The Ritual: Chapter 42

I LOOK DOWN and watch my semi-hard cock slip out of her as cum drips from her wet cunt. I run my fingers through it and then shove them into her, making her moan. “Gotta make sure she gets every drop,” I say, and she rocks her hips back and forth on my fingers. She’s such a needy slut for me.

“Ryat,” she coughs out my name, still trying to catch her breath while her body shakes uncontrollably.

“Shh,” I tell her, pulling them out. Leaning over, I kiss her flat stomach. She tangles her fingers in my hair, and I kiss her soft skin again, trailing down to her pussy. “I can’t wait to see you pregnant, Blake,” I whisper against her skin, my tongue licking her cunt, tasting her and myself.

She whimpers at my words.

I’ve never really thought about kids. I mean, sure, I knew I’d have them someday. But ever since she’s returned, it’s all I think about. Her swollen belly and enlarged tits. I want Blakely Rae Archer pregnant with my child, and I’m going to get it.

Throwing her shaking legs over my shoulders, I kneel on the concrete floor at the edge of the table and stick my tongue inside her. Keeping my eyes open, I watch her squirm before me. Her hands grip her breasts, and she pinches her hard nipples.

My girl likes it to hurt a little. That’s what gets her off.

I don’t stop. I could watch her come over and over and never get tired of it. I could say it’s a control thing, but it’s more than that. It’s the fact that I’m the only one who has ever seen her like this. So vulnerable and unable to control her cravings.

She’s become my obsession, but I know I’ve also become hers.

Her body thrashes on the table, and I reach around her legs, my thumb playing with her clit while her hips ride my face. She arches her back, her breathing picking up once again, and her thighs clench down around my face, holding it in place, coming for a second time.

I suck on her cunt like it’s my own personal honey-flavored sucker, filling my mouth with her sweet taste. Her body sags to the table, her legs falling off my shoulders. Pulling away, I lean over the table, standing over her body, and grip her face. She looks up at me through heavy eyes. They’re still unfocused from my hand around her throat, restricting her air. Squeezing her cheeks, she understands what I want and the tip of her pink tongue darts out, slowly running across her lips before she parts them for me, opening wide. Leaning down, I spit into her mouth.

“Taste yourself,” I order, watching her cum slide down her tongue to the back of her throat. Closing her lips, she swallows, and I press my lips to hers, wanting another taste.

She moans, her tongue meeting mine for a quick kiss before I pull away and she sucks in a breath.

Reaching up, I grab the back of my shirt and rip it up over my head. “Here, you need to wear something while I carry you to the house.”

She lets me help her sit up, and I place my shirt over her head. Now that I know Matt is aware of where we live, I need to make sure she’s never outside uncovered, no matter what time of the day or night it is. This also means I need blackout curtains for all the windows in the living room. Too many opportunities for him to watch her.

He could be sitting outside right now because he knew Cindy was here.

“Fuck!” I hiss. I had forgotten about her.

“What?” Blake asks, her body tensing.

“I’ll take care of it,” I tell her, yanking the shirt down to cover her.

“Of what?” she asks, and then her eyes fall on the dead girl in the room. “I want to help you.”

“Blake …”

“Ryat, let me help you.”

Letting out a sigh, I nod. I can’t leave her here alone anyway. I have to take care of a couple of things tonight. She doesn’t know it, but I’m about to test her again. Only difference is this time I won’t blame her if she doesn’t pass. “Okay. We have to go get my SUV first.”

_______________

I’M DRIVING DOWN the two-lane road, my headlights illuminating what’s ahead when my cell goes off, and I pick it up to check it really quick.

Ready!

Exactly what I wanted to see. I had made a phone call while I had Blake pack a bag for us. We’re not going back to the cabin tonight, possibly not for a while. I exit the text from Gunner and drop it back into my lap. Pulling off the main road, I turn into the open gate.

“What are we doing here?” Blake asks, sitting up straighter.

“Taking care of business,” I say vaguely. She’ll find out soon enough. The cathedral comes into view, and I pull into a parking spot. We’re the only ones here right now. “Come on.” I turn off the SUV.

Getting out, we both go to the back of the vehicle, and I open the hatch. “Take this.” I hand Blake a shovel. Then I grab the body wrapped in plastic and throw it over my shoulder. “You okay?” Looking over at her, I make sure she doesn’t want to bolt or stay here instead of following me.

She nods in answer.

Adjusting the weight on my shoulder, I start walking away from the SUV and to the side of the building. Blake follows me silently around to the back. We pass the spot where I first fucked her after the vow ceremony and keep going. It’s getting darker the farther we get from the cathedral. “Almost there,” I tell her.

Coming up to an old wrought-iron gate, I stop. “Open that, please,” I ask her.

She rushes past me and removes the broken lock and pushes it open, the creaking sound making her flinch, and she quickly looks around as if someone will hear it.

We enter the graveyard, and I walk over to the right, where I know there’s a spot. Dropping the body to the ground, I reach out for the shovel.

Blake hands it to me, not saying a word, and I start digging.

BLAKELY

RYAT GRUNTS, PUSHING the end of the shovel into the ground and then stomps on it, digging a grave. It only took me a second to figure out why we’re here.

Looking out over the graveyard, I see most of the headstones are the same—small with nothing but a first and last name and the dates they were born and died. No beloved father, or loving mother … nothing further mentioned like you usually see. Some are completely blank.

“What is this place?” I ask him.

“An old burial ground,” he answers, shoving the tip in again before tossing the excess dirt to the side.

“Why are we burying her here?” I wonder. “Aren’t you afraid someone will find her?” They use the cathedral for the vow ceremony, but it could be for more things for all I know.

“Lords, chosen ones, and Ladies are buried here … Well, that’s not the total truth. It’s more complicated than that.” He stops digging and looks up at me. His eyes look a darker shade of green with only the moonlight. Or maybe I’m just seeing them that way because of what I just witnessed him do to Cindy.

“Mostly members who betray their oath, but if a member has to kill someone, they too are buried here. If a member dies of natural causes, then they are buried wherever they want.” He shrugs carelessly, going back to digging. “Or cremated. They get the privilege of choosing before they die.”

I bite my bottom lip. “How many have you buried here?”

Stopping again, he shoves the tip into the ground and places his forearm on it, using it for support. I can see a small shine on his forehead where he’s started to sweat from the work. “Seven.”

I swallow and nod my head. “How many of them were Lords?”

“About half.”

Why would he kill someone who isn’t a Lord? Was he ordered to kill them? I know the guy who was trying to kill me wasn’t a Lord, and he slit his throat. So, that’s at least one that I know of. If that guy was brought back and buried here. “How many of those were women?” I wonder.

“This is the first. Any more questions?” he asks, arching a dark brow, and I shake my head.

I understand he’s tired. I’m fucking exhausted. It’s been a long night, and after what he did to me in that underground bunker, I want to go to bed. But I didn’t want to stay at the cabin alone, not after what Cindy told us. Even now, I feel like someone is watching us. But I won’t tell Ryat that. I don’t want him to worry or, worse, think I can’t handle this life.

Finishing up, he tosses the shovel to the side and rolls the wrapped body into the grave. Then he picks up the shovel again, covering it up.

I stand silently, rocking back and forth, arms crossed over my chest, trying to keep warm. Before we left, I put on a pair of yoga pants, tennis shoes and one of his hoodies.

Once finished, he throws the shovel over his shoulder, and silently, we start to walk back toward the cathedral and to his SUV. But he surprises me when he opens a back door to the building and pulls me inside.

We walk down a hallway to a door that he shoves open. It’s an office of some sort. He tosses the dirty shovel to the floor and turns to face me.

“What are we …?”

The door opening behind me makes me jump, my heart starts pounding in my chest, and I squeal when I see Gunner pop his head in.

“We’re ready,” he says cheerfully.

Ryat nods. “Thanks.”

Gunner steps inside, places a box on the floor, and then just stands there, staring at me. My wide eyes go to Ryat. “What’s going on?” I ask him.

Stepping into me, he cups my face with his dirt-covered hands and licks his lips. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation even though my body shakes with nervousness. Is this another test? What if I fail?

His eyes search mine. “I need you to go with Gunner.”

“What?” I shriek. “No, Ryat …”

“Trust me, Blake.” He nods to me. “I need you to go with Gunner.”

My stomach is in knots, and my mind runs a hundred miles with all these different scenarios of what is about to happen. Why does he want to get rid of me? Have I not proven that I can stomach what he does? What a Lady is required to do?

“Okay,” I whisper, knowing there’s no fighting with him. And I wasn’t lying. I do trust him. If he wants me to go with Gunner, then that’s what I’ll do.

He leans in and tenderly kisses my forehead, then he takes a step back. His hands drop to his sides, and I turn, giving him my back, and follow Gunner out of the room.

I stay silent while I follow him down the hall and to a new door. This cathedral is large, but I’ve walked this hallway before. Last time, I was dripping wet, and my hands were cuffed behind my back.

Coming to a stop, Gunner pushes open a door. “Ladies first.” He gestures for me to go.

As I step into the room, my body goes rigid when I see pews filled with Lords. They’re all dressed in cloaks and masks while they sit silently. They must have arrived while we were out in the cemetery because when we got here, the parking lot was empty. It took Ryat a good hour to bury her. Maybe even longer than that. All I know is I’m glad it’s warmer in here than it was outside.

Gunner takes my hand and forces my heavy legs to walk to the first pew. There’s already an empty seat on the end, closest to the aisle. I fall down into it and look up at him, expecting him to tell me something that will help me out with what’s going on, but instead, he gives me his back and walks back out the side door, leaving me alone.

My legs start to bounce, and I nervously fiddle with my wedding ring when I hear commotion on the second-story balcony. I look up and see two men dressed in cloaks and masks dragging a woman into the center, where I see a chair already sitting right at the edge of the baptism pool.

All she wears is a T-shirt and a pair of black underwear with a hood over her head. She fights the two Lords, and it causes her already short shirt to show her stomach. They shove her into the chair, where they proceed to zip-tie her wrists to the wooden armrests, then quickly do the same with her ankles.

I swallow nervously, looking around at the Lords sitting in the pews to see a reaction as to what the hell is going on. But they could all be sleeping for all I know since I can’t see their faces.

Is this another ceremony? If so, will I be next? What will we vow to?

The two Lords step away from her, and the one on the left rips the hood off. My hands shoot to my face to cover my mouth before the gasp can escape. It’s Ashley—Matt’s girlfriend.

My eyes dart around the stage, watching both men take several more steps back and cross their arms across their chests.

The sound of a creaking door fills the room, and I look to my right. My stomach drops when I see it’s Ryat. He’s not dressed in a cloak or mask. He’s in his jeans, T-shirt, and combat boots. He’s filthy, covered in dirt, and his shirt is wet from sweat while digging out back.

Slowly, he climbs the stairs to the second floor, taking his time like he has all night. Ashley sees him and thrashes in the chair. Ryat comes to a stop next to her, and I tense.

What is he doing?

Why would he hurt her? She should not be held responsible for Matt’s actions.

Turning, he walks over to a table in the corner and picks up a knife. I go to tell him to stop but cover my mouth with both of my hands before I can get the words out. He told me to trust him. Maybe he’s just going to scare her.

“Ashley,” he calls out her name, and she whimpers, pulling on her restraints. The duct tape over her mouth keeps her from talking. “I assume you know why you’re here?”

She shakes her head, tears running down her face.

He comes to stand beside her and rips the tape off.

“You sorry son of a bitch!” she screams. “Matt is going to kill you!” She shakes her head back and forth, making her bleach-blond hair slap her in the face.

“It’s funny that you think he gives a fuck about you,” Ryat says, and all the Lords chuckle at that.

She bares her teeth at him. “He loves me more than he’ll ever love that bitch.”

My hands drop from my mouth. She has to be talking about me.

“That must be why he wants her so much.” He nods his head. “To prove to you that he loves you more.” Reaching out, he places the tip of the knife to her cheek, and she turns her head away from it the best she can. “We’re going to play a game,” Ryat tells her. “It’s called confessional. Fitting, huh? I’m going to ask you a question, and every time you refuse to answer or lie, I’m going to cut you open.”

“I won’t tell you shit!” she screams.

“That’s what they all say.” He runs the tip of the blade down her neck below her ear, and blood instantly pours from the wound while the high vaulted ceilings fill with her screeching cry.

“We’ll start with something easy,” Ryat announces. “Did you know that Matt and Blakely were together when you met her at the house of Lords party?”

“Yes,” she spits out.

I sit up straighter. She knew who I was? He had told her about me?

“Yet you still agreed to be his chosen before that night?” Ryat asks, tilting his head to the side.

“He told me all about her. The bitch was obsessed with him.”

My teeth grind at her words, but I’m not sure why I’m surprised. Men like Matt always make it sound like all women want them. I did because that’s who I was allowed to want. If I would have had options, I sure as fuck would have chosen someone else to date.

“She was desperate. A fucking hungry bitch who couldn’t take a hint,” she shouts at him. “You should know, she married the first guy she’s ever fucked.”

I think she was trying to make that an insult to Ryat, but he just smiles down at her—proud of that fact he took my virginity.

My hands fist. I actually felt sorry for her, thought that maybe she didn’t know what kind of man he was, but she knew we were together. Knew that I was a virgin. How much else did Matt tell her? Sitting back in the pew, I cross my arms over my chest, ready to listen to what he’s going to make her confess.