Read Raven Investigation 04 - Electric Legend for Free Online

snorted, charmed by his playfulness, and allowed
herself to be hauled behind him. She couldn’t help but admire the way he filled
out his jeans. He’d gained weight, all muscle by the look of it, and she gave a
little hum of pleasure.
    “How many?” The man at the booth was beyond lean, his body
unwashed and smelly. Creepiness emanated from him as his eyes lingered on her
body.
    His smile was quick, all fake charm.
    Human.
    Taggert lifted a ball and studied it. Raven repressed her
smile as he made the guy wait, retaliation for the way the he’d stripped her
with his eyes.
    “One ball.”
    The smile was gone now. “Five bucks.”
    He accepted the money, then flipped a switch. A faint hum of
magnets rumbled in the air. Taggert heard and lifted a brow, silently goading
the man, completely unconcerned. He focused on the bottles. Almost faster than
she could see, he drew his arm back and launched the ball.
    The bottles didn’t just fall over, they exploded, bits of
metal embedding in the wall behind it. The man didn’t react beyond a sigh and
tossed a small stuffed wolf that Taggert indicated onto the counter. “You’re
entitled to one win per night. No more games tonight for either of you.”
    The rehearsed speech was given in a bored, monotone voice,
as if for the hundredth time. Taggert nodded and gingerly lifted the small
animal.
    He turned and walked toward her, the man already forgotten.
He carried the animal in his palm, proudly lifting his prize out to her, then
waited patiently for her to accept it.
    He was offering her more than a stuffed wolf.
    Raven hesitated, then realized that he was courting her. By
accepting his gift, she was essentially accepting his suit. Hope shone from his
chocolate brown eyes, only tiny shards of green remained from his wolf. The
more time they spend together, the calmer he appeared, and the more his wolf retreated.
The knot of worry that he’d never recover finally began to untangle.
    They could get through this together.
    She expected the shy wolf she first met, but when she gazed
at him, he stared brazenly back, not an easy thing to do with an alpha. Hunger
darkened his eyes, a proud and bold warrior staking a claim.
    Giddiness swept over her at being courted. She’d never had
anyone show such interest in her, not until she’d stumbled upon her pack. It
wasn’t wise or smart or even remotely sensible, but she found herself reaching
for the small stuffed animal. Her fingers sank into the fluffy fur, and she
hugged the little wolf to her chest.
    As if her acceptance was a signal, his stance widened, he
crossed his arms and he lifted his chin, all possessive and arrogant. “My
kiss.”
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    R aven’s lips tingled at his growled demand for
a kiss. Nervousness sent her heart tumbling, but Taggert made no move to take.
A hint of vulnerability shadowed his eyes, luring her closer. Shifters were
given free reign with human women, but shifter females were so rare, they were
forbidden to have any relations without direct permission from their alphas.
    That essentially made her off limits.
    Most would consider openly flirting permission, but she
wasn’t used to showing affection, and Taggert had been a slave too long to do
anything without consent. So they had struck a deal. He would tell her what he
wanted, and she would know she wasn’t taking advantage of him.
    This was the first time that he’d asked, and her mind scattered
into chaos. The crowd jostled her from all sides, and it snapped her out of her
daze. “Not here.”
    A muscle ticked in his jaw, her words like a blow, and he
gave an abrupt nod before turning away.
    But not before she saw the hurt.
    He hid it so quickly that she would’ve missed it if she
hadn’t been watching him closely, and she winced at the pain she’d inflicted by
her clumsiness. Taking his arm, she began walking. “We both know one kiss won’t
be enough. We need a place a little less … public.”
    Part of her wondered if