Page 49 of Savage Hunt

Her head tilted as she coolly regarded me, the twisted smile on her scarlet lips pouring frost over my flesh. “Tell me what Ruin’s working on.”

“Go to hell,” I spat.

Venna’s laughter lifted the hairs on my nape.

She tossed the dagger between her hands as she slowly crossed the small space toward me. “Tell me what Ruin’s doing, or you will be the one torturing Fane.”

My blood ran cold at her words, and it felt like I was breathing through a tiny straw. I’d been waiting for the day she’d force me to torture him. “No,” I gritted out.

The demon princess waved her hand around the cell again. “I created this little love nest so you could torture him day and night. And then you’ll have to sleep while looking at his bloody, bruised body chained to the wall.”

I forced back the bile shooting up my esophagus. She couldn’t do this. This was a nightmare come true, and every bit of pain I caused him would haunt me until the end of my days.

“You will not have one second of peace, Tate.” She skimmed the blade down his arm. “And neither will he.”

Fane tugged on the chains again. “You’ll share Ziva and Karn’s fate soon, Venna.”

She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and blew him a kiss. “Such a threat for someone in your position, Fane.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been in worse positions and made it out.” His head leaned forward as far as it would go. “Trust me when I say your life has a countdown clock that started the moment you decided to come after us.”

“You’re not as scary as you think.” Even through all her bravado, as she angled away, fear pulsated from her. “Tell me the truth, Tate, or you will take this knife and mark his flesh.”

When I remained tight-lipped, Venna jerked her head, and Mykel shoved me toward her. She slapped the knife's hilt in my palm, forcing my fingers around it.

“Don’t even think of attacking me.” She lifted my hand with the knife. “Mykel will start cutting off Fane’s body parts.”

Sickness crashed inside me as my trembling hand hovered in front of Fane’s chest. I wouldn’t divulge Ruin’s secrets through all the torture they rained upon me, even when they let Sorin have a go, but threatening Fane had my resolve crumbling faster than snow melted in the south.

“I can’t do this, Maverick.” I blinked unshed tears from my eyes. “I can take all the torture in the world, but I can’t do this.”

His jaw muscles ticked. “It’s okay. Venna would find out sooner or later. Tell her. Ruin will understand.”

The demon princess glanced between us, lines developing across her forehead. “You two aren’t fated mates or even officially mated.” She turned to Mykel. “Right?”

My heart hammered out a frantic beat as I swiveled away from the demon shifter, lowering the knife. “Ruin is attempting to make synthetic souls for demons to consume.”

Mykel cursed and spat on the ground as if the idea was sacrilege. Venna’s sneer twisted her features into something ghastly as her face paled and cheekbones protruded.

“That little bastard.” Blackness infiltrated her irises until the blue vanished. “He’s so fucking cocky he thinks he can screw with the natural order of things.”

A heavy rock plunged through my center, and I wanted to sink into the floor as I anticipated Ruin’s disappointment when he found out I spilled his secret.

“He’ll understand, Teague. I promise.” Invisible fingers stroked my cheek, pulling my attention to Fane. “He had to know this was a possibility when Venna took us. Ruin will be prepared for this. Plus, he can’t do much without the Infernal Sol or at least you.”

My lids fluttered closed, and I leaned into his phantom touch. “I just know how much he wanted to make Soulvation.”

Venna snapped her fingers, breaking me out of the moment with Fane, and his touch vanished. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, Tate.” She laughed as she jerked her head toward Fane. “You’re still going to torture him.”

“What!” I hissed. “I told you what you wanted.”

She shrugged. “You two still deserve to pay for killing my sister and Karn, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than this.” As her cheeks hollowed out even more, ice coiled around my heart, freezing me. “You’ll be swallowed up by guilt as you tear into Fane over and over again.”

Panic gripped my muscles, and I threw the knife at her. “Fuck you!”

The royal ducked the blade, and Mykel grabbed me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides.

Big mistake.

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