Page 48 of Savage Hunt

My throat tightened at the pain in his voice. “Will you ever get out of here?”

“I hope so.” He leaned forward, piercing me with an intense look. “When you and Fane escape, will you find Alicia Morgan there and tell her I’m okay and I miss her.”

Unable to speak, I nodded while fighting back tears. For shit's sake. When did I become such a lovesick sap?

Fane’s wicked grin flashed through my mind, and I sighed.

Son of a bitch.

“What makes you so sure we’ll bust out of here?” I asked when my voice finally returned.

Knox scoffed. “We’re talking about Fane Maverick. If anyone can do it, it’s him. Not only does he have plenty of allies in high places, like Ruin Bacchus, but he has you.” He shook his head. “You’ve got some power in that little body, more than any shifter or demon.”

He was right about that.

A chill skated down my nape as Mykel strolled through the cafeteria door, looking out of place in his sleek onyx suit, gelled hair, and smirk.

I hated him almost as much as Venna.

The dux demon loomed at our table. “Princess Venna has a surprise for you, Tate.”

The moisture zapped from my mouth, and my pulse skyrocketed, but I kept my expression blank. “What kind of surprise?” I had no doubt that Fane’s absence had everything to do with the glee shining in the dux demon’s citrine eyes.

Mykel’s lips pulled apart even farther. “You’ll just have to come find out.”

After leading me through the winding stone corridors, Mykel stopped at a solid steel door and used a long key to unlock it. Before I stepped inside, the tingling in my tattoo told me who I’d find.

But I couldn’t have imagined this.

Heavy chains shackled Fane to the wall on the right, his arms stretched over his head and feet pinned down.

My sharp intake of air echoed in the room, and I hurried to him, my hands shaking as I tried to free him. Cuts and bruises mottled his face and bare torso. “Are you okay?” I couldn’t stop the tremors from distorting my words.

Fane gave a lopsided grin even though he’d been bound and tormented for what looked like hours. “This is nothing.”

Venna, in her usual dominatrix leather outfit, pushed off the wall and flashed her teeth in a broad grin like a monster poised to attack. “Those restraints won’t come off unless I want them to.”

Rage hemorrhaged through my bloodstream, and the small chamber blurred around the edges. “I’m going to kill you with a knife dipped in Demise just like I did your sister.”

The delight evaporated from her expression while darkness twisted through her eyes. “Take a look around, Tate. From now on, these four walls will be your life, and you won’t get the chance to escape this hell to kill me.”

As she motioned her hand around the room, my attention fell on the bed opposite Fane. The blood-red sheets ripped a pit open in my gut, filling it with acid. Why the fuck was there a bed? What kind of torture had she subjected Fane to?

“Nothing like that, Teague.” Fane’s voice sliced through the chaos in my head. “I would have torn her apart if she tried.”

“He is such a fine specimen.” Venna dragged her nails down his chest, his muscles jumping.

My instincts kicked in, and I snatched her wrists as the shifter magic within clawed against the barriers. “Keep your fucking hands off of what’s mine.” A snarl curled out of my mouth, and even the demon parts of me wanted to shred her apart just for touching him.

Mykel grabbed my hair and yanked me away from the princess. “Keep your hands off of her.”

The chains rattled as Fane struggled in them, his teeth growing and pupils lengthening. “One of these days, I’m going to rip your spine out and behead you with it.”

The seven-foot-tall dux demon smirked. “You can try, mutt. And you’ll fail.”

“Enough!” Venna motioned for Mykel to release me, and he sent me stumbling forward. The demon princess moved to a set of drawers, pulling out a sharp knife. “It’s time to get down to business.”

My fists clenched by my sides until my nails bit into my palms. “You’re even more delusional than I thought if you believe I’ll stand here and watch you torture Fane.”

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