Page 73 of Savage Hunt

Strong arms held me against a warm chest and then gently lowered me to a soft bed. The restraints vanished from my wrists, and I sighed as blood rushed back into my arms.

A rough hand caressed my cheek. The scent of fire, cinnamon, and leather drifted around me as lips brushed my ear.

“You’re going to die by my hands, and I’ll discard you in a dumpster like the piece of trash that you are.”

Like vicious daggers, those words slammed into my heart, ripping the remnants of sleep away. My lids popped open as Fane loomed over me, leering. He studied me like a killer studied his prey.

Now that my hands were free, I yanked the tape off my mouth and screamed. “You are such a bastard!”

His low laughter grated on my ears. “You’re at Venna’s mansion. Scream all you want. I’m sure she’d prefer it.”

A crystal chandelier dangling from the ornate ceiling spilled soft light on the gleaming hardwoods and polished wood furniture. Lavish silk and velvet in shades of scarlet and gold decorated the huge, opulent room like something out of a fairytale castle. And I was the evil queen’s captive.

Heavy drapes framed the windows, allowing the ruby streetlights to cast a bloody hue beneath the chandelier’s glow. The previous ruler of Vlehull had lived in a massive mansion in the center, but it had burned down thanks to Fane. So where did Venna reside?

As a burst of adrenaline hit me, I shoved Fane away. He didn’t expect me to recover from the Malefic ash that quickly, so he stumbled back, catching himself on a chair in the corner. If he knew he was the one who turned me, he would have expected it.

I bolted for the door only to have arms made of iron wrap around my waist and yank me back. The air expelled from my lungs, and my ribs felt like they’d crack under the pressure.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The demon shifter slammed me onto the bed, covering me with his body. “There’s no escaping, Teague. Just accept your fate.”

Blood pumped through my veins, and my muscles burned as I fought. “The others will be looking for me. Ruin and Logan won’t let you kill me.”

“I have no idea why you’re with them—or my mother—but they won’t be able to find you.” Chains rattled as Fane withdrew them from the headboard. “I know how to cover my tracks.”

My pulse jumped as he attempted to shackle me to the bed. I managed to pull my knee between us, using it to shove him off. The Infernal Sol stirred at the violence unfolding. It wanted to come out and play.

Not now.

One day, I’d really like to be able to rely on my shifter side to help me fight instead of the demon amulet’s addicting power.

I crawled to the end of the bed, but Fane was on me in seconds, tossing me back. My head collided with a bed post, stars exploding in my vision. Warmth ran down my temple, and I reached up, my fingers coming away with blood.

Fane’s blurry figure appeared, and as he lifted my arm to lock the metal cuff around it, he saw the crimson liquid on my fingers. His brow dipped, and then he rubbed the same spot on his head as if he could feel it.

He probably could.

“Bond, remember?” I mumbled, blinking my vision clear.

The demon shifter uttered a curse in a demon language and chained my other wrist. “You’re not leaving this place alive.”

“We’ll see,” I said as he locked manacles around my ankles. “I’m pretty good at getting out of tricky situations. You should know. You helped me out of a few of them.”

As he straddled me, he sat back to admire his work. “I’ll never believe any of this bullshit you’re spewing. I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“You sure about that?”

He leaned forward, gripping my jaw. “A hundred percent sure.”

“Well, you’re a hundred percent wrong, and you’re going to feel pretty stupid when you figure it out.” I shifted my hips to a more comfortable position, rubbing against Fane.

A flash of lust whipped through his glowing irises, and even as hard as he tried, he couldn’t hide it.

The demon shifter’s gaze dropped, watching a bead of sweat roll down my neck and disappear between my breasts. He licked his lips as if he wanted to lick me. Memories of the night we fought in Karn’s bedroom flashed through my mind.

He’d pinned me to the demon lord’s bed and tried denying the lust throbbing inside him then too. So had I. I was a raven at the time and disturbed by the thought of being turned on by a nightworlder.

But even then, the demon shifter had me so hot and bothered I probably would have let him do anything to me.

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