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Was Cirilla right? Would the walls he used to keep me out eventually crumble? If we returned to the elder wolf, and she discovered a way to break this tie, I’d probably never get the chance to really know Fane.
Maybe that was for the best.
I took another sip of lemonade and frowned into the empty mug. Just one more glass, and then I’d try to sleep. The cool air of the fridge blasted me in the face as I poured another serving and then rested my elbows against the counter, studying a framed picture of the Anders in the corner.
Nora, Ephraim, Dylan, and Preston grinned for the camera while Fane awkwardly stood apart from them, grimacing. Nora’s hand gripped his shirt sleeve, trying to tug him closer. Theywantedhim to be part of their family.
No one had ever wanted me like that. Well, the ravens did until I became a nightworlder. So many foster homes had shoved me out the door when they either noticed my strangeness, or I fought against their abuse. The ravens turned out to be just like them, kicking me out when I became a problem.
Rejected and abused. That was the story of my life.
My fingers on the mug tightened, the porcelain straining beneath my grip. I wasn’t that person anymore. I’d taken control of my life a long time ago. The ravens were just a mistake. I let Hawk and Coltrane get too close.
Not anymore.
No one would hurt me again.
I’dhurt them.
Dark thoughts whispered through my mind as the Infernal Sol stirred in my core, spreading black tendrils of power through my bloodstream. Its deadly grip wrapped around my insides, but I didn’t care. I just relished in the images it pushed into my mind of taking out anyone who hurt me, crushing them with my bare hands.
None of them stood a chance, not with the ancient demon power twisting inside of me. They would all fall to their knees, and I’d laugh at their pain. A smile curled my lips as I imagined the sticky blood of my victims dripping from my fingers.
A hand landed on my shoulder.
The reaction was instantaneous, and the amulet’s hold snapped into place.
The mug fell from my fingers, shattering to the hardwoods and spilling lemonade as shards of porcelain scattered. I spun, shoved the person’s grip off, and snatched his throat. His shock wore off as I slammed him against the fridge, rattling the contents.
“Tate, it’s me, Preston.” His choked words hit the air, but they didn’t sink in.
ChapterThirty
The male shifter’severgreen eyes widened as honey locks fell in his paling cheeks. A memory nudged the back of my mind, trying to break through the murky fog.
I knew him, and I should let him go.
But my fingers only constricted.
He wasn’t that beautiful beast from before, the one my soul recognized and whose violence rivaled my own. That creature had a power in him that could make me bend—if I wanted to.
This wasn’t him.
“Tate, please, what are you doing?” The guy tried to force my hold from his neck. “I don’t want to hurt you, but—”
A wicked, terrifying laugh spiraled out of my mouth. “You? Hurtme?”
The shifter’s irises brightened to gold, and his muscles coiled as his wolf form rose closer to challenge me. “I’m sorry, Tate.” His hand whipped out and shoved me.
My fingers broke from his neck, and he gasped for air, but his reprieve was brief. I moved too fast for him to react, grabbed his arms, and threw him to the ground with a booming thud. As he slid across the hardwoods into the front of the living room, I leaped on him, pinning him with my hand fastened around his neck again.
A snarl coiled from my teeth, stealing the blood from his cheeks. “No one hurts me.” Sharp, black talons sprouted from my fingers, and I raked them down his chest to rip the fabric of his shirt.
The shredded material fell away, revealing smooth, tan flesh that would look much better with shallow cuts spilling blood. His screams and pleas would make a lovely melody.
The shifter’s lips curled back to reveal sharpening canines, and thick hair sprouted from his arms. “Get off me, Tate.” His voice had lowered, and a growl rattled the back of his throat.
Adrenaline flowed through my veins. “Oh, now we can have some real fun, wolf. I can chase you and break your bones when I catch you.” I sliced my talons down his chest, and he howled as blood bloomed over his skin from the superficial cuts.
