“And like I told you, it doesn’t matter. He’s Electi, and I’m… a female heir.”
“Don’t you ever wish you were born somewhere else?”
“Every. Single. Day.” She lets out a heavy sigh before popping a fry into her mouth.
“I know you can’t tell me much about this weekend—"
“Don’t, Mia. Don’t put me in this position.”
“I’m scared,” I admit. “For Bexley.”
“Shh. You can’t be saying his name in public.” Her eyes widen. “If anyone overheard and it gets back to Cade…”
“God, I hate this.”
“Join the club,” she grumbles. For a second, I think she might say something else, but she doesn’t, and the moment passes.
“Look, I know you’re—crap.” I look up and see the source of her panic. Cade and the Electi are heading right toward us. They speed up and sit down, Cade taking the empty chair beside me.
“Mia,” he drawls, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “I missed you.”
Ashton snickers. “You are so fucking whipped, man. If you ask me, you need to go fuck some unsuspecting girl and get her out of your system.”
“Do you always have to be such an asshole?” Channing grumbles.
“As opposed to such a pussy?” Ashton flips him off.
“There goes my appetite.” Sasha pushes her tray into the center of the table, and the vultures descend, eating the remaining fries.
“Looking forward to tonight, Mia?” Ashton asks around a wolfish grin.
“Ash,” Cade warns.
“What? It was just a question. The full moon party is always lit, but something tells me this weekend is going to be epic.”
I let out a small sigh, reminding myself that this is nothing more than a game to Cade and his friends. But two can play at that.
“Where’s Tim?” I ask.
Cade bristles, and I go on. “Is he with Fawn? The two of them are so cute together. Will she be at the party? I haven’t really had a chance to hang out with her yet.”
Silence falls over our corner of the seating area. Cade shifts his chair, dragging it until he’s pressed right against me. “I know what you’re doing, babe,” he whispers, “and it won’t work. You think Tim is soft? That he’s the weak link just because he’s wifed up? You have no fucking idea what Tim is capable of.”
A shudder rolls through me at the venom in his voice.
It doesn’t make any sense. Tim is the quietest of the group, the most withdrawn. I’d assumed it was because he was already engaged.
I glance around at the five of them, and Sasha catches my eye and discreetly shakes her head. Don’t push him.
Defeated, my shoulders sag. “I think I’m done here.” I shove my tray away and stand, but Cade grabs my wrist.
“We’re not done here,” he hisses.
“Actually,” I yank my hand away and shoot him a saccharine smile, “I think we are.”
The second I walked away from Cade, I texted Bexley. I needed to see him. To feel his lips on mine, his arms wrapped tight around my body. But he didn’t answer. So I went to my next class and tried to let the dulcet tones of the professor distract me.
By the time class is finished, I’m more than ready to go back to my dorm and shut away the world.
But as I’m walking toward my dorm building, Sasha catches up with me.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I guess.”
“Ashton is a dick, like his sister. And Cade… well, he enjoys toying with people’s lives.”
She laces her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder. “I know you want to stand up to him, but fighting back will only make it worse.”
I shirk her off and face her. “What does that even mean? Everyone is always talking in riddles, and I don’t understand.”
“That’s kind of the point.” Sasha gives me a sad smile. “He wants you to be disoriented, to drop your guard, even for a second.” She glances away, only briefly, but I see the hesitation shining in her eyes.
“Sasha,” I say quietly, “what is it?”
“Nothing.” Her smile is too forced, her tone too peppy.
“You know something, don’t you?”
“Not really, no.” She tries to keep walking, but I snag her wrist and pull her back to me.
“Sasha… please.” A sense of dread washes over me. “Are they going to hurt them again?” I don’t think I could bear it if they are.
“I overheard them talking…” she hesitates, glancing around. The path to the dorms is quiet, but she pulls me to a nearby bench and we sit down.
“Have you ever heard of DOM?”
“DOM?” I shake my head.
“It’s a psychedelic. Strong as fuck. I heard Ashton saying DOM was ready for tonight. I thought he meant a person until I realized this is Ashton Moore and Cade Kingsley we’re talking about.”
“They gave us something at the dinner the other week.”
“DOM isn’t like E or G, Mia. It’s hardcore mindfuckery. If they’re giving Bexley and Alex DOM, they have big plans for them.”
Fear trickles down my spine. “I have to warn them.” I leap up, but she grabs my hand.
“If they resist or don’t show, Cade will know, and that won’t end well for anyone.”
“But I can’t just not tell them, Sasha. What if something goes wrong? What if—" I drop back onto the bench. “At least if I warn them, they’ll know what’s coming. Maybe they’ll be able to avoid taking it or something.”
Sasha doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t stop me either when I pull out my phone and dial Bexley’s number.
“It’s ringing,” I say. “He isn’t answering.”
“Perhaps he’s still in class. Text him.”
Relief floods me that she’s on my side.
I pull up a text and type as quickly as I can.
Mouse: Hey, we need to talk… about tonight. Call me when you can.
I hit send and wait.
And wait.
But ten minutes later, he still hasn’t replied.
“Maybe he’s in the shower or something,” Sasha says, her expression betraying her.
Because as the minutes pass and he still doesn’t reply, I know what she’s thinking. Because it’s what I’m thinking.
Bexley isn’t answering because he can’t.
Because they
