Page 7

BLAZE

I wait with bated breath as Polaris’s eyes flicker open, and as much as I want to stay close enough to touch her, I force myself to stand tall, dropping my hands from her temples as her eyes search mine.

It’s impossible to guess what she's thinking at first glance, and that’s saying something as the person who has been watching her far more than I care to admit.

Her tells are easy, but as she presses her palms into the mattress beneath her, shuffling backwards to lean properly against the headboard, the pillow tucked behind her adding a little cushioning, she still gives nothing away.

I shouldn’t expect anything less from the fireball that is my Amica Mea.

I could get lost in her eyes, which is why, as she stares at me, looking deep into my soul, I miss the telltale signs that she’s mad as a heavy exhale passes her lips. It’s followed swiftly by the beautiful breeze of my name.

I sag with relief, inching closer once more, but the second I crouch forward, her palm comes swinging, slapping me across my face, and I hiss from the pleasurable pain. My dick stiffens impossibly hard beneath the waistband of my pants. Biting back my groan is near impossible.

“Fuck me, Amica Mea,” I grunt, and she snarls.

“How fucking dare you.” I run my tongue over my bottom lip, cocking a brow at her in question.

“Don't look at me like that,” she states, nose wrinkling with frustration.

I tilt my head to the side, intrigued by whatever she plans to say next.

She huffs, folding her arms over her chest as she tries to put an invisible wall between us.

“I didn't agree to this,” she points out, and I shrug.

“Neither did I.”

“Neither did you?” She scoffs. “Please, you…” Her words fall off as she tries to find an explanation, loosening one arm from around her waist as she manically waves her hand at me. Despite her efforts, she still doesn't have the answer she's searching for.

“Go on,” I encourage, watching as her lips purse, eyes narrowing as her frustration continues to grow. Her waving hand shifts into a finger aimed directly at me.

“You kissed me.”

“And you said you remember that,” I say, and she shakes her head.

“No, the first time you kissed me… you bit my lip.”

I shrug, rocking back on my heels. “It was unavoidable.” She gapes in disbelief. “We would have been delaying the inevitable,” I add, skipping the part where I explain it was completely out of my control. Everything to do with her is completely out of my control.

I can't think, I can't see, I can't hear anything apart from her.

She's everywhere. In my thoughts, in my dreams, consuming every part of my mind, even when I don't want her to.

But none of that matters now that we're bound.

I've come to accept it. Once she comes to accept it too, hopefully it will all make a bit more sense.

“You made me forget,” she reminds me, and I scoff.

“That was for your own good.”

Her hands completely loosen again, waving around like she’s trying to grasp onto something… anything at all, but it’s futile. She’ll realize that eventually.

“I’m struggling to see how,” she mutters, and I find myself giving her a pointed look this time.

Clearly, I need to spell it out. “I’m not the only man drawn to you, Polaris.”

Her eyes widen as her jaw falls slack and guilt drifts across her face as she slowly lifts her hand to cover her mouth.

“They weren't too happy about what we’ve done,” I state, her eyes somehow widening even further.

“What did you do?” An array of emotions dance across her face, but they’re shifting too quickly for me to decipher them.

Instead of fixating on getting a read on how she’s feeling, I focus on moving this conversation along. “What needed to be done,” I offer with a shrug.

She shakes her head in disbelief, tongue running across her bottom lip as she glares daggers at me. “I want you to leave.”

I bite back a smile as I take a seat in the chair that's become my home since she's been laid up in this bed, getting comfortable as I lean back. Her stubbornness is evident, that’s for sure, but it won’t serve her here with me.

“I said, I want you to leave,” she repeats, and I nod.

“And I want you to heal,” I retort, settling further into my spot.

“Heal? I’m fine,” she insists.

“Thanks to me.”

She tilts her head to the side. “How do you figure you can take credit for that?”

It should be illegal to look this cute when you’re angry, but there’s just a way about her that makes her more attractive the madder she is.

“We're bound,” I explain, and when that doesn’t seem to make sense to her, I’m reminded of her Florentine background. “You weren’t just injured, you were poisoned. That’s beyond just normal healing and only my blood has the power to reverse all of that shit.”

“Bullshit,” she declares, and I groan, adjusting my dick beneath my pants.

“I love it when you curse, Amica Mea. It reminds me you're not the angel you look like on the outside.”

“I don't look like anything,” she insists, making my grin grow.

“Feisty, nice.”

I relax back, letting my eyelids close as she growls.

“Open your eyes. Don't you dare get comfortable. You're leaving,” she snaps, the entire thing far too amusing. Any retort I have is cut short as the door opens and I'm forced to pry my eyes open.

The irritation in my veins is cut short when I see that the unwanted guest is the nurse. I can deal with that.

“Is there an issue in here?” she asks, and Polaris nods.

“Actually, yes. I want him to leave.”

The nurse winces before offering an apologetic smile as she shakes her head. “Is there anything I can do apart from that?”

Polaris groans, flopping back against her pillows. “Why is no one helping me?” she calls out, and I nod for the nurse to leave.

“Just rest, Polaris,” I insist, and she turns to me with fresh determination burning her eyes.

“I want to see my… friends.” I don’t like the sound of that, but I nod regardless. “After you have rested some more.”

She sits taller, cheeks turning a sweet pink hue that makes the silver of her hair shine brighter, but it’s not her usual flush of embarrassment. It’s rage that’s heating her up, which only entices me more.

Her nostrils flare as she narrows her eyes at me. “I said?—”

“And I said?—”

“Listen here, buddy,” she starts, pointing her finger right in between my eyes as she shuffles to the edge of the bed. “If you think I'm just going to lie here and be compliant, then you're mistaken,” she insists, and I nod.

“I’m well aware.”

She shakes her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling with a mixture of emotions I still can’t put my finger on. “Don't talk like you know me.”

“Don't act like I don’t.”

She huffs as she turns away from me before taking a short inhale, then exhaling it slowly.

I imagine she feels like she's climbing a slippery slope, struggling to gain any traction and remain in control of the situation. I have that effect on most people. I can see the struggle, it’s written in every bone of her body, but I don't mind watching her fall if it means she's at my will.

“I want to speak to my friends. I want to let them know I'm okay,” she insists, and her eyes latch on to mine. The fierceness melts into pleading, and just like that, I'm sucker punched in the stomach, softening for the girl who shouldn’t hold this much power over me.

I'm blaming it on the fact that we’re bound and she's my devoted. There can’t be any other reason for me to consider giving into her.

“One friend.”

“What?”

Clearly, I not only surprised myself, but her too. If she needs me to spell it out for her, maybe I should take it back.

“You can speak to one,” I grumble.

“Says who?”

“Says me, so take it or leave it, Polaris.”

Her eyes dart back and forth between mine, searching for what, I'm not sure, until she relents. “Minnie.”

A smile draws across my lips before I can stop it and I quickly slam my mouth shut to hide it the best I can.

“Good choice.” Leaning back to where her cell phone rests on the table behind me, I quickly find Minnie's name in her contact list and press the button.

A video call comes to life, and a moment later, the screen is filled with Minnie's furious face.

“Blaze… what the fuck is—” Minnie’s words trail off as I spin the cell phone around to face Polaris.

“Oh my God, Polaris. You’re okay. Thank goodness.

” Tears gather in her eyes as she presses her hand against her chest. A smile beams across her face, matching the one Polaris now wears as I offer for her to take the cell phone from my hand.

“Hey, Minnie,” she says softly.

“You're all right,” Minnie repeats, needing the confirmation from her friend, and Polaris nods.

“I’m fine.”

Rising from my seat, I lean against the side of her bed so I can get a view of the screen too. Polaris instantly tries to move it away, but I just keep moving along with her and she eventually gives in.

Minnie catches the motion and eyes me through the screen.

“He's still persistently present,” Polaris states, and to my surprise, Minnie snickers at the comment, but her gaze stays on me.

“You said I could see her.”

“And you are.”

She gives me a pointed look. “I meant in person.”

I shrug. “And I told you not to trust me.”

She's mad, but there's amusement in her eyes as she shakes her head. “You're an ass.”

“I’m well aware.”

“Is everyone else okay?” Polaris asks, interjecting, and Minnie nods.

“Everyone's fine. Don't worry about us. Just get better. We're all relieved to know you're okay.”

Polaris sighs, content with the words, but there's still something missing. I can sense it in the air without her even saying a thing. It’s also noticeable that Minnie says we’re relieved, but I only see her.

“I want to see you in person,” Polaris admits, her tone defeated as Minnie rolls her eyes before settling them on me again.

“The asshole eavesdropping is the one with all control right now.” At least she’s not worried about the truth here. For a wolf, she’s half respectable.

I can feel Polaris’s eyes narrow, aiming my way, burning into the side of my face.

“What the fuck have you done?” she grumbles, and I take that as my cue to give her a little more space. Taking a seat in my chair, this time I kick my feet up on the bed as I fold my arms over my chest, a teasing smile unavoidable on my lips.

Polaris growls, but she’s looking at the cell phone, not me. “I hate him,” she mutters the words about me, like I’m not here, and Minnie snickers.

“I don't think that feeling is mutual, friend,” she states with a nervous giggle before the air grows somber. “And bound, that’s?—”

“I’m pretending I don't remember that part,” Polaris interrupts, making me frown.

“Remember?” Minnie asks, confused, and Polaris huffs.

“All of my fucking blackout moments seem to circle around yours truly,” she states, pointing her finger in my direction as I pry one eyelid open.

All her anger is aimed my way again.

“How do you manage to get even feistier with your friend on the cell phone?” I ask gruffly, and Minnie cackles.

“You haven’t seen nothin’ yet, Blaze. I swear to God, though, she better not?—”

I'm on my feet, snatching the cell phone from Polaris’s hand before Minnie can finish whatever she was about to say. I hit the red button with a little more force than necessary before placing the device back on the table.

“What the hell?” Polaris shouts.

“She was giving me a headache,” I mumble, and she gasps in disbelief.

“She's my friend.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m well aware of that too.”

Looking down at her, every part of my body wants to climb into the hospital bed and lay with her instead of sitting in this fucking chair, but that's not how this works. Not yet, at least.

“Blaze…” She says my name as a plea, but I can tell she doesn't quite know what she's asking for.

So I do the only thing I can think of and lean closer. I put my hands on either side of her face, looking deep into her shimmering eyes as I make sure to fill every inch of her vision.

“We're bound. Get used to it, to this. I'm not going anywhere.”

Her fingers twitch and I half expect her to slap me across the face again, but she doesn’t, to my disappointment.

“I just want it to be known that I don't like this,” she states through gritted teeth, and my smile spreads wide, almost manic, but I absorb it.

“Neither do I, Amica Mea… I fucking love it.”