Page 90 of Ravenous

He looked up. “Yes?”

“One day, I hope that we can be friends.” The word tasted strange. Almost dangerous.

“Maybe that’s possible.” His tone was low, noncommittal. “Let’s take it as it comes.” He turned back to the fire, but his shoulders had gone taut, his fists clenched. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat quickened—strong and resonant. What thoughts made him react so intensely? Beside the damp hair at his neck, she spied his jugular throb.

Odd. As the cave spun, she couldn’t seem to look away from that pulsing line of his throat.

Then a sublime new thread hit her nose. Her gaze darted to lock on the source: one of his clenched hands. He must’ve cut himself with a nail because a drop of blood welled at the base of a fist, bulbous and gleaming in the firelight.

For the first time in her life, her fangs sharpened.And dear gods, how they ache.They throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

The scent of that single drop steeped the air, rich and dizzying. She rubbed her tongue on one razored fang. Pain. Blood. The shot of crimson filling her mouth was…everything.

Creepy. Wrong.

Buteverything.

Chapter 36Thane

“Trace her the fuck out of here,” he growled when Ditch and Jastorgh approached him in the godsdamned Helter.

Thane had been tracking the thin curl of smoke on a far peak, a hunter’s scent for a sorceress’s lair. Now he had company tromping after him like this was a park stroll.

He caught the smirk tugging at Ditch’s mouth, and something in him jolted. Memories of the night before slammed into him. He’d once told Lowell there were no problems. Suddenly he drowned in them.

“She paid for a ride,” Jastorgh said. “I delivered the ride.”

Through the red mist rising from the Firis, Thane skimmed the tree line, ears pricked. Movement. Closing in.

Alone, he could get ahead of a threat, cutting through this dark forest, but not with his mate in tow. And off the Mount, he didn’t know what tricks she’d use—whether she could peel his thoughts apart like silk. “Then take us both back.” Thane would return another night.

Ditch told Jastorgh, “I’ll stay, thank you.”

The demon shrugged, wings rustling. “You heard the high priestess.”

Thane’s Instinct roared: —Away from here. Now.—“I’ve dealt with you for centuries,” he snapped at Jastorgh. “She’s been in the Skein five minutes, and you’re taking orders from her?”

“She offered money. Iama transportation contractor.”

“No’ for long. And it’s worse than transport. You bloody showed her where I’d be.”

“Just doing my part to reunite mates. Consider me Cupid.”

“I’ve met Cupid,” Ditch said, flicking him a wicked look. “Don’t sell yourself short, love.”

Her flirting landed like a spark atop dry kindling. Thane’s eyes narrowed on Jastorgh. “So that’s it—you’re loyal because she’s demonkin.”

Ditch laughed. “If he were loyal, he wouldn’t have traced me here at all. The thrill of the demonic deal motivated this one, I assure you.”

A wet, collective groan rolled from the deeper woods. Jastorgh went still.

“Ghouls?” Ditch asked, far too mildly.

The troop hadn’t scented the intruders yet. Hundreds of them slunk through these sultry woodlands, and more would always come.

“Last chance, beautiful,” Jastorgh said, uneasy. “Come with me.”

“I’ll remain until I summon you. I like this place.” She lifted her face to a shaft of reddened moonlight and inhaled as the river’s fumes crept along her skin. “Feelsfreeing.”