Page 90 of Savage Torment

“What are you going to do?” Minnie asks, and the vampire sighs.

“I’m going to compel her to be okay. I’m going to compel her to be strong. I’m going to compel her to live this last fucking week with every ounce of strength in her being. Because if I don’t, she’s going to succumb to the fear, hide from the darkness, and possibly waste what little time a lot of us have left. Now, do you want that for her? Because I sure as fuck don’t.”

Silence washes over us, Blaze’s words hanging in the air before another hand lands on my shoulder.

“Do it.”

“No, not just fucking do it,” Minnie interjects. “I get it. It’s a great idea; I’m considering it for myself, but she deserves the choice. It has to be her decision. Not ours.”

The silence comes once again, someone else seemingly talking sense, but now everyone is waiting for my answer and I don’t know if I have one.

What Blaze said, I know he isn’t lying; it’s so true that it’s almost frightening to know how much better he knows me than I know myself. Do I want to erase these emotions? The fear and panic that’s got me through so much, or do I want a week of ignorant bliss?

Fuck it.

Fuck it all.

Prying my eyes open, they settle on the vampire crouched before me. Worry brims in his eyes, but there’s a fierceness there that puts his concern for me above everything else. I can feel it deep in my bones.

Without taking my gaze from him, I unravel the bracelet on my right wrist, holding it out for someone to take. It’s gone a moment later. I’m not sure who takes it, but that doesn’t seem to matter as Blaze plants a hand on each cheek and…

“Ready for class?”

I blink, looking up at Minnie, who smiles at me. There’s a hint of nervousness in her eyes, but I shake it off, taking her outstretched hand as she pulls me to my feet.

“Yes,” I reply with a smile, linking her arm as I look around the group. Lincoln glances off to the left, ignoring everyone, while Asher has his gaze fixed on his cell phone, tapping away furiously. Wylder offers me a half smile and Tatum stares at me intently. “Who would have thought I was older than you, huh?” I say with a grin, winking at Wylder, who smirks back.

“Yeah, who would have thought,” he agrees, a sadness pulling his brows together slightly, and I smile at him reassuringly.

“We’re not going to stress about anything. This is our week, right?” I clarify, my smile spreading further when I look at Minnie, and she nods in agreement.

“Absolutely. Now, let’s get out of here, shall we?”

I take her lead, heading for the exit without a backward glance. No one says a word as we head outside. The morning sun manages to warm my soul even more, and I beam, tilting my face back to let the heat wash over me.

Today is a good day. It has to be.

“Let’s hope you’re my blood kin so I can put an end to you once and for all.” I blink to the left, following the snarl to find Bianca. Two of her friends flank her sides as she sneers at me, and I shake my head, my smile somehow growing even more.

“I don’t care to deal with you today,” I mutter, digging my free hand into my pocket to get a pinch of sand before I whisper under my breath.

I giggle manically as I bounce on the balls of my feet, watching my magic take effect. Gone are her long brown locks, and in their place is a pink-cropped pixie cut.

Bianca screeches, her hands desperately trying to find her hair that now lies scattered at her feet. Minnie gasps in surpriseas I unlink our arms, taking a step toward the girl who has done nothing but cause me grief since I got here.

“That’s for your bitch-ass mouth, but I know it was you who came at me the other day too. For that, I’m going to come for you,” I warn, my voice dark and edgy, completely contrasting to how I usually sound, but she doesn’t waver, shaking her head profusely.

“They’re mine,” she insists, waving a hand in the direction of the wolves. “Wylder was promised to me in a family agreement.”

“Good for you,” I reply with a shrug, not bothering to confirm or deny her claim.

Bianca scoffs, hands balling into fists as she glares at me. “Wolves take agreements seriously; be warned, witch,” she snaps before turning on her heels and storming off across the manicured lawns.

Good riddance to that bitch.

Turning back to my friends, Tatum stares at me wide-eyed while Wylder nods, grinning like a fool. Asher looks at me through his lashes, his cell phone still poised in front of him as he rakes his eyes over me. Lincoln, on the other hand, stands with his hands stuffed in his pockets, head tilted as he looks at me… intently.

“That was some crazy shit, Polaris,” Minnie says with a giggle. “I like it.”

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