Savage Fate (Den of Shadows #5)

Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

The icy claws of panic wrapped around my heart as the demon lowered over me, attempting to feed on my soul. Blood coated the back of my mouth from the hits I’d taken to the head, and my ears still rang.

“So small. I’ll have to drain all of you to satiate my appetite, shifter.”

Seriously? Was this the end? Would I really meet the Reaper in a back alley, killed by a Soulvation-affected dux demon?

This would never happen if you had me.

I growled at the voice. No shit.

A pulling sensation unfolded in my core as the demon’s power gripped my soul—what was left of it—and opened his mouth. White-hot pain struck my center, and my spine bowed away from the ground.

His sinister chuckle made it past the fog swirling in my mind. “Such an easy meal. I’m a little disappointed.”

Easy?

Onyx talons sprouted from my fingertips, digging small trenches in the concrete. I wouldn’t be a victim again.

He could suck my soul—and choke on it.

I gathered my strength and pushed through the anguish just as the misty, white cloud of my soul undulated out of my mouth. The dux demon inhaled a sip, and while he was momentarily lost in ecstasy, my hand arched up, and I jabbed my claws into his cheek.

His shriek nearly busted my eardrums, but he released his hold on my soul.

“I’m not that easy.” I shredded his orange flesh, tearing a huge chunk of his cheek off, revealing his jawbone.

He grabbed his face and fell back on his ass. “You’re going to die slowly for that.”

Hot demon blood oozed over my fingers as I scrambled toward him, violence pumping through my veins. “Tell me what you know about that dead shifter you threw into Corvin Manor.” My claws pressed against his throat, drawing more blood. “What do you?—”

My tattoos tingled seconds before slick, black talons tore through the demon’s neck, and his head was ripped from his body.

Fane crouched in front of me, black blood splattering his face and hands as he held the demon’s decapitated head.

My mouth dropped open. Normally, I would have been happy—and possibly turned on—to have my beast take part in the violence, but he killed my only lead.

“Why the hell did you do that?” I hissed, my nostrils flaring. “I was trying to get answers.”

“And he was trying to kill you.” He tossed the head aside and pointed to the blade clutched in the dead demon’s hand, my blood on the tip.

Chills scuttled down my scalp. I hadn’t even noticed it.

Now a sting registered, and warm, wet blood slid across my stomach.

Shit.

I’d gotten so used to relying on the demon amulet in fights that I’d lost my edge.

“I wouldn’t have died,” I muttered, earning a scowl from the demon shifter.

He held his hand out for me. “I’d rather not test that theory.” He helped me up, his expression hardening when he noticed the bruise forming on my temple. “Answers aren’t worth your life.”

Marissa glowered as Hawk and I entered the large meeting room in Alpha Camus’s basement from the huge glass French doors in his backyard.

“Why are they here?” She shot a finger in our direction. “This is a pack meeting, and last I checked, Tate and her little raven boy weren’t pack members.”

Hawk’s deep, honeyed laugh spilled out. “Boy?”

“Are you ever going to get over yourself?” I sighed, not in the mood to deal with the alpha’s daughter. If she stopped being such a spiteful bitch, maybe her life would turn around.

“Are you ever going to realize you don’t belong here?”

Camus had called a pack meeting after the third shifter body had turned up, and members piled into the room, taking their seats among couches and chairs that had been brought in. The long table usually at the front had been moved to accommodate more seating.

Not everyone was here, but at least one representative from each family needed to attend. Fear was spreading through the shifter community, and Camus wanted to reassure his pack.

That would be difficult when we didn’t know who was behind these recent murders. Not all signs pointed to The Collective Hunt now that a dux demon had dropped off another corpse.

“Marissa, haven’t you learned by now not to provoke Tate?” Mina strolled toward her friend and passed her a drink.

Ice clinked against the sides of the glass as Marissa took it. “I’m only trying to figure out why my father has such a soft spot for this little freak.”

I rolled my eyes. “You are the literal definition of a petty mean girl.”

“Hi, Mina.” Hawk winked at the strawberry blonde, paying Marissa and me no attention. “You’re looking ravishing, as always.”

Mina peered down at her oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. “I think you’ve taken too many bumps to the head, raven. You’re delusional about several things, including thinking you have a chance with me.”

“Never say never.” Dimples chased his smile.

Marissa motioned her drink toward Hawk. “Why is he here? He’s not even a shifter.”

Mina’s brows met. “He’s a raven representative, right? They’re involved in this too.”

Hawk and I traded covert glances. He would be perfect for the role. It didn’t matter that Captain Gia hadn’t officially appointed him. They didn’t have to know that.

“Exactly,” Hawk said. “Thank you, Mina, for that astute observation.”

“Hawk! How’s it going?” Will, Mina’s twin, strolled up and gave the raven a fist bump. “Did you catch that game last night?”

My friend beamed when sports became the topic of conversation. “Hell yeah! That buzzer-beater shot at the end was epic.”

Mina scowled. “Since when are you two friends?”

“Since I met Hawk at the sandwich shop the other day,” Will said.

The energy in the room heightened when Camus walked in, nodding at a few members as he passed by. The light caught the gray strands threading his dark hair, and there seemed to be more than when I first met him.

“We’ll start in about five minutes, so you might want to find a seat,” he announced.

Fane hadn’t arrived yet, but Nora stood on the left side of the room, talking with a few female shifters.

“It’s always a pleasure to see you, Tate,” Will said, pulling my focus from Nora. “Especially without your intimidating shadow.”

I snorted. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

Marissa’s lips curled into a sneer. “Of course. Neither of you can survive more than five minutes without the other.”

Before I could respond to her snarky comment, Will piped in.

“Jealous much?” He lifted his drink to his mouth. “Maybe you should try to mend your relationship with Dorian instead of wasting time picking on other, more successful mate bonds.”

Scarlet bled into Marissa’s cheeks, and regret flashed through her eyes so quickly it might have been a trick of the light. “Mind your own damn business, Will, and stop sticking up for Tate. You’re pathetic.”

“ I’m pathetic?” He pointed across the room to a mirror on the wall. “Honey, go look in that if you want to see a prime example of pathetic.”

Crackles tickled over my neck tattoo as Fane walked into the room, drawing interest as usual. Some looked on in fear while others had desire or envy written on their faces.

Me?

Fire twisted through my belly, and my knees literally weakened.

How could one person have such an effect on me?

“Don’t worry, fiera mika, you do ridiculous things to my body too.” Fane’s hard expression didn’t change, but heat filled those mismatched irises.

“Stop reading my mind, Maverick.”

“Kind of hard when you’re screaming at me.”

I wanted to simultaneously punch and kiss him.

“Fane.” Marissa gave a sultry smile that made my talons push against my fingertips.

His brow arched at her flirty tone, but she only got a nod in response.

Hawk snorted under his breath. “I’m going to get a snack before this thing starts.”

“Me too.” Will jerked his chin toward a table in the back pilled with refreshments. “Try these sausage things Constance made. They’re delicious.”

Fane wrapped his hand around my hip and tugged me into him. “Let’s find a spot.” I let him tow me across the room toward the back so we weren’t the center of attention.

Hell, we still were. People couldn’t help but stare at the intimidating demon shifter.

After what felt like an hour, Camus stood at the front and finally started the meeting, discussing recent events. Everyone knew about Barric and The Collective Hunt, but since rumors about the dead shifters already circulated, Camus had to address that.

He didn’t mention the shifters had their hearts cut out.

“We don’t know if The Collective is responsible for these murders,” Camus said, his new beta sitting close to the front. “We can’t rule it out, but we also can’t assume it’s them.”

“But the victims were bitten shifters, right?” Torrance, one of the older council members, asked from his spot near the front. “That would suggest The Collective.”

Camus lifted his hand to settle the whispers and speculation. “It could also be a coincidence.” He rubbed the stubble on his jaw as he weighed his words. “There are no claw or bite marks on the victims, and the cause of death was a stab wound from a knife. That doesn’t suggest shifter at all.”

Unless The Collective wanted to throw us off, but why would they go through that much trouble when we already knew they existed?

The large room suddenly grew out of focus and then completely faded away…

Instead of leaning against Fane’s chest with his arm wrapped around me, I felt a hard table pressed against my back.

Not this again.

When I tried to move, metal restraints tightened around my wrists and ankles.

My pulse spiked as I looked down at the unrecognizable frame in baggy black jeans and a gray sweatshirt.

“What do you want from me?” My voice, deep and masculine, trembled. “Who are you?”

Chanting arose from the edges of the dark room, candlelight flickering across ruby-red walls. My breaths came in ragged pants as I tried to break free from the binds.

They weren’t silver, but I still couldn’t reach my animal. My leopard side was silent, barely stirring within.

What the hell were they doing to my leopard? How could they muffle my connection?

The chanting grew louder, and shapes emerged from the shadows. Several figures in black cloaks slinked forward, white masks obscuring their identities. Their words blurred together in hushed whispers, so I couldn’t even tell if they spoke English.

A tall, broad one—obviously male—stepped forward. “This will hurt. I encourage you to scream.”

Sweat slid down my temples, and several bursts of laughter mixed with the chants.

As adrenaline poured into my veins, I bucked and fought against the restraints. If I could reach my leopard, I could break out of this.

The large figure moved toward the table. “There is no escape.”

I fell against Fane, but his arms already encircled me, keeping me from falling.

“What the hell happened, Teague?”

The room in Camus’s basement returned to focus, and thankfully, no one noticed my freak-out.

“I had another vision.” I swallowed hard and wiped a fine layer of sweat off my forehead. Were these actual events, or were these someone’s nightmares?

I described the red room and the people in cloaks and creepy white masks. If only I’d been able to figure out what they were saying.

“I don’t know what to make of that.” Fane tucked me against his chest in a firm, comforting embrace. “But it seems like you have a connection to fears or maybe just fears from shifters.”

The Infernal Sol had screwed me up and left a permanent mark. For all I knew, these scenes could be a fabrication of my own mind—or something the demon amulet planted to drive me nuts.

“Security around Mohan Wilds will be tightened,” Camus said, pulling my attention back to the meeting. “If anyone wants to volunteer for patrols, we have a sign-up sheet. I want everyone to feel safe and secure, so any help is appreciated.”

How safe and secure could anyone be when we didn’t know what we were dealing with?

Fane and I volunteered to patrol and headed out once we received our location.

“There’s something weird about all of this.” Fane stepped over a broken log into a pile of crunchy leaves as we hiked just outside the territory lines. “If The Collective is involved, why would they have a dux demon toss a body into Corvin Manor?”

I scanned the forest, the full moon thinning some of the shadows. “It doesn’t make sense. Demons wouldn’t be working with The Collective. Ruin was different. He had his own agenda.” If I’d been more careful when I caught up to that dux demon, we might have some answers.

Fane grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop, those mismatched irises drilling into me. “Don’t feel guilty for not getting information from that demon. I’m the one who killed him.”

“Because I was careless and totally missed the fact that he had a knife to my gut.”

His nostrils flared. “Will you ever stop shouldering the blame for every damn thing?”

Probably not.

Fane opened his mouth, but he suddenly clamped it shut as he cocked his head to the side. At the same time, prickles crawled down my nape.

“Something’s out there,” he whispered.

Barely seconds after those words dropped off his tongue, pale, grotesque figures emerged from the shadows. They crawled on their hands and feet, and a red hue—full of hunger and bloodlust—glowed in their eyes.