Page 7 of Savage Torment

Vomit is ready to rush past my lips, but I push it down, desperate to hold it together.

He’s definitely brought me here to find me a bed, I know it. He’s going to use me for all of his friends to feed on me. I should have let the curiosity go, I should have made a better decision for myself, I should have?—

“Is this him?”

It takes a moment for his words to register in my mind, and when I find the strength, I peer between my fingers at the person lying on the bed beside me. My breath stills as I nod. “B,” I breathe, moving toward him, but Blaze pulls me into his side, refusing to let me near him. “Why is he here?”

“I thought that might be obvious,” Blaze grumbles as I lower my hand, staring at B properly now, noting the bite marks that line his arms, neck, and even his cheek.

“This is awful,” I breathe, my hand slapping against my mouth as I will the emotion to disappear. “You have to make it stop.”

“I don’t have to do anything.”

Fury rises inside me, and I yank my hand from his grasp. This time, he lets me go, and I run before I can give him a second to change his mind. My feet pound against the floor, matching my racing heart, and I don’t slow until I make it back outside.

The warmth from the sun does little to diminish the chill in my veins as my pace slows once I’m back on the normal pathway heading as far away from Blaze and whatever the hell that was back there. Someone has to help me, B can’t?—

Hands grip my waist, lifting me off the ground as I spin wildly before finally feeling the ground beneath me again, but it comes with a broad chest trapping me in.

With my hands pinned at my sides, I slip them into my pockets, feeling the familiar coin in my grasp, reminding me that everything’s going to be okay. It’s short-lived when he tugs my upper arm, pulling my hand from my pocket along with my precious coin.

I pray he doesn’t see it, but that’s delusional. His gaze snaps to the ground, and before I can even process it, I see the golden glint in his hand. His brows furrow as the world stills. I can’t suck in a breath, not one, as I try to gather the strength to snatch it out of his hand, but it seems in the midst of fight or flight, I’m frozen in place.

My gaze tears away from the coin, watching his every move. His Adam’s apple bobs three times, his nostrils flare twice, and he sighs, long and heavy, before his blue eyes find mine. He doesn’t speak, though. He simply releases me completely as he stuffs his free hand into his pocket, retrieving a matching glimmer of gold, and my heart thunders so intensely, I’m certain death is upon me.

Jaw slack, I gape between the two coins held side by side. All too quickly, he holds my coin out to me, dropping it into my palm. I finally steal a breath, relief flooding my chest as I find the words to speak.

“What does it mean?”

His lips purse as he secures his coin again, shrugging while he stares at me. “I don’t know, but I’m not ready for you to find out yet.” He grabs my shoulders, locking me in place. “I want you to?—”

“What are you doing?” I blurt, noticing the swirl to his eyes, the blue turning darker.

He rolls his eyes. “Compelling you.”

Compelling me? I don’t like the sound of that.

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Don’t worry, Polaris. I have a feeling our paths will cross again. When that happens, I’ll let you remember,” he mutters, and I stiffen.

“Remember? I’m not forgetting anything,” I insist, and he shakes my shoulders lightly, regaining control of the situation.

“It’s cute that you think you have a choice. Now, you will?—”

Smack.

My palm stings, panic clawing at my insides as I blink at him.

I acted on instinct, and his cheek turns pink as the air thickens between us.

“That’s hot,” he rasps, his tongue sweeping across his bottom lip. His declaration stuns me, leaving me exposed, and he doesn’t waste his opportunity.

The next thing I know, I’m in the dining hall. Memories forgotten.

My eyes widen,settling on the vampire draining all of the energy from the room, but just as quickly as my jaw falls slack, I’m blasted back into my thoughts.

Heading toward the main academy building, eyes alert, searching for Minnie, I barely get my foot over the threshold before I'm halted in my tracks. The grip on my shoulder is tight, threatening, yet somehow familiar. I don't get a chance to peer over my shoulder to see who it is; the opportunity is taken from me as they whirl me around. My back hits the wall with a thud as I blink up at Blaze. His presence is consuming, watchingdown on me like he can see the thumping of my heart, the swell of my lungs, and the flickering of my pulse.

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