Page 26 of Savage Desire

I don’t belong anywhere. That feels like my truth, my reality.

Not at Trinity Falls Academy, not at the witches’ table, and definitely not at the wolves’ table, yet here I am.

I can run from it, from this moment, admitting the truth not just to myself but those around me that doubt me simply because I’m a Florentine. I can shake myself off, get a grip of myself, and strengthen the resilience I know is nestled deep down inside of me… somewhere.

“If she doesn't want to be here, she can leave,” Lincoln grunts, his head downcast once again, leaving a burning sensation of disappointment, embarrassment, and awkwardness rippling inside of me. A feeling I can't tamp down. His distaste for me is clear, but it's hard to acknowledge, understand, or even respect when I know I haven't done anything wrong.

Surprisingly, his words fuel my desire to stay, but before I can make a decision, Wylder sighs. “Have it your way,” hemurmurs, grabbing my waist and yanking me down into his lap in the next breath.

My spine is stiff, my body frozen as he curls an arm around me, holding me in place with my legs across his lap. As if he didn’t just make a spectacle of me, he fills his plate with food.

Blinking at him, I’m at a loss for words, and my gaze darts up, finding Asher on the other side of Minnie with his eyebrow cocked. I can’t decide if there’s a question in his stare before he shakes his head and delves back into the food in front of him.

My stare turns to Tatum seated on the other side of him. There’s a soft smile on his lips, his long brown hair twisted into a knot at the back of his head as he offers me a subtle nod before doing the same. Apparently they’re not that fazed by me being here.

As if sensing my thoughts, Lincoln scoffs, refusing to look my way, but clearly aware of my presence. My gut clenches, leaving me irritated by the fact that I even care, when Minnie braces her elbow on the table, blocking the rest of them from view as she nibbles on her fries.

“Is everything okay? You left combat class in quite a hurry.” It’s clear she’s fishing for answers she already has if the glint in her eyes is anything to go by.

My cheeks burn with embarrassment, a telltale feeling at this point as I stumble over an attempt to offer her a response. Thankfully, Wylder interjects before I can make a fool of myself.

“It was all me, I was being a dick.”

I frown at his choice of words, my eyebrows furrowing as I shake my head, but Minnie chuckles before I get a chance to correct him.

“Is that why you got sand in your eye?” she asks with a grin, giving me a wink.

“That’s exactly why,” he answers, his fingers flexing at my waist. “Apparently, trying to encourage her to feel rage, to fightback with all of her strength, isn't quite the way to go,” he mutters, the tip of his nose skimming over my temple as Minnie beams at me.

“That's my girl. Make him work for it.” I roll my eyes, my embarrassment reaching new heights under the attention I'm getting. “Anyway, you’re not going to hold this guy being an ass against me, are you? You’re still going to come tonight, right?”

I tilt my head at her, confused. “Tonight?”

Wylder’s hand drops to my thigh, squeezing at the single word, and I bite back a groan.

“It's a new full moon tonight, which means we’re obviously having a party. You’ll be there, right?”

Memories of the last full moon wolf party I attended flash in my mind. The shot with Wylder and Bryony, dancing until my feet ached before running into Lincoln. I muttered those little words, exposing my virginity, wanting to cut him somehow with my truth, but instead it wound up slicing me. The recollection of that night quickly darkens when I recall how it ended: with V’s death.

Veronica.

I had known her name for barely a day.

“Can someone tell me why the fuck we’re inviting some little bitch? Someone to sink our teeth into isn’t usually part of the night’s fun,” Bianca snarls from across the table, her pupils almost black with rage as I stiffen.

“Excuse me,” I blurt, rearing my head at her. I don't know where the sass comes from, but the irritation inside me burns bright.

She sits taller in her seat, a quick splash of surprise in her eyes at my outburst, but she smothers it before giving me a deathly glare. “We don't need people like you at our table, our parties, or anywhere near us for that matter,” she rattles off, her lip curling up in a sneer.

My heart ricochets in my chest. I knew something like this would go down. I should have dug my heels in more and insisted on leaving.

“If you don't like Polaris’s presence, you can leave, Bianca,” Asher says from his seat with his eyes boring into the side of my face instead of the girl he's talking to.

I can’t turn away from her, however. I’m too busy anticipating what her next move may be.

Her nostrils flare, irritation clear as she ignores me and turns to glare at Asher. “She shouldn't be at this table. No runts, definitely not of the witch kind, and especially not at my table, and not with their grubby little paws on things that don’t belong to them,” she rants, overwhelming my mind with her choice of words.

Tatum is the one to scoff this time. “The only runt I see is the one running her mouth.”

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