Page 14 of Savage Fate

My attention fell to the bulge between his legs.

Those damn gray sweatpants should be illegal in public.

His crooked grin poured tingles down my spine. “So you like my sweatpants?”

Damn it. I hadn’t meant to say that in his mind.

An ear-piercing screech interrupted our banter, and a figure emerged from a pristine yard several houses down the road, raven locks flying behind her.

“You two shouldn’t be allowed here!”

Fane groaned as Marissa stormed toward us, her matching hot-pink sweatpants and jacket so bright I could barely look at her.

“Especially you, Tate.” She jabbed her finger in my direction. “My mate left, and my mother took off because of you.”

I slowed my steps, Fane doing the same, and crossed my arms. “Your mother left because she chose Barric and his hateful, disgusting Collective Hunt. And Dorian left because he’d had enough of your selfish bullshit.”

A female shifter with strawberry blond hair jogged after her. “I don’t think you want to provoke Tate.” Mina and I weren’tfriends, but we’d grown to respect each other. She also knew how vicious and terrifying I could be.

But that was when I’d had the Infernal Sol. Could I beat Marissa without it?

“Don’t do this, Marissa.” Fane couldn’t even muster any anger. He was simply over her dramatic bullshit at this point. “You’re already skating on thin ice with your father. You were banished from this pack, soyoushouldn’t be here.”

She scoffed as Mina pulled her to a stop with several feet still between us. “Barric banished me, and he’s gone off the rails. I don’t think anyone will care that I’m here.”

“I care,” I muttered loudly enough for her to catch.

Her lips curled back into a snarl, her harsh jade eyes glowing as her wolf stalked closer. “You don’t matter, you half-breed, bitten bitch who can’t even shift. You don’t deserve to be called a shifter. You’re lucky Fane and the Anders have such low standards.”

The wolf in me rushed forward as fury spilled through my veins. Clearly, Marissa hadn’t gotten the memo that I could, in fact, shift.

That wasn’t what pissed me off, though. Her insulting Fane and the Anders did.

“Teague, don’t do it.”Fane’s voice in my head did nothing to stop my animal instincts from taking over.

I rushed forward, kicked my boots off, and yanked the hoodie over my head at the last second before smoothly shifting into my black-and-red wolf. My paws hit the pavement as I released a vicious roar and lunged at Marissa.

Chapter

Five

Marissa’s lookof shock as I tackled her to the asphalt sent a flood of glee through my belly. The sensation was sweetened when her fear hit the air as I locked my jaws around her throat.

“You sneaky bitch.” Her nails scraped over my side, trying to get past my thick fur to wound me.

Mina stumbled away as a string of curses burst out of her. Clearly, my transformation caught them off guard.

Not only could I shift, but I did it with a quickness and ease they couldn’t. They also didn’t have deadly sickle claws or spikes on their knuckles.

Fane closed the distance between us and kneeled next to me.“Teague, don’t kill her.”

“Why not?”My saliva dripped all over her throat as I held back from sinking my teeth into her flesh.“She deserves it.”

Marissa struggled beneath me, attempting to shift to gain the upper hand. Fur sprouted along her arms, and her voice deepened, but it would still take her longer to transform than it would for me to snap her neck.

“I told you not to antagonize her,” Mina mumbled. She turned to Fane and showed her palms. “I have nothing against Tate. She saved my brother’s life.”

If looks could kill, Mina would be six feet under from the glare Marissa gave her before returning her attention to me. “Get off me, you freak.”

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