Raven Investigation 04 - Electric Legend (4 page)

Horror slashed inside her when a string of wild, tainted
magic began to rise. Her breath caught in her throat when her lungs refused to
work.

She tensed to throw herself out of his arms, but knew it was
much too late to protect him. If the tainted magic so much as brushed against
him, he could turn feral and be taken firmly beyond her reach.

She grabbed for the wild magic and did her best to crush it.
The sentient magic stopped dead, sensing Taggert was important to her, guessing
correctly that she’d rip herself apart to destroy it if anything happened to
her pack. The red taint slowly reabsorbed back into her body, the action not
without pain. It was as if her veins were being bitten from the inside by
thousands of fire ants, the agony taking its own sweet time to dissipate.

Punishing her.

It took a few seconds to become aware of her surroundings.
The first thing that registered was the delicious heat.

It could only come from one place … Taggert.

A woodsy smell wrapped around her, and she hated the thin
fabric of his shirt that separated them. She could almost swear she felt a
brush of fur from his wolf.

All the tension eased out of Taggert when she buried her
nose in his chest and inhaled. Realizing what she’d done, she jerked away and met
his gaze to find a small smile played about his lips.

Cocky.

Suddenly embarrassed, she pulled away and poked him in the
rib, pretending nothing happened. “Now finish telling me about this freak show.”

“In the old times, it was imperative that the pack remain
hidden from humans. The shifters that got into trouble and came too close to
being discovered were sent to the circus.” Taggert steered them toward one of
the booths, watching a teenage boy throw a ball at a stack of bottles. As one
bottle fell, the crowd around the kid cheered. Taggert appeared fascinated by
the whole process.

“Banishment seems like a harsh punishment.” Raven couldn’t
take her gaze away from him and the excitement that shimmered just under the
surface.

Taggert shrugged, completely absorbed as he watched the kid
pick up another ball. “It was better than being killed or forced to turn
rogue.”

That shut her up. He said it casually, as if it were no big
deal, but she suspected it couldn’t be further from the truth, not when he
fought so hard to be a part of her pack.

The kid threw another ball but missed, and the crowd
groaned.

“It’s not really banishment. Most went willingly to keep the
pack safe. Others would even run away to join the circus.”

“Why?” Raven didn’t understand how anyone could abandon
their pack. They were family. If one of her men disappeared, it would shatter
her. She clamped her hand possessively around Taggert’s arm, knowing she’d move
heaven and earth to claim them again.

“Not all packs…” He hesitated as if searching for the right
word. “…value their members equally. If the circus granted them asylum, the
alpha would have no choice but leave off the hunt, the runaways considered part
of a new pack.”

“I bet that went over well with the alphas. Not only do they
lose a member, they gain nothing in return.” Alphas were possessive and most
would rather kill one of their own than be forced to give up a member of their
pack. Raven could understand the need to escape abuse, but she also saw the potential
danger a circus posed. “With the ability to enter any territory they want, a
circus would be the perfect spies.”

“That’s why they are so rare. The council understood the
need for them, but has never granted permission to form another in decades.
They were initially created to take care of troublesome pack members that drew
too much attention.” Taggert inched forward as the kid picked up the third and
last ball.

“More like smuggling them away from too curious humans.”

“If a human discovered us, we had no choice but kill them. A
few would escape our hunt, but without proof that shifters are real, their own
kind considered them insane and usually had them committed.”

“And the pack secrets remained safe.” It sounded like a
harsh punishment.

“Drastic but necessary. We couldn’t let the truth be
revealed. Humans outnumber us even back then. A hunt could’ve eradicated us
all. Even decades later, the balance remains precarious. The paranormal wars
proved that to us.”

It was frightening how clever the council was back then, how
far-reaching their decisions. “So, the rest of the packs agreed, allowed the
circus into their territory by choice. Now that the humans know about the
paranormal world, I bet they aren’t so happy with that concession.”

“The old ways are still upheld, but freak shows are very
rare. To own the show is a privilege, not a thing to be taken lightly.” Taggert
studied the kid as he wound up and tossed his last ball.

It hit true.

The remaining two bottles wobbled before ultimately toppling
over. Everyone jumped and cheered, and the man behind the counter took down a
stuffed animal from the shelves and tossed it to the kid.

The teenager turned and proudly presented it to a girl in the
crowd and received a kiss in return.

Before she knew it, Taggert grabbed her arm and dragged her
forward.

She tried to tug out of his hold, but without her dragon or
using her power, she was as weak as any human. “What are you doing?”

“You need a prize.” He flashed her a smile, mischief dancing
in his eyes. “To blend in the crowd and look authentic.”

Raven snorted, charmed by his playfulness, and allowed
herself to be hauled behind him. She couldn’t help but admire the way he filled
out his jeans. He’d gained weight, all muscle by the look of it, and she gave a
little hum of pleasure.

“How many?” The man at the booth was beyond lean, his body
unwashed and smelly. Creepiness emanated from him as his eyes lingered on her
body.

His smile was quick, all fake charm.

Human.

Taggert lifted a ball and studied it. Raven repressed her
smile as he made the guy wait, retaliation for the way the he’d stripped her
with his eyes.

“One ball.”

The smile was gone now. “Five bucks.”

He accepted the money, then flipped a switch. A faint hum of
magnets rumbled in the air. Taggert heard and lifted a brow, silently goading
the man, completely unconcerned. He focused on the bottles. Almost faster than
she could see, he drew his arm back and launched the ball.

The bottles didn’t just fall over, they exploded, bits of
metal embedding in the wall behind it. The man didn’t react beyond a sigh and
tossed a small stuffed wolf that Taggert indicated onto the counter. “You’re
entitled to one win per night. No more games tonight for either of you.”

The rehearsed speech was given in a bored, monotone voice,
as if for the hundredth time. Taggert nodded and gingerly lifted the small
animal.

He turned and walked toward her, the man already forgotten.
He carried the animal in his palm, proudly lifting his prize out to her, then
waited patiently for her to accept it.

He was offering her more than a stuffed wolf.

Raven hesitated, then realized that he was courting her. By
accepting his gift, she was essentially accepting his suit. Hope shone from his
chocolate brown eyes, only tiny shards of green remained from his wolf. The
more time they spend together, the calmer he appeared, and the more his wolf retreated.
The knot of worry that he’d never recover finally began to untangle.

They could get through this together.

She expected the shy wolf she first met, but when she gazed
at him, he stared brazenly back, not an easy thing to do with an alpha. Hunger
darkened his eyes, a proud and bold warrior staking a claim.

Giddiness swept over her at being courted. She’d never had
anyone show such interest in her, not until she’d stumbled upon her pack. It
wasn’t wise or smart or even remotely sensible, but she found herself reaching
for the small stuffed animal. Her fingers sank into the fluffy fur, and she
hugged the little wolf to her chest.

As if her acceptance was a signal, his stance widened, he
crossed his arms and he lifted his chin, all possessive and arrogant. “My
kiss.”

R
aven’s lips tingled at his growled demand for
a kiss. Nervousness sent her heart tumbling, but Taggert made no move to take.
A hint of vulnerability shadowed his eyes, luring her closer. Shifters were
given free reign with human women, but shifter females were so rare, they were
forbidden to have any relations without direct permission from their alphas.

That essentially made her off limits.

Most would consider openly flirting permission, but she
wasn’t used to showing affection, and Taggert had been a slave too long to do
anything without consent. So they had struck a deal. He would tell her what he
wanted, and she would know she wasn’t taking advantage of him.

This was the first time that he’d asked, and her mind scattered
into chaos. The crowd jostled her from all sides, and it snapped her out of her
daze. “Not here.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, her words like a blow, and he
gave an abrupt nod before turning away.

But not before she saw the hurt.

He hid it so quickly that she would’ve missed it if she
hadn’t been watching him closely, and she winced at the pain she’d inflicted by
her clumsiness. Taking his arm, she began walking. “We both know one kiss won’t
be enough. We need a place a little less … public.”

Part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be better to have an
audience, a form of chaperone, but she didn’t want to share that intimate
moment with anyone but him. A growl of hunger rumbled in her stomach. “Now, why
don’t you show me this food?”

The shadows that haunted his eyes disappeared, heating with
anticipation, and a hunger of another sort roared to life. Taggert saw, he saw
everything damn him, and his seductive smile was a promise of what was to come.

When he learned that she’d never tasted fair food, he plied
her with a sample of smoked turkey leg, gooey cheese curds, sticky cotton
candy, cakes and sweets until they were both stuffed. Shifters needed extra calories
or their beasts would rise to the surface. For her, it was worse. If she didn’t
constantly eat, she syphoned energy from those around her.

They avoided the rides by silent agreement, neither wanting
to be confined or trapped. The lights began to dim, signaling the close of the
circus. Raven released a breath, relieved to be away from the constant stream
of people. It had only been two hours, and the loss of her animal left her on
edge. She expected her senses to have leveled off, turning her little better
than human, but the longer she remained without the beast, the more her body
rebelled. Her eyes felt scratchy, noises just a little too loud, leaving her
jumping at shadows. She rubbed her arms as the hairs stood on end, the
sensations so strong, her skin actually hurt to touch.

“You’re cold.” Taggert frowned, stepping so close she
couldn’t see past his broad shoulders, damned touchy-feely shifters having no
sense of boundaries.

“Not really.” But she didn’t have the heart to push him off.
His nearness eased the seesaw of her senses. Raven hesitated, surreptitiously
searching the crowd. “Something’s wrong. Shouldn’t the others have found us by
now?”

Being away from the rest of the pack for so long only
aggravated her unease.

“Durant’s still in his animal form. They probably stayed
with the car to give us time to enjoy ourselves.” But he didn’t sound like he
believed it.

Jackson had said they would meet up.

So where were they?

“We should head back.”

Taggert tightened his hold, forcing her to remain at his
side as they walked through the thinning crowd. “If there’s trouble, the last
thing we can do is go back.”

“But—”

“We would only be placing them in more danger. We’re safer
here in the crowd. The instant we leave, we’ll be vulnerable.”

She hated it, but he was right. She wouldn’t risk bringing
trouble back to her pack.

They needed answers first.

A chill slithered into her bones as they walked from tent to
tent without stopping. She should demand to find the rest of her pack, tear
apart anyone who would try to take what was hers, but her beast remained
stubbornly silent. Magic hummed under her skin in agitation, rising with her
volatile emotions. It grew in waves, so much stronger without her beast there
as a shield that it threatened to suck her under.

The wild magic only made it so much worse.

It yearned to wreak havoc, escape into the crowd. Raven
curled her fingers into fists, and the magic snarled at being denied. It
sizzled under her skin, sinking painfully into her bones in retaliation until
every joint ached.

Sanity returned as the magic faded. She glanced behind her
in the direction of the exit, but made no move to leave. Every instinct warned
her to remain, that the answers they needed were here. The overwhelming desire
to find her pack remained, but the primal need eased back enough to allow her
to think clearly. “They’re closing the circus. We’ll have to leave eventually.”

 Taggert cast her a glance, and Raven stiffened. She knew
that look. He wanted her to do something that she wasn’t going to like.

“You’re an alpha. You should be able to connect to them.”

Raven scowled. Easier said than done. The only way she could
connect with the pack was by using her animal. With her beast in full lockdown
mode, she was left with squat.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t sense them. The connection was
still there, she just wouldn’t be able to talk to them. “I’ll need to borrow
your wolf if you’re willing.”

Taggert didn’t even hesitate. “I’m yours to command.”

Raven winced, hating the way it sounded like he was still a
slave and didn’t have a choice. “If you would rather—”

“Don’t.” Taggert pulled her to a stop, hunching down until
they were nose to nose. “I volunteered. We’re your pack, and we’ll do anything
to protect you. You need me, and I’m happy to be of service. Now tell me what I
have to do.”

“I need to touch you.”

His eyes darkened, and she swallowed hard as pure lust poured
off him. He wasn’t hiding from her anymore, and the intensity of it made her
yearn for everything he offered.

It reminded her that she was no longer alone.

If only she had enough courage to reach for it.

Her pack offered her everything she’d ever wanted. All she
had to do was prove to herself that she was strong enough to contain her dragon
before she could allow herself to really believe this was real.

She took a deep breath, his woodsy scent filled her lungs.
Tension dribbled out of her, and she placed her palm against his chest. His
heartbeat thundered under her palm, his desire and excitement reaching over to
pull her under his spell.

It took all her restraint not to succumb.

In desperation, she grabbed for his wolf.

She expected a struggle to find his beast. Instead, his wolf
slammed into her with the force of a sledgehammer, and she nearly landed on her
ass. Only Taggert’s hold on her arms kept her upright.

His beast didn’t attack, didn’t try to consumer her. The
animal’s shape wasn’t solid, or even vaguely wolf-like, more of an impression
of something wild.

Something massive.

And it wanted only one thing … her.

She reached out tentatively, and pure warmth met her touch.
A brush of fur rubbed against her, almost hesitant, as if afraid that she would
run. Ignoring all the sensations bombarding her, she searched her mind,
concentrating on the connection to the pack, and it easily snapped into place. The
bindings could only be held by an alpha. The strand allowed her to trace every
member of her pack, no matter the distance separating them.

A dozen or so strings streamed off into the distance, an
intricate network joining her to her pack. Only there were a lot more
connections than she’d expected. The wolf shifted impatiently, and Raven pushed
aside her questions and focused on the threads nearest to her, not wanting the
rest of her pack to become worried if they sensed her probe.

As she poured energy into the bindings, three bright lines
flared to life. One for Taggert, the other two located at the back of the
circus. Only, they weren’t moving. She could sense their heartbeat, but none of
their impressions or thoughts. It worried her, but when she would’ve pushed for
more, she saw Taggert’s wolf creep closer.

She didn’t sense any jealousy, more of a craving to touch
her while she was distracted. A little unnerved under its attention, she hauled
back on the current. She had to be content with the knowledge that the rest of
her pack remained near. The second her hand lifted from Taggert’s chest, the intimate
link between them broke. The noise of the circus swelled, filling the vacuum of
silence like a switch had been flipped. 

Almost afraid of what she would find, Raven glanced up.

Taggert’s eyes were pure green as his wolf gazed brazenly
back at her, all wild and hungry, his sight firmly set on her. The air became
thin, and she all but wheezed at the intensity. “They were able to move the
car. They’re parked behind the circus. They must have decided to stay with the
car instead of bothering to leash Durant.”

Just hearing her voice dialed the wildness in Taggert back
to normal levels. He inhaled deeply, his eyes dilating and she knew he’d
scented both her fear and her excitement, a dangerous combination to an animal.
It was all she could do not to step away and run.

He would give chase.

He would catch her.

Her heart thundered against her ribs, and she was very much
afraid that she wanted to get caught, consequences be damned.