Page 52 of Savage Blood
After throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, voices carried from downstairs, spiking my pulse.
Fane lifted his hand for me to calm down. “It’s the rest of them.”
A few moments later, as I sat on the bed to lace up a pair of boots Fane had also brought, Saint popped his head into the room. Once his silver gaze found me, the worry faded from them, and he let out a breath of relief.
“You’re okay.”
Tension thickened the air, and I could feel Fane fighting the urge to slam the door on Saint. Having a fated mate and an actual claimed mate would never be easy.
“I’m fine.” My voice came out as barely more than a whisper. “Is everyone else okay?”
The Blackwater Falls alpha nodded and eased into the room. He wore a pair of jeans and nothing else, displaying his sculpted chest and colorful tattoos. Blood splattered his flesh, but most of it wasn’t his.
Fane’s eyes narrowed at my fleeting appreciation of Saint’s physique.
“How’s your mom?” The guilt that Enid was used because of me would eat me alive.
“She’s fine.” Saint dragged his hand through his messy black locks, sighing. “Just some minor injuries.”
Fane yanked a gray t-shirt out of his bag and tossed it to Saint. “You can borrow that.”
Saint caught it, giving a sharp nod. “Thanks.”
The demon shifter rested his hand on my shoulder, his thumb skimming my neck tattoo and making me shiver. “I’ll search for some bandages for those cuts on your side.”
“Don’t be gone long,” I whispered, hating to be away from him for even a few minutes.
A soft smile chased his lips. “Never again.”
After Fane vanished from the room, leaving the door open, Saint strolled toward me while yanking the shirt over his head.
“I’m so sorry about Enid.” My bottom lip quivered as a lump swelled in my throat. “You must hate me.”
His head jerked back, and he closed the remaining space between us, resting his hand on my arm. “I could never hate you, Tate. You’re my, well, you know.”
His fated mate.
“And even if you weren’t, I could never hate you.” He squeezed my arm gently before sliding his hand down to grip mine. “None of this is your fault.”
I quickly wiped a tear off my cheek. “The Collective Nosterium only went after your mom so they could use her to control me. Itismy fault.”
Saint pulled me into him, and I let him, burying my face against him like I’d done to Fane a few minutes ago. Although Saint’s embrace didn’t have the same effect, it wasn’t horrible.
Actually, it was nice.
“No, it’s Barric’s fault.” Saint rested his chin on my head and stroked my back. “You can’t be responsible for what that psycho does, Tate.”
I sniffled and tightened my arms around his waist. “Why do you have to be so nice? Can’t you just yell at me? Or maybe give an angry growl?”
“Grrrr. Is that mean enough for you?”
“Not even close, Saint.” I chuckled. “You weren’t even trying. Besides?—”
A sudden wave of fury slammed into me, and I stumbled out of Saint’s arms, expecting to find Fane glaring at us. But he wasn’t in the room. As his anger continued to flow through the bond, I realized it had nothing to do with Saint.
“Ruin,” I hissed and then bolted out of the room, Saint on my heels.
In the chaos of escaping and then fighting the mutated shifters, I forgot Fane would face Ruin after learning the high demon caused Warin’s death.
