Page 36 of Savage Sacrifice (The Savage Six #4)

“What on Earth just happened?” I gape at him, at just as much of a loss as he is. “What was that?” he repeats, but I shake my head.

“I don’t know.”

He snickers quietly as he wraps me in his arms. I sink into him, letting his scent engulf me and his touch soothe me. That feeling of home, it’s there. Deep in my stomach, fueling my every breath. As much as I want to get lost in it, I can’t. Not yet, at least.

“So, what's going on here? You wouldn’t mention a single thing on the phone. What’s that about?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck as I lean back to meet his gaze, and the disappointment I find there cuts right through the hope and joy I'd felt in my hurry to get here.

“We were right about Bryony,” he admits, slicing the cut deeper as my gut churns.

Dammit.

As much as I want to stand here and get lost in him, lost in all of my men and forget all those other priorities, I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly before I nod.

“Take me to Minnie.”

It’s not far to walk, but there’s a lot to learn. Wylder explains everything the best he can, and although the gut-wrenching feeling of betrayal weighs heavily on my heart, I can’t wrap my head around it.

I don’t doubt anything Tatum says he heard. I believe him without question. I just don’t understand the reasoning behind her actions. But there’s only one way I’m going to find out.

The basement of the vampire building is my least favorite place, and I’m reminded of that fact as the horrific sight greets me precisely as I recall it. At least this time, Ben isn’t strapped to a bed against his will.

Instead, it’s Bryony.

My gut twists, and my heart aches for everyone here, but my sole focus is the girl on the nearest bed. She’s staring up at the ceiling, pretending like I haven't just arrived as Tatum calls out my name.

“Polaris.” There’s so much relief in one word, and it helps ground me in the minefield I’m navigating.

I’m in his arms a moment later. His hug is sweet, gentle, and soft as he presses a kiss to my forehead.

He leans back just enough for me to rise up on my tiptoes and press my lips against his cheek in response.

Our simple exchange that always floods my heart with love.

As quickly as he arrives, he's gone again, replaced by Asher.

He cups my jaw, running his thumb over my cheek as he looks deep into my eyes.

I feel like I've barely seen him. I’ve barely seen any of them, but Asher's always the most withdrawn in these moments, silently juggling his thoughts and his uncle. I didn’t realize just how much I’ve been missing our connection until now.

Yet with that one single touch, everything feels whole again.

I lean into his hold as he presses a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth, his nickname for me a breath on his lips.

“Silver.”

I hum, but then he's gone, my recluse replaced by my angry wolf.

He frowns down at me, and I can’t help but wonder if he's ever not angry.

To my surprise, he wraps his arms tightly around my waist, lifting me an inch or two off the floor as he holds me, enclosing me in his arms like his life depends on it.

He breathes me in and I squeeze him back just as tight, quickly realizing that the Lincoln I've come to know isn't the one before me right now.

Instead, he's vulnerable, lost. But what's more apparent is it's not for himself, never for himself.

Maybe a little for me, but mostly for Minnie.

I convey my support, emotions, and love into our embrace before he sighs, relaxing his arms and lowering me back to the ground as he tucks a loose curl of hair behind my ear.

No words are spoken, but so much is said with our actions.

As he steps back, I search for my vampire, finding him a few steps away from Bryony’s bed.

His head is dipped as he looks at me through his lashes.

A blush creeps over my cheeks as I stand under his intense stare.

He doesn’t move, not a single inch, and I find my feet carrying me toward him desperately.

A shiver runs down my spine as he grabs my chin, tilting my head back so he can stare deep into my soul. Or that’s what it feels like he’s doing at least. He doesn't wrap his arms around me, but his fingers ghost over my face as we stand toe to toe, drinking each other in.

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I clear my throat. “Your mother isn't happy with you,” I state, and his eyelids flutter closed for a brief moment before they settle back on mine.

“I guessed not, but we needed you here and she’s the only one who could make it happen,” he offers.

There’s so much to unpack in that one statement, but I can sense the misunderstanding that lingers around him.

The assumptions he predicts from his mother, and while there’s a lot to unpack there, it’s not really my place.

Never mind the fact that he said she was the only person who could help.

That doesn’t make sense either, but I need to juggle one thing at a time.

Instead of delving into any of the thoughts running wild in my mind, I offer him a soft smile.

“We're going to have to talk about this,” I clarify, and he nods. “She’s nice, though. I think I like her,” I state, attempting to take a step back, but he stops me in my tracks, his thumb pressing into my chin as he grabs my waist.

“Nice? She must have touched you in order to get you here, which means she knows, and?—”

I press my finger to his lips, effectively shutting him up, and I do a mental happy dance at my success. “I don’t want to unpack all of this right now, but she kissed me on the cheek. She likes me. If anything, she’s sad that you thought she wouldn’t,” I admit.

“It’s true, I saw it,” Wylder adds from behind me, and Blaze’s eyebrows gather in confusion.

Patting him on the shoulder, I opt to leave him with his thoughts as I turn my attention to the more pressing matter. Silently accepting the shift in conversation, Blaze nods at me. “Help your friend,” he murmurs, nodding toward Minnie, and I spin to find her.

Standing at the foot of the bed, Minnie’s arms are folded over her chest, and my heart aches at her sadness. It’s etched into every feature. I rush toward her, wrapping her in my arms, squeezing tighter than ever before.

I hug her with everything that I am, more than I hugged any of my men.

This is different.

My heart wants those men, my soul, and every part of me, a decision made by fate, I’m sure of it. But my friendship with Minnie, that’s completely different. There’s no destiny awaiting with us, I just know she’s my friend, my sister, someone I choose over and over again.

She’s my true blood kin.

The version of a blood kin I'd always hoped for.

We rock each other side to side, and it takes everything inside of me to stop the tears from rolling down my face as Bryony sighs.

“Yay, someone else to be mad at me,” she states from her restrained position on the bed.

Taking a step back from Minnie, I let my hands fall to my sides, offering her a reassuring smile before I turn my attention to the woman we’re all here for.

“Mad? No. Disappointed? Yes. But it’s really more with myself than you,” I say, stepping closer to the bed as I let my anger take hold.

“I should have known the day you guys tried to recruit me into The Renegades. The force then was unnecessary. I can’t even begin to fathom the reason you conjured in your mind to make it okay, but there have been so many times you've sat back when there's been chaos. I should have seen it.”

She rolls her eyes. “They're going to be looking for me soon, and then they're going to come looking for you,” she warns, and I shrug.

Folding my arms over my chest, I take another step closer.

“Are you happy or sad about that? You’re not really giving anything away, and there’s no sense in us not being honest now with everything out in the open,” I push, aware that there's a hint of emotion in her eyes that doesn't sit with the rest swarming in her tainted pools.

Instead of unleashing pain and sorrow as I hoped, she simply scoffs. “Do you really think The Crow is the only person to make deals? You're delusional,” she snaps, and my brows furrow in confusion.

“What does that mean?”

She shakes her head, clearly irritated by the question, like she didn't lure me into it.

“It means what it means,” she grumbles, exhaling slowly.

I lace my fingers together in front of me as I really look at her.

“I don't think you're a bad person, Bryony. You've maybe been dealt a bad hand, but you can choose to fold and leave the mess behind you, or stick with your shitty cards. You could be a new person, whoever you wanted to be, not what someone told you to be. You could do what's right,” I rattle off, but it’s clear my words aren’t sinking in.

“I don't understand any of this, I don't think any of us do. Well, except you, but are you gonna be the person to help us?”

She looks away, guilt glistening in her eyes. “It's too late for that.”

“The only person standing in your way is you.”

She laughs, but there’s no humor to it. “That’s where you’re wrong. You were lucky to have no recollection of your childhood, no puppet master to form you to be anyone but yourself,” she bites, tears brimming in her eyes once again.

I have to shake my head to force the compassion down. She doesn’t deserve that. Not yet.

“Why are you keeping tabs on me? Why did you have to be my friend? Why does any of this matter?”

Her eyes glaze over as she looks up at the ceiling again. “Because you’re the key.”

I still, confusion icing my veins. “The key to what?” I breathe, my pulse thundering in my ears.

Her stare settles on me again. “The prophecy.”

“There isn’t a prophecy,” Blaze grunts, and she rolls her eyes.

“Of course there’s not. Of course, there can only be a prophecy if the vampires or wolves know about it.”

“Why wouldn’t a prophecy be known by all?” Minnie asks, her voice cracking as she looks at Bryony on the bed.

“The prophecy was revealed the very day the blood kin curse was crafted,” Bryony explains, and my stomach hollows out. How does she know this?

“How about you enlighten us, then?” Lincoln grunts, but Bryony’s stare remains fixed on Minnie.

“When the sun bleeds gold and the moon weeps red, six souls shall rise where old hearts have bled. Bound by blood and fate’s cruel thread, they’ll walk the path where memories tread.

Each must yield what none would give, so others lost may learn to live.

In sacrifice, their truths will burn, and from that fire, hope shall return.

One heals the wound, one bears the pain, one breaks the past, one weaves the chain.

One guards the light, one walks the shade—together whole, or all shall fade.

Gone be the kin and the cursed decree, as love prevails for eternity.

Under blackened skies and twisted tradition, a world once lost shall be forgiven. ”

Silence engulfs the room. It’s so thick I can hardly breathe. Then Wylder scoffs. “And you just remember that?”

The sound of a smack echoes around the room a moment later and I turn to find Tatum glaring at him while Wylder rubs the back of his head.

Shaking my head, I turn back to Bryony, knowing what she’s sharing right now is vital. I can feel it.

Her gaze is fixed on me as her lips part this time. “It’s what the heart knows, what the heart of a true witch lives by. Like it or not, Polaris, you will die. You should have stayed dead this first time.”

“We’re done here,” Asher interjects, tossing his arm around my shoulder before trying to encourage me toward the door.

“We’re not done,” I insist, and he shakes his head.

“She’s not getting inside your head like that. Fuck her and her mind games. Let these guys figure it out, but we know enough, don’t you think?”

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, noting the pleading in his eyes before I nod.

“We’re out,” Asher grunts, heading toward the door, but we don’t make it far before Tatum calls his name.

“What now? What about Bryony?” he asks, and Asher shrugs.

“Send it to a vote, I don’t care. I say she stays where she is while we think.”

Blaze nods in agreement, Lincoln too.

“They’ll come looking,” Bryony promises, and Asher grunts, unfazed by her warning.

“Let them. We’re not hiding.”