Page 96 of Savage Hope

One ride leads to another,and another, and another. I feel sick from all the sweets. Cotton candy is apparently my favorite, while the smell of buttered popcorn makes me gag.

Who knew you could learn so much about yourself in a place like this?

I’ve worried about losing my coin more than once, but there have been some calmer rides that haven’t left my heart at the peak of a drop that steals my breath.

Tatum appears in front of me, pulling me from my thoughts as he holds a weird food item in front of me. He nods for me to take it, but I eye it with concern.

“What is it?”

He bites back a smile, shaking his head at me. “It’s a corndog, and I promise you, it’s good,” he insists, and I slowly take the stick from his grasp.

“I’m going to hold you to that statement,” I muse, and his grin widens.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll join the parade,” he declares, pointing toward the celebration parade, slowly passing in a wave of music, dance, and joy.

“And if I do like it?” I ask, and his eyes bore into mine.

“If you like it, then you get to sit with me on the Ferris wheel,” he explains, pointing to the giant wheel slowly spinning in the distance.

I can’t deny that I like the sound of his offer. I’ve been passed back and forth between Bryony and Minnie, but I’ve seen the way they’re looking at each other. They could sit together on the Ferris wheel if I like the corndog.

Desperate to like it, I take a big bite, groaning the second the flavors hit my tongue.

“I’ll take that sound as a success,” he murmurs, leaning closer so I can hear him over the music, and my cheeks return to the permanent pink hue they take on in their proximity.

“You owe me a ride on the Ferris wheel,” I mutter in response as he leans back enough for me to see his pupils dilate.

Damn.

“Fuck,” Asher grunts, garnering everyone’s attention as he stands, glaring down at his cell phone like there isn’t a glow of magic playing before him.

“Is he okay?” I ask, peering up at Tatum, who places his hand on my back, keeping me close.

“Yeah, he just…Lincoln is our Alpha, but Asher has a lot to deal with. Especially from his uncle.”

“His uncle,” I repeat, frowning in confusion.

“Yeah, he’s a member of The Imperium.” He must see that I have no idea what that means because he explains a little further, keeping his voice as low as possible. “The Imperium is the authority over the supernatural world. More specifically, the wolves, but it comes with responsibility in each quadrant. Which I’m sure is great, but Asher doesn’t like him or the deals he makes.”

I try to absorb his words, blinking slowly when Asher curses again.

“Are we ready for the Ferris wheel? I need to make some calls,” he states, looking to Lincoln for confirmation, and we all wordlessly follow after them toward the next ride. Bryony and Minnie giggle between themselves as we join the VIP line again, and no one complains when I board with Tatum.

The bench is small as I take a seat, my thigh pressing against his as he gets comfortable beside me. The door closes behind him, forming the perfect bubble around us as we slowly lift in theair. We don’t get far before the ride stops for the rest of the group to get on.

We are enveloped in a comfortable silence as we look out over the night, watching the lights dance beneath us.

“It’s magical,” I murmur, looking at Tatum, who offers me a soft, wistful smile.

“I forgot how magical this place could be until I got the pleasure of seeing it through your eyes. Clearly, I’ve been taking it for granted for too long.”

Thankfully, it’s dimmer in here so I don’t have to worry about my pink cheeks appearing again. Especially when he makes it clear he’s paying attention to me.

His gaze is locked on mine, making it impossible to look away, even as the ride takes off high into the air at a slow pace.

“Polaris,” he breathes, turning to face me with his arm braced along the back of the seat, and I gulp.

My heart races, knowing precisely what he’s saying without uttering another word, and I nod. Desperate.

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