Page 83 of Savage Desire

“Thank you for being my distraction for the afternoon,” he murmurs, reaching for my hands to turn me toward him, and when our eyes lock, we’re frozen in place. The air shifts around us, heating under his intensity as I nip at my bottom lip.

“Thank you for being my distraction too,” I offer, and he grins, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind my ear. His thumb ghosts over my cheek and I find myself leaning back as he edges forward until our lips are nothing more than a breath away.

I don’t know who moves first, but in the next moment, the distance between us is gone, our mouths melding together with a sharp inhale. My fingers find their way into his hair and the desire to see it fall loose around his shoulders is almost overwhelming, but as our chests press together, a knock sounds from his bedroom door.

“Fuck,” he rasps, tearing his lips from mine, but he doesn’t pull away immediately. Instead, he leans his forehead against mine, taking a second to catch his breath.

Fuck indeed.

“You should get that,” I mutter, my hands slipping from his hair only to curl into the fabric of his t-shirt. It seems my mind understands we’ve been interrupted, but my body hasn’t entirely caught up yet.

“I should,” he mutters, leaning back just enough to look in my eyes, but still, neither of us move. I’m lost to his intense stare and the sheer size of his pupils as he watches me, so when theknock rings out again, I startle, jumping slightly and causing us to butt heads.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry,” I groan, hand on my head as I try to blink through the pain, and he grunts, standing tall with a surprisingly soft smile.

“It’s not you that should be apologizing, Polaris. It’s whoever is on the other side of this door,” he grumbles, trudging toward the sound as another knock comes, and my racing heart spikes for an entirely different reason when he swings the door open to reveal my least favorite person right now. Or top five. Maybe. I think.

“Not now, Asher,” Tatum grumbles, playing with the neckline of his t-shirt as Asher glances back and forth between us.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, I just…” He swipes a hand down his face, desperation clear in his eyes as they lock on me. “Please, can we talk?”

I’m shaking my head from the moment he says please, and I hurry to grab my bag, hiking it over my shoulder as I head for the door. Panic claws in my veins as I approach the pair of them, but as I get closer, they take a step back, clearing the doorway for me to pass. I stop just inside the threshold, turning my attention to Tatum.

“I’m sorry, Tatum. Thank you, but… this is my cue to leave,” I mumble, and he nods in understanding.

“It’s not, I?—”

“Shut up, Asher. Just give her space,” Tatum interjects, a deathly glare on his face as he stares at his friend, who sighs.

“Space isn’t going to keep The Crow away,” Asher retorts, desperation thick in his voice, and I whirl around to face him.

“I’m not talking to you about this right now,” I state, stepping out into the hallway, and he moves to follow after me.

“We need to.”

“No, we needed to this morning. We’ll continue this conversation whenI’mready,” I snap back, and he rushes to block the staircase off.

“And when will that be? You can’t bury your head in the sand over this,” he insists, and it’s my turn to sigh. I know what he’s saying is true, but he’s not in control of this situation now. I gave him the opportunity this morning and he gave me nothing.

I glance back to look at Tatum, and the second I do, he’s stomping toward us. “Don’t worry, Polaris. You go, I’ll stay here and beat some sense into him for you,” he offers with a wink, and I grin.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I mutter, side-stepping the wolf in front of me, and to my complete shock, he lets me go.

I’m halfway down the stairs when their voices go from hushed whispers to a holler.

“Silver, at least let someone walk you back,” Asher calls out, hanging over the bannister, and I shake my head, waving them off without a backward glance.

I hold my breath with every step I take, only sucking in a sharp inhale when I make it outside unscathed. Not willing to risk being stopped by someone else, I hightail it down the woodchip path and scurry across the sand to the witches’ dorm.

I can feel someone watching me, but at least they’re keeping their distance. I head inside without issue and hurry up the stairs two at a time to my room. As I make it to my hallway, my cell phone pings in my bag and I dig into the confines of my belongings to find it as I slip inside my room, pushing the door shut before leaning back against it.

Bryony: Sorry I’ve been MIA today. Coven business. Want to grab some food soon?

I twist my lips, staring down at my cell phone as I consider my options, but before I can tap out a reply, a voice fills the room, making me leap two feet in the air.

“Polaris?” I balk, eyes snapping across the room. “Thank God you’re here. I was worried about you.” I blink and blink again, sure I’m hallucinating right now, but then he rises from the foot of my bed, a tired smile on his face as he stares me down. “P, are you okay?”

I nod, still bewildered as I breathe his name.

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