The horror in Sarah’s eyes as she realized what she’d become would haunt Raven for a long time.
Chapter Thirty-six
Raven stood in the shower, groaning as the heated spray pounded her aches away. Durant had ordered her and Taggert upstairs. Any protests she had died when he warned that time was short if she wanted to be at the police station in an hour to pick up Jackson. A thrill shot through her at the prospect of seeing Jackson again. Of claiming him.
With no threat, her animals were at peace, her power was recharging, taking the time to repair the damage Randolph’s power had inflicted. Though the last week had taken its toll, her new pack had been worth all of it. She just had one more task remaining: to prepare for the council meeting.
She reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the steam. And found a pile of clothing neatly folded on the sink, including her bra and panties. All the clothes were black, but instead of her normal gloves, she found in their place a colorful red pair that she knew didn’t come from her closet. She fingered the smooth leather, unsure how to handle the little kick of pleasure she got at seeing them.
After dressing, she walked into the bedroom to find Taggert waiting for her.
“Sit.”
A little uncertain of his demand, she sat in front of the mirror as instructed. He picked up a brush and stroked it through her hair. On the third pull, her head fell forward, and the tension slowly eased. Everything was finally over. No one would try to kill them today.
“The car is ready when you are.” Durant’s voice shocked her back to the present. She lifted her head to find his concerned gaze on her. “I can pick him up if you want to rest. I’m sure he’d understand.”
She peered in the mirror at her pale face, bruised eyes, and busted lip. Didn’t she look like a treat? “No. I need to finish this.”
She twisted her hair up, gritting her teeth as the muscles in her wounded arm and shoulder trembled at the simple move. She had a feeling even a mosquito would win a fight with her today.
Nerves fluttered to life as she rose to leave.
She would take Jackson’s blood and make him one of her own. Instead of dread, excitement lashed through her as they made their way downstairs.
The hall was clean like nothing had ever happened. Part of her was grateful. This was her retreat. Her place of peace. That had been shattered hours before, but Durant helped right it.
She brushed against him as she walked, catching the light fragrance of leather. His body tensed, but he didn’t pull away. “Thank you.”
He didn’t reply, only brushed against her in return as they walked toward the car. The ride to the police station was uneventful. The station was teeming even though it was barely eight in the morning.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, she saw Scotts and knew something had gone terribly wrong. Her feet stopped, and she waited for him to make his way toward them. Before he could say anything, she spoke. “He’s gone.”
Scotts ran a hand through his hair. The man looked like shit under the unforgiving florescent light, his dark coloring washed out. She doubted he’d gotten a lick of sleep. “He was released into the custody of his pack. With the charges dropped, I had no right to hold him.”
Disbelief winged through her. He’d left. Without saying good-bye, he’d left. She nodded Scotts, too numb to feel anything yet. “Thank you for everything.”
“Wait!”
He shoved a packet in her hand.
“What’s this?”
“An application. You had four nominations even before the station opened.”
“For what?” She didn’t bother to open the thick envelope, not even curious of its contents as she battled to keep her composure. The numbness that cushioned her at the announcement of Jackson’s disappearance gradually started to fade.
“Thanks to the media coverage on this case, the legislature passed their law to create two paranormal police squads. A person can apply for the job, then pass the blood tests and formal interviews, or a registered paranormal can be nominated into the position.” Scotts didn’t look any more thrilled about her nominations than she did.
She couldn’t help but be suspicious of what her mysterious benefactors would want in return. And the last thing she wanted was to register herself in the national database. How the hell was she supposed to fill in the question of species and/or talent?
“Who placed the nominations?”
He just shrugged. “We lowly lawmen don’t get to know the details. It’s all approved by committee. A human in the government or law enforcement has to vote for you as well as one pack or clan. The catch is the whole pack has to be in consensus for their vote to count. And no member can be nominated by one of their own.”