Page 83 of Savage Fate

This was getting out of hand.

Saint’s grip on my wrist tightened, and he moved to the left to shield me from Fane.

Well, it was a good thing I didn’t need my body to get to the demon shifter. I just hoped he still saw me.

A disorienting sensation cascaded over me, and moments later, my phantom form stood beside Fane as he bared his sharpening teeth at Saint.

“Fane.” I snapped my fingers to get his attention, but he remained focused on the alpha. “Look at me, damn it!”

The demon shifter’s head jerked in my direction, his brows furrowing as he noticed my incorporeal form. “What…?”

I gripped his face, keeping him locked on this version of me. “Stop letting this spell control you. You’re stronger than this. Break out of it.”

His gaze flicked toward Saint and my physical form and then back to me. “I don’t understand.”

My hand lowered to his chest, resting over the delicate swirling tattoo that had formed after we claimed each other. “You don’t want to hurt me. I’m your mate, remember?”

“Mate?” The word rolled off his tongue as if it were foreign. “No. Prey.”

I tilted his head down to show him the matching marks on my hand. “Mate.”

“What in the hell?” Saint analyzed Fane and then me as I stared off into space. “Tate, are you not in your body?”

“I’m with Fane.”

I flinched as those words came from my ghostly formandmy actual body.

That was too freaky.

Fane gently stroked the tattoo his bite had given me. “Mine.”

“Yes.” I pressed his palm into my neck right over the mark. “Come back to me.”

The purple fog began to clear from his eyes, and recognition suddenly registered in the glowing blue and gold irises. “Tate?”

A shaky breath of relief spilled from my lungs. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Fane studied the blood staining my throat and shirt. “What happened?” He turned to Saint as the alpha remained in a protective stance in front of my real form.

The blood drained from the demon shifter’s cheeks as the truth hit him. “No.” He stumbled back, slamming into a tree.

My consciousness crashed back into my body, and I jerked out of Saint’s hold.

“No!” Saint grabbed my arm to keep me from going to Fane. “He’s trying to kill you!”

“Not anymore.” I pulled free of him, but Fane lifted his hands to stop me in my tracks.

“It’s not safe, Tate.”

I scoffed. “You’re fine. The spell isn’t in control anymore.”

His head fell back against the tree. “But it is. Italwaysis. I’m barely hanging on.” His agony leaked into the bond, and I inched closer, wanting to take it all away for him.

Once again, Saint blocked me. “You knew how precarious your control was, and you still let her near you, Fane?” His fists curled by his sides, and sharp teeth flashed in his mouth. “How could you be around her when you’re such a threat?”

I shoved him even though I really wanted to knock his ass out. “This is none of your business.”

His mouth dropped open. “None of my business?” He motioned to the blood staining my shirt. “He could have sliced you in half! I don’t give a damn if you think this is my business or not.”