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My new belle.
My…
Motherfucker! Was that…? No fucking way.
I had to still be suffering the effects of the absinthe and LSD. I was hallucinating. That was the only explanation for what I saw.
Jasmine VanDoren!
Jasmine VanDoren stood naked inside the empty glass tank with pure terror in her eyes.
I snapped my head to the right where my friends also stared on with disbelief as they watched Sully’s little sister stand naked before them.
This was wrong. So very fucking wrong. No way would Jasmine have agreed to this. No way would anyone in her life agree to this. She was supposed to be getting ready for a damn brunch with some potential suitor. Not here. Not naked for all to see.
She was afraid. I could see it—feel it—and because of that one fact alone, I was going to break every damn bone in the Elders’ bodies as I burned the manor to the ground.
I prepared to charge the glass tank and slam my fist into it so I could cover her up and shield her nudity from the roomful of men, but my possessive rage was interrupted by an ominous voice.
“We have found you a new belle, Walker St. Claire,” an Elder called out as the rest banged their canes on the floor in unison. “Let the Trial begin.”
11
JASMINE
What the actual fuck was happening?
Was this a horrific dream? Being kidnapped, stripped, and put in a glass cage on display for all the town’s richest men and my brother’s friends? Yup, pretty much sums up my worst nightmare.
But I had a feeling this was quite horribly, horribly real.
I mean, there were whispers about things that went on here at the Oleander sometimes. I just never believed them. I mean, I went to Sunday brunch with these men and had since I was knee-high to a grasshopper! They used to pat me on the head when I was in my Easter dress, so proud of my big bow that I ran around to show everybody. And yet earlier this morning, they’d—
I blinked as I threw a palm against the glass. Earlier this morning my dead father’s friends had thrown a bag over my head and then put a needle in my arm before I could really start screaming. And I’d woken up ten minutes ago, crumpled on the floor in this glass rectangular box that was even closed at the top. Completely buck ass naked. At first there was only Mrs. Hawthorne in the room.
“Let me out of here!” I’d mumbled drowsily, holding onto the glass for steadiness as I got to my feet, taking in my surroundings with horror.
Naturally I assumed Mrs. Hawthorne had snuck in to help me escape. Sully always said how she’d been like a second mother—a real one—to him.
“Hush now, lassie, and listen. We haven’t got much time.”
I perked up, slapping my cheek to help wake myself so I could pay attention to whatever she’d tell me. Maybe she’d bring a ladder over so I could climb out?
How had they even gotten me in here? I looked up towards the top of the rectangular box, which was several feet above my head. But even it was covered with glass—or maybe it was plastic?—because there were some air holes drilled in it. Wow, thanks a lot.
I hurriedly looked back at Mrs. Hawthorne when she started speaking again. “Now just do what they say for this first Trial. I know they’ve just thrown you in the deep end, as it were. They’ll explain everything after.”
“What?” I all but screamed. “What do you mean, after? What is this?”
She made a gesture with her hand for me to be quiet. “There’s nothing to be done for it now.”
I looked up at the top. So she couldn’t get me out in time?
“They’ll be along any moment now.” She looked over her shoulder and my chest squeezed tight in horror.
“Wait, what does that mean? What’s gonna happen to me?”
Her back was ramrod straight as she looked back at me. “Head up, Lassie. You’ll be all righ’. Just trust your man and do as they say.”
And then she’d stepped over the wall of the empty circular trough the glass box had been set up in—seriously, what the hell was this?—and slipped out one door just as men in silver cloaks started filing in the other one. They closed the curtains shut tight and wouldn’t answer any of my questions.
And now here were all of Sully’s friends and… oh God.
Of course Walker was with them. Which just made my cheeks burn hotter. Because his father, the esteemed senator from Georgia, was also here.
Oh my God. I was going to die. I was going to literally burn up from the spontaneous combustion of horrifying embarrassment.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Walker roared, storming forwards. “Do you know who that is?!”
