Page 35 of Savage Desire (The Savage Six #2)

35

POLARIS

H e doesn’t release my hand. I didn’t expect him to. Maybe I would have been disappointed if he did. I let him lead me along the pathway that edges the manicured lawn, but doubt starts to kick in as we head toward the dorms, bypassing the onyx witches’ building as we go.

“I don’t know if coming to your dorm is a good idea,” I blurt, my pace slowing slightly, and he offers me a tight smile as he continues to balance the pizza boxes in his other hand.

“I thought it might be better than me intruding on your space,” he states.

“We could find a place outside,” I consider, glancing around in the hopes that somewhere will stand out to me, but he swiftly steps in front of me, bringing my attention to his face.

“You’re hurt, Silver. Let me help.”

The pleading in his eyes is clear, and despite the fact that I know it’s not a good idea, I don’t refuse as he carries on toward the wolf dorm.

It’s quiet as we head inside, reminding me everyone else will be in the dining hall for lunch. He doesn’t say a word as he leads me up the stairs before opening the door across from Tatum’s room.

Stepping inside, I hope to catch a glimpse of the man he is, but the walls are as bare as mine, his personality utterly invisible in the space he calls his own. Gray curtains frame the window across from me, the bedding to our left matching the shades while drawers line the wall to our right.

His fingers release mine as he drops down on his bed, spreading the pizza boxes out as he does. “Eat first. I know you skipped breakfast,” he murmurs, immediately giving me a pointed look. However, I remain frozen in place, arms gingerly wrapped around my waist and my bag hooked over my shoulder.

“I’m okay.”

“I’m sure you are, but you need to take care of yourself, and if you don’t, then unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with me doing it instead.” The thin line of his lips confirms he’s not going to budge on the matter, and right on cue, my stomach grumbles, siding with him. The gleam of victory shines brightly in his eyes as I shuffle the short distance to his bed, choosing to sit on the other side of the pizza boxes to keep as much distance between us as possible.

Avoiding his stare, I eat as ordered, biting back groan after groan as I enjoy the deliciousness that is a cheesy pizza. It’s simple compared to some of the options I’ve seen in the dining hall, but sometimes things don’t need to be fancy, they just need to be delicious.

Five slices down and I can’t eat a single bite more. Asher must sense the limit I’ve reached because he’s discarding the leftovers a moment later. My heart rate picks up the moment he turns back to me, and the intent stare in his eyes tells me we’re not going to address the elephant in the room first.

“Let me take a look at you.”

I shake my head. “We should talk first,” I insist, and he offers me half a smile as he shrugs.

“You can hate me until the end of time, Silver, but I’m checking you over first. It’s my job, remember?” he states, turning to his nightstand. He pulls a pot out of the top drawer before returning to me. “Will it help if I help or can you?—”

“Using my magic is the easiest way,” I admit, seemingly giving in to his demands once again, but there’s a part of my soul bathing in the warmth of someone looking to take care of me.

“Okay. Good,” he mumbles as I reach for my bag at my feet and grab a pinch of sand before muttering my new favorite word under my breath. My jacket slides from my arms and sits folded beside me a moment later.

“Fuck.” My gaze darts to Asher, watching as his brows furrow. “What did she do to you?”

“She used me as her own personal punching bag,” I grumble, and he shakes his head in disbelief.

“I was adamant Professor Drummond should have called it sooner. I couldn’t bear seeing you get hurt. I still can’t, but watching you throw her off and give her a taste of her own medicine mildly made up for it,” he states, and I smile despite the nausea that threatens to burn up my throat again.

“She’s okay?” I ask, and he scoffs, eyes growing wide with surprise.

“You care?”

I shrug. “I… I bolted because watching her eyes roll to the back of her head like that made me vomit,” I admit, swiping a hand down my face. “I get that I have to be strong here and fighting is going to happen, but it’s not who I’ve ever been and I don’t think my stomach is made for it.”

He cuts the distance between us, cupping my cheek as he strokes his thumb across my skin. “You did what you had to do. She’ll live, but if she didn’t, that wouldn’t be your fault either.”

“How do you figure?”

“Because there’s not a malicious bone in your body, Silver. You may be sweet, innocent, and maybe a touch na?ve, but you’re strong, resilient, and braver than most. Think about everything you’ve faced already. Other students here haven’t been through even half as much as you have and they still manage to come out on top.” My pulse thunders at his words, a similar thread of adjectives that Blaze whispered, but I quickly shut the thought down. “Now, I have some cream that can help with this.”

“I don’t think cream is going to solve it,” I grumble, glancing down at the state of my arms. The mottled marks splatter up to my shoulders, the pain traveling down my back, but I can’t see if the bruises mark my skin there too.

“It’s special. We have it on hand in case Wylder needs it after a fight.”

“Oh.” Maybe it could help then.

“Not that he’s ever needed it, and it’s a good thing too because now I need it for you,” he says with a wink before nodding at the bed. “Lie down.”

My eyebrows gather. “Where?”

I know exactly where, and he knows that I know, but playing dumb feels safer than falling into his web.

“On the bed,” he states, a hint of amusement in his tone, and I shake my head.

“That’s not a good idea.”

“I’ll be a gentleman, I swear, but I’m going to need you to take your top off.”

Dammit.

I know I don’t stand a chance. So instead of delaying the inevitable, I kick my sneakers off and grab another few grains of sand before lying on my stomach on his bed.

“Vestis,” I breathe once I’m settled, and a chill runs down my spine as my skin pebbles at the cool air now dancing over me. Or is it the heat? Either way, I hide my face in the pillows as I feel his eyes skim over my body.

“Don’t worry, Silver. I’m going to make it all better,” he whispers, his voice more gravelly than usual, but I can’t respond as his hands find their way to my body a moment later and I have to bite back a groan.

His touch is delicate against my arms and the cream cool against my skin as he works it in as gently as possible. His hands move from one arm to the other before running down my spine, confirming the bruising there, too. With every brush of his hands against my body, I melt into the sheets.

“I’m sorry I let you down, Polaris,” he breathes, my actual name on his tongue as he speaks his truth, and I relish in the moment as his hands begin to massage my back, working through the tension that coils through my limbs.

“You didn’t. You just needed time to deal, just like I did,” I manage, my voice muffled in the pillows.

“The last thing I want is for you to be anywhere near him. So when I saw that feather and card in your hand, I… I was drowning in the fact my reality was crashing in on my fantasy.”

My cheeks burn at his admission and I dig my face even deeper into the sheets despite the question on my tongue. “Tell me what it means.”

He sighs as his hands continue to knead my back. “It means he’s going to offer you a bargain.”

I gulp, the dread in the air infiltrating my lungs. “What does that entail?”

Silence coats us momentarily as his nimble fingers and thumbs press into every ache in my back before he finds the words. “It means he’ll hunt you down when you least expect it, when you’re most vulnerable. Then he’ll dangle something in front of you, something you might not have even realized you want or need, and in return, you must do him a favor.”

I press my lips together as I tilt my face to the side with my eyelids still closed. “That doesn’t sound terrible.”

The snicker that echoes around the room is anything but humorous. “The favors are questionable, sometimes deadly.” His words hang in the air like he’s not done.

“And?” I ask nervously, and his hands pause.

“And?”

“There’s something else you’re not saying,” I murmur, prying my eyes open to glance at him out of the corner of my eye.

His head dips, chin resting against his chest as his eyes close briefly. A heavy sigh falls from his lips before he speaks. “It never ends with one.”

“Are you speaking from experience?” I know the answer before he even responds, I can feel it in my heart.

“Yes.”

Understanding begins to take root in my veins. “So I’m to become his puppet on a string.”

His eyes crinkle as a tight smile curls his lips. “That’s what it feels like,” he admits, his hands continuing their circles on my back.

“But I can just say no,” I check for clarity, my heart rate quickening with hope before it’s quickly demolished.

“He doesn’t like that word. It’s why he chooses bargains he knows you can’t turn down.”

“Great.” I purse my lips, thinking hard for any alternative, but the only one that springs to mind is a little far out, even for my standards. With a sigh, I bite back the irritation and seek the help I’m desperate to find. “Do I have any alternate options apart from dying?”

“Dying?” he repeats, hands frozen once again.

“Yeah, so I don’t have to deal with him.”

His hands leave my back altogether as he leans closer so we’re face to face. “I’m sorry to break it to you, Silver, but you don’t get to depart this life so easily. Not on my watch.” His pupils dilate as he searches my eyes, and I nod in acknowledgment, easing the sudden tension vibrating from him.

“What do I do now?”

He scratches his head, a hint of nerves flickering across his face. “Well, we were talking?—”

“We who?”

“Tatum, Wylder, Linc…”

“About me?” I interrupt, the blurt uncontainable as he grins.

“About you,” he admits, the smile on his face lifting as he stares at me.

“That doesn’t sound good.”

He twists his lips, searching deep into my eyes, and I see the moment resolution transforms his decision. “We don't think it’s a good idea for you to be alone.”

I blink at him. “I’m fine.”

“They were in your room,” he states with a pointed look, and I frown.

“Who?”

“Whoever he got to leave the feather and card,” he retorts with a huff, and I shake my head.

“But nothing happened.”

“Not this time, but what’s to say something doesn’t happen next time?”

I gulp, panic threatening to take me captive. Clearing my throat, my fingers twist into the sheets beneath me. “So what are you suggesting?”

“That you stay with one of us at all times.”

I scoff. “Like hell. That feels suffocating and I’m barely breathing as it is,” I blurt, and the curl to his lips offers no reassurance.

“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“I can give you a million reasons why not if you want them,” I bite, my veins heating as every reason floods my mind, reminding me I shouldn’t be here.

He’s a wolf, they all are, and I’m a witch. This is only going to head in one direction: disaster.

“I need time to think about it.” I rise, my mind made up, but as I wrap my arm around my chest to shield my breasts from him, I find myself gaping at my arms. “The bruises…”

“The cream gets rid of them, pain and all, but that’s beside the point. I don’t think it’s a good idea for?—”

“I wasn’t asking. I want time. Respect that,” I grumble, quickly throwing my tank top and jacket on instead of scrambling for my sand. He doesn’t say a word as I slip my feet into my sneakers and hike my bag over my shoulder.

“Let me walk you back,” he offers, his jaw tight, and I know it’s taking everything in him not to steam roll me with his opinions. A fact I appreciate, which is why I nod in understanding.

He remains quiet as we leave his room, the silence overwhelming as we head downstairs and out into the open. Classes are going on right now, but there’s no point in rejoining them at this stage. I can explain my absence to my teachers tomorrow.

We haven’t left the woodchip trail before his hand is in mine, the warmth from his palm a beacon as we take the short walk to the witches’ dorms. He steps inside the building before I have a chance to leave him at the door, escorting me all the way to my room. I turn to face him at my door, but he shakes his head instantly.

“All the way inside, Silver,” he murmurs, and I sigh, but follow his request.

Opening my door, I take one step inside before I freeze, Asher right behind me. His sharp inhale confirms his attention is latched on to the same spot as mine.

“Is that?—”

“Yeah.”

Another black feather, only this time a pair of bangles accompany it. They’re almost the same as the ones that held my sigil in place, but they’re silver instead of gold.

“This feels like it’s alluding to something. It can’t be a coincidence,” I manage to splutter, despite my heart being lodged in my throat, and he nods.

“It is.” He sighs, wiping a hand down his face before he kicks my bedroom door shut and turns to face me. “He presented me with a new bargain the night of the fight.”

“Okay?”

“One where I do a job for him, and in return there may be something that may be of value to me, well, us all, but…”

“Tell me. What does he hold over your head?”

His eyes search mine for the millionth time before he nods. “We’re trying to put an end to the blood kin curse.”

I rear back in surprise, my hand slipping from his. “That’s… not possible.”

“Says who?” he asks, cocking his brow, and I shake my head, unable to give him a viable answer.

“I don’t… what does he have to offer you?”

He rubs at the back of his neck as another sigh parts his lips. “The chalice used to create the curse.”

My eyes widen in surprise. “Wow.”

I don’t know what to make of it, but there’s a certainty in his eyes, one I’ve seen before, one that confirms he’s taking the bargain.

“Help us,” he breathes, confirming my thoughts.

“You’re serious,” I murmur, my pulse thundering in my ears as I try to keep my head above water. Just when I think I have a handle on this world, something else pops up.

“Humor isn’t my strong suit, so serious it is,” he replies with a ghost of a smile as he rocks back on his heels. “So, what do you say?”

I don’t think. For once, I allow myself the vulnerability that comes with the truths he’s just shared, and offer him one of my own.

“I’ll try, but… don’t leave. Stay the night.”