They had already knocked once.
She grabbed the edges of the sink and blew out a breath.
She couldn’t put it off any longer.
She trudged along the short passage down the hall and pushed open the door to the cramped dorm room they had been assigned. Durant and Rylan stood waiting, not that they had much choice. The bed and chair nearly scraped all four walls. The men took up what little space remained. Dominic hadn’t moved since they deposited him on the bed. While she was gone, they had cleaned and bandaged the worst of his injuries and dressed him in sweats. She kept staring, hoping to find some sign that he was healing, but nothing had changed.
She wondered if that was how the others felt when they saw her, helpless and protective and unable to do a damned thing to change any of it.
“Nicholas is resting. He’s suffered some severe injuries. When he wakes, he’ll need blood.”
Raven tore her gaze away from Dominic. “I’ll ask a few of the shifters who helped us yesterday and see if any will volunteer.”
Rylan nodded and turned away, but not before she saw the ravenous hunger behind his blue eyes.
“When’s the last time you fed?”
He stiffened as if she’d asked him the last time he had sex.
His silence spoke volumes.
“You’re injured, balanced on a sword’s edge. Can you go another night without feeding?” The last thing they could afford was for him to lose control. “I can—”
“No!” Both men spoke at once.
Rylan’s eyes changed from one blink to the next, the lovely blue gone, revealing the pure predator beneath.
“He can take mine.” Durant spoke the words behind clenched teeth.
Both men grimaced.
“You’re injured as well.” Raven headed toward the door. “I’ll talk to the shifters—”
“It’ll be better if it come from me.” Durant rolled up his sleeve, and her eyes automatically dropped to gawk at the lovely muscles that corded his arm. They were so distracting that it took her a full minute to notice the claw marks that twisted up his forearm.
He was healing but slowly.
She found herself drawn closer. “You need time to heal.”
He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest, his tiger giving a faint rumble of pleasure at the simple touch. “Even injured, I’m the strongest shifter here. My blood is more potent than the others’. Your vampire will heal faster and won’t need to take as much.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see Rylan shrug, his face betraying none of his emotions. “He’s correct.”
Raven tightened her lips against arguing. The decision was difficult enough for them without her saying anything more. Because of their distrust of each other, Durant wouldn’t have offered, nor would Rylan have accepted, if they had any other choice. “Very well. How do you want to do this?”
She pulled away, nervous energy skating up her spine, and she couldn’t stop fidgeting. Before she could take another step, Durant grabbed her arm and dragged her closer. “This will go better if you stay in sight.”
Apparently in sight meant plastered against his chest.
“We’re both predators. Neither of us was built to tolerate the other in our territory. We can use you as a buffer.” He ran a hand up her back in a way that made her shiver and melt against him. “It will keep both of us in check.”
It sounded logical, but the closer Rylan came, the more she felt ready to jump out of her skin. Durant growled low in his throat, narrowing his eyes over her head, his hold leaving bruises.
“Distract him.”
Raven jolted at Rylan’s soft demand.
Easy for him to say.
How do you distract an animal from its prey?
Feeling foolish, Raven stood on her tiptoes, placed her hands on either side of Durant’s face and pulled his head down to hers. The growling stopped. She leaned in closer, her lips only inches apart from his, and held him still. “Hold out your arm.”
His brows furrowed, and Raven leaned back infinitesimally. Not an inch passed before he thrust out an arm. “My kiss.”
It was a gruff demand.
She studied his mouth, remembering the wild taste of him, and shivered with the need for more. She brushed her lips against his once, a feather-light touch, savoring the forbidden.
Rylan used the distraction and sank his fangs into the curve of Durant’s elbow.
Durant grunted as if struck, and the big tiger tensed at the invasion. Fearful he’d pull away, Raven deepened the kiss, nibbling at his lips until he growled and took control. His mouth ravaged hers as if he’d been starved for the taste of her. Her knees weakened, and he ruthlessly took advantage by dragging her up his body and demanding more.
She ran her hands up his chest and grabbed his shoulders, loving the way he hummed with pleasure at her touch. By the time he lifted his head, she was breathless and wanting more. Rylan was pressed against her back, Durant against her front, and she felt cherished.
For the first time in years, Rylan had willingly touched her with more than a brush of his fingers. She reached back, and placed her hand on his thigh. He sighed at the touch, kissed the back of her neck, and then retreated. When she tried to follow him, Durant tightened his grip, refusing to release his hold. “Wait.”
Rylan stiffened at her plea.
But now that he’d stopped, Raven scrabbled to come up with a reason for him to stay. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Did you get enough?”
She could’ve smacked herself for bringing up what was always a sore subject.
He gave a short nod, not bothering to turn around to face her. “I’ll go and inform the Council of what’s happening.”
“Look at me.”
He slowly lifted his head, pinning her with his gaze. The hunger in his eyes was for more than food, the yearning to belong was so strong it was like a punch to the gut. “I tasted you on him. It was enough.”
That’s when she remembered he could feel his donor’s emotions when he fed, a final parting gift for taking her blood all those years ago. The image of the three of them was there in his eyes, and he disappeared before she gathered her scattered wits enough to protest. She only managed one step when Durant lifted her clear off the floor. “Don’t. He needs time to settle himself.”
Raven struggled to get free, trying not to aggravate his wounds. “You don’t understand.”
“Don’t I?” Durant pressed his arousal against her, and Raven froze. “The best way to help him is to give him time.”
Raven slumped in his arms, knowing he was right. When he was sure she wouldn’t run off, Durant slowly lowered her down the length of his body. She shivered at the delicious feel of him against her, and it was a physical struggle to make her brain work on anything other than estimating how fast they could both get naked.
“How long?” She strangled on the question, hating the vulnerability it revealed. Rylan was her first crush, her best friend, and she ached to put things right between them.
“If you want your friend back, you’ll give him as long as he needs.”
Raven accepted defeat, rubbing at the pain in her chest. Rylan’s disappearance intensified the ache of the jaguar’s loss. She shuffled closer to Durant, drawn to his strength. Her pain eased a fraction at his nearness, the wound scabbing over, so every breath no longer felt as if someone was stabbing her in the heart.
“It hurts.” She buried her face against his shoulder, the guilt eating at her soul. “I didn’t even know the jaguar’s name until after he died.”
“I know.” Durant’s arms wrapped around her, smashing her against him. Her ribs creaked, but she wanted to get even closer. “It’s your creature. Humans have the ability to ignore and shuffle away their pain, but animals don’t have that option. They don’t process loss, they only feel.”
“How do other alphas survive this torture?”
“They don’t allow themselves to get so attached to the pac
k the way you do.” He tipped her chin up. “They share the pain with the pack through their connection. You’ve taken the pain for all of us. You have to let it go before you drive your beast insane with grief.”
Raven was at a complete loss about he expected of her. “Explain.”
“Touch helps, yes?”
She tightened her hold, afraid he’d leave, before finally nodding.
“You’re the alpha. You have the ability to touch us at any time, even when we’re not in the same room.”
“Isn’t that an invasion of privacy?”
Durant’s lips quirked. “We grew up in the pack, our beasts have been with us since our earliest memories. We’ve never been alone. We find it a comfort. If we want to be by ourselves, all we have to do is seal ourselves off. After only a few hours, we miss the connection.”
The thought of someone poking around in her head set her stomach churning. “Like you tried to do at the club when we first met?”
“That was different,” Durant muttered then grimaced when she raised a brow. “An alpha’s touch can soothe our beasts, they can share their calm, and give us strength when we weaken. They give us balance, keep us grounded, and stop us from going rogue.”
Her disquiet eased a fraction. “How does it work?”
“You’re connected to each member of your pack by more than just blood. Every time you think of us, we feel your touch. You hold none of yourself back, committing yourself completely to those you’ve claimed. Most packs are generations in the making. An alpha usually inherits their pack. They don’t get the chance to build or select their family.”
Raven stood straighter, proud of her pack.
“It means you trust us. Trust us a little more.” He took her hand and spread her fingers over his chest. “Reach for my animal, allow me to help you.”
His beast rose under her touch, and she nearly pulled back. As if sensing her hesitancy, the cat slowed, flicking his tail out until fur brushed against her mind. She reached forward and sank her fingers into his hide. The warmth eased the ache a smidge more.
“Come, you’re exhausted. Sleep while you can.”
Raven reluctantly pulled back at the grim reminder of what was waiting for them, and allowed herself to be led away.
* * *
Raven shifted in the chair, unable to sleep. The silence of being underground was unnerving. It was the soundlessness that happened while waiting for the other shoe to drop. She stared at the soft light from the hallway as it spilled into their room, struggling to think of a way to get them all out of this alive.
There was a slight change in Dominic’s breathing. She was so distracted, it took her a second to realize the pattern had altered.
Shoving out of her chair, she leaned forward to see him staring at her. Neither of them spoke, and her throat tightened with the real fear that she’d broken him.
“Hey.” His voice was raspy and dry, barely a sound.
It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard. She closed her eyes to cover her tears and sat at the very edge of the bed, not certain he would allow her to get even that close. “I wasn’t sure if you’d make it.”
“By rights I should be dead.” The flat tone told her he wished it were true.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“If there’s ever a choice between you and me, you can never hesitate.” His expression turned fierce. “Kill me.”
She reached for his hand, only to have him jerk away.
The small gesture cut deeper and more painfully than any claws.
Dominic turned to face the wall. “I foolishly believed my wolf was too strong to be taken by a witch. Hell, I struggle to contain him so many times that I was sure no one else could manage it either. I should have listened to you.”
“I took your wolf.” She could barely force the words out of her mouth. “I should’ve found a different way. How can I ask for your forgiveness when I can’t forgive myself?”
“He’ll be back.” He spoke as if the strength of his words would make it true, but his voice lacked conviction. “I forced you into this situation. It was my fault. My choice.”
A knot of fear hardened in her gut at his resignation, and then sank like a pile of stones. Most shifters would prefer to be dead than lose their animal. She couldn’t lose him, too. “I can fix it.”
It was a desperate plea.
But he was already shaking his head. “My wolf was infected. Even if you had managed to bring him back, we can’t risk him turning dark again.”
He was keeping something from her, and she couldn’t blame him. “If we wait, it might be too late.”
“I won’t put you in danger again.”
Raven narrowed her eyes, debating whether to ignore his decision when he grabbed her wrist, his unbreakable grip just short of snapping her arm.
“I won’t have my choices taken from me again. If you try anything, I will get up and walk out of here, and you will never see me again.”
The hard glint in his eyes said he meant it. He was a leader. A protector. It would destroy him to lose control of his wolf and hurt the people under his care.
Raven understood. She would have made the same choice. With great reluctance, she relented. “Fine.”
He released a shaky breath and loosened his hold, but didn’t let go of her completely. “You can try later when this is all over.”
If it wasn’t too late. The words were an unspoken whisper in the air between them.
When he dropped her arm and patted her hand, the slight tremble there told another story. He was petrified.
If she failed—
A huge yawn caught him unawares, and his jaw cracked. He turned on his side, then grunted, gingerly cupping his ribs. He was asleep in less than a minute.
Raven moved shakily back to her seat in the chair. Dominic was alive. But how long would he be able to survive without his wolf?
She had to know.
Calling up the energy wrapped around him, she studied his aura. It was battered and fluctuated wildly, but there weren’t any dead spots. She pushed deeper, but halted when Dominic rolled restlessly onto his back. When she was sure he wouldn’t wake, she refocused her sight and saw his body was studded with pinpricks of starlight.
His wolf.
Her chest felt crushed at seeing his majestic beast so shattered.
She nearly gave up, pulled back, when she saw the tiny starbursts being pulled together.
His wolf was healing. It would take time, but he would survive.
The relief threatened to drop her to her knees. Now all she had to do was find the witch responsible and kill her before his wolf fell under her sway again. Neither man nor beast would survive being taken over a second time.
Chapter Eighteen
DAY FIVE: EARLY MORNING – UNDERGROUND FORTRESS
Raven fell out of the chair, her hands and knees smacking stone while the world around her quaked. The whole mountain rumbled, like an angry god of old had come to life. A trail of dirt sifted down from the ceiling, and she waited for the mountain to come crashing down around them.
The Prime had found them.
She pushed herself upright and glanced over to the floor where Durant had slept.
He wasn’t there.
She shot to her feet, her creature pressing heavily on her chest, wanting to charge down the hall and hunt down the ones who’d stolen him.
“Durant went to eat.” Raven whirled to see Dominic struggling to prop himself up on the bed, a grimace pulling at his face. “This being human shit is going to take a while to get used to again.”
A smile blossomed on her face. “Don’t get too accustomed to it.”
Dominic froze and searched her face for a lie, his eyes alive with such painful hope that her heart clenched. “Explain.”
“Your wolf is healing.”
His brows lowered ominously. “I told you not—”
“I didn’t do anything.” Raven lifted her
hands and backed safely out of swatting distance.
His intensity ratcheted up another level, all domineering man in full charge. “You’re sure?”
Some of her good cheer dimmed. “Yes, but I’m not sure what shape he’ll be in when he returns.”
“Let me worry about that.” He sagged against the bed’s only pillow, the lines on his face dropping away. She could almost see his mind working again while he settle back into his old self.
His stomach growled loud enough to be mistaken for a small roar, and she laughed. “Why don’t I get some food?”
But his eyes had already shut, a peaceful rest stealing over him for the first time since the battle.
Despite the constant barrage to the mountainside, there was a lightness to her steps as she wandered down the halls in search of food. In between blasts, the tunnels were so quiet all she could hear was the swish of her shoes against stone. No wind. No insects. The total lack of other noise was like walking in a cemetery at midnight. Her good cheer faded a fraction, her nerves pulling tight, part of her bracing for an attack.
A heated discussion caught her ear. Glad to find she wasn’t alone in this giant crypt, she veered off course to investigate. The corridor led to a narrow passageway behind the auditorium. The door stood open, and she spied a knot of witches cluster near center stage. The rest of the room appeared empty, as if the others had left for a break, while a few die-hards lingered behind to argue their point. They looked like they’d been up all night. Heloise’s calm had cracks around the edges, and her normally blank face revealed emotions, mainly frustration.
As soon as they saw her, they fell silent and scowled.
“How long can the wards hold against the attack?” Raven sauntered into the room, not willing to leave until she knew when she needed to have her people ready to fight.
Heloise sighed and rubbed her fingers between her brows. “He’s unraveling the wards faster than expected.”
Electric Heat (A Raven Investigations Novel Book 3) Page 19