Page 13 of The Stallion
INITIATION:CEREMONY.
This entire night would be bittersweet, knowing that only three of us would receive rings when there should've been four.
I didn’t ask Alec for the details. I couldn’t stomach hearing the fate I had handed to another dancer.
We were a brotherhood.
It didn’t matter which revue they belonged to; we were a family, and every single one of us were just as fucked up as the other for even considering joining.
I suppose the silver lining here was that the face of the dancer I had killed would never be able to haunt me—the masks from the first night keeping our true identities hidden from one another, ensuring complete anonymity.
“I’m proud of how you handled your last test.” My father entered the closet, stopping roughly a foot from me as I adjusted the red silk tie around my neck.
Cole Ryan—proud of me.
I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in his closet, borrowing one of the newest Dior suits in his collection. I glanced in the reflection at the man who had brought me into this world before returning my focus to the man standing before me—the man I had become.
My short, dark blond hair was styled just right, with a kiss of pomade to hold it in place. A few days ago, I shaved my face for the perfect amount of regrowth, which gave me a more mature and refined appearance. My defined jawline showed the strength of our bloodline.
I would’ve been a carbon copy of my father if it weren’t for my eyes, which belonged to my mother.
They weren’t just a single shade of color, as most were, but a marble of blue and green, with a soft golden brown that beamed out from behind the pupil like a sunburst on a solar eclipse.
“You're not about to give me one of those ‘you're the best son a father could ask for’speeches, are you?”
“Don't get ahead of yourself, kid.” He slapped me on my shoulder, laughing as I slid my hands into my slacks with a long exhale.
You’d think I would have had everything growing up: designer clothes, an expensive car, and the entitled personality that usually came with wealth. But my parents were good at hiding what they did behind closed doors.
Even my mother was involved in the MUR. Extravagant galas were held every five years, where the wives were required to appear alongside their husbands to display unity within the secret society while also enjoying a well-deserved night of celebration. Aside from that, they held no further obligations to the brotherhood beyond completing their assigned annual job quotas.
They had made the decision to shield me from this part of their lives in order for me to have a normal childhood. And now that it was my turn to go through initiation, I was eternally grateful for it.
“It should come as no surprise that Dustin plays fucked up games when he can.” My father spoke, breaking our extended silence.
“That elimination should’ve never happened just to spite a revue.” I bit out, still pissed off with the circumstances and their repercussions.
“You’re right. But there’s nothing we can do about it now. It was him or you.”
“It shouldn’t have been either of us… fucking Dustin.” I mumbled, more to myself than him, feeling the weight of my choices weighing heavily on my shoulders.
I wasn’t proud of the outcome but was fortunate to be alive.
My jaw ticked as my eyes dropped to the bottom corner of the mirror. I was angry at the whole situation and aggravated by Dustin's blatant abuse of power.
“We all make difficult decisions in life. This was just one of the many you’ll have to face.” He sighed heavily as he stepped forward,placing a firm hand on my shoulder and following through with a gentle squeeze. I understood what it meant to be a member of the Men Under Revue and what they represented—the extent of what I would do to succeed. “I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive, Dallas. I’ve seen far worse.”
Dustin Slate wasn’t much older than me; maybe a five-year difference stood between us. But did that justify his chaotic decisions?
No.
Yes?
Fuck.
We stood there in silence as I allowed myself to grieve what had happened the day of my final test so that I could put it all behind me. I can’t change the past, but I can take complete control of my future.
“Don’t ever let go of your humanity, Dallas. You are loyal to a fault, but never lose sight of who you are.”
