Page 29 of Savage Torment

“No boys allowed.”

Tatum looks at everyone with pleading eyes. “But that's not fair. We're all panicked and worried,” he insists, but Minnie cuts him off with a wave of her hand.

“I don't give a shit. Figure out all of your attitudes before you decide to come near her again.” Her gaze lingers on her brother for an extra second, like there’s a back story there that I’m not aware of, but there’s no time for me to think more on it as she turns to me with a sweet smile like she hasn’t just berated four fully grown wolves so effortlessly. “Come on, bestie. Bryony is waiting for us.”

9

POLARIS

“Ididn't know what you might want to eat, so I got us a bit of everything,” Bryony explains, worry knitting her brows together as Minnie ushers me inside. I smile in appreciation, the enticing aroma filling Bryony’s room as I catch a glimpse of an assortment of pizzas, pastas, burgers, and fries precariously spread across her bed.

The scent alone is enough to cheer me up, but recognizing that my friends did this for me is even more meaningful. “Thanks, Bryony. You really didn't have to.”

Her eyebrows rise comically, nearly reaching her hairline as she places her hand on my arm. “Are you joking? You were hurt; it’s the least I could do.” Her smile falters slightly, but her spirit remains intact. “It seems I’m not privy to the how or why, but I’m glad you’re alright,” she adds, and I catch a glimpse of Minnie out of the corner of my eye.

We agreed to keep much of the information to ourselves for now, especially regarding our initial whereabouts concerning The Crow. The less I think about him at this moment, the better. However, the thought of Bryony possibly being put in harm’s way because she knows more than she should is an even greater fear than confronting the man himself.

Thankfully, the awkward silence eases as we quietly shuffle over to the bed where the food is waiting. I settle at the foot of her bed, which is pushed against the far wall, then grab a slice of pepperoni pizza and take a bite while glancing around her room.

I can feel them tracking my every move while I observe the photos scattered across her walls. Some look hand-drawn, while others are images of Bryony with different people, perhaps family? It feels cozy in here, that’s for sure. The floral print sheets beneath me only add to that.

They let me demolish my first slice of pizza before one of them clears their throat, a question lingering in the air for a moment before Minnie speaks. “So, do you have a scar?”

I reach for a handful of fries, shaking my head as I stuff a few into my mouth. Then, I unzip Blaze’s jacket just enough to reveal where I believe the arrow had been, but not a single trace remains.

Both of their eyes widen in surprise, but it’s Bryony who inches closer, running her thumb over the exposed skin. “How is that possible? Even with witch magic and healing abilities, there should still be markings at this stage.”

I shrug, confused as her hand falls away and I zip up Blaze’s jacket, making a mental note to take it off soon. However, the thought is interrupted by Minnie’s giggles.

“It seems a bit… vampy to me.”

I narrow my eyes at her, popping the rest of my fries into my mouth, but she doesn’t waver as Bryony glances between us.

“Vampy?” she queries, confusion crinkling her nose as I roll my eyes at Minnie’s blatant attempt to change the subject to a topic I'd rathernotdiscuss.

Sighing, I grab another slice of pizza before glancing at Bryony. “She’s talking about Blaze,” I say, taking a huge bite of my pizza and groaning at the deliciousness on my tongue as Bryony’s brows furrow even deeper in confusion.

“Blaze… wait… what? Someone catch me the hell up,” she insists, and Minnie snickers even more.

Another sigh escapes my lips. “That would require me to know where to begin,” I admit before taking another cheesy bite of my food.

“We've got all night,” Minnie insists, stretching out the word ‘all,’ eager to extract the details from me, and I roll my eyes.

“I know, but I'm trying to pretend that this isn’t my life right now,” I admit, looking around the room while taking another bite.

Bryony clears her throat, but I don’t meet her gaze. “Running from it isn't going to make it disappear, Polaris,” she says, and I exhale slowly.

“A girl can dream, though, right?”

I finally look up to see understanding, soft smiles on both of their faces, and we all thankfully let the conversation fade away as we delve into our food. Time slips by as we demolish everything Bryony brought, and once I’m done, I shift on the bed, leaning back against the wall and letting my feet hang off the edge.

“I feel as though I was saved just to come here and die from overeating,” I groan, and they both chuckle at me as the pinging of a cell phone fills the room.

Minnie is the one to pull out her device. The ping is followed by another, and then another, until she is muffling a scream at her screen and tossing her cell phone onto the mattress beside her.

“Everything okay?” I ask, concern growing in my chest when she sighs.

“These boys need to learn to give you space,” she says, her eyes fixed on me, and I snicker.

---