Captured: Highgate Preparatory Academy, Book 1

As Highgate Prep royalty, it’s traditional for us to hold a party in the woods that surround the campus on the first Friday night of the new semester. It’s been like that since my father’s days, and far be it for us to renege on our duties.

God, I hate that fucking word, duties. My mouth fills with bile at the mere thought of it. I’ve done so much in the name of duty. If they were to carve me open, they would find it stamped across my blackened heart.

It’s still warm in the evenings, although once the sun goes down, there’ll be a chill in the air, so I make sure to keep my suit jacket on. Not that I’m often seen without it. Can’t disappoint daddy dearest by looking like a mess. I know the guys rib me about it, wearing suits like I’m an old man, but it does lend a certain stay-the-fuck-away-from-me air.

As dusk approaches, Jax, Kai, and I head out of the Academy’s back doors towards the forest. It really is beautiful at this time of year, the evening birdsong accompanying the faint music that’s playing. Loki is behind us, his arm wrapped around Lilly like a possessive asshole. I don’t know why he doesn’t just piss on her and mark his territory properly.

My heart fucking leaped in my chest earlier when she came out of his room, proving the organ is not as dead as I would like. She is wearing a striking mini dress, in kaleidoscope colors that make me think I’m tripping on LSD, and hurt my damn brain. The dress skims her delicious curves and ends just under her pert ass.

Fuck, I want to bite that ass until she begs me to stop. Though I’d not admit that little weakness out loud. You never know when it might be used against you.

I had to hold in the growl that wanted to escape my throat as Loki reached for her, pulling her close, and kissing her like he was eating her pussy. He’s still got her lipstick smeared across his lips, uncouth bastard.

I hear her giggle behind me, and I grit my teeth so hard I’m sure one will crack, my fists clenching at my sides. I don’t want to admit that I might be jealous of him, that a small part of me might want to bathe in her light too.

Shaking those thoughts away, I take a deep inhale and look around to see that we’ve reached the woods. There are strings of bare bulbs lighting our pathway, to a clearing where the party is. The decorators have done well. The brief was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which I changed from what had previously been discussed because, if I’m being truthful, I heard a certain English girl comment that it was her favorite Shakespeare play in our class this week.

It does look like a fairyland, with glittering lights hanging from the trees in glass jars, colorful blankets, rugs, and pillows all arranged in groups, and surrounding low wooden tables. Tables which are groaning with delicious delicacies, the best that money can buy. Our fellow students are already lounging around them, talking and laughing as more nymphs bring them wine and food, like this really is the fairy court.

There’s even a folk band playing reworks of popular songs, and a circular dance floor edged with flaming torches.

When we arrive, a guy dressed as a nymph, chest bare and sparkling with glitter, passes each of us silver goblets of chilled white wine, Rhenish, I believe. A scantily clad female, wearing some sort of silk scarf that exposes one glittering breast, steps up to Lilly, who’s now beside me, and pins a crown of silk flowers in her tumbling brunette hair.

Somehow, they match her garish dress perfectly, and as I look at her, I’m taken aback, the hair rising on my arms and nape by how utterly spellbinding she looks, and the wonder in her eyes. She thanks the woman and takes in the scene.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers in awe, looking around us, her eyes wide and sparkling.

She’s practically fucking glowing in the twilight, the candles and fairy lights shining gently on her beautiful face. She is exquisite. I can admit that much. And she seems to belong in these woods, surrounded by fairies and nymphs.

Turning her hazel eyes on me, I’m captured in her gaze, unable to look away, holding my breath.

“Ash organized it just for you, Pretty Girl,” Loki tells her with a smirk, breaking the spell she had woven around me.

“I thought you said that you always host the first party of the year?” she asks him, her eyebrows squashing together, her voice soft and turning to face him.

“We do. It was meant to be a saints and sinners party, but Ash changed the theme yesterday when he heard A Midsummer Night’s Dream was your favourite play,” Loki answers back like a fucking douche. This time, I don’t stop the growl from escaping my lips. Fucking Loki and his big mouth.

“Well, in that case,” she says, turning her gaze back to me, and I can see a delicate flush in her cheeks. “Thank you, Ash. I love it.”

I give Loki a smug look over her shoulder, trying to hide the sudden warmth pooling in my gut at her statement.

“Shall we?” she asks, taking me by my arm in her soft grip, and making my heart race.

“Of course,” I reply, clearing my throat and leading the way to a table that has been left clear just for us.

LILLY

As Ash leads us to our table, I am filled with wonder at the sight of the most beautiful party that I’ve ever seen, a sense of giddiness coming over me. It’s like a magical wonderland, full of twinkling lights, and with soft melodic music wrapping round us like a fairy’s spell.

I’m astounded that he did this for me. Why? Up to this point, he’s mostly been in arsehole mode, so why would he suddenly change the party theme just because I like a certain play?

He surprises me further by guiding me to a tasselled, colourful cushion, helping me to sit down like a perfect gentleman, and my heartbeat picks up at the gesture, even as my eyes narrow up at him and his suddenly gentlemanly manner. I’m sure that I don’t look like a lady with my arse hanging out of my micro sixties mini dress, but looking round, at least I’m not the only one almost flashing her lady garden.

Loki passes me my goblet of wine, and I take a sip, my lips tingling with the rich fruity flavour. He sits to my right, Ash on my left, with Kai and Jax opposite us. The low table is positively bursting with all sorts of food that looks fucking amazing. Silver platters with fruit, tarts, cured meats, and a hundred other delicacies cover the surface.

“Here, try this,” Loki says, his fingers coming before my lips, holding what looks like a piece of pear that has been soaked in some kind of sticky sauce.

I open up my mouth, looking him dead in the eye as he places the fruit on my tongue, his pupils wide and his touch lingering. A burst of spicy sweetness erupts in my mouth as I chew, my eyes rolling and a moan sounding from my lips at the same time.

My eyes open to see his fingers, a drop of sauce making its way down his thumb, so before he moves his hand away, I wrap my lips round the digit, sucking the drop off. Passion flares in his eyes, making the emerald shine like the brightest of gems. I’m sure that I hear a groan or two from the other guys at my move.

I release it from my lips with an audible pop and a cheeky lopsided smile.

“Delicious, thank you,” I tell him, our stare off interrupted by Ash offering me a silver tray of canapes.

We settle into eating and chatting about the first week of classes. I’m not going to lie, it was crazy intense, but I loved it. I was so busy and so tired after each day that I didn’t have time to think about anything else. And with sleeping in Loki’s bed every night, him beside me, the nightmares seem to be kept at bay too.

We haven’t taken it further than, I think they call it, third base. Basically, fingers, hands, and tongues. Well, his fingers, hands, and tongue. I’ve not got so much as a glimpse of the crown jewels. He distracts me with multiple orgasms until I basically pass out. It surprises me, his lack of wanting anything in return, especially if the rumours I’ve heard about his promiscuous ways are true. But so far, it’s been all about my pleasure.

My thoughts are disrupted by one of the servers presenting us with another gleaming tray, this time with rows of colourful pills on it. I look round to see the other tables being offered the same platters.

“What’s this?” I question, a flare of adrenaline rushing through my veins at the opportunity of a new oblivion.

“This, Pretty Girl, is tonight’s high, brought to you by the Black Knights of Highgate!” Loki announces, raising his voice and standing up, throwing his arms wide to cheers from the crowd. I can’t help but laugh at his antics, bouncing in my seat.

“Made by the finest chemists in Israel, we give you our own personal high. Choose blue for a giggle, orange if you want to expand your mind. Pink is for if you’re feeling naughty, and red,” he turns his gaze to me, an understanding look in his eyes. “Red is if you require complete oblivion.”

My breath hitches and my heart rate picks up at this. How does he know?

He settles back down, still looking at me. “What’ll it be, baby?” he asks, one brow raised.

“Red,” I whisper, my eyes locked with his.

He pauses for a second, and I can hear Ash behind me, muttering under his breath.

“Allow me,” Loki says, taking the little red pill off the tray and placing it on the tip of his tongue, a daring look in his eyes. So, accepting the challenge with a wide grin, I lean closer and suck it off. Then he hands me my wine to swallow it down, watching me with an intensity to his gaze that I struggle to fully interpret.

As I set my goblet down, I notice that none of the guys have taken anything off the trays for themselves. I turn to Ash, intending to ask if he isn’t going to imbibe tonight. My words get stuck in my mouth when I see him staring at me, his grey eyes ablaze with fury.

“What’s the matter?” I ask, drawing in a sharp breath and taken aback by how pissed he looks.

“Those pills are strong, Lilly. So no more tonight,” he orders, jaw clenched and getting up.

I see we’re back to being Ash-hole again!

Before I can rip him a new one for being an overbearing jizzstain, he storms off.

“Why is he always such a twat?” I muse aloud, hearing Jax’s gruff hoot from across the table.

“He’s right though, this is no playground shit,” Jax tells me in his sexy, deep voice, his blue eyes troubled.

I roll my eyes, waving my hand. “I know what I’m doing, I’ve taken Molly before.”

“Not quite like this, I don’t think,” Kai adds, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and shifting in his seat, tugging his shirt cuffs into place even though he’s as neat as a pin.

Whatever.

About twenty minutes later, I start to feel the buzz spreading over my body like a wash of warm water. It’s incredible. The lights become brighter, glowing like stars all round me, and a delighted laugh rings out from my lips, sounding like the finest music to my ears.

“You buzzing, baby?” I hear Loki’s amused drawl sound to my right, and I turn to look at him, gasping as my eyes find his green ones glowing.

“Your eyes are so beautiful, Loki,” I tell him dreamily, leaning forward to get closer. “They’re like emerald fire.”

“Yep, she’s buzzing alright,” I hear Jax laugh, his deep voice causing a shiver to take over my body, my eyelids closing, and I groan aloud at the pleasurable sensation.

“I would fuck your voice if I could, Jax,” I moan, this time hearing Loki barking with mirth, and Kai’s melodic chuckle.

I listen to their laughter and let it wrap round me like a warm, comforting blanket. The sound of the music starts to filter into my eardrums, the sound of the drums beating along in time to my heartbeat. It’s a sensual version of Tainted Love by Love, Alexa. I find myself swaying along, opening my eyes when a warm hand grasps mine.

“Let’s dance, Pretty Girl,” Loki says, voice low and husky, pulling me up to my feet.

He leads the way to the dance floor, drawing my back to his front as we dance to the slow and bacchanalian rhythm. Everywhere he touches me, even through my clothes, burns with electric fire until I feel as though sparks must be flying off me. I look down, gasping when I see that they aren’t.

My gaze gets lost in the moving colours of my dress, until I feel Loki’s hand on my waist pulling me closer, guiding my arms up and round his neck behind me. I can feel how happy he is to be there, his hardness grinding into my arse.

“Loki,” I gasp out, pushing my hips back into him, desperate to feel more.

He growls low into my ear, then nips my earlobe and starts kissing my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him better access, feeling his kisses like lightning bolts shooting across my body.

They weren’t lying. This Molly is unlike anything I’ve ever taken before. Everything is so much brighter, so much…more than it usually is. It’s like I can feel every touch and caress a thousandfold. I’m made of pure sensation with no pesky thoughts and worries trying to break through.

The song comes to an end, and our grinding slows, both of us panting.

“Jesus, Lilly,” Loki rasps in my ear, his fingers digging into my side.

We stand there whilst the next song starts up, him still behind me, his dick as hard as stone. I giggle, wiggling my arse, and hearing another groan leave his lips.

“Naughty girl,” he admonishes, nipping my neck, finally letting me go and taking a step back.

“Don’t worry, Loki baby. I’ll sort that out later,” I turn to face him, then wink. “But now, I need to pee.”

He laughs, but I don’t miss the fever in those fiery beryl eyes of his. I remember seeing a posh set of mobile toilets on the way in, so I head in that direction.

Once I’m finished, I wash up and step out of the portacabin, only to be confronted by Amber and her smiling crew of merry cuntbandits. The Molly does not improve her appearance at all. In fact, it makes her look a little like a gargoyle, all twisted and snarly. They all look ridiculous in their jean shorts and Birkenstocks. It’s a fucking party, guys! Twats.

“I hear they still haven’t caught your mom’s killer,” she snidely says, my heart stopping at the statement. “That must really suck…” she continues, but I don’t hear anything else as I am assaulted by memories of red rivers flooding my mind, the crimson shining like the brightest rubies.

“W–what…?” I stammer out, my vision flickering between the bloody scene I came home to that day and the glittering party round me. Sweat breaks out all across my body, cooling in the chilly night breeze, and I start to shiver uncontrollably.

I stumble away from the group, my feet tangling as I try to run away from the memories. My eyes alight onto a silver dish, held by an ethereal nymph, my focus drawn to the little red pills lying atop it.

Oblivion.

Before I know what I’m doing, my hand has taken a pill, popping it into my mouth, and swallowing it dry. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that soon it will go away again. The rivers of blood, the pain, and heartache will all disappear again. At least for a little while.

Suddenly, a strong hand grips my upper arm painfully, turning me until I’m looking into blazing grey eyes.

“What did you just do?” Ash roars, shaking me.

“Ow!” I shout back at him, wriggling. “You’re hurting me, Ash!” I try to struggle, but it’s futile. His grip is too strong.

“I should put you over my fucking knee and spank you like a naughty child!” he growls back, causing more than a few sets of students to turn towards us, quickly looking away when he bares his teeth at them. He points a finger right in my face.

“I told you to only take one. Why did you take another?!”

He’s shaking, and as I look deeper, I can see a flash of panic in his wide eyes, his hands trembling and breath coming in pants.

“Fucking cuntmuffin said…” I start, stopping and shaking my head, as the memories try to push through what’s left of my high again.

He looks over me, which is really fucking easy given how tall the guy is. What he sees, which I assume is Amber and her crew, makes the skin round his eyes and mouth tighten, and his grip turns even more painful. His gaze comes back to me, still fuming with that edge of fear.

“What did she say?” he asks, voice deadly and cutting.

“She…she mentioned my mum and…” I can’t finish the sentence, begging him with my gaze not to make me. The grey softens slightly, and I see a sorrow so deep that my breath hitches.

“You can’t escape it forever, Lilly,” he tells me, his grip on my arm loosening a little, his other hand coming up to stroke the side of my face. “You’ll have to face your grief sooner or later, Princess. We all do.”

I briefly wonder what grief he’s had to face, but before I can think any more about it, Loki comes storming over, shoving Ash so hard that he has no choice but to let go of me.

“Take your fucking hands off her!” Loki snarls, his nostrils flared and the vein in his neck pulsing. I never imagined he’d get so angry over me.

Ash gets right back in his face, chest jutted out and eyes hard as flint, sneering back at him. They remind me of two male lions, all ferocious danger and about to tear each other apart. Before it can descend into violence, Jax and Kai rush up to the pair, Jax using his bulk to get in between them.

“Cool it, guys,” he growls, pushing them farther apart, a hand on each torso. There’s quite a crowd gathered round us now, all desperate to taste blood.

Loki and Ash stare at each other for another moment before Ash leans over, saying something to Loki, whose head immediately snaps in my direction, his brow wrinkled as he takes me in from head to toe.

Loki walks towards me, reaching out and pulling me close, wrapping his strong arms round me. I inhale deeply, feeling his pounding heart as I breathe in his warm vanilla scent, taking the comfort it gives me.

“Let’s get you back to the dorm,” he murmurs in my ear, kissing the top of my head softly.

Tucking me under his arm, he leads me away. As we pass Ash, I look up to see Jax with his hand on Ash’s shoulder, saying something to him in low tones with Kai close on his other side. Ash meets my gaze, and the desperate sorrow is there, alongside a drowning grief that matches my own.