Page 14 of Devour

“You bit me the last time I tried to take a bottle from you. So however much you choose to drink is on you, bitch.”

“I was rolling when I did that.” She lets out an exaggerated sigh and then peeks at me. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.” I checked the time when I read the messages from Axl.

“Fuck.” She sits up and blows her dark hair out of her face. “Your mom is going to tell my mom that we’re nothing but drunken whores.”

“My mom already thinks I’m about to be a worthless whore, so nothing new to report there.” I grab the empty wine bottle from my nightstand and tuck it behind my bed. “She’s still pissed she couldn’t convince my dad to send me to auction. I’m pretty sure they’re still fighting about it.”

“Your mom wanted to auction you?” Kynlee stares at me. “Like, for real? What if you ended up with some seventy-year-old saggy-balled asshole?”

“She thinks it’s the better strategic move. I could pull a higher-tier husband that would provide connections for our family.” I shrug. “She said my value is gone once I spend a year as a Talon’s whore.”

Thank fuck my dad let me choose if I went on the auction block or went to the hunt for a chance to serve a Talon.

“Your value.” Kynlee scrunches her nose and rolls her eyes. “What a fucking bitch.”

I pull on a pair of white cotton shorts from the floor beside my bed. “I couldn’t agree more.”

That’s the thing about Raven mothers. They went through the same shit that Kynlee and I are caught in. My mother was auctioned at nineteen instead of serving a Talon. She married my father because his family outbid the others. I don’t think they love each other or ever have, but they don’t outwardly hate each other, at least not in front of Justin and me. But given that my dad gave me the choice, I don’t think he believes that auction is the best option.

And in our world, marriage is forever. Sure, you can legally get a divorce. But if the Council doesn’t approve, they have their own ways to make you comply. Or they have you killed if you go against them. They have their army of Talons that do whatever they’re told. Everything is all about power, control, and maintaining their image. Raven families are the richest and most elite. The media and paparazzi would love to know if there is drama or scandal in any of them, and the Council won’t stand for that.

“My mom is the opposite,” Kynlee says quietly. “She cried the first time she talked to me about what I’d have to do. Like she was apologizing for something she couldn’t stop.” Kynlee picks at a thread on my comforter. “She just said to be brave and that it would be over before I knew it. Then she popped a few of her pills and was back to normal.”

We’re both quiet for a second. The women who came before us either became the system or got swallowed by it. There’s no middle ground. Not all of the stories are good, but they aren’t all bad either. It’s no different than a lot of the arranged marriages among powerful families dating back centuries. The first time I started to notice boys, my mom told me not to get attached to any one of them.

My marriage will be arranged, and I shudder to think who my mother is going to push my father to make me marry. She’ll want to find someone who is as close to the Council as possible.

But it won’t be a Talon. If a man serves as a Talon, then his family is third generation or newer. That isn’t good enough for my mother even though our family is third generation too. Justin and I are the last children of our line who have to serve to earn our place within the society. Justin as a Talon, and me as a Talon’s Dove.

“Are you worried about the hunt?” I ask Kynlee, tossing her my brush. They literally hunt us in the woods like we’re a fucking game. And whoever a Talon catches and fucks in front of all of the other Ravens is his to keep for the year.

“Worried?” She rakes the brush through her hair to work on a couple knots. “No. I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

“You’re looking forward to being chased through the woods and then fucked in front of our fathers?”

If I’m honest, it’s the in front of my father part that doesn’t sound appealing. Being fucked by Axl sounds exactly like what my body is begging for.

“I’m looking forward to getting fucked by someone who actually knows what he’s doing.” She works through another knot, smoothing her hair down. “I’ve spent four years at Graves letting rich frat boys paw their way around down there. At least these Talons are supposed to be useful.”

“Yeah, at killing people. They aren’t even allowed to fuck.” But if Axl fucks the way he does everything else, I’m in trouble. Although that sounds better than being trapped in a marriage like my parents have.

“With four years of no pussy, trust me, they’re going to be fucking ravenous.” She points the brush at me. “And I’d rather be the body used to make up for all that lost time than get auctioned to some Raven twice my age who needs a pill to get hard.”

I pick up my pillow and hit her with it. “That’s a low fucking bar.”

“Those are the options, Saylor. I’m just picking the one that comes with better dick.”

“Even if that dick belongs to Priest?” I tease, just because I know it irritates her.

She groans and paddles my hip with the brush. “Fuck off.”

“Oh! Priest and Kynlee sitting in a tree,” I sing the taunt as I poke her in the shoulder. I don’t know why he annoys her so much, but she’s always hated him.

“Shut the fuck up with that shit, Sayl. He’s an ass. Besides, he still has another year of being a sexless bitch, so that can’t even happen.” She runs the brush through her hair and then tosses it on my nightstand. She’s trying too hard to move on from that conversation, in my opinion. “What do we actually know about how the hunt works? My mom won’t tell me anything useful. And neither will Kase. At least he isn’t in the hunt this year. That would be awkward as fuck having to make sure I run from my brother.”

Her brother is also a Talon and friends with Axl. I’ve seen them all hanging around together when Axl is stalking me like a psycho.