Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
The person didn’t move.
They stood there, the phone still raised, head tilted like they were studying us until the others started to turn too. Then they stepped back. Once. Twice, before they bolted, vanishing into a group of students on the other side of the bridge, who scattered with startled gasps as the person cut straight through them.
Ryder’s gaze met mine.
He didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to. I knew him well enough to recognize what was happening behind those icy eyes. He was working the angles, flipping through every variable and comparing it against the person I’d told him about last night.
On the bright side, I now knew he hadn’t found them and committed a life-sentence worthy crime. At least not yet, he hadn’t.
“So, what was that about?” Cloe asked, still facing the direction the person had gone.
Ashton let out a breath of laughter, glancing at Nick. “Did you make this happen? Starting early on host fun?”
My brow furrowed. “Why would—?”
Then it clicked.
Ryder had just referenced it the night before. Nick was hosting the Crowsfell Annual Fall Soirée, one of the biggest events on the university’s social calendar. Every year, a selected host tried to outdo the last in extravagance. The previous year had been wild, and I almost feared what our party boy would come up with to outdo it. The soirée itself was infamous, but what just happened wasn’t part of that whole ordeal. It was more aligned to a tradition with cult-like status, and from what little I knew, it got far more fucked-up than anyone cared to admit.
The Hunt.
I couldn’t believe I’d let it slip from my mind. It was only a matter of time before the flyers showed up and the campus buzz turned to full-on fanfare.
“Nick wouldn’t do that to us,” I said firmly.
“Never,” he echoed, clearly offended. “I had nothing to do with whatever that bullshit was. And if I did, why the fuck would I target my girls?”
“Yeah,” Ryder added, “Scaring the shit out of our friends with petty stunts isn’t exactly on the roster this year.”
A brief silence followed, but he didn’t backtrack.
“But he does have a roster?” I asked.
He grinned at me, and that was all the answer I needed. I would absolutely be grilling him later.
Layla crossed her arms, frowning. “It’s nice to know you’re not out to traumatize us, but they looked like they were recording or something. Why?”
Nick shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “You know it’s not just the soirée coming up.”
Ari looked at him. “You mean The Hunt?”
“Bingo,” Xander confirmed.
Roxxi shook her head, ponytail swishing. “Isn’t it too soon for that? No flyers are up yet, or decor. You know how crazy the town gets when those banners drop.”
She made a good point. It was close to starting, though. Maybe whoever was in the mask decided to get a jump on things. I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on.
“In what world would you guys be targets?” Layla asked, perplexed.
Ashton looked at her funny. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s saying our status puts us above college traditions,” Cloe replied briskly.
Layla turned toward her, eyes wide. “That’s not—.”
The first warning bell echoed across campus, cutting her off and ending the conversation.
“Shit.” Roxxi gave my hand a quick squeeze. “We’ll have to circle back to this. You know my classroom is in the most remote part of campus, and I can’t be late again. Mr. Torrance has a hair up his ass lately, and he’s too old to fuck for an A.”
She darted past, already halfway across the bridge and calling something over her shoulder to a girl we only kind of knew, who was jogging awkwardly with a too-heavy bag.
“Did she just tell that girl to ‘run faster like her GPA depended on it’?” Xander asked, biting back laughter.
I grinned around my straw.
“See you guys in a few,” Ari said with a giggle.
She walked off in the direction she needed to go, her long dark hair cascading down her back, arms hugging her bag that held her tablet and laptop to her chest, brown eyes focused ahead.
Layla shifted beside me. “Should we really be splitting up after what just happened?”
Cloe shook her head. “I think we should be more concerned about why they were allowed to roam campus like that in the first place, before things have officially started.” She removed her fashionable glasses and slipped them into a case. “Crowsfell has had an honor code for The Hunt for years. I’m almost positive whoever that was just violated all of it. Don’t take my word on that, though. I need to fact-check.”
Nick looked at her, clearly impressed. “And you remembered that code on a whim? Cici, I love that big brain of yours.”
“So… we’re safe?” Layla asked, uncertain.
Ryder gave a lazy shrug. “What’s your definition of safe?”