Pledgeling Read online

  Pledgeling

  Short & Scorching

  H Q Kingsley

  Contents

  The Short & Scorching Collection

  Summary

  Chapter 1

  Excerpt of Honeymoon

  Excerpt of Heal My Heart

  Excerpt of Kinkdom

  Excerpt of An Alabama Christmas

  The Short & Scorching Collection

  Keep up with HQ

  The Short & Scorching Collection

  Honeymoon

  Pledgeling

  Coming Soon

  Pool Boy

  Campfire

  Summary

  Zachary's family is full of Mu Theta legends. Naturally, it is expected of him to pledge and carry on the family tradition. But when one of the brothers seems to get off on torturing him, Zach wonders if Mu Theta is really the place for him—especially since Brother Nick's torture keeps giving him the most inappropriate feelings...

  1

  “I can’t believe you’re pledging,” Cameron said as he rolled his eyes and bit into his apple. “Those assholes are a bunch of meatheads, and we both know it.”

  I shook my head. Cameron was always outspoken against the things he disliked, and the Mu Theta Delta wasn’t spared. I’d told him I was going to pledge, but I guess he hadn't believed me.

  "I told you it's family tradition," I said as I leaned my chin into my palm. "My father did it, my grandfather and his father, not to mention all of my uncles, cousins, and brothers. It's a whole thing and I have to do it, so get over it."

  Cameron rolled his eyes. "I think it's stupid, but whatever. Abandon your friend and play stupid hazing games while I go be fabulous at this party tonight."

  I narrowed my eyes. "I can't believe you're going without me."

  "Too bad, Zach." He grinned. "We could have been getting drunk and felt up by hot guys, but you wanted to go do stupid hazing crap." He hopped off of the picnic table and sighed. "For real, though, this sucks. Once you get in, I'll probably never see you because you'll be too busy playing straight."

  I raised a brow. "Playing straight? Why the hell would I have to do that?"

  Cameron laughed. "As if they're going to be into you being gay? Get real. Those dude-bro types only think about one thing, and that's how much pussy they can get."

  Cameron was my best friend, but he was also a huge pain in my ass.

  I toyed with my phone, chewing on my bottom lip. As annoying as he was, what if he was right? What if they found out I was gay and didn't want me to be part of their fraternity?

  "Thanks for that, asshole. Now I'm worried about it," I grumbled as I held my phone so hard my palm throbbed.

  "Hey, don’t. If they don’t accept you, they’re morons," he said as his voice softened and he patted my arm. "Besides, if they don't want you, I do." He laughed. "We can go right back to hanging out."

  I picked up my water bottle and threw it at him as he laughed. "Shut the fuck up. I'm getting in, you damn saboteur."

  "Sorry, sorry!" He shook his head and scooped up my bottle before he handed it back. "Seriously, though, it's not my shit, but good luck. I know how bad you want it. And if they give you any shit about it, I'll kick someone's ass."

  "Thanks," I sighed. "That actually means a lot. Shit, I better head over there," I said as I grabbed my bag and passed it to Cameron. "Feel like dropping that off in our room? I don't want to take it with me."

  "No problem. See you later, man."

  Cameron hugged me before he turned and headed back for the dorms. I pocketed my phone and headed toward Mu Theta Delta with my heart in my throat. I hope this doesn't blow up in my face.

  I stared up at the fraternity house with its imposing white columns and brick walls and sighed. The place was intimidating as hell. I swallowed and tried to talk myself into going in.

  It was hazing. Yeah, it would be a pain in the ass or even embarrassing, but I knew I could do it. It had been my dream for as long as I could remember to be part of the brotherhood that my family was a part of. And I knew how proud it would make them that I was carrying on in their footsteps.

  "I can do this," I muttered.

  How bad could it really be? My family survived it and so could I.

  I'd tried to convince my brothers to tell me what they'd gone through, but all I’d gotten were shudders and headshakes. Apparently, I wasn't supposed to know. I was just supposed to go through with it.

  No fucking pressure.

  "Pledge!" A voice barked and I jumped nearly a foot in the air.

  I stared up at a familiar face and swallowed hard. Thick blond hair, startling blue eyes, and a body to die for. The president of the frat, Nickolas, stared down at me, his eyes narrowed. I'd drooled over him the first day I’d seen him. But my idiotic, dreamy infatuation was made even worse with that commanding tone and that mischievous smirk.

  Stupidly, my dick twitched, letting me know just how much I loved a man in charge.

  He looked like a powerhouse, and I almost welcomed a little bit of teasing from those soft, pink lips. My brain went blank and I swallowed thickly as I tried to figure out what to say to him.

  "Move your ass, pledge," he snapped. "Everyone else is already here. Why are you fucking around?"

  "Oh, uh, yes, sorry," I muttered as I scrambled up the stairs.

  "Move, move, move!"

  Every barked word forced me to move faster until I stumbled through the door and into the living room. A line of pledges—at least the ones that had secured a bid during rush week—stood side-by-side with blindfolds over their faces.

  What the hell had I gotten myself into?

  "Line up," Nick's voice demanded while the other brothers grinned and looked as if they couldn't wait to torment us.

  What choice did I have? My heart racing, I stepped into line with the rest of the pledges. Nick picked up a blindfold and walked behind me. His body pressed against mine, and I felt the hard contours of his muscles outlined against my back.

  "You're shaking, pledge," he whispered against my ear, and I nearly came on the spot. "Nervous?"

  I licked my lips. "N-no, I'm not nervous."

  "Really? Dude, you're trembling like a little puppy. Maybe you're not nervous. Maybe you're...” he dropped his voice, barely breathing the word. “Excited."

  I shivered. The way he’d said it made me feel so dirty…and hard. Had that been his intention…or was I just a freak?

  I licked my lips, which seemed to have gone dry in his presence, but I couldn't think of a word to say. Instead, I tried to focus on calming my erection as the blindfold was tightened into place, and I was left in the dark.

  My heart hammered in my chest as the room went silent. The lack of sound was worse than the noise I'd heard before. I knew there were still people around us, but it felt like being in a void. I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

  "Your new nickname is Mutt," Nick growled into my ear. "Get down on the floor and bark for us, bitch boy."

  My face flushed. Heat worked through my entire body and I tried not to tremble, but my limbs did what they wanted to do, rattling like a bag of bones.

  Slowly, I sank to the floor and tried not to end up landing on my face. The hardwood was cool beneath my palms as I positioned myself on all fours. I sucked in a shaky breath, hesitating for a moment.

  Is this shit really worth it? I knew it was for family and to keep a tradition alive, but damn, I had a feeling these jerks were going to make my life hell. Could I even handle that much embarrassment? I had no idea.

  Keep it together, Zach. It can't be that bad.

  "I don't hear you, bitch," Nick snapped, but there was a laugh behind it, as if he was just waiting for me to humiliate myself. "I said bark!"

  Why was my mouth so
damn dry? It was probably because I could feel eyes on me, and I shuddered in response.

  Someone, probably Nick, nudged me with their shoe, and I cleared my throat, trying to force out a sound—any sound.

  "Arf. Arf." I finally managed without much enthusiasm.

  A chuckle rippled through the room, and I wanted to shove my head through the floorboards and hide my face forever. My whole face felt like it was on fire, all the way to my ears.

  Of course, I'd known crazy shit was going to happen, but it was one thing to mentally prepare and another to actually have to face it.

  "I can't hear you, bitch boy. Louder!" Another soft kick pressed against my arm.

  Fuck it. You can fucking do this. You’re all in now. Just go for it!

  "Arf! Arf! Arf!" I barked loud and clear and tried to ignore the laughter that echoed through the room.

  “Now sit,” Nick commanded, and I obeyed, finding it easier to ignore the laughter this time.

  “Shake.”

  I shook.

  “Wag that tail, my little bitch.”

  I perched my ass into the air and wagged. I was panting and tired, but suddenly felt completely in the zone. The laughter had no effect on me anymore. In fact, I barely even heard it. All I could focus on was Nick’s voice as I waited for my next command.

  It was entrancing and unexpected, but I wanted more. I wanted to do more, to hear him shout at me more. To hear him claim me as his bitch.

  God, I’m fucking sick in the head.

  "Do you need a drink, boy?"

  My mouth felt like the Sahara. I was pretty sure I could drink a gallon of water and it wouldn't be enough. I gave him a hard nod.

  "Here, drink up."

  I blindly reached out, trying to find whatever drink he was handing me.

  My head was sharply yanked back, fingers curled tightly in my hair. So tightly that I couldn’t move. I whimpered at the pain as nails dug into my scalp, securing me in place.

  "You're a bitch, remember? I don’t know a single bitch that can use their hands. Use your mouth, dumbass,” Nick growled, letting me go and roughly shoving my head to the side.

  What a fucking jerk. Just as quickly as I found myself enthralled with him, I found myself hating him.

  I leaned forward, slowly searching the ground before I found the rim of something cold in front of me. I opened my mouth and eagerly stuck my tongue inside and yelped as fire burned over my tongue.

  "What the hell is that?" I sputtered, trying to spit out what I’d already put in my mouth.

  "It's a Mu Theta Delta special. Don't ask questions, pledge. Drink it."

  My pride and my tongue protested big time, but damn, I didn't want to give up. If I was the first one out, it would be horrible, and I didn't want to give up. I wanted to wipe the smirk that I could hear off Nick's ridiculously hot, smug face and shove it down his throat.

  I sucked in a breath and held it as I pressed my face into the concoction again and lapped at it like an eager puppy. Whatever it was, it was disgusting. Cheap booze and some kind of hot sauce with a sour tang. Taste after taste, it changed into something even more horrible, but I lapped up every single drop until I hit the bottom of the glass.

  My stomach dipped and turned, but it was down, and I was good. I did it! A bit tingly all over, but I was alive and still ready to go.

  A hand came down hard on my ass, and I jumped at the sudden human contact.

  "One down. Now it's time for the rest of you."

  I sighed and relaxed as he moved on to the next pledge and I was left alone. It was a good thing there were several of us. At least I wouldn't be the main target for Nick.

  Right?

  My legs ached from standing for so long. The frat brothers had used us for the better part of a day, usually doing some stupid chore while blindfolded so we fucked it up and then had to do it all over again. Once night fell, they’d decided to party, and we were shuffled off into a dank second-floor bathroom and locked inside, packed together like sardines.

  "This is fucking insane," one of the pledges growled. "There's no way in hell I'm going to keep doing this crazy shit for these psychos."

  "What did you think was going to happen?" Another pledge laughed. He was way too eager—about everything—and had been given the nickname "Squirrel." "I'm ready for anything. I say bring it on."

  "You're a masochist," I said as I raised a brow. "I can still taste whatever that maniac made me drink on my tongue."

  A resounding grunt of agreement echoed through the room. At least the dark, hot bathroom was better than being out there getting pushed around. Especially considering the fact that Nick liked to torment me as soon as he was too close. An errant hand down my back, fingers into my hair. Every time he was close, he touched me, and my body shot into overdrive.

  "What do you think they're going to make us do next?" The shy pledge who had been nicknamed "Bunny" asked with a trembling voice.

  "No fucking clue," someone snapped.

  I had to admit that I understood all of them. I was nervous, slightly pissed off, and ready to take on the world—all at once. And a voice kept whispering that I had to do it. I had to get through it and prove that I was just as badass as my family who had done it before me.

  The door swung open and a shaft of light blinded me. I raised my hand to shield my eyes and shrunk back on instinct.

  Nick's thick body blocked the doorway, and he grinned at us like a wolf stalking its next meal.

  Of course, that look both made me squirm and ridiculously hard. I clearly had some issues when it came to assholes, and Nick was bringing it out in spades. I could imagine him doing fifty different things to my body and loving each and every one of them.

  "Follow me," he said.

  Two words, but there was so much more behind them. I shuddered involuntarily and shuffled out of the bathroom with the rest of the pledges. Noise thumped and echoed from below as the sound of shouting followed. The brothers had decided to throw one hell of a party, but of course, we weren't really invited.

  "You three, go downstairs and help with the party," Nick pointed before he clicked his tongue. "And don't forget these."

  Each of them was given a pair of handcuffs. I wanted to ask why so badly, but I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, let alone Nick's. Once they shuffled off, there were three of us left. Nick pointed to the first two and sent them off to different rooms that lined the hall until there was just me and Nick.

  "And what should I do with you?" He grinned.

  I held my breath, ready for him to say something because I knew I sure as hell wasn't supposed to speak. His eyes roamed my body, and I steeled myself under his intense blue gaze.

  "I know exactly what you can do for me."

  Nick grabbed the collar of my shirt and yanked me behind him. I didn't try to protest. I just let myself be dragged down the hall to the very end. He opened the door to a huge bedroom that was a complete disaster zone. I stared at the mess with my jaw dropped.

  "Get to work, pledge. I want every inch of it cleaned perfectly. Once you get down to the floor, you can use your toothbrush to clean it."

  He just wants to humiliate me. He just wants to humiliate me. I just have to get through it and move the hell on.

  That's what I had to keep telling myself, or I knew I was going to lose it and end up snapping back. There was only so much you could take before it became too much, right?

  I ran my fingers through my hair and nodded. "Sure, Brother Nick. Whatever you need."

  "That's a good bitch," he grinned. "Get to work."

  I watched as he left the room and disappeared back down to the party below, leaving me standing in a shit pile. As soon as I was alone, I released a long-held breath and my shoulders sagged. It wasn't like I could say no.

  I forced myself to get started, even as I grumbled under my breath. The sooner the night ended, the better. I felt the irritation growing, but I knew that there was more to come over the next few weeks.

/>   A few more weeks and I won't have to do any of this again. It's a good bargain. I just had to keep it together.

  I walked into my dorm and flopped on my bed. There was still food in my hair from being used as target practice, but I was too exhausted to get up and do anything about it. Cameron walked over and flopped onto my bed.

  "Why the fuck do you smell like some kind of gross cheese, man?"

  I groaned. "One of the guys decided it would be fun to try to hit us with it. Apparently, I'm not all that fast." I stretched and groaned harder. "And my ass hurts."

  Cameron grinned. "Woah, wait. Why? Maybe this is my kind of place after all."

  I flapped a hand at him in a feeble attempt to smack him, but it fell short. I sighed and gave up right away. My body was exhausted, and my brain was fried from classes.

  "It's nothing fun, dumbass," I muttered. "Just a giant paddle with Greek letters on it for people that can't move that fast."

  Cameron shook his head. "I told you it was going to be stupid, but you went and did it anyway. How much longer do you have to go?"

  "Another week," I groaned and shook my head. "And we have an overnighter tomorrow night. I'll be so glad when this is all over and I get to rub someone else's face in it next year."

  "You're a hypocrite." Cam leaned against my pillow and grinned at me, at my pain.

  Why am I friends with this bastard again? We'd known each other since we were just kids. People always asked if there was more between us, but there was no way. Cameron was my friend, even if he was ridiculously hot. I wouldn't fuck him. I didn't want to screw up what we had.

  "Whatever. I am what I am," I said as I pushed myself up. "I need to go take a shower."

  "Do it fast. I want to grab some food, and I refuse to buy yours if you take forever."