Page 88 of Savage Hunt

“Ephraim and I are well aware of the demon amulet.” She gently rubbed my arm, trying to calm me. Normally, I shied away from physical touch, but something about Nora’s presence soothed me now. “Logan filled us in.”

“And you still want me here?” He probably kept the worst of it to himself. There was no way they’d trust me to be around their kids. “He couldn’t have explained everything.”

Nora backed me up until Fane’s mattress hit my legs. “He told us enough, but don’t worry. We have no plans to inform Alpha Camus about the amulet. That stays between us.” She gently pushed me to sit on the bed and followed, perching next to me. “When Fane brought you here last year, this became your home. I meant that as much then as I do now.”

My next breath caught in my lungs, and unshed tears turned the room hazy. “I hurt Fane, though. He’s under a spell because of me.”

“That horrible demon princess screwed with his mind. You can’t shoulder the blame for that, Tate.” She smoothed a lock of hair behind my ear like I’d seen mothers on television do. “You are not responsible for every terrible thing in this world.”

I was to blame for this. “Venna did it because of me.”

She used one finger to tilt my chin up as a stray tear glided down my cheek. “Fane has also done some terrible things, and we would never turn him away, no matter what. Just like we’d never turn you away.”

A lump clogged my throat, stealing my ability to breathe. People made promises like that before, mostly when I was a kid, and they always broke them. The ravens had made me feel like I was home, and they’d never abandon me.

But they did. Everyone always did.

Why would the Anders be any different?

Even as I wondered that, the truth permeated Nora’s emerald eyes. She meant those words with her whole heart. No one had ever welcomed me in without a price, and no one stayed around after uncovering my flaws and imperfections.

Until now.

As a sob slipped out, I pressed my hands over my face. Fane was the only person I’d ever broken down in front of, but I couldn’t stop the flood of emotions from overwhelming me. I was finally out of Heldrok and the Underworld.

Pang slashed at my heart as I ached for Fane. He should have been here with me.

Nora curled her arms around me and pulled me in for a hug, her jasmine scent swirling into the air. “Fane says you don’t like others in your personal space, but I can’t help it. I’m a mama wolf, and I protect my little pups, no matter how big or old they are.”

For the first time, I didn’t mind Nora’s hug. She wasn’t using me, and she wouldn’t ask for anything in return. She truly wanted to comfort me because it was her instinct.

After I thoroughly drenched her shirt, I pulled back and wiped away my tears. “Thanks, Nora. That was… different.”

She chuckled. “Get used to it. I’ve been in a house full of boys. Now that you’re here, I’m not letting you go.”

I sniffled and peered at her through damp lashes. “If you don’t feel safe at any time, don’t hesitate to send me off.”

Her brows slammed down. “That’s not going?—”

“I mean it.” I used Fane’s shirt to wipe the remaining moisture from my face. “Promise me you’ll tell me to leave if you think I might be a danger to any of you. Please.”

Her lips thinned as she hesitated, possibly having an eternal debate with her motherly instincts and common sense. “Fine,” she eventually muttered. “Don’t expect that to happen, though. Ephraim and I are pretty good at protecting our family.”

“Good.” I blew out a long breath, taking in Fane’s room as my heart constricted. Had Venna punished him for letting me go? Did she even realize he was the one to sneak me out?

Maybe he got away too. Fane was still alive. I could feel his life pulsating through our connection. I would know if he were dead. I would feel it like a lethal blade to my own heart.

I dragged a hand through my tangled hair and slumped over as exhaustion twisted around me. Had Fane and I really been gone an entire year?

“He’ll find his way back to you.” Nora gave a sympathetic smile as I turned to her. “Fane will return.”

Everyone kept saying that, but the spell on him held steady. He wanted to murder me for Warin’s death. I’d felt it in his touch even when he kissed me. That might never go away.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

After resting a little more and showering, I emerged from Fane’s bedroom and grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top from my room down the hall. Someone had bought me a pair of black boots and stuck them in the nearly barren closet.

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