The Ritual: A Dark College Romance

I OPEN MY heavy eyes and smell the sterilized room before I even see the white walls and realize I’m in a hospital bed. I go to lift my right arm, and it doesn’t budge. “Not again …” My eyes fall to look at it, half expecting it to be handcuffed to the railing, but instead, there’s a brunette cuddled up to my side, sleeping on it.

Blake! Thank God. Leaning down, I kiss her forehead, letting my lips linger to feel the touch of her skin on my lips.

Her eyes flutter open, and it takes her a second to focus on me. “Ryat?” She gasps. “You’re awake.” She goes to get up, but I hold her in place.

“No, Blake …”

“But Dr. Gavin—”

“No. please.” I pull her into me. “Stay here.” I take in the smell of her hair, that familiar strawberry smell making me smile. “Stay here with me. For just a bit longer.”

“Okay, Ryat.” She looks up at me and gently kisses my cheek.

“God, I missed you,” I say, and her eyes fill with tears.

“Don’t ever do that again,” she growls. “Just so you know, I’m going to kick your ass when you get to go home.”

I laugh and kiss her forehead. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

The moment she answers, I see the bruise on her eye. “He hit you?”

“I’m fine …” She pulls away.

“Blake.” I growl. “Tell me what he did to you.” I’m going to make him confess his sins of LeAnne to the Lords at confessional but not what he did to her. I don’t want everyone knowing what my wife went through.

Sighing, she runs her hand through her hair. “He told me to run.”

I frown, remembering something about a game. “Why would he …?”

“He wanted to act out my fantasy,” she whispers nervously. “Told me to run from him. He wanted to catch me and rape me.”

My teeth clench, my muscles stiffening, making my already sore body worse.

“I was able to keep him off at first. Then he caught me, and Tyson was there …”

“We needed Matt to believe that Tyson was there for you,” I inform her. Matt was going to be suspicious no matter how it went down, but we knew he wouldn’t pass up on having the extra help to use her. “He had to play a part.”

She snorts. “He played it well. Tyson had me thinking he was in on the attack at Blackout. He even threw me onto the coffee table …”

“He had to get close to you,” I say even though I hate the fact that he touched her. Not pissed that he was rough with her, but that he put his hands on her in any way. Or the fact that Matt honestly thought he and Tyson were going to rape my wife. “We knew he’d have you restrained somehow. It was either rope, zip ties, or handcuffs.”

She frowns, her brows pulling together. “That’s why the key was in my pocket?” I nod. “Tyson put it there while I was lying on the coffee table.”

The moment that Tyson saw she was cuffed, he had to get close to her. “I’m sorry, Blake.”

“I’m fine.” She grabs my hand. Giving me a soft smile, she adds, “Matt never touched me.”

She’s lying. The mark on her face proves that he did get his hands on her before I could get there. “You saved me. Again.”

Cupping her soft cheek, I run my thumb over her warm skin. I don’t know what I’d do if I never got to see her again. “I love you, Blake.”

“I love you too.” She leans forward, gently pressing her lips to mine.

When she pulls away, I look around the room, but it’s still just the two of us. “Where is Matt? Please tell me he didn’t get away again.”

“No. Tyson has him in the basement at Blackout. He told me to tell you that when you’re ready, he’ll hand deliver him to the cathedral.”

I start to push myself up. “We can do it tonight.”

She places her hands on my chest and pushes me back down. “No.”

“Blake …”

“I need you back to yourself. And Ryat, that’s not going to happen until you heal.”

“Blake,” I growl. Not her too.

“We need you.”

“We don’t have time …” I pause. “We?”

A smile covers her face, and she nods. “We, Ryat.” Reaching over, she picks up a black and white picture and holds it out to show me. “We’re having twins. And we’re going to need you …”

“Twins?” I ask to make sure I heard her right.

She nods, a gorgeous smile on her perfect face. I’ve never seen her eyes so bright. “Two babies.”

I reach over, grabbing her face, and pull her into me. This time, I kiss her deeply, passionately. I ended up going after her, but she was the one who brought me back. This woman is incredible. And I’m the luckiest man to call her mine.

BLAKELY

RYAT HAS BEEN in the hospital for three weeks. He ended up needing surgery again due to internal bleeding. He overdid it and required a lot of rest. I’ve made sure that he’s gotten it. I’m actually surprised he’s been so compliant. He must have really needed it, considering how stubborn he is. But I can match it. As a Lady, I understand what my Lord must do. I also understand that even he has limits. And before too long, there’ll be two more people for us to care for. I needed him to recover a hundred percent.

I’ve spent every moment here in this room with him. But I know once he gets discharged today, it’ll be out of my control. He’s been antsy. He wants revenge, and I do too.

I spit out my toothpaste and wipe my mouth off, exiting his private bathroom and walking into his room.

He stands by his hospital bed, pulling his jeans up over his legs still shirtless.

I lean up against the doorway and watch him. He’s lost some weight, even with all the food that Gunner and Prickett have been bringing us from the outside. Although he didn’t need to. Ryat Alexander Archer is ripped. From his chiseled abs to his broad chest and muscular arms—the man is delicious. And I’ve been craving him.

He looks up and smirks, catching me staring. Then he reaches into the bag that sits on his bed, pulling out a dress. “Wear this,” he orders.

I laugh like he’s joking. Then look out the window to see the snow covering the ground and building. “Ryat, it snowed yesterday. I’ll freeze to death.”

He walks over to me. “I’ll keep you warm.”

“I’m serious.”

“Me too.” He arches a brow, daring me to argue.

I snort. “How did that get in there anyway?” I’m surprised he hasn’t burned it.

“I told Sarah to pack you something sexy.”

“It’s a little revealing, don’t you think?”

“Maybe I want to see what’s mine,” he counters.

I sigh, knowing that Ryat is a hundred percent back to himself and that my track record sucks when it comes to winning these battles with him.

Rolling my eyes, I reach down and remove my sweater, letting it fall to the floor and then undo my jeans and shove them down my legs, kicking them away.

“Lift your arms,” he commands, and I raise them above my head, allowing him to slide it on over my body. The cool material is soft against my warm skin. “Perfect,” he praises, running the tips of his fingers over my breasts that the V cut design shows off, and I blush.

He places his hand between my thighs and runs it up to cup my pussy. I moan, wanting to feel him there. To feel him all over me. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or what, but I’m always horny. More than usual. Maybe it’s just the fact that I couldn’t have him while he was recovering.

“Come here.” He grabs my hand and pulls me over to the bed. Reaching out, he shoves the bag off it and onto the other side of the floor. “Bend over and spread your legs!” he growls in my ear.

I don’t argue. Instead, I’m thanking God. Bending at the waist, he yanks up my dress and slaps my ass.

I bury my face into the bed so someone walking by his room won’t hear us in here. He slides his fingers into my thong and runs his knuckles up and down over my soaking wet pussy. I push my hips back.

“Someone is eager,” he muses.

“Please,” I beg, knowing that no matter how much he’s trying to go slow, he wants to fuck just as bad.

He doesn’t respond, but the sound of his zipper being lowered is all I need to know. Seconds later, the head of his cock pushes its way inside me, and I moan at the feel of him spreading me to accommodate his size. My eyes almost roll back into my head at the sensation. It’s been too long.

He pushes all the way in, and my breath catches. Then he leans over my back and wraps his hand around my throat, squeezing but not enough to take my air away. “Fuck, Blake,” he growls before his lips are on my neck, sucking on my skin while his hips pick up their pace, fucking me up against the side of the bed.

I place a hand over my mouth to quiet my unintelligible noises that he forces from me. His teeth sink into my skin, and then he stiffens, coming inside me.

He pulls out, and I sag against the bed. “That’s no fair,” I whine.

Laughing, he slaps my thigh, making it sting. “You’re not done.” He kneels behind me.

“What are you …?”

“Stay like that!” He slaps my pussy, and I yelp, before burying my face into the bed again.

His fingers spread me wide open, and I suck in a deep breath when I feel something cold and rubber being pushed into me. “Ryat—what …?”

“Just a little fun.” He stands and grabs my hand, helping me to stand as well.