Chapter 4

FOUR

T he party is like all the others, with drinks, music, and straight guys getting looser with me as the night goes on. Usually, I'm all for it, the life of the party, but I'm not in the mood tonight, too annoyed about what happened earlier.

He's such an asshole. I helped his sister, and he threatened me.

Who the fuck does he think he is? He can't get away with being a dick to everyone he meets just because he's tall, dark, and handsome. Other people might let him get away with it, but I won't. I don't care how good-looking he is or how amazing he smells. He's a fucking bully through and through.

I have no idea how Alice is related to him. They are nothing alike.

"Come on, have another drink," Matty, a football player, slurs, pushing the Solo cup into my hand, his eyes twinkling with intention. He wants to get me drunk so he doesn't feel as bad when we hook up, and he can pretend it never happened tomorrow or that it was the alcohol.

Hell, he could even say I made him.

I've fallen for it before, thinking they genuinely wanted me, but I don't anymore. I learned quickly that some people will never change, and Matty is one of them. He cried once after we hooked up, telling me how he wished he would like girls the way he liked boys, and while I feel genuinely sorry for him since he's struggling with his sexuality, I can't let him use me to work it out.

I have too much self-respect for that.

I didn't used to, but I do now.

I deserve to be with someone who knows exactly what they want and isn't afraid of it. I don't deserve to be someone's dirty secret.

Pushing the cup away, I get to my feet, ignoring my friends looking at me with questioning eyes. "I need some air," is all I tell them, annoyance still running through me at that asshole for ruining my night with his bad mood.

Maybe he needs to get laid. It might cheer him the fuck up.

Heading outside, I lean back against the side of the house, my hands in my pockets. My eyes close as I tip my head back, letting the cool breeze wash away the stench of sweaty bodies and too much alcohol. Maybe tonight just isn't for me. I'm clearly in one of my moods, as Lally calls it, something I can't help. I've been like this for as long as I can remember. Once I spiral, there isn't a way for me to stop. I don't know why, but I can't seem to control the emotions roaring through me.

I only realize my mistake once something hits me. I'm alone on the dark side of the house, the music is loud, and my eyes are closed.

I know better.

I fight back, but there are too many hands, and when my eyes open in confusion, something dark and heavy lands over my head, tightening around my neck. I kick and struggle, giving it all I have, which is a lot, but it's no use, and my hands and feet are bound before I'm lifted into the air and carried away.

My eyes strain against the dark material, trying to make anything out as I shout and twist. Someone grunts as my foot connects with them, but it's useless, and when I hit something hard and roll after being thrown, I freeze. An engine sounds a moment later, and then we are moving.

I can't believe I have been kidnapped. Seriously, what the fuck?

Who the fuck gets kidnapped nowadays? It's kind of embarrassing, not to mention it's pissing me off even more. We drive for what feels like forever, and although I try to memorize the turns, it's useless. I was never good with that type of thing.

I'm hauled out and then dropped to my knees a while later. My eyes strain through the material. All I can see are lights and distorted shapes. Even my hearing is muffled through the thick fabric.

My heart races, and my hands sweat as anticipation and adrenaline pump through me. As soon as this bag comes off, I'm fighting with all I have. I don't know who did this or why, but they have another thing coming if they think I'll make it easy on them.

I burst to my feet, stumbling over the ropes, when the hood is ripped off. I blink, trying to bring everything into focus even as I slam my wrists down onto my leg, breaking the zip ties. My hands are free, but then I freeze as I take in the scene before me.

"Oh, fuck no. I'm not being sacrificed to some weird cult tonight. You got the wrong guy," I tell them, pointing my finger at the hooded figures standing in a semicircle around me.

There are six of them in total. Their heights vary, but they wear the same black robes with hoods covering their faces. Each robe has a symbol on the right breast, and I squint at it before I realize I don't care. The room smells dusty and old, like there isn't enough air, and old bricks line each wall of what I can almost describe as a crypt. The arched brick ceiling makes it dark and creepy, as do the candles flickering with flames throughout.

Definitely a cult.

"I wouldn't. I'm as far from a virgin as you can get," I blurt out, and a chuckle sounds.

"Oh, we know that." A hood is pushed back, and I'm left blinking in shock at Liam .

"Dude, what the hell? Is this some senior prank?" I demand, my arms crossed. "The kidnapping was a bit much."

"It's tradition." He shrugs, and someone next to him pushes their hood back. I get a look at a beautiful black-haired girl who grins at me.

The others push theirs back. They aren't familiar apart from the tattooed asshole at the end. What is it with tattooed assholes right now? Luckily, this one isn't Alek Anders. It's the guy they call Bones from law class. I've heard about him, and yeah, I might have checked him out once or twice. Right now, he's watching me with a dark expression.

Great.

"It's not a swingers club, is it?" I ask slowly. "Because I have to admit, I've done the sharing thing before, but it just doesn't do it for me."

The black-haired girl snorts. "You wish."

"Autumn." Liam sighs before smiling at me.

"Not a cult, not a swingers club, but we should totally discuss the sharing thing." He smiles. "No, Evan, welcome to the Society of the Silent Rose, named after the founder of this school, Albert Rose." He grins at me, and I glance around, unsure.

The words hang in the air, filled with importance and honor, as if I should be shocked and on my knees in gratitude.

"Sorry, never heard of you." The others look at me in horror. "Was I supposed to?"

"Our society is the oldest on campus, the most exclusive. We live through whispers passed down through generations. Usually, you must be blood to be invited. It's an honor."

"Right, uh, so why am I here?" I ask, completely confused. I'm not of ancient blood or whatever, and I certainly don't fit their criteria.

"We have a space to fill, and everyone was allowed to submit a candidate. You were one of them, but we can't tell you who submitted you."

"Liam," I say knowingly, and Autumn sighs. "Oops."

"We investigate the person thoroughly to see if they are the right fit. Tonight, you fought for someone other than yourself. So, Evan Shaw, we would like to invite you to be a member of the Silent Rose. "

"What does it entail?" I ask carefully. "Do we have matching outfits? I prefer something with a bit more color than those robes."

Liam chuckles as he grins at me. "Yes, you'll get a robe. It just means you are one of us. A brotherhood, if you will, to lean on throughout your life. When things are hard, we are here. We share opportunities and life lessons, and being a member opens doors you never would have thought possible. We have previous members as far up as the White House. It's a very prestigious honor."

"What's expected in return?" I ask, knowing something like this isn't free.

"You uphold the rules. Our society is to never be revealed or spoken about to another. What happens within these walls, stays within these walls, and when a member calls, you come. That's all. We protect one another and this legacy, and in return, you will be one of us."

I hesitate, looking them over. They are all rich kids with privileged backgrounds apart from Bones. They'll have connections, ones I could use in my future. Besides, I do like being a team player, and a secret society seems like fun.

"Where do I sign up?" I smirk.

Liam booms out a laugh and claps my shoulder as he reaches down and undoes my bindings. "You just did. Come on, let's swear you in."

Autumn holds an ancient-looking book before me. "I, Autumn, scholar of the Society of the Silent Rose, hereby swear in Evan Shaw. His blood will become ours, his life given to our cause, brothers until the end."

Her eyebrow arches, and I lay my hand on top of hers on the book. "I vow it?" The words seem right, and she smiles at me proudly as she presses the book higher and something pricks my hand.

Hissing, I pull it back to see a spiked throne on the top of the book now dripping with my blood. She opens the cover and lets it fall onto the pages inside as I suck the wound and watch.

She snaps it shut. "You're one of us now, Evan. Whatever you need, we are here."

I nod, dropping my hand as I look around, wondering if this is the start of a really bad horror movie or an epic coming of age story. Either way, I'm in it now. No turning back.

Regrets are for pussies.

"Welcome to Silent Rose," Bones says with a jutted chin, and then they part, showing me an arched door at the end of the cavern we are in. As I pass, he leans in. "Don't let the thorns cut you."

Ignoring his warning, I push through the door, my mouth dropping open at what I find.

It looks like the inside of a manor house library, with a roaring fire at the back and couches before it. The wooden walls are covered in expensive works of art, and to the left is a wall covered with books. To the right is a seating area, a game room, and a staircase that leads upstairs.

"You can be anything you want here," Autumn says as she steps past me and then grabs a chalice from the wooden side table. "Now, let's get drunk and celebrate our new member!"

I can get behind that. Grabbing the chalice, I down it as they chant, wiping my mouth as I grin at them.

Secret society, huh? Maybe college won't be so bad after all.