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A warning growl clawed up Fane’s throat. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
As his long legs ate up the ground, I had to quicken my pace to catch up. We’d walked to the alpha’s house this time, and a few more roads stood between us and the Anders’ home.
“What about your mom?” I asked. “She’s in an Underworld prison?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” The tattoos on his arms twitched as his beast rose forward.
His temper didn’t dissuade or frighten me. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop, forcing him toward me. “It’s not fair that you get to know all of my secrets and pain, but you won’t even give me one drop of information about you.”
“Too fucking bad.” He closed the distance between us and slammed his forehead on mine, baring his teeth. “You don’t need to know a damn thing, Teague.”
I pushed back against his head. “Yes, I do!”
Fane gripped my biceps, his fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises. “No, you don’t. We are not in a relationship. You are not my mate or my girlfriend. You are nothing to me, so you need to know nothing about me.”
His words, like invisible talons, ripped gouges into my heart. I schooled my expression, but the asshole would feel the hurt he’d caused no matter what I did. Maybe he enjoyed it.
I broke his grip and shoved him off. “You’re right about that, Maverick. I would never be with a beast like you.”
He flinched, and a memory crashed into my mind of Marissa telling him the same thing.
Ugly, dark, oily shame coiled around my throat, ripping the air from my lungs. I shouldn’t have said that. No matter how the prick treated me, I’d felt his anguish at her rejection, and I just dug the knives in a little deeper.
Fane took a step back, and a hard mask dropped over his features as his eyes flashed red. “And I would never be with Warin’s killer.” He spun and marched off, his boots digging into the ground.
Another lash whipped across my heart, but I couldn’t force my legs to go after him. Instead, I let him vanish into the trees, and moments later, a vicious roar filled the night.
* * *
I tossedand turned in my bed and then stared at Fane’s forest painting on the wall for hours. Sleep alluded me like a rabbit trying to hide from the big bad wolf. Memories of my time with the ravens drifted forward, digging more cracks into my heart. I’d fought so hard to be one of them, but in the end, they still cast me aside like trash.
Not long after Coltrane took me in, I almost left. Living on the streets and taking care of myself didn’t make the transition into their organization easy. My nature was to rebel against the rules, and the ravens had plenty of them…
The limbof the massive oak creaked as I stepped onto it, balancing on one foot while the other still hung onto the windowsill. I glanced back at my room in Corvin Manor, my heart tightening. This was it. If I took the other foot off and fully crouched in this tree, I was done.
I was never coming back.
I would never be a raven.
As the strap of the duffel bag dug into my shoulder, weighed down by the scant possessions, I already knew my decision. I’d made my choice.
This life was not for me.
The leaves danced in the wind blowing off the Savannah River as my fingers clung to the tree trunk, and I drew my other foot off the manor. Captain Coltrane recruited me the night that monster had ripped my world apart. At the time, I thought this was exactly what I wanted, to avenge the innocence lost that night and to atone for my part in it and all the terrible things I’d done.
But I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I shimmied down the tree, my boots silent as I jumped to the ground. A deep breath filled my lungs, and I readjusted the strap on my shoulder. Another bag with essentials and a stash of money was hidden in a locker at the train station, so I’d make my way there tomorrow and figure out the rest.
By no means would I stop hunting these demons and otherworldly monsters. I’d die doing it. That was the plan. I just couldn’t deal with these rules or stand being friendly to everyone. That wasn’t in my nature. I didn’t trust any of them. Most of the time, my control was spent not knocking some of those arrogant ravens and novices out.
The street was quiet as I made my way down the historic red brick road, most of the citizens tucked in their beds at this hour. Nightworlders still prowled the city, though. Maybe I’d find one and send it back to hell.
A throat cleared behind me, and I froze. “Going somewhere, Ms. Teague?”
Shit.
I slowly spun to face Coltrane leaning against another tree, her arms crossed and black attire blending into the night. “Just out for a walk.”
