Page 67 of Savage Sacrifice
“His wolf,” I breathe, understanding washing over me, and Tatum grimaces. “Go, be with him,” I insist, and he offers me a tight smile before lifting my knuckles to his lips. I hum at the contact before he takes off in the distance with Minnie right beside him.
“And then there were three,” Bryony says with a smile, eyeing Blaze and me.
“I could eat,” I blurt, sensing an odd tension which I can’t quite decipher.
“How about I get us something?” Blaze offers, and I smile. “Why don’t you go and find one of the benches and I’ll meet you there,” he adds, running his hand down my spine as he presses a kiss to my temple. “No mischief, Amica Mea,” he warns, and I scoff, watching him leave.
When he disappears from view, I turn toward where he pointed, noting the few scattered picnic tables at the edge of the grass.
“I’ll grab us some drinks too. Meet you there?” Bryony offers, and I nod.
“Okay, but can you get me a bottle of water, please?” I ask, and she gives me a thumbs up before taking off toward the bar.
I opt for the closest table, flopping down onto the seat with a content sigh as I close my eyes and tilt my face up to the sky.
I know everything is still crazy. I know my life hasn’t miraculously reverted to how it was, but it feels nice to experience a sliver of normalcy for a moment. I’ve spent so much time alone, and now I can’t make it twenty-four hours without seeing the five men that drive me insane. I don’t know what they did to me, but there’s no turning back from it now.
The bench creaks across from me and I smile, hoping it’s the food, but when I pry my eyes open, the man I find is barely a man at all. I’m sure beneath the mask, he might be, but he’s more a symbol of fear than anything else.
His lips spread in a sinister smirk as he braces his elbows on the table, and it takes everything in me to not react or shrink in his presence.
“Polaris.”
“Crow.”
24
TATUM
The second I reach the edge of the treeline, I leap, pushing off the ground with all of my strength as my wolf takes control. By the time I’m back on the ground, my clothes are shredded and fur covers my body. My paws thunder with every step I take, each one coming faster than the last, until I’m at full speed, eating up the hundreds of acres of forest land that surrounds the farm.
With every step comes a sense of calmness.
With every inhale comes a wave of contentment.
With every blink comes a rush of hope.
Being at one with my wolf is indescribable, especially when it has such a profound impact on me. Sometimes, it almost feels like a chore when it doesn’t settle the thoughts in my mind, but on days like today, when a bubble of serenity wraps around me, it’s utter perfection.
However, if the blood moon pack run were happening before we found Polaris, it would be a completely different story right now.
Polaris.
Polaris fucking Beauchamp.
She’s alive. She’s not quite home in my arms where I want her to be just yet, but we’re a good step closer in that direction. I feel like I’ve lived and ached for a million lifetimes, and it wasn’t even a week.
It’s remarkable how quickly your life can change without notice or warning, but although we’re adapting to a new way of life right now, it’s not permanent. It can’t be. The worry and fear of Polaris being alone in Florida is crippling.
My muscles tense, my body rejecting that line of thinking, and I take a deep breath, attempting to rid myself of the negativity in my mind while reminding myself that my thoughts aren’t always based on facts.
Seeing her tonight, looking nothing like herself, was odd, but I knew it was her. I could feel my mark on her chest, my own mark heating at the reminder. It was carefree and exciting to be able to dance with her. I want a million more moments like that.
I pass a few wolves as I increase my speed, loving the euphoric energy fizzling through my bones, when I quickly realize I haven’t seen Lincoln yet. He’s usually a step behind me, and catching up to my side by this point, always wanting to make sure I’m okay, but right now he’s nowhere in sight.
With uncertainty clouding my vision, I slow my pace and spy Minnie on top of a fallen log, searching through the trees, and I instantly know she’s looking for the same person as me. Our eyes lock and I feel the panic and fear in her eyes.
I nod, a single move with no words, but she understands.
