Page 13 of His Last Will

Tied to the person you despise.

How fun.

“You know you are an absolute asshole.” I grit my teeth.

“You better get used to putting on a show, little venom. I won’t have my fiancée embarrass me in public.”

Venom. This bastard has no idea how venomous I can be. I spent four years by Brodie’s side, and I learned from the best.

I glare at him. “Watch it, or you will find out how hard I bite back, reaper.”

He laughs at that, a cruel sound that stirs something inside me. “You can put your teeth on me anytime. You might even find out that you like how I bleed.”

No way in hell that is ever going to happen. “I am sure you taste as vile as your personality.”

“You will find out soon enough. We have to be married before Initiation night, so not long now.”

I blanch.

Initiation to The Order.

I forgot about that. Well, I didn’t forget, but with Brodie’s death, I had pushed it to the back of my mind.

Brodie had been in the process of training for Initiation before he died. He hadn’t said we had to be married before then, but I had always assumed we would be with graduation on the horizon and his legacy bearing down on him.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about Initiation night, venom,” he taunts, because he knows damn well that I did.

The chase, the blood, the watching. I shiver.

“I’m going to hunt you down, Arianna, and ruin you.”

“I dare you.”

“No one will take you from me. I won’t give them the chance.”

Initiation night to the Order made a primal kink chase through the woods look like a beginner-level introductory class.

Panic floods me.

I was fine doing it with Brodie. Brodie was my best friend, my future husband, my everything. Whereas Aiden is very much not. Well, he has the future husband title now, but it wasn’t my choice to give him that. I trusted Brodie to do what needed to be done to get to me. That trust does not translate to Aiden.

Aiden is the antithesis of everything that I want.

I don’t know how to do this. Not with him. At least not right now, or anytime soon.

Initiation night was set by The Order, coinciding with the summer solstice. Every year, like clockwork, the sun fell behind the trees and night descended upon the participants. Only the worthy would find victory while others would fall to their death. Their ultimate prize: the chance to participate in the Initiation night event. It was a vicious battle in the name of glory.

I could not control the timing of the event, but I would for damn sure wait as long as possible to tie myself to this arrogant asshole. Which gave me until June this year to figure out how to live in my nightmares.

Aiden closes the space between us and bends down to speak low in my ear, “Just think of how fun Initiation night will be—played with me.”

This time, I use both of my hands to push him back. Aiden doesn’t falter, not even on skates. He grabs me by the neck and easily lifts me so that my feet are no longer touching the ground and my hips are biting into the boards between us. I grip his jersey for some stability as his wild gaze bores into mine.

“Do not do that again.” His voice is almost as cold as the ice beneath his skates.

“Fuck you,” I ground out.

“Other way around, venom.” He groans, closing his eyes like he is picturing it. “It’s gonna be your tight cunt choking my cock on our wedding night.”