Page 4 of Deadly Sacrifice

My heart stutters to a pained halt when Griffin turns his face our way. Those crystal blue eyes shoot through me every time. He stands to his full height, the tallest of our trio of assholes by a couple of inches. The second Creed and I reach him, he starts signing, his face growing more and more irritated as he goes.

“Griff, slow down, man. You know we can’t read you when you’re flustered,” Creed says, digging in his back pocket before pulling out a pack of toothpicks. He plucks one in his mouth and plays with it as Griffin wipes a hand down his face and starts over, slower this time.

Emergency meeting tonight. Don’t you check your phones? he signs, giving me a pointed glare.

My spine snaps straight, my entire body going rigid. As I fish my phone from my pocket, I ask, “For Beta Ep. Rho?”

I don’t need him to sign this time. Griffin’s flat expression very clearly says no, you fucking dumbass, not the frat.

Dread builds in my stomach, curling in on itself and making me nauseous. “Fuck,” I grit through my teeth, showing Creed the text as well.

The Celestials never call emergency meetings. They meet once a month, on the night of the full moon. And until the three of us pledge away our fucking souls later this semester, we’re not expected to show. For them to send this text tonight to us… it’s gotta be bad.

“Let’s go then, get this shit over with. I’ve got plans to make and a woman to woo,” Creed drawls, already walking toward Greek row.

***

I don’t know what’s worse; The Celestials and their bullshit meetings, or Heather shoving her way between Creed and me, and stealing his seat beside me as we sit. Like me, her parents are members, and she’s expected to pledge.

A few years ago, when we were introduced to the other junior members, Heather and I hit it off. Despite Creed and Griffin warning me not to do it, I fucked her. Hard and often. We’ve never dated in any official capacity, but we still hook up after all this time. Sure, I could go out and screw any other girl, but as one of the few females part of this fucked up little world, she actually understands my responsibilities and stresses. She doesn’t get pissy when I’m busy; usually she is too.

I guess that’s why I’ve kept going back, kept letting her into my bed. Has it been a mistake? The glare Creed is throwing me over her shoulder screams yes.

“Hi, monkey,” she coos with big brown eyes and full pouty lips, snuggling into my side and rubbing her hand up my thigh.

“Hey,” I offer with a forced smile. I like to fuck her. I never said I enjoyed conversing with her. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you all summer.” Translation: I haven’t sunk my dick inside a woman in almost three months. And I’m blaming her for that.

Shrugging one shoulder, Heather bats her lashes and pushes her tits up a bit higher. “Oh, you know. Just busy, vacationing and getting ready for our initiation. Aren’t you just ecstatic? All these years of waiting and looking in from the outside, and now we get to be a part of it! We’ll have more power, resources, and riches than I could imagine in my wildest dreams.”

Griffin grunts softly beside me and Heather shoots him a feral glare. “I know you couldn’t care less about status in this world, but some of us have earned this,” she seethes at him, flipping her shoulder-length brown hair back.

Griffin leans forward with his elbows on his knees, snarling at her like he’s envisioning shredding her flesh apart from head to toe. If it were Creed, I’d be concerned he meant it very literally too. But Griffin is a teddy bear in grizzly clothing.

Heather smiles cuttingly, her dark eyes gleaming with challenge. “Ooh, the giant is so terrifying,“ she drawls dramatically before laughing.

The longer they go at it, the more explosive I feel. Heather has been a fun time for years, but Griffin is my best friend, aside from Creed. Just once, he was even more than a friend. And ever since his attack, I’ve had an obsessive need to watch out for him. To be near him, to have him in my line of sight. We’ve always been close, but watching him go through his rocky recovery has made me extremely protective over him. For me to sit back while Heather verbally spars with him is excruciating.

“Why don’t you just drop out and move away? Save us all the trouble. What use do you have to The Celestials when you won’t even speak? They don’t want you here,” she continues, practically leaning across me to spit venom at him.

Griffin’s hands ball in his lap, the rage visible just under the surface as he shakes with it.

“Heather,” I warn in a low voice. “Don’t be a bitch. It’s not a cute look for you.” I turn in my seat enough to block half of his body from her view. I almost jump when I feel his hand land on my shoulder blade, a silent assurance that he’s fine.

Like always, Griffin’s touch is a shock to the system. He’s this tall, imposing guy, with a glare that promises indescribable pain, but he’s so gentle, so soft when it matters. He’s not violent, just guarded, and that’s what nobody understands.

Before Heather can rip me a new asshole for defending Griffin over her, four elder members walk into the room wearing white robes. Everyone goes silent as they take their places up front.

The lights dim, and the projector at the front of the room flickers to life, showcasing a picture of her. That little redhead who suddenly haunts my thoughts with whispers of a familiarity that shouldn’t exist. Creed sputters out a cough as he looks up at the picture too, and I shoot him a warning look.

One of the elders steps forward. “Welcome. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I’ll keep this meeting brief and to the point, so as not to waste anyone’s time.” Taking a small black remote, he clicks, and the picture changes to another of her. This one seems like it was taken from a distance, without her knowledge. Like someone followed her as she went about her normal routine.

Another elder member points at the photo with disgust. “This is Prudence Cate Sexton,” he announces, almost spitting her name out like poison. “She’s a freshman on campus.” The projector clicks again and yet another picture of her — Prudence — pops up. “Don’t be fooled by the sweet smile or the unappealingly below average appearance; Prudence Cate Sexton will tear down our organization if we let her.”

My brows furrow as I examine the photo of her walking out of a bakery, the wind blowing her wild hair away from her face. Not that I know her at all, but our brief interaction today didn’t give off any warning signals to me. And I’m pretty good at reading people, usually.

The elders continue, giving vague information laced with hatred. “All you need to know is that she is a threat to us. All that we’ve worked for, generations and generations of elite men and women who’ve earned their place in our ranks, will be for nought should she succeed. And if we go down, we’ll drag each of you down with us.” He sweeps his hardened eyes over the room, pausing for a bit too long when he meets my gaze.

Hi, Dad, nice to see you too.

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