Page 58 of Savage Claim

“Uh, a wax seal?” I gave a dry laugh, playing dumb. “Of course.”

He backed me up against the bookshelf until the wood dug into my spine. “When you were in my office a few weeks ago, did you?—”

“You need to back away from her. Now.”

That tingle in my neck exploded a few seconds before Fane’s low, lethal voice invaded the archives. I peeked around Barric as the demon shifter moved toward us, his eyes glowing while the tattoos on his bare chest twitched.

Barric tensed, and he slowly swiveled around. “Relax, Fane. We’re just talking.”

“You’re standing too fucking close.” He rolled his head, cracking his neck. “All my inner beast sees is you cornering my mate. My instincts are to rip your throat out, so I suggest you move before I lose control.”

The head alpha lifted his hands and stepped away, allowing Fane to slip between us, pushing me behind him. “You’re becoming more territorial of her every day. Perhaps you should actually claim her. Your shifter side would calm down.”

“There is no calming that side of me.” Fane’s hand curled around mine, our fingers lacing together. “I can’t help it, especially when another male is trapping her. Even you.”

His presence had some of the fear and tension draining from my body, and I leaned into him.

Barric gave a light chuckle. “I would never hurt Tate. She’s becoming part of the family here.”

“Thanks for coming,” I said into Fane’s mind.

“Like I could ignore the panic racing through this link.” His fingers tightened. “What has you so freaked out?”

“I just found a bunch of scrolls with The Collective Hunt symbol on them, like the one Barric is holding. Can you see the tree marking on the wax?”

Fane covertly examined the scroll in the head alpha’s hand. “Looks like plain red wax.”

“I figured out why I can see these hidden symbols and you can’t.”

Fane peered over his shoulder at me, his face hard as his patience thinned. “Please don’t keep me waiting. What is it?”

“I think it’s some kind of blood magic. Either your blood has to be added to this collective thing, or you have to be a direct descendant of someone whose blood has been added.”

His head fully snapped in my direction as curses in a demon tongue flowed into my mind. “Your parents.”

“Bingo.”

Lines developed across Barric forehead as he studied us. “You two aren’t fully mated, but you act like you can read each other’s mind. You’ve always been that way.”

Fane shrugged, brushing off his observation. “It’s late. We should get back to bed.”

“Sure.” Barric’s smile didn’t reach his dark eyes. “Get some rest, Tate. You’re still healing. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt again.”

The duplicitous meaning in his words sent ice through my veins as Fane towed me away from the head alpha.

“This is why your parents hid you,” Fane said. “The Collective Hunt would have forced them to allow your death.”

“Do you think my parents are still alive somewhere?” I asked out loud when we returned to the room and Fane shut the door, locking it as if that would really keep Barric out. “What if they’re in this very pack?”

He paced the glossy hardwoods, the tension in his muscles making his body look like a moving statue. “Anything’s possible. But you need to be careful. Barric is definitely suspicious. If this group is still active and he’s involved, he could want you dead like the rest of them.”

“Then why was he so adamant about keeping me safe from Venna and Mykel?”

The demon shifter dragged his fingers through his tousled hair. “Maybe he wanted to do it himself when the time was right, or maybe there’s some other reason.” His jaw clenched as crimson flashed in his irises. “Either way, he’s a danger to you, and you need to stay away from him unless I’m with you.”

“Careful, Maverick. It sounds like you’re worried about me. You wouldn’t want me to think you care.”

His brows slammed down. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

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