Electric Heat (2 page)

Blood and gore plopped down on the shower floor as she stood
under the pounding spray of six showerheads. After a few minutes, the water finally
ran clean.

A slight click of the door behind her made all her muscles
tense into knots. She looked over her shoulder to see Durant join her in the
shower. He had stripped down to just his jeans, leaving the broad expanse of
chest on display. Completely oblivious to his impact on her, he lifted the soap.

“Let me.” His voice was gruff, as if the words were hard to get
out. “Please.”

She could’ve argued with him, and he might have even
listened, but she didn’t have the energy to lift her arms and do it herself. He
slowly gathered her hair and soaped the tangled mess, careful not to tug on the
snarled strands.

Her head dropped forward while he massaged her scalp, and
the last of the tension slowly fizzled away. She was pathetically grateful not
to be alone with her thoughts. Nothing existed but his hands on her. Much
sooner than she was ready, he withdrew and pushed her under the spray.

Water and suds slid down her body. He nudged her, directing
her to turn.

When his fingers brushed the mark on her side, she went
rigid. Her eyes cracked open and she glared, a snarl curling her lips at the
stolen touch. She wasn’t used to anyone touching her and never in kindness.

Normally, she wouldn’t give a damn, but the last thing she
wanted was for him to ask questions about the mark. It was somehow tied to the
creature, and until she discovered the connection, she wanted to keep it
secret.

He held up his hands in surrender and stilled. It took
everything in her to resist shuffling closer and laying hands on him. She
wasn’t sure whether she would rip him apart or rub up against him, and she wouldn’t
risk his life to find out.

They remained at a stalemate until he finally spoke. “You
need to finish rinsing the soap from your hair. Come out when you’re ready.”

Then he was gone.

By the time she emerged, he was in dry clothes, waiting with
a ginormous towel held open between his hands. She expected to see his face
politely averted the way Taggert would do to preserve her privacy. But no, his eyes
swept over her, noticing every detail. He expertly examined her injuries, appearing
detached, that was if you didn’t notice the heat lurking in those green-gold
eyes of his. His perusal left her feeling exposed, and she couldn’t decide if
she wanted to stretch under his attention or cover herself with her hands.

Her creature enjoyed the attention, though, slowing her
steps, drawing out the process. Recognition flashed in Durant’s eyes, and his
control wavered, revealing an explosive hunger that wouldn’t be appeased with
just a kiss. Her insides fluttered with pure desire, then went squishy with
panic when she realized the creature was manipulating them both.

Raven reached for her power, ready to shock some sense into both
her and her creature, but the energy hardened like armor under her skin. She
could only scratch at it, unable to scrounge together even the smallest spark.

Fine. She couldn’t draw on the power, but she could still
influence it. She focused on the crackling energy in the links of the armor and
clamped down. The power increased its voltage to a hum, and the armor turned into
an electric cage around the creature. The beast hissed in rage at being held
captive again, then released its hold over her, settling down to sulk. Raven
sucked in a sharp breath when every painful volt sank into her bones.

The jolt was a brutal wakeup call.

For the first time, Raven understood the creature was truly
a part of her.

The longer it remained free, every second they spent
together, only strengthened their bond.

Unless she did something soon, destroying the creature would
mean destroying herself.

The sobering thought scared the creature into behaving, and Raven
found herself back in charge. But the threat would only hold the creature at
bay for so long. Once they were fully merged, she would be at the creature’s
mercy.

With a huff of frustration at the impossible tangle her life
had become, Raven tried to yank the towel from Durant. Only he refused to
relinquish his hold, wrapping it around her until she was trapped in a cocoon
of warm, fuzzy cotton that smelled like him. It was all she could do not to
bury her nose in it and steal another whiff.

“Durant—”

“Hush. If you don’t let me take care of you, I won’t be
responsible for my actions. I’ll snatch you up, take you from here, where I
guarantee no one would find us.”

So why did his rumbled threat sound like heaven?

Two things stopped her. The safety of her pack, and the knowledge
she might end up killing them all if she stayed.

 Chapter Two

“
I
’ll
leave you to dress.” Durant opened the door, still staring at her as if fearing
if he lost sight of her she’d disappear.

Unable to withstand his intense gaze, she picked up the
clothes waiting for her and raised a brow. “My clothes?”

He shrugged. “Jase ran here and dropped them off.”

Durant meant the kid had literally ran more than ten miles to
deliver them. Like most shifters, Jase wasn’t allowed to drive. He was a stray,
an unregistered rogue she’d offered a spot in her pack, and loyal down to his
bones.

“Thank you.”

At the dismissal, Durant failed to mask his disappointment and
vanished into his office, the snick of the door echoing through the pool of
silence he’d left behind. She didn’t want to be alone and dwell on her thoughts,
not when her pack waited out there, silent and expectant.

And fearful.

Their dread left a bitter aftertaste.

She ached to comfort them, but refused to lie and say
everything would be all right. The bonds of the pack had been forged by fire.
They would kill and die to protect her. She could do no less. Because of the
bindings, they were now a part of her, and she would destroy anyone who thought
to take them away.

She dropped the towel and reached for her clothes when the
mark on her side caught her attention. The shape had grown, the ridges more
pronounced. The dark blob of coloring in the center was still too indistinct to
decipher.

She brushed a finger over the tattoo, and sucked in a
startled breath at its sensitivity. The mark was bitterly cold to the touch,
but quickly heated at her attention…almost in welcome. She jerked back, then
rubbed her tingling fingertips together, still able to feel the fading warmth. Not
wanting to dwell on what she couldn’t understand, or change, she finished
dressing and focused on what she could do.

Find a way to thwart any attempts by the witches to steal
Taggert.

Though mostly healed, the phantom pains from her injuries throbbed
with every move. She toweled her hair dry, deliberately keeping her back to the
mirror. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face what she was becoming. She
dropped the damp towel by the sink, and hesitated over the gift from Jackson, lightly
tracing the silver links of the necklace, then reluctantly left it on the
counter. She no longer needed its protection. Nothing could protect her any
longer. 

She picked up the pair of gauntlet gloves Durant had set out
for her. The leather kept other people safe from her power in case she
accidently touched them. Although that problem didn’t seem to be an issue anymore
with her powers gone. More out of habit, she slid her hand into the leather, then
took a deep breath to face the new world awaiting her.

She braced herself and opened the door. The first person she
saw was Rylan. Her breath stopped as she waited for his reaction.

His verdict.

He appeared relaxed, his look taking in everything, gauging
how close she was to losing it.

“I’m fine. I need to do this first.”

He nodded, almost too agreeable. It made her suspicious.

“Spill it.” She walked over to the desk, needing the
distance and a comforting solid structure between them. Foolishness anyway,
since a three-hundred pound piece of wood would not stop a vampire if he wanted
something.

“I will go along with your plan on one condition.”

Raven halted on the spot, her heart pounding in her throat. Every
muscle tightened as she waited for his ultimatum, knowing she wouldn’t be able
to budge him. He couldn’t change his mind. Too much depended on him. “You
promised.” It was an accusation.

The creature chose that moment to perk up and listen as
well. In that split second, Raven knew if Rylan made a move on her, the
creature would fight with everything in her to stay alive. What scared Raven
the most was she wasn’t sure who would remain standing in the end.

“I’m the one who gets to decide, not you. If I believe you can…manage
your new affliction, our deal is off.”

Raven gave a weak nod. Despite the fear they were making a
mistake that might cost them everything, a single ray of hope burst through
her. Everything she’d ever wanted was within her grasp. Rylan believed she
could win the battle with her creature. Raven wasn’t so sure, but she was
willing to try, desperate to do whatever it took to remain with her pack.

She had one week to outsmart the creature who’d lain dormant
within her since she was born.

No pressure.

As she came around the desk and headed toward the door, Jase
stepped out of the shadows. He dropped his gaze and shuffled his feet when he notice
her staring at him.

“Jase.”

He snapped to attention. Shoulders back, hands behind him in
a military pose.

The perfect soldier.

“Thank you for bringing my things. Keep an eye on the boys
for me, will you?” The boys were brothers, a pair of wolves just shy of
cresting. The teenage rogues were staying at her house until they decided what
they wanted to do with their lives.

“Of course.”

When she walked past, she brushed against him, and a snap of
electricity crackled between them. She desperately wanted to retreat, but held
her ground for a few seconds longer. The pack lived and thrived by touch. It
was seen as a reward…or a punishment if it was denied.

He inhaled deeply, a flush of pride coloring his face, and she
quickly left the office.

“Come. It’s time to leave.” Rylan guided her forward,
walking a step behind, the position marking her as his superior. She didn’t
like all the pack rules, what they revealed, when it was so much safer for
everyone if she remained hidden. Raven peered behind her, but saw no sign of
Durant. A piece of her heart withered. She’d wanted to say goodbye, see him one
last time, but maybe it was better this way.

She and Rylan approached the three impatient witches, stopping
a healthy distance away. Magic brushed against her like a nest of cobwebs. She swept
it away, along with the magic, and gave a smile that was more a baring of teeth
than a pleasantry.

“We’re ready.”

The witch raised a brow. “We?”

Rylan stepped forward and bowed. “I volunteer to be her
sentinel.”

The witch pursed her lips, clearly not pleased, but she
couldn’t refuse to honor the age-old custom.

“I’m going as well.” Durant emerged from his office, a
duffle bag dangling from his hand.

“No.”

“Absolutely not.”

Raven and the witch spoke at the same time, both in
agreement for once.

“Unless you have someone willing to feed the vampire, and who
can also protect her during the day, then you’re stuck with me.”

The witch’s face twisted in distaste, and she planted her
hands on her hips. Her voodoo-style peasant shirt and multicolored skirt
should’ve made her look plain, but instead enhanced her striking coloring and
bone structure.

Raven spoke before the witch could say anything. “You detest
Rylan. Why offer to feed him?”

Her heart fluttered in panic, and a nasty suspicion that he
knew she wasn’t going to be returning twisted through Raven. He couldn’t be
allowed to go with them. He would try to stop them. The creature was already
too interested in him for Raven’s peace of mind. Not to mention what would
happen when he discovered the truth, that she really was a monster. She
couldn’t bear to have his affection turn cold. The cut would go too deep, a
mortal wound that would forever fester. “No, he can feed off of me.”

But Rylan was already shaking his head. “No, not you.”

The creature at her core gave a huff of agreement, sinking
her claws into Raven’s chest for carelessly offering what was theirs. Though Raven
wanted to protest, she knew Rylan was right. It was too dangerous for both of
them. Her blood would only bind them tighter together…like a noose.

The vampire already craved her blood. She couldn’t risk
deepening his addiction, or he might not go through with the plan to eliminate
her, not if he would lose his supply as a result.

 Raven scrambled to come up with an excuse, and latched on
the first thing that popped into her mind. “No shifter is safe in a coven. Not
too long ago, they used shifters as familiars. Not only could they harm you, they
could use you against me.”

She was desperate, grasping at straws, but didn’t care. It
would destroy her to lose him to the witches.

Durant shook his head, a cocky smile curling his lips in a
way that didn’t bode well. “I’m too strong an alpha. They’d never gain access
to me, not while you still stand.”

Raven snorted at his overblown ego. “You can’t—”

“I’m immune to their magic.”

That stopped her tirade short. Even the witch stood
straighter. It was a ploy. It had to be. Raven narrowed her eyes and called his
bluff. “What do you mean?”

Durant dropped the bag, then slowly pulled his shirt over
his head. The awesome sight of his chest distracted her. Smooth muscles
beckoned her closer. A light dusting of hair low on his stomach beckoned her to
investigate lower.

Touch.

The word whispered in her mind, a craving so deep she even
took a step forward to do as bidden. She fiddled with the gloves, wanting to
rip off the leather so nothing separated them.

Then Durant turned.

Shimmering gold symbols dotted along his spine in a script
she couldn’t decipher. “What are those?”

“A spell.” The witch spoke almost absently. “A very painful ward
that must first be carved into flesh, then molten gold is poured into the
bleeding wounds. The pain is excruciating. Most people don’t survive the magic,
let alone the agony inflicted as the heated metal solidifies.”

Raven didn’t like the admiration in the witch’s tone or the
appreciative way she eyed Durant. Her creature liked it even less. She struggled
to think of another excuse, but Durant turned and stepped into her space.

Distracting her on purpose.

And damned if he wasn’t getting a little too good at ferreting
out her weaknesses and using them against her.

“Take him with you or not, but I will remind you if you’re
not able to fulfill your side of the agreement, my approval is rescinded, and
your little dog, Taggert, is mine.” The witch turned her spooky eyes on Durant.
“If you go beastly without a leash around your throat, you will be put down.”

Raven straightened, her muscles strung tight as she spun to
face the witch. Durant adroitly stepped between them, his back to the main
witch, effectively cutting off what would no doubt have been rash words. It
didn’t matter. The creature uncurled in her body, its wrath gathering, determined
to eliminate the threat to the pack.

Durant caught her hand and placed it over his chest,
grunting when the kick of power slid into him. His eyes immediately went gold.
Instead of retreating, she could have sworn his tiger purred under her palm.

She brushed her fingers over the warm muscles, the touch
calming both of them.

You need me to ensure the pack remains safe.

Raven jerked at hearing his voice in her head, then answered
in kind.
Such arrogance.

You need me.

They’ll treat you as less than an animal.

It was Durant’s turn to shrug.
You need me.

For him, it was that simple. There was a hard glint in his
eyes that warned her if she refused him, she wouldn’t like the alternative. And
he was right, she needed someone to feed Rylan, and she needed Rylan in case
something went horribly wrong.

“We’ll follow you in our own car.” She tugged her hand back,
immediately missing his warmth, and turned to face the witch. “Do you have any
files on the case?”

“Case?” The witch narrowed her eyes, their color bleeding to
black as her magic rose.

Shadows began to dance in those eyes, and Raven took care
not to look too deeply lest she be sucked under their sway. Tortured souls
haunted those dark orbs, just waiting for the unwary to peer too closely so
they could ensnare them. “I assume there’s a reason you demanded my services.”