Page 26 of Savage Sacrifice (The Savage Six #4)

I know my cheeks are glowing as I come to a stop, and Minnie unlinks our arms, mumbling something about finding her own drink since the service seems to be lacking around here, but it goes right over my head as all my attention falls to the man before me.

“You look fucking stunning,” he grunts, raking his eyes over me once again as I spy him readjusting his cock behind his black jeans. I smile, empowered by the effect I have on him.

“You like my dress?” I ask, peering down at the shimmering silver material clinging to my body like a second skin.

I had something picked out already, but when Minnie pulled this little number out, insisting I needed something silver to represent myself in disguise, I couldn’t say no.

“Like it? I fucking love it, but…” My forehead instantly creases with confusion as I blink at him and his ‘but,’ only for him to grin wider.

“It would look better on my bedroom floor. Or the gym floor, or the locker room floor. Any floor, really,” he muses, running his thumb over his lip as he assesses me, and I preen under his flirtatious stare.

Tearing my gaze from his before I leap over the bar between us and give myself to him in front of all these people, I settle on the filled shot glasses. “Is this for me?”

“You know it.” He runs his tongue over his bottom lip as though he’s about to call me Little Witch, but he refrains. I offer him a reassuring smile. Knowing I already miss hearing it means he already misses saying it. But it’s just for tonight.

“Excuse me, are we going to get served?” A guy hollers, cutting through our moment, and I whip my head down the bar in search of the source, but before I can say a word, fists pound the bar as Minnie growls.

“Can’t you see they’re having a fucking moment, you doofus? Shut your mouth and wait patiently or I’ll make sure you’re drinking through a straw for the next month.”

I blink at her, surprised where the hell that came from, when Wylder snickers, drawing my attention to him.

“Don’t worry, it’s the blood moon. She’s always extra feisty on nights like tonight.”

I nod, although my eyebrows remain raised as I take the shot glass in front of me. The moment I do, Wylder is poised, ready with the salt and lime wedge. A shiver of excitement races down my body as he runs his tongue over my hand before sprinkling the salt.

My pulse thunders in my ears as I reach for his hand, licking the perfect spot for him too before I scatter the salt in my wake, eyes locked on his the entire time. Watching his pupils dilate is one of my favorite things.

A simple nod, and we go through the motions together. Salt. Tequila. Lime. I cringe as the acidic liquid coats my tongue, but when I place the wedge down, I can feel the giant smile on my face.

“Don’t have too much fun out there without me,” he breathes with a wink, and I melt before him.

My brain doesn’t work, so all I can do is nod as Minnie takes that as her cue to drag me away. I sneak one final lingering glance over my shoulder, spotting Wylder’s gaze firmly set on my ass, and I grin.

Instead of heading toward the food stand, she infiltrates the crowd of people dancing around the campfire. The bass of the music feels like it’s vibrating through the ground, and I can’t help but immediately be swept up in it.

Bryony twirls us around so we create our own mini circle among the crowd, hands above her head as she sways her hips, like the weight of the world no longer rests on her shoulders.

With the desire for food forgotten and the warmth from the Tequila sizzling through my veins, I dance, going in search of that same feeling for myself.

We’re three songs deep, the blaze of the fire lighting the night sky as the sun completely disappears from sight, when hands wrap around me from behind. I stiffen, my breath lodging in my chest, but the second I manage to take a deep inhale, the scent that envelops me is familiar.

I lean into his touch as I glance back over my shoulder to find the fiery eyes of Asher. “I can’t even tell you how long it took me to find you without your hair.”

I smile at him. “I forgot, to be honest,” I murmur back, and he spreads his hand over my stomach as he presses his front to my back, matching my sway to the beat.

“I don’t have too long before the pack run, but I wanted a chance to see you,” he explains, and I smile.

No further words are spoken as we get lost in each other, letting the beat of the music control us. One song transitions into another, and another, before someone clears their throat. I pry my eyes open, unsure when I even closed them, to find Tatum blinking at us.

He waves a finger, signaling to swap places with Asher, who sighs, but there’s no argument. Instead, he sweeps my hair back, exposing my neck as he lowers his lips to press a kiss against my hot skin.

I shiver at the contact as he flexes his hand on my hip before he’s gone.

Glancing behind me, I attempt to watch him, but the crowd quickly swallows him up.

With a smile still plastered across my face, I turn back to find Tatum a step closer.

Much closer. Lifting my hands to his chest, I immediately feel the thump of his heartbeat beneath my touch as his hands find my waist.

“I knew it was you,” he breathes, cupping my cheek, and I lean into his touch. “I knew it was you before Asher spotted you, even without Minnie and Bryony by your side,” he murmurs, leaning in closer to press his lips to my ear, and I can feel myself practically glowing under his attention.

“You were so sure?” I muse, and he hums, leaning back just enough so our noses brush.

It’s like everything goes quiet, a bubble encasing us together in our own little world as he breathes. “I know my girl.”

I gape at him, floating on his words, desperate to say something back, but my brain isn’t functioning. Thankfully, he eliminates the distance between our lips, crushing his to mine, and I’m swept up in his touch.

Every brush of his lips, every sweep of his tongue, every heated gasp from my lungs leaves me completely intoxicated with him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I can’t stop myself from clawing at his skin, sinking my nails into his neck, and he growls against my lips.

I’m one step away from dry humping him right here and now when a hand clamps down on my shoulder and tears us apart.

Gasping and gaping, I blink at Tatum, whose chest is heaving just as intensely as mine, before circling my attention to the person responsible for the interruption.

Blaze.

He swipes a hand through his hair, shaking his head as his shoulders rise and fall sharply with every breath he takes. “Fuck me. I was about to come in my pants with the heat over here. Which is embarrassing, and definitely something I would expect from Wylder, not me.”

My cheeks heat, but there’s not an ounce of embarrassment ghosting through me. If anything, I feel victorious to get a response like that out of him.

Tatum grunts, rubbing at the back of his neck as he glares at Blaze. “Don’t stop us just because you haven’t got the stamina,” he grumbles, and I can’t help the giggle that parts my lips. The short and sweet sound cuts through the tension and both of them grin along with me.

“When all this is over, we’ll have a stamina test,” Blaze promises, offering Tatum his hand, and the wolf takes it immediately, making me gulp.

A stamina test… that can only mean good things for me… right?

I open my mouth, but the music cuts out before I speak and Lincoln’s voice carries through the air a moment later.

“Pack, it’s time to run,” he calls out, and the crowd instantly begins to disperse at his command.

“Witches, vampires, humans, and… assholes,” he adds, swinging his arms out wide as he looks over every one.

“Please, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

There’s something about Lincoln when he’s exerting his control that makes my thighs clench together with desire.

His gaze catches mine through the crowd and I watch as his eyebrows furrow for a second before I glance to my left and right, where Tatum and Minnie are.

Realization washes over him and he offers me a half smile and a wink as he mouths, “Midnight,” before turning toward the treeline.

Minnie looks at me with a hint of uncertainty, but I wave her off. “Go, I’ll wait here with everyone who doesn’t turn into a four-legged furry animal,” I say with a smile, and she rolls her eyes at me.

“And Lincoln?” Tatum interjects as he squeezes my hand.

“His wolf,” I breathe, understanding washing over me, and Tatum grimaces. “Go, be with him,” I insist, and he offers me a tight smile before lifting my knuckles to his lips. I hum at the contact before he takes off in the distance with Minnie right beside him.

“And then there were three,” Bryony says with a smile, eyeing Blaze and me.

“I could eat,” I blurt, sensing an odd tension which I can’t quite decipher.

“How about I get us something?” Blaze offers, and I smile. “Why don’t you go and find one of the benches and I’ll meet you there,” he adds, running his hand down my spine as he presses a kiss to my temple. “No mischief, Amica Mea,” he warns, and I scoff, watching him leave.

When he disappears from view, I turn toward where he pointed, noting the few scattered picnic tables at the edge of the grass.

“I’ll grab us some drinks too. Meet you there?” Bryony offers, and I nod.

“Okay, but can you get me a bottle of water, please?” I ask, and she gives me a thumbs up before taking off toward the bar.

I opt for the closest table, flopping down onto the seat with a content sigh as I close my eyes and tilt my face up to the sky.

I know everything is still crazy. I know my life hasn’t miraculously reverted to how it was, but it feels nice to experience a sliver of normalcy for a moment.

I’ve spent so much time alone, and now I can’t make it twenty-four hours without seeing the five men that drive me insane.

I don’t know what they did to me, but there’s no turning back from it now.

The bench creaks across from me and I smile, hoping it’s the food, but when I pry my eyes open, the man I find is barely a man at all. I’m sure beneath the mask, he might be, but he’s more a symbol of fear than anything else.

His lips spread in a sinister smirk as he braces his elbows on the table, and it takes everything in me to not react or shrink in his presence.

“Polaris.”

“Crow.”