Chapter 24
"For the last fucking time, Logan, it's a mandatory dinner!
" My voice echoed off the walls of the Regents' office, bouncing back at me with all my frustration amplified.
"Every House attends. Every Consort attends.
It's tradition!" Logan remained perched on the edge of his desk, arms folded across his broad chest, unmoved by my outburst. His hazel eyes were cold, calculating, watching me like I was some mildly interesting specimen under glass.
"I've already made my decision, Cadence." The use of my full name sent a chill down my spine. "We're not attending."
We had been doing this for three days. Three days of this circular argument since he'd dropped the bomb at lunch, and we were still exactly where we'd started. I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the urge to throw something heavy at his perfect face.
"You can't just decide that! It's not fair to me."
"Fair?" Logan's eyebrow arched. "Let's talk about fair, shall we? Fair would be you acting like a proper Consort instead of constantly fighting us at every turn." I felt my cheeks flush hot with anger.
"I've done everything you've asked! I attend classes with Cole, I smile and play nice with all the Courts girls-"
"And yet you still withhold the one thing that matters," Logan cut in, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr. "You give yourself to Ryder but deny Cole and me. That's hardly fair, is it?"
From his chair in the corner, Ryder chuckled, legs stretched out in front of him, watching our exchange with undisguised amusement. The bastard.
"So that's what this is about?" I spat. "You're punishing me because I won't fuck you?" Logan's jaw tightened.
"I'm simply pointing out that your behaviour doesn't align with your supposed desire to fulfil your contractual obligations. You want the benefit of being a Consort but you think you can pick and choose the obligations."
"Bullshit." I stepped closer, rage making me bold. "You're just pissed because I let Ryder in first. Because he gets to fuck me and you get your blue balls." Ryder barked out a laugh that caused Logan to shoot a glare in his direction.
I knew I had struck a nerve. I had a feeling that things weren’t so good between the guys since I had given Ryder the permission he needed to, in effect, own me for the rest of the school year.
Hell, looking at Logan’s face now it was almost worth the fact that I had fucked any chances of getting out of this fucked up contract the night I had fucked Ryder Purcell.
But then Logan’s face twisted in a smirk and he stood up from the edge of the desk.
“Tell you what Princess,” he said, stepping into my personal space, “You wanna have the benefits of being a Consort? You want to get all dressed up in a pretty dress and attend the Alumni dinner?” I knew it was a trap wherever he was going with this.
“I’ll let you go to the dinner, hell, I’ll even buy you the fucking dress for it.
As long as you do one thing for me.” Ryder leant forward in his chair, a curious look on his face.
“And what’s that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I wasn’t sure I liked this turn in the conversation. Logan leant in close to me, causing my breath to stutter. His voice was silky, dangerous as he whispered.
"Get down on your knees right now and beg for my cock. Forget the fucking stupid rule and I’ll fuck you right here on this desk, and then I’ll take you out dress shopping with my cum running down your leg.
" My stomach dropped, a confusing mix of disgust and something else, something hotter and more shameful, twisting through me.
"Go fuck yourself, Logan." He leant back against the desk again, a cruel laugh playing at his lips.
“Well, since you're clearly not giving me any other options, fucking myself is all I have,” he said waving his hand in the air.
I turned away from him, my cheeks burning, and caught Ryder's eye. Unlike Logan's cold fury, Ryder's gaze was warm, inviting. Maybe I could appeal to him instead.
"Ryder," I said, softening my voice, moving toward him with deliberate grace.
"You know how important this is. You know the Alumni Dinner is where connections are made, where Consorts are presented. I mean, wouldn’t you want everyone to know who I belonged to?
" I knew it was a low blow, but I was desperate and if I couldn’t argue with the pigheaded bastard behind me, then maybe flirting with the horny one in front of me would work.
I didn't add that it was my best chance at finding Dexter Knotty, at learning more about my mother.
That was my secret, my mission. "Can't you talk some sense into him?
" Ryder's eyes sparkled as I approached, and he licked his lips in anticipation.
But when I reached for his hand, he surprised me by shaking his head.
"Sorry, Poison. I'm with Logan on this one." I blinked, thrown off balance, as Logan chuckled behind me.
"What? Why?"
"We're just keeping you safe, baby." Ryder's voice was gentle but firm. Fucking hell, this again.
"Safe from who?" I demanded, frustration rising again. Logan's voice cut across the room, sharp as a blade.
"How about the guy who tried to kill you last weekend?
Or whoever's been sending you threatening notes?
" He pushed off the desk, stalking toward me with barely contained fury. He grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. If I wasn’t mistaken, I would have said there was something akin to actual fear in his eyes.
"Do you think we're doing this for fun, Cadence?
You could have died. Someone put a fucking knife to your throat.
" The memory flashed through me, the cold press of steel against my skin, the terror, the certainty that I was about to die. I pushed it away.
"So your solution is to lock me up? Keep me isolated?" My voice rose, and I tried to hold back the tears of frustration that were threatening to fall. "I'm not going to live in fear!"
"If you won't listen to reason," Logan growled, "then yes."
"Fine," I snapped. "If you won't take me, I'll find my own way there." Ryder stood then, turning me back to face him, the playfulness vanished from his face.
“What exactly do you mean by that, Poison?” he growled. I gulped at the sudden shift of his attitude. I stood tall though, and squared my shoulders.
“I’ll go with Luce,” I said firmly. “You won’t be able to stop me.”
“Like fuck I won’t,” Ryder growled. “Make no mistake, if you try sneaking out, Poison, I'll tie you to my bed naked and make sure that any ideas of defying us are far from your mind as I make you scream for me.” His voice was low, dangerous, but the threat sent an unwanted pulse of heat between my thighs.
I rolled my eyes, trying to mask the effect his words had on me.
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"No," he said, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"It's supposed to excite you." His fingers traced my jawline. “Imagine it baby, wouldn’t it be a much better night to be under my control, as I played with you, and showed you the true extent of the talents that I could perform on you?” My breathing deepened as his hands played along my body, the lightest of touches.
“But Logan has a point,” Ryder suddenly switched his tone.
“While you're only letting me sample the delights between your legs, while that 'no sex' rule is still staining the contract for Logan and Cole, we're a fractured group.
" He dipped his head, his lips brushing my ear. "And that is why we can’t go to the dinner. Those old bastards at the Trivium will see that a mile off. They will use it against us.” My breath caught as his mouth moved to my throat, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the sensitive skin.
"R-Ryder," I stuttered.
"You know what would solve this, though?
" His hands slid to my hips, pulling me hard against him. “What would show everyone that they couldn’t mess with our Consort?” I knew what he was going to say.
The same thing that Logan had so crudely delivered not a minute before.
So why did I feel like I wanted to give in? Give him exactly what he was asking?
“Let Logan and Cole in too, baby. Get rid of that stupid rule.” His teeth grazed my pulse point, and I couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped me. “You know deep down you're going to give in, eventually. Why delay the inevitable?”
He nodded to Logan behind me, and then Logan's hands were on my shoulders, turning me to face him while Ryder kept me pressed against his body.
I could feel Ryder's cock against my ass, grinding against me, a reminder of the power he had over my body, how easily he could make me respond.
Logan's eyes burned into mine, no longer cold, but filled with a hunger that made my stomach clench.
He said nothing, just watched me, waiting, as Ryder's hands tightened on my hips and his lips traced the curve where my neck met my shoulder.
"Think about it, Poison," Ryder murmured against my skin. "The four of us together. United. Unstoppable." His tongue flicked out, tasting me. "We could make you feel like a queen. We could show the whole world that they couldn’t fuck with us."
My body was betraying me, responding to their touch, to the heat of being trapped between them.
Every nerve ending felt alive, hypersensitive.
I wanted to push them away, to maintain that last shred of control, but god help me, I also wanted to surrender.
Logan's hand came up to lift my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
For a moment, something vulnerable flickered in his eyes, something almost like pain.
"I want nothing more than to keep you safe, Princess," he said quietly, his voice more sincere than I had ever heard before.
"This is the only way I know how." He leant in, his lips brushing mine with unexpected gentleness.
Ryder's hands tightened on my hips, pulling me back against him as he continued to kiss my neck.
I was drowning in sensation, in the heady scent of their cologne and the heat of their bodies surrounding me.
Logan deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine, and I couldn't stop the moan that escaped me.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer, crushing me between their bodies.
There was a desperation in his kiss I hadn't expected, a raw need that echoed something inside me I didn't want to acknowledge.
I felt myself melting, giving in to the overwhelming tide of desire.
It would be so easy to surrender, to let them take me, use me, claim me completely.
To become what they wanted. At this point I even wanted it.
But I knew what they were offering, and what it would mean giving up wasn’t a fair exchange.
With the last of my willpower, I pressed my hand against Logan's chest, breaking the kiss. Both men stilled, waiting.
"I know," I whispered, my voice unsteady.
"I knew the other night that once I let one of you through my defences, eventually I'll give in.
I know you'll break me down." I swallowed hard, fighting to find the words.
"But right now, I need to know I have some fight left in me. Some freedom. Because without that, I have nothing left, I don’t know who I am if I let you all consume me. "
Logan's eyes searched mine, something unreadable flickering in their depths.
"I understand," he said softly. Relief washed through me, and I reached up, pressing my lips to his in a gentle, grateful kiss.
But Logan had other ideas. His arms tightened around me again, and suddenly the kiss transformed from tender to consuming.
He kissed me like a man starving, like he wanted to devour me whole, and I couldn't help but respond, my body arching into his as heat pooled low inside, my body begging me to forget what I had just said and give in. Logan’s tongue tangled with mine, demanding, exploring, claiming, and I felt myself surrendering to the sheer intensity of it.
This wasn't the cold, controlled Logan I knew; this was raw passion, naked need, and it scared me how much I wanted it, how right it felt.
When he finally broke the kiss, we were both breathing hard. His hand came up to caress my face, his thumb tracing my lower lip, swollen from his kiss. A small, genuine smile curved his mouth, softening his features.
"I do understand that you need time, Cadence," he said, voice husky. "And I'm willing to give you that." The tension in my shoulders eased slightly, gratitude and something warmer flooding through me. Then his smile shifted, that familiar smirk returning.
"But we're still not going to the Alumni Dinner."
The warmth vanished, replaced by a surge of white-hot fury. I jerked away from both of them, nearly stumbling in my haste to put distance between us.
"You absolute bastard," I hissed, humiliation burning through me. "You think you can just, just manipulate me like that? This is exactly what I am talking about." Logan's expression hardened again.
"I'm not manipulating anything. I'm being honest, I won't risk your safety, no matter how much you beg or seduce or argue."
"Fuck you," I spat, backing toward the door. "Fuck both of you."
I turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the frame.
My heart was pounding, my skin still tingling from their touch, my lips burning from Logan's kiss.
Worst of all was the persistent throb between my thighs, the shameful evidence that part of me had wanted to give in.
I leant against the wall in the hallway, trying to steady my breathing.
They thought they had me cornered, that I had no options left.
But they were wrong. I would find a way to that dinner, with or without them. I had to.