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His brows draw together. “What do you want to know about Thornecroft? I’ll tell you what I can.”

What hecan. That doesn’t sound cultish at all.

“Rhett told me you don’t have a rush week. That people can join whenever.”

“That’s right. You have to be offered a bid from one of the Big Four. Are you interested in pledging?”

The question catches me off guard, and I hesitate, but only for a fraction of a second. “Of course.” I force a bright smile. “Why else would I be here?”

He takes a step closer, his gaze steady. “The initiation process is a little…grueling.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “What does that mean?”

He smiles. “You’d have to start as my consort.”

“Consort?” I shake my head. “You and the rest of the Big Four seem to think you’re actual kings.”

His lips quirk. “I’m the king. Hunter, Asher, and Kane are more like princes. But they also have their own Court of Consorts.”

“Court of Consorts…” I drag my teeth along my bottom lip. “What exactly does that mean at Thornecroft?”

“They’re like a group of friends, but…” His gaze grows hooded as it drifts down my body. “There’s usually more intimacy involved. Assuming they want it, which they always do.”

My head jerks back, and heat suffuses my whole body.

He’s messing with me.

He has to be.

Having an official position within the fraternity that even implies a sexual relationship would violate Ashford’s student code of conduct. And why on earth would Damian want me as his consort? He’s pursued by some of the most beautiful women on campus.

“You’re joking, right?” I ask.

His expression grows hard. “No. You’d have to be my consort. I can’t think of any other reason I’d offer you a bid.”

He takes a step in my direction, and my breathing is quick and shallow. “You wouldn’t start that high though. Consort is a prized position. Girls fight for it. You’d start out as my servant.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “And if I like you, I’d offer you a place as a consort and a bid.”

Interesting. Maybe that’s what happened to Cassidy Pearson. She coveted the “prized” position of consort more than her boyfriend Max.

I ought to tell him that I’d make a poor consort. I’m saving myself for marriage, for crying out loud.

But the words stay lodged in my throat.

Maybe it’s pride. He’ll probably laugh if he hears I’m still a virgin at nineteen because I made a vow of chastity at my childhood church.

Or maybe it’s because deep down, I don’t know if I believe in chastity anymore. Not like I used to. In many ways, I think my dad used fear-based tactics with me and my little sister, Violet, to make us believe that we’d lose a part of ourselves if we have sex outside of marriage. Becauseheis afraid, he made us afraid too.

It was wrong, though I know he didn’t mean to do it. He’s too gentle-hearted.

But people should embrace their beliefs because they’re meaningful, not because they’re afraid of what will happen if they don’t.

I swallow, realizing I’ve been silent too long, and Damian is staring at me. “I don’t know much about fraternities, but I know they don’t usually have consorts. And yet you say this isn’t a cult?”

“When have I ever said that?”

“So it is a cult?”

He takes a step back. “Are you ready to play for me?”