Embarrassment slams into me, causing my face to burn with shame. It pairs with a sense of vulnerability and exposure that I hadn’t anticipated experiencing tonight. I want to jump out the nearest window.
I glance around, catching glimpses of curious stares directed our way. “What… What is it?” I finally manage, my voice shaking. Fuck Xavier and his command for silence. If I make it out of here without screaming, it’ll be a miracle.
June hesitates, her expression full of sympathy. “It’s just one word. ‘Mine.’”
I’m going to fucking kill Xavier.
It’s a good thing he told me not to look at any other recruit because if I see a look of disappointment—or even worse disgust—on Ben’s face when he returns to his seat, I’m going to cry. Not to mention the fact that my foster brother is currently getting tattoos that signify he’s killed people. If I don’t look at him, I won’t have confirmation of the number of lives he’s taken.
As the ceremony progresses, my agitation grows. Along with my level of self-consciousness. One by one, the recruits return to their seats, their newly tattooed feathers flowing under the UVlights. I don’t have to see them to hear their snickers or feel their gazes on my back.
Throughout my humiliation, Xavier remains at the front, the recruit with the most marks. I count them, and the heat of embarrassment leaves my cheeks, leaving me pale. He’s been summoned ten times.
Xavier has killed at least ten people, if not more.
This part of the ritual is a validation of his skills, something he can show off with pride. I’m beginning to think he was right about being the best person to protect me from the Order.
Despite my admiration and fear at Xavier’s exploits, my anger continues to rise. The word ‘mine’ written on my skin is a claim of possession, similar but dirtier than the brand on my shoulder. I know without a doubt this was a deliberate act meant to mark me as his in front of this assembly of the world’s most dangerous individuals.
The real question is why? Did he do it to embarrass me? To put me in my place? Or is he so deranged that he believes marking me with his cum is what it takes to keep other men away from me?
My intuition says it’s all of them.
As the final feather is filled in and Xavier rises from the chair and makes his way back to his seat, the complexity of my feelings for him is overwhelming. My skin is buzzing with energy, and my limbs are twitching. I’m torn between attacking and kissing the man beside me.
Xavier has driven me insane.
Admitting to myself that he’s right for the second time in one evening really chaps my ass. When he said that I look at him like I want to kill and fuck him, he wasn’t wrong. And still isn’t.
When the regular lights flicker back to life, I smother a sigh of relief that the cum is no longer visible and glowing. Keepingmy head bowed, I fold my hands in my lap to keep from strangling the man beside me.
Xavier, either uncaring or oblivious to my fury, grabs the back of my neck again. I stiffen under his touch. The pressure of his hold doesn’t increase like I expect. Instead, he massages the side of my neck and the curve where it meets my shoulder.
The word ‘mine’ sits just under his tender ministrations, a declaration that ignites both anger and arousal.
The robed member, his presence as commanding as ever, returns to the altar, drawing the room’s attention back to the front. And away from me. Thank God. If He’s even listening to this cum-stained girl’s prayer…
“The Crow’s Covenant is complete,” the man says.
His voice irritates me with its familiarity. Xavier’s father. It took me the entire ceremony to figure it out, but now that I have, I want to get out of here even more.
“We have witnessed the embodiment of skill, dedication, and determination. Our recruits have not only accepted the marks of their accomplishments but have also embraced the weight of the responsibility those marks represent.”
I try to tune him out, but with nothing else to concentrate on, I find myself absorbing his words. And the unspoken ramifications behind them.
“The Trials that lie ahead,” the council member continues, his tone growing more solemn, “will be full of danger and the utmost challenge. They are designed to test not just your physical strength and skill, but your mental resilience, your loyalty, and your ability to adapt and overcome.
“You are the future of this Order, the guardians of our way of life. Rise to the challenge, and may you emerge victorious.”
With the ceremony officially over, the assembly gets to their feet. Xavier stands and pulls me up with him, his fingers stillclasping the back of neck. It’s a possessive gesture that isn’t necessary given the cum across the top of my spine.
I glare up at him and part my lips. He squeezes my neck with a shake of his head. “Not here,” he says, so low I barely hear him.
We exit the chapel together, leaving behind the vaulted ceilings painted with angels and saints, while the word “mine” burns invisibly on my skin. The silent claim leaves me with mixed emotions because I’ve never been more humiliated.
But I’ve also never felt more wanted.
After we leave the chapel,we walk down the tower stairwell and head out outside. Xavier guides me deep into the forest instead of the side entrance leading to the main foyer. I remain quiet the entire time. Although it’s been several minutes and we’re alone, I’m not confident I can talk without yelling.
