Page 6 of Savage Desire

Fuck.

Last night was an absolute mess. There's no denying that. But none of us really knew what to say or do the moment Polaris hightailed it out of there with Bryony as her guide.

The moment I realized Lincoln and Polaris were missing, I knew exactly why. At the time, I was grinning from ear to ear, excitement bubbling through my veins while the essence of the woman in question still lingered on my fingertips.

I can’t explain what she’s doing to me, but she’s under my skin regardless. Seeing Lincoln unravel at her presence lit me on fire, especially when we could all see the intrigue coming from Tatum too.

Tatum. Our silent brother. Our lost soul. The one who walks around with his head down, avoiding the pains of the world while carrying the scars from his past. His eyes were open all of a sudden, and they were fixated on Polaris.

Asher seems indifferent. Then again, he always is. Lincoln may be our alpha, but Asher has his own problems to deal with. Problems I probably don’t even know the half of, which means he’s walking around in his own bubble.

I don’t know why I like the idea of us being infatuated with Polaris, it’s not like I’m searching for someone to fill an unnecessary void or anything, but she’s drawn me under her spell. Right up until last night.

That’s a lie. Even now she has me under her spell.

There are now just more layers to her. I shouldn’t be surprised by the fact, but I am. We all are.

We’ve been eerily silent over the matter since we returned to campus. It seems no one really knows what to say. Although, the furious look on Minnie’s face is a telling sign. One that confirms to everyone that she's probably not on our side. Not that there are sides. Sides aren’t necessary.

But the way Polaris ran, the look on her face, like she was sprinting to save her life… that told a different story.

The coin. It was a surprise for sure. What it stands for is even tougher to comprehend, but it’s not for us to judge.

Sighing, I stand, refusing to repeat the same thought process that’s been playing on a loop in my mind all night. I reach for my towel, swiping at my face as I head for the staircase, ready to get out of the basement and back up to the wolf dorm.

I flick the light off on my way out and the second I place my foot on the first step, shouting booms from above. I'm all too familiar with those voices, and I'm not ready for the fallout that's going to come.

Trudging upstairs, I take two at a time to find Lincoln and Asher in a stare off while Tatum stands with his hands stuffed in his pockets, head darting back and forth between the two.

“What do you mean you gave it to Bryony?” Lincoln growls, but Asher just shrugs, unfazed.

“I don't know how else you want me to say it to you, Lincoln. I gave the coin to Bryony to pass on. What don't you understand?”

Lincoln tugs at his hair, his face reddening with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

Great.

“Fuck. What in the shitstorm is going on?” I growl, earning a worried look from Tatum while the other two ignore me, too caught up in the moment to hear anything beyond each other.

Lincoln aims an accusing finger at Asher. “You had no right.”

Asher shakes his head in disbelief at our alpha. “It. Is. Not. Ours,” he insists, biting each word through clenched teeth, and Lincoln scoffs.

“I don't care. It's not hers either.”

“Whose?” I ask, having an inkling of who they’re talking about, but my priority is to try and diffuse. It’s no surprise that I go unheard by Lincoln, but thankfully, Asher is kind enough to acknowledge my existence.

“Well, definitely not Bryony’s,” he grumbles, turning to look at me. “But she'll pass it on to the rightful owner. Am I wrong?” He turns his attention to Tatum, looking for a nod of agreement, but Lincoln grunts before anyone else can say anything.

“But Polaris isn't the owner,” Lincoln insists, and Asher sighs, shaking his hands at his sides as he searches for the strength to deal with our brother.

“Says who?” Asher pushes, cocking a brow at him.

“Says me.” Lincoln rages and Tatum snarls, his wolf brimming to the surface as he finally makes his presence known between them.

“You might be our alpha, but you're not a damn god and ruler to all, Lincoln,” Tatum grunts, and the man in question whips around to face his friend, disbelief etched into his features.

“You're taking his side.” The statement is barely more than a whisper, but the hurt is clear in Lincoln’s eyes.

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