Unbidden (Brighton Academy Book 1)

by Cala Riley

  “This sounds crazy,” I tell her while pulling my hands out of hers.

  Not so crazy though. Didn’t Reed say something similar the other night? That he had to steal, but the girls would have to sacrifice something else?

  “It is, but it’s worth it. I promise,” V says from her spot by the bed. “Now come on. I need you to put this on under your costume.” She holds out a black lace bra and boy short set.

  I sigh. “You two owe me.”

  “Totally,” they say in unison.

  ∞∞∞

  Tinsley, V, and I are standing around in a group. V straightens, and I feel a hand slip around my waist. “Time to go, little fox,” Keaton whispers in my ear.

  “Go where?” I ask softly as V takes Sterling’s hand.

  “Don’t ask questions,” he murmurs while pulling me away.

  I look over my shoulder and note Tinsley standing there. She mouths, “Good luck,” before turning away and heading back into the house.

  “You have your mask?” he whispers.

  “Yes.”

  “Put it on.”

  I slip the mask on as he, V, and Sterling all do the same, and then we walk into the woods along the edge of the lake. We venture farther into the timber for a few minutes before we come to the entrance of a clearing.

  “Strip,” Sterling commands while taking off his shirt. Keaton and V start taking off their clothes.

  Keaton looks at me and raises a brow. “Bra and panties, little fox,” he tells me quietly.

  I watch Sterling take in V’s body and nod before grabbing her hand and leading her into the clearing.

  I sigh. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mutter while whipping off my dress, keeping my mask in place, and dropping it next to V’s.

  “It’ll be worth it,” Keaton tells me earnestly before taking my hand and following Sterling and V.

  There’s a huge bonfire in the middle of the clearing, a bed off to the front left. The bed is one of those fancy four-poster ones with sheer curtains hung all around it. The bonfire highlights it perfectly.

  “Come on, Sage,” Keaton tells me with a wicked smile.

  “What the hell is this?” I mutter.

  “Welcome to Secretum Societatis,” a voice tells me from behind before a hand rests on my hip. Keaton drops my hand and tosses me a wink before running off towards the fire.

  I turn to look at Reed. “Secretum Societatis. The secret group—”

  “You’ll see,” he cuts me off, but I can’t stay angry with him as those hungry eyes give me a once-over.

  Reed drags me to stand between him and Keaton. Keaton has a girl I don’t know to his left followed by Finley and another girl I’ve never seen before. I turn to look on the other side of Reed and find V and Sterling. V looks about ready to come out of her skin with excitement.

  I turn back to Reed. “What did you get me into?”

  “Let’s get started,” a voice calls from the other side of the fire. “Hello, brothers and sisters. Hello to the new recruits. You all know why you’re here.”

  “No, I really don’t,” I mumble under my breath only to hiss when Reed grips my hip extra tight.

  “Let’s begin,” the masked man says, nodding while several people with trays step forward.

  “Drink up,” he demands as each person with a tray hands everyone a drink.

  I grab a glass and turn to Reed. He raises a brow but taps his drink against mine before raising his and taking it down in one shot. I sigh and slam mine back, a cough escaping when I’m done. The unmistakable taste of tequila mixed with something else fills my mouth. Reed takes my glass and hands it back to the server.

  Music begins to play that I can’t quite place, with heavy bass. Whatever was in that glass on top of what I already had tonight hits me hard and fast. Reed fits my body perfectly against his, one hand kneading my ass while the other makes its way through my hair. Soon we find ourselves moving to the music with roaming hands. I can’t tear my eyes away from his needy green ones.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” he asks me in a husky voice.

  I can’t help but moan back when he pushes his cock against me. We get lost in the music for who knows how long until he takes a step back and starts pulling me toward the bed.

  “Reed” I say in a warning tone.

  He tugs me in to him and whispers, “Trust me,” in my ear, then bites it before quickly licking it soothingly, making me sigh in pleasure.

  He quickly pulls me in front of him, my back tucked tightly to his front. His cock nestles perfectly against my ass, and I can’t help but push back into him, causing him to moan.

  “Look,” he tells me while nodding toward the bed. I follow his gaze. It takes me a minute to realize there’s a girl laid out on it. A man moves from the end of the bed and starts crawling up her body. I watch as she bows in pleasure while he kisses his way up her body.

  “What is this, Reed?” I ask, pushing farther back into him.

  “It’s our virgin sacrifice to keep the ghosts at bay for another year,” he murmurs into my ear. One hand trails down my stomach, playing with the trim of my lace panties, as the other squeezes my breast.

  “That’s barbaric,” I gasp while trying to grab on to Reed, but I can’t look away from the couple in front of us.

  “Just watch,” he whispers while laying a series of kisses and bites down my neck and playing my body like a fiddle.

  The guy slides her panties down her legs and throws them off to the side. She grabs his hair and arches into him, whimpering when he takes his first lick.

  “Do it,” I murmur, encouraging Reed to go beneath my panties and finally touch me.

  “I got you, sweetheart,” he murmurs.

  I imagine it being Reed and me up there on that bed when the man slides into her. Reed licking me through my first orgasm, then slamming into me for the first time. I shiver against Reed’s hard body, holding me in place to watch these two. I want to be repulsed, but I can’t help but be turned on. Reed rubs his cock against my ass while working my clit better than I can, but he never once penetrates me. My orgasm crashes into me when the girl on the bed cries out and the man jerks, dropping his head to her chest. Reed hisses behind me, holding me tight for a moment as I relax into him. When he starts to slide his hand out of my panties, I realize I have one hand tangled in the back of his hair and the other biting into his thigh.

  “Sorry,” I tell him while pulling away from him.

  “Feel free to pull my hair and ride my hand anytime, sweetheart.” He nods to someone over my shoulder and pulls my arm. “There’s one more part,” he murmurs.

  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.

  “So fucking 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.

  I stand up and walk a couple of steps away from the others. Reed follows.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” I whisper.

  “I’m not supposed to say.” He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me back into him.

  “I’ve proven I can keep a secret. Tell me. Please,” I plead.

  He sighs. “The girls don’t know how they’re chosen, but I do. The recruits who pass their test get to each choose a girl to join. As a junior, Keaton didn’t have to choose since he won’t be a full-fledged member until he’s a senior. Same with Finley. Sterling and I had to choose. He chose Victoria, and I chose you.”

  His admission shocks me. “Why? Why me?”

  He turns my face toward him. “You’re smart, resilient, feisty, loyal, and protective. If I was fighting for my life, there is no one else I would rather have by my side.”

  I stop breathing at his words. “So, not because I’m a Covington?”

  “Not because you’re a Covington. Because you’re you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Ugh, why are periods so brutal? Why can’t we just get an email that’s like ‘Hey, you. You’re not pregnant. Congrats!’ and that’s it. Why do we have to have cramps and everything else?” V rants while lying on her stomach across Tinsley’s bed.

  Life has been a little weird since the Samhain party. Reed and I were extremely physical that night, but things have cooled down since. We still hang out, and he still has a habit of holding my hand and sitting close to me, but nothing more.

  Oh, and he still insists I wear his jerseys on game day.

  Victoria moans again.

  I try to hold in my laugh but fail as soon as Tinsley starts giggling.

  “Real funny, you two. You know you agree with me,” V mumbles.

  “I may have some pain reliever under my bathroom counter if you want,” Tinsley sweetly offers.

  “Dear baby Jesus, yes,” V pleads.

  “I’ll grab it for you, drama queen,” I tease.

  Every time I step into Tinsley’s bathroom, I can’t help but be a little envious. It’s every woman’s dream bathroom. All white and grey with double sinks, a huge glass shower in the middle with a giant soaking tub sitting right in front of it.

  I bend down in front of the sink closest to the toilet and inspect what all Tinsley has. I find the pain reliever, then take a little further look and realize all she has is pads. Wings, no wings, liners, heavy-duty ones—everything. But no tampons whatsoever. It makes me curious. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t prefer tampons. Thinking back to what I’ve observed so far, I wonder if anyone ever taught her about them.

  I go back into her bedroom and hand V two pain relievers. “Here you go, princess.”

  “Is this what having a sister is like?” she jokes back.

  “I wish I had a sister,” Tinsley says on a sigh.

  “Speaking of girl things. Tins, I noticed you only have pads under your sink. Do you not use tampons?”

  Her face turns slightly red, and I kick myself for embarrassing her.

  “No.” Her small voice breaks my heart.

  “Hey, no judgement. I was only curious. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

  She gives me a small smile. “I know. I was never taught. It scares me to use one without knowing how it works.”

  “Who taught you about your menstrual cycle?” I ask.

  She becomes fidgety and clearly uncomfortable.

  “Aside from school?” She shrugs. “No one really. Why?”

  “Your mom or the maids never talked to you?”

  She shifts uncomfortably. “I mean, Reed went to the store and bought me what I needed and some chocolate. Patted my head and walked away.”

  V bursts out laughing, making Tinsley and I both join her.

  “I’m sorry. I can just picture how awkward that had to be for the both of you.” V giggles.

  “Come on. Get up, you two. Tinsley, V and I are going to teach you everything you need to know.”

  “What about birth control?” Tinsley asks shyly.

  “Oh, God, Reed and Keaton are going to kill us,” V grumbles.

  I shove her playfully. “You were only along for the chocolate, V. Don’t worry, I got this.”

  ∞∞∞

  Two stores and several hours later, we arrive back at the Yates estate. As soon as we walk through the front door, Reed heads out of the den to meet us.

  “How was shopping?” He eyes our bags suspiciously.

  I suppose he’s used to his sister coming home with a lot more bags, all of which probably have a fancy brand on the side.

  “Very informational,” Tinsley says with a slight blush on her face.

  He gives me a questioning look, but I shrug.

  “That’s good, I guess,” he says as we push past him and make our way upstairs.

  Once in the room, we help Tinsley unpack her bags.

  “So, remember, heating pad when you have cramps, but try to limit it to twenty minutes at a time.”

  I pull the item out of the bag and show her how it works.

  “Tampons can only stay in four hours t
ops, right? I should change them more often though.” She says the last part as a statement but with a question in her eyes.

  “Correct. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but it should never hurt. If it hurts, take it out.”

  She gives me a nod before crushing me in a hug.

  “Thank you, Sage.” She turns and hugs Victoria next. “Thank you too. You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for.”

  “Anytime. Next time, don’t hesitate to ask.” Victoria gives her a stern look.

  She seems a little hurt that Tinsley never asked her about this before.

  “I know. I was just embarrassed. I know you guys won’t judge me.” The unwavering conviction in Tinsley’s voice makes me smile.

  “Never.” An alarm on my phone goes off. “Sorry, T. I have to go to work. V, can you give me a ride home?”

  “Yep.” She turns to Tinsley. “Call me in a little bit. If you’re still home, I’ll come back by.”

  After saying our goodbyes, we make our way downstairs. As we’re leaving, a hand lands on my arm, pulling me back.

  “Sage, can I talk to you for a moment?”

  Victoria gives me a knowing look but heads out to the car, leaving me alone with Reed.

  I turn to face him. “Yes, Reed?” I say sweetly.

  “Where did you guys go?”

  “Shopping.”

  “No shit, Sherlock. You didn’t go to the mall.”

  “We went to the pharmacy, then Walmart.”

  “My sister stepped a foot inside a Walmart?” The disbelief in his voice has my hackles rising.

  “You know, Walmart has a lot of useful items, including a whole health and beauty section.”