Page 17 of Homecoming: The Devil's Society

Her tongue licks my chin, tasting herself as a smile forms on her face.

“As you wish.”

My heart was racing. Emotions were flowing freely, and my eyes watered.

Scared.

I’ve never been scared of him before. But today, I was.

E’s face was red as his nostrils flared. Loud yells of terror echoed in our bedroom. Initially, I blamed myself. I made him mad. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.

But then I realized, I was completely right in my actions and response. He was wrong, and he needs to learn how to handle that.

But instead, he reacted and I was fucking scared. He didn’t blink once as he threw the lamp across the room. Or when his hand went through the drywall.

His knuckles are scraped, bound to be bruised surely. And a part of me was worried he would hurt me next.

I put my fear aside, for him. Sacrificed my sanity to save him. To bring him back to me.

It worked. My touch, my voice, and my presence. Slowly, he came back. As he took in the state of the space, he looked confused.

I wasn’t scared anymore. Instead. Now.

I am just really pissed off.

This is almost as bad as when he casually changed my name to his when we first met.

At the same time, I am completely aware that this isn’t fully his fault. He is unaware of how unacceptable this shit is. It’s a part of his DNA and it will never change. So, I slowly inhale and exhale as I work myself through what just occurred.

The violence in our home is new. This goes to show how fucking on edge my sweet boy is.

After I brought him back, he even looked slightly mortified by his actions. The destruction, not the clit piercing. I then excused myself. We don’t have much time left until The Reckoning begins.

I’m in the bathroom, getting ready. The sun has set and night has arrived.

“Elijah!” I shout toward the bedroom, hoping he can hear me from wherever he is in the house.

It takes a few moments, but his heavy footsteps make their way toward me.

Looking back in the mirror, I finish tying the bow in my hair, which I have left down, flowing over my shoulders. My ribbon is white and stands out perfectly.

I feel him.

Shifting my eyes, I see him behind me in the mirror, standing in the doorframe. His beautiful eyes take me in. I look down at his hand, his knuckles are still red. He needs to fucking ice them.

“I will after tonight.” He reads my mind effortlessly, but I change the subject, not wanting to dwell.

“You said your dad was worse than mine. But so far, I don’t get it.”

Shaking his head, the corner of his lip lifts in amusement. “Your dad ran a cult. And wasn’t shy about it. He made each move known. Loudly. My dad is calculated. You can never tell what’s going on behind his eyes. That’s what makes him more dangerous than yours. Flip of a coin, everything can change. With your dad. You saw his moves from miles away and I would just wait for him to play his card. My dad? You see his move just before he cuts your head off. And you wonder, how the fuck did I get here?” He pauses before continuing, “That is why my dad is more fucked. You like him, you trust him. You fucking shouldn’t if you’re not a Sinclair. Because one minute you're laughing with him, and the next your life is in shambles or you’re bleeding out on the carpet. And you never saw it fucking coming.”

Digesting his words, it makes sense. People knew what my father did and what he was capable of. But to be scared of the unknown is worse. A psychological game is far more terrifying. It makes you question yourself and your instincts. Paranoia would be your own demise and he didn’t even have to lift a finger. I think I almost prefer that tactic.

“And now that I am back, it adds another layer, not only for my dad but The Exodus. I have an invisible collar around my neck and he holds my leash. The unpredictability of when he will let go of it places the fear of Satan in those around us.”

“Where does that leave me?” The question is genuine. What is my role in all of this?

Chuckling, his tongue brushes against his perfectly white top teeth. “What people don’t know yet? Where there is me, is also you. We have the element of surprise, for now. And tonight we will use this to our advantage with my cousin.”

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