Page 93 of Savage Blood
And that meant…
“Maybe Tate doesn’t need to be completely cured to beat your sorry ass.” If Hawk’s hands weren’t tied, he’d flip Barric off. “She was born from an alpha,andshe’s part demon because of Fane. She could take you any day.”
I wished Hawk were right, but I couldn’t beat Barric, not while he had the Infernal Sol.
“Tate might have told everyone who she was and shown her alpha power.” Barric sliced the blade across Hawk’s bicep, and crimson blood dribbled out of it. “But she’s not strong enough to take me.”
A knock rattled the door, and Roxie entered the room, her arrogant smile remaining in place even at the sight of a bloody, injured Hawk.
If she was letting this happen, I’d gut her.
As he felt my fury and its underlying pain, Fane slipped his fingers through mine and squeezed.
“If you keep poking at him, he’s going to bleed out, and then he’ll be of no use,” Roxie warned.
Barric’s eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me what to do?”
Roxie tsked and strolled forward, swaying her hips. “Oh, come on, Barric. You know how much I enjoy torture, which is why I have a surprise for you downstairs.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What surprise?”
She ran her fingers across his scarred arm in a slow, tantalizing manner. “I rounded up a few dux demons for you to play with.”
My gag reflexes engaged. Had Roxie actually slept with my father? She certainly seemed comfortable touching him.
“They’ll be much more fun. And you can actually kill them.” Roxie took the knife from Barric’s hand. “I can put the raven back in his little cage.”
A sinister grin hitched up the former head alpha’s lips. “You know exactly how to make me smile. You’ve proven more useful than I ever imagined.”
I almost threw up in my mouth.
After Barric left the room, Roxie tossed the knife back on the table and marched toward Hawk. She slipped a small vialof golden liquid from her pocket, uncorked the vessel, and tipped it to his lips.
“Drink this.”
Hawk gulped the elixir and grimaced. “What was that?”
She shoved the empty bottle back into her pocket. “It’s a healing elixir from Roman. Barric will forget the wounds he caused by the next time he sees you. If anything, he’ll just chalk it up to you being a raven.”
A shaky breath escaped my lungs as the blood stopped flowing from Hawk’s wounds and some of his bruises faded.
So Roxiewashelping him—only because Ruin made her, though.
She pulled out a key to unlock the surrounding chains. “I’ll get you some food and?—”
The walls darkened, and the floor beneath my feet dissolved. Fane and I tumbled through a dark tunnel…
Moments later,we stood in his art studio again, my fingers clutching his shirt and our lips brushing together.
Hot, boiling rage pummeled my heart, and I broke out of Fane’s embrace. Barric was torturing Hawk in the Underworld because of me, because Fane sacrificed him for me.
“Good. Be mad,” he said. “I did this, remember?”
I shook my head as if that would rid me of those painful images of Hawk bound in chains. “How could I forget?”
But I almost did. Being near Fane, knowing how much agony this separation caused him, was almost enough to make me forgive him.
Deep down, I knew I’d have to eventually. Preston was right when he said I was Fane’s first priority, and he would sacrifice anything—anyone—to save me.
