Electric Storm(65)
“Don’t worry about me. We’ll meet again.” The promise throbbed in his voice, the intimate tone heating her face.
Taggert jerked on her arm, hauled her away. She couldn’t compete with his strength. When she would’ve protested, she saw that the other vampires had closed the distance without her sensing them. “The longer you stay, the more danger you put him in.”
The vampire they’d spoken to had already turned to block them from being followed, a warning against the others. Taggert was right. On the way out the door, Raven stopped by the bouncer.
“The vampires are growing restless.”
The big man cursed, casting her a dark look that clearly stated he thought it was her fault. “Damn breeds, I knew you’d be trouble.”
He puffed up and charged inside the doors. Shouts rent the air as people poured out the doors. The humans.
“Come. You did everything you can. We have to go or everything he’s done to let us leave will be for nothing.”
With one last glance at the club, Raven nodded and took off at a jog, Taggert easily keeping pace. When she reached the car, she was slightly out of breath, while Taggert didn’t even appear winded. She really needed to start working out.
The car turned over immediately. She weaved through the traffic, avoiding Taggert’s searching gaze lest her anger slip its leash. “You knew that would happen.”
“No shifter goes to the houses without being a donor.” His voice took on the careful tone of not revealing anything.
“Son of a bitch. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You would’ve left without me.” The answer was simple and true.
“Why did the bouncer let you enter?”
When silence filled the car, she risked a glance at him. With an acceptance that pissed her off, he lifted his collar. “Slaves go where they are ordered.”
“They sent you in there without protection before.” Her heart skipped a beat. The implications shocked her. She understood the need to regulate the pack and their numbers, but she couldn’t get over the cruelty. There had to be a better way than to kill the most vulnerable. Especially if your numbers were already dwindling.
Taggert shrugged. “If you don’t listen to the orders, you don’t get selected.”
“But if the vampire had gotten their hands on you, they would’ve bled you. I saw the intent in their eyes.” She gripped the wheel hard, battling her anger and her own stupidity.
“They usually send us in twos or threes to increase our chances of getting out alive. Most vampires know better than to take too much blood. The auction takes place every few years. It starts on a full moon, lasts for a month until the council meets. We have no choice but to prove ourselves. You only get so many seasons before you’re labeled undesirable.”
This all sounded so much like the labs that bile rose in her throat. Obey without question. Break your spirit by any means available until you’re willing to sacrifice your own kind to please them.
“Jackson warned me about the auction, told me what to expect. This was my last chance. I have nothing special to offer. If I survived all the tests, proved myself, I could find a sponsor.” His posture unbent. “Then you came.”
“And shoved you in the same barbaric situation.” Gods be damned. Her ignorance kept putting them in harm’s way. How was she supposed to keep them safe when she didn’t know the dangers?
Her face hardened with determination. “When we get home, we’re removing that collar.”
He stilled, his eyes tracking her. “Only the council has the power.”
Her lips curl back in a snarl. “I’ll do it.” Damn them if she didn’t. She wouldn’t let them rule what was hers.
“No one has successfully removed a collar. If the seal is tampered with, the bearer will die.”
Her grip tightened on the steering wheel. She could see others trying it like some animal desperate to break free from a trap, willing to die to be free.
“You won’t die. I won’t let you.” And she had the power to back up her claim.
Chapter Twenty
DAY SIX: AFTER MIDNIGHT
She sped down the driveway, trepidation thickening around her as they drew near the house. Jackson and Rylan were going to kill her for sneaking out. The clock showed a few minutes to three.
Raven glanced up in time to see a shadow take shape out of the fog directly in front of the car. She slammed on the breaks and jerked the wheel. The tires caught gravel, spun them around, throwing up a cloud of rock and dust. When they came to an abrupt stop, her head cracked against the side window with a resounding thud.
She probed her bruised temple, flinching at the sensitive area. “You all right?”