What in the hell did that even mean?
Chapter 11
Stone~
Rylee wasn’tstupid. The ring on her finger was exactly what it looked like, and there wasn’t really any way to convince someone it wasn’t.
When I had announced myintentions, the guys knew what I’d meant, but I knew the girls hadn’t. Or maybe Kincaid had, but I couldn’t be sure. At first, I thought August would object, or at least comment, but he’d kept his mouth shut. Still, that could have just been because he was aware of the penalty for disrupting or sabotaging an initiation.
Rylee’s eyes flew over to where Kincaid was standing next to Saxton. “What’s a Hera?” she asked her. Kincaid let out a sympathetic sigh before walking over to stand next to me and Rylee. The girls were the same height, but with Kincaid wearing heels and Rylee wearing sneakers, Rylee had to look up at her.
Kincaid’s eyes shot my way really quickly. In silent reprimand? I wasn’t sure. Still, she looked back at Rylee and told her the truth. “Hera was Zeus’ wife.” Rylee’s blue eyes widened, and I notice the minuscule shake of her head. “She was the queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and family,” Kincaid told her.
A few ticks of silence went by before Rylee asked, “Who’s Circe?”
“Circewas a sorceress,” Kincaid answered her. “She was able to change humans into lions, wolves, or swine.”
“See, Ms. Madden,” Alexander’s voice carried over from the stage. “The symbolism is that Circe was able to transform humans into what she desired. The entire point of selecting a supporter is for her to transform her sponsor into the best man he can be within these next few months.” We’d all looked over when Alexander had started talking, and now he was making his way back down the stage. “Circe could turn a man into a lion or swine. The same concept applies here. A supporter can turn her sponsor into a man worthy of The Order, or…not.”
Rylee’s back straightened with his approach, and I knew a lot of her decision making here tonight had been born out of proving something to Alexander, even though she had nothing to prove to him. She didn’t like him, and I didn’t blame her. Plus, if I was reading the signs correctly, Kincaid didn’t care for him, either.
“And Hera?”
“It’s true. Hera was Zeus’ wife and the queen of goddesses,” he replied. “It’s also true that she was the goddess of marriage and family.” Alexander smirked down at her, and if I didn’t think it’d benefit my plans to marry Rylee, I’d lay him out for talking to her like she was beneath him. However, the more Alexander pushed her, the more likely Rylee was to go through with our marriage. “She had super strength and immortality, and she had the ability to bless or curse marriages.”
“Istill don’t see how that applies,” Rylee bit out.
“Hera was powerful enough to be married to Zeus. She was part of his strength. But for all her gifts, she also had a fierce temper, and it came out every single time Zeus took a mistress.”
Rylee’s eyes flew my way before focusing back on Alexander. “Is that your way of telling me that Stone plans on-”
“I’ll never cheat on you, Rylee,” I interrupted, laying all my cards on the table. If there was any confusion about what that ring on her finger meant before, there wasn’t any confusion now. “I wouldn’t be marrying you if that were the case.”
Alexander winked at her. “We should probably still see about that temper of yours, though, no?”
“Wait,” Laney said as she walked over to us. Kincaid stepped back to stand with Saxton, and now it was me, Rylee, Alexander, and Laney gathered around. “What do you meanmarry?”
Alexander graced Laney with another one of his condescending grins. “Mr. Lexington’s intent is to marry Ms. Madden,” he explained. “It was declared when he dubbed Ms. Madden as Hera.”
Laney’s eyes widened in shock, and I didn’t blame her. I’d gone from not selecting anyone to wanting to marry the girl I selected, but it wasn’t as if I could explain it in English to them. I was going strictly off my emotions here, and that was unheard of. I’ve never been fanciful, and I’ve always placed logic above emotion. However, what I felt for Rylee wasn’t a fluke. From the second she walked into this room, that electrical simmering I had felt in my blood when I’d run into her on Monday was still there.
Ifelther.
And while my mind needed to figure out why-because I was all about analytical thinking-my body wanted her to the point of pain.
“You can’t be serious?” Laney gawked.“Marriage?”
Before I could say anything, Alexander was doing his duty. “Ms. Spinner, though this may come as a surprise to you-or everyone-it’s not your place to question or interrupt an initiation.”
Sarcasmdripped from Kincaid’s voice. “Oh, but you can interrupt one for a quick porn show?” I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Kincaid was intimidated by no man.
“That was not a porn show, Ms. Black,” he lied. “That was a teachable moment for you young ladies, should you think to not honor your contracts.”
“You saidthat you didn’t even know him, Rylee,” Laney spat, ignoring Alexander’s warning. “And now you’re supposed to marry him?”
Before Ryleecould speak, I corrected her. “There’s nothing ‘supposed’ about it, Laney. Rylee’s marrying me. Her signature is on that contract.”
“Stone-”