by Mya West
I smile. “Lance liked my outfit too. You guys both have good taste.”
Her eyes widen. I almost feel like she might slap me. At this party, outside of school, I would welcome it. She touches me and I’m kicking a rich bitch’s ass tonight.
“Just fuck off Selena.” Bryce says.
“Don’t you have a cock to suck?” She says back in a snarky voice.
“Your father is still recovering from yesterday, but maybe tomorrow.”
Mary looks at us. “You gutter skanks are so disgusting.”
Danna takes a step forward. “Breaking news! I’m going to kick your ass if you don’t shut up.”
Bryce and I look at her amused. Haven’t seen bad ass Danna ever. I kind of like it.
Selena and her minions take the hint, each giving us a different gesture of disgust and fuck off into the party.
The three of us laugh. I turn back, and Jaxson is standing beside me. “Hey.” He says with a smirk. “I was waiting for you all night.”
“Here I am.” I say.
Jaxson looks over at Bryce and Danna. “You guys cool if I steal her away for a little?” They both nod their heads.
“You didn’t ask me.” I say with a smile.
“I already knew the answer.”
Jaxson grabs my hand and leads me to the backyard. Lights are strung across a large pool. The outside of the party has a whole different aura than inside. Girls in scantily clad bikinis are scattered around the pool. A group is gathered in the pool taking turns with a beer bong.
Jaxson leads me towards a cabana bed, that has a cloth draped around it. Another couple is laying inside. Jaxson looks at the guy, nods his head to the left, and they quickly leave.
We lay on the cabana bed and look at each other. I know why he took me here. It’s about the most privacy we can manage at this party, besides going into one of Nat’s rooms. I give him an innocent look, as if I don’t realize he’s going to try his A game on me tonight. I’m not sure if he realizes, I will let him.
Instead he just looks at me. I’m not sure how to read his expression. Part of me knows what he wants, the other is unsure. It’s as if he has a little devil and angel on his shoulders and he isn’t sure who to listen to.
I break the ice. “Is this the part where we make out furiously?”
He shrugs. “That’s the plan.”
“So, big guy, you going to make your move?” I raise a challenging eyebrow at him.
“I’m not sure if that’s what you want though.”
“Why’s that.”
“I live with him, Elle. I hear things.”
“Chase?” He nods his head. I don’t know how to respond. I’m not one to play the field like this, but I truly don’t know what I want. Do I have to decide right now? “What if I’m interested in both of you?”
Jaxson grabs my hand and guides me on to his midsection. I sit on his lap, staring at him. “I know what I want.”
I glance down. “I can tell.”
He leans closer to me and we kiss. His lips are hard but coordinated. He moves his tongue in my mouth like a pro, giving me shivers.
“Have I talked you into team Jaxson yet?”
I laugh. “Like I said, undecided.”
“I will do anything you want me to do, to help change your mind.”
“Maybe I want you to figure out what I like by yourself; more fun that way- for me.”
Jaxson wrestles me under him. His kisses me more sensually. I feel his powerful shoulders as he does. I work my hands down his body and raise them under his shirt. I caress his abs, taking my time to feel every defined ridge of his midsection.
I open one of my eyes for a moment scared that Chase will be watching us. I think of Lance also. I start to feel guilt that Jaxson is on top of me. I know where he wants things to go tonight, part of me is ready for it, but I’m not sure I can.
I open an eye again certain that someone is watching. I spot Danna on the other side of the pool waving at me. I give her a motion to give me a few more minutes.
I close my eyes and feel Jaxson’s powerful body more. Jaxson caresses my stomach and moves his hand up between my breasts and kisses me more.
I should be enjoying this more than I am. Instead I know what’s waiting for me when I open my eyes again. I look again, and sure enough Danna is waving at me to come over.
I put my hand straight out on Jaxson’s chest. “Can you give me one small little minute. Just- don’t move”
He smiles. “Of course. You know where to find me.”
I leave the cabana bed and walk up to Danna with a fake smile. “What the fuck is it?”
Danna looks around and whispers, “I saw another sign.”
I raise my eyebrows. “What are you talking about? You kind of interrupted- something.” I point a finger behind me towards Jaxson.
Danna nods her head. “Jaxson can wait. Something weird is going on here. I saw another Beast sign. The emblem! It was in Nat’s house. I saw another book.
I sigh. “So, what? You tossed out the one you stole. It’s nothing.”
“I lied to you,’ Danna says. “We need to leave. Bryce is already waiting by the car.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s just go. It’s not safe here.”
Out of the corner of my eye I see a few students reading a spiral coiled book. One of them looks at me and laughs.
Danna grabs my shoulder. “Are you listening? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth. I was scared.”
I look around at other batches of people at the party who are reading the same spiral coiled book. Several are looking at me. One is pointing and laughing at in my direction.
Danna moves my head back to her face forcefully. “The Beasts are real.” She whispers. “I’m in deep shit. We need to leave.”
Behind Danna I spot Selena and her friends. Each have their own book. Selena looks at me. I’ve never seen her so happy. Her friends have the same evil look on their face.
I spot Lance, holding a pile of the spiraled books. He looks at me and gives me a thin smile. He walks up to me, pushing Danna aside gently. He holds out a book towards me. I don’t grab it. I read the title and look back at Lance in shock.
Diary of the School Whore.
I finally grab the book and open a few pages. It’s one of my first journal entries of a guy I liked in grade school. A few more pages in and I had written about the first time a guy got handsy with me.
“First blowjob on page seventeen!” Selena yells out.
I look at Lance. He stares at me coldly.
I knock the pile out of his hand. Most fall into the pool. Some of the audience laugh. I shove Lance backwards, but he barely moves an inch.
Jaxson has one of the books in his hands. He throws it at Lance’s chest and stands between us.
I grab Jaxson’s hand. “I just want to go.” I whisper. “I just want to go”
More people are cheering and laughing. Danna picks up one of the books off the floor and opens it.
Jaxson shoves Lance, moving him a few feet. He tightens his grip on my hand and moves me through the party. Nobody gets in Jaxson’s way as he forces us through the crowd and out the backyard gate.
Some drunk kid is laughing at me as we walk by, a copy of the book in his hand. Jaxson shoves him hard, and the kid flies onto his back. He curls in a ball in pain as we go past him.
“Fucking rich kids!” Jaxson yells.
“I just want to leave.” I repeat.
“Then come with me.”
Thomas Winters
Thomas Winters watched the light from the torch flicker against the wall with delight. He enjoyed how ominous it made the inside of the clock tower seem. He watched as the members filled the center of the room. Many of their faces were hard to make out, but he knew them all.
It was, after all, his job to keep them safe. That meant he had a lot of roles to fill to keep the members interests in tack. Sometimes that meant acting like a pers
onal driver to some poor bitch. He would be excited to get rid of that role very soon.
Most of the time, his role meant keeping these meetings secure, which is why he got harsh words after their last was- compromised.
It was important that tonight’s last-minute meeting have no issues like the one prior. He gave his security team strict orders and warned of termination if any failed him. He enjoyed working with most of his staff, and thought they were all good men, but he would cut one of them loose if they messed up tonight. He wondered if any of them had any clue that if you are let go from a position like this, it isn’t with a handshake and a record of employment.
Winters watched as three members in light gray cloaks stood in the center of the crowd. The rest turned and formed a circle around them.
A member in a dark black cloak walked into the room. The circle broke and moved out of the way to let him through to the center.
The dark-cloaked man raised an arm. Any chatter in the room stopped immediately. “We are gathered here tonight, to remind you all of what is at stake. To remind you all of your oath!”
The members chanted in unison. “Live by the rules. Die by the rules.”
The dark-cloaked man continued. “All members may be asked to help. It is your duty to accommodate.” He pointed at the three in the center. “Reveal yourselves, beasts among men.”
One after the other, the men in the center removed their hoods.
Chase Aldridge was the first. He smiled at all the members in the room as they gazed upon his handsome face.
Lancelot Cain was next. He stared coldly at the man in the dark cloak, as if no one else was in the room.
Nathanial Wise was last.
The dark-cloaked man spoke to the members about the rules. He reminded them of their purpose. The stakes.
Winters smirked to himself. He hated the theatrics of it all. It felt fake. Get to the point. Soon it would be time for the end - the Ritual. His favourite part of all the games and lies. At that point, there was no more bullshit, no cowards, only a true beast, and a cold ending.
It was the kind of story Thomas Winters liked most.
The Ritual
Ryland Academy Rules
Book 2
Mya West
Chapter 1
I put my hand over top of Jack’s mouth, dangling a piece of cooked steak I’m grasping loosely. I’m waiting for the vicious dog to start snarling or show any type of aggression. Instead, it looks at me with innocent eyes that beg me to release its snack.
I look at Chase, who smiles and nods his head at me. He’s sitting, holding Jack’s torso with a tight grip. I’m nervous as hell, but Chase’s reassuring smile is keeping me together. The scenery of his large backyard and the heat from afternoon sun also relaxes me.
I let go of the piece of meat, and Jack grabs it mid-air and chews with a satisfactory look on his face.
“See, not such a bad guy,” Chase says reassuringly. “Now pet him.”
I wave my head no. “I’m not sure how much of this exposure therapy I’m ready for.”
“He’s harmless. You just fed him too. He’ll be your best friend forever now.”
I kneel over and pet Jack’s side that Chase is holding on to. Chase smiles at me and lets loose his grip. Jack turns to me and nuzzles his head against my thigh. Jack looks up at me with that innocent look entrenched in his face again. It’s hard to imagine this friendly dog scared the living shit out of me last week. Then again, I was being shot at by someone, and had just spent the whole night in the woods when I saw Chase’s dogs.
Jack rubs his head again against my leg. “Okay, boy,” I say with a smile. I grab another piece of steak, put it above his head, and drop it. “I guess a way to a guy’s heart is feeding them.” I pet his head, a little more confident in his temperament.
Chase claps. “See, not so bad. You don’t have to worry about my pups, especially when I’m around. Now if I were hunting and you were my prey, that’s a different story.”
I look at him with devilish smile. “Am I some doe you think you can bag as a trophy?”
“You’re the only prize I want,” Chase says with a smirk. I stand over top of him, looking down at him with a smile. He brushes off some dirt from his tight light-colored jeans. “Looks like you have the upper hand too.”
I sit on his lap, straddling him. I brush his blond hair from his face and caress his cheek. “Maybe I’m the predator. Looks like I’ve caught my helpless prey.”
“Helpless?” Chase rolls me under him. I feel pressure from his hips pushing between my thighs. “Helpless?”
“It’s just part of my plan to wear you down,” I say laughing.
The sound of a snarling dog startles me. Chase looks up at Jill and yells at her to stop. Jill barks back at him. Chase whistles at her and points towards his home. Jill becomes silent and runs back towards her kennel. Jack, on the other hand, continues to look at us with puppy dog eyes.
“I’m not sure I can win that one over,” I say, looking at Jill run back.
“Jill was always the tougher one to keep in line.” Chase sighs and looks at me. “Woman. She was just trying to protect me, like a good dog. She thought you were hurting me.”
I look over at Jack. “Well, Chase has Jill. I hope you have my back, Jack.” Jack licks his lips and rolls his tongue across his mouth.
“His allegiance with you ends when you run out of steak snacks,” Chase says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes. “Men.”
I had tried to feed Jill some steak bits too, but all she would do is give me a menacing look. Something inside me knew if I had moved the wrong way suddenly, things would go south with Jill very quickly, no matter if Chase was there or not. The thought of it made me uneasy.
I gyrate my hips on Chase. “How about we lose the audience?”
Chase smiles and whistles at Jack, pointing towards the house. Jack complies immediately and runs off.
Chase brushes my hair over my shoulder. “Better?”
I nod my head. I lean in and kiss him. He caresses my body, and our kisses intensify. I would usually be shy to make out with Chase in his backyard, especially given the fact that his father is our principal. I know though that Mr. and Mrs. Aldridge are away from the home this afternoon. Some charity dinner for the homeless will have them away for most of the day. Even Jaxson was away, which I’m sure Chase factored into his plan when he asked me to come over today.
Chase continues to kiss me sensually, lowering his hands and cupping my ass intensely but tactfully. Sitting on top of his lap I can feel him enlarge between my thighs.
I wonder how many women Chase Aldridge has been with. What notch on the bedpost would I be if I gave into my desire right now, in the middle of this field?
Chase grabs my breast and starts kissing my neck. His soft lips make me feel weak, as if I wouldn’t be able to stand again. I can feel myself wanting to just tear off our clothing and do it right here.
I open one eye and look around at the woods that surround his enormous backyard. A memory flashes in my mind of the last time I was here. I was cold, tired, my body aching from running away from the person or people who were shooting at me in the woods that night. I thought I was going to die. All I wanted was to go home, back to the city.
Lance drove me back to his guesthouse instead. The thought of Lance makes my blood curl. What he did to me at the party, publishing my journal for all the rich brats of Ryland Academy to read was an over the top shitty thing to do.
Who the fuck could do something like that to another person?
I close my eyes and try and get back into the moment with Chase. Despite Chase’s best efforts, I can’t get my rage for Lance out of my mind.
I open my eyes again and think of the mystery shooter who was after me in the woods around Chase’s property. The police never found any suspects.
Could it have been Lance as well? How psycho is Lancelot Cain?
“Are you okay?”
Chase’s question startles me out of my thoughts. “Sorry, I’m just—I don’t know.”
Chase looks around the woods surrounding us. “I get it. You didn’t exactly have a great time last time you were here.”
The distant sound of a loud engine makes both of us turn our heads. A black Jeep drives up to Chase’s home and parks outside a large garage at the side of his mansion. Jaxson steps out of the Jeep. He takes off his sunglasses, stares at us, lowers his head, and goes inside the back entrance of the home.
Fucking. Awkward.
I look at Chase.
He immediately nods his head. “I can take you home. Jaxson told me he would be out all day. So, I guess the next time we hang out will be at the dance?”
I sigh. The school’s annual Sweetheart Dance is fast approaching. Danna and Bryce keep telling me how lame it is, but that doesn’t seem to be the shared opinion of everyone at Ryland Academy. It’s where love is born, some say. It’s where babies are conceived, others suggest. Who goes with who is apparently a pretty big deal at Ryland Academy.
Chase isn’t the only one who’s mentioned the dance to me. Jaxson made it sound like he was open to having me as a date as well.
I feel a tinge of guilt looking at Chase. How is it that I’m stuck between a guy like Chase, and a hunk like Jaxson?
I give Chase a shy look. He rolls his eyes.
∞∞∞
Chase drops me off at the guesthouse on the Cain’s property. He kisses me gently before I leave his sports car. I watch him with a smile as he revvs his engine and takes off.
“Did you have fun with Jaxson?” I turn and see Lance Cain smiling at me. He has a white towel wrapped around his neck and is wearing a tight undershirt with athletic shorts. “Or was that Chase Aldridge? Or do you have some new boy I don’t know about yet?” He wipes the sweat from his forehead with a look of victory over me.
“Fuck off, Lancelot.” Harsh words, and not exactly a great comeback, but he deserves it. I turn away from him and walk towards the front entrance of the guesthouse. I think about the night of the party. I remember Lance’s face when he was handing out photocopied books of my personal journal to every rich kid that would take one. I vividly remember Selena Jensen looking through my diary, at all the gritty personal entries, with a huge smile.