EIGHTEEN

IMOGEN

If I thought anything would change, I’m disappointed. The week passes in the usual blur of class, lunch, parties and headaches. Mainly the biggest one for me is keeping Jesse at bay.

It’s a double-edged sword because on the one hand it’s important I keep him away from Jenna Sloane and on the other he wants something I’m reluctant to give him. Me.

We make out, it’s impossible not to and yet that’s where I draw the invisible line.

Occasionally, I witness the impatience in his eyes, the anger even when I smile apologetically and tell him I’m not ready.

It’s hard because everyone else around us is tight with their couples and I’m certain Jesse now considers me a freak.

Tonight is The Claiming challenge and I’m interested to spend time with Summer. It’s been a while because she is so heavily involved with Luca, who still terrifies the panties off me.

As we make our way to the dungeon as a group, I walk with Summer and Luca as Jesse chats with Frankie and Cassie.

I love the way they are with one another.

There’s an unspoken bond between them that requires no conversation, but I don’t miss the gentle smiles and the way they are always connected in some way or another.

His eyes follow her constantly, checking she is okay, and she drags the enigma out of him and sometimes he appears almost human.

If anything, I wish I was free to explore my fascination for Drake, but that will never happen all the time we are at Rockwell Academy.

I haven’t seen him since we left the grounds and have had nothing but the odd check-in text. I’ve reported back, but it’s as if a cool wall has sprung up between us and I hate how hollow that makes me feel inside.

Summer chuckles as we follow the three in front. “You know, I’m kind of jealous that Cassie and Siri get the tunnel chamber. We could have fun with that.”

I nod my agreement. “It would be more interesting than watching the river flow.”

Summer laughs. “The river flow. Wow, we’re in for an entertaining evening.”

Luca groans. “The sooner it’s over, the better, in my opinion. It’s boring as fuck standing watching Santi lord it up over the challengers. He really gets off on power.”

“Do you think he’ll ever take part himself?” I’m curious about Santi, and Ali, for that matter, because both of them resist tying themselves to one woman, preferring to whore it around with any willing female who has the misfortune to stumble blindly onto their radar.

“They have no reason to.” Luca surprises me by joining our conversation. He isn’t one for gossip, speaking even and yet this is a side to him I like. It almost makes him appear human.

“Why not?”

I’m curious about them and Summer interrupts, “Ali is a mysterious soul who has more sexual freedom than anyone I’ve ever met. He comes to Rockwell for a rest and considers one or two fucks a night a welcome break from what his usual tally count is when he is at home.”

“That’s seriously disgusting.”

I wrinkle my nose and Summer says with amusement, “Just don’t accept any invitations to visit him on the holidays. He would corrupt every bone in your body.”

I shiver with revulsion. It’s not that Ali isn’t seriously gorgeous. I mean, those Arabic good looks are a definite draw to most of the girls here. He has an exotic beauty that is mesmerizing, and I’ve seen him pile on the charm and he is assured of success with any woman he chooses to entrap.

“What about Santi then?” I’m curious and Summer shrugs.

“I’m not sure. I mean, most of the time he’s as easygoing as Jesse is and would make any girl a fantastic boyfriend.

Then there’s the side of him that is still in kindergarten and I doubt he has the emotional maturity to hold down a relationship. ”

“You got that right.” Luca almost sounds amused, and yet he still wears his sinister aura like a shield.

I am so curious about him and his life—Frankie’s too.

I’m aware it’s nothing like the easy nature of living with the Reapers, and a cold shiver passes through me when they stare around them with cool indifference.

Summer lives that life, Siri too, but for some reason the girls have an openness that the guys severely lack.

We reach the dungeon and as we head inside the cool damp stone walls, a shiver of fear passes through me that catches me every single time I come here.

It’s as if the souls of the damned from the past scream at me to stay away. It’s foreboding and creepy as fuck, which suits Frankie’s personality perfectly.

We make our way past the cells that are empty for now as they await the newest set of challengers, who are all up for hunting one of the girls who want to be claimed.

It’s a strange situation because life at Rockwell has always been a time to explore relationships, test connections and enjoy a certain level of freedom, but Frankie’s challenge reverses all of that and tests loyalty instead.

I still haven’t figured out why so many people want to sign up for the commitment and I suppose it’s because of the route there.

The thrill of the chase. The darker side of commitment involving being hunted and claimed.

Something different, depraved and wrong on every level.

It lets the darkness out to explore something alien in the world outside and if I had a choice to enter the challenge with Drake, I wouldn’t even hesitate because my motives would be very different to the ones I had when I agreed to help Jesse.

I certainly never thought it through and now I’m fending him off at every opportunity and running out of excuses to keep him at arm’s length.

We are handed our centurion robes, which I shrug on happily, loving the anonymity it offers. Here we are an army. A faceless army and as I hold the golden mask in my hand as I listen to Santi’s instruction, a shiver of expectation hits me as I anticipate an entertaining evening ahead.

I almost wish I was in the tunnel chamber too, watching the challengers crawl around on their hands and knees, remembering what that felt like knowing someone was hunting me. It was an unexpected thrill that I would experience again in a heartbeat.

As the centurions take up their positions, Summer joins me. “We should head to the riverbank. Trust us to have the longest journey.”

Cassie overhears her grumble and joins us.

“There is another way; a quicker way.”

“If you believe I’m crawling through those tunnels and then swimming to the other side, think again.”

Summer groans and Cassie grins, her impudent smile lighting up the darkness, causing me to chuckle softly. I am fully used to Cassie’s wild spirit I have grown up with it and I’m never surprised when she tells me something I never even considered.

“There’s a tunnel that leads there under the set of ones we use for the challenge.”

Summer nods. “I remember. I, shall we say, fell in to one when I was taking part and they are creepy as fuck. It would be easier to walk around and more pleasant.”

Cassie shrugs. “You can use your phones to light them. I’ll ask Frankie to show you the way if you prefer.”

I glance across at her guy and shiver inside.

Frankie may as well be the devil commanding hell for the aura he gives out, and yet his sister is one of the nicest people I have met outside of the compound.

It’s unbelievable they are related and yet on occasion I have detected the same fire in Summer’s eyes, which she badly needs to control Luca Romano.

Her brother’s unofficial twin of darkness and I wonder what the future holds for all of them.

Cassie waves Frankie over. “Can you show them to the riverbank through the tunnels? It will be quicker.”

He nods. “Sure, but we must leave now. We don’t have long before the challengers arrive.”

Summer grins. “Sounds good to me.”

She blows a kiss at Luca who is chatting with Jesse and as he stares at her, the temperature definitely increases in the room.

They are one dynamic couple and I kind of envy them that.

They are free to explore their fascination for one another, and I am still holding onto the hope that one day I will enjoy the same level of freedom with Drake.