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“What was that about?” I said once we were inside Alek’s car.
“Nothing.” His jaw tightened.
“Does he not like me or something?” I hated that I even asked the question. I hated that deep down, I cared.
My mother hadn’t loved me for years. She hadn’t even liked me. Maybe she thought she did, but chaining your daughter up and forcing her to stay with you isn’t love. It’s control.
“It’s not you he doesn’t like,” he said. “My father isn’t exactly a warm individual. We haven’t gotten along since…” He stopped himself. “It’s been a while. That’s how a typical interaction goes between us.”
His eyes were glued to the road in front of him. “He seems like a real nice guy,” I joked.
Alek smiled, but it was forced. Over the few hours we had spent together, I had learned which of his smiles were real and which were fake. His real ones lit up his entire face in a way that made me want to smile too.
“Look,” he said. “It’s going to take more work than I thought to convince him this is real between us.”
My stomach flipped. “Okay… like what?”
He took a long breath. “There’s an event at Night Raven this weekend. I wasn’t going to bring you but… it might be best if you’re there.”
“What type of event? Another dance?”
“No,” he said cautiously. “It’s not a dance.”
The way he answered made the hair on my neck stand up. “Okay, then what is it?”
“It’s a bit of an initiation. I can’t explain much, other than it could be pretty intense. You’ll be with me the entire time, and I won’t let you out of my sight. Think you’re up for it?” He looked at me for the first time since we got in the car.
I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Do I really have a choice?”
ChapterEight
Ihadn’t been able to get ahold of Natalie before it was time for the next event at Night Raven. I wanted to ask her about it, to see if she knew anything about a demon initiation ritual.
But I was going in completely blind.
“Is your father going to be here?” I asked Alek.
“No, he doesn’t come to the bar unless it’s an emergency. This is more of an intimate gathering with close friends and Night Ravens.”
“Wow,” I groaned, ignoring the nerves igniting in my stomach. “Sounds like the exact type of place I shouldnotbe.”
“Nobody will mess with you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Iwasn’tworried about that, at least not until he mentioned it, but the gesture of his protection was surprisingly sweet.
“And I have to be here because…?”
“It’s not just my father who needs to believe we’re together. He has… minions. People who report to him. It wouldn’t even surprise me if some of my own brothers were spying for him.”
Wow.“Tight crew,” I teased.
Alek rolled his eyes. “It would be seen as odd if we were together and I didn’t invite you to this. People would get suspicious, and my father would be pawning me off to the next match he sees fit again. This event happens once a year, and it’s sort of a big deal. So at least act like you aren’t repulsed by every demon in here tonight.”
“Fine,” I grunted. “But if you make me do something weird like drink blood or summon an evil creature, I’m leaving.”
The corner of his mouth lifted a centimeter before he recovered, re-assembling the emotionless mask that he wore whenever we were in public. “Deal.”
Alek walked me into the bar through the front doors. Instead of the usual club music and the long line of freshly twenty-one-year-olds, the place was eerily quiet. “Is anyone here?” I asked as I stepped inside.
