Page 54 of Savage Blood
“Warin was too kind of a soul to wish this on anyone, Fane.” Ruin’s jaw clenched as he raised his head again. “You know that.”
Wrath trekked across the small living room to the kitchen counter and unzipped a backpack. “Who did you bond with?”
His tone remained calm, but his words trembled almost imperceptibly as he tried to keep his emotions in check. He and Warin had been more than friends—soul mates, according to Wrath. And he lost him because of his own twin.
And me.
Ruin slumped against the wall, thinking the danger of his impending murder was gone—or at least stalled.
“Roxie,” he said.
Wrath cursed as he withdrew a bottle of water from his bag. “Are you serious? A raven?”
Fane’s fingers squeezed mine. “Her, of all people, Ruin? She has to be one of the most duplicitous non-demon or fae creatures I’ve met.”
“Obviously, they’re a perfect match.” Wrath threw a water bottle at his brother with a little more force than necessary.
Ruin caught it, wincing from the cut leaking black blood down his side. “It’s only temporary. I’ll break it when she’s no longer needed.”
I tugged on Fane’s hand to pull him away from Ruin. “So, with Ruin’s help, we can monitor The Collective Nosterium and remain one step ahead of Barric.”
Fane scoffed, knowing damn well that wasn’t the full story. “You think you’ll still get a chance to steal the Infernal Sol with someone on the inside.”
“Exactly.” I used all my focus to keep the craving for that stupid amulet from surfacing.
I wouldn’t let it attach to me this time. No way.
“And being one step ahead of Barric right now would help us all escape alive.” Saint wrapped gauze around Alicia’s arm while his mother continue to fuss over her leg. “Not all of us are as impervious as you four.”
Why the hell would Saint include me in the nearly invincible club, especially when a sliver of an ancient, evil demon stuck inside threatened to kill me?
Fane rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “Fine. I won’t kill Ruin. For now.”
My lungs expelled a deep breath, and as Fane felt the relief flowing from me, his nostrils flared. He knew I had sympathy for Ruin, and he didn’t like it one damn bit.
Fane’s lipsbrushed over mine while his hands massaged the small of my back. Goose bumps puckered my flesh, and the tattoos on my neck and arm crackled with electricity. Hell, my whole body vibrated.
“Aren’t we supposed to help the others with our escape plan?” I murmured against his mouth.
Leaving this room to join the tension-filled living room where everyone fought over the best route to the gateway wasthe last thing I wanted to do. But a smidge of sticky guilt oozed through my veins.
“It’s better that I’m not in the same room as Ruin. Trust me.” Fane’s hands skimmed around my front, and those nimble fingers flicked open the button on my jeans. “And I can’t help it if I need some alone time with my mate after being separated for so long.”
I let out a soft moan as his hand dipped into my pants and his fingers slid over my center, already aching for him. “Yeah, you’re right. We should stay.”
His teeth dragged over my jaw and then down my throat as flames lapped at my skin. “You definitely need some attention, don’t you, fiera mika?”
A shudder ran down my spine. The urge to rip every bit of fabric separating us bled through my system, stealing my sanity. The smirk crossing Fane’s lips made it obvious he felt my longing through the bond.
Damn. I missed him.
“If you can be really quiet like a good girl, I—” Fane’s head suddenly yanked toward the door, his hearing picking up on something.
The chatter from the living room extinguished as creaks echoed downstairs, and my pulse skyrocketed.
“Someone’s breaking in,”I said into Fane’s mind as he reluctantly removed his hand from my pants.
He gave a sharp nod, buttoned my jeans, and tugged me into the cramped living room. Everyone was silent while the stairs behind the front door groaned under someone’s weight.
