Savage Fate (Den of Shadows #5)

Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

“Come on.” Fane jerked his head toward the left, and we slinked through the woods toward the foul scent. “We’re about to cross out of Mohan territory, so keep your guard up.”

As I pulled on my shifter senses, the forest brightened and the stench intensified. Once we passed another few rows of trees, we finally found its source.

A dead body.

Fane cursed as his head whipped left and right. “No one else is here. There’s a faint scent, but I can’t pin it to any creature.”

“So someone just dropped a corpse right outside Mohan territory?” I kneeled next to the woman, face down in a pile of leaves, blood staining her pale-blond curls. “She’s a wolf shifter too.”

A low growl vibrated his throat. “A bitten one.”

Just like I’d thought, the dead shifter we found outside of Silver Ridge wasn’t an isolated incident. Someone was killing shifters.

Fane called Camus, and he arrived with a sheet so we could wrap the deceased and carry her to the healers for an examination. The alpha instructed a few shifters to patrol the perimeter of Mohan territory, but so far, they hadn’t encountered any intruders.

Whoever had tossed the body was long gone.

Hailey, one of the healers, cursed as she pulled the dead shifter’s shirt apart and revealed the gaping hole in her chest. “Her heart was cut out.”

“Just like the one at Silver Ridge.” My stomach heaved at the flesh curled around the hole.

We loomed over the metal examination table in one of the downstairs rooms, the woman’s cloudy eyes staring up at the white paneled ceiling. The scent of medicinal herbs pumped through the air but did nothing to mask the rot and death choking the atmosphere.

Who was this wolf shifter? Did she have a mate? Kids?

Someone had to be looking for her.

Hailey poked at the wound with a scalpel. “They used a sharp knife, but they weren’t an expert. The cuts are jagged and imprecise.”

Marks encircled the shifter’s wrists, and the scars on mine burned as disturbing memories bubbled up. I knew what it felt like to be tied up. And I knew what those bruises looked like.

“She was bound at the wrists.” I jerked my chin toward her legs. “Check her ankles.”

Sure enough, when Camus lifted the soiled jeans, the same marks mottled her ankles. “She was probably tied down when they cut her heart out.”

Sensing the shiver rippling through me, Fane stepped closer. “Body number two means this is a pattern. If it’s not The Collective, then it’s something equally bad.”

Camus nodded. “I’m going to double security patrols, but I won’t inform the whole pack. Everyone’s already on edge because of Barric and The Collective. There’s no need to create panic when we don’t even know who or what we’re dealing with.”

Flickering candlelight danced over the three witches sitting in a circle on the floor, chanting as a small purple cloud undulated over a map of the United States. Nothing happened when they tried Georgia, so they widened their search.

“Do you think they’re doing it right?” Hawk murmured to Kortney as we leaned against the dark wall in one of the conference rooms at Corvin Manor that the ravens cleared out for the witches to perform a scrying spell. “They’ve been at this for over an hour and not even a blip.”

Kortney shrugged. “I have no idea how long this is supposed to take.”

Hawk, Fane, and I left Mohan Wilds to visit the ravens after Captain Gia agreed to arrange a meeting with witches. After discovering two dead shifters, locating Barric whether The Collective Hunt had anything to do with the murders or not was necessary.

The female wolf shifter we found in Mohan Wilds belonged to a mixed pack in Alabama. Her friend reported her missing, and word finally spread to Camus. Tessa Cunningham had been bitten and turned into a shifter five years ago. She was unmated and had no children.

Violet Thompson, the panther shifter dropped outside Silver Ridge, came from Virginia. She had an intended mate, but he hadn’t officially claimed her yet.

My hands curled into fists as I thought of these women being tortured and hunted by monsters.

Barric had to be behind this. And if I still had the Infernal Sol, I could easily take him down and make him choke on his fears.

We had to find him. The bastard could be anywhere, even in another realm, for all we knew.

Fane leaned over to whisper in my ear. “I doubt Barric would step foot in the Underworld. Maybe Illyria or Faerieland.”

My brow arched. “Did you just read my mind?”

A crooked smile pulled at his mouth. “You have a habit of accidentally projecting your thoughts to me, fiera mika.”

“I really wish I’d stop doing that.”

“Not me. I get a lot of surprising info about you that way.” His lips brushed my ear. “Like how much you enjoyed watching me get dressed after showering this morning.”

As heat bloomed in my cheeks, I elbowed his ribs, earning a low chuckle. “You’re such a prick. And it’s impossible not to look when you’re strutting around your room, showing off.”

He scoffed. “I never show off. I can’t help it if I’m entertaining to watch.”

“This isn’t working.” Zane’s voice interrupted our banter, and he waved his hand, letting the misty spell mixture sink back into the copper bowl.

Jess, the other witch, wiped sweat from her forehead and brushed long blond strands behind her shoulder. “Maybe Barric just isn’t in America anymore. We should try a world map to see if we get any hits.”

Zane, the witch who enchanted all the ravens here with The Calling spell, shook his head. “Something is cloaking them, and Roman isn’t capable of magic that powerful, at least, I don’t think. He shouldn’t be able to hide himself or anyone if we’re using the Eye of Astraeon.”

“Could Roman have gotten his hands on something more powerful than this talisman?” Lia, the other witch, asked, tapping the aqua oval pendant next to the bowl. “Perhaps something he purchased on the black market?”

As an icy chill slinked down my spine, I met Fane’s stare. Our minds had gone to the same place.

“Do you think the Infernal Sol is hiding Barric?” I silently asked.

Fane’s jaw clenched as he gave a slight nod. “We don’t know all the powers of the amulet, but I wouldn’t put it past the thing to have cloaking magic.”

Jess reached over and grabbed one of the grimoires stacked nearby. “Perhaps we should consult with Grand Witch Bianca.”

Zane tapped his chiseled chin. “Maybe Thorn could help.”

Lia’s mouth parted. “That might be a little overkill. Besides, she and Prince Caleb are hard to locate.”

With her raven hair, bright-blue eyes, and alabaster skin, she reminded me of Roxie, but there didn’t seem to be an insincere bone in the petite witch’s body.

Of course, I’d been wrong before.

Zane gave a lazy shrug. “We’re friends. I can find them, but let’s try a few other avenues first.”

“Prince Caleb, as in the fae prince of the Unseelie Court?” Kortney pushed away from the wall, a lovestruck expression crossing her features. “I heard he was so hot. Like, scorching.”

I couldn’t stop the grin from breaking free. “I’ve seen a picture of him. And scorching hot is an understatement.”

“Are you trying to annoy me, Teague?” Irritation dripped from Fane’s voice.

“Don’t be so jealous, Maverick.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Besides, the prince ? —”

My words sheared off as the conference room disintegrated, and instead of burgundy walls with glossy wainscoting, crimson paint coated my surroundings. Candlewax and the coppery scent of blood perfumed the air.

Where the hell am I?

A hard surface stretched beneath me, and sweat soaked my clothes. But the baggy sweatpants and Denver Broncos t-shirt weren’t mine.

Cold fear leaked through my veins as my breaths came in quick pants. I couldn’t move even though no restraints held me down. An invisible force kept me frozen, the impending doom scraping at my flesh.

Am I under an enchantment?

Weird symbols decorated the ceiling, and the unfamiliar black marks poured frost down my scalp.

Within the shadows coating the edges of the room, something fluttered. A rustle of fabric echoed, and white flashed through the darkness.

Sinister laughter swirled out.

“Tate, what’s wrong?” Fane’s voice in my head snapped me out of the vision, and the conference room reappeared.

I rested my palms on his chest, his body’s warmth and scent pushing away the remnants of fear. No one else seemed to notice. If anything, we simply looked like two mated shifters sharing a moment.

“I’m fine. I just had one of those visions.” There was no point in denying it now that I’d told him the truth.

“You’re dizzy.” The tiny tendons in his face feathered as he clenched his jaw. “Have you eaten anything today?”

“Of course.” The lie easily fell from my mouth, but Fane saw right through it. “I had a cinnamon roll.”

A low rumble vibrated his throat. “You need to eat. Now.”

“I’ll take her to the cafeteria,” Kortney said, having overheard part of our conversation. “They should be serving lunch, and I’m freaking starving.”

“That works,” I blurted. Being surrounded by unfriendly ravens wasn’t my favorite idea, but Fane would watch me like a hawk if he escorted me anywhere.

Kortney slipped her arm through mine and pried me out of Fane’s grip. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll take care of your precious mate.”

“You better,” Fane muttered under his breath, causing a flood of heat to spread over my skin.

The female raven grinned as we trekked out of the conference room, the air still tingling with magic. “Is he always so… protective?”

I gave a noncommittal shrug. “Sometimes. Other times, I’m pretty sure he wants to rip my throat out.”

“I’d definitely risk it for a chance to be ravaged by that beast of a man.” Her dark gaze met mine as she tucked ebony locks behind her ear. “He’s good in bed, isn’t he?”

“Good doesn’t even come close to describing it.”

Her laugh bounced down the long corridor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fane heard it and guessed the topic of our conversation.

Before entering the dining hall, the scents of grilling meat and vibrant spices hit my nose. My stomach actually growled.

Then we stepped into the room, and all eyes turned toward me, eviscerating my appetite.

“Don’t you just love Tex-Mex?” Kortney rubbed her stomach and grabbed a tray, oblivious to the attention we garnered.

“Who doesn’t?” I mumbled, taking a tray.

No one bothered us as we traveled through the line at the front of the room, making our wraps. I stuffed mine with chicken, jalapenos, and a small bit of rice and then grabbed a bottle of hot sauce from the condiment section.

Kortney snorted. “Some things never change.”

As we sat at an empty table near the corner, I resisted the urge to shove the hood of my sweatshirt over my head.

“What’s it like living with shifters?” Kortney asked before biting into her wrap.

“Like living with regular people. They just happen to change into animals.” I chuckled and then corrected myself. “ We change into animals.”

The female raven raised an eyebrow. “Do they fight all the time?”

“Not at Silver Ridge or Mohan. They’re the most normal homes I’ve ever lived in.”

Kortney cocked her head and used her finger to push a piece of steak back into her wrap. “I always pictured shifters hanging out in the woods or backyards, brawling all day.”

“I used to think the same thing until I became one.”

A familiar face appeared in the crowd, doing a double take when he spotted me. The last time I saw Axel, he wasn’t all that friendly. In fact, he hated me almost as much as Hawk had.

Knots fisted in my gut when the raven headed in our direction.

“If you came over here to start trouble, you can turn your ass back around, Axel.” Kortney motioned her hand between us. “We’re trying to have a nice lunch.”

Axel palmed his nape, his jade eyes cast down. “I deserved that. And worse.”

“Damn right,” Kortney mumbled under her breath.

It was hard to believe Kortney Tran had been my biggest hater at Corvin Manor just a few years ago. Now she was standing up for me against those who used to be my friends—or pretended to be.

Getting The Calling spell and becoming a full raven had definitely changed her outlook.

I sprinkled several drops of hot sauce on my plate. “What do you want, Ax? I’m already the center of attention, and you lurking at the table is making it worse.”

He cursed and dropped into the chair on my right. “Look, Tate, I just want to apologize for being such an asshole.”

“And why exactly were you such a jerk? All because I was bitten and turned into a shifter?”

Axel jammed his fingers through his purple hair. “I let outside influences affect my opinions. Coltrane, Hawk, and Roxie were so adamant that you were this terrible creature, and then when I saw you fight those sub-demons…” He shrugged. “You aren’t exactly a normal shifter.”

“I’m still me.” I absentmindedly broke off a piece of my wrap and dunked it in hot sauce before popping it in my mouth and letting it sizzle on my tongue. “You kicked me aside because of something that happened while I was doing my job. Demons were kinder to me than you.”

He swallowed hard as the color drained from his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. You have every right to hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” I’d trusted him enough to let him in my bed, and he’d practically stabbed me in the back.

But I forgave Hawk, and his betrayal had hurt infinitely more.

A loud clatter erupted through the dining hall as someone tossed an empty tray back on the stack. “Who the fuck let you in here?”

My blood boiled as Roxie stormed in our direction, crimson spreading into her cheeks and hands curling into fists. She was ready for a fight.