Page 72 of Savage Claim

I glared at him, but my silence was answer enough. How did he know me so well?

Fane bared his teeth, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he shifted into his demon wolf. “And you came running to him.”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t left me in that room alone, naked and hurt,” I snapped.

“I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already had!” He jerked his hand to the bruises on my neck.

“I’m not talking about physically hurt, Maverick.” My eyes prickled with unshed tears as my emotions attempted to overwhelm me.

The demon shifter stared at the stone ground, the cloud of fury wrapping him thinning. “If I’d stayed, I might have done something worse. And I don’t want that.”

“Did you hear me, Tate?”

I tore my attention from Fane, choking down the lump clogging my throat. “What?” A tear had slipped out, and Hawk assumed it was from my current captivity.

“I-I’m so sorry, Tate.” He leaned his forehead against the bars, still clutching the bedding. “My aunt said this was to help you, to protect you. I didn’t know about the other ravens. I didn’t know she’d been obsessed with finding this demon amulet.”

Fane let out a string of curses. “She knows?”

“Hawk must have given her a detailed account of what happened in Rosewood Cemetery, and she put the pieces together.”

“I need to get you out of here.” Fane jammed his hand through his black locks, his nostrils flaring as a growl built in his throat. “Preferably before that woman does something stupid.”

“That would be great.”

The demon shifter reached out and skimmed his finger over my jaw, tilting my head to examine the bruises. Fire blazed in his irises as his pupils thinned. “I’ll be back soon.” With one more tortured look, he vanished.

“Please, take these.” Hawk squatted, pushing the pillow and blanket through the bars. “Are you hungry? I’ll get you some food.”

I rolled onto my feet and stretched to grab the blanket and pillow. “I’m not hungry.” My appetite was nonexistent even though I should be famished after burning all that energy with Fane. Being locked in a cell reminded me of Heldrok, and the hellish memories of the Underworld prison had my stomach roiling.

“Did she really send other ravens to find this amulet?”

I sat on the pillow to give my ass a break from the hard concrete and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, leaning on the wall again. “Maddie told me herself in Heldrok, and I also found a bunch of files in your aunt’s office. They’re in a hidden compartment behind the bookshelf.”

“Where?”

“Tilt The Art of War, and you’ll hear the false wall drop.” I couldn’t stop the yawn from slipping out. “It’s behind the books on the second shelf. Of course, your aunt might have moved them by now.”

Hawk chewed on his bottom lip as he studied me, maybe wondering if he could trust my words. Sneaking behind his aunt’s back and snooping through her things to find evidence of her dirty deeds was a colossal betrayal. The woman raised him after sub-demons slaughtered his parents.

“You deserve to know the truth, Hawk.” But could he really face it?

Unfortunately, the Malefic ash finally overwhelmed me, and I slipped unconscious against the wall. I had no idea how much time had passed when I woke up to Coltrane banging on the bars.

“I need a sample of your blood.” She held up a giant needle. “Get up.”

“Go to hell.” I yawned and flipped her off. “I’m not giving you shit.”

Her eyes narrowed, deepening the faint wrinkles around them. “Don’t make me use my nephew to keep you in line.” She jerked her head to the blanket wrapped around me. “I know he snuck out and brought you that. I’m starting to believe he might not be raven material after all.”

My blood boiled as she so casually threatened her own family. Like the ravens she molded, he was disposable if he stood in her way. “Does the council in Chicago know of your obsession with the Infernal Sol?” I tsked. “They won’t be happy to learn you’ve been using this organization for personal gain.”

She scoffed. “I’m trying to get a dangerous artifact off the streets before it can be used to harm the innocent. My superiors would commend me.”

“I’m sure they’d be perfectly fine with you holding a nightworlder captive for no reason.”

“You’re not just any nightworlder, Tate.” She arched an eyebrow. “I have witness accounts of your erratic behavior. You’re a danger to humans and to yourself.”

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