Page 42

POLARIS

T he wolves have stayed true to their word. Every night, one of them has taken a shift as sentry. But since Tatum marked me, he hasn’t let anyone else take his place. We haven’t told the others, not yet, this is our moment to just be together, to be seen among the madness.

It’s been two nights now, though, so I’m sure someone is going to interject soon, but as I lie here, the morning sun peeking through the window on a weekend, I’ve never felt more at peace.

I find out who my blood kin is this week, but I’m not scared.

I’m just content to be alive. It feels amazing.

I still have no idea who switched out my diary, which is driving me insane, but as Tatum suggested, I’ve continued to write in it every night.

It’s been easy to avoid talking about anything important, but hard as hell to not let Whitmore know I know his secret.

Sighing, I tilt my head back on Tatum’s chest so I can look up at him. He’s fast asleep, a serene look on his face as his chest slowly rises and falls.

I could watch him sleep forever.

As gently as I can, I run my fingers over the mark on his chest, almost feeling the heat from my own scar, and I smile. It’s insane, but I like it.

Shifting quietly, I bite back a groan when discomfort squeezes in my abdomen.

I’ve never hated the bathroom being so far away, but I’m mildly annoyed about it this morning as I slip from the bed, making sure not to wake him.

Looking down the length of me, I decide it’s fine to trudge in the academy-issued navy pajamas I slept in.

My stomach doesn’t ease up, seemingly growing stronger as I slip out of the bedroom and make my way down the hall.

The moment I enter the bathroom, I grab what I need from the cupboard and quickly take care of myself, already over the monthly visit from Mother Nature.

I’m sure I’m a day or two early, but either way, why can’t it be a simple high five or fist bump to declare that all is well and you’re not pregnant?

Nope. Instead, I’m about to enjoy the crappiest cramps that ever cramped.

Once I’m done, I head over to the vanity lining the far wall, turning the faucet on as I look at myself in the mirror.

The last thing I need is a nothing day when I’m supposed to be living the best week of my life.

Sighing, I’m instantly flooded by the words Blaze left me with the day I healed him back in my room.

“I want your blood.”

My cheeks heat at the reminder, embarrassment and curiosity warring inside of me, and I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts when the bathroom door opens.

Bryony waltzes in with Minnie a step behind her, and they practically screech to a stop when they see me. Guilt washes over both of their features and the discreet little hand holding is gone as they leap away from one another.

“Hey, uh, are you okay? Tatum has been hiding you all to himself and we’ve been worried,” Minnie states, plastering a smile on her face.

“Why are you hiding?” I blurt, cocking a brow at them both, and for once, I get to enjoy somebody else blush. Or two somebody else's. It seems I’m lucky today.

“We, uh, I… Minnie?” Bryony rattles, staring with wide eyes at my other friend. I expect Minnie to take control of the situation, wave it off and make us all laugh, but she looks just as dumbfounded as Bryony.

Clearly, this one is down to me.

“Okay, am I to safely assume, as I have for quite some time, that my two friends are more than friends?” They both snap their attention to me, wide eyes blinking rapidly like they’re still unsure whether they can admit it or not.

Minnie clears her throat first. “If they were?” Worry shimmers in her eyes, and I hate the sight of it immediately.

“Then I would say congratulations,” I reply cautiously, despite the desire to jump up and down and clap with joy.

“You would?” Bryony clarifies, and I nod.

“Why would I not?” I ask, my eyebrows gathering, and Minnie offers me a tight smile.

“I don’t know. Maybe because they don’t want to leave you out, or make you feel like you’re not important. But also maybe because they’re from different factions and if that’s not frowned upon enough, there is definitely no dick involved and?—”

“I love you guys,” I interject, hating the worry in her eyes. “Regardless of who you are or who you like. Nothing matters but our friendship.”

I’m engulfed in their joint embrace a moment later, and I hug them back, but the pain in my stomach makes me groan and Minnie leans back, a confused question in her eyes.

“Sorry, I’m also cramping like a bitch. But this isn’t about me,” I insist, and Bryony giggles.

“Technically, we haven’t said it’s about us either.”

The three of us chuckle, the moment settling before Minnie claps her hands. “Oh, this is perfect. We can have a girls’ day,” she declares, and I shake my head.

“Hell no. I’m not getting in the way.”

Bryony rolls her eyes as Minnie wags a finger at me. “Please, we’re besties. We also deserve some relaxation before our lives are all upended,” she states, and I hum in agreement. A day off from classes with my friends sounds… perfect. Cramps be damned.

“So, what do you say?” Bryony asks, and I nod.

“It sounds like a plan.”

“Excellent. Besides, you can explain that,” Minnie states, pointing a finger at me.

I follow her line of sight, panic pulsing through me when I see what has her attention. The bite mark that lingers on my skin, peeking out.

Dammit.

“About that…” I start, and she waves me off.

“Not yet. I’ve got the perfect idea. You can tell us then.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I insist, and she smirks.

“It’s not every day a witch is marked by a wolf, Polaris. We want details, and sushi. Maybe the other way around because I’m starving, but regardless, we need both. ASAP.”

“We’re off campus?” I murmur, excitement pooling in my gut as I glance between Bryony and Minnie, but it’s the latter who nods.

She’s the organizer of organizing, and I love it.

“Girl, we haven't been off campus since we went to the theme park. It’s well overdue,” she states like it’s a given, like we’ve earned it, and I smile, turning to glance at the pretty surroundings that don’t belong to Trinity Falls Academy, and even better, don’t resemble Florentine’s at all.

Bryony hums in amusement, sweeping her hair over her left shoulder as she glances between Minnie and me. “I’m more shocked that the guys aren’t complaining,” she states, and my eyebrows rise as I peer at Minnie, who shrugs.

“Please, if you don’t think one of them is going to follow us then you’re even more insane than they are,” she grumbles with an eye roll, but there’s something about it that I like.

I glance around, seeing if I can spot anyone I recognize, but I come up empty. I have no idea where I am, all I know is I’m standing in the middle of a patch of grass, people laughing and smiling around us, while tall buildings frame us in the distance.

“Do you really think so?” Bryony asks, surprise in her voice, and Minnie giggles in response.

“Absolutely.”

Unfazed by the potential detail we might have, I turn my attention back to Minnie.

“So, what are we doing then?” I ask, excitement clinging to me like a breath of fresh air.

It’s not often I feel light and happy, but in this moment, I truly do, and it’s nice to not have those feelings entangled in a man for a change.

Just me and my friends. It’s exactly what I need.

My cramps are gone at least. Bryony taught me a spell to rid the aches and pains, and now I feel like a new woman, ready to take on the world.

“Well, I thought about the theme park again because it’s my favorite happy place in the entire world, and if the reveal of my blood kin doesn’t go well, then at least I got to go on the log flume one more time,” she muses, and I feel my cheeks heat at the mention of that ride.

“But I decided you deserve to see something new since you’ve never really been out in the real world among the humans who don’t know we exist,” she explains, and I’m eternally grateful for her.

She could have taken me anywhere, even somewhere on campus, and I’d be delusionally happy right now.

“And where’s that?”

“We’re back in New York, only this time, it’s of our own free will,” she says, a hint of nerves to her smile, but when I beam back at her, she relaxes. The idea of creating better memories here, after suffering at the end of an arrow, I’m all for it.

“Well, I was thinking we could go and grab some sushi from my favorite spot, get a coffee, and enjoy some sunshine in Central Park.”

“Sushi and coffee. It sounds great.”

“It’s a way of life,” Minnie insists, and Bryony snatches her hand, grinning foolishly at her, and it makes me smile.

“If you say so,” I muse, and Minnie waves me off.

“Then I was thinking we could do the Empire State Building?”

I grin. “You’re saying that like I know what it is.”

“That’s true,” Bryony chimes in, and Minnie links her arm through mine, keeping Bryony tight on her right side, and just like that, I’m whisked away.

I’m lost to the world around me; concrete buildings towering over concrete roads.

Cars honk, people yell, music blasts from passing bikes, and I absorb it all.

Everyone is in a rush but us. I trail along with my friends, grabbing the sushi that Minnie was desperate for, and find myself in a caffeine coma when we stop at her favorite cafe.

Hours drift by as we find the perfect spot in Central Park, eating, drinking, laughing, and having fun.

It’s carefree. I’m carefree.

Music plays in the distance from different street performers.

There’s a duo playing jazz with a guitar and trombone, while a guy in the opposite direction strums a tune on an acoustic guitar, the bass much heavier in comparison.

They shouldn’t go together, but sitting in the middle of them both, it feels like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

“Okay, I’ve had my sushi and caffeine. Now it’s time for you to tell me about your mark, Polaris,” Minnie states. I tear my gaze away from where I’ve been transfixed on watching people dance on rollerblades.

How have I come from an academy for supernaturals to the middle of Central Park, and this seems to hold more magic?

“There’s not much to say about it,” I offer, hoping to gloss over the subject, but there’s no way in Hell she’s going to let that happen.

“Please, you’re bound to a vampire and mated with a wolf. That’s some next level shit right there. Besides, I’m assuming it’s Tatum. It’s fresh and he’s been snarly at the others even trying to spend time with you,” she explains, and my instinctive reaction is to feel guilty, but it doesn’t last.

Not when I know I’ve experienced things with the others, held a connection different than what I have with Tatum. He deserves this moment, this intertwining of our lives, just as much as I do.

“It is Tatum,” I confirm, and she beams at me.

“I knew it. I’m happy for you, I really am, but Tatum, he…” Her words trail off as unshed tears settle along her eyelashes. “He deserves this more than I could ever explain.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I agree, nodding along, and her smile grows wider.

“Are you doing okay, though?” Bryony asks, interjecting. “Bound and mated, that’s a lot for anyone.”

I hum, shrugging. Not in an attempt to downplay it, I know it’s insane, but so is my entire life. “It feels natural.”

“It looks like it too. Now you just need three more bite marks to complete the entire thing,” Minnie muses, and I shake my head, dipping my chin to my chest in an attempt to hide my blush.

“Let’s hope there’s enough time in my day to make it happen,” I murmur, with a wink, and Minnie snickers before rising to her feet.

She dusts off her jeans before she holds out her hands for Bryony and me. “That got gross real quick. Ready to head to the Empire State Building? Then we can get some pizza on the way back.”

We don’t need to be asked twice. And even though it’s on the tip of my tongue to point out that she brought it up, I opt to keep my mouth shut.

Once again, the three of us take to the streets, existing among the charm that is New York City before Minnie is ushering us inside the entrance to the Empire State Building.

I wander around in amazement, unsure what’s really going on as we’re ushered into an elevator. My stomach feels like it’s been left behind as we go up, the feeling never ending, not even when the doors open.

Following Bryony and Minnie, I keep a step behind, giving them a moment to be together, hand in hand.

As I turn the corner, I’m drawn away from them to the glass that wraps around the entire space.

A breeze blows against my arms and I spot a door leading out onto a patio to my left.

Before I can think about it, I’m outside, my hair blowing in every direction as I gape out at the skyline.

Everyone huddles together, taking photos, and I mumble my apologies as I make my way to the edge. You can see for miles up here, the view endless, and I can’t help but wonder how I’ve gone through life never knowing this existed.

Never.

It’s breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and bewildering all at once.

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes as I soak in the moment. With the wind ghosting around me, I feel like I’m flying since my stomach is still back on the ground floor.

Exhaling slowly, I pry my eyes open and spy an empty silver machine to my right. I’ve spotted a few people looking through the eye pieces and decide I want to have a try. I’m two steps away when a girl beats me to it.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs, smile widening nervously, and I shake my head.

“No, it’s fine. I can wait,” I breathe, a weird sensation rippling over my chest. Tingles zap down my arms as I take in her long brown hair and dainty features.

Features I’ve seen before, but that can’t be possible.

She steps back, waving a hand for me to take my turn before she saunters off into the crowd. I’m still gaping at her, locked in confusion, when Bryony appears at my side.

“Hey, are you going to have a look?” she asks as Minnie steps around her, beaming from ear to ear.

“Yeah, I just… I thought I recognized someone, but it can’t be possible,” I explain, and Bryony frowns.

“I mean this in the politest way possible, Polaris. But you don’t really know many people. If you recognize someone, I’m sure you do. Who was it?” she asks, and my eyes trail in the direction the girl had gone, but she’s no longer there.

Shaking my head, I try to let the weird feeling pass. “Honestly, it can’t be her. I think her name was Krystal? But, the only reason I know her name or what she looked like is because I literally had to maneuver from under her dead body at the blood kin assembly.”