Monroe eyed the concoction like it was poison and I smirked to myself, glad I didn’t have to drink that bloody lake piss as Saint went on.
“Do you pledge yourself to the dark, Nash Monroe?” Saint demanded. “To a life ruled by night as you take up the mantel of Night Keeper and protect our people with the wrath of monsters?”
“I do,” Monroe snarled, his jaw set with determination.
“Then drink! And bind yourself to us for all of time. Even in death our souls will be linked and in life our brotherhood will never be broken!” Saint roared hungrily and I cheered along with him as everyone else took up the cry too.
My heart pounded as Nash lifted the skull above his head, refusing to balk as he tipped it up and water poured from the empty eye sockets and cascaded into his open mouth, running over his jaw and down his bare chest.
Tatum’s grip in my hair tightened as she watched and as I looked up at her, I found her blue eyes blazing with excitement, making me wonder if she didn’t mind having a new owner quite so much after all.
The crowd of students surrounding us on the beach went wild, whooping and cheering to the beat of the drums as they started up again to a deep and ominous rhythm.
They were chanting his name, our names, yelling out for the spirits of the night to bless us even though I was willing to bet they’d be more inclined to curse us. But whatever way, they were screaming our names like we were gods and I could admit that the pampered, privileged sonofabitch in me didn’t mind that at all.
My attention was locked on the eyes of our newest brother and the hunger in his steely gaze made my heart pound with excitement. This was right. I felt it down to my bones. He’d been born to be one of us, destined to complete our circle. The darkness in him ached for it just as mine did, as Blake’s and Saint’s did. And even as Tatum’s did.
I held Tatum’s foot in my left hand, supporting her so she didn’t fall and I smirked as I reached up to clasp her knee with my other hand.
Tatum’s grip in my hair tightened enough to send a shiver of pain along my scalp and I growled as she forced me to look up at her, a warning and a dare in her big blues.
I shifted my hand again so that I was clasping her thigh half way between her knee and hip, my fingers digging in almost enough to grant her that bite of pain which I yearned for so much.
Her eyes blazed and I could tell she was contemplating telling me off even though her body was begging for more and that was just where I wanted her. In fact, I fully intended to push her into begging before this night was through.
As if she could read my mind, Tatum yanked on my hair hard enough to tilt my head right back so that I was looking up at the crescent moon in the sky above. She leaned a little closer to me as she spoke and my gaze fell captive to her lips.
“That look in your eyes says you’ll be earning yourself a punishment before tonight is through,” she warned and my breath caught as her eyes flashed at that idea. She wanted it, yearned for it. Her own monster was salivating for vengeance just as keenly as mine always hungered for bloodshed. And I was struck with the desire to offer myself up for her to do her worst, a willing sacrifice for a hungry goddess.
“That’s a promise, baby,” I purred just as Monroe stepped away from the Sacred Stone and Saint beckoned me forward.
We approached them and Saint lifted his arms towards Tatum in offering. I could see his control slipping a little as he gave in to the excitement of this night. Just enough to let his demon show. Just enough to make him the kind of unpredictable which often led to violence. My heart was pounding at the mere thought of it.
Tatum only hesitated a moment before releasing her grip on us and dropping into Saint’s arms.
Her hands lingered on his shoulders as she balanced herself, but he only allowed his own hands to remain around her waist to set her on her feet before he withdrew.
I beckoned Monroe to follow me and led him closer to the fire as everyone started dancing to the heavy beat of the music that blasted over the lake.
There were two chairs set up on the sand right beside the enormous Sacred Stone which was painted with the ancient markings of our kind.
“Are you ready to make it official, brother?” I asked, wrapping my arm around Monroe’s shoulders as a dark laugh escaped me.
There was a heavy kind of energy in the air tonight, like the whole world was on tenterhooks until this happened. Waiting for us to complete the legend, embody every aspect of the myth. And I had no doubt that once we’d done it, we would be truly unstoppable. Even once we left this place, this bond would keep the five of us together until death ripped us apart.
“This is fucking insane,” Monroe muttered, looking around at the half naked bodies of all of the other students as they danced around the fire.
“Yeah. In the best possible way,” I agreed, directing him to straddle one of the chairs with his back to me as I dropped into the other.
I reached down to the floor where my tattoo gun sat waiting in its case. I’d already set it up earlier so all I had to do was pull on
