Despite the fear of discovery, she allowed the power under her skin to gather. Jackson and the rogue quickly exchanged blows, the hits landing harder, doing more damage.

They wouldn't last much longer.

She had no more time to wait. The current she'd gathered had to be enough. She took a running start with no sort of plan in mind other than to save Jackson.

When she drew closer, she dropped to her knees and slid across the floor. She raised her arm, the stun gun firmly in her grip. The prongs landed on the corded muscles of the rogue's neck, and she took great pleasure in holding down the button.

The stream of electricity called her own, and they blended together seamlessly, her current amplifying the charge.

A gurgle emerged from his throat, those claws he called hands went for her neck. She felt a tiny prick of pain on her skin where he touched her when his body suddenly went lax.

That had been too close.

She only let up when his eyes rolled up in his head, and his body collapsed.

Now that the threat had been neutralized, her powers calmed as if satisfied. Carefully skirting his still form, Raven crawled toward Jackson. "You okay?"

"I've been better. You?"

Raven probed her ribs then grunted. "Bruised, not broken."

Scotts reached down, offering her his hand. She hesitated a second with a thought of what her power could do to him then took the proffered hand.

Nothing happened.

One on her feet, she closed her eyes in silent thanks, and then held up the stun gun. The prongs were tarnished, hot to the touch. She offered it to him with a shrug. "Sorry."

Scotts shook his head, shoving another toward her. "Your team will have their Tasers." Then he strode off to monitor the process of locking up the prisoner in the cages housed below the police station created to hold shifters.

Feeling self-conscious at being the center of attention and getting her ass handed to her in public, she ignored the gawking. "Call me when you interview him. I want to be there."

She needed to know why they were targeting her, why they wanted to kill her. Part of her wondered if they knew about her past, but dismissed it. Dominic had assured her that all the files from the labs had been destroyed.

All she received in acknowledgement from Scotts was wave that she took as agreement. His broad back disappeared out of the room, barking orders after the six officers it took to carry the now unconscious shifter.

Though some of the officers looked grateful not to deal with the shifters, others appeared resentful that they just couldn't up and shoot every last one of them.

Aaron drew closer, his face pale, his eyes never leaving hers. Fear and resignation drained him of his normal animation. The static around him was gone, vanished as if she'd imagined it.

But she knew she hadn't.

He'd managed to block their attacker from shifting somehow. Now that the threat was over, the animals she carried beneath her skin were back, acting almost fearful of the young man. They clung close to the surface, their fur brushing comfortingly against her, but otherwise remained silent.

"Ready to blow this joint?" She kept her tone light, half-fearing that Aaron might bolt if she gave him a chance. It was only when they arrived home that she spoke again. "Aaron, I want to see you in the study, please."

He acted like she were dragging him to the gallows, tugging at his collar as if a noose was already around his neck. When Jackson made to follow, she grabbed the doorknob and placed her hand on the frame to bar his way. "Not you." She wrinkled her nose at the smell that seemed to have transferred from the prisoner to him. "You need a shower."

No matter how much she wished she could stop it, her mind immediately flashed to earlier this morning.

Him.

Naked.

He must have read her expression, smiling a dangerous grin that lit a fire deep in her gut.

The animals woke with a vengeance, very much wanting to touch what was blatantly being offered. She licked her lips at the temptation then took the only defense she could.

She slammed the door in his face, wondering when her sanity had abandoned her. She thunked her head against the door, but she could still see the flames of lust in his eyes. "And tell Griffin I need to speak with him."

Sanity slowly seeped back into her body as his scent faded, but not without taking its pound of flesh as it sank into her bones with a heaviness that hurt.

When she turned, she drew up short. Aaron stood ramrod straight in the middle of the room, his hands behind his back in military precision, every inch a future alpha. Stillness wrapped around him.

And such loneliness her heart clenched in sympathy.

"What are you going to do?"

Raven stood in front of him, surprised to find herself peering up at his face. His hair no longer stood in spikes, resting limp against his head as if the starch had been taken out of him.

If she concentrated, the hum around him remained. Not as strong. Not as obvious. "About what? The attack?" She waited a heartbeat for his reaction. "Or your knack to null others ability to shift?"

Those husky pale eyes flickered to her before they went back to surveying the wall. His voice lacked any inflection, but the acidic smell around him sharpened suddenly. "I don't understand."

"Then let me make it clear. What you do is your business unless it affects my pack. I'm your bodyguard, not your jailor. I think we've both had enough of being locked away. As long as I keep you alive, I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. Understand?"

Even before she finished, his gaze landed on hers and stayed. "You really mean that, don't you?" He was talking more to himself than her. The sharp smell of worry that clung to him slowly lightened.

"My main concern was how did they know we were going to be at the police station? We weren't followed."

The boy's military pose eased, and she hadn't realized how tense he always held himself. "I didn't recognize the man. His scent was so offensive, I'm not able to place him. It also makes it impossible to track him back to his pack. It's a common practice for hired assassins." He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, exhaustion placing dark shadows in his eyes. "This isn't the first attack made on me over the past few weeks."

"Your mother." Most people would be shocked a parent would kill their offspring, but it happened often in the wilderness. Even Raven's own mother sold her to the labs as a toddler. The painful truth behind her mother's abandonment still stung.

Aaron's arms came down to his sides, his posture relaxing more as if sensing the danger had passed. "I'm strong enough to threaten her reign. In a matter of days, I'll be asked to pledge myself to the pack. If I challenged for leadership and won, she wouldn't be the leader of a pack anymore. I would be allowed to choose my own mate."

"And she's not the type of person to give up something that's hers." Raven remembered the blatant display of ownership, the brutal mark Vivian took pleasure in delivering to her mates face. Vivian obviously saw her more of an obstacle than a threat.

"Is she aware of your gift?"

"She suspects something. If she knew, she would've used me as a weapon."

A normal alpha could help others in the pack shift, could force a shift. Others had the ability to stop a shifter from turning, but only in pack mates. None she knew of could cut off their animals so completely like Aaron.

"You are starting to understand my predicament."

Raven did understand, everything but one important fact. "But why come to me?"

"Father's done everything he can to protect me, but he can't take any overt action against Vivian. Other packs would see it as a weakness. My mother is too strong. If they fought, she would see him dead, somehow, someway when he couldn't protect himself. The pack needs him too much to risk it over me. Any protection he could provide from inside the pack would keep dying. The closer the conclave draws, the more desperate her attempts have become."

Raven closed her eyes, feeling stupid for not seeing it sooner. "So if she comes for you herself, I'm the only thing standing in her way. Another female alpha can kill without the worry of immediate extermination. You're using me."

He shrugged as if her death were of no consequence. "You accepted the deal. You're getting what you want in return. Besides, you're the only other alpha that might be able to win. We're just hoping it doesn't come to that."

Her shield pulsed in reaction to her emotions, increasing in intensity until the kid shuffled his feet. "Does Jackson know?"

Aaron shook his head. "No one would ever think to kill a female. Whatever he told you for the reason of me being here is the truth as far as he knows it."

Raven reluctantly stepped back, her fingers curling into fists as she resisted the need to use the energy sizzling under her skin. It bit at her, angry at being denied. She was coming to hate the convoluted pack politics and all their hidden agendas.

"You're different than I expected." He paused a moment, appearing stumped by her. "Genuine."

A harsh knock sounded on the door a second before it popped open. "I didn't realize you were busy." Griffin acted all innocent, but she had no doubt he'd been listening at the door for some time. How much had he heard?

"Liar, but come in anyway." Raven nodded to Aaron, secretly pleased when he returned the gesture so seriously before he left.

He would make one hell of an alpha with that type of power and control. She didn't know if she should be fearful or not.

As he left, the calm surrounding her all day vanished with him, and she'd realized he'd kept her sane. She'd thought she'd been gaining control over the moon's touch but it'd been him all along. The possibility of his gift boggled her mind.

No one could ever know or they would either enslave or kill him outright.

"I see you've made another conquest." Griffin watched Aaron's departure with interest. When she would've spoken, he lifted his arrogant chin. "You've summoned me?"

"With the increase of moon heat comes the need to have sex. How does the council monitor the packs?"

Griffin snorted then gave a tired sigh. "You're so innocent in the shifter world, they'll gobble you up." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If it's just sex, you only need your alpha's permission. If you're not a breeder for your pack, you're free and clear."

"And alphas?" Heat built under her skin.

"Females are required to mate. You can choose your own lovers, your own mates even, but since you are an alpha, you'll need permission from the council to take a Consort."

"And if an alpha doesn't give permission?"

"Then punishment is meted out. If the female isn't from the same pack, they could also end up paying a hefty fine in retaliation."

"Jackson mentioned I need to show proof of ownership for Taggert. What should I expect?"

Griffin smiled, openly amused for the first time. "You might want to consider petitioning for pack position first, then go back and fulfill your claim to Taggert. It will give you better leverage."

She acknowledged his words, but wouldn't be deterred. "And what can I expect?"

Those calculating eyes surveyed her, trying to read something. "Not to worry on that account. Since you are a rare alpha female, not to mention single, you will only be tested if you're challenged."

For some reason, his words didn't reassure her. "You have no clue what tests I'll have to pass." She tightened her lips, reaching for the gun at her waist and unclipping it. Opening a desk drawer, she let it drop inside, glad to have the weight gone. The stun gun followed. Her hand hovered over the badge before she set it and the clips down as well. She slammed the drawer shut then locked it, all the while never taking her gaze from his.

"The test is unique in each situation, tailored to the petitioner."

Raven hated the way he dodged the questions, brushing her concerns aside as if they didn't matter. "Then if you don't want to talk about the conclave, why don't we discuss about what you're doing in my house. We both know you are well able to take care of yourself without my protection."

Silence filled the room.

"Why don't we start with where you disappear each night?"

Chapter Thirteen.

FOUR DAYS UNTIL THE FULL MOON: MIDNIGHT.

Hours later, annoyance still flickered through Raven the way Griffin had so craftily wiggled out of providing her any answers. Those green and yellow eyes of his had dilated slightly at her inquiries, but dammed if he hadn't managed to dodge her probes. She didn't toss him out on his ass like she probably should. He was too dangerous on his own. She would rather keep an eye on him than be blindsided later.

There was an edge to the night that warned of danger. Even with Jackson and Taggert in tow, walking toward the club left her feeling exposed.

She was being watched.

Again.

She could ignore the innocent curiosity. It was the cowards hiding in the shadows that were beginning to annoy the crap out of her.

In preparation for the visit, she'd shut down her shields to a tiny trickle. Pressure built up in her chest, the need to scratch off her skin to relieve the ache intensified as she drew closer to the club. She scanned her surroundings, but without her full senses, she couldn't even pry sounds out of the shadows.

Tension ratcheted up a couple of notches until the cool night air became stifling. She had demanded this visit. She must put aside her unease to make this work.

This was her last chance.

If she couldn't cut being around the shifters tonight, she'd fail in front of the conclave and lose everything that'd become so very important.

Raven allowed Taggert to lead the way as they entered the club, his leather pants so formfitting every muscle could be ogled at will. The black silk shirt caressed his body, all but begging for her hands to explorer.

He tossed a smile over his shoulder, confident he'd find her gawking.

And the bastard was right.

"Here." Jackson grabbed her arm, directing her to the table Durant had reserved for them. His touch drew her attention, and she glanced at his face.

Tension held him rigid, lines bracketed his mouth as he surveyed the crowd, but she had no doubt his annoyance was directed straight at her.

"Relax. Nothing's going to happen."

Jackson cast her a shuttered look, and it maddened her that she couldn't read him. All the walls between them were back. After their last conversation, his withdrawal left her bereft. Then he relented and gestured to the crowd with a small nod. "What do you see?"

The first glance revealed nothing out of the ordinary. If not for the damn moon heat, she'd swear it was like any rowdy club across America.

Then she noticed subtle differences. The males were more aggressive with other males. The women fewer and more protected. The excitement and lust sharpened to an almost frantic degree.