Read Online Electric Heat by Stacey Brutger - Free Book Online Page B

nothing happened. Then like a shark
in water, the wild magic surged forward and launched itself at her.
    It slithered up her hand, tiny sparks biting at her like an
army of ants.
    Tasting her.
    The creature she harbored roared in challenge, slashing at
the magic that threatened to infect her. Before she could withdraw, the witch
latched onto her arm, madness gleaming in her eyes. The hold was surprisingly
strong for a bag of bones, her fingers biting into Raven’s arms with the grip
of a boa constrictor, and she was its next meal.
    “Raven, get out of there.” Durant stood at the door like a
sentinel, furious that he couldn’t cross the threshold and physically remove
her from danger.
    “She won’t release me. She’s trying to siphon my energy.”
    “I don’t give a shit. She’s brittle. Break her fingers. Rip
off her damned arm if you must.” His voice rose, his muscles bulging as he
tried to force his way through the wards.
    Raven ignored the command, trusting her creature to protect
her. She needed answers, and she might not get another chance. She’d traced the
magic back to its owner once, and she could do it again. She allowed her mind
to flow along the stream of magic, her stomach twisting and turning in the
weightlessness for a few mind-numbing seconds. Then she caught her balance and
followed the magic back to the source. She couldn’t tell the distance she
travelled, but the magic grew stronger as she neared the origin. The darkness
began to recede, and shapes came into focus.
    As if the caster had read her intent to ferret him out, the
spell cut off abruptly, and she found herself dropped back into her body with a
nasty thump. Her creature gave a vicious snarl, snapping and ripping into the
tentacles reaching for her. The lingering magic coated her like motor oil,
leaving behind a slimy residue that made each breath a chore. Though her
shields had held, Raven felt invaded.
    The magic dissipated slowly, leaving her queasy and overly
warm, like she’d eaten something rancid.
    “Raven.”
    Her eyes snapped open. The first thing she saw was Durant, almost
able to feel his fur bristle with hostility. When her gaze met his pure gold eyes,
he froze. He didn’t say more, didn’t even drop his gaze, as if he was staring
down a wild animal, too afraid to move lest it attacked.
    Afraid of her.
    The truth was like a kick in the face.
    Her creature gave a hum of comfort.
    Alpha.
    The word came from her creature and explained so much. Her
pack swore she was an alpha, strong enough to control such indomitable men, but
she never believed them until now.
    Durant adjusted his expression, but it was too late. She
glanced away, ashamed of her lack of control, and saw her eyes gleam blue in
the broken glass from the picture frame. She struggled to tuck away the power
seething under her skin, but it was like playing with live voltage.
    Now that the magic was gone, the smell of decay overwhelmed
the room. Each breath layered her mouth and throat with a film of death that no
amount of scraping would remove.
    When she was sure she wouldn’t lose her cookies, she looked
up again to see she had the witches’ complete attention. They eyed her
suspiciously. They were able to feel the aftereffects of power in the air, the
sheer volume of magic should have been enough to fry anyone who dared try to
wield it.
    And Raven remained relatively unaffected.
    She crawled forward and swiped her hand over the symbols on
the floor, the remnants of the hex so thorny her skin felt like it was being
filleted off her hand one layer at a time. She staggered out of the way as the
wards fell.
    Durant was the first one through the door, a growl of
displeasure vibrating up his chest as he pinned her to the wall when her legs
threatened to give out and drop her on her ass. She ducked her head, using his
broad shoulders to protect her from prying eyes.
    “She’s alive.” When the witches continued to gape at her,
she barely resisted the urge to