Page 12 of Savage Sacrifice (The Savage Six #4)

POLARIS

“ T hat’s the end of class for the day. Does anyone have any questions?” The professor’s voice echoes through the lecture hall, and everyone subtly shakes their head.

I have a lot of questions right now, but none that the professor can answer.

My memory is still nothing but a puff of smoke, and I can’t imagine he has the answers to my personal life.

“Okay, great. I’ll see you all next time,” he states just as the bell rings, drawing the class to an end.

I rise from my seat along with everyone else, grabbing my backpack and hitching it over my shoulder.

“Oh, actually, Polaris, do you have a moment?” His voice cuts through the air, turning my cheeks pink at the attention it garners, and I nod, gulping down the panic as I avoid the other students staring at me inquisitively.

As everyone takes the stairs up to the exit, I go against the grain and shuffle down to the professor’s desk, waiting for everyone to leave before he turns his attention to me.

When I hear the doors click shut behind me, I nervously tuck a loose tendril of hair behind my ear before I speak, forcing myself to keep my chin up as I meet his stare.

“Professor Otto.”

“How are you doing?” he asks, a kind smile on his lips as he plants his hands on his hips, tilting his face to the side to assess me.

“Uh, I’m okay.” He cocks a brow at me in silent question and I feel my cheeks burn even hotter under his stare. “I’m slightly overwhelmed at times, but I’m managing through it,” I manage to rattle, and he smiles.

“Good,” he murmurs with a nod, dropping his hands to his sides as he nears his desk.

“If there are any issues with the syllabus we’ve already covered, just let me know. I’ll send an email this evening confirming what we have gone over so far so you can try and catch up if needed,” he offers, and I nod.

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” he insists, and I take that as my cue to take a step back.

“I’ll check over the email when it comes through, but really, I’m hoping the memories flow back.” They’re nowhere in sight so far, but the hope is still there.

Hope seems to be everywhere.

It gets me up in the morning, it gets me through classes, and it gets me through the day, including any catty interactions with Bianca. The one thing it doesn’t do is help me have a good night’s sleep.

“Let’s not bank on it, Polaris,” he states with a tight smile, and my brows furrow slightly, but I quickly offer a stiff wave and bolt for the exit.

I don’t take a breath until I’m outside the lecture hall and hurrying down the hallway.

He’s nice enough, all of the professors are, but there’s always something in his eyes, like he knows the world on a deeper level, as if there’s so much he’s not saying, yet there’s no hidden meaning among it all.

I can’t explain it, and it would definitely sound dumb if I said it out loud. Perhaps it’s because he has excelled in his area of expertise, psychology. Maybe the look is all-knowing because he understands how our minds work.

Exiting the psychology building, I pause on the top steps, silently thankful that he held me back so I can bask in this moment alone. Usually it’s too busy to stop here, but it offers the prettiest view of campus, and it does something to settle my soul.

From this slight elevation, it offers a glance over the huge lawn in the center of the buildings.

Students gather in huddled groups, some hunched over reading, others laughing and joking, while a group of giant guys throw a football between them.

It’s rowdy and exhausting just to look at, but it’s exciting, and the flower beds that frame the wooden benches around the outskirts are so pretty I want to pick every single one of them.

Happy with the peaceful moment to bask in the lively atmosphere, I take the steps down and decide to join the crowd. I’m only walking through, but it fills me up with positivity as I stride down the path, unsure where to look first so I can take it all in.

Forcing myself to breathe it in is a trick I’m playing on myself. The first day I arrived, I rushed everywhere in a state of blind panic with my head down, and it did nothing good for my mental state. Today, I’m forcing myself to keep my head up and fake my blossoming confidence.

I take a deep breath, letting the late afternoon sun wash over me as my eyes latch onto a familiar face at the end of the pathway. I smile, and he waves.

Ben.

Out of all of my roommates, he’s by far the nicest one.

Bianca is catty and judgmental, while Foster gives off an aura of anger and frustration that makes me uncomfortable. Ben, on the other hand, is always smiling, always positive, and always making sure we’re all okay.

Picking up speed, I hurry toward him, happy to have someone to walk back to the dorm with, but I barely take two more steps before a force knocks me from my side and I tumble to the ground.

The wind is knocked from my lungs as my back hits the concrete walkway, and my body stiffens, bracing for my head to do the same, but something cushions the blow, saving me from an even worse headache.

Disoriented, I blink through the panic to find a guy looming over me. His blue eyes twinkle with mischief, his blond hair is swept back off his face, but it’s the apologetic smile on his lips that I focus on.

“I’m so sorry, I was going for the ball and?—”

“Can you get off me?” I blurt, my voice raspy and breathless, but the words are firm.

His eyebrows gather in confusion for a moment before he nods, climbing to his feet before he extends a hand to me.

I stare at it, unsure whether to take it or not. There’s a weird knot tightening in my gut and I feel icky from his body pressing against mine. I need some space to figure myself out.

With my mind made up, I press my hands against the concrete and push myself to my feet. I keep my head down as I gather myself, acutely aware of him brushing his hands off on his pants as he accepts the rejection.

“I’m sorry about that. I was heading for the ball and it was a little too late by the time I saw a flash of your hair,” he states, and I force myself to look at him, offering him a tight smile as I grit my teeth, feeling my jaw flex with the movement.

“It’s fine, honestly,” I mumble, and he nods.

“I’m Grant, by the way.”

I force my smile wider as I roll my shoulders back, ready to move around him, but the second I take a step, his hand wraps around my upper arm. I stiffen, dread coiling in my veins as I forget how to speak, glaring at the point of contact instead until he takes the hint and releases me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen hair quite as silvery as yours before,” he breathes, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip as I tighten my hold on my backpack.

“Thanks,” I breathe, desperate not to be mean, but the awkwardness is making it harder and harder.

“Are you free tonight? I would love to take you out.”

My cheeks burn and I chance a glance over his shoulder to find all of his friends waiting, watching, and smirking.

I hate it.

Clearing my throat, I bring my attention back to him, using the moment to really take him in.

He’s at least six feet tall, way taller than I am, and his shoulder width is definitely intimidating.

His blond hair is messy, his lips full and teasing, while his eyes still carry that same mischief I first spotted.

I’m sure he’s hot to some, but this is definitely not something I have any interest in right now.

But we’re trying to live a little, Polaris. We almost died.

I shake off my internal thoughts. They’re not wrong, but this isn’t the direction I should be considering.

“Thank you, but I’m going to have to decline,” I breathe, hating the sound of my voice as I speak, but I don’t know what else to do or say.

His lips purse as I side-step him once more, but he blocks my path again. Only this time, it’s not with a touch, just his looming presence in my way.

“I’m a nice guy, I swear. I don’t always go around knocking people over. Besides, I’m known for my… party tricks,” he adds, winking as his tongue sweeps across his bottom lip again, and my creep factor somehow manages to rise even higher.

“It’s still a no, but thanks,” I insist, trying to keep my smile as nice as possible, but he still doesn’t look too happy with me.

His mouth opens, ready to plead his case again, when another figure appears at my side.

“She said no,” Ben states, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he protectively places himself between me and Grant.

I silently thank him for it, but it doesn’t look as though Grant is done.

“Is she yours?” he grunts, eyeing Ben with a slight curl to his lips, and I desperately want the ground to open up and take me now.

“Let’s just go, Ben,” I murmur, nudging him to walk around the guy, and he thankfully moves, taking no further interest in Mr. Icky. We hurry down the walkway, the remnants of onlookers slowly dissipating as everyone else goes back to their own business.

Once we’re out of the quad and heading down the sidewalk that leads to our house, he drops his arm from my shoulders and I try to shake off the weird feeling still clinging to me.

“Sorry I didn’t jump in sooner,” he mutters, and I wave him off.

“Honestly, I appreciate you stepping in. I thought I had it handled, but he was a little more insistent than I expected,” I reply, eager to change the subject. “So, how were your classes today?”

He glances at me from the corner of his eye, a soft smile on his lips, but he nods, accepting the change. “Good. Nothing too overwhelming or exciting,” he states, and I nod. We walk two blocks in silence before I glance up at him, noting a slight frown on his face.

“Is everything okay?”

He sighs, offering me a tight smile as he shrugs. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m just feeling a little lost, and I can’t help but find it a bit weird that none of us has any family. You, Foster, Bianca, and I all almost died, and there’s no one to know, no one to care.”

My heart aches at the rawness in his tone and I squeeze his arm in comfort.

“You’re right. It feels like no one would have missed us if we had…” My words trail off, growing too heavy, but he nods in understanding.

I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know how to reassure him because I’m struggling with the same thoughts. I keep telling myself that I need to expand my horizons, make friends, and build connections, but it’s all rather overwhelming.

We remain silent for the rest of the walk home, lost in our thoughts as Ben opens the front door and waves me inside. The second he closes the door behind him, Bianca appears in the hallway.

She pins me with one of her stern stares. “You have guests,” she states, and I frown.

“Me?” I clarify, pressing a finger against my chest, and she rolls her eyes.

“Yes, you.”

“Who?” My frown deepens as I remain rooted to the spot, and she sighs, exasperated with me.

“Go in the living room and you’ll find out,” she grumbles, pointing toward the door when a guy’s voice cuts through the air.

“Polaris?”

My heart flutters at the call of my name, my pulse quickening, making my ears hot as it thunders loudly inside my skull, and I hurry toward the living room. I jolt to a stop in the doorway, eyes wide as I gape at an unfamiliar face.

“Hello?” I rasp, confused as hell.

“Polaris,” he repeats, the corner of his eyes pinching with emotions I can’t quite fathom as he swipes a hand down his face. “We found you,” he breathes, sending another shock through my heart as a sob breaks from the woman seated on the sofa behind him.

Hope blossoms, but I don’t know why as I take them both in, unable to actually register a single thing about them.

Except for her hair.

Silver.

“I’m so sorry, do I know you?” I rasp, and the heartache on their faces is clear as the woman stands, and they wrap an arm around one another.

“Polaris, we’re your parents.”