Fang sat in a small cell, waiting to die. He'd assumed Savitar would splinter him on sight, but that apparently was too easy a punishment.
Instead the bastard was making him suffer even more by dreading it. Not that the dread was what tormented him the worst.
It was regret. Those wounds were the ones that tore through him like shards of glass. He wished so many things were different that at this point death would probably be a relief.
He just wished he could see Aimee one more time. Conjuring up an image of her smile, he reached in his pocket to touch her necklace. It wasn't as good as touching her, but it comforted him on a level he'd never experienced before. Even though she wasn't here, he felt her like a tangible angel.
Damn if the words engraved in her locket weren't right. She was in his heart and the knowledge of her out there, thinking of him, being a part of him, made him feel less lonely.
Alone in a tiny spartan cell with only a toilet, he sat on the hard bench with his elbows on his knees. He could hear the sea outside along with gulls squawking. But it was Aimee's face he saw and it would be her scent that he carried with him to the next existence.
"You ready?"
He looked up to see Savitar in a pair of green cargo pants and an open white shirt. The man's face was completely stoic.
Not that Fang expected sympathy from anyone.
"Yeah."
The clear door slid up as Fang rose to his feet. Savitar led him to the sparkling white beach outside and to what looked like an old-fashioned block. It would be almost quaint if he wasn't going there to die. There was even an executioner standing behind it. Dressed in spiked black armor and wearing a helm in the shape of a ghoul's face, he held an oversized sword. He was so still, he looked like a statue.
Fang was both impressed and repulsed by the elaborate display. "You're not just going to blast me into oblivion?"
Savitar shook his head. "Too humane for the crimes you've committed." He raked a suspicious look over Fang. "You gonna turn chicken and jump out and make me chase you?"
"No. I don't want you going after my family."
"Smart wolf. It sucks to have your family pay for your crimes. Take it from someone with firsthand experience." Savitar gestured toward the black stone block that was stained in places by dried blood.
The largest splatter of it was right where Fang needed to put his head.
His stomach churned at the knowledge that soon his own blood would be added to it. And it brought home exactly what was about to happen to him.
He was here to die. . . .
Honestly, he wanted to run. Anything to have one more day. . . .
But he wasn't about to show his fear to anyone, especially not to the one who was going to kill him. Instead, he reverted to the sarcasm that had seen him through the darkest moments of his life.
It was only fitting it should now see him through his death. "You know, you could wash that nasty thing off between uses."
Savitar shrugged nonchalantly. "Why bother? It's not like you're going to catch an infection the last three minutes you're alive."
"Guess not." Fang sank down on his knees in the sand and glanced away from the dried blood. He looked around the beach and the dark green sea whose waves came rushing up, not too far from him, and realized just how long it'd been since he'd really seen the beauty that existed in the world. How many times he'd taken the sun for granted. Instead, he'd spent his life focusing only on the negatives.
But as he was about to die, he realized the world really was incredible.
"Changing your mind?"
"No." He pulled Aimee's locket out from his pocket, which reminded him exactly why he had to do this. "Can I make one last request?"
"For you to go free?"
He shook his head and held the locket out to Savitar. "Would you make sure that's returned to Aimee Peltier?" He reluctantly let go of it.
Why did it feel like he was giving up a limb?
Maybe because she was his heart. . . .
Savitar took it from him and opened it up to look at the photo of her and her brothers. That picture had seen him through hell and he didn't need to look at it anymore. It was as engraved in his soul as her smile, touch, and smell.
He held it out to Fang. "Something you want to tell me about you and the bearswan?"
For the first time, Fang saw that Aimee had added a picture of him to her locket that covered the engraved words, and that almost succeeded in breaking him. Hell, he'd forgotten about it even being made. It was one Aimee had shot of him behind Sanctuary one afternoon when he'd been taking a break. She'd come out of nowhere to surprise him and snap the photo.
"Look!" she'd said, laughing, as she showed him the photo on the back of her camera. "I love when you look at me like that. I can see your heart in your eyes."
His hair, which he'd grown out only because she liked it that way, had been windblown and he had the dumbest look imaginable on his face-like some lovesick moron. "I look stupid."
"You look gorgeous." She'd given him one of the hottest kisses he'd ever had. "And it makes me want to take a bite out of you."
"That I don't mind. But for the sakes of the gods, delete that thing before you lose your camera again and someone else sees what a friggin' goober I am."
She'd stuck her tongue out at him before she'd danced off, her tight ass teasing him even more than her kiss had.
Gods, to have that one moment back. . . .
Why hadn't she listened to him and deleted the damn thing? Now, in the last moments of his life, Savitar of all fucks would see what a schmuck he really was.
But the important part was that she'd added his picture to the locket she always wore close to her heart. Not that he had any doubts about her feelings for him, but that showed him exactly how much he meant to her.
Love and regret welled up hard inside him. In that moment, all he wanted was to run back to her.
Give me strength. . . .
He cleared his throat of the tight lump. "Nothing to say." But he held an image of Aimee in his mind as he lay his head down on the block and waited to die. Closing his eyes, he felt the sword lower slowly down to touch the skin of his neck.
A shiver ran over him. Why wouldn't they just kill him and get it over with?
The blade rubbed against his skin before it lifted up. The demon inside screamed out in panic as it realized what was about to happen.
They were both about to die.
Get up. Fight! Run!
But Fang held steady. This was for his brother and for Aimee. He wouldn't turn craven and risk their lives. Not for anything as worthless as his own hide.
"All right," Savitar said. "Kill him."
In that moment, Fang let out a curse as something inside him ruptured. It felt like he was being shredded. The pain was excruciating as blood began pouring out of his nose. He was trying to keep his head on the block, but it was getting harder and harder as it felt like acid was crawling up his esophagus and exploding through his skull. The pressure of it knocked him flat on his back.
Savitar and the executioner put their knees on his shoulders to hold him down.
Fang cried out as something hard and painful flew out of his mouth. It shot up, then splintered into a million pieces that fell down over them.
As soon as it did, the two of them released him. Fang panted as the pain subsided and his nose stopped bleeding. Scowling at them, he wiped it away.
The executioner laughed as he pulled his helm off. It was Thorn. "Bet that was some wicked indigestion, huh?"
"What the fuck are you two doing?"
Thorn swung the sword up to rest on his shoulder. "Getting the demon out of you, dumbass. I figured you'd had about enough of him."
Bewildered by the unexpected change of fortune, Fang looked back and forth between them. Was this another head game they were playing with him? Until he knew for sure, he wasn't getting up. "I don't understand."
Savitar dropped the locket on his chest. "The easiest, and I use that word with all due sarcasm, way to get Phrixis out of you required an act of unspeakable altruism. I threatened your brother's life and you came, ready to die to protect him."
Thorn nodded. "The simple love of that one act was more than the demon could handle and out he came. Since he had no body to return to, he was destroyed. Simple."
"Yeah." Savitar held his hand out to Fang to help him to his feet.
For once, he let Savitar pull him to his feet. He wanted to kill them both, but right now he was too grateful to be alive. "You're both sick, but I appreciate what you did. The bastard was getting a little hard to handle."
Thorn twisted the sword on his shoulder, making the blade flash wickedly in the daylight. "Sorry for the trauma. There really was no other way. Had you had even an inkling, it wouldn't have worked. But if it makes you feel better, we know you're not the one killing those people. That would be Misery and Crew, who you now have to find and kill."
Savitar grinned. "If it makes you feel better, you took it like a man."
"No," Fang corrected him. "I took it like a wolf."
Savitar saluted him with respect. "Touche."
Fang looked out at the beach, grateful that it hadn't been his last sight after all. "Can I go home now?"
Savitar shook his head. "Not quite yet. There's something I want you to see."
The next thing Fang knew, he was back in his cell and this time his powers weren't working at all.
Thorn sheathed his sword. "Thanks for the assist."
"No problem."
Sick about what had happened, Thorn looked around at the scattered ashes of the demon. "Damn shame Fang couldn't control him. I'd had great plans for them."
Savitar arched one brow. "What kind of plans?"
"You're omniscient. Don't you know?"
Savitar gave him a droll glare. "You know better. I can only see the future after I've impacted it." Which was why he tried to stay on his island, away from the world. Here there was nothing and no one to change.
Life went on without him and he preferred it that way.
Most days.
Thorn shrugged. "I guess we all have a limit to what we can do."
That was supposed to be the law of the universe and yet he'd seen and felt things from Thorn that defied that. "That's not what I've heard about you."
"You going to believe everything you hear?"
Savitar watched as Thorn vanished. He knew that man was playing a game with all of them. He just wished he knew which one.
And who Thorn's real teammates were.
Fang pounded at the clear door, furious over being locked in after what they'd done to him. He'd been put through the wringer and right now he was ready to tear both Savitar and Thorn apart.
"Hold your fur, wolf," Savitar snapped as he appeared in the hallway.
"Why can't I go?"
"Because I think you need to see this."
"See what?"
He jerked his chin toward the wall behind Fang. "Your brother's time is up to bring you in."
What did that have to so with anything? "I brought myself in."
"Vane doesn't know that. I think you should see his reaction."
"You are really sick, aren't you?"
"No. I just know how much in life goes unsaid and hidden. Everyone needs to know, just once, how much they mean to the people around them."
Fang frowned as he vanished. The moment, he did, the clear door darkened to black and the wall Savitar had indicated a second ago turned transparent, showing him the council room on the other side.
Vane was already there. Alone.
Savitar strode over to him, again with that stoic expression that gave away absolutely nothing. "Where's your brother?"
"I don't know."
"You couldn't find him?"
Vane's features hardened with determination. "I didn't look."
Savitar's expression turned dark. Lethal. When he spoke, his tone was filled with malice. "Do you understand what you're risking?"
Vane nodded. "My mate and I are bonded. I offer you my life for Fang's, but please, don't leave my children orphans. I know you have the ability to break a bond-mating and I ask you to have mercy. My family is innocent and they pose no threat to you or anyone else."
"You're really asking me for mercy?"
A tic worked in Vane's jaw and Fang knew exactly how hard the next words were for a man as proud as his brother was to say. "I'm begging for your mercy, Savitar. I can't hand my brother over to you."
One taunting eyebrow shot up. "You can't or you won't?"
"Both."
"And your mate? What did she have to say about this?"
"She agreed with my decision."
"Even though it means she might not live to see your children grow up?"
Vane nodded. "We understand the consequences. As I said, we're hoping for your mercy. But whatever you decide, I can't live knowing my life was paid for with my brother's blood."
"That's a hell of a thing to hope for. You're not really counting on me to play with a conscience, are you?"
Fang frowned as he heard someone at the door of his cell. He looked back at Vane and Savitar who were still talking.
What was going on?
"Fang? Are you in there?"
His heart stopped beating at the sound of the last voice he expected to hear. "Aimee?"
"Hurry. Get the door open."
Who was she talking to?
"Stand back, akri-wolf! The Simi's gonna huff and puff and melt that door down. And you might not want to be too close when I do it, 'cause melted wolf is tough on the enamel and akra-Aimee might not like it if you turn into a puddle of bloody goo. Besides, burning wolf is kind of smelly to the Simi's delicate nostrils. So stand back."
Fang was stunned. Simi was with Aimee? Ash's demon companion? What the hell was she doing here?
What was Aimee thinking?
Knowing better than to argue with Simi, who never took no for an answer unless Ash was the one saying it, Fang did as she said. He'd barely cleared the area when the door literally disintegrated into a molten pool on the floor.
Beaming with pride over what she'd done, Simi wiped her hands together. "That was fun . . . you think Savitar will let the Simi blast through something else? Maybe that curtain over there . . ."
"No, no, Simi," Aimee said, pulling her to a stop. "We don't want to torch the curtains."
Simi's bottom lip jutted out into a strangely becoming pout. "Oh, pooh, you're just like akri. No, Simi, don't be breathing fire around the flammable objects or small children. Except for that black plastic card that's not really plastic. It some metal thing, but the Simi loves it 'cause it let her buy everything she want without limit. He never say no to Simi when she use it. Oh, hello there, Fang. You okay? You looking kind of peaked or piqued or . . . ? Oh, heck, the Simi can never keep those straight."
Ignoring Simi's rant, he looked at Aimee. "What are you two doing here?"
"We're saving you."
"Aimee," he said, stressing her name and the danger she'd placed them both in.
He also stopped as he saw Savitar flash in behind her with a look of extreme fury on his face.
"No buts, Fang. I can't let you do . . ." Her words faded as she caught sight of Savitar standing behind her in the glass's reflection.
Aimee froze to the spot. Her heart sliding into her stomach, she turned around to face what had to be the most terrifying grimace ever conceived.
"Hi," she said, hoping to lighten his mood.
His look only darkened-so much for trying. It'd only made it worse. "What are you doing, bear?"
"By the unhappy glower on your face, I would say making the single worst mistake of my life."
Fang moved to stand in front of her. "She was only trying to help me."
"And going against me in the process. No offense, but that seriously pisses me off."
Simi's eyes widened. "Ooo, you got that throbbing vein like akri gets right before he turns blue. You gonna turn blue too, akri-Savvy?"
Aimee gulped. "No, Simi, I think he's turning redder."
Savitar looked as if he was working hard on not killing her. "Answer me one thing. . . . What were you going to do after you took him out of here?"
Aimee hesitated.
"You didn't exactly think this through, did you?" Savitar looked at Vane who'd just moved into the area to see what was going on. "Wolves and Simi, leave. Now."
Vane passed a sympathetic look to Aimee before he followed Savitar's command.
Fang knew he was about to commit suicide, but he couldn't obey him and leave Aimee here alone. The protective wolf inside him would never abandon her to anyone's wrath, especially not someone as capricious and lethal as Savitar. "It's my fault she's here. I take full responsibility."
Savitar sneered at him. "Don't make me laugh, wolf. You're out of soul to sell to keep her safe. Take the out I'm giving you before I take your life."
He slowly shook his head, his determination set in stone.
Savitar threw his hand out and blasted Fang so hard it lifted him up and slammed into the wall behind him. "Have you any idea how angry I am right now?"
Fang struggled to breathe. "I think I have a pretty good idea."
"No, I don't think you do."
He slammed Fang to the ground so hard Fang swore half the bones in his body broke.
Simi, who hadn't left yet, went running up to Savitar and whispered in his ear. Savitar's scowl lessened. He dropped his hand as his face returned to its typical stoicism. "Get out. Both of you. But know, little bear, that with this, I've revoked the license on Sanctuary for good."
Aimee gasped. "What?"
"You heard me. Now leave before I kill you both for disobeying me."
He actually didn't give them a choice. One moment they were on Savitar's island and in the next they were in the foyer of Peltier House.
Fang looked around at the dark Victorian furniture, bemused. There was no sign of Vane.
Simi popped in a second later. "Oh, good. Simi was afraid Savitar done gone and been really mean to you. But you okay. That's good."
Aimee frowned at the demon. "What did you say to Savitar?"
"I told him you were Simi's friends and that I didn't want him to make brolf stew."
"Brolf?"
"Bear and wolf, which might be tasty, but not when it's made out of people the Simi likes. Besides, Aimee always feeds me good ice cream whenever I come to Sanctuary."
Aimee hugged the little Goth demon who meant the world to her. One thing about Simi, you could always count on her. "Thank you for your help, Simi."
Simi opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Maman was there, her eyes flaming angry. Aimee's heart flopped at the sight. Never had she seen her this mad.
"What have you done?" Maman demanded.
Simi vanished.
Aimee felt the color fade from her face.
Maman would have slapped her had Fang not caught her hand and held it away from Aimee's cheek. That only angered her mother more. "You have ruined us. I want you both out of here. Now."
Wanting to soothe her mother, Aimee stepped forward. "Maman-"
"No," she snarled. There was no reprieve or forgiveness in her voice or expression. "You have endangered every one of us and for what?" She raked Fang with a disgusted sneer. "You are dead to me, Aimee. I never want to see you again and you are no longer part of this family or patria. Get out."
Aimee's vision dimmed. "But-"
"Get! Out!"
Fang pulled her against him. "C'mon. She needs to calm down."
Aimee allowed him to teleport her out of her home to Vane's house.
Vane was in the living room, his face a mask of worry that lifted the instant he saw them. "Thank the gods. I was terrified of what Savitar had done to you."
Aimee barely understood those words as the true horror of what had happened slammed into her.
Her mother had thrown her out. She'd revoked her clan from her and left her abandoned.
Vane furrowed his brow. "Is she okay?"
Fang didn't answer the question. He didn't think Aimee would want him to share what had just happened with someone who, to her, was basically a stranger. "Can you give us a minute?"
"Sure."
Fang waited until Vane had left before he cupped her face in his hands. "Aimee?"
Her tears started then. They flowed silently down her face as her blue eyes were completely haunted. "What have I done?"
He pulled her into his arms and held her close. "It'll be all right."
"No, it won't. Maman will never forgive me."
"You're her only daughter. Once she calms down, she'll be fine. You'll see."
"No, she won't. I know her and I know that tone. She'll never forgive me for this."
Fang bent his knees until he was eye level with her. "You know you're not alone. So long as I have shelter . . ."
Aimee clung to him then, needing that security even though part of her wanted to shove him away and condemn him for doing this to her.
But for him . . .
No. Fang hadn't done this. He'd been there by her side every step of the way these last few years. She'd made the decision to go save him regardless of consequence-even death-and Maman had cut the cord.
The only thing he'd done was try to protect her and Vane and Fury and their families.
And with those thoughts came another realization of something that she'd almost missed earlier. "What did Savitar mean about you selling your soul?"
He stepped away. His demeanor was now closed and reserved.
But she wasn't about to leave it at that. "Fang? Tell me the truth. Please."
She saw the regret in his eyes. The shame. And when he spoke, his voice was tight with emotion. "You've asked me repeatedly about the sign on my shoulder . . . it's a mark of ownership. When you and Dev were in the alley and the Daimons attacked, I sold my soul to a demon to keep you safe."
Aimee gaped at the last thing she'd expected him to say. He'd sold his soul for her. . . .
"Why would you do that?"
He swallowed hard before he answered. "Because I'd rather be damned than see you dead."
Overwhelmed by his devotion and loyalty, she took his hand into hers . . . the hand that should have borne their mating mark, and kissed his knuckles. "All I wanted was to keep you safe and now . . . I've endangered every member of my family. All of them."
"We can try to petition Savitar when he calms down. He's not entirely unreasonable."
She gave him an arch stare. Was he out of his mind? Savitar not unreasonable? "He killed off an entire species because they angered him. He's not exactly forgiving."
"I said entirely." His eyes turned dark and hopeful. "C'mon, Aim, have faith. Sanctuary is legendary. Your mother is resourceful. Somehow all of this will work out. I know it."
"I wish I could believe that, but I don't know. I have such a bad feeling."
Fang hesitated. So did he, but he didn't want to worry her. Even though he wasn't the most intuitive person in the universe, he knew deep inside that something much worse was going to happen. He just didn't know what.
Damn, Savitar, that was harsh."
Savitar stiffened as Thorn appeared by his side. "What are you still doing here?"
"Wanted to make sure you didn't skewer my wolf. For all the aggravation, he still belongs to me and I don't want him skinned quite yet."
"Then you better keep him out of my way."
"Noted. But what you did . . ." Thorn shook his head. "Harsh, and coming from me that means something."
Yes, it was, and Savitar already regretted it. But he couldn't have the Were-Hunters second-guessing him. The one thing he'd learned the hard way was that without fear, there was no control. And without control, the Were-Hunters would destroy one another. He had to give them a bigger enemy to fear than one another.
Himself.
But none of that was Thorn's concern. "You know something, don't you?"
Thorn gave him a calculating look. "Did you not see what will happen because of your decree?"
A tic worked in Savitar's jaw at what he had to admit to a man of undefinable loyalty. "Only a glimpse and I was too angry to pay attention."
"Then it's probably for the best."
"Why?"
"Let me just say this. I'm really glad I'm not one of the people who calls Sanctuary home. 'Cause it's about to get seriously fugly for them."