Page 21 of Savage Fate

“Don’t be so jealous, Maverick.”I stuck my tongue out at him.“Besides, the prince?—”

My words sheared off as the conference room disintegrated, and instead of burgundy walls with glossy wainscoting, crimson paint coated my surroundings. Candlewax and the coppery scent of blood perfumed the air.

Where the hell am I?

A hard surface stretched beneath me, and sweat soaked my clothes. But the baggy sweatpants and Denver Broncos t-shirt weren’t mine.

Cold fear leaked through my veins as my breaths came in quick pants. I couldn’t move even though no restraints held me down. An invisible force kept me frozen, the impending doom scraping at my flesh.

Am I under an enchantment?

Weird symbols decorated the ceiling, and the unfamiliar black marks poured frost down my scalp.

Within the shadows coating the edges of the room, something fluttered. A rustle of fabric echoed, and white flashed through the darkness.

Sinister laughter swirled out.

“Tate, what’s wrong?”Fane’s voice in my head snapped me out of the vision, and the conference room reappeared.

I rested my palms on his chest, his body’s warmth and scent pushing away the remnants of fear. No one else seemed to notice. If anything, we simply looked like two mated shifters sharing a moment.

“I’m fine. I just had one of those visions.”There was no point in denying it now that I’d told him the truth.

“You’re dizzy.” The tiny tendons in his face feathered as he clenched his jaw. “Have you eaten anything today?”

“Of course.” The lie easily fell from my mouth, but Fane saw right through it. “I had a cinnamon roll.”

A low rumble vibrated his throat. “You need to eat. Now.”

“I’ll take her to the cafeteria,” Kortney said, having overheard part of our conversation. “They should be serving lunch, and I’m freaking starving.”

“That works,” I blurted. Being surrounded by unfriendly ravens wasn’t my favorite idea, but Fane would watch me like a hawk if he escorted me anywhere.

Kortney slipped her arm through mine and pried me out of Fane’s grip. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll take care of your precious mate.”

“You better,” Fane muttered under his breath, causing a flood of heat to spread over my skin.

The female raven grinned as we trekked out of the conference room, the air still tingling with magic. “Is he always so… protective?”

I gave a noncommittal shrug. “Sometimes. Other times, I’m pretty sure he wants to rip my throat out.”

“I’d definitely risk it for a chance to be ravaged by that beast of a man.” Her dark gaze met mine as she tucked ebony locks behind her ear. “He’s good in bed, isn’t he?”

“Good doesn’t even come close to describing it.”

Her laugh bounced down the long corridor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fane heard it and guessed the topic of our conversation.

Before entering the dining hall, the scents of grilling meat and vibrant spices hit my nose. My stomach actually growled.

Then we stepped into the room, and all eyes turned toward me, eviscerating my appetite.

“Don’t you just love Tex-Mex?” Kortney rubbed her stomach and grabbed a tray, oblivious to the attention we garnered.

“Who doesn’t?” I mumbled, taking a tray.

No one bothered us as we traveled through the line at the front of the room, making our wraps. I stuffed mine with chicken, jalapeños, and a small bit of rice and then grabbed a bottle of hot sauce from the condiment section.

Kortney snorted. “Some things never change.”

---