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“Having fun, Preston?” Fane’s voice rolled out in a deep rumble, his attention zeroing in on his cousin’s hand at my neck.
Preston yanked his hand away and took a step back. “Uh, I was just checking out her tattoo.”
Fane moved toward me, a vein in his temple pulsing. “We should go.”
“You’re not coming with us to shift tonight?” Preston frowned. “I was looking forward to it.”
“I’m sure you were.” Fane’s fingers coiled around my wrist, and he paused as he felt my scars, but he didn’t mention them. “We’re going alone.” He pulled me toward the front door.
“Possessive much?” Preston mumbled behind us.
I didn’t fight Fane’s hold as he dragged me onto the porch. For some reason, I felt safe shifting with him andonlyhim.
When did I start feeling safe with this asshole?
ChapterTwenty-Two
As the fullmoon rose high over the trees, dappling the forest bracken in silvery light, my hands grew clammy, and my pulse thundered. I chewed on my bottom lip until a few droplets of blood settled on my tongue.
And still, I didn’t shift.
“Nothing’s happening.” I perched on the edge of a massive fallen log cushioned with moss. “Maybe the bite didn’t work right. You’re only half shifter anyway.” Knots twisted in my gut as I thought of the alternative. If I didn’t become a shifter, did that mean I’d turn into a demon?
Fane, who stood next to the log, staring off into the distance, rolled his tense shoulders. “You’re going to turn. You smell like a shifter.”
“According to Preston, I smell like you.”
He crossed his arms, making his t-shirt strain against his hard physique.
Damn, he looked good.
“And what else did Preston say?”
“Nothing much.” I gave a casual shrug and smirked. “I had no idea you were such a talented artist. Do you do anything else besides moody paintings?” It was mean, but he deserved it. The jerk bit me against my will, and he hadn’t explained anything about shifting. Was I supposed to figure it all out when it happened—if it ever did? Thanks to Preston, at least I knew I wouldn’t suddenly become a crazed, wild animal.
Unless I was different because of Fane.
He cracked his knuckles, the pops ricocheting through the forest like breaking twigs. “I’m beginning to think the Infernal Sol isn’t worth it. Maybe I’ll just kill you now.”
“Go ahead,” I snapped. “I’m not stopping you.”
Fane shook his head, muttering under his breath. “Having to babysit my brother’s murderer is a fucking nightmare.”
His words had me jumping off the log. “I didn’t ask for any of this. All I wanted to do was complete my mission, and I would have if you hadn’t gotten in my way. Now I’m stuck with your moody, pouty ass for who knows how long.” I jammed my finger into his solid chest. “You think I want to be here with you?”
He snatched my finger, his hand wrapping around mine as he yanked me forward so hard I slammed into him. Bolts of electricity sizzled between us like lightning striking the wet ground. “Next time you touch me, I might slice off one of your extremities. You’ll still live long enough for me to recover the Infernal Sol.”
“You didn’t seem to mind my touch at dinner, Maverick.” He didn’t seem to mind my body pressed against his right now either. “You were clutching my hand like your life depended on it.”
The muscles beneath his inked skin twitched, and I sensed his beast within crawl forward. “The fact that you let me hold on speaks volumes aboutyou. You know I want to kill you, yet I can taste your desire when I’m near. I could tear your jeans off and fuck you in the dirt right now if I wanted to.” He leaned forward until his lips barely brushed mine like a ghostly kiss. “And you’d beg me for more, wouldn’t you, Teague?”
Flames ignited over me, and they hadn’t been stoked by the rage boiling in my blood. Instead, the wicked, dirty images his words provoked had throbs pulsating between my legs. And the asshole knew it.
“Go to hell, Maverick.” I yanked my hand out of his and shoved him off. “You’re so full of yourself you can’t tell the difference between disgust and desire.”
A vicious smile split those soft lips, the thin hoop glinting in the moonlight. “Oh, I can tell the difference, Teague. Believe me.”
My cheeks burned, and my muscles tensed, poised for action. As my senses sharpened to diamond points, the air thickened, and I felt every minute drop of moisture. Animal scents muddled together with plants and the loamy soil. Something like fire and heat coiled over my tongue.
