Read Online Electric Storm by Stacey Brutger - Free Book Online

sexy about a man when he focused on you so intently that no one else in the room existed for him. She swallowed hard, trying to gather her scattering thoughts. “You have a network.”
    He hesitated, and the moment shattered. Back came the imperial Ogre. “Each pack has an enforcer. They pass information along from one to another.”
    “And if one is corrupt?”
    “No.”
    “No?” Raven gave a half smile, enjoying baiting him. “What do you mean no? Are they incorruptible?”
    “We are when it comes to the safety of the community.” The answer was straight and honest. He truly believed it.
    She didn’t. Power can easily be bought regardless of the race. “Tell me, Jackson, if you had the choice to have your whole clan slaughtered or give up a few members, what would you chose?”
    “Neither. There’s always a way–”
    “Not always.” She dropped her gaze, turning back toward the computer and pulled up a program that provided a back way into police records without leaving a trace. “If one pack was in trouble, would they go to another for help?”
    He answered more slowly this time. “Pack business stays within the pack. Concerns are brought to the Council of Five, the governing body for all paranormals.”
    “So you truly don’t know the workings of all the packs. One might not be as honorable as another.” The image of him shaking his head reflected in her monitor as she worked her way deeper into the system to the paranormal files officials denied existed.
    “An enforcer wouldn’t let anything happen to the pack.”
    “Then you should check that all the enforcers are alive. Or maybe they were ordered to cull the pack and decided to earn an extra buck in the process.” She envied him the strength of his convictions and the absolute protection offered by the enforcers, no matter how illusory.
    He crossed his arms, the line of his jaw uncompromising. “We don’t work that way. We’re there to protect, we’re not assassins.” He quickly switched subjects. “If I can see the list of names, I might be able to learn something.”
    “No.” She didn’t want him caught up in this business. She wouldn’t allow him to interfere.
    He continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “My guess is that the missing shifters are unregistered rogues who’ve since traveled to a new territory or died.”
    The answer was plausible, but it didn’t take away the niggling at the back of her mind that something wasn’t right. The way the corner of Dominic’s eyes tightened said he felt it, too.
    They’d both learned to sense things in the compound. It’d kept them alive long past when they were slated for death. “How can you tell the difference between a pack member and a rogue?”
    “If you’re in person, you can smell the difference. Some can mask it, but only to a certain extent. Rogues are loners and usually have a wild scent that marks them as different.”
    “Then the list of names wouldn’t help. What can you do with pictures?” With a few clicks, mug shots of three people on her list filled the screen. She squinted, trying to see if she could pick out subtle differences that would betray them as a rogue.
    Jackson leaned over her shoulder, much too close for her peace of mind and ability to breathe.
    “The look in their eyes gives them away. Wild. Dangerous. Eager for violence,” Jackson said, appearing lost in thought.
    “That describes half the shifters I know.” Raven gave him a slanted smile, ignoring the skip in her heart and the flare of heat under her skin.
    Jackson rubbed his jaw, a stall tactic if she ever saw one as he debated whether to tell her the truth or not. “Rogues have a harder time controlling their beasts. It’s why pack is so important. Most rogues have been away so long they can’t pass for normal anymore. A light color encircles their pupils as their animal gains dominance. It’s the main reason why they’re put down whenever possible.”
    Jackson’s explanation made a