Page 22 of Savage Desire (The Savage Six #2)

22

ASHER

“ D o you think she knows?” Wylder’s question lingers in the air, almost swallowed up by the noise vibrating around the dining hall as everyone eats their lunch. I leave him unanswered, hoping someone else will deal with him while I send yet another message over to my uncle’s number one.

I hate the word uncle.

As a child, you learn about your family: your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, your aunt, and your uncle, as well as your grandparents and anyone else in between.

My mother remains an angel in my memory, back before the world tainted her. Before he tainted her. She would read me bedtime stories, hold me when I was scared, and kiss me on the forehead every chance she got—an angel.

My father, a hard man overall, softened only for her. He always made her seem happier and prettier by just being in her presence, but he was always very straight to the point. As an enforcer for the Knight Pack, he had a lot to handle, darkness to witness, and members to protect. His gentleness was lost among the carnage. But his passing changed everything, and I wish for all of eternity just to see him glare one last time.

No brothers. No sisters.

Just me.

The sole survivor of Richard and Diane Manning.

Broken, my mother sought help from the one person she trusted: her brother.

Enter my uncle.

His name induces fear in others, a ripple of panic flickering in the eyes of anyone in the vicinity if they catch a glimpse of him, and it’s impossible to miss his presence if he’s close by. He makes sure of it.

At a time when his sister needed him most, he took advantage of her and her circumstances and forged a deal. Scared and helpless, and despite my pleading, my mother signed on the dotted line and I haven’t seen her since.

I don’t understand, nor do I think I ever will, but my place at my uncle’s side was cemented after the massacre. A part of me believes my uncle played a part in my father’s demise so that he could take what he wanted: an heir.

Me.

My mother lives in his territory, hiding from the world, hiding from me. I can’t decide if she refuses to see me because I look so much like my father or because I remind her of the choices she’s made. Not that I blame her. I don’t remember much. I just recall the crying. It never ended. Not even in her sleep.

The buzz of my cell phone snaps me from my thoughts and the downward spiral I threaten to take.

Finch: Come in. No devices.

I sigh. Dealing with men who have already survived the blood kin curse is exhausting at the best of times, but today, he seems to irritate me even more. My uncle’s right-hand man is just as much of a headache as the man himself.

Asher: I have classes I can’t miss.

Finch: He doesn’t give a shit.

Asher: I can’t get away.

I’m scrambling and I think we both know it. If my uncle snaps his fingers, you come running, no questions asked. But I’ve been putting him off for days. An achievement on its own, but I’m certain I’m going to feel the ramifications of it. When he gets this persistent, I know it’s because there’s a job with my name written all over it.

Finch: Find time.

Asher: Tonight. I’ll be there at midnight.

My message is left on read, but I take that as a positive sign that it’s acceptable and sigh in relief. Wylder has his fight tonight and I don’t want to miss it. I can sneak out when it’s done and see what has Finch in such a twist.

Slipping my cell phone back into my pocket, Wylder sighs beside me, pulling my attention in his direction. I raise my brows in question and he gives me a pointed look in response.

“What?”

He rolls his eyes dramatically and points across the dining hall. “Do you think she knows?”

Ah, fuck. The question from earlier is still a thing. Following his line of sight, I find Polaris eating her lunch beside Bryony, the two of them deep in conversation about something. I strain my ears, hoping to pick up on what they’re saying, but with the chaotic noise in the room, it’s impossible at such a distance.

“Do I think she knows what?” I finally ask, my gaze lingering on her for a second longer than it should. She lifts her head, eyes latching onto mine, and I look away.

I can’t be distracted by pretty things when my uncle looms over me. Although, one thing he seems to understand waiting for is sex. If he calls and I don’t answer but explain I was dick-deep in some wolf, he would snicker and allow it.

“How fucking stunning she is,” Wylder explains, and it’s my turn to roll my eyes.

“Of course not,” I mutter, and I feel Wylder’s gaze snap back to me, waiting for an explanation. I should have kept my mouth shut. “She hides behind her hair, her cheeks grow pinker and pinker under someone’s attention, and she nibbles at her lip as though it’s a lifeline,” I ramble, and Wylder chuckles beside me.

“But those things are some of what makes her so damn delectable,” he grunts, taking no shame in rearranging his dick beneath his sweatpants. Minnie scoffs from her seat on the other side of him, while Lincoln and Tatum seem unaware of Wylder’s antics farther down the table.

Lucky for some.

Without a word, I stand, deciding a little fresh air before my next class will do me good. Nobody bothers to stop me as I march from the table, making it outside unscathed before I take a deep breath.

Any time there could be an issue with my uncle, I’m overwhelmed with anxiousness and panic. Two words I never want to be associated with, but they leave my wolf on edge and it’s hard to shake off.

Leaning back against the stone wall off to the side, I try to simmer down the emotions clawing to escape. I let my eyelids fall closed and the sound of the midday breeze whipping through the trees calms me.

If I had time, I would be running through the forest, but my schedule doesn’t give much leeway for that to happen, so I’ll have to settle for this right now and hope I can catch a minute before the fight tonight to let off some steam.

Footsteps draw closer and I brace for them to pass, but to my dismay, they come to a halt before me.

The softest sound of someone clearing their throat echoes around me. “Are you okay?”

It’s my dick’s turn to stir to life at the sound of her voice, but I tamp it down as I open my eyes and settle on the girl before me. Her silver hair dances around her face in loose curls and her cheeks are already deepening in color as I take her in.

Polaris fucking Beauchamp.

“I’m good.”

She nods, nervously shuffling from foot to foot while Bryony hangs back a few steps, watching us both with amusement.

Slowly, Polaris steps back, ready to leave as her head still bobs in agreement, and I find myself missing her presence before she’s even gone. “Will you be at the fight tonight?” I ask, the words blurting from my lips, and she nods, fiddling with a curl of hair. If it were someone like Bianca doing that in front of me, I’d call bullshit on the action, knowing full well it was part of her seductive tactics, but with Polaris, she’s too na?ve for that.

“Yeah, Wylder and Minnie mentioned it,” she murmurs, her voice a soft caress as I nod.

“Good,” I grunt, watching her eyebrows furrow together with a twinge of confusion. Clearly, my desire for her is leaving me a little rough around the edges. It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize when she takes a step back, hiding behind her hair once again.

“Bye, Asher.”

She’s gone before I can stop her, taking her warm aura with her while I’m left as tied up in knots as I was when I first came out here. I’m spinning too many plates right now. It’s impossible to keep them all going, no matter how enticing some of them might be.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I sigh.

Good. I’m glad she’s gone. The last thing I need right now is a distraction. Or… maybe that’s exactly what I need. My cock throbs at the idea, but I quickly tamp it down. My life is a shit storm, and I’ll weather it; that’s what I’m here to do because my mother wasn’t the only one to broker a deal with the bad guy.

I did it too.