Page 100 of Savage Claim

And then he yanked his shirt and jeans off as he transformed into his beast in seconds, jumped through the air, and headed straight into a group of dux demons. They didn’t stand a chance as the demon shifter ripped through them, his claws, teeth, and the sharp spikes on his body tearing them to shreds.

“Show-off,” Wrath muttered as he and Kesa darted into battle.

I lifted my sword and swung it through the air as I attacked on the left. The first dux demon to reach me fell quickly when I chopped her head off. Her companions snarled, their eyes burning crimson and neon green. Slick horns in varying shades glinted under the moonlight, and a few sported scales on all or a portion of their bodies. No one bothered with a glamour.

“A shifter fighting with a sword?” One standing over seven feet tall laughed. “What a waste. You must not have claws or teeth.”

Talons protruded from my fingertips, my teeth sharpened, and my pupils thinned into slits. “Nah, I just like using a sword, but I can kill without it.” My talons swiped across his throat, and he stumbled, black blood pouring down his yellow flesh. I used the sword to finish cutting his head off and then charged after the others.

Battle sounds echoed through the night as we worked to dispatch as many demons as quickly as possible. I checked on the others every few minutes, and they all held their own, even sweet Kesa.

Fane’s lethal demon wolf had taken down more than anyone, and I felt the rush of adrenaline pumping through him. It fueled my own system, giving me more strength and determination. I lifted my sword and severed another head, but before I could pivot to my next fight, a body slammed into mine and tackled me to the ground.

The female dux demon’s purple hair tickled my face as she leaned forward. “Everyone’s out here having a party while the little baby wolf is all alone.” Her high-pitched giggle made me wince. “Or is he? Maybe he’s having his own party.”

Frost crawled down my back as her words sank in. Dylan was in danger.

Getting to him consumed my thoughts as I sliced her throat open with my talons, her ebony blood drenching me. I shoved her off, scrambled up, and sprinted toward the house.

“Dylan!” I called out, panic drowning me with every passing second he didn’t answer. “Dylan!”

If something happened to him, I’d never forgive myself. Part of my soul would shrivel up and die, maybe all of it. It would be like losing Jayla all over again.

“Dylan!” My boots screeched on the marble tiles as I raced for the stairs, but cold air rushed over my sweaty, bloody skin, and I jerked toward the open front door.

Oh no.

I bolted onto the porch just as a shrill cry rang out. “Dylan!”

Sharp knives dug into my heart as a dux demon pinned him to the ground in the front yard, his sharp claws ripping down the kid’s side. The briny scent of blood spilled into the air, and Dylan’s anguished scream broke me apart.

Let’s make that demon pay, torment him, make him scream until his throat shreds apart and bleeds.

This was the first time the Infernal Sol had emerged since I’d shifted at Barric’s. My wolf side had pushed the amulet’s influence farther down, but now all the violence had that dark power rushing forward, ready to take part in the battle.

Let’s make this asshole suffer.

Talking to myself was a bad sign. And connecting with the amulet so easily wasn’t good either, but I couldn’t control the urges flooding me at the sight of my little friend, my family, being harmed.

“Tate!” Dylan yelled, his hazel eyes full of agony. “Help me!”

I jumped off the porch and sprinted forward, my focus locked on Dylan, but figures suddenly charged around my peripheral. Moments later, demons surrounded me, grabbing my arms and sides to halt my pursuit.

“Get off me!” I demanded as four giant dux demons prevented me from getting to Dylan. “Or I will make you beg for death while I torture you.”

As my captors traded worried glances, I noticed they weren’t in any trance or crazy haze. They were focused and levelheaded.

They’d planned this.

Alarms screamed in my head as I tried to fight them off, frantic puffs of air blowing in front of my mouth. One of the demons snatched the sword out of my hand and tossed it aside while another came around my back to hold my waist. Movement ahead caught my attention as another demon slinked through the shadows toward Dylan.

My stomach tore apart as a giant boulder sank to the bottom. The demon’s ice-blond hair looked liquid in the moonlight as his skin shone porcelain white.

Why the hell was a royal demon involved in this?

Those blue eyes lifted to mine, a sinister grin pulling at his lips.

That smile told me everything I needed to know. This was about me. He was here for me.

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