Tags:
Romance,
Literature & Fiction,
Fantasy,
Action & Adventure,
Urban Fantasy,
Paranormal,
Magic,
Witches,
paranormal romance,
Science Fiction & Fantasy,
Wolf,
Vampires,
Murder,
Urban,
Paranormal & Urban,
Contemporary Fantasy,
Werewolf,
Alpha,
bears,
Kick-ass Heroine,
lions,
stacey brutger,
Brutger,
Conduit,
Electric Moon,
Tigers,
A Raven Investigations Novel,
Moon's Call,
Myster,
Shapshifter,
Electic
being
harmed by his own people because of her. Pack was permanent. His status made
him valuable. It made a sick sort of sense. As an enforcer, he knew too much
about Kevin’s pack. He’d be too big of threat to just be dismissed. “But that’s
not all, is it?”
“He’s protecting you. If he shows any sign of weakness, any
softness toward you, the alpha will use that to his advantage.” Taggert grabbed
her, his unusually display of male aggression knocking her out of her funk. “As
much as you both might want it, he isn’t your wolf. You can’t think of him as
such. Not anymore.”
They continued to the car, the silence heavy between them. She
nearly missed the shadow leaning against the building, would have if her
animals hadn’t deserted her from one second to the next.
Raven stumbled to a halt. A chill crawled up her spine like
the brush of thousands of spider legs. When her gaze finally broke through and
pierced the shadows, she spotted Randolph waiting patiently, arms crossed,
wearing a knowing smirk.
Upon spying him, she was too relieved to keep her secrets to
mind that her animals had abandoned her.
Not when Randolph happened to be an assassin frequently used
by the council. She swallowed hard at his pleased expression, wondering what
made him seek her out.
She edged in front of Taggert. Randolph wasn’t imposing, not
much taller than herself. He looked ordinary, forgettable even. Until you peered
deeper into his eyes to the devil waiting below the surface, a cold murderer who’d
love nothing more than to strike at the least provocation.
His power matched hers in both style and strength. If it
came down to a fight, she’d lay money on a draw.
Part of her wondered if that’s what kept her safe.
At least for now.
“Randolph.” She nodded and kept a healthy distance between
them, steadily drawing a small current through the soles of her feet as
unobtrusively as possible. Energy crackled under her skin, painfully pulling
through her bones.
“You always get into the most interesting of troubles.” His rough,
unused voice prickled like a cat’s tongue licking against her skin.
“Troubles?” Raven winced at the way her voice scraped her
throat.
There went casual.
The street was deserted, the streetlights huddled in the
darkness, few and far between, the warehouse where the club stood a good block behind
them, nearly obscure in the shadows as if hiding from Randolph. If only she’d
taken the hint instead of blundering into danger.
Randolph strolled forward, easily opening the locked
passenger side of the car and slid inside. “Why don’t we talk while you drive.”
It wasn’t a question. “Taggert—”
“Don’t say it. I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
“Brave pup.” Randolph smiled, but there was nothing friendly
in the mask he wore.
Raven flinched, silently cursing Taggert’s stubbornness.
Though he swallowed hard, he stubbornly stood his ground. Fear for his safety
tingled on her lips. Taggert wouldn’t be able to help her if Randolph wanted to
harm her.
While she dreaded Randolph’s curiosity, his indifference
could get her killed quicker if she made the fatal mistake of boring him.
He was playing with her, a game that only he knew.
Raven took a steadying breath then drank down all the
current. She couldn’t drive with all the electricity seething under her skin.
She’d fry the computer. She contemplated Randolph through the windshield. She
wouldn’t put it past him to crawl in her car on purpose to keep her vulnerable.
She reluctantly skirted the vehicle. “Don’t react or
interact with him in any way. Do you understand?”
Taggert immediately nodded, almost looking green at the
prospect of getting into the car. The back of her teeth ached from clenching
her jaw against ordering him to run and hide.
Raven’s palms were damp as she pulled out in traffic. They
were halfway to the crime scene when curiosity finally overtook her nerves. She
had to know
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