Page 78 of Savage Claim

The air catapulted out of my lungs as his words sank in, solidifying the horrible theories twisting in my mind. Not only was The Collective Hunt still active, but they were behind the vanishing shifters. What the hell were they doing with them? Joseph had been missing for a while when he escaped, so The Collective wasn’t killing them, at least not yet.

Roman stepped into view and took a seat in one of the chairs in the front. If Barric was here, I wasn’t surprised to find the witch. According to those papers I found in the archives, The Collective had always kept witch allies. Maybe he helped with the blood magic to make the symbols visible for members only.

“Alpha Saint has been asking too many questions.” Amelia, Dominic’s mother, folded her arms over her chest as she scowled, not a hair out of place on her blunt bob. “He’s been poking around Mohan Wilds and other neighboring packs.”

Of course that horrible woman was in a hate group, and if Fane hadn’t killed her son, he’d probably be right next to her, smirking like an arrogant prick. And apparently Saint had caught on to The Collective. Maybe he’d even suspected from the beginning but hadn’t raised his suspicions yet.

“He’s been to the Cypress Falls pack too.” Reese, Marissa’s mom and Camus’s mate, tucked a raven lock behind her ear and sat in the front row. “Someone needs to tell him to keep his nosy ass at his own pack.”

Barric nodded. “I’ll have a word about overstepping boundaries with him.”

Reese gave a curt nod and lifted the glass of red wine to her scarlet lips, taking a dainty sip. “I exert enough energy trying to keep my own damn mate in the dark. I can’t deal with that young, meddlesome alpha too.”

A silent breath of relief expelled from my lungs when she confirmed that Camus wasn’t part of this bullshit. The alpha of Mohan Wilds had earned a nugget of my trust while I stayed there, and I didn’t want to be disappointed by another person in a powerful position.

Jax glided from the shadows and passed Barric a lowball glass with golden liquid before taking the empty chair at the head alpha’s side. The beta’s angelic blond curls and charming smile looked out of place in the sinister gathering, but something menacing flickered in his amber stare as he studied the crowd. He was just like the rest of them.

“And another thing, Barric,” Reese hissed, yanking my attention away from the beta. “How dare you banish my daughter and her mate from Georgia for ten years—all because of that piece of trash bitten hybrid. Why is she staying at Silver Ridge? She’s a bitten wolf!”

The head alpha lifted his hand to cut off her shrill protests. “Once this is over and everything is settled, I’ll lift the ban on Marissa and Dorian.” He rubbed at the thick, short beard covering his jaw. “As for my reason for protecting Tate, that’s none of your concern.”

Amelia shot to her feet, the dense muscles in her stout body tense as marble. “That freak Fane killed my son for her. How could you allow them to remain here? I deserve an explanation.”

A low growl curled between Barric’s teeth as his eyes burned gold, and his alpha power infiltrated the air. “You deserve to sit the fuck down, Amelia.”

My breath caught at the vicious, threatening tone that burst out of the head alpha, but the members didn’t flinch. Apparently, they were well acquainted with this side of him.

Amelia dropped into her chair at his command.

“I won’t protect Tate forever,” he said in a calmer voice. “Her time here will end when my partner is ready.”

Partner?

So Barric was working with someone.

A combination of fury and heartbreak sluiced through my veins, making me hot and cold, tense and weak. I’d already concluded that Barric’s story about protecting me because I reminded him of his dead son was bullshit, but hearing it from his own mouth had invisible claws raking down my chest.

Like so many others, I was just a means to an end where Barric was concerned.

What was waiting for me at the end this time?

Barric’s head suddenly snapped up, his gaze zeroing in on my hiding spot.

I jerked away and ducked behind the boxes as my heart slammed against my rib cage, my breaths coming in frantic pants.

“Is someone there?” he called out.

Oh hell!

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Barric’s voice boomed through the basement. “Ari, block the exterior door. Jax, do a sweep.”

I scurried to the right, deeper into the basement since my path to the alley was now guarded. There had to be a flight of stairs to the bar, but after getting lost in a maze of dusty shelves, I hit a brick wall.

Literally.

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