Page 2 of Savage Torment

“Heshouldn’t even be here,” I snarl, lost to the impulsive emotions holding me captive.

Instead of answering me, he tilts his head to make eye contact with the nurse. “What do you need from me to confirm it so the rest of these cunts can see themselves out.”

“Cute, but I sure as hell am not going anywhere,” Minnie spits from behind me, but once again, our protests go unheard and the nurse retrieves a small device from her pocket, waving it in the air as she eliminates the distance between us. She pays me no mind as she sidesteps me, nodding at the fucker trapped between me and the wall.

“Please,” she breathes, holding the device out, and this asshole lifts his finger without a single care.

I’m frozen in place, unable to move as I watch the nurse prick the tip of his finger, drawing a single drop of blood before capturing it on the device. She presses a few buttons as silence descends over the room, my pulse ringing in my ears the only noise I can capture as we all wait on baited breath. For what, I’m not entirely sure, but my answer never comes from the machines, it’s a hiss from the vampire sucking the energy from the room.

He yanks at his t-shirt, lifting it up to reveal a glowing symbol at the center of his chest. It’s white, slightly raised, and shaped like a knotted infinity band. Before I can question what the fuck it is, another nurse comes barreling into the room, panic in her eyes.

“S-she’s glowing with a bound symbol… oh.” She exhales as she stares at Blaze, blinking twice to make sure she’s not seeing things before she nods. “Yeah, just like that.” She hurries back out of the door without a backward glance, and everyone’s attention shifts to the nurse who holds our world in her hands.

The first nurse smiles wide, and I hate that it’s aimed at the vampire. “Perfect, you are our patient’s blood bound. I need you to come with me right now.”

The sadistic smile that contorts his face is unbearable. My fist slams into his cheek before I even think about it. The nurse leaps back in shock, while the man on the receiving end of my attack snickers, rubbing at his jaw as his narrowed eyes latch on to mine.

“Can we see to it that the wolves are gone before Polaris returns? I don’t think she’s going to want to see the people who so carelessly put her in harm's way when she regains consciousness.” Every word is a promise, one that solidifies that this isn’t going to be easy. Whatever the fuck it actually is.

“Oh, uh, of course. As her blood bound, you will be assigned as her next of kin. We’re just going to need to document yourpersonal information, then everything will be taken care of,” the nurse explains, avoiding eye contact with not just me, but every damn wolf in the room.

“You can’t do that,” Minnie insists, shaking her head in disbelief as I flex my fingers, ready to smash this fucker in the face again, but something tells me he enjoys getting a rise out of me too much for it to be worthwhile.

The nurse steps over the threshold despite my sister’s protests, and before I can react on her behalf, she’s reminding me how strong she is. Minnie knocks her shoulder into mine, pushing me aside as she stands toe to toe with the fucking degenerate before us.

“Let me tell you something now, asshat. Polaris is not going to be happy about this. She’s not going to be happy waking up and realizing that we’re not here. That’s only going to have her thinking we don’t fucking care. I’m sure that’s what you’d like to happen, but if you know her at all, that’s going to break her. You’ve clearly been up to some shit already, stuff I have no doubt she’s not completely unaware of. Why? I don’t know. But fuck, if she matters to you at all… even just an ounce, then know that kicking us out of here is going to hurt you more than help you.” She jabs her finger in his direction, jaw locked tight as her anger and loyalty floods from her soul.

“Sir, please, Polaris doesn’t have time to waste,” the nurse calls from the hallway.

I glance from her to the person fucking bound to Polaris, my breath lodged in my throat as he stares at my sister, offering nothing before he beelines for the door. Just before he’s completely gone, his hand curls around the door frame, his eyes finding my sister once more.

“You can all fucking go. That’s not changing. Your drama will only cause her distress when she wakes.” I see the pleasure it brings him in the corner of his eyes when he gets to callthe shots, his gaze skimming over Wylder, Asher, Tatum, and I before settling back on Minnie. “But you… you’ll be the first to know when she’s okay.”

“That’s not good enough,” my sister retorts, folding her arms over her chest, and he sighs, his lips curling with another hint of trouble as he nods once again.

“I should have known Polaris would only be friends with fiery women. Fine, you can see her. Butyou, no one else.”

My sister sags in relief, arms loose at her sides. “I’m trusting you, Blaze,” she breathes, her words heavy with the weight of the situation as he shakes his head.

“I wouldn’t.”

2

POLARIS

It’s warm.Reallyfreaking warm.

I can feel sweat beading at my temples, making my hair stick to my head as my breaths fall in soft waves. My chest moves with each inhale, but I can’t seem to open my eyes. My limbs are no better. It almost feels like I’m floating on a cloud.

My eyes dart back and forth behind my eyelids, desperate to peek into the world and understand, but it’s impossible.

Murmurs echo around me, people talking in hushed tones, but I can’t understand a single word. The sound acts as a lullaby, sending me in and out of sleep.

Something isn’t right, that much is clear. Sleeping has never been my strongest ability, yet it claims me like a virtue, over and over again. Any attempt at pushing past the weight that pins me down is futile since my brain is little more than a foggy catastrophe.

Time drifts by in a warped manner, leaving me even more confused.

Sleep comes with darkness, thick drapes over nothingness welcoming me again and again, and as much as I’m sure my body needs it, I desperately need to open my eyes.

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