Chapter 6

6

OLIVIER

M y father used to call me a weak child. I was small for my age, slender. It was difficult to talk back to those who made fun of me, bullies because my brain simply couldn't formulate the words. At times there was so much I wanted to tell them. How their words hurt me, how they didn't need to throw all this malice over me, like a bucket filled with trash, because I already hated myself enough. It was only years later that I wondered if I would have hated myself as much had they not bullied me. But between their daggers of words and my father's unspoken disapproval, I don't know what hurt more.

I guess, in the end, it wasn't either of those. It was him leaving that cut deeper than any wound. Him taking my baby sister Julie, for sure. Him confirming once more that I wasn't worth fighting for.

Yeah, that hurt. Through the years after, I managed to become tougher, I guess. Perhaps not more vocal, but I definitely grew a thicker skin. Mom was often away, leaving me in the care of my nanny, Dolores. I liked her, she was sweet to me. She played with me when I was a toddler, taught me how to ride a bicycle at six, built construction Lego with me, read countless stories to me during primary school, and later, at high school, she looked after my cuts and bruises.

" Un jour la vie sera plus facile ," she used to say. One day life will be easier. I always wanted to ask her when that day would come, but that would be a rhetorical question, right? Unless she was some fortune teller, which she clearly wasn't, she wouldn't know the answer. So I left the words unspoken and carried on the battle of going to school and making it through to graduation.

Dolores didn't like Theo, and she didn't make a secret out of it. She said he should protect me against those fists. He didn't, and I couldn't blame him. We were officially unofficially together. His parents would never have allowed him loving boys and I wasn't ready to tell Mom either.

Not worth fighting for.

Yet here I am, in the middle of Monterrey Castle in the pitch of dark, with Alexandre Arnoult in his bronze mask and black cloak, his painful weapon and his soft and gentle lips. His agile fingers that brought me to heaven. And he's…fighting for me.

Right?

And I…

Opening my eyes, I stare up at him. His dark glare is already pointed at me, and all the earlier warmth has left his stare. His mouth, those lush, full, lips, are pressed firmly together.

Oh my god— "You didn't like it?" I stammer.

He blinks, fluttering those gorgeous, black lashes of his, and his gaze softens. "There you are. I thought I'd lost you for a moment. What were you thinking of?" Sitting back, he pulls me in and flush against his chest, our legs a desperate tangle as we wrap them around our seated frames. Our necks are still tied together, although the string gives us enough space to move a little.

"Nothing," I mumble. He hasn't answered my question.

"Hm. Good. See those lights over there?" He points his chin over my shoulder and I turn back. Indeed, a bright light flickers like a beacon. Torches, like the ones that were placed along the trail before.

You are here for our entertainment, and entertained we shall be.

I think of the Elder with his black hood and golden cane, of the words he used every time I've been here, at the Wicked Chase. I've never come this far. Drawing in a deep, shuddering breath, I gaze back at Alexandre.

"That's where the Initiations will take place. Your initiation."

I swallow, mind rattling as I try to make sense of the final curve in the circle. I've been here before, have been chased before, have been eliminated before, and now I finally get to win the actual games. Does it make me extremely naive if I admit that I'm not sure what this fraternity stands for? Yes, there are rumours. But rumours have a habit of turning into obnoxious horror stories, of animals being slaughtered and girls dancing naked around fire pits, of sacred rituals and drinking parties. Licking my lips, I can't do much but allow my brain to find its way back to my mind and sigh as it tries to accept my current predicament.

"You've become awfully quiet," Alexandre mutters, brushing a few of my strands behind my ear. I should get my hair cut, have been requested to do so by the board, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Will I get round to it?

The thought makes me shudder. What the fuck? Of course I will. These guys are students, students . And this is nothing but an attempt to scare me. Mission accomplished. Nothing but an attempt to arouse me. Mission fucking accomplished.

Alexandre gives me another one of those soft smiles, and my heart clenches. He is so handsome. Did the rumours say anything about murder? Maybe not murder, but everyone knew about that guy who had been mutilated. What was his name again?

"In a minute, I will take you there, beautiful," Alexandre murmurs, interrupting my thoughts and bringing me back to the present. "To your Initiation. To where our brothers are waiting for us."

" Brothers ?"

Alexandre nods. " Oui . They want to welcome you into the group." He waits a beat. "Would you like to be accepted into the group?"

A group . My insides shudder. Non . "I'm not sure what you mean." My voice is fragile, a good representation of my mental state. I feel like I could break any moment.

Alexandre's fingers linger on the strand of hair and he slowly reaches my temple, tracing a digit down my hot cheek. "I'll explain everything to you. And then, once I'm done talking, I'll set you free."

"F-free?" My heart sinks in my stomach, and I fucking loathe myself for feeling disappointed. I should be happy.

"Free to run, petit loup ," he smirks, sliding his finger over the edge of my mask before dipping down and onto my heated cheek. At the touch of our connecting flesh, my stomach swoops, and my breathing speeds up. "Free to enjoy the illusion of being alone." His smile widens and his finger reaches for my mouth, tracing the shape of my lips. "You used to feel alone, didn't you." Not a question, because he continues. "You will never be alone again, beautiful. Because after tonight, you are mine. And you'll be a brother of the Alpha Fraternarii."

"Alpha—" Two fingers slip through the crease of my mouth in a slow, muffling the rest of my phrase. Their thorough perusal makes my toes curl despite my earlier orgasm,

"Ssh, let me explain," he muses, as if speaking to a child. If only Theo could see how I have changed. "But first, I am going to need you to clean up our mess for us." Wiggling backward, he creates more space between us. Then, right when I wonder what he's doing, he moves to sit onto his knees, the cloak still open, his boxer briefs still slid down to hug his powerful thighs. His cock, spent and flaccid, hangs snug over his balls. "We've made a mess," he says, voice gentle like silk. Then he guides my head to his crotch. Even like this, soft and satisfied, its size is impressive. His stomach is laced with his release and when he brushes a finger through it and places it on my lips, I flinch.

"Clean my cock, gorgeous, while I talk." He slides his finger once more between my lips and I lick it up instinctively. Shame makes my face flush up to the tips of my ears, makes my flesh burn hot and my balls tickle with lust. A treacherous combination, especially because my mind is triggered too. I'm curious, and secretly a little proud of being here, of having made it through three nights of chasing, of craving, of hurting, all leading up to this moment.

The revelation.

My tongue licks the saltiness from Alexandre's fingers, thoroughly, not wanting to let go, until he lets out a chuckle and ruffles my hair. "Here." He pulls my head forward by the leather strap that he untied from his own nape at some point, and guides my mouth to his flat, sculpted naked stomach. I inhale deeply, reveling in his woodsy scent, having completely lost my mind, then stick out my tongue. My stomach flutters when he strokes the back of my head, humming his appreciation. And I lick. Cleaning his lower stomach, his pubic hair teasing the sensitive skin of my chin. His taste fills my mouth as I go in search for more of him.

"We are no fraternity," Alexandre begins, his hand brushing through my strands. It feels amazing. "We are a brotherhood, beautiful. The Alpha Fraternarii. Created in the dawn of the French Revolution."

La Revolution Fran?aise ? My mind rattles. That's a long time ago. I look up from beneath my lashes, but Alexandre shakes his head and seems deep in thought, his hand on my hair tightening. "Our ancestors founded the brotherhood to prevent the past from repeating itself. We're far from the only fraternity that was founded for this reason, but ours connects traditions with loyalty and respect." He traces the lines of the leather strap on my nape, then pulls me away by my hair. I haven't finished yet, but his grip is firm, the gaze of his dark eyes decisive and the pull of his hand smooth. Before I can protest, he lifts my mask, exposing my entire face to him. I flinch instantly. To say I feel naked is an understatement.

He smirks as he gazes down at my face that's still hovering around the same height as his cock. "You carried exactly that same expression when you saw me through the glass in the library."

I narrow my gaze while his words resonate in my mind. Is he… "So that was you."

He laughs now, triumph flickering in his eyes, and he skids a hand over his black cloak. "You didn't think I'd want to give you your invitation personally?" When I don't react, he traces a finger over my mouth, the bottom lip still wet with spit and his release. "You know, for someone as intelligent as you are, you're not the quickest student." And just like that, he pushes me forward. I want to continue licking his stomach, but he clicks his tongue. "Leave it. You'll filthy me up again anyway. Take my cock in your mouth, little wolf."

I want to tell him where he can shove it. I want to tell him that I'm not his slave. But my face heats at the thought, at the word , and my cock twitches. What the hell is wrong with me?

As if feeling my increasing distress, Alexandre leans a hand against my hot cheek and caresses the reddened skin, letting his fingers crawl over my face until they reach both sides of my mouth. Then, forcefully, he squeezes around my chin until I gasp and need to open my mouth.

"That's it," he murmurs, and pulls my mouth on his cock. I sputter, humiliated and taken aback by the pungent scent that awaits me. Desire floods through my system and my tongue darts out. "Lick it, petit loup ." Alexandre stretches his back and neck, looking up at the sky and its countless, mysterious stars with a content sigh, while he keeps me firmly in place, mouth on his cock, leather strapped tighter around my neck.

I…All thoughts have escaped my mind, leaving my brain an empty shell. Instead there is peace and quiet aside from my own slobbering sounds as I lick and suck on Alexandre's dick. He's hardening rapidly, more pre-cum filling my mouth.

"It's a privilege to be a brother of the The Alpha Fraternarii," he says, rocking his hips slowly. "A privilege given to me by birth. You see, membership is usually upon heritage. But times are changing, and we felt the desire to bring in fresh meat…" He chuckles at that, and his large hand cups my cheek entirely, no more mask to hide from the world.

"Look at me," he orders, his voice lower and even raspier than usual. Our eyes meet. "I am about to take off my mask, beautiful. And then you're going to drink from my cock, before you'll lick me nice and clean. And then—" He tilts his gaze to let out a filthy, satisfactory moan, "You're going to run for me again. You're going to show me and my brothers how fast you are, how strong you are, how much you'll please me. And then, after we've completed our Initiations, I'm going to take you back inside the castle. We'll talk. You can ask all the questions you want, whenever you want. And then we'll sleep, gorgeous, in my bed, where you'll be sleeping for the rest of your life."

I can't speak. I can't think. I can just stare up at him while licking around his slit, feeling famished by his scent, his flavour, his words… My core falters, grappling as it searches, and fails to find a steady hold.

"That's it, beautiful, that's it." My mouth drops once more over his shaft, sliding up and down while my hand fondles his balls, cupping and rolling them in my palm. They feel heavy and silky, the most enticing combination with his hard erection that slides through my mouth. Fuck, he tastes good. "My good boy," Alexandre muses, and my own cock strains where I tucked it in my briefs, my pants still unbuttoned. My ass clenches at the praise and I double my efforts, wanting to please him. "You're doing so good for me, and for me only." Alexandre's hand tightens in my hair, pulling me closer onto his cock and nearly choking me. He chuckles dangerously. "I'm going to come, petit loup . Open as wide as you can and swallow everything I give you."

I have no choice, because his grip on me has turned into an iron fist, and I suck, taking in short and rapid breaths through my nose, as I prepare for his climax. When he does, I work my throat around his orgasm, slurping and drinking and swallowing his cum, nearly combusting in my own restraints. Holy shit, this is so hot. Forbidden, bad and hot. I listen to Alexandre's grunts of pleasure, let them echo in my mind as I stay kneeled in front of him, mouth on his cock, until he deflates and releases his firm grip on my hair, brushing my strands gently again just like he did before.

Slowly he pulls me off him, swiping a thumb over my bottom lip before he sweeps the traces of cum from the corner of my lips. He presses a soft kiss on my forehead, nose and mouth, and I close my eyes as I let him guide my mouth down and back to his stomach, where I clean the rest of our earlier pleasure with a few firm swipes of my tongue.

"There." I try to make it look funny to keep some of my dignity, but fail. How can I when my thoughts are scattered all around me?

Alexandre lifts both hands to undo the knot at his nape and then he slides off his copper mask, revealing his gorgeous face. Next, he hooks his fingers around the edges of his hood and pulls it back, revealing his mop of blond hair. His identity.

"No more secrets," he whispers, watching me intently.

"Only questions," I say. Lots and lots of them.

"After the ceremony." He's about to get up, but I stop him.

"No. You've got to give me something."

He frowns, but the corners of his lips tick up in amusement. "Have I not just explained the existence of the Alpha Fraternarii? That's top secret."

"Yes, but?—"

"Have I not just given you my cock to please?"

" Ha ha , very funny. I mean?—"

His eyes flash wickedly and he stands up, looking down at me. "Have I not just exposed myself to you?"

I stand too, my earlier confusion, and arousal, quickly replaced by irritation. Who the hell does this prick think he is? Confusing and sexy as hell? Yes. But I've come too far, been through too much hell, to let myself be used once more. I won't go that way ever again. "You have." I grind my teeth.

"Then what do you want to know right now that can't wait until after the Initiations?" He picks his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. "Fifteen minutes to two." A slow, dangerous smile curves his lips. "That means they've arrived."

And just like that, my heartbeat stutters, much like my brain. "Wh-what? Who?"

He clicks his tongue twice rapidly, followed by a short whistle. It doesn't take long for Nova to appear slowly out of the shadows.

"Who?" I repeat once more.

"My family."