Electric Moon (30 page)

“Don’t know our ways. They will turn this around and blame
us.” The vampire’s eyes had washed black, but she didn’t think it had anything
to do with the large quantity of blood pooling on the floor so near.

“The council had their chance. You voted for the new force.
How will it look when it’s discovered that you didn’t let them do their job?
You will ruin any future chance for humans and paranormals to work together.”

“Do they treat you as an equal? Do they give you the resources
to extract our justice or their own sense of it?” The cat slowly straightened,
retribution battling his alpha duties to do what was best for his people.

Raven couldn’t argue with what they said. Not when she was
having the same doubts. “We have to give their way a try first, and that means
I’m bound by the law to report this crime. I’ll minimize human interaction as
much as I’m able.”

“Do you really think they will try to find the killers since
the crimes are only perpetrated against shifters?” Donaldson appeared honestly curious,
his expression grim.

“A human was killed—”

“My understanding was her being there was an instance of
wrong place, wrong time.” Like the human’s death was just incidental.

Raven continued as if the older wolf never interrupted her,
hating that they sorted the importance of death by race when death, itself, should
be the focus. They were no better than the humans. “I have every intention of
hunting down the criminal and bringing him to justice any way I can. It’s
either me or some human. Your choice.”

Donaldson held up his hand when the other two would have
continued arguing. “We thank you for all your work. We’ll add our own services
to you as well in support.”

A shiver of apprehension tightened her gut, already knowing
she wouldn’t like what he had to say.  

“Randolph will accompany you.”

“The police will object.” She just wished she could as well.
Now that she was an alpha, she was part of the shifter world. That meant she
must conform to their dictates.

He waved away her comment as if her protests were no concern
of his. “Then you and he will have to make sure that it doesn’t become a
problem.”

As if calling his name had summoned him, Randolph appeared
at her side with a bland smile. The non-descript man shouldn’t have made her
flesh crawl, but she knew what lurked beneath his benign surface.

A stone-cold killer that enjoyed his job a little too much.

And he was her partner.

A headache began to pound at the base of her skull. Once an
order was given, no matter how couched in pleasantries, there was nothing she
could do to change it.

Aligned with them for one day and already her whole world
had altered. If she didn’t follow their decree, she wondered if they had the power
to revoke her status or if they would devise of another way to make her pay. 

She grabbed her phone and headed toward Durant’s office for
privacy. The phone call to Scotts went about what she could’ve expected.

Wanting to keep as much distance between the
normals
and shifters as possible, she entered into the club with the mind to clear as
many of them of suspicion before reinforcements arrived. The music had stopped.
Durant’s men had prevented anyone from leaving. Most of the shifters were seated
or standing by their alphas. They all held themselves rigid, expressions grave
as they mourned the loss to the pack.

Thank goodness the kids and their sponsors had already left
for the cresting. That only left her with about a hundred people to question.

She didn’t need to whistle to get everyone’s attention
because all eyes were already glued to her.

No one even blinked.

Creepy.

Whatever anonymity she’d managed to retain all these years was
well and truly gone.

“Does anyone know the victim?”

No one answered.

“We know that she is a shifter. She was female.”

Still no answer. Damned stubborn shifters. The council’s gaze
landed on her like a weight, casting judgment and found her lacking. 

Raven refused to concede defeat so easily. She gathered a
small cord of energy, wrested it from her creature in a game of tug-of-war that
left her chest burning in agony. She released a small burst into the room,
praying they mistook her power as her alpha ability.

A few vampires jerked straight when hit with the power,
their eyes washing black. The shifters reacted differently. The alphas pushed
back, the ones strong enough to protect those with them.

A few snarls erupted in the room at her heavy-handed method,
but a wild response from one shifter made him stand out from the rest. “You.”

The male, who couldn’t be more than twenty-five, stood half-hidden
in the shadows of a curtain. “You knew this girl. What’s your name?”

The atmosphere in the room took on a decidedly deadly
overtone as everyone turned toward the kid, the threat making the air in the
room thick to breathe. When the man stepped forward, she’d half expected him to
be a rogue, maybe even feral.

“My name’s Neil. We came together.” Then the shifter raised
his chin. “She wanted to put in a claim for me before the conclave adjourned
for the night.”

Then the last thing he would’ve wanted was to harm her. But
that just brought out more questions. “What brought you here? She only needed
her alpha’s permission.”

“I—”

Then things clicked into place. “Your pack denied the
union.”

The shifter’s composure crumbled, the stench of his grief
crashing into her. “I told her we could go on the way we were, but she wanted a
mate all to her own.”

“So you got the drug for her.”

“The rogue assured us it would be safe. Otherwise, I
would’ve never let her try it.” Pale and shaky, the man looked ill himself.

“She was only supposed to take one hit, but she took them all.”
His voice wobbled, still shaken by the loss, and he spoke faster. “It worked,
but after a while, she began to get sick.”

With each word, the room took on a darker tone. The mood
turned volatile when a couple shifters rose and slowly closed in on the boy.

In reply, the kid bowed his head.

He had no intention of defending himself.

Alarmed, Raven placed herself between them. “Halt! Do not harm
him. We need him to find where the drugs are manufactured. It could lead us to
who is killing shifters.”

One large lion cracked his knuckles, sounding like he’d
crushed all the bones of his hands. “I’ll make him talk.”

Raven scraped every bit of electricity she had to spare to
surface until the air around her crackled with static. It was pathetically
little, but thankfully, enough. The shifter’s eyes didn’t just splinter, but
changed to pure yellow.

They stared at each other.

Just when she thought he would lunge, he gave a slight bow
with his head. He conceded dominance and backed away. The rest of the room grew
so quiet, she could all but hear their heartbeats.

Shivering at the attention she’d brought onto herself, she
turned toward the young shifter. “Who is your contact for the drug?”

Instead of being pleased at her interference, the man
appeared bitter at being spared. “No one, mistress. I was told to meet them and
was given directions.”

Raven narrowed her eyes. “Then you will show us where you
picked up the drug, and we’ll track them.”

It wasn’t a question. He nodded, and his face hardened. “As
you wish.”

The rest of the shifters seemed appeased, their grumblings at
her interference diminished. At the pause, sirens could be heard in the
distance. She had not doubt if the police didn’t solve this case tonight, many
shifters would take it upon themselves to protect their packs in any way
necessary.

It would be a blood bath.

With a sigh, Raven rubbed her brow. This was going to be a
long night. “Anyone who does not want to be present for the police, I suggest
you leave now.”

Almost everyone stood. Some rushed toward the exits, while
others leisurely rose to their feet and departed. But in minutes, the room was
emptied of all but a fraction of people, mostly workers and those in charge.

Scotts was the first to enter the club, the door having been
propped open for them. He gazed around cautiously, his hand on his service
revolver. When he spotted her, he gave a nod and continued to step the room.

“The body is in the bathroom.” Three people entered behind
him, one cop and two forensics with their collection kits. “If you’re ready,
I’ll lead the way.”

They remained in the bathroom for nearly two hours, scraping
samples from every surface. Scotts had hardly said a word since entering. The
strain on their relationship pricked at her nerves. “What is your problem? I’m
either a cop or I’m not. Are you pissed that I did my job? I want to make sure
I understand.”

“We’re supposed to be partners.” His voice exploded out of
him in a harsh whisper. “You shared more information with me when you were a
consultant.”

“Are we partners? I thought you were my boss. Wasn’t I voted
to be a Regent to handle the paranormal cases and free you up for other things?”

“Then why don’t you catch me up on this case. No more
hiding. No more lying by omission. There are too many bodies piling up.”

Raven refused to flinch at his accusation. “Like you’ve
shared everything?”

Scotts grunted at the direct hit. “Then maybe it’s time that
changed.”

His concession shocked her. He was a hardcore human
advocate, but he was also a cop to his very soul. If anyone could tuck away
their prejudice, Scotts could if it meant justice would be done.

“I believe the killings are incidental, a side effect to a
new drug out on the market. They are calling it the Alpha drug, because it
gives the shifters the ability to become an alpha for a few hours.”

“So it’s not some sort of war between vampires or humans
trying to kill shifters?” Scotts rubbed a hand down his face in relief.

“Not that I can find.”

“But why kill themselves? It makes no sense.”

It was her turn to hesitate.

“Come on, don’t bail on me now.”

“Shifters are very organized. They have their leaders. Where
you fall is all based on how much power you hold.” Raven glanced up at him. “So
what if you could take a drug that could land you on the top of the pack?”

Scotts gave a silent whistle, understanding for the first
time the danger the drug posed. “If everyone took it...”

“All shifters would become overly aggressive with no one to rein
them in.” She refused to let that happen.

His eyes narrowed abruptly. “I know that look. You wouldn’t
have told me anything unless you have a plan. You’re not leaving here without
me. Not this time.”

 Chapter Thirty-one

FOURTH DAY OF
THE CONCLAVE: WANING MOON

B
y
the time they’d reached her house with the police in tow, midnight had come and
gone. London unfurled the map of the state forest out onto the table.

People gathered. Scotts took one side, his bulk taking up more
than his share of space, and he wasn’t sharing. She and her pack stood to the
left of the table, taking care not to leave their backs to any door. Randolph
stood on the opposite side. No one seemed inclined to join him. He gave a
little smirk of amusement, making no effort to study the map as he scoped out
her house.

He was a voyeur, watching her people too intently for her comfort.
Raven felt exposed and violated in her own home. Taggert passed between them,
breaking the eye contact, serving around food and coffee. Knowing from
experience that she needed to keep up her calories, Raven accepted the sandwich
he offered.

“Tell me you have an idea where to search?” Scotts accepted a
cup of coffee.

 There were thousands of acres on the map. They would never
be able to cover that amount of ground.

“Vaguely. That’s why Neil is going to show us where he
picked up the drug.” Raven nodded toward the lone shifter at the other side of
the room.

Ignoring everyone, Neil studied the map and pointed to a
small clearing. “Somewhere here.”

The area he indicated consisted of a ten-mile radius.

Scotts rocked back on his heels as if understanding. “You’re
going to have them chase the scent.”

Them
meaning her pack. Raven didn’t deny it. “Yes.”

Scotts took a sip of his coffee before speaking. “You will
not abandon us in the forest while you hunt.”

“Not abandon.” Raven had to make Scotts see reason. “We’re
searching for other shifters. Rogues. During the full moon, they’re more dangerous
and unpredictable than normal. It would be best if you and the others stay back
while we take the lead.”

“This is a police matter.” Scott’s didn’t back down one bit.

“And I am the police.” Raven clenched her teeth in
frustration.

Randolph ignored the rest as he stared at her. “They will
slow us down.”

Raven understood. The cops would be an obstacle and a
handicap when it came to fighting. Randolph was more of a cleanup crew, not an
apprehend and arrest type of person.

“Then we will be slow.” Scotts wasn’t stupid. He knew the
most likely outcome. He very deliberately set down his cup and placed his hand
on his gun. “What is it? That’s the third time you looked over my shoulder.”

Raven shook her head, astonished he’d noticed when she was
barely aware of the action herself. “It’s too quiet. Has anyone seen either
Dominic or Griffin?”

Jackson straightened. “I’ve been shadowing Aaron. I hadn’t
spent much time outside the house.”

All the rest shook their heads.

“How about anyone listening by the door?”

There was a couple seconds of quiet, then a few hushed
whispers. “We haven’t seen them either.”

“Something’s wrong.” She pushed away from the map. “We need
you in here, Jase.”

The young wolf wore a pinched expression, but she knew he
had nothing to do their disappearances. She gave him a nod when he stood next
to London.

“Where have the rogues been camping?”

He pointed down at the map. “The rogues move their base every
few days, but they’ve been avoiding this area here. The alpha said it’s off
limits.”

Everyone studied the twenty-mile area on the map. The
location was within five miles of the clearing Neil had pointed out.

“I’m going to call in the paranormal SWAT. They can be here
before morning.”

Raven shook her head. “We don’t have a few hours to wait.
They probably already know we’re coming. Their operation will be gone before
your team will arrive.”  

Because she knew it would needle him, Raven continued.
“Every shifter on the street could be a ticking time bomb. You might not be
concerned about the shifter casualties, but think of all the humans that could
be hurt. One shifter in a crowd could take out dozens of humans.”

Scotts scowled at her. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re
doing.”

Maybe it was unfair of her, but he pandered to human bosses whose
first concern was human reactions. “We’re all you got.”

“Fine.” He gulped the last of the coffee as if everything
was decided. “We’ll take Neil and head out.”  

Taggert walked to her side, leaned his hip against the
counter, not pulling off casual in any way. “You will need me as well.”

Scotts’ scowled deepened. “We don’t need two shifters.”

“There are hundreds of trails out there. The rogues have
been here for weeks. Neil might get you to the meeting place, but I’m the only
one who’s able to sort the older trails from the more recent.”

“I go as well.” Jackson didn’t glance up from his study of
the map. “If you run across trouble, you’re weapons will do nothing but enrage
a shifter hyped up on drugs.”

That left six of them including Randolph.

“I called a few men in for backup.” Scotts squinted at the
clock. “They should be here shortly.”

“If the humans are going, I am as well.” The door thudded
open at those words, and Jamie hobbled into the room. His battered face was a
pasty shade of cottage cheese, and he practically swayed on his feet.

“You’re awake.” Her relief to see him alive was short lived
at his declaration. “You can barely stand, you need to rest.”

He shook his head and tottered into the room. “There are too
many rogues out there. I will not have them be mistaken for the threat and
killed.”

The words stung. She didn’t care to be lumped as a killer. “I
wouldn’t—”

“There is also the fact that they trust me. My presence will
give us free passage through the forest.”

That wasn’t something she could argue with.

“That leaves London and Jase to protect the house in case
anyone thinks to double back.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Scotts straightened. “That would
be my men. Suit up. We leave in ten.”

* * *

Raven headed toward her office, conscious of Jackson a few
steps behind her. She stopped by her desk. Her hand hesitated over the gun and Taser,
but she knew that neither were going to be of much help.

She stared at her hands, or more precisely, the gloves she
wore, then pulled them off and laid them next to the gun. She flexed her
fingers, shocked by how vulnerable they looked without current.

“Claim me before we leave.”

She turned and held up a hand to ward off his demand then slowly
let it drop. The last time she had a chance to claim him and hadn’t, she’d
nearly lost him. A frisson of nerves danced along her spine at the thought of
her mouth on him, tasting him so intimately.

She licked her dry lips. “Are you sure this is what you
want?”

In answer, he pulled off his shirt and strode toward her. Breathing
stopped being important when his naked chest halted inches from her face. She expected
the moon’s heat.

This was something more.

This was attraction on a personal level.

He reached past, never taking his gaze from hers. When he straightened,
he held her letter opener in his hand. He laid the edge right below his
collarbone. The gold shimmering against his skin startled her out of her daze.
“What are you doing?”

“Making the bite easier on you.” Without giving her a change
to protest, he sliced the metal across his upper chest. The edge wasn’t sharp,
and he had to force it to pierce his skin.

She sucked in a harsh breath, watching a trickle of blood lazily
trail down his torso. He didn’t so much as flinch. When she made no move toward
him, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer.

He bent his knees until they were on eye-level. “You are
what I want.”

The seductiveness of his voice and body lured her closer. She
shivered at the heat of him, her skin stinging as his warmth soaked into the
coldness that seemed to be so much a part of her now. She placed her hands on
his chest, marveling at the texture of man. Her fingers brushed across the line
of chest hair, allowing herself to be drawn forward of her own accord.

The first taste of him exploded through her. Jackson sucked
in a breath, his body trembled, his arms banding around her, inviting her to
take more. Instead of being repulsed, his blood tasted of power.

Like she’d gulped vodka straight from the bottle, heat burned
along her cold body. A brush of fur rubbed against her mind, and she saw the
stunning yellow eyes of his wolf peer back at her. When the heat hit her center,
the darkness there unfurled, and the creature all but licked her lips.

Her nails dug into Jackson’s shoulders to prevent her prey
from escaping. Raven tried to shake the creature’s grip on her mind, but she
wouldn’t be dismissed. Talons sank into her chest in retaliation for fighting
back. After what felt like eons, the creature released its hold.

Raven jerked back, horrified to find herself cradled on
Jackson’s lap, her knees pressed on either side of his hips like some lover’s
embrace. Like she hadn’t just tried to kill him. He sat with his head tipped
back, the long column of his throat exposed in surrender.

That was until she got a look at his face and the very
pleased with himself smile. His obvious pleasure eased some of her terror,
allowed her mind to settle enough to organize her chaotic thoughts. Raven trembled,
hating that her legs wouldn’t hold her. Hated the way she couldn’t run away
from what happened. “Is it always like that?”

Jackson ran a hand down her arm, tangling his fingers with
hers. “Not like that. Never like that.”

He made it sound like a good thing. The fool. “I could’ve
killed you.”

Jackson only shook his head. “Your beasts knew me. They’ve
accepted me before. You wouldn’t have hurt me.”

Raven didn’t hold back this time and smacked him. “I can’t
feel my beasts anymore. All there is left is that thing. I felt its hunger. It
could’ve killed you before I would’ve been able to stop it.”

When she scrambled away from him, Jackson straightened and
sighed as if she ruined the special moment for him. “It’s the way of being an
alpha. To be claimed, we lay ourselves bare and wait judgment. A few cases of
death occur each year. We know the risks going into it.”

Raven backed away. “I didn’t.”

He stood, his jeans riding low on his hips. Dried blood was
still smeared on his chest. Her teeth marks on his skin mocked her. She curled
her fingers into fists to resist reaching for him and confirm for herself that
he was all right. As if he craved her contact, too, he grabbed her wrist and flattened
her palm over the recent wound. He shuddered as if her touch, alone, stole his breathe.

“Usually the exchange is made by the alpha male. He holds
the pack. The bite heals in a few days as the bonds form.”

 “But not mine. You will always bear my mark.” She hated the
pleasure that spun through her at the announcement.

He brushed the back of her hand with his fingers when she
would’ve spoken.

“This mark claims my status as your mate. It gives me equal
status as Taggert and Durant.” He took a fortifying breath as if preparing
himself for a difficult conversation. “There are things you need to know about
female alphas. There are less than a handful of females in the world strong
enough to hold their own pack. The bonds between them and their pack are
different. There is no way for a female to take blood without her enzymes
binding them together. Their bite is a sign of possession deeper than any
claiming.”

“You’re talking about mating.” This conversation made her
nervous. Raven didn’t want to hear more, but her feet refused to budge.

“It’s considered a great honor to be chosen. Most display
their scars with pride. But you need to know that there are other ways for an
alpha female to claim a male into her pack without the mating bonds.