Free Electric Heat by Stacey Brutger Page B

gave his
pledge.” She shrugged off Durant’s hold, pissed that he would deny a fellow
shifter assistance.
    “The witch is still alive. Their contract is still valid.”
    She pursed her lips mutinously. “That deal was made with his
old pack. We’re his new pack now, which makes any previous contract invalid.”
    Durant didn’t say anything, which meant she was right.
    The last thing she needed was a new shifter in her life. She
had more than enough trouble of her own, she didn’t need to borrow more. But
when she turned to look at his cowering form, she couldn’t leave him to suffer
if it was within her power to save him.
    Not to be defeated, Durant narrowed his eyes at her. “We’re
not finished with our conversation.”
    “Oh? What conversation? The one where you were going to tell
me what the hell is happening to me?”
    The smile he gave her wasn’t pleasant. “How about the
conversation where we discuss the risks of running into danger without a plan?”
    She froze for a second, avoiding his probing gaze. “I had a
plan…of sorts.” It had been to rescue the witch, but she was smart enough to
keep that to herself. She didn’t want to find out if that throbbing vein in his
forehead would actually explode if she pushed him.
    “That magic was consuming those witches, and you rushed into
danger without hesitation.”
    “I—”
    “No,” he slashed his arm through the air, “you don’t get a
say. You will listen. You have a pack to take care of now. You have to stop
taking chances.”
    “We’ve been through this already.” Raven barely resisted the
urge to smack him, her fingers aching where she balled them into fists. “You
promised not to interfere in my cases.”
    Durant stiffened. “I didn’t stop you from doing anything.”
    No, he hadn’t, which only made this dressing-down worse,
because he was right. “What do you expect me to do? I’m fighting for my pack.” She
stalked toward him, her creature rising closer to the surface with each step.
“You can’t expect me not to take risks if it means saving us.”
    He heaved a sigh of defeat and began pacing. “The magic
reacted differently to you.”
    She wanted to soothe the agitated tiger she sensed hovering
just under Durant’s skin. “Everything tends to react differently around me. I’m
different. I can’t promise to follow some nebulous plan to stay safe. Any
hesitation on my part would most likely put me in more danger.”
    “I know.” Raven could see the muscles rippling along his jaw
as he gritted his teeth, pacing and fighting his instinct to protect. “It
doesn’t mean I have to like it.
    She stepped in front of him, wishing she could ease him.
“You kept me within sight the whole time.”
    The shifter had sneaked closer to her during the discussion,
reaching out to touch her when Durant bared his teeth at him. The cat scurried
back to his corner.
    “Feel better?”
    Durant shrugged and shoved his fingers through his wild mop
of hair, the lights shimmering across the streaks that so resembled his
animal’s stripes. “I couldn’t get to you.”
    His anguish squeezed her heart. She rested her hand on his
chest, unable to resist touching him. Without the barrier of her gloves, the
simple gesture was far more intimate than otherwise. The heat of him soaked
into her skin, urging her closer. “I don’t need you to rescue me. Just be there,
and catch me when I stumble.”
    He heaved a heavy sigh, and his aggression toned down a few
degrees. “I’ll try.”
    It was all she could ask, and more than she had expected. “Good.”
Raven smiled and gave him a shove. Then she rubbed her fingers together, still
able to feel him. “Now go see if you can find some medical supplies.”
    It took some coaxing to get the jaguar shifter to sit on a
stool by the counter island. Every time Durant came close, the cat would tense
up. “And while you’re at it, why don’t you check the cabin for weaknesses?”
    Or escape routes. With