Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
I grabbed the sides of my head as the Infernal Sol’s voice grew louder, inundating my mind and senses.
Come reclaim this dark power as your own. Bathe in it and soak in the wickedness that suits you so well. You were made for this. You were made for me.
The temptation burned within my veins, and I scrambled up, swaying. “I need it. Now .” I stumbled into Fane and gripped his shirt. “The amulet calls to me. It wants me back. It should be mine .”
Fane clutched my arms. “It’s a trick, Tate. Fight it.”
“I’m tired of fighting it.” I shoved him off. “I want what’s mine.” I pivoted and sprinted for the door only to have strong arms wrap around my waist just as my hand reached for the knob.
“It’s a trap, Tate.” The demon shifter dragged me back to the center of the shed. “The amulet is luring you right to Barric. Again.”
“Fuck Barric,” I snarled, thrashing in Fane’s hold. “I’ll kill him and then take what’s mine. Simple as that.”
He dropped me to my feet but remained close so he could easily snatch me again. “Nothing is simple about going after him, especially while he has that amulet and devout Collective members surround him.”
Saint moved toward me, his palms lifted in surrender. “Fane’s right, Tate.” He jerked his chin toward the unconscious Reese. “This is exactly what Barric wants. That’s why he had Reese stab you.”
“That knife obviously did something to reignite this obsession with the Infernal Sol.” Fane’s nostrils flared. “And I’m not letting you fall into his trap.”
A manic laugh burst out of my mouth, and I rested my hand over the sun tattoo, which had stopped burning beneath the torn fabric of my shirt.
“Reignite? This obsession has always been there, chipping away at my resolve, eating me from the inside out.” I was so tired of fighting it. In fact, I was done. “I’m going to get it, and if you get in my way, Maverick, I will remove you.”
His smirk made it obvious he didn’t take me seriously. “Oh, are you going to fight me, fiera mika?”
Cold, sharp fury coiled around me, and my vision became hyper-focused on the thing standing in my way.
Fane Maverick.
Talons pushed through my fingers as my teeth sharpened. My pupils elongated to match his. My demon side I inherited from him fully emerged.
“Try to stop me, then.” I spun and bolted for the door.
Fane moved too fast and appeared in front of the exit to block me. I cursed and crashed into him, rattling the door’s hinges.
“Get out of my way.” I darted to the left and kicked over a bag of potting soil as he tried to catch me.
Fane cursed as he skidded on the mess. “You’re not getting away that easily.”
My fingers curled around the brass doorknob, and I could almost smell freedom, but the demon shifter grabbed me around the middle, hoisted me over his shoulder, and carried me back into the center of the shed.
“I’ll chain you up if you don’t calm down,” he growled. “Saint, do you have more restraints?”
“If you so much as think of getting chains, I will rip your limbs off.” A scowl pulled at my lips, directed at Saint. “Fated mate or not, I will kill you.”
Saint’s brows slammed down. “I’ll have to take that chance to protect you.” He gave a noncommittal shrug. “But I can put up one hell of a fight.”
Fane dropped me, and I swung my fist, connecting with his jaw. His head snapped to the side, and blood trickled down his chin.
“Is that all you got, little rebel?” He wiped the blood off his face.
Fury erupted through me, and I charged him, thinking of nothing but the amulet. The intense craving had smothered any sensible part of me.
I didn’t want to hurt Fane.
But I wanted that damn stone.
The demon shifter allowed me to land a few hits before he shoved me off. I came at him again, dragging both of us to the ground. My talons dug into the wooden floorboards as I crouched, facing off against Fane.
“Stop doing this, Tate.” He rolled his shoulders as the tattoos on his arms twitched, a sign his beast was near.
My beast.
I needed to stop this.
But I couldn’t.
A feral roar burst out of my mouth, challenging Fane. “Get out of my way.”
Instead of letting me go, he crawled closer, snarling like an animal. “Not. Fucking. Happening.” His alpha power pulsated from him, hitting me in the chest. The tattoo on my neck and hand fluttered and crackled. “Back down, Tate. Now.”
My nostrils flared as I fought the weight of his power. The bastard thought he could control me? “I don’t submit.”
“You will.” Fane was on all fours now, spikes bursting through his knuckles as he tried to hold his demon wolf at bay. “Don’t let this go any further.” His voice had deepened, and lethal barbs twisted around every syllable.
“I do not submit.”
My wolf surged forward, and I couldn’t stop the shift. One minute, I crouched in full demon mode, and the next, fur covered me, and I stood on all fours.
Son of a bitch.
The release of my animal side had triggered Fane’s, and he transformed in seconds, a vicious howl erupting from him as he became a lethal beast with ebony fur, slick onyx spikes, and luminescent eyes.
Saint cursed and slowly moved to the edge of the room, far away from Fane. The demon shifter was deadly in his human form. He was on a whole other level as his wolf. His animal instincts were front and center, and rational thought took a back seat.
“Back down, fiera mika.”
As Fane’s voice, his command, slinked into my mind, I shivered.
“Not a chance.” But I wanted to.
Suddenly, I wanted to drop to the ground, roll over, and present my throat to him.
Shit . I was losing my grasp.
I pawed the floor and growled, letting my own alpha power slam into his.
“Stop fighting me. I’m only trying to protect you,” he said into my mind.
“I don’t need protection. I need the amulet.”
Fane ignored my threat and pushed past the invisible force between us. As he neared, the barely perceptible tremble to his limbs became clear.
At least my power had an effect on him. Maybe I wasn’t as weak as I thought without the Infernal Sol.
“You are far from weak. Don’t let the amulet make you think you are nothing without it.”
“I am nothing,” I muttered, feeling the anger slowly wane. “I need it to be strong again.”
“That’s bullshit.” Fane’s sharp teeth gleamed in the overhead light. “The raven I followed into that alley years ago was made of fire and steel. The amulet had fuck all to do with that.”
My childhood had shredded me up, spit me out, and I reformed into a piece of hard metal. I’d taken on opponents twice my size and twice as strong well before I became a raven, a shifter, or had possession of the demon amulet.
But the Infernal Sol had given me so much more power…
I became titanium with poisonous spikes across my body.
“So that’s it, Teague? If you’re just going to give in to the amulet, you might as well crawl on your belly and submit to me.”
Tremors raced through my limbs, and I was back in my human form as my demon side fought for dominance over the shifter. I was completely naked, and blood smeared my abdomen, but the stab wound was nothing more than a healing mark within the sun tattoo.
“Fuck you, Fane.”
He gnashed his teeth and then shook his head, reforming into a naked man with black tattoos and scars digging into his bronze flesh.
“If you weren’t a little weakling, maybe I would fuck you.” His cruel laugh made my skin pucker. “Guess you’ll have to get someone else to scratch your itches. I wouldn’t want to break your weak body in half.”
My jaw dropped as his words penetrated my brain. “You son of a bitch. Are you trying to piss me off now?”
He smirked and sat back on his haunches, looking like an arrogant prick. “You call yourself weak without the amulet. I’m only agreeing, Teague.” His huge shoulders lifted as he shrugged. “Prove me wrong. If you can.”
Rage burst through my veins, and I lunged for him, pushing Fane onto the ground before straddling his waist. “I’m still strong enough to take you as savagely as always.”
Fane’s length hardened to hot steel between my legs. “I don’t believe you.”
“You will when I’m done with you.” I leaned forward and gripped his throat, catching my reflection in his eyes. My pupils were in diamond slits just like his.
When I rocked my pelvis over his throbbing cock, he let out a feral snarl, and arousal clouded the air.
Someone cleared his throat.
“I’m just going to grab Reese and find a place to secure her.” Saint averted his gaze as he passed us.
Horror slammed into me, and fiery crimson washed over my entire body.
My naked body.
I might as well have been on fire.
I’d completely forgotten Saint was in the room.
I crossed my arms over my breasts even though he wasn’t looking. “I-I’m sorry, Saint. I wasn’t thinking?—”
“Don’t apologize for wanting me, Tate.” Fane forced my arms down and planted my palms on his chest. “He knows I’m your mate.”
One of his phantom fingers pulled away from his physical form and suddenly plunged inside me. I choked back a groan as my head fell back.
“It’s fine,” Saint muttered, lifting Reese and throwing her over his shoulder. “Things got a little chaotic. I’m just glad you’re not in danger of going on a suicide mission for the amulet.”
Saint was right. The craving for the Infernal Sol had fallen to the back of my mind once Fane had taunted me with sex.
The demon shifter had always been capable of distracting me, even in dire situations.
But we were literally hooking up right in front of someone else, my fated mate to be exact. Had Fane done it on purpose, his way of marking his territory?
Maybe knowing I’d slept in Saint’s bed while he held me ruffled the demon shifter more than I’d thought.
“We’ll find you when we’re done.” Fane gave a sexy grin. “It’ll be a while.”
Saint grimaced as he headed for the door with Reese swaying on his shoulder, his muscles tense. “Whatever.”
Pangs zipped through my heart, and I wanted to go after him. This was borderline cruel.
“Maybe we should?—”
Fane grabbed my thighs, hoisted me up, and then thrust his hard length inside of me so fast the shed spun.
“Fane!” I cried out just as Saint closed the door.
“Don’t even think of going after him, fiera mika.” His fingers dug in hard enough to bruise as he pumped his hips. “Not while I’m inside of you.”