Page 17 of Savage Claim

“Where’s my hug?”

I peeked from behind Logan as High Demon Lord Ruin Bacchus glided toward us. The ebony suit enveloped his lithe body like a second skin while the navy shirt almost matched his eyes. Sharp black tattoos coiled from the collar, running over his neck and ending beneath his jaw. Black hair shone under the bright overhead lights.

My brows knit. “Are you even allowed in here?”

“Of course I am.” He pulled me into his arms. “Are you doing okay? Is Fane being nice?”

“When is Fane ever nice?”

His chuckle stirred my hair. “He has his moments.”

“Let’s make a sandwich!” Logan moved behind me and enveloped us in a hug, squishing me between the two high demons. “Yummy.”

My laughter was muffled in Ruin’s chest. “I’m going to suffocate, Logan.”

Ruin shoved him off, giving a dramatic scowl. “You act like you haven’t seen her in years. Get a grip, man.”

Logan shrugged and smoothed his Spaceballs t-shirt. “Feels like years.”

Logan was the epitome of adorable, but his dangerous side had appeared once or twice. He’d switched that happy-go-lucky side off when Hawk called me evil after I attacked Roxie in Bonaventure Cemetery.

“What are you guys doing here?” I asked before they started bickering. “Does Barric know you’re here?” Barric and Ruin ruled over the nightworlders in Savannah but rarely saw eye to eye. Demons and shifters weren’t besties. Their relationship wasn’t as bad as vampires and shifters, though.

Logan perched on the edge of the desk and pulled a bag of Skittles from his pocket. “He knows. He’s not happy about it, but we wanted to see you, and he’d rather it be in Silver Ridge than at Ruin’s house.” He held his hand out toward me. “Taste the rainbow?”

I plucked a few colorful candies from his palm. “Thanks.”

Shadows poured over the demon lord, blotting out his charm and making way for the danger humming just under the surface. “I still don’t think this is the safest place for you, Tate, especially if Maverick isn’t going to actually claim you. Shifters can sense when the mate bond isn’t fully established.”

Why did everyone think I was some meek, vulnerable she-wolf? I was a trained raven for shit’s sake. And before that, I wasn’t exactly defenseless.

Blood had stained my hands for years now.

“I don’t need protecting.” I tossed the fruity candy in my mouth.

“It only takes one moment for you to slip up and some asshole to decide to stake his claim on you with a bite,” Ruin said.

Images of Gray and Marcel as they circled me in the kitchen last night rushed forward. If Fane hadn’t interrupted, they might have gotten bolder. But I could have handled them.

Logan grabbed my bottle of water off the edge of the desk and took a sip. “Fane would slaughter the shifter if that happened, erasing any claim the prick thought he had on Tate.” He peered at the book I was studying. “Why are you looking into kid deaths? Kind of morbid, roomie.”

“I’m just researching something.” Neither of them knew what Julia discovered about my birth. I plucked the book off the desk and held it up to Ruin, pointing out the drawn tree emblem. “Do you recognize this?”

His brow furrowed as he examined the page. “Recognize what? The account of Barric’s unfortunate loss? Everyone knows that his son and mate died.”

I angled the book toward Logan. “Do you know what this symbol is?”

His lips pursed. “What symbol?”

Ruin took the book from me, gently closed it, and placed it on the desk. “I need a favor, beautiful.”

I angled my head, waiting for the inevitable. “Well?” I could already guess what he wanted.

He slipped a small leather case out of his jacket pocket. “I was hoping for a blood sample and a bit of your soul if you’re willing.”

“For you?” I dramatically sighed. “I guess.”

Logan hopped from the desk and patted the spot he was just in. “Come sit, roomie. We’ll be gentle.” He winked. “Not too gentle. I know how you like it.”

---