back and leaned against the wall, crossing one foot over the other. “It makes sense. You were born with the power. The labs might have suppressed the beast, but she’s starting to wake up now.”
And it wanted its power back.
She was losing everything. The beast had emerged once when they broke out of the labs, and she’d nearly killed everyone in the process. Raven was terrified that if it happened again no one within her reach would survive.
While she and Rylan continued to stare at each other, Durant strolled to the bathroom. “Why don’t I give you a little privacy and get ready for bed?”
Raven appreciated the gesture, but knew he’d be able to hear every word tha
nks to his annoyingly acute shifter hearing.
The door clicked shut behind him. “You knew.”
Rylan shrugged, not denying the accusation. “Not really, but you’re at least part shifter, so it makes sense.”
“How do I stop it?” The creature flinched and hunkered down as if she’d smacked it, but Raven didn’t care. It was hard not to march over there and shake answers out of him.
His face softened, and it was like a blow to her gut. “I don’t think you can.”
“There has to be something.” Panic threatened to strangle her, and she glared at him to take back the words. “You saw what happened last time I lost myself in the creature.”
Hatred glowed in his eyes, and he lunged forward. The elusive scent of spice filled her lungs when he stopped, his face just inches from hers. “You killed people who deserved killing. You have to trust yourself more. I know what you’re capable of doing, and I trust you with my life.” His blue eyes warmed, and he tugged on a strand of her hair. “Shifting won’t change who you are.”
Uncomfortable under his regard, she turned away and nearly tumbled on the bed.
Damned small room.
As if to underscore her point, Durant entered the room—without a shirt—and reduced it to the size of a shoebox. She scurried away from the bed…all two feet she could manage, and Durant’s eyes narrowed.
“If you’re through running and hiding, maybe you can explain what the hell you were doing today?”
This again. Raven huffed. “I almost caught the killer.”
“Or he almost caught you.” He stalked closer, planting his hands on either side of her head, caging her against the wall. “You spooked the killer. He knows you’re here now. Promise me you’ll be more careful.”
His husky voice skated down her spine like a caress, the cadence lulling her to do whatever he wanted. His eyes warmed to a molten gold, swirling with emotions so strong she almost burned.
He was doing that damned hypnotizing thing again.
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 7