Chapter 17 Blackouts & Infractions
Blackouts & Infractions
Hayes
Rolling over in my bed, I see blonde hair spread across my pillow. Fuck! I fucked up. I royally fucked up. Shit! I nudge Tiffany, and she groans, rolling over and wrapping herself around me.
“Uh, time to go, Tiff. Now!” I command, and she jumps at my tone, but I don’t care. She should not be in my bed. No one should be other than Liv. Fuck. What happened last night?
Climbing out of bed, I walk into my bathroom and take a piss, then turn the sink on, washing my hands, brushing my teeth, and splashing water on my face.
My door closes, signaling Tiffany’s departure, and I let out a deep breath.
I’m still clothed, so I don’t think I slept with her. Shit. Why can’t I remember?
Once we spoke with Coach, Parker went back to his room, and I went to the cemetery.
I don’t remember much after that. Just flashes of Liv waiting for me and then yelling at me because I was with Tiffany.
FUCK! I need to talk to her. Throwing on a shirt and shoes, I grab my keys and phone and head to the girls' wing. The halls are quiet, which is odd, and I don’t even know what time it is.
Taking out my phone, I see it’s only nine.
I need more sleep. My head is pounding, but that can wait. I just wanna see my girl.
Getting to her room, I pound my fists against her door, but there's no response. I don’t hear any commotion or movement from inside.
Opening my phone, I log into my video app and see if she’s in there.
The bear I sent her has a camera in it. I know it's an invasion of privacy, but when it comes to her, I really don’t give a flying fuck about that.
I need to be able to see everything she does during every moment her smoky gray eyes are awake.
The obsession is real, and I warned her.
Once I claimed her there is no backing out. She’s mine until I say otherwise.
Playing the footage, I see she hasn’t been back here at all, which leads me to believe she’s with him.
Squeezing my phone in my fist, my heart hammers in my chest as the rage in my veins flows freely, boiling my blood like hot lava.
Heading to the main office, it dawns on me that it’s Sunday and no one is here.
So I can’t find out what fucking room he’s in.
This is fucking bullshit! Hitting my texting app, I find her name and shoot her a text.
Me:
Where are you? We need to talk!
Sliding my phone in my pocket, I head to the cafeteria. I need to eat something before I start murdering everyone. I should really hit the gym and the ice, but the urge to find and speak to Liv is more powerful than needing to skate laps.
Arriving at the cafeteria, I grab an orange juice, a cup of fruit, and some French toast. Finding a seat in the back so I can watch the entrance, I take a long sip of my drink and dig into my food, looking up every so often, hoping she will walk in here with Syd and Kendall.
My phone buzzes in my sweats, and I take it out, growling as I read the text.
Father:
Your presence is requested in the tombs this afternoon.
Slamming my phone down on the table, I hear giggling, and I look up to see Liv walking in.
I slowly rise from my seat and head straight for her, but stop in my tracks when I see Dillon grab her and wrap his arms around her waist. I blink and see red.
Screams echo around the room, and it’s not until someone is pulling me off of Dillon, twisting my wrist, that I realize I was holding a knife.
The metal clatters against the tile floor, and I look around me as eyes stare at me in fear.
“Enough Hayes,” Parker growls in my ear, my eyes colliding with Liv’s.
Seeing her standing next to the table with her hand covering her mouth, stunned, makes me want to scream.
I scared her. I never want her to be frightened of me, but she has to understand why I am this way.
I break eye contact, not being able to handle the look on her face.
The one I put there. Dillon gets up from the floor, wiping his lip, and I smirk, seeing his blood splattered along the tiles.
I shake my head, ripping myself out of Parker’s hold, then look back at Liv.
“I fucking warned you! We need to talk!” I growl, then leave the cafeteria with Parker on my heels.
“What the fuck, Hayes? We can’t go around killing everyone!” he shouts, and I turn on him, narrowing my eyes.
“I fucking know! I blacked out seeing his hands on what’s mine!” I yell and he nods.
“I should’ve known. You don’t just react without thinking.
It’s been a long time since you’ve behaved like this, and I came in at the end of it.
You had the knife in your hand, ready to slice his throat.
I had to do something, there were too many fucking witnesses,” he tells me, and I take a deep breath.
“She’s got my head all fucked up. I never act like this. Especially in front of so many people. Fuck!” I yell, slamming my fist against the lockers.
“Let’s go cool off. Did you get summoned to the tombs?” he asks, and I nod as we walk towards the sports arena. It's the only place that will center me, and right now I need to calm the fuck down.
Hours later, we head for the tombs. Liv’s been blowing me up, but right now I need to be solely focused on this shit. No distractions, so I shut off my phone and figure I’ll deal with her once we get this meeting over with.
Walking through the maze and into the cemetery, we pass the big steps and go around the building to the back. We open the door and go down to the basement, entering another door.
Grabbing the deep red cloak, I slide my arms through the heavy fabric and tie the gold rope around my waist then place my phone in the basket.
Parker does the same and then we enter the council room.
The cold air digs into our flesh and the smell of death wafts through the air.
Walking down the aisle my father and the elders sit next to one another at the stone table adorned with lit candles and two metal goblets sitting in the middle of the table.
“Welcome Initiates,” One of the elders greets us. We stop in front of them and wait for their meeting to begin. My father lowers his hood and stands.
“You were summoned here today because you have four infractions against you, Hayes and two against you, Parker.” He informs us.
I say nothing. I keep my face neutral and my stance strong.
This is the one place I can’t mouth off in.
The punishments will only be worse. It’s one thing to run my mouth while being punished, but it’s another to argue with my father in front of the elders.
“Hayes you are up first,” he says, gesturing for me to stand at the deity.
I walk a few feet and lower my hood. “Ivy was supposed to be your sacrifice next year but it seems her death came a little too soon.” he says with a raised brow, and I nod.
“Number two is that her death wasn’t by your hands.
She was killed by a new student who just started here only a few days ago.
We cannot have those that are not a part of this society killing other members.
We will be discussing her punishment whether that be death or initiating her to be your sacrifice.
” He taunts. FUCK! Keeping her a secret doesn’t bode well within these walls.
She wasn’t supposed to be on their radar. Ever!
“Your third infraction is almost killing Mr. Dillon Buckman. He’s a member of our society.
He is untouchable just like you are Hayes.
You treat him like a brother, like kin.” he tells me, and I tighten my fist under the sleeve of the cloak.
This is fucking bullshit. “And last but not least. Your friend Lucius, was a test. We murdered him for being a rat. We planted him along the treeline hoping the two of you would find him and we were right, you did but your reaction was not of an initiate. You showed your hand and we cannot have that in our ranks.” he tells us.
I don’t move an inch, even if my rage is seconds away from boiling over.
I will never show weakness in this room.
Here, I’m a robot. A yes man. They will never get a reaction out of me but my best friend standing behind me, waiting for his infractions is a shaking mess.
He knows better, and this is not going to end well if he doesn’t get it together and quickly.
“I understand Sir, what will be the punishment?” I ask and he smiles, snapping his fingers. I take a step back and stand near Parker as the orderlies surround us. Suddenly, someone comes up behind us and shoves a cloth over our mouths. The room begins to spin and everything goes black.