by Caitlyn Dare
"Shake that ass, Sis," Ash says, resting back on the couch, enjoying the view.
Sick fuck.
I don't pay them any attention, but I keep my eyes on Mia while Cade is distracted with Brook, the woman who he really should be with. They’re a match made in hell.
I'm only aware that things are escalating when her shirt hits me in the face. Glancing up, I find them both now dancing in their underwear, but if the way Brook is going, that's not going to last much longer either.
"Oh shit," Sasha squeals before she loses her footing and tumbles from the table. Thankfully, Brandon is only a few feet away and just about manages to catch her before she faceplants the floor and breaks her nose.
"I'm taking her to bed," he says, throwing her over his shoulder, her body limp in his hold.
"I'll come help. See you later," Mia says, twisting to Cade and dropping a chaste kiss to his cheek.
Things only get more intense once they've left. Before long, the doorbell rings and we're joined by a few girls I vaguely recognize. Only, I think the last time I saw them, they were dressed as French maids.
Cade immediately makes the most of Mia's disappearance and drags one of them over to the corner while Ashton's eyes light up as two of them make a beeline for him.
"Whoa, you started the party without me?" Brandon says when he reappears, looking offended. He soon joins in with Ash, ripping one of the girls’ shirts open and immediately sucking on her nipples.
Fucking dogs.
I wait for them to become fully distracted before I slip out of the room unnoticed, telling myself that I'm just going to go to bed. But with Mia here under the same roof, I know I'm only lying to myself.
I don't bother knocking when I get to Sasha's room. Instead, I just slip inside. The lights are all off, but the moon coming through the crack in the curtains is enough to show me their sleeping forms.
Ignoring Sasha, who's passed out drooling on her pillow, I slip around the other side of the bed. Cupping Mia's cheeks in my hand, I lower my lips to hers.
I need her so fucking badly.
She moans into my kiss before her entire body tenses as she wakes. "What the—Bexley?"
"Shh… it's just me, mouse. Relax."
"W-what are you doing?" she stutters as I slip my hand under the covers and find her braless breast under her tank. "Oh God. Y-you can't be here."
"Fucking stop me," I murmur into her mouth as I push my hand lower and into her panties, taking what’s mine.
28
Mia
Bexley’s fingers slide between my folds, dipping inside of me. He swallows my moan with his teeth and tongue, kissing me like he might never get another chance.
I try to fight him off, aware of Sasha passed out on the other side of the bed. But he’s too forceful, too desperate.
“You’re mine,” he rasps, breathing the words into my mouth, forcing me to swallow them. His fingers curl deep inside me, making my body bow off the bed. It’s wrong, I know it is. But I can’t help but submit to him.
It’s Bexley.
My Bexley.
The guy I’ve fallen head over heels in love with.
I’m no longer pushing him away—I’m dragging him closer, my arms tightening around his broad shoulders.
“You might be his in name, little mouse, but I own your body. I own your fucking heart.” He spears his fingers inside me roughly, but it only fuels the desire rushing through me. My skin burns at the knowledge that my friend is laying right there while he touches me.
“I’m yours,” I breathe, drowning in sensation.
His thumb rolls over my clit in torturous circles as he continues working his fingers inside me. Moans spill from my lips in rapid succession as he pushes me closer to the edge, but he drowns each one out with his tongue.
“Come for me, Mia. Come all over my fingers.”
I shatter around him, intense waves of pleasure rolling through me. Bexley lifts himself off me slightly to bring his fingers to his mouth and suck them clean. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll never forget me.”
His eyes are blown, wild and reckless. He’s high. The realization makes my heart ache, but he’s already clawing at my pajama shorts, pushing them over my hips and down my legs. My hands go to his jeans, unbuttoning them and slipping my hand inside. My fingers close around his long, hard cock, and he hisses quietly.
“Put it inside you,” he demands. “Now.”
I hitch my legs ever so slightly and guide him inside me. His chest rumbles as he tries to smother a groan, and my breath catches at the feel of him.
He grabs my hands in his and pins them above my head as he eases out of me and slams back inside. My lips part in a muted moan and my eyes flutter closed.
“Look at me, Mia.” He leans in, running his nose along my cheek, coaxing my eyes open. “Watch me as I ruin you for that fucker.” His hand flexes around my hip, holding me in place he fucks me mercilessly into the mattress.
“You feel so fucking good, choking my dick, Mia,” he whispers. “Like you were made for it.”
His dirty words make me gush around him.
“Fuck,” he grunts. “You feel so fucking good.”
Sasha murmurs and we both freeze, our eyes wide, our chests heaving between us. The covers shift and rustle, but then she settles back into her drug-induced sleep.
“Maybe we should—”
“Not a fucking chance.” Bexley rocks into me, slow and deep, grinding his pelvis against mine. He isn’t fucking me out of anger anymore, he’s loving me out of desperation and fear. Every kiss, every touch and sigh, is recognition of the nightmare we’ve found ourselves in.
And although I don’t want to believe it, I can’t help but feel like it’s a goodbye.
Panic floods me. I slip one of my hands free from his grip and cup his face. “Promise me you won’t leave me.” My voice cracks.
“Mia, I—”
“No, Bex. Say it. Promise me. No matter what happens… it’s us.”
He stares down at me, the lust and hunger in his eyes giving way to something else. Something darker. Something dangerous.
“I promise.” He touches his head to mine, circling his hips faster, building the waves inside me again.
We kiss and kiss. We don’t stop kissing until my pussy contracts around him and he jerks inside me.
“I love you,” he whispers against my lips. “I love you so fucking much.”
“I love you too,” I breathe.
“I need to go.” Regret glitters in his eyes.
“I know.”
He climbs off me and straightens his clothes before helping me clean up. Crouching down beside the bed, he trails his finger down my cheek. “I meant what I said, Mia. He can have you in name, but you’re mine in all the ways that matter.”
Pressing my lips together, swallowing the emotion building inside me, I nod.
Bexley drops a kiss on my head and leaves…
Taking the final pieces of my broken, battered heart with him.
Friday passes in a blur. I skip classes to spend the afternoon with Mom and Sasha. We get pedicures and manicures. Annabel was supposed to come with us, but after her betrayal, I uninvited her. Tonight is going to be stressful enough without best friend drama.
It’s tradition for prosapia to get ready at home and leave for their Coglio with their parents. In many ways, it’s like your wedding day. The Coglio represents an Electi and prosapia’s union. It binds them together in ritual and in body. There’s a formal dinner at Gravestone Hall for the Electi, Quinctus, the prosapia and their families, followed by the Coglio ceremony. Then Cade and I will return to the Electi House to consummate our union.
My stomach recoils at the thought.
“Mia, sweetheart, are you almost done?” Mom appears around the door. “Oh my gosh, baby, you look… my little girl is all grown up.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I inhale a sharp breath and she frowns.
“Mia, what is it? What�
�s wrong?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.” She comes inside and perches on the edge of the bed, making sure to smooth out the skirt of her royal blue gown. She looks stunning—regal, even.
“Do you want this for me? I mean, really want this for me?”
“W-what?” Her brows pinch. “I don’t understand…”
Disappointment wells inside me. “Don’t you want me to be with someone I love? Someone who treats me right and cherishes me?”
“Oh sweetheart.” She leans forward, brushing a curl out of my face. “Those feelings will come with time. Relationships take work and patience. You’re young, Mia. You and Cade have your whole lives to grow together.”
“I don’t love him, Mom. I will never love him.”
She rears back. “What are you saying, sweetheart?”
“I don’t want this, Mom.” My lip wobbles, pain lashing my insides. “I never wanted it.”
With a soft sigh, Mom gathers my hands in hers. “To be a prosapia is a gift, Mia. You will have such a good life with Cade, baby. You’ll never want for anything again.”
“He isn’t… good, Mom. He’s cruel and conceited. He treats people like toys.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t know where all this is coming from…” She hesitates, and for a second, I think she might be losing her rose-tinted glasses. But then her frown deepens. “Cade and the Electi are young, powerful men, Mia. And it’s college, baby. Time to make mistakes and discover who you are. But after tonight, once the ceremony is complete, everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
I stare at her dumbfounded.
She doesn’t get it.
She’ll never get it.
I realize that now. I think deep down, I’ve always known it. But I needed to hear the words. I needed to know, once and for all, that she isn’t on my side.
And it kills something inside me.
Something I’ll never get back.
“I should finish getting ready,” I say, steeling my spine.
“Mia, sweetheart…”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I say, coolly. “I’ll be down soon.”
She gives me a small nod and leaves. A shuddering breath leaves my lips.
I go through the motions, applying a thin layer of makeup and finishing my hair with gold-tipped pins. The Electi crest pendant sits heavy around my neck. But tonight, it will be replaced with something more permanent. A brand I will never be able to remove.
Most women wear their Coglio brands with pride, for that brand denotes power and wealth. It denotes belonging to the dark, corrupt world of Quinctus and the Electi.
A world I never asked to be a part of.
A world I want no part of.
Sliding open the small jewelry box Mom gave me earlier, I flip the lid and stare at the diamond encrusted hair brooch. It has been passed down our family for generations. A wedding gift from mother to daughter.
This isn’t my official wedding, but the sentiment is the same.
I slide it into my hair, clipping it in on my crown. The diamonds glint in the light but do little to lift my mood.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Grabbing my lace clutch purse, I reluctantly leave my room and head downstairs. Every step in my overly expensive shoes is like another step toward my doom. The pit in my stomach churns deeper and deeper until I’m sure I’ll pass out. But somehow, I make it into the living room in one piece.
“Oh my… Mia… you look… doesn’t she look beautiful, Garth?”
My father gives me a stiff nod. He’s quiet. Too quiet.
“The car is outside,” he says thickly, and I don’t miss the hitch in his voice.
“Daddy?” I croak, the sudden weight of everything crashing down on me.
“It’s all going to be okay, sweetheart,” he says, gently taking my elbow and steering me toward the door.
As he opens the front door and ushers me outside, I’m sure I hear him whisper, “You can do this, Mia. You have to.”
Gravestone Hall is as beautiful as I remember from the night of my Eligere. However, if I’d have known then what I know now about that night, I might not have been so seduced by its beauty and charm.
My father keeps his hand on the small of my back and we enter the room. Blood hums in my ears as everyone stands to welcome me. The girl of the moment.
Cade Kingsley’s prosapia.
They think it’s so sacred, such a coveted title. But it’s all lies. A smokescreen for what really transpires in the name of tradition.
I keep my eyes low, unable to meet any of the heavy stares I feel as we walk to our table.
Once seated, I finally lift my gaze and search for the only eyes that I know will ground me to this moment. Bexley looks as handsome as ever in his black dinner jacket and dress shirt. His eyes betray his cool appearance, though, pain flickering across his expression. I offer him a weak smile before moving on to find Sasha. She looks as miserable as I feel, seated between Brandon and Channing. Tim and Fawn are with them, and Alex. But Ashton and Brook are seated at another table, and I take small satisfaction in the fact that they don’t get to sit with the Electi tonight.
The other tables are filled with men and women—some I recognize, some I don’t. I spot the Rexfords, Bexley’s grandfather, Tim’s father, and Phillip Cargill. And I spot District Attorney Bailey, and Police Commissioner Walters.
Everyone here is directly linked to Quinctus and the Electi in some way. They know what tonight means… they know, and yet they do nothing.
I accept a glass of champagne from an immaculately dressed server just as Mom touches my arm. “Isn’t this lovely?” she whispers, her spellbound smile enough to make me want to gouge my eyes out.
Phillip steps up to the podium and ushers the room into silence. “Friends and family, I welcome you all here, on the birth of the new moon, for this celebration. Tonight, we shall witness two of our young enter one of our most respected traditions.” His eyes find mine and a chill runs through me. “The Coglio.”
29
Bexley
Sitting on the end of my bed, I drop my head into my hands.
This can't be happening.
But it is. In only a few short hours, Mia is going to be officially Cade's. Okay, so it may not be as official as an actual wedding ceremony, but in Q's eyes, it's as important.
She's meant to be mine.
It's meant to be us.
"ARGH," I growl, falling back on the bed and pulling at my hair until I fear I might be about to rip it out.
Memories of my time with her last night play out in my mind, swirling with the fear I have that it could have been our last time. If it was our last time, then it shouldn't have been like that. Sasha shouldn't have been passed out in the same bed while I said goodbye to the girl who owns me, who fucking holds my heart in the palm of her hands, so she can be with another man.
A soft knock sounds out on my bedroom door, but I ignore it. I don't want to see or talk to anyone despite the fact that I'm not going to have a choice in just over an hour. I'm expected to be dressed and ready to escort his highness to this fucking ceremony.
I think of the arrogant fuck and imagine him in his room right now with a satisfied smirk on his face, knowing that he's about to win. He's about to take the only thing in this world I give a fuck about and rub it in my face.
I'm going to be forced to live here with them, to see them together every single fucking day. Any other couple would get their own place, like Tim and Fawn, but not the fucking king himself. He's staying in his fucking castle so he can lord it over me.
The door pushes open despite the fact that I didn't invite whoever it was in before it quickly clicks shut again.
"Hey," a familiar voice says. I can hear the understanding in Channing’s tone, but I don't look over even though his concerned eyes are boring into me. "How are you doing?"
"This is bullshit," I spit. "There's got to be a way we can stop it."
&nb
sp; "Trust me, Bex. If there was anything, I'd have told you by now. I don't want this for either of you. I just got off the phone with Phillip though, and he's ordered me to trail them back here—"
"But we're all going to the Cargills’," I interrupt, already dreading the party that Ashton is throwing in celebration for his best friend.
"You all are. I've been instructed to make my excuses and to come back here to keep an eye on her."
"What the fuck are they expecting him to do?" I bark, pushing from the bed until I'm sitting once more.
"They don't know. That's the problem."
Running my hand through my hair to get it out of my eyes, I stare up at Channing. "What the fuck was the deal you made with them exactly?"
His lips part to respond, and I can already hear his refusal to explain in my ears like he has done every other time I've asked… but today he must take pity on me, because instead of refusing, he comes to sit next to me.
He rests his elbows on his knees and stares straight ahead. "Phillip is worried about Cade and where his head is at, and his intentions for Mia… for the future."
"Well yeah, he's a fucking psycho."
"Agreed. But I think this runs deeper than we’ll ever know. Gregory Kingsley was always an advocate of the old ways… The blood rituals and ceremonies. I think Q thought with him gone, they could keep Cade on the straight and narrow, mold him into their puppet."
"Well, that was a huge fucking failure."
"Gregory has been dead for years, but Cade is just like him. Cold, cruel, callous." Channing runs a hand down his face.
"What have you and Mia got to do with all of this?"
"Mia, I've no idea. Maybe they think she can tame him or some shit. Whatever it is, it's fucked up, and she doesn't deserve it. Me? Well, I want out and they need a snitch, so…"
"You're spying on him?" I blurt.
"In not so many words. I think there’s a divide in Q. Phillip wants hard proof that Cade’s taking things too far before he takes it to the rest of the elders. They need him. I don’t know why, but he’s important. That much is obvious.
