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“Back for more?” Fane grabbed a towel off the back of his desk chair and rubbed his hair to soak up the water, leaving the black strands in a sexy mess.
I closed the door, marched toward him, and shoved him against the wall. “Where do you get off accusing me of trying to seduce you to get you to talk?”
His mouth tipped into a smirk. “You’ve done much worse.”
“You’re the one who screwed with me all that time we were together before finally handing me over to Ruin.” I shoved my finger into his sternum, his muscles like titanium. “You’re the one who used sex to drive me crazy and hurt me. Not the other way around.”
“I didn’t do it to hurt you.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he glared. “Maybe in the beginning, but then I was only lying to myself.”
I pushed away from him and paced his room, the rug around his bed sinking between my toes. “You know too much about me to believe I’d do that. Why would you even think it?”
Fane shrugged. “I’m a prick.”
“Not always.” He did have his moments like when he stood up for me after Coltrane kicked me out, and he delivered those kind words that made me hate myself a little less. “There’s more under that thorny exterior, but you won’t let me see it.”
Hard lines carved his face, and his eyes darkened as storm clouds rolled in. “If you knew my secrets, it would only solidify what a vile asshole I am.”
“That is such bullshit.” I stopped pacing and glowered at him. “You just like having the upper hand.”
Fane twisted the towel like he wanted to wrap it around my throat. He probably did. “I can’t help that your nightmares and emotions end up in my head. I’ve tried to block them.”
“Don’t tell me you always do everything you can to stay out.” I moved in front of him, resting my hands on my hips. “You go looking for information sometimes, don’t you?”
His blazing gaze dropped to the ground, and I could practically taste the guilt in the air. “Well, when you’re always screaming shit at me—”
“Oh please, Maverick.” I yanked the towel out of his hand and tossed it back on the chair. Damn it. Why did he have to look so good with wet, tousled hair? “You poke and prod to find out things while I’m stuck in the dark about you. And you like it. You like to be the one in control.”
Fane’s head snapped up as a snarl burst from his teeth. “Fine. You want to know me.” A sinister shadow descended over him, hardening every feature until he looked like a fierce bronze statue. “You asked for it.”
A chill raked down my spine, but I didn’t dare move back or flinch.
He snatched my hand and pressed it over the scars radiating from his heart, his pulse pounding against my palm. “A shifter in this pack more than twice my age tried to claw out my heart because he thought I was a threat.” His nostrils flared. “I was thirteen.”
I did flinch thinking of Fane as a kid being tormented by the people who were supposed to take care of him.
It sounded a lot likemylife.
He gave a humorless chuckle. “Don’t feel sorry for me. Roland was right to be cautious. I killed him while blood poured from my gaping wounds.” His head lowered toward mine. “Your body count is nothing compared to mine, sweetheart. Trust me. I make you look like a fucking saint.”
My mouth tightened into a white line. “Neither of us is a saint. Far from it.”
Fane moved my fingers to a vicious scar on his right shoulder. “This is from my father. He shoved me into a jagged rock when I was eleven to see what would break, me or the rock. Turns out, we both broke.”
Could he remember how he got each scar? I remembered mine even though I longed to forget.
“This one is from Camus.” Fane slid my fingers to a scar right below his collarbone. “He sliced me with a silver knife to see if it affected me as much as normal wolves.”
“Did it?” I’d never told Fane the silver blade Karn stabbed me with hadn’t burned like it should have.
He cracked his neck. “It burned at first, but it didn’t last.” A bitter smile curved his lips. “He tried it a few more times just to be certain.” Fane traced more scars riddling his chest.
Fire slid through my veins, and I wanted to march to the alpha’s house and slicehima couple of times.
“This is one of my favorites.” Fane lifted my hand to the savage mark on his cheek. “Marissa gave me this after we slept together the first time. She freaked out when it was over, called me a monster, and clawed my face.”
I dug my fingers in deeper and felt more than just one line in his skin.That horrible bitch.
His teeth sharpened as his pupils elongated. “You want the real me, Teague? The monster? I’m not gentle or sweet. I’m not a caring, loving guy. I’m wicked and terrible. Depraved. I will tear you apart a hundred times over if I feel like it. I will ruin you and make you wish you’d never met me.”
