Page 48 of Savage Hope

Her eyebrows knit further together as she shakes her head, confusion still morphing her features. “All we did was color your hair.”

I snicker. “And do my makeup and make me look nothing like I do now,” I add and she scoffs.

“Please, the makeup only enhanced the features you already have. He's dumb, but not blind.”

I bite back a laugh, but she's not done assessing the situation. She leans forward, bracing her forearms on the table. “I was certain he was going to slip away with you deeper into the woods to haveS E X,” she stage-whispers, feeding her own grin, and I roll my eyes again.

“Oh, he was trying.”

She leans back in shock, her hand pressed against her chest as she gapes at me with a mixture of bewilderment and horror. “And you said no?”

I can feel the familiar heat returning to my cheeks. “Well, technically not.”

“You're gonna have to explain that, Polaris,” she insists, nudging at my arm.

I press my lips together, unsure whether I should share, but there’s a sense of comfort in her demeanor that, even though I can’t decipher it, makes me feel safe. Besides, as much as it’s personal, it was funny, and it still detracts from the sadness that clings to every fiber in my body.

“I told him I was a virgin.”

“A virgin,” she shouts, and I feel like my entire body is ablaze.

“Wow, Bryony, whisper much?” I grumble, refusing to lift my gaze from my plate as I plead for the ground to open beneath me.

“Sorry! Sorry. My brain is just so slow with all of this. There's too much information, I cannot keep up. I mean, I guess it makes sense since you had your first drink last night. But damn, that's not what I was expecting. How did he take the news?”

I shrug, continuing to avoid her gaze as I reach for my fork and push the eggs around my plate. Now that she’s backto not shouting, I can think about it without worrying the embarrassment is going to kill me.

“He doesn't do virgins.”

She scoffs again. “Of course not. He’ll be worried about a stage five clinger,” she insists. And I frown, finally peering at her from the corner of my eye. “Lincoln James is anything but the commitment type. I've honestly heard stories of him sharing women with his core pack,” she whispers like that's a big secret. It’s more of a secret than my virginity, but apparently, that's not something to be shy about, or yell about.

“Sharing?” I say with a gulp, the word heavy on my tongue, and she shrugs, nodding toward them.

“Yeah, core pack—him and his brothers—but apparently, you have to be a wolf for them to consider it,” she insists, curling her fingers into air quotes.

Following her attention, I find my gaze latching back on them again, only this time, Lincoln is staring straight at me. My heart skips up into my throat, but he continues gazing around the room.

“Wow. He really is dumb. He had no acknowledgment of you then,” Bryony murmurs in shock, and I shake my head, dropping my fork back to the plate as I lean back.

I’m too caught up on the sharing fact. Being overlooked doesn’t even register in my brain. “It doesn't matter anyway. Last night was simply one of the distractions this place has to offer. I've been thinking about what you said non-stop, and as much as I don't want to kill someone, I don't want to die either, and if I don't want to die, I can't be distracted by the likes of Lincoln or feeble attempts at bullying from Blaze, or Wylder, for that matter.”

“Wylder?” she interjects, eyebrows high as a blush creeps over my cheeks, and she winks at me. “He's friends with Lincoln, you know,” she states, and I shrug.

“Good for him.” I stand, done with my poor attempt at breakfast, but even more done with the hot distractions flaunted before me, yet it seems she's not done.

“You're really going to walk away from a chance at that?” she says, and my eyes meet hers.

I keep a straight face for all of five seconds before we both giggle. Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I put my back toward the wolves as I answer her honestly.

“There never was a chance to begin with.”

20

WYLDER

I'm tired and cranky: two things I feel on a regular basis, but even more intensely today after the effects of the full moon last night. My wolf is more tired than I am if that’s possible. Add to the fact that we lost one of our own last night, and everything is a wash. It definitely doesn’t help that we’re not given any leeway the day after a full moon. It’s not like wewantto shift into our wolves uncontrollably as the moon reaches its pinnacle in the sky. It’s a euphoric feeling, for sure, but sitting here now, with the expectation to be ready for a day's worth of classes? No thanks.

I don’t want to face anyone today after watching that poor girl last night.

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