Lyla had a right to be suspicious. After all, billionaires and their sons could have their kinks like everyone else.
But oh, Kyle . . . Kyle!
She loved him. No, she corrected herself, had loved him. Why did he do this to her? Was everything he said to her all a lie then?
Within her chest, a visceral pain spasmed. She almost gasped out loud at its intensity. The pain expanded, and she sank to her knees. Her eyes blurred with tears. She didn’t know which was worse – Kyle’s betrayal or the fact that her short life might be terminated prematurely.
She ran to the window. The iron grill prevented her from throwing herself out of it.
She was trapped.
ALISON KORIN
Kyle clung to the grate, testing it for deficiencies.
There were none.
They had not given him any clothes. The keeper of the north tower was a kinsman named Claude. He was known to be unusually cruel to his prisoners, who were usually other werefolk or humans unfortunate enough to be caught in the web of the wearbears.
But Kyle was an Atreides, and Claude would do well to tread carefully where he was concerned. The tide of favor could swing at any moment.
“Claude?” Kyle called. When there was no answer, he banged the grate. “Claude? I know you’re out there! I need to talk to you.”
He listened. There were no sounds in the entire north tower. He was alone. Maybe Claude had gone on a cigarette break. Or maybe everyone was preparing for the Gathering.
Oh yes, the last Gathering. The memories came tumbling into his head, as vivid as they had happened yesterday.
*
Alison Korin had entered the Enclave out of her own free will, invited to dinner by Jericho. Kyle sat there at the dining table with his brother in the exact same positions – to his father’s right and left. The triumvirate had been formed, the ceremony begun.
Alison Korin had been loquacious. She wasn’t as pretty as Jessica, or as humble and sweet. Kyle played the part of the elder son, making polite dinner conversation and asking questions to show how interested he was in their guest. Caleb had been his usual self – charming, boyish, sometimes sarcastic. Sarcasm was bred in his bones.
Alison did not suspect a thing. She drank out of the goblet like a good little girl.
Tick tock tick tock.
They retreated to the family room for coffee, and Alison fell asleep on the couch, as expected.
“Bring her to the sanctum,” Jericho intoned.
Kyle had not felt any connection to Alison. He didn’t know her, didn’t find her that interesting or beguiling as a person. He didn’t feel anything for her. In his mind, he had compartmentalized her as
THE SACRIFICE
and it wasn’t good to get too involved with sacrifices.
He hadn’t realized then he would be breaking the rule exactly one year later.
Caleb carried Alison to the map table in the sanctum.
“Spread her legs,” Jericho said, gloving up.
“With pleasure,” Caleb said.
Kyle watched, emotionless, as his brother pushed Alison’s skirt up and pulled down her panties. Caleb arranged her legs so that they were bent at the knees and her pussy was well displayed. It was a very demeaning position, akin to a gynecological examination without stirrups.
Jericho’s hands were covered with surgical gloves. He opened a vaginal examination kit wrapped in green cloth. Kyle knew that he had to learn to do this one day. Jericho smeared a small duck-billed speculum with gel. Carefully, he inserted the tip into Alison’s pussy hole. This was the most difficult part because he could not afford to tear her hymen.
Once the speculum was in, he opened it up. He then took up a torch and shone it into the opening.
“Observe,” he instructed his sons.
They dutifully crowded around him like medical students.
“Her hymen is still intact. She is a virgin.”
Kyle noted the slit-like opening called the ‘os’ in the hymen, which was unimpeded. Non-virgins would have a much larger ‘torn’ opening.
“She’s a candidate then,” Caleb said eagerly. He was too bloodthirsty, Kyle thought.
“Yes.” Jericho withdrew the speculum and snapped off his gloves.
They let Alison sleep off the effects of the drug. When she awoke in the morning, she had no recollection of what happened.
“You were so peaceful that I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” Jericho said to her.
He drove her home. Kyle knew the rote. Jericho would invite her to ‘a party’ this weekend. A very exciting party at his house with his relatives. And because she had already been to his house and met his sons, there would be a certain level of trust built in. She would say ‘yes’, and think nothing of it. She would even plan excitedly for it and mull over what to wear to impress him further.