Typhon

Chapter 11

Stone~

Rylee wasn't stupid. The ring on her finger was exactly what it looked like, and there wasn't really any way to convince someone that it wasn't.

When I had announced my intentions, the guys had known what I'd meant, but I knew that the girls hadn't. Or maybe Kincaid had, but I couldn't be sure. At first, I'd thought that August would object, or at the very least, comment on it, but he'd kept his mouth shut. Still, that could have just been because he was aware of the penalty for disrupting or sabotaging an initiation.

Rylee's eyes flew over to where Kincaid was standing next to Saxton. "What's a Hera?" she asked her.

Kincaid let out a sympathetic sigh before walking over to stand next to me and Rylee. The girls were the same height, but with Kincaid wearing heels and Rylee wearing sneakers, Rylee had to look up at her.

Then Kincaid's eyes shot my way really quickly. In silent reprimand? I wasn't sure. Still, she looked back at Rylee, then told her the truth. "Hera was Zeus' wife." Rylee's blue eyes widened, and I noticed the minuscule shake of her head. "She was the queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and family."

A few ticks of silence went by before Rylee asked, "Who's Circe?"

"Circe was a sorceress," Kincaid answered. "She was able to change humans into lions, wolves, or swine."

"See, Ms. Madden," Alexander said, his voice carrying over from the stage. "The symbolism is that Circe was able to transform humans into whatever she desired. The entire point of selecting a supporter is for her to transform her sponsor into the best man that he can be within these next few months." We'd all looked over when Alexander had started talking, and now he was making his way back down the stage. "Circe could turn a man into a lion or swine, and the same concept applies here. A supporter can turn her sponsor into a man worthy of The Order or...not."

Rylee's back straightened with his approach, and I knew a lot of her decision making here tonight had been born out of proving something to Alexander, even though she had nothing to prove to him. She didn't like him, and I didn't blame her. Plus, if I was reading the signs correctly, Kincaid didn't care for him, either.

"And Hera?"

"It's true," he replied. "Hera was Zeus' wife and the queen of goddesses. It's also true that she was the goddess of marriage and family."

Alexander smirked down at her, and if I didn't think it'd benefit my plans to marry Rylee, I'd lay him out for talking to her like she was beneath him. However, the more Alexander pushed her, the more likely Rylee was to go through with our marriage.

"She had super strength and immortality, and she had the ability to bless or curse marriages," he finished.

"I still don't see how that applies," Rylee bit out.

"Hera was powerful enough to be married to Zeus," he explained further. "She was part of his strength, but for all her gifts, she also had a fierce temper, and it came out every single time that Zeus took a mistress."

Rylee's eyes shot my way before focusing back on Alexander. "Is that your way of telling me that Stone plans on-"

"I'll never cheat on you, Rylee," I interrupted, laying all my cards on the table. If there was any confusion about what that ring on her finger meant before, there wasn't any confusion now. "I wouldn't be marrying you if that were the case."

Alexander winked at her. "We should probably still see about that temper of yours, no?"

"Wait," Laney said as she walked over to us, and Kincaid stepped back to stand with Saxton. So, now it was me, Rylee, Alexander, and Laney gathered around. "What do you mean marry?"