Page 13 of Savage Claim

After a few more turns, I ended up in the heart of the house at the massive balcony wrapping the main living room. Antique paintings and family photos of pack members decorated the walls. Art projects done by kids were even framed and hung on the walls. Comfy leather furniture filled the room below. Unlike Corvin Manor, the compound felt like a home. Warmth radiated from every corner of the historic mansion.

Most were asleep at this hour, but an older female shifter stood at the other end of the balcony, analyzing one of the many paintings. The silver braid running down her back glinted in the soft lights pouring from sconces.

Curious, I padded across the floor toward the other wall, and even though I didn’t make a sound, she sensed me. Her head angled in my direction, her tan skin weathered and wrinkled, and she smiled.

“Hello, Tatum.”

My brows dipped. “Do you know me?”

“Everyone here knows who you and Fane are.” She faced me, her silver irises like molten metal as she chuckled. “You two are all the talk around here.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, and I averted my gaze to the painting of Tamara, Barric’s deceased mate. “I don’t mean to cause so much drama. I’d rather fly under the radar.”

“I’m Valeria, by the way.” She returned her attention to the beautiful woman. “Do you know who this is?”

“Barric’s mate.”

Valeria nodded. “Such a shame we lost her. Tamara was a kind, loving soul. There aren’t too many of them in this world.”

“Did you know her well?”

Her wrinkled hand lifted, toying with the green stone dangling from a necklace. “I helped care for her during her pregnancy, and I delivered the baby.” She swallowed hard as moisture collected in her eyes. “But my healer abilities weren’t enough to save her. Or the baby.”

My heart twisted at the pain and guilt infiltrating her words. I could practically taste the sorrow in the air. “I’m sorry.” She not only lost someone she cared about but also the alpha’s baby boy.

Valeria gave a watery smile and patted my shoulder. “Thank you.”

Even though she was a total stranger, the healer’s touch didn’t make me cringe.

“You and Tamara would have gotten along perfectly.”

My head cocked to the side. “Why?”

“Besides being kind and sweet, Tamara was also a little hellion when she was young.” The old shifter chuckled, creating deep wrinkles around her eyes. “She was a sassy thing too. And headstrong. Of course, she had to have a fierce temperament to match Barric’s energy.”

“Did she give him hell?”

“Absolutely.” Valeria studied me for several long moments as if trying to see beyond the thick walls I’d erected over the years. “Just like you give your mate. Fane will never have a dull day in his life.”

A forced laugh slipped out as I shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets. Technically, it was Fane’s hoodie. “Yeah, I guess.” Fane only pretended to be my intended mate to keep all the other males away while he decided if he wanted to kill me or not.

“Be strong, Tatum.” Valeria plucked a lock of my long hair, examining the strangely colored strands before tucking it behind my shoulder. “The answers you’re looking for are closer than you think.”

My lips puckered at her odd words. “What do you mean?”

The healer motioned to a painting of Barric near Tamara, her fingers hovering over a strange symbol in the left corner. “This is such a unique emblem, don’t you think? Have you ever seen anything like it before?”

“No, can’t say I have.” At first, it looked like a bunch of squiggly lines within a circle, but upon closer inspection, it was a tree with twisted branches extending on the top and roots growing on the bottom.

Cold prickles cascaded over my scalp and down my nape. Was she trying to tell me something about this symbol, or was Valeria’s mind a little warped from age? Hell, she could be over a hundred for all I knew.

The healer patted my hand, hers frail and bony, and then slipped by, sauntering down the hallway. “Good night, little one. Stay up late enough, and Fane will come searching for you.”

Valeria was definitely a little eccentric. She kind of reminded me of Cirilla.

I shook off the strange encounter and descended the winding staircase to the bottom floor, my stomach growling. Since I couldn’t sleep, I might as well get a midnight snack.

After finding the gigantic kitchen with white marble counters, rich mahogany cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances, I grabbed a bag of chips and my special seasoning from Dylan. Jax thought he was funny when he stuck a skull and crossbones warning sticker on the shaker, but at least it stopped others from using it. A few of them, like Jax, had regretted that mistake. No one could handle this stuff except me. And Fane. His taste for spice had grown since we’d been linked.

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