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I rolled my head and stretched my arms, feeling like a new person. “Where’s the fun in that? I want to play for a bit, see how much pain he can take before he begs.”
“No, Teague. No games this time. And don’t kill him.” Power filtered through his words, demanding that I bend to his will. His fingers curled around my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. “Knock him out and calm down.”
I breathed him in, getting high off that familiar, heady scent—like campfire, warm leather, and spices. “I remember what you did last time, beautiful monster.” My hand dragged down his face, and I traced a scar on his jaw. “You used that power inside of you to end my fun early.”
Only alphas could influence other shifters. Was he an alpha?Myalpha?
My laugh curled out, seductive and foreboding. “No one is my alpha.”
“Tatum.” He grabbed my wrist and tapped into more power. “I saidno.”
A shiver rippled over me as I fought his hold. “And I saidyes. Besides, you’re not really here.” I brushed my lips against his, my tongue flicking his piercing. “Bye now.” I snapped, and he vanished.
My lips pouted. If he could have just let me have fun, I wouldn’t have had to make him leave.
The bear crawled out of the rubble, shaking debris from his massive body. Blood perfumed the air and drops speckled the gray carpet. He was cut. But not enough. It would be fun to fill his flesh with shallow slices and guess how long it would take him to bleed out.
Despite knowing he wasn’t the most dangerous creature in the room anymore, the bear charged. I moved faster and grabbed the liquor bottle off the table, smashing it to create a sharp weapon. As the bear fell on me this time, I shoved the jagged glass into his chest.
His ferocious bellow shook my eardrums, and he tumbled off onto his side. Ice and barbed wire surrounded my laughter—sharp, cold, and cruel—and I yanked the glass out, blood spurting over his thick, brown fur.
“Oops. Didn’t mean to go that deep. Well, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” I stabbed him again, and his massive paws swiped at me, getting only air as I ducked.
Footsteps echoed, and two demons bolted into the room, the one with navy hair stopping in front of me, cursing up a storm. He asked the other one in Barathrum—a demon language—to grab me.
How did I know that?
“He could try,” I said. “And I’ll have fun ripping his fingers off.”
The blood drained from the silver-haired one, and he lifted his hands, taking a step back. “I’m not going near her. That isnotTate.”
“Yes, it is.” The powerful one with tattoos peeking out of his partially unbuttoned shirt kneeled next to me. “Tate, I’m Ruin, remember? I need you to let the shifter go. Trust me, you don’t want to kill him.”
I sucked my teeth. “Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.” He snatched the glass out of my hand. “I’ll find you another toy to play with.”
Scorching lava flowed through my bloodstream. Who was he to think he could stop my fun? “I don’t want another. I want that one.”
“Sorry about this.” He pressed his palm on my neck, and a sharp zap of electricity crackled, striking the demon. He gnashed his teeth as the intense sensations continued.
What the hell was he doing?
I shoved him off and then scrambled back, covering the black tattoo on my neck. It didn’t like people touching it except the one who marked me.
Fane.
Maverick.
His image inundated my mind, and the darkness faded as if the sun had risen, taking with it the influence of the Infernal Sol. The room came into focus while the shifter slowly changed into his human form, unconscious. The guy couldn’t be more than twenty, maybe even younger.
Two brutal stab wounds dug into his chest, and blood covered his pale skin.
Crimson stained my hands.
A cry burst out of my mouth as the realization hit me. I’d done that. I would have done worse if Ruin hadn’t stopped me.
Oh, God. What did I do?
