Raven Investigation 04 - Electric Legend by Stacey Brutger

arm.
“Please.”
    The gypsy shrugged out of her hold, but her rigidness unbent
a fraction. “Nothing will happen to them if they accept their fate and obey.”
    The vise around her throat eased for the first time since
the forced separation.
    They were safe.
    For now.
    They had a week to find out the truth and leave before they
were forced to pledge and the shit really hit the fan.
    The beast sank back into her bones, her body growing heavy.
    Completely unaware of Raven’s internal struggle, Eve opened
the large freezer, systematically dumping packages into each tub before moving
on to the next. When she disappeared around the corner, Raven quickly followed.
Only to stop when she saw pans of thawed meat. Decay and rot clogged her
sensitive nose. As soon as an animal died, the meat began to rot. The older the
meat, the less appealing it became to shifters. It was why they preferred live
prey.
    Not to mention they enjoyed the hunt.
    “Keep the blood in the pan. It leaves the food more
appetizing.” She kicked a box under the bench as she worked. “The vitamin
powder is under here. Next bin holds dog food. Mixing directions are here.”
    She plopped the book on the tabletop, clearly wanting to get
away from her as quickly as possible … as if stupidity was catching.
    “We slide open the slot and shove the food into the kennels.
While they feed, we drop down the gate, and clean out the cages. I’ll be back
in an hour to show you the rest.” The clinical list was chilling, distancing
her from the animals as if they were truly beasts and not shifters.
    Raven stepped in her way but didn’t get a chance to say
anything before the little whirlwind spoke. “Are you listening? ‘Cause if you
don’t follow the rules, you’ll get eaten, just like the others.”
    Raven had a feeling she was talking about more than just feeding
the animals. She eyed the packages of meat suspiciously. “I understand.”
    And she was beginning to understand a lot more, too.
    The circus was run by terror.
    “Good.” Tension eased out of her shoulders, but only for a
second as Eve recovered. “You want to be sure you’re finished before the doors
open at seven.” She darted around Raven, moving fast for a human. She halted by
the door, her fingers clenched on the canvas, her body stiff. “I am sorry.”
    Answer clicked into place. “Who do they have?”
    Eve appeared startled, paling as if struck. “My son.” Her
lips trembled before she firmed them. “If I don’t point out vulnerable
shifters, I don’t earn our keep. They will hurt him. We’re forced to spy on
each other, every infraction punished. Others are rewarded.” Her face twisted
in distaste, and she glanced away, humiliation burning her cheeks. “Don’t give
them anything to use against you.”
    She disappeared before Raven could ask anything else. She
curled her hands into fists, wishing for the power to do something. It was too
soon. She had to bide her time and learn more before she could take action.
    Something more was going on here.
    If she reacted to the situation wrong, the people
responsible for all this misery would get away.
    Raven wanted to help these people, but not all were
innocent. She wondered if that was why her dragon had vanished. She thought the
creature had disappeared to protect her, possibly worried that her men would
discover her beast was a real live dragon, but her beast would never put her
pack at risk that way.
    If she trusted the wrong person, she’d only end up putting
people in more danger.
    One thing was very real—someone was terrorizing these
people. She just didn’t know if it came from within the pack or if they were
actually being stalked.
    No wonder the shifters didn’t act like a pack.
    How could they when they were set at each other’s throats?

Chapter Nine
     
     
    R aven unwrapped all the packages, doing her
best not to look too closely at the mystery meat. She organized the pans,
followed the directions in the book,