Page 104 of Savage Claim

“Please, get us through, Tate!” The mother raked her claws down the shield with no luck.

If Fane couldn’t break it, she couldn’t either.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head to either side, listening. A smile curved my lips when the sounds finally reached my ears. “A whispering on the wind is coated in purple.”

“Can you sense the witch?” Fane asked through our mental link.

Could he feel the madness circling my thoughts when he connected to my mind?

My neck craned back to search the branches as I wandered beneath the trees. “A little birdie sings high in her nest. But a fear will knock her out of the boughs. Break those tiny bones and shut her mouth.”

With invisible claws, I gripped her mind, pulling out her fear of being burned alive. Her scream tore through the night, and moments later, the witch plummeted to the ground. Blue hair whipped around as she scrambled up, doing her best to fight the hallucination. She was pretty and appeared young even though she’d lived far longer than any of the wolves here.

“My mind isn’t as open as you hoped.” Violet energy crackled on her hands, and she tossed electric ropes of magic around me, binding my arms to my sides.

Pain seared into me, but I only laughed. “Do you think this fazes me? It tickles at best.” A pulse of wicked power rippled out of me, shattering her hold in seconds.

Her fear scented the air, and she turned to run.

“Not fast enough, little mouse.”

I tackled her to the ground, flipped her on her back, and gripped her jaw. “You’ll be delicious.”

Her shriek was cut off when I grabbed her soul and inhaled the shimmering white cloud. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as euphoria hemorrhaged through my bloodstream.

Now this is divine.

Where the royal’s essence had been dark and smoky, this was light and warm, like a soft, thick blanket wrapping a shivering body.

So fucking enchanting.

Commotion caught my attention on the other side of the shield. As the witch’s life faded, the barrier weakened. Fane backed up and dug his feet into the ground, ready to run headfirst into the thing. If it held, it would violently toss him.

Better make sure it doesn’t do that.

I pulled harder, the witch’s whimpers only adding more pleasure to consuming her soul. The ground shook, and power rippled in the atmosphere as Fane broke through the wall.

“Tate, that’s enough.” He made it to my side in seconds and grabbed my shoulder, trying to drag me off my prey. “You can stop now.”

“Why would I want to stop?”

“You’ll regret taking her soul.” His grip tightened, but I wouldn’t budge.

I chuckled. “Regret it? I only regret not tasting souls sooner.”

He released my shoulder, but I should have known my beast wouldn’t give up that easily. Fane clutched the witch’s head and twisted, snapping her neck and killing her.

The cloud of her soul fizzled out before I could inhale it all, and I leaned back, glaring at my beast. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I didn’t want you to carry that burden.”

I shrugged. “It would be no burden to me.”

Fane’s nostrils flared, and he looked wild and untamed after battling demons. “It will when the Infernal Sol’s influence fades and you return to yourself.”

“This is me now. Don’t you get that?”

“Dylan!” His mother collapsed beside him and pulled him into her lap. “I’m so sorry.”

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