Page 103 of Savage Torment

“Do you know which vampires have deals?” Lincoln asks, and I huff, shaking my head as I turn my stare to him.

“No one says no, Alpha. Consider those numbers,” I murmur, and Tatum curses under his breath. To make it a little more real, I offer them a truth. “That's why I had to kill the wolf. Declan? Yeah. When I refused, he sent the wolf crazy until I had to do it.”

“What did you gain out of it?” Lincoln asks, and I shake my finger at him.

Asher sighs, drawing my attention to him instead. “Okay, what is your deal now?”

I take a deep breath, looking at each of them. It would be better if Wylder were here, but beggars can’t be choosers right now.

“I have seventy-two hours to kill the one who mated with Polaris.”

The words leave my pulse thundering in my ears, but I can’t say anything, I’m fucking bound to her. I knew sharing would come eventually, I’m almost half surprised it hasn’t happened before now. I just know there wasn’t a mating mark on her body the night of the fight. So that means it happened recently. My order only came in yesterday. I’ve been avoiding my Amica Mea and these fucking wolves ever since.

“Mated?” Lincoln murmurs, frowning at me. “No one?—”

“It’s me,” Tatum blurts, eyes laser focused on me.

I nod in understanding, and when I don’t make a move toward him, it becomes apparent that I’m not interested in following through on the deal.

“How do we make that not happen?” Lincoln asks, but his gaze is fixed on Tatum.

I rise from my seat. “Think about it, get back to me,” I state, and the three of them gape at me as I saunter toward the door. Before I leave, I glance back over my shoulder.

“Where are the girls, anyway?” I ask, already aware, but intrigued by the why more than anything.

Tatum shakes his head, clearly confused by the whole situation, but he still manages to answer me. “New York. Something about period cramps and sushi, I checked out after that,” he admits, and my pulse races for an entirely different reason now.

I’m gone before another word can be said. There are more pressing matters. Because she’s mine.

32

POLARIS

Best. Day. Ever.

It’s all I can think as we head inside the witch dorms.

“Do you want to come and watch a movie?” Bryony offers, and I shake my head. It’s been the best day, but now I'm exhausted. Like actually. Me. Who knew?

“No, go enjoy yourselves,” I insist, following them up the stairs.

“Are you sure?” Minnie asks with a frown. “We?—”

“I’ve been the third wheel long enough. I’m honestly exhausted,” I insist, cutting her off. She doesn’t need to worry that I’m going to feel left out. It’s not like I’m inviting them to my room while I… never mind. I need to cut that train of thought now, otherwise I’ll end up restless and definitely won’t be able to sleep.

Minnie smiles at me, reaching out to squeeze my arm in comfort. “If you change your mind, you know where we are,” she insists, and I nod.

“Thank you, and thank you for an awesome day. It really was spectacular.”

They carry on up the stairs, and I detour to the bathroom. I feel gross. All the steps we took today have left me tired, butalso sweaty, and I want to feel clean and refreshed when I slide between my sheets.

Thankfully, the girls’ bathroom is empty as I grab a towel from the shelf, but I still hang all of my items on the back of the stall door before I step under the spray and go through the motions. I let the water beat down on my hair for what feels like an eternity, my movements getting more languid as time passes, but it’s a weird feeling, one I like.

I’m sure I should be more alert and stressed over what’s to come this week, but… I feel content. Focusing on my hair, I shampoo and condition the ends before turning my attention to my body. My skin feels even drier since it’s that time of the month, and I half regret not taking Bryony’s offer earlier. She mentioned a spell that would stop the bleeding altogether, and I almost said yes, except, Blaze’s comment still lingers in my mind.

Drying myself off, I take a pinch of my sand and mutter under my lips, preening at the feel of my soft pajamas donning my arms and legs. I decide to watch my spell work its magic on my hair, so I gather my belongings and move over to the vanity. Satisfied, with my hair dried and braided down my back, I’m ready to get lost in my sheets.

It’s still surprisingly quiet when I head out into the hallway and make my way to my room. I half expected the wolf following us to make an appearance, since no one likes to let me be alone. It’s kind of nice to be in my own presence and be happy, though, so I bask in it.

---