Electric Heat (19 page)

The Prime turned toward her as if the fighting around them
didn’t matter, and she forced herself to step forward. She wasn’t sure she
could take him, but she was their best bet.

“I’ve been waiting to meet you for a very long time.”

Raven’s brows furrowed at the stalker-like pronouncement. “What
do you want?”

“You.”

“Sorry, but I’m already part of a pack.” She could’ve bitten
her tongue when his gaze flew past her to land on her men.  

He wasn’t smiling now. “Then I’ll have to remedy that.”

The magic gathered again like a wild storm. She ran toward
the Prime, but knew she’d never make it there in time.

Now!

The creature flooded her with power, and she crossed the
distance in a flash. Just as she plowed into him, magic burst free and spilled
into the air. They rolled, the impact slamming them into the ground, knocking
the breath out of her.

Panic shredded her insides when she realized she hadn’t been
in time. She had two choices, protect her pack or herself. Not caring about the
consequences, Raven used all her power to gather the wild energy to her. The
black swarm slowed, then reversed directions and streamed toward her, but much
too late.

A fraction hit Durant’s unprotected back.

He dropped to his knees with a snarl. A black cloud of magic
swelled around him, crackling with red lightening. It darted back and forth, trying
to gain entrance, but the tattoo on his back prevented it.

It worked for all of a minute.

She watched in horror as he breathed in the black smog.
“No!”

She grabbed the connection between them and poured every bit
of her power into him. As soon as he felt her, Durant stopped fighting,
allowing her to take control. His faith that she would protect him in all
things staggered her.

His back bowed as her power flooded him, and she
concentrated on strengthening the ward along his back. The tattoo blazed a
bright gold, turning molten, reminding her of his beast. It not only repelled
the dark magic, but the light banished it. The tiger’s roar ripped through the
compound, and the fighting around her stopped while people watched.

Raven rose to her feet, the creature so close to the surface
they moved as one. “My pack.”

“Not to worry, there are other ways to kill him besides
magic.” The Prime turned to a group of witches standing at the perimeter of the
grove. “Take control of the animals. Kill him.”

Rage thickened her blood, and she knew then that the Prime
would never stop.

She watched as Durant and the vampire stood back to back,
prepared to fight off the attack, but they were severely outnumbered. They had
only one course of action. “Run!”

Raven gathered all the electricity in the vicinity, roping
the strands around the Prime to form a net, the lines glowing blue with power.
With each loop, she gradually tightened the cage around him.

The few shifters still fighting on their side took off
running, their speeds incredible. As she watched, magic spilled over the ground
and surged in their direction. It nipped at their heels, just seconds away from
ensnaring them. The man from the Council was the first to fall to the magic,
targeted because he was one of the few shifters present who could actually morph
into his animal.

He dropped to his knees and fought it. Fur sprouted along
his arms, nails sliced through his fingertips. A roar, part human scream, part
beast tore from him, revealing a mouth full of inch long razor-sharp teeth.

“Take out the witches,” Raven shouted to anyone who was
close enough to hear.

Dominic turned and trudged toward the witches, each step
slower and heavier as he neared the greater concentration of magic. Meaning he
was taking the brunt of the spell as well. How long could he last before he,
too, was taken?

“Stop wasting time. Stop the Prime.” Randolph sprinted
toward the witches, unimpeded by magic. A few of the witches noted the threat
and began casting.

She needed to buy them more time to ensure the others got
away.

She was no match to the Prime physically or magically.

That meant she had to be smarter.

The Prime touched the cage around him as if amused…until the
tips of his fingers came away singed. With a frown, he braced himself, put his
hands out before him, and blasted wild magic at his prison.

The walls flexed and bowed, the blue cords turning black as
the energy burned out.

She fed the cage more power, but the net wouldn’t last much
longer.

Vicious snarls erupted behind her, and a glance showed the
vampire engaged in fighting two shifters…and losing. Durant was facing off with
a full-grown wolf. He picked up the beast and slammed him into the ground hard
enough that dirt kicked up from the impact. Instead of staying down, the wolf
rolled to his feet and snarled in challenge. It would be a fair fight if Durant
shifted, but he couldn’t risk being in his animal form. As a human against a
wolf, he was vastly outmatched.

Blood flowed freely from numerous gashes. When the wolf
charged, Durant held still, hands loose at his sides, not bothering to defend
himself.

She almost stopped what she was doing to help, but she couldn’t
risk the Prime going free, or they would all be dead.

She had to trust Durant knew what he was doing.

The wolf launched himself in the air with an impressive
bunch of muscles. Durant slid sideways, grabbed the wolf by the neck, keeping
his snapping teeth away from his throat. Unfortunately, the wolf still had four
legs tipped with lethal claws.

She watched in horror as Durant’s skin was torn to ribbons.

He shook the wolf hard. There was a sharp crack, then the animal
fell still.

All of it only took seconds, but she’d aged years.

Determined to stop this before they all died, she poured
more power into the strands caging the Prime, funneling raw electricity through
her system. She gritted her teeth as it burned through her, feeling like
someone had reached under her skin to strip out her veins an inch at a time. It
took a physical effort to shrink the cage another few inches, trapping him within
a three-foot circle. Even with the influx of new energy, more than half the
netting was charred black where the current had been expended.

She went lightheaded and knew she was near the point of no
return. She would burn out soon, but refused to relent.

If you have anything, now would be a good time.

The creature snapped its teeth, giving her a sharp nip to
her ass for daring to question it, and answered her request. The boost allowed
her to shrink the cage another foot.

The Prime hissed in shock as the caged tightened around him.
Singed flesh scorched the air. She fought against the impulse to stop the
torture.

It was kill or be killed.

“Stop.”

At first Raven thought the Prime was talking to her.

“Stop her.” He renewed his attack on the wall. The structure
wavered but held.

But for how much longer? The strain was taking its toll.

Dominic staggered toward her, and she sagged with relief.

He was alive.

“Run.” His order emerged as a croak, forced out from behind
gritted teeth.

Dread sank its claws in her gut.

Dominic was being taken over, his wolf was fighting, but
there were too many witches. Her heart broke at his struggle, knowing that if
he lost this fight, his sanity would snap. She’d gladly give everything she had
to save him, but he wasn’t part of her pack.

Any interference on her part might end up destroying him.

With great reluctance, Raven gave the order. “Retreat!”

Durant roared, a beastly sound that shouldn’t have been
possible from a human throat. The familiars stumbled back in the presence of
the larger predator. He turned, practically dragging the injured Nicholas behind
him as they sprinted to the tree line.

Randolph didn’t need to be told twice, disappearing into the
trees without looking behind him.

Every muscle in her body trembled under the strain of
holding the net strong for so long. The taste of blood filled her mouth.
“Dominic—”

“Go!” He roared, then dropped to his knees, the last act of
defiance draining him. He peered up at her, his brilliant green eyes glowing
with his beast. His smell soured, his natural scent turning to rotten leaves.

She gave the cage one last boost of magic, swallowing
against the urge to throw up, then dropped the current. She felt gutted by the
loss of power, her insides hollow. She teetered on wobbly legs, and it took
three steps before she regained her balance enough to race for the woods.

Dominic followed her with his eyes, panting with the urge to
give chase. She prayed that by running, the witches would stop their attack and
give Dominic time to gain control, but she didn’t hold out much hope.

 Chapter Sixteen

T
hey
hurtled through the forest, dodging the trees and branches. Raven followed the
others, trusting Durant’s nose to lead them away from danger. It didn’t take more
than five minutes for her endurance to begin to flag. It was embarrassing, but
she was at the end of her rope.

They burst into a clearing to the sound of startled screams.
A cluster of witches whirled toward them, their terrified faces pale in the
darkness.

All of them were no older than in their teens.

“If you want to live, you better move it.” The rest of her people
plowed through the clearing. After a second’s pause, the young group scrambled
to catch up.

Durant dropped back to her side. “They’ll slow us down.”

Meaning they would be caught.

“What choice do we have? They’re kids.” He didn’t say
anything as he picked up speed, but it did give her an idea. She dropped back,
running next to the kids as they struggled to keep up in the dark. “We’re being
tracked. Are any of you able to cast and throw them off our trail?”

Raven would do it herself, but she feared the Prime would be
able to track her magic. They couldn’t risk it.

The kids were already exhausted and terrified, but one of
the younger girls raised her hand. “I can fool the witches but not the
animals.”

Raven smiled in encouragement. “Good. The longer we can keep
them from catching up, the better. When they reach us, don’t stop, keep running.
Let me and mine take care of them.”

When—not if.

The kids’ relief was palpable. The longer they could evade
their pursuers, the better their chances of escape. The familiars weren’t the
best shifters, but they could win by sheer numbers.

No, the one they had to worry about was Dominic. She dreaded
the confrontation. How was she supposed to choose between one of her only
friends and her pack?

But if he was determined to kill what was hers, she would
have no choice.

Her heart cracked a little, and the creature hummed,
offering her a small comfort.

The kids spoke in hushed whispers, then fell silent for a
few seconds. “Miss.”

At the tentative inquiry, Raven dropped back and ran beside
the oldest girl in the group. She couldn’t have been more than seventeen,
skinny, and would have seemed almost fragile if it weren’t for the determined
spark in her eyes. “Do we need to slow down more?”

She appeared startled to realize they weren’t running full
out, then shook her head. “I know a place where we’ll be safe.”

Raven was skeptical that any place would be safe from the
Prime, but they’d already taken heavy losses. If they wanted to survive, they
needed reinforcements and a place where they could recover and come up with a plan
of attack. “Where?”

“You can’t tell. It’s supposed to be a secret.” The youngest
of the group had a bulldog expression on her face, clearly unwilling to give up
the tiniest bit of information to an outsider.

“Be quiet, stupid. We won’t make it there on our own. We’ll
be dead long before then.” The oldest girl ignored the arguing, having made her
decision. “The witches have a stronghold. A fallback shelter. If you can get us
there safely, I can get you inside.”

If the other witches had retreated there, Raven doubted they
would be allowed entrance, but she didn’t say so. “Deal. My team will drop back
and provide protection. You’ll have to take the lead.”

Sweat glistened on her face, but Raven had no doubt the girl
would find the refuge.

“Durant. Nicholas. Fall back.” She didn’t need to speak
above a whisper thanks to their genetics. Both men instantly dropped back to
her side. “You heard.”

They both nodded.

“Durant and I will cover our retreat.” She glanced at
Nicholas, noting his injuries were more severe than theirs. “If anyone gets
past us, you’re the last line of defense. Protect the kids.”

“I’ll do my best.” Lines of pain bracketed his mouth, his
eyes dark and grim. He didn’t expect to survive the night. Blood stained his
clothes. His limp had grown progressively worse. He was healing too slowly. Despite
his crippling wounds, she’d give him points for not giving up.

She refused to lose more of her people, and he was one of
hers, if just for the night. “Just get them to safety, and we’ll do the rest.”

A snap of a branch echoed loudly in the silence. Raven stopped
and whirled to face the threat. Durant duplicated her move, standing guard to
her right, keeping enough distance between them to maneuver.

The others kept running, Nicholas urging them forward.

Silence fell around them, but Raven didn’t move.

Something was out there.

A form took shape out of the darkness, running full tilt
toward them, then another and another until there were more than a dozen
familiars charging toward them. Durant growled and crouched.

“Wait.” Raven held out a hand. She took a step forward,
squinting at the male in the lead. There was something familiar about his
shape. “It’s the jaguar.”

Durant’s eyes were golden as he stared down at his prey. “We
don’t know if they’re friend or foe. We can’t take the chance.”

Raven bit her lip but couldn’t make herself give the order to
kill.

Durant cursed, throwing his body in front of hers, so they
would have to go through him to get to her. “If you’re wrong, they’ll kill the
kids.”

The jaguar sprinted toward her and smiled, as if proud to
have been able to find them. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she placed
a hand on Durant’s back. His muscles flexed at the contact, and he reluctantly
stood down.

They were soon encircled by a group of terrified familiars
in human form. “You can protect us.”

The plea came from a kid who could be no more than twenty.
Sweat soaked his shirt, the sour stench of fear emanating from him. Hope and
desperation burned his eyes…he knew they would die without help.

She released a breath.

Her troubles had just tripled, and a relentless pounding
started at her temples. “There is a group of witches about a mile ahead. Catch
up to them. You’ll be safe at the stronghold.”

After only a slight hesitation, they scampered away, all but
the jaguar. He looked off in the distance, a scowl marring his face.

“Are there more?”

He grabbed her sleeve and tugged, but she refused to budge. Something
spilled through the forest, calling to her. She took a step, squinting to
pierce the darkness. The jaguar whined and pulled, practically dragging her
behind him. Raven stumbled a few steps, then dug in her feet. “Wait.”

A black wolf loped toward them, effortlessly dodging the
trees, almost invisible in the dark. Familiar green eyes blazed back at her.

Raven smiled in relief. “Dominic.”

She took a step forward when Durant blocked her. “Don’t.”

That’s when she noticed the scent of rotten leaves.

He’d lost the fight with his beast.

The giant wolf launched himself at them. He landed lightly,
skidding to a stop only feet away. He bared his fangs, the sharp white teeth
glistening with saliva as he growled.

“Dominic, don’t do this.”

 The wolf whined and backed away a step, and hope swelled in
her throat. “He recognizes us. He’s still fighting the spell.”

Raven took a gamble and shuffled closer. She couldn’t bear
to lose her friend. If she didn’t do something, the spell would consume him. She
owed it to him to at least try. When everyone else had given up on her, he’d
stayed by her side without showing a lick of fear.

He deserved the same from her.

“If we can bring him back with us, the witches should be
able to reverse the spell.”

But Durant was already shaking his head. “He’s bound to his
master. No witch is powerful enough to break the connection without killing him
in the process. Only the one who cast the spell can remove it without causing
irreparable damage.”

Raven refused to give up so easily. “I can claim him. That
will break the familiar bond.”

Durant’s eyes were sad when he looked at her, and she wanted
to scream in denial. “But the jaguar—”

“You managed with him because the witch and animal were both
half dead. The witch will be able to draw on the bonds with the coven, an
unlimited supply of power. You’d never win.”

“Sonofabitch!” She growled in frustration. “There has to be
something we can do.”

Durant was grim. “The only way he can be free is if we can
hunt down the witch that captured him and kill her.”

They both fell silent. He didn’t need to tell her they would
never get close enough to the witch without being captured.

The temptation to try and break the spell anyway surged
through her, but she was afraid to do more harm than good. “I might not be able
to break the spell, but I can counter it by removing the more important
element…his wolf.”

If he didn’t have his wolf, the witches wouldn’t be able to
control him.

She expected an immediate denial, but Durant surprised her.
“It could work.”

Now that he’d agreed, doubts twisted through her.

Dominic began pacing, growing more and more agitated. If she
wanted to do this, she needed to do it now. Wiping her hands on her jeans, she
approached Dominic.

The wolf shook under the strain of remaining still, a growl
rumbling in his chest, but he didn’t attack.

Raven knelt at his side and sank her fingers into his thick
fur. Energy crackled around him when she called upon her power. She used her
sight and peered beneath the blood and bones, and found his true beast was
locked behind needle-thin bars that looked ready to snap. Even in wolf form,
Dominic was keeping the most primitive part of himself shackled. She had to
work fast, or they’d lose their slight edge.

She wanted to strip away his wolf—she’d done it before with
a panther who had attacked her—but she hesitated. His wolf was terribly strong,
near alpha status, and she wasn’t sure if she would be fast enough to do it
before he ripped out her throat.

And if by some miracle she managed to finish the job, it
wouldn’t be permanent. Anywhere they went, he’d have to be imprisoned, never
knowing when his master might steal back control of his wolf.

It would be sheer torture to live always doubting himself,
but she had to at least try.

Not allowing herself time to think, Raven shoved her hand
through the bars of the gate, ready to grab the wolf, but the beast was too
fast. The animal lunged and bit down.

It was as if she held her hand in a garbage disposal.

Pain blasted up her arm, shredding her flesh, and she
realized the wolf was trying to devour her. It saw her as a threat to be
eliminated. She tried to yank the wolf free, but the spell prevented it.

Raven refused to give up.

Magic had ensnared the wolf. To free him, she needed to
overload the spell. The only problem was the wolf and the spell were
intertwined. If she took out the spell, it would take out the beast as well. She
only had seconds to decide. If she moved forward with her plan, his wolf might
never return.

It was a risk she had to take.

Her only alternative would be to let him die.

Instead of pulling away from the ravenous wolf, Raven rammed
her arm further through the bars and sent a burst of current directly down the
beast’s throat.

The animal was forced to swallow, gorging himself on her
power.

With the extra strength running through his veins, the beast
swelled in size, his bulk pressing against the weak prison bars. Then he ran
out of space. Panic darkened his green eyes as he realized her intent. He tried
to rip off her arm to get away, but he had no room to maneuver.

It was too much power for one person to hold.

The spell went supernova, and the sound of glass cracking
filled the area.

In a blinding flash, Raven was hurled back. She smacked the
ground hard enough to bounce, and lay slumped as if her strings have been cut. Her
whole body felt trampled, her arm throbbing in agony.