Page 68 of Savage Claim

My jaw slackened, caught off guard by Hawk’s request. He hadn’t been shy about how much he despised what I’d become, but maybe a lot of that was him hurting and not knowing how to deal.

“I really need my best friend right now,” he whispered.

A fresh wave of tears silently ran down my cheeks. Hawk was clearly going through something. How could I not help him?

“I’ll be there.”

Hawk gripped my hand and led me through the darkness even though it should have been the other way around since I could actually see. “It’s only a little bit farther. I’d sneak you to my room, but I’d rather not have anyone, especially my aunt, barge in. She’s been on my ass recently, with good reason.”

“I’ve never been down here,” I whispered, gritting my teeth every time I talked. When Hawk asked why bruises covered my neck, I lied and said they were from a fight with another nightworlder.

“No one knows these secret tunnels exist except my aunt. I only discovered them because I was snooping around in her office one day.” He gave a dry laugh. “I never could resist getting into trouble.”

After I got off the phone with Hawk, I called Ruin to ask if he could bring me some clothes. Fane had already spoken to him but demanded someone else bring me clothes and escort me back to Silver Ridge.

The prick really thought I’d just be a good girl and wait. He should have known better. It wasn’t Fane’s fault he tried to kill me, but did he really need to leave me alone after we’d had passionate, emotional sex?

“Tell me what’s going on with you, Hawk,” I prodded. “I’m worried about you.”

He glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. “Are you?”

“Of course.”

“I figured you forgot all about me now that you’re a nightworlder and with him.” His mouth curved into a sneer. “I can’t compete with that.”

My fingers squeezed his. “It’s not about competing. And I could never forget you, Hawk. You were my best friend.”

“Were?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with me.”

He turned around, leading us through a doorway. “I’ve been such an asshole to you.” Hawk turned on the lights to what appeared to be a storage room with dusty boxes stacked on wire shelves.

“Maybe just a little, but I understand.” The future that Hawk and I had mapped out together shattered the moment I became a nightworlder. “I just hope you know that I’m still me.”

“Are you?” He dragged his fingers through his tousled dark-blond hair. “In the cemetery, that wasn’t you.”

My head lowered, and I pulled out of his grasp. “That wasn’t me.” Some of the warmth drained from my body as memories of that night returned. “There’s something inside of me that… I wish I could cut it out.”

Liar.

“What is it?” Hawk asked, his suddenly intense gaze tracing over me.

I shook my head, cutting off his line of questioning. “I’m here for you. We can talk about my issues later. Tell me how to help you. What can I do?”

“What are you willing to do to help me?”

“Anything, Hawk.” I stepped toward him and rested my hand on his arm, his muscles harder and thicker than before. The black pants and shirt fit more snugly over his shredded form. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, so I’d do anything to help.”

Emotion softened his expression, and for a moment, my funny, charming best friend emerged beneath the angry, hardened raven. “Why do you have to be so kind? You make it hard to hate you.”

“Then don’t hate me.”

Hawk broke away and turned his back to me like he was trying to hide the pain beginning to crest over his features. His fingers curled into a wire rack as he rested his forehead on the edge. “I’m so sorry, Tate. I really am.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” As he pivoted back to me, he lifted his hand toward his mouth. I wasn’t expecting it, so it was too late to act when he blew the glimmering dust in his palm directly into my face.

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