Prologue
PARKER
Was it my grand plan to be a member of an elite secret society my senior year of college? No. But you don’t choose Crimson Veil, Crimson Veil chooses you. I knew it was a possibility, but when no one came for me the last three years, I thought I was free and clear of this commitment. Even if there’s a part of me that wants to know more about where I came from.
It’s been hard as shit to hide it from my best friend, Asher, but lucky for me, he’s been preoccupied with the dumbass jock who’s made our lives a living hell for the last three years. Einstein himself couldn’t tutor Silas Blackwood and get him caught up in time for graduation. Best of luck to Asher. I’ve got bigger issues to worry about.
Like how the hell I got wrapped up in Crimson Veil with the on-again, off-again boyfriend of the girl I’m madly in love with, who I also happen to have a crush on, standing next to me as the trials begin.
My senior year was supposed to be easy, fun, a final race to the finish line before real life kicks me in the balls.
But one thing I’ve learned in my years at Corvus College is that the school has plans of its own, and there’s nothing you can do to hide from it.
Chapter 1
Parker
The Lights Out, Frights Out party at Ravensmere is in full swing by the time I walk in. It’s the first Fright Night to kick off the season, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. My best friend Asher is dressed from head to toe in a skeleton costume, while I chose something a bit different. With my half-face mask, tux, and cape that billows around me, it’s easy to guess that I’m Gaston Leroux, if you have half a brain and can recognizeThe Phantom of the Opera.
Out of all the houses at Corvus College, Ravensmere is notorious for throwing the most insane parties, and this one is no exception. Black lights illuminate everything in a sharp glow, a fog machine keeping a steady flow of smoke hovering at our ankles. The music is impossibly loud, almost loud enough to drown out my obsessive thoughts.Almost, but not quite.
Asher and I walk in sync to the bar, where I fill up a cup with my first drink of the night—some concoction that I quickly down, the alcohol burning the entire way. I reach for another one, tossing it back just as quickly. Asher nods at me, and Iknow he’s off to find a hookup. I’ll be lucky if I see him again tonight. Fine by me, he deserves a lay.
My eyes scan the common room that’s been turned into a dance floor, and even though everyone is dressed from head to toe in costumes, most so completely done up that I can’t discern who they are, I look for her anyway. I’m always looking for her.
It takes me two minutes before my eyes land on the woman of my dreams. Mia Thomas. Her long black hair hangs down in wild waves, two curling horns protruding from her head, and her makeup consists of black eyeliner that looks like it’s bleeding from her eyes. Her dress starts with a corset, lifting her full breasts so they peek out at the top. It laces down her bodice into a skirt with a slit so high I can practically see her waist.Lilith. The original rebel.My rebel. My goddess.
I take a moment to appreciate her, my eyes dancing over her sexy body, until her boyfriend leans into her space, pulling her flush against him as his hand slips into the slit at her thigh, reaching around and palming her tight ass. His other hand grips her throat, thumb rubbing up and down the center as he tilts her head backward.
Fuck, I wish that was me holding her close. I never could give Mia everything she wanted. I know she was happy, or she wouldn’t keep coming back, but I also know Leo gives her something I can’t. It’s why she floats between the two of us, depending on what she needs. We each fulfill a side of her that the other can’t. Together, Leo and I are the perfect man for her. I give her something a little darker, a little rougher, while Leo seems to effortlessly tap into that sweet side of her.
Like right now, the way she submits to him without him needing to demand it. He holds her close, and there isn’t a single question of how bad he wants her. My cock thickens behind my jeans, and I don’t even care if it’s concealed or not. My breathing comes heavier, watching them turning me on more than anything else ever could.
The worst part about this situation isn’t that I can’t have Mia all to myself, it’s that I’m also very fucking attracted to Leo Ashcroft.
Leo grabs Mia’s hand and leads her out of the common area, piquing my interest. Not ready to be done watching them tonight, I toss back my drink, throwing the cup into a trash can as I weave through the crowd, following them, unable to stop myself. Not that I’m trying to.
I keep my distance, sticking to the shadows as they slip outside like thieves in the night. The two of them dart across the courtyard, hand in hand, and into the tall hedges of the Ravensmere Gardens.
Blame it on the alcohol, blame it on erotic curiosity, I can’t help but follow them in. The moon is high in the cloudless night, and the light shines down just enough to bathe everything in a slight glow.
My boots crunch on dried fallen leaves, so I slow my steps, slinking through the maze of hedges, senses heightened, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I weave through the labyrinth, careful with each step to stay as silent as possible.
Mia’s moans float on the air like birdsong, sounds I’ve become so familiar with over the last three years. Her tiny mewls, the way she’ll get louder and louder the closer she is to unraveling. I follow her noises until I stumble on them in a small clearing.
The moon shines down on the pair in the center of the garden, illuminating them like a forbidden, tempting offering. Mia sits on a stone bench, her head thrown back, dress hiked up around her waist. Leo crouches on his knees in front of her, his face pressed between her thighs. My mouth salivates, knowing exactly what kind of sweet nectar is flooding his mouth as he licks her pussy. Lucky bastard.
Her fingers thread through his raven hair, mussing it up as he devours her. God, I love that taste. Going down on her is one of my favorite things to do. She’s made me an addict, and she knows it. When we’re together, she doesn’t know a day without having my tongue between her legs.
Mia’s moans start to increase, and Leo grips her hips, jerking her forward, holding her to him so she can’t get away. My cock throbs painfully against my zipper, a steady pulse that’s a reminder of how she affects me so primally.
As soon as he’s wrung every bit from her body, he pulls her down into the dirt with him. Mia gets on all fours as Leo flips up her dress for access. Then he’s tugging his pants down his thighs, his large cock springing free and slapping against his abdomen. Even from a distance and in the shadows, I can tell how long and thick he is. I bet he stretches her nice and good. I’d love to watch her tight lips spread wide to accommodate him.
My heart tumbles into overdrive as he rolls on a condom and slides home, filling Mia’s perfect cunt in one thrust.
The jealousy doesn’t come. But arousal sure as shit does.
My fingers unbutton my pants as if they have a mind of their own, working on autopilot to pull out my aching cock. The music from the party echoes behind me in a soft beat, butnothing could tune out the sound of wet skin slapping against skin and the mingled moans coming from them.
