Page 6 of Savage Claim

“And those sub-demon assholes are somehow accessing the gate and flooding Savannah.” Kortney wiped the sweat from her forehead and shook a few wayward strands of ebony hair out of her dark eyes. “We’ve been super busy, like every night.”

“What about any crazed dux or high demons breaking the accords?” I asked, running my fingers over Fane’s arm, silently thanking him for cleaning me up. “Have you seen any of them?”

The night of my field test to become a full raven, a dux demon randomly attacked Hawk and me. After that, more had gone wild and broke the most basic rules. They fed from children and killed plenty of humans in the city without batting an eye.

A humorless laugh burst out of Axel as he kicked ash off his boots. “We’ve had tons of encounters with them, and the high demon lord isn’t doing shit about it.”

My brows knit, ready to defend Ruin when the crackle of a radio interrupted our conversation.

“Are you guys there?” Roxie’s shaky voice came over the line. “We need assistance! We’re getting ambushed over here.”

Axel cursed and yanked the radio off his belt. “What’s your twenty?”

“Mason near the corner of Green Street.” Her breath came in quick pants. “Hawk is out of control. He’s trying to take them all on himself.”

A dose of cold, sharp panic twisted my heart as images of Hawk in danger pummeled my mind. He might hate me for what I’d become, but I couldn’t stand the thought of him hurt. Or dead.

Chapter

Three

Axel took off, heading for Mason Street with Kortney on his heels. My boots dug in, poised to run, when Fane’s hand clamped down on my shoulder.

“This is what they do. Let them go.”

My lips curled back, baring my teeth. “I’m going with or without you, Maverick.” I darted forward and sprinted through the park.

Fane quickly appeared beside me, his long legs eating up the ground. “I don’t even know why I try.”

“I don’t either,” I mumbled. “Your life would be easier if you just let me do what I wanted.”

“My life would be easier if I didn’t have to fight the urge to kill you.”

Ouch.

His words still stung even after hearing them a million times since we’d returned to Savannah with Barric. “Maybe you’ll get lucky, and a demon will kill me tonight.”

“Not a chance.” He gave a sinister grin. “If anyone is going to kill you, it’ll be me.”

Heat zipped across my spine at the lust hidden within his grin. Something told me he’d want to take me to bed one more time before he snuffed out my life.

Vicious snarls echoed through the nighttime before we hit the corner and turned onto Green Street where the historic brick buildings lined both sides of the road. The windows of each establishment were dark, and the gas streetlamps spotting the sidewalk every few feet brought an eerie glow to the storefronts, wrought iron benches, trees, and asphalt.

Acid curdled my stomach at the unrecognizable menacing look in Hawk’s chocolate-brown eyes. Fury stained them as he wildly fought the beasts, almost like he didn’t care if he lived or died.

Maybe he wanted to die.

What had happened to him since I’d become a nightworlder?

“It’s about time,” Roxie said, her sword carving into the hard exterior of a sub-demon. Her gaze danced in my direction, and she scowled. “What the hell is she doing here?”

I couldn’t even respond to my former friend for fear I’d attack her, so I sprung on a demon, my talons slicing into him.

“She’s helping.” Kortney beheaded one of the fortynos and spun to miss a blow from another. “Stop being such a bitch and be thankful.”

I never thought Kortney Tran would stick up for me, but I hadn’t pegged Roxie for a backstabbing skank who lusted after Hawk either.

“Teague!” Fane caught my attention just as a sub-demon’s tail whipped in my direction, seconds away from stinging me.

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