The Initiation (XXXVII 2)

I

Tori

T he handle moves up and down in my hand, but without a key to unlock it, the door to my room won’t open.

Adrenaline, shock, anger, confusion, pain, fear…

’m moving on autopilot, as though my mind and my body have disconnected, and ’m not the one in control of any of the movements. So many thoughts and feelings are swirling in my head that ’m somehow unable to register that no matter how hard or how many times move the handle up and down, the door won’t magically open.

Get into your room .

Before can do that, the door next to mine opens, and Penny sticks her head out. “ thought it was—Tori, what the fuck happened?”

As she steps out of her room, something in my brain fires into action. jerk my hand away, wrapping my arms tightly around me. gnoring every painful protest my body makes, straighten my back, suck in a deep breath to try and slow my hurried breathing while giving Penny a smile.

“What are you still doing up? Go to bed, ’m—”

“What are you wearing?” n less than a second, she’s standing in front of me, her eyes, darting all over as she scans my appearance. “What happened? s that a collar ? Did they hurt you? Did they rape you? Do need to call the police?”

“What?”

“ knew shouldn’t have let you go. ’m calling the cops right—”

Her words break through the trance hadn’t realized was in. Before she can turn—probably to go get her phone— reach out and grab her arm. Out of the corner of my eye, notice the little red light of the security camera installed directly opposite my dorm room. “Nothing happened that you need to worry about.”

Very obviously, Penny looks me up and down before she returns her gaze to my face. “Nothing happened?” she asks, her tone flat.

“Nothing happened that you need to worry about.” We’ve not been shouting, but neither of us have made any effort to speak quietly. Letting go of her arm, glance up and down the corridor, checking if any other door has opened. So far, they’re all closed.

The last thing ’m worried about is being seen. My concern is the conversation.

“ lost my key. Can stay with you tonight?” ask, lowering my volume.

“ think you lost…” Penny closes her eyes. Her hands clench into fists, then she releases them as she opens her eyes again. can only see warmth in her expression as she nods. “Of course.”

Following her into her dorm room, the explosion of pink has a surprisingly instant soothing effect on me. The covers of her queen-sized bed are rumpled as though she’s been lying on them rather than under them, and her iPad, although with a black screen, is propped up.

Was she waiting up for me?

Penny steps in front of me, chewing on her lower lip. n her hands is some neatly folded pink fabric that she picked up from somewhere as ’ve been staring at her bed.

“Regardless of how you’re feeling right now, really don’t think you should shower,” she says, gently. “Don’t get me wrong, ’ll pay for your lawyer myself, but if we’re going to get a conviction, we really need evidence. Put these on, and ’ll call a car to take us to a hospital.”

A lump rises in my throat, and can feel tears threatening to spill. t takes everything in me not to let that happen, because ’m sure Penny will only interpret them as some form of agreement that something happened, rather than because of how moved am at her friendship.

“Everything was consensual,” tell her. “ knew what was going to happen before went there, and they gave me every opportunity to back out.”

Somehow, that made it sound like everything was normal. The last thing wanted to do was lie to Penny, but right now, any detail would just lead to more assumptions or questions can’t answer.

Can’t, because signed an NDA.

Won’t, because now had a much better idea of what ’d walked into, and the last thing ’m going to do is anything that could put Penny at risk.

Especially not after tonight.

Nearly a week ago, Syn had given me an envelope with two sets of documents inside: a non-disclosure agreement, which basically threatened to bankrupt the next ten generations of every member of my extended family, and a contract that was both detailed enough to know my life was about to belong to the Elite, yet vague enough to not give me more than a dozen superficial requirements.

After returning from the city with Payne, told Penny everything that knew until that point, including my intention to ask Syn to let me join the Elite. ’d mentioned there was an initiation, but ’d never told her what it would involve. Since Syn gave me the NDA, don’t intend on doing it now either.

“ know you want to find out what happened to your brother, but you can’t let anyone else get away with a crime to accomplish that,” Penny tells me. “t doesn’t matter if you consented before—you could have come twice and be on your way to a third orgasm, but if you change your mind—that’s still rape.”

My lack of clothes might be a giveaway, but can’t tell her anything. At the same time, know she’s not going to let this go. “Penny, signed an NDA. can’t tell anyone—not even the police.”

“ don’t give a shit if you signed an NDA or not, because that’s not what they’re designed for.”

Making sure ’m looking her straight in the eye, shake my head. “t wasn’t rape. There was no changing of my mind, and they didn’t do anything to me didn’t want them to.” As doubt seems to cross her face, give her a small smile. “t was sex. Just sex. A little rough, and yes, ’m a little tired, but honestly, kinda enjoyed it.”

Penny stares at me, and for a moment, think she’s accepted what ’ve said, but then her eyes narrow. “Then where are your clothes? And seriously, what’s with the dog collar? And why were you so upset trying to get into you room?”

The only things ’m wearing are a black robe and a collar.

When we finished, when saw…

Six roman numerals were seared as clearly in my mind as they had been permanently marked on their owners’ skin.

No matter how much want to deny it, know exactly what saw.

The problem then has been the same one ’m confronted with now: my brain doesn’t know how to process the information. Currently, to keep myself from going into some form of catatonic state—or worse, sheer panic that would, at this point, probably result in Penny calling everyone from the paramedics to the FB, am trying to forget what saw.

But out of fight or flight, my primal reaction was to get the hell out of there.

Everything ’d been wearing, right down to the matching bra and panty set, and the blazer with my room key in the pocket, had been left in the Crypt below the church. t was only because there was a robe lying discarded on the floor right by the door that ’d had the foresight to grab it and pull it on before burst into a church masquerading as a nightclub, crowded with people.

The entire time ’ve had on the robe, ’ve had at least one hand holding it tightly, so it doesn’t fall open and reveal my naked body to the world, but with my other hand, pinch a section of the fabric near my hip and lift it a fraction. “ don’t have my room key, and ’m wearing this,” tell Penny. “Wouldn’t you be upset at the prospect of having to find someone to unlock the door for you?”

Penny points at my neck. “And that?”

raise my hand, but my fingers stay just out of reach of the thing around my neck. “Hazing.”

Finally, Penny’s shoulders sag, and she seems to deflate a little. “The next time anything like that happens, you knock on my door. don’t care what time it is—’ll always answer.” She reaches out, offering me the contents of her hands. “Take as long as you need in the shower.”

take the pink pajamas and then walk to her en suite bathroom, but pause in the doorway to look back at her. “Thank you for being here for me.”

She waves her hand dismissively, but there’s a smile on her face that matches mine.

Once step into the bathroom and close the door behind me, my smile falls away. Reality takes over, leaving me confused and almost numb.

A few days after the NDA and contract had been delivered, before ’d even signed them and returned them to Syn, Gemini appeared brandishing an iPad.

He’d waited while took it from him and read what was already loaded on the screen. t was a single page document that briefly outlined what could expect from tonight.

was expected to drink whatever was given to me.

was expected to take whatever drug was given to me.

was expected to have sex with three members of the Elite.

And everything would be recorded.

Only then would begin my initiation into the Elite.

James Keyingham University’s exclusive society almost never invites anyone to join unless they’re a legacy. Sons and daughters of those with enough power and money.

f this is what all the previous initiates were provided, then had an advantage. On my very first night here, witnessed the initiation of four other members, so knew this would happen. The only difference between what ’d seen then and what happened tonight was that was the one being initiated.

’d been fucked by none other than Royal, Gemini, and Syn.

Synclair Madison.

Current president of The Elite.

The only person Syn hates more than me is my brother.

Because my brother is currently serving a life sentence for killing his.

After setting the pajamas down on the side, move over to the mirror. No matter how hard stare at my reflection, barely recognize the reflection.

’ve spent so long inside, studying hard just to get accepted to James Keyingham, that any trace of the tan once had is long gone. My skin is normally pale but tinted with pink. Now, it almost looks gray, made worse by the bold, ink-blue my once blonde hair is now colored.

Before went out tonight, ’d spent a long time getting ready. My hair was styled into loose waves, and put on more makeup than ’ve worn for a long time.

Now, ’m a mess.

The little lipstick still on me is smeared in the corners. My mascara or eyeliner—or both—has run down my face a little. look like 'd been crying, even though had definitely not been. No wonder Penny was worried.

Most likely, it’s from Syn’s cum, or maybe where Gemini had attempted to wipe it from my face afterwards. There’s certainly a small section of my hair that looks crusty.

Leaning forward, grip the edge of the sink to brace myself as close my eyes and take in a few deep breaths.

Despite Penny’s worries, ’m not upset or ashamed about the sex.

t was rougher than thought it would be, yet, when realized Syn was behind one of the masks, ’d honestly expected worse.

Never— never —had it crossed my mind that Syn would be one of the people to take part in my initiation. Considering how much he hates me, ’m still confused as to why he was there.

open my eyes and allow the robe to fall to the floor so that all that’s left is the collar. Reaching up touch the silver tag dangling from the front.

The collar is basic. Black, an inch thick, and made of leather. The tag is just a simple disc. There’s nothing on the front of it, but when raise it, catch sight of something engraved on the back.

Leaning as close to the mirror as can, manage to read the small text:

PROPERTY OF SYNCLAR KEYNGHAM.

Asshole .

rritated, drop the tag and twist the collar around. t’s fastened in place with a buckle, but there’s a small latch over the top of it, held in place by a silver padlock.

“The collar does not come off unless one of us unlocks it.” Syn’s words echo in my mind.

The padlock is small, and while ’d not gained any lock-picking skills at my last high school, ’m sure it wouldn’t really take much to get it off—something to jam into the keyhole and a bit of brute force…

Only ’m not going to take it off.

The last time visited my brother in prison, Cole had pleaded with me to leave this college. And when asked him to give me a reason, his answer was thirty-seven.

Just, thirty-seven.

Tonight, discovered that Syn, Royal and Gemini all had at least one tattoo.

XXXV.

Thirty-seven in roman numerals.

Each one permanently etched into their skin, right by their cocks.

Although the three of them are seniors, they’d all still been in high school when James Patrick Keyingham was murdered.

There was no way any of them had been involved—and if Syn had, that’s one hell of an act he’s putting on.

t also seems like a very weird choice—both in location and design—for matching bestie tattoos. Syn really doesn’t seem to be the type to want a matching tattoo with anyone, much less one practically on his dick.

But crazy as it sounds, it seems too strange to be a coincidence.

Now that the initial panic, drugs, and tequila are wearing away, my thoughts are clearer.

know ’m on the right track with my initial suspicions and ’m not going anywhere.

Straightening my back, stare with determination into my own green eyes. “Do your worst, Synclair Keyingham.”