Page 7 of Savage Desire

“There are no sides unless you put them there,” Tatum insists, earning himself another scoff from Lincoln.

“So you're taking his side.”

I snicker, unable to process the playground bullshit I’m watching unfold before me. The slip from my lips finally earns me our alpha’s attention, but when he meets my stare, I’m certain he knows I’m not impressed with him either. Yet I don’t get to speak a word before Asher’s voice booms throughout the entryway.

“You're being dramatic and it's boring. When you're ready to have a real conversation, let me know,” he states before heading for the door, letting it slam shut behind him. The walls vibrate from the impact as silence descends over the space.

Well then.

Lincoln presses the bridge of his nose, attempting to take a few deep breaths before his eyes latch onto mine again. “Whatdo you think of all this, Wylder?” he asks with his eyebrow cocked.

“Does it matter?” I retort, matching his stance and facial expression, which earns me a petulant eye roll.

“Obviously,” he grumbles, exasperated.

Standing taller, I roll my shoulders back as I glare at him, making sure to drive the point home. “Then stop acting like your thoughts and opinions are the only ones that count,” I grunt.

“I’m the Alpha.”

“You're an ass,” Tatum interjects, and I have to press my lips together to hide the smile as I give a pointed look to the man in question.

It must be true if it’s Tatum calling him out. That one small statement from him seems to soften Lincoln’s entire demeanor, soothing the tension rising in the room as he rolls his eyes again, except this time, it’s playful.

“You love my ass, though, right?” Lincoln says, turning slightly to pat his ass, and Tatum shakes his head.

“You owe him an apology,” he states, pointing at the door Asher stormed through, and Lincoln shrugs.

“Maybe.” Tatum folds his arms over his chest, glaring at our brother, who buckles under the sternness from the guy who never has anything to say unless he means it. “Fine, I'll say sorry at breakfastifwe discuss last night.”

“What is there to discuss?” I ask, intrigued, because as much as last night was a mess, and has played on repeat in my mind, I don't know where to begin dissecting it, and I wasn't even part of half of it.

I mean, I was on the Log Flume, but it wasn't me who claimed the first droplets of her blood, the last true piece of her innocence.

“What do you mean? There's everything to discuss,” Lincoln grunts, pulling me from my thoughts again. “Like why did shehave the coin to begin with? And why did learning of the origin of the coin release the bangles from her sigil?” He holds up his hand, listing off multiple points that we need to cover on his fingers, and I shrug.

“I don't know, maybe we should ask her,” I offer, and Tatum shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“By the looks of her last night, I don't think she knows either. She was scared and confused,” he explains, his words tainting the air as reality sets in and weighs on the room. We all saw the fear in her eyes last night.

Nodding, I edge closer to the reasonable one here. “You’re right. We're not going to get anywhere if we focus on that now. The bangles releasing gives her access to her powers, not her memories. We’re all in the dark and I’m guessing she wants answers just as much as we do,” I offer, and Tatum nods eagerly as I pat his shoulder. I grin, biting back the worry that threatens to consume me as I turn to a lighter approach. “Besides, she probably was scared of him, especially after being impaled by his dick. Lord knows what diseases she'll get from that,” I say with a snicker, pointing at Lincoln, who glares at us.

“Fuck off, man,” Lincoln grumbles.

“It seems you've done enough fucking,” Tatum adds, making it impossible to hold back the laugh burning in my chest.

Lincoln doesn’t seem to see the humor, though. “It won't happen again,” he retorts, lip curling in distaste.

My eyes widen in surprise. “It won’t?” I ask, hoping he’ll clarify.

“No.”

“Well, speak for yourself,” I insist, ready to leave this conversation and get ready for the day. Hopefully I can have a clear view of the woman in question across the dining hall today. I don’t make it five steps toward the stairs leading to my room before his words stop me in my tracks.

“We're having nothing to do with her now,” he states slowly, yet firmly.

My gaze snaps to Tatum first, seeing the same surprise on his face that I feel inside. “Again, speak for yourself,” I insist before heading upstairs, my answer final, and thankfully, no one follows after me to push the issue.

As I rush through the process of showering and getting dressed for the day, all I can think about is the silver-haired witch who won’t stop plaguing my thoughts, keeping my dick hard. Even under the spray, there’s no time for me to give it the attention it deserves. Instead, I squeeze the base, willing the desire to ease up for now, but I know it’s blue balls I’m going to be walking around with all day.

---