Page 124 of Savage Fate

The demon shifter allowed me to land a few hits before he shoved me off. I came at him again, dragging both of us to the ground. My talons dug into the wooden floorboards as I crouched, facing off against Fane.

“Stop doing this, Tate.” He rolled his shoulders as the tattoos on his arms twitched, a sign his beast was near.

Mybeast.

I needed to stop this.

But I couldn’t.

A feral roar burst out of my mouth, challenging Fane. “Get out of my way.”

Instead of letting me go, he crawled closer, snarling like an animal. “Not. Fucking. Happening.” His alpha power pulsatedfrom him, hitting me in the chest. The tattoo on my neck and hand fluttered and crackled. “Back down, Tate. Now.”

My nostrils flared as I fought the weight of his power. The bastard thought he could control me? “I don’t submit.”

“You will.” Fane was on all fours now, spikes bursting through his knuckles as he tried to hold his demon wolf at bay. “Don’t let this go any further.” His voice had deepened, and lethal barbs twisted around every syllable.

“I donotsubmit.”

My wolf surged forward, and I couldn’t stop the shift. One minute, I crouched in full demon mode, and the next, fur covered me, and I stood on all fours.

Son of a bitch.

The release of my animal side had triggered Fane’s, and he transformed in seconds, a vicious howl erupting from him as he became a lethal beast with ebony fur, slick onyx spikes, and luminescent eyes.

Saint cursed and slowly moved to the edge of the room, far away from Fane. The demon shifter was deadly in his human form. He was on a whole other level as his wolf. His animal instincts were front and center, and rational thought took a back seat.

“Back down, fiera mika.”

As Fane’s voice, his command, slinked into my mind, I shivered.

“Not a chance.” But I wanted to.

Suddenly, I wanted to drop to the ground, roll over, and present my throat to him.

Shit. I was losing my grasp.

I pawed the floor and growled, letting my own alpha power slam into his.

“Stop fighting me. I’m only trying to protect you,”he said into my mind.

“I don’t need protection. I need the amulet.”

Fane ignored my threat and pushed past the invisible force between us. As he neared, the barely perceptible tremble to his limbs became clear.

At least my power had an effect on him. Maybe I wasn’t as weak as I thought without the Infernal Sol.

“You are far from weak. Don’t let the amulet make you think you are nothing without it.”

“I am nothing,”I muttered, feeling the anger slowly wane.“I need it to be strong again.”

“That’s bullshit.”Fane’s sharp teeth gleamed in the overhead light.“The raven I followed into that alley years ago was made of fire and steel. The amulet had fuck all to do with that.”

My childhood had shredded me up, spit me out, and I reformed into a piece of hard metal. I’d taken on opponents twice my size and twice as strong well before I became a raven, a shifter, or had possession of the demon amulet.

But the Infernal Sol had given me so much more power…

I became titanium with poisonous spikes across my body.

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