Page 145 of Ruthless Legacy

“What?”

“I got matched with Thea. But that’s not all. She’s at the bottom of the challenge board.”

The smile on his face slips. The glint in his eyes gets sharper. “What do you mean, Thea’s at the bottom of the challenge board? What did you do? Did you shun her?”

I knew he’d react like this. It’s why I told her to come straight to his room.

“No, I didn’t shun her. Her position on the board is her own fault. They deducted points because she refused the guardian line designation and took too long to accept the pledge invitation.”

“They can’t do that.” He frowns, looking over at Holden. “Can they? She hasn’t even completed any challenges yet. She just finished Indoc.”

Holden leans forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs, linking his fingers together under his chin. “It’s not a common practice to receive demerits for your behavior prior to indoctrination, but it’s also not against the rules.”

“The bottom? Damn. That’s harsh.” Finn glances over at the door. “I guess I’ll go over there and see how she’s dealing with everything.”

He walks onto the balcony, and hops onto her side, like that’s a normal way to visit someone. He’s back a few minutes later. “She’s not there. Didn’t you tell her she has to stick by your side for the first 48 hours after being matched?”

“I told her to come straight back to the dorm and meet me here.”

Holden straightens. “So you didn’t tell her about the 48 hour rule?”

“Not specifically, no, but I told her to come here.”

“Fine.” Finn huffs out, pulling out his phone. “She’s probably being stubborn because it was you.”

He sends a text. I immediately hear the ping. I chuckle as I walk over to the couch. “That was quick. Lemme guess she’s on campus at LJ’s being a brat.”

Shaking his head, he stabs at his phone before bringing it to his ear. He lowers it, disconnects the call, and dials again.

“She sending you straight to voicemail?”

He shoots me a look, then asks, “What did Thea say when you told her to come here?”

“She was flippant and dismissive, just like she is, with every request I make.”

He dials the phone again and growls as he hangs it up.

“Finn?” Holden scoots to the edge of the couch. “What’s happening? Is she sending you to voice mail?”

“She’s not- She’s not sending me to anything.”

He dials again, and this time puts it on speakerphone. There’s nothing but dead air, and then a recording that says, the number you’ve reached is not in service. Please hang up and try your call again.

Holden shifts, facing me. “Pax. What did Thea say? Be more precise than ‘flippant and dismissive.’”

“I told her to get in her car, drive straight to campus and meet me in Finn’s room. She obviously didn’t want to do it, and told me she can’t.”

“Did you ask her why she couldn’t?”

“I wasn’t about to stand there and get into a debate with her. Especially not after I had to drag her out of The Tomb, before she embarrassed me further, in front of the other prospects, initiates, and council members.”

Holden’s on his feet, and Finn’s knife is out. He stalks towards me. “What do you mean, embarrass you further in front of them?”

“I mean just what I said. Her scores are abysmal, and she had to be prompted to read my name. It’s an embarrassment to me as a Trium to have everyone there witness it.”

Finn hurls his knife at the wall. “What the hell, man?” He turns to face me. “Pax. For just one goddamn minute, can you not make this about you, and imagine that Thea might not know about the forty-eight hour rule? She might not know that this is the most vulnerable time for her, because now that you’ve been matched, you’re on a whole new chess board. She might not know that people will try to void her match with you so they can have you to themselves. Not to mention, she’s a prospect who’s already at the bottom of the challenge board. Demerits means her points are up for grabs. What easier way to get rid of her than tonight with a challenge?”

I sink down onto the couch, set my drink on the coffee table, and bury my face in my hands. “Fuuuck!” I didn’t think about any of that. I was just so focused on getting out of there. Looking at Holden, I ask, “Can we track her phone?”

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