Page 104 of Boys Who Taint

My hands ball into fists, and I grab a pen and shove it into his hand.

“Say I let you join. What makes you think other members will allow it?”

“Because you’re the top dog there, right? You’ll force them to accept it.”

“I like how you think.” He winks. “But you’re not gonna win from Levi’s wrath.”

“I’ve read the rules. There’s no fighting among members,” I say.

A slow smirk forms on his face. “You think immunity will save you? Is that why you want to join? You love her so damn much, you’re willing to sign your life away to us just to stay in her vicinity.”

I point right where his signature is needed. “Sign here. That’s all I need.”

He grabs my wrist. “Fine. I’ll sign the damn document. But you owe me.” He pushes the pen down onto the paper so hard it nearly cracks the ballpoint. “In flesh and blood. And our initiations are brutal.”

“I can handle it,” I say.

He hands me back a signed paper, and I shove it into my backpack. “Can you, Ghost-boy?”

I pause.

Ghost-boy? No one’s ever called me that.

He leans back in his chair and casually toys with his short hair. “Say, why do you have that white hair again? You paint it?”

“It’s poliosis. And I bleached the rest to match.”

He bites his lip. “Interesting. And does your girlfriend know, or do you still keep her in the dark?”

I narrow my eyes. I don’t know what he’s aiming at, and I don’t know if I want to know.

“Your mom had a funny sense of humor, calling you Grey with that hair.” He smiles.

“Thanks,” I say as I walk off.

But his chuckle still makes me glance over my shoulder. “See you at the initiation tonight.”

Aspen

“Give me some of that.”

Before I can even say no, Xavier is already digging into my salad bowl. Again.

“Oh my God, can you please get your own food next time?” I bark.

“No. Yours tastes better,” he replies, still stealing.

“Is there ever a time when you two don’t fight?” Ivy asks.

“No,” we both say in sync.

Grey chuckles. “You two really don’t get along, do you?”

“They never have,” Océane says as she sits down on the grass. “Want a sandwich, Xav?” She opens a package and shows it to him. “Homemade.”

“Fuck yes.” Xavier grabs one of them and finally leaves my salad alone. “Much better than that rabbit food.”

“Well then, why the fuck do you keep stealing it?” I retort.