Page 83 of Savage Claim

No one touches what’s mine.

The voice within me didn’t belong to my psychotic other half or even the Infernal Sol. It came from the depths of my soul, from my inner wolf who had always viewed Fane as her mate. Not because he gave her life when his bite dug into my throat, but because he’d always protected me, even when he hated it. And he loved me, even when he hated it.

A threat to my own life didn’t affect me the same as one on Fane’s did. That cut me deeper than anything. It also poured fire into my bloodstream, and the smirk twisting Barric’s mouth was a lit match.

When I fought Barric a few minutes ago, the barrier keeping my wolf out of reach had shattered, and I’d grabbed hold of her, refusing to let go.

And now, after he threatened Fane, there was no stopping her from joining the party. My wolf was coming.

Warmth wrapped me, but instead of the pain I’d felt when trying to shift before, a wild, primal presence gently unfurled, embracing me. Barric’s head tilted, and the cocky arrogance pulsating off him disintegrated as my hands hit the hardwoods. My bones smoothly melded and changed instead of violently breaking while my spine arched, and my back legs re-formed.

The full transformation took mere seconds, and I was on all fours, snarling up at the man who killed my mother, the man who threatened to kill my mate.

Barric took a cautious step back. “How did you…?” His words dropped off when his gaze landed on the long sickle claws that would easily shred his flesh into ribbons. Ebony spikes protruded from the knuckles on my paws, but they didn’t run along my spine like they did on Fane. My red fur was tipped in black, like each strand had been dipped in thick shadows.

Holy shit! I was a wolf!

I could have done a happy dance—if I wasn’t in mortal peril, facing my father, a head alpha.

Focus, Tate.

“You really think you can take me in that form, Tate?” Barric sneered, but some of his confidence had waned.

This time, I gave the lupine smile as I stalked toward him, saliva dripping from my mouth. Fur began to sprout over his flesh again, but he wouldn’t have time to fully transform before my teeth sank into his leg.

Footsteps hit the hardwoods outside, and Jax burst into the room, his eyes widening and a string of curses exploding from his mouth.

“Don’t just stand there, idiot!” Barric shouted, his words distorted from his growing canines. “Grab her!”

Jax noticed my lethal claws, much larger than a regular wolf’s, and hesitated. “What exactly do you want me to do with her?”

“At least close the door to keep her from running out.” Bone snapped as the head alpha continued to shift.

My lips curled back, and I released a deadly growl that stopped Jax in his tracks. After a few more moments of stalling, the beta cursed and darted forward, jumping onto my back with enough force to collapse my legs.

Pain ricochetted through me, but I gathered my strength and tossed him off. The bone-shaking roar that belted out of my mouth made him drop to the ground on his stomach.

“What the fuck?” he cursed, his hands pressing into the hardwoods but unable to lift himself. “How can she do that?”

My pulse spiked through the roof. I’d used alpha power to force Jax to submit.

It didn’t have the same effect on Barric, and halfway through his transformation, he lunged, raking his claws over my shoulder. I stumbled sideways, my talons digging deep gouges into the ground. More of my blood perfumed the air.

“You’re not leaving this compound, Tate,” he said, his words muffled around his teeth. “I’ll imprison you with silver and magic to keep that amulet from taking over.”

Icy fear invaded my body at the mention of the Infernal Sol again. How did Barric know about the demon amulet? Was this the reason he was protecting me? Did the mysterious partner he mentioned in the meeting want me because of it?

Barric hit the ground on all fours, his teeth baring in a snarl. Jax finally broke out of my power, and they worked as partners to cut off my exit, determined to prevent my escape.

Chapter

Thirty

How could I take on two shifters, one of them an alpha, when I had no clue of how to fight in this form?

As much as I loved that I could shift into a wolf, I needed to return to my human shape. I wasn’t an idiot. There was no way I could win this without using the amulet.

I clenched my jaw and tried to push my wolf down like I did when I wanted to regain control from the Infernal Sol.

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