The Initiation (Darkness Within Duet 1)

Would it be so hard to join them?

She’d have to quit being the good girl.

They already had her back. Would it be wrong to have theirs? She stared at each guy in turn.

“I want in,” she said.

Draven brought the car to a stop. The school was just up ahead. They all turned to look at her.

“What?” Axel asked.

“I want in. Whatever it takes to be part of your gang or club, whatever, I want in.” She pushed some hair off her face. “I’m ready.”

Draven spun the car around, and they didn’t go back home. He made a right, then a left, taking off out of town. She looked behind her as the town started to disappear.

Axel and Jett each put a hand on her leg.

She didn’t tell them to remove their hands.

Staring out of the window, she couldn’t figure out where they were going. Silence filled the car, and the longer it went on, the more uncomfortable she got. Before she caved and asked one of them to talk, to say or do anything, Draven pulled up outside of a condemned building.

“Welcome to our office.”

They all got out of the car, and Harper had no choice but to follow. Jett took her bag from her, and threw it back into the car. “You won’t be needing it.”

Draven grabbed her arm, and they walked into the building.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Come on, Harper, live a little,” Buck said.

As she entered the building, the scent of decay and urine filled her nostrils.

They cleared the main ground, and she saw beams that had collapsed. As she looked all around at the broken windows, she saw that the walls seemed ready to fall down. It didn’t appear stable at all.

“Why do you come here?”

“No one else will,” Draven said.

“We don’t stay for long,” Jett said.

She noticed they’d formed a circle around her. She spun around, looking at each of them. They were all staring at her.

“Okay, I am getting a little freaked out, right now.” She spun around again until her gaze landed on Draven.

“Once you become one of us, Harper, there is no getting out.”

“Unless you die,” Buck said.

She turned to him and nodded.

“We are not good people. We don’t come from good people, and by being one of us, you belong to us,” Axel said.

“This is why no matter who auditioned for the role, they were never going to get it,” Jett said.

She turned as each one spoke.

“It’s not a gangbang or a club. It’s us, for life. We made the decision who we wanted,” Draven said.

“And you’re it.” Again, back to Buck.

“Our word becomes your law.” Axel’s turn.

She looked to Jett. “No one else but us at every single turn.”

“One betrayal, and you’re dead,” Draven said.

“You will belong to all of us.” Axel again.

“Your mind,” Buck said.

“Heart,” Jett said.

“And body will be ours. You’ll belong to all of us. We will own you.” Draven stepped forward. “And in return, you will own us. That’s what we’re offering.”

“All four of you?” she asked.

“Yes. We will protect you, Harper. Offer you safety, kindness, everything you could ever want,” Axel said.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Spinning around, she looked at them. “Do you even … fancy me?”

They all laughed.

“We all took a vote,” Draven said, stepping up to her. “And you won. It’s why we’re here now. We’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”

She took a deep breath.

“This is your last chance. Once you start this, there’s no turning back. We’ll tell you everything, and in return, you’ll keep our secrets, be loyal to us. We offer you forever.”

“We’re eighteen,” she said.

“And we know what we want,” Axel said. “This wasn’t some quick decision with us. We know how to survive. Without each other, we’d be dead anyway. This is what we offer. It’s up to you if you take it.”

The words on the locker came back to her. She stared at each of them, wondering what the hell to do.

You want this.

You want to be part of it.

Stop being the good girl and take what you want.

There was no getting out of this town. One look at each of them, and she knew she was with them every single step of the way. She wouldn’t back down, or leave, or betray them. She was part of them.

“I’m in,” she said. “All the way. I won’t back out.”

“Good. We know who wrote those words on your locker. She’s not our problem. She is yours,” Draven said.

“We need to know that you’re able to handle yourself,” Axel said.

“Your training is going to begin tonight,” Jett said.

They all started to head toward the exit.

“Wait, what is going on?” she asked, watching them leave.

“We’re not staying here too long. It’s fucking dangerous,” Buck said.

Within seconds they were back in the car and heading to school.