Blackbeak Sorority

Chapter Two

Manon remained quiet all throughout the ride back to the sorority house. She didn't show her displeasure on Elide's small request and her annoyance at being forced to drag herself and all the remaining Thirteen with her just to fetch Elide. Unlike those times she got hit on and was attempted to be taken advantage by other men, old or young like Valg. One time was worse when she got backhanded in the face by an old drunkard, wherein Manon took her time beating the poor old man with the rest of the Thirteen, mostly by Asterin. Even then, she got a glare from the girl and a minute lecture by an angry Asterin. But now, both girls were just... quiet. Mostly Manon because Asterin was looking at her from time to time, opening and closing her mouth as if restraining to say something then looking at Manon as if waiting for a cue, which never came. Frustrated, she chose to stay quiet too, going straight to her room when they finally arrived.

Elide stayed on the front door, not knowing if to go to her... their room, fearing Manon's anger that was surely trying to burst from being tightly bottled up (if it was anger she was feeling, really. Because Elide was already panicking from not knowing what was on the girl's thoughts).

A shoulder collided with her back and she stiffened, knowing it was Manon. She slowly turned to face the girl and saw the thin line on her lips, saw her slowly smile, then clenched her fist, for not knowing whether Manon was being her more intimidating self or being the amused alpha female from before.

"Well, aren't you going to enter the room?" she asked, a brow raised. Elide released a breath in relief and tensed again when she saw the way Manon looked at her.

Eyes like golden steel and shoulders stiff as if prepared for a battle.

She gulped again and walked like a robot to their room, while hyperaware of Manon inches behind her.

The moment she heard the door shut behind her, she was thrown against the wall, arms raised and pinned above her head, chin grasped by Manon firmly but not ungently.

"You couldn't look at my eyes directly after we left. Why?" She asked her, searching her face for telltale signs of an oncoming lie, if she was going to. But she dared not.

"You stayed quiet while we were going back," she said in answer then added her question, "why?"

She released her and her jaw tightened. She looked at the side before retuning her gaze on her. Elide flinched at the anger, undisguised anger, she saw on Manon's face.

"What would you expect from me newling? Recruits are rare and you are one. Do you think I can afford to drag you back to the social world a second time?" she said, her voice shaking as if from restraining to raise her voice, which made Elide shudder.

Manon so rarely got angered. Irritated, yes. Disappointed, yes. But angered? Angered to the point of restraining herself from shouting? It was rare. Very rare and maybe not even Asterin witnessed it. What was their motto again?

Obedience. Discipline. Brutality.

She suddenly felt Manon's hands slide down from her arms to her face, landing on her cheeks. She closed her eyes, fearing a slap, only to be met with a tap on her forehead. She tentatively opened her eyes to find herself eye to eye with Manon, their foreheads touching.

"You're never going back. Newlings are hard to find," she said and closed her eyes for a few seconds, foreheads still touching with hers, before she backed away. They stared at each other for a few more moments before Manon removed her clothes until she was only wearing her undergarments. She walked to the bed and laid down, claiming the left side.

They made eye contact for a minute before Elide followed suit, claiming the other side.