Page 74 of Unbidden

I take a deep breath, trying to gain my bearings while nodding at him. He grabs two more drinks off a passing tray and hands me one.

We tap glasses once again before tossing the liquid back. Reed gives me a wicked smile, then pulls me back toward the fire.

As everyone settles around, I note the heady looks and guys and girls coupled off. Sterling and V making out with his fingers buried between her legs makes me gasp. I look away quickly.

“May we close out the witching hour with our sacrifice,” the mysterious guy yells before throwing the sheets into the still raging fire.

I don’t know what exactly happened, but what I do know is that it was quite possibly the hottest moment of my life.

∞∞∞

“What the hell was that?” I ask no one specific.

“That was a good time, little fox,” Keaton says from his chair across the room.

“So much better than I thought it was going to be,” Finley chimes in from his spot sprawled in front of the fireplace.

“No, seriously, what the hell just happened? I know what I saw, but….” I trail off, unable to gather my thoughts.

I catch Sterling looking at Reed, who nods.

“I kind of told you the other night. Secretum Societatis literally translates to ‘secret society.’ It’s made up of our peers. We only allow juniors and seniors to join. Once you’re in, you have to do something legitimately fucking awful in order to be booted, and you have the whole society on your speed dial. We have judges, politicians, doctors, actors, and so much more within our group. You never know when you’ll need someone with a particular skill set, and now you don’t have to worry, because there is someone within the society who can do what you need.”

“That doesn’t explain why I was invited. Or explain what happened. What did we drink? What about the girl? You said it was a virgin sacrifice, but I’m sorry. No girl would willingly give up her virginity like that,” I rant.

“Lower your voice, Sage,” Reed warns.

“You were invited because you’re a Covington, just like me. Our family has always been a part of the society,” Victoria tells me softly.

My eyes find Reed. There’s something lingering beneath the surface. Something he’s hiding.

“I can assure you, she was a willing participant. We would never make someone do something they didn’t want to do,” Sterling says adamantly.

I turn to Reed. “What if that was Tinsley up there, huh?”

“Tinsley would never be up there,” he says with a hard voice. “I’m sure it’ll shock you, but that girl volunteered for tonight. She was extensively interviewed and questioned before to make sure she knew what to expect. Same with the guy.”

“But why!” I yell.

“Because we're a secret society. We do fucked-up shit, have weird rituals. We steal a stupid bird as a sacrifice to prove our loyalty. The women sacrifice an orgasm in public. It’s just the way it is. Get over it. Besides, from where I’m standing, you were into it,” Finley says with a shrug.

“Sofucking into it.” Keaton chuckles.

“Enough,” Reed growls at Keaton and Finley before turning to look at me. “It’s done. There’s no going back. Just think, when you’re a senior, you never have to partake in it again unless you want to. But there will be other trials to ensure your loyalty. Better make sure you’re with us and not against us. Because if you’re against us, we could make your life hell.”

I scoff. “Like you haven’t been already?”

“Trust me, Miller, that was child’s play compared to what it could have been,” he warns.

V sighs and comes to stand in front of me. She grabs my hands. “Trust me, this is a good thing. I promise. If you have any more questions, you could always ask my mom,” she tells me softly. “But please just give it a chance.”

“Fine.” I sigh before dropping down onto the couch.

A million thoughts are racing through my mind, but one comment sticks out: “Because you’re a Covington.”

Was my mother a part of this? If so, then why didn’t she ever ask them for help? Or did they push her out when she got pregnant out of wedlock?

So many questions. Maybe it’s time I seek answers.

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