Slave Girls of Alpha Beta Delta, Chapter 10

Taking no chances, Jenny arrived in front of Kristin’s door at 7:30 instead of 8. But she didn’t want to be too early, either, so she stood silently in the hallway, barely daring to breathe, until she heard the chiming of Bowmore’s clocktower. Then she rapped on the wooden door as loudly as she dared. Footsteps sounded, the door creaked open, and framed there in the golden light of dusk was a vision: Kristin, towering over Jenny in heels, dressed in a black leather halter top and a short black leather skirt. Taking Jenny by the hand, Kristin guided her inside the room and closed the door behind her.

There was something new in Kristin’s face tonight: a sternness, a seriousness of purpose. She had given herself a little pep talk before this meeting; though she was already quite fond of Jenny, she didn’t want to run the risk of coming across as soft. It was important to establish right from the start that she was the one in charge.

“It’s good to see you, Jenny,” she said. “But we need to set a few ground rules. First off, when you come into my room, the first thing you need to do is take off your clothes. All of them.” She made a somewhat dismissive gesture, as if to say, Now.

Jenny scrambled to get out of her skirt, blouse, bra, and panties. Her breath was coming a bit heavy as she stood naked before her...what? Friend? Lover? Slavemaster?

From a hook on the door, Kristin produced the collar that Jenny had worn the night before. “When you’re here you will always wear this collar,” she said, “which symbolizes that you belong to me. Do you understand?”

Jenny nodded. Kristin gave her the collar, and after a moment’s difficulty, Jenny was able to fasten it around her own neck.

“Now on your knees,” commanded Kristin, “with your hands behind your back.”

Jenny obeyed, growing wetter by the second as she gazed up into the blond senior’s suddenly pitiless face. “Get used to this position, Jenny. This is how I want to see you whenever you come here. Whether I’m here or not, you will assume this position and await further orders. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” Jenny murmured submissively.

“Yes, mistress.”

“Yes, mistress,” repeated Jenny.

“Good,” said Kristin, smiling that familiar smile for the first time this evening. “Now,” she said, lifting her skirt slightly, “do you know what this is?”

An enormous black plastic phallus emerged from underneath the leather. It was at least ten inches long and commensurately thick. Jenny, shocked and slightly frightened, shook her head. “This is a strap-on,” said Kristin, “Every senior has one. Take a good look.” She took a step forward so the shaft dangled inches from Jenny’s eyes. “You’ll get to know this baby very well over the course of the year. It’s a good idea if you make friends with it as soon as possible. Do you know how to suck a cock?”

Jenny answered honestly. “No.”

“You’re not a virgin, are you?”

Again, Jenny answered in the negative.

“Good,” said Kristin. “That’ll make this a lot easier. Stick your tongue out.”

Jenny did so. “Lick the tip.”

Jenny obeyed.

“Now run your tongue up the shaft.”

Tentatively, Jenny licked the plastic penis, feeling a fluttering sensation in her stomach as she gauged its size.

“Open your lips,” ordered Kristin, sliding the tip of the strap-on into Jenny’s mouth. “Let’s see how much you can take,” she said, thrusting her hips forward until Jenny started to gag. “Well, you’ll get better. Go lay down on the bed now.”

Jenny did as she was told, spreading her legs obligingly. Kristin smiled to herself – this girl is catching on in a hurry, she thought. Something had told her all along that Jenny was desperately in need of a good fucking. And now she was going to get one.

From a bedside table Kristin produced two pairs of handcuffs, which she used to bind each of Jenny’s wrists to a bedpost. Partly she didn’t want Jenny struggling too much – this might hurt a little bit. But mostly she just wanted to see her beautiful Asian slavegirl chained to the bed. She also lit a candle to leaven the growing darkness of the evening. She wanted to be sure she wouldn’t miss the look on Jenny’s face when penetrating her for the first time.

Kristin knelt between Jenny’s legs with the tip of the strap-on poised at her entrance. She looked down at the younger girl, who gazed up doe-eyed, innocent, trusting but slightly scared. It was almost too much to handle. She leaned down to kiss Jenny’s pillowy lips, tongue her ear, nibble briefly on her breasts. Then Kristin returned to her knees and eased the first inch or so into Jenny’s slippery wet cunt. Jenny’s mouth went wide and she let out a gasp that was half surprise and half pure ecstasy. This caused Kristin to abruptly abandon all restraint; she almost cruelly thrust the rest of the lengthy phallus into Jenny in one swift motion.

Jenny cut loose with a primal, animalistic howl. She had never felt anything like it in her life. (Her prom date, in addition to being quick, had been rather small.) Kristin backed almost all the way out and plunged in again. Jenny thrust her hips forward to meet the beast; she felt like she was being turned inside-out, but she wanted more, more, more.

Kristin was a big girl and in excellent physical shape, and she put all of her strength into the attempt to fuck Jenny senseless. Jenny’s first orgasm had her screaming and thrashing, the handcuffs rattling against the bedpost, but Kristin didn’t let up for a moment. She continued to pound into her freshman charge over and over, making her come again, then again, until the orgasms finally melted together into one long moment of undifferentiated bliss that enveloped the both of them.

Kristin collapsed in a heap on top of Jenny. Both girls were sweaty, exhausted, utterly satisfied. For the moment, anyway. Once she caught her breath, Kristin felt that familiar itch between her legs. She pulled off the strap-on and climbed up to straddle Jenny’s head, slipping her hands underneath and forcing it roughly up into her crotch. Almost in self-defense, Jenny began to service Kristin as best she could.

This was a new sensation for Jenny, to be completely buried in the taste and smell of another female. It was warm in there, and wet, and wonderful. She worked on finding Kristin’s clit and attending to it, bringing a delirious yelp from the blonde senior. Kristin climaxed once, then again, rubbing her clit against Jenny’s nose.

When her appetite had been sated at last, Kristin stretched herself full-length on top of the younger girl and kissed her tenderly, then started licking her own prodigious juices off Jenny’s face. Nothing was said, or needed to be said. All was quiet and peaceful as Kristin uncuffed Jenny and embraced her, savoring the feel and smell of her until they both fell asleep.

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Slave Girls of Alpha Beta Delta, Chapter 9

When Jenny awoke, bright sunlight was streaming in through the windows. She yawned and stretched contentedly; she felt happy, relaxed, and gloriously free. Something had changed in her since the previous day. She would never be the same, and the feeling was exciting; she was eager to expand her boundaries even further.

She looked over at Kristin sleeping next to her, still in her white dress from the night before, and a wave of affection swept over her as she remembered the pleasure Kristin had brought her. Suddenly she was struck with an impulse: She would return the favor. It was only right, after all.

She pulled aside the sheet that was draped over Kristin. The dress had ridden up around Kristin’s waist and she wasn’t wearing underwear, so her soft blond bush was out in the open. Jenny leaned down and began to kiss and lick all around it. Kristin stirred, aware that something was happening, but still half in a dream. She sighed and spread her legs.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jenny bent down and took her first taste of another girl’s pussy. It was a complex, slightly bitter taste, but she decided she liked it. She pushed her tongue inside as she remembered Kristin doing the night before; the blonde pushed forward to meet her mouth.

Jenny was unskilled and clumsy – in fact she had only the vaguest idea of how the clitoris really worked – but she was eager and sincere, and eventually she was able to bring Kristin to an orgasm that was all the sweeter for being so long delayed.

Kristin pulled Jenny up to lay on top of her. When they kissed, Kristin felt a sharp little thrill at tasting herself on Jenny’s lips. In fact much of Jenny’s face was moist with Kristin’s juices; she’d gotten quite into it, apparently. Kristin pushed Jenny’s hair back and whispered in her ear, “Now suck my tits.”

Just 24 hours ago, Jenny could never have imagined that it would excite her to be talked to that way. She felt an insistent throbbing between her legs as she obediently pulled Kristin’s dress down, releasing the older girl’s firm, ample breasts. Leaning down, Jenny began to nurse on Kristin’s left nipple; it was warm, soft, and salty in her mouth.

Kristin reclined and enjoyed the sensation, watching the younger girl’s black hair bob up and down as she moved back and forth from one breast to the other. For three years now she’d been waiting for the day she’d get a freshman of her very own, and already Jenny was exceeding her expectations. She still had a lot to learn, of course, and Kristin was going to enjoy teaching her. But there was no need to hurry. They had plenty of time.

* * *

“OK,” Kristin said to Jenny after a while. “Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Jenny’s overnight bag had mysteriously appeared in the room during the night; she and Kristin got dressed and made their way downstairs to the dining room, where an extensive buffet was set up. Jenny was famished. She piled a plate high with pastry and fruit, then looked around for a place to sit. There at a corner table were Emma and April. Seeing her roommate, Jenny felt self-conscious for the first time that day. She felt a pang of shame at what she had done with Kristin. But then she realized that April must have been doing the same things with Emma. Certainly they both had glowing smiles on their faces.

“Come sit with us,” said Emma, indicating two empty chairs at their table. Jenny hesitated, but Kristin put her hand on Jenny’s back and steered her in that direction.

“Did you know these two were roommates in the dorms?” Kristin asked Emma.

The redhead shook her head no, looking Jenny over appraisingly. “Interesting.”

“We should all hang out together sometime,” said Kristin.

“Absolutely,” said Emma, licking her lips as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. “The sooner the better.”

The rest of their conversation consisted of pleasant, ordinary chitchat. After Emma and April finished and excused themselves, Kristin said to Jenny, “I have some errands to run today. Why don’t you go back to the dorms and pack up your stuff.”

“Pack up?” asked Jenny.

“Starting tomorrow you’ll be moving into the freshman barracks on the second floor. Tonight, though, I want to see you at my door at 8:00 sharp. Got it?”

“OK,” said Jenny. “Sure. 8:00.”

“Great,” said Kristin. “See you then.” She leaned over and kissed Jenny softly on the cheek, taking the opportunity to whisper, “I had a great time last night. And this morning.”

Jenny couldn’t stop herself from breaking into a silly grin and turning bright red. “Me too,” she answered, her eyes cast shyly downward.

Back at the dorm room, Jenny found she had a hard time looking April in the eye. She felt like kind of a hypocrite, having resisted April so stubbornly, and given it up so easily to Kristin. And in the light of day, away from the environment of ABD House, the whole thing seemed so strange. She replayed the events of the last day in her head over and over. It had started off normally enough: dinner with a bunch of potential sorority sisters. Next thing she knew she had been blindfolded, stripped, chosen, and leashed. And far from trying to stop it, she had been a willing accomplice. In her heart of hearts she knew that she had wanted it to happen. When the time came, she had eagerly accepted Kristin’s intimate caresses, and been more than willing to return the favor. What did this make her?

April, in contrast, was as carefree as could be, singing to herself as she glided around the room packing her suitcase. What would happen to this room, Jenny wondered. Would she still have to pay for it? There had been no mention of rent at ABD, so maybe it made no difference. There was no point thinking too much about it, she decided. There was something magical going on, and if she let it happen, she was sure everything would work out.

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Slave Girls of Alpha Beta Delta, Chapter 8

Once Miss White had left the room, Kristin helped Jenny to her feet and led her into the hallway, walking briskly and pulling Jenny along by her leash. They climbed four sets of stairs in silence before finally coming to a heavy wooden door, which Kristin opened and guided the younger girl through.

Kristin’s room was huge, more like a hotel suite than a dorm room. Two walls were occupied by large windows, and through them there was a wonderful view of the campus. A full moon hung in the sky, dusting the room with cool gray light. Kristin dropped the leash and walked over to the far corner. “One of the perks of being president,” she said, nodding. “Room with a fireplace.”

She began to build a fire as Jenny stood there shivering, partly because it was cold, and partly because of the strange mixture of fear and anticipation she was feeling. Here she was, naked and tied at the mercy of a girl she barely knew. She had no idea what Kristin had in store for her. Images flashed through her head of things she might be made to do – things that, deep down, she hoped she would be made to do.

Once the fire was crackling, Kristin walked over and took Jenny in her arms, rubbing her sides to warm her up. Jenny nearly fainted from pleasure at the feeling of Kristin’s warm body pressed against hers. She smelled fantastic, and because she was so much taller than Jenny, her soft breasts were against Jenny’s neck.

When she was satisfied that Jenny was warm, Kristin led her over to the bed and had her sit. Then she crouched down in front of the freshman and looked into her lovely eyes, wide with an endearingly innocent confusion. “Jenny, you have no idea how I’ve looked forward to this moment. Ever since the first time I laid eyes on you, I’ve wanted you. I pretended to think about my choice earlier just to be dramatic. I knew all along that it would be you. I think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and the more I get to know you, the more I like you. We’re going to have a lot of fun together this year.”

She leaned forward and kissed Jenny on the mouth, hard. Unlike with April, Jenny didn’t resist. Somehow the fact that she was a slave, that she had no choice, made it OK. Far from resisting, she kissed back eagerly, and before she knew it her tongue and Kristin’s were doing a little dance inside their joined mouths. Jenny’s nipples tingled and her sex moistened. These sensations were new to Jenny — she was a little frightened of the power of what she was feeling, but exhilarated too.

After several long minutes, Kristin broke off the kiss and pushed Jenny onto her back on the bed, her bound hands beneath her. She straddled Jenny and leaned down to push her tongue into one ear, then the other. Jenny squirmed delightfully under her. Kristin licked her way down Jenny’s neck, grinning to herself because she could smell the evidence of the younger girl’s arousal. Kristin wanted to take this slow, but she was being overcome by lust now. She wrapped her hands around Jenny’s breasts and began to eagerly devour them, sucking and then biting down gently on each nipple in turn.

Jenny gasped. Kristin’s warm, wet mouth on her nipple was exquisite in a way that made tears form in her eyes, and when she felt Kristin’s teeth clamp down on her, the mixture of pain and pleasure made the tears start to flow. Kristin kissed her way down to Jenny’s navel, sticking her tongue into it as her hands held Jenny’s hips. Then she nuzzled her nose into Jenny’s pubic hair, savoring the musky scent that was emanating from underneath. She wanted badly to dive right in, but she decided that Jenny needed to wait a little longer. So she ran her tongue along Jenny’s hips and pelvis, and when finally she couldn’t stand it a second longer, she put her hands on Jenny’s knees and spread her legs as far as they would go.

Jenny closed her eyes and arched her back. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. A voice inside her was telling her that this was terribly, terribly wrong; but it was drowned out by the screaming desire of the animal within her that Kristin had awakened. She knew that what was about to happen was a terrible sin… and she wanted it more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

Kristin looked up at Jenny’s face – her eyes were closed in bliss, her mouth in a perfect “O” – and ran one finger across the surface of Jenny’s slit; it made a sweet little squishing sound. Jenny was incredibly wet; the juice was running down the insides of her thighs, so Kristin leaned over and tasted it. Jenny groaned and went stiff.

Kristin adjusted her position so that she was kneeling on the floor between Jenny’s legs, which she pulled up onto her shoulders. She teased the younger girl for as long as she could tolerate by kissing and nibbling her inner thighs before finally opening Jenny with her tongue.

When Jenny yelled “Oh my God!”, it was the first time she’d spoken since taking the Oath of Obedience. The world disappeared for her now. Everything was pure white light as Kristin stuck her tongue deeper into Jenny’s pussy, then ran it gently across her clitoris. Jenny shook and moaned. Kristin tasted every inch of her, returning now and then to lick, then bite, her engorged clit.

Kristin stretched the process out for as long as she could, and when Jenny finally came – was it five minutes later, or five hours? – it was apocalyptic. She screamed and howled and called for Jesus. But Kristin didn’t let up. The best thing about being a girl, after all, is multiple orgasms. And Kristin wanted Jenny to have an experience she’d never forget.

Using all of her considerable skill, Kristin made Jenny come three more times – each time with more and louder histrionics – before crawling into the bed beside her. She untied Jenny’s hands and pulled a sheet up over the two of them. Kristin gazed down into the moonlit beauty of the face beside her. Sweet little Jenny, utterly exhausted by the pleasure she’d experienced, was fast asleep.

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Slave Girls of Alpha Beta Delta, Chapter 7

Kristin stood up and walked around the table to stand next to Miss White. They were a vision together, the raven-haired woman in black and the blonde in white. There was a new look on Kristin’s face now, one that Jenny recognized, though she didn't know from where. Had she been more circumspect, she might have realized it was a look she had seen on her dog around mealtime: that of appetite about to be fulfilled. “Freshmen, you will now stand,” she said, and they obeyed.

“Sophomores, take your positions,” she said, and ten girls rose as one. They shuffled around until each one was standing behind one of the freshmen. “Now,” said Kristin, and each sophomore produced a blindfold and covered the eyes of the girl in front of her. As her sight was taken away, Jenny felt a strange combination of sensations: a twinge of fear, and a slight tickle between her legs.

The sophomore behind her took her by the hand and led her away from the table. They walked in silence for a minute, a procession of twenty young women followed by the rest of the Sisters, and finally by Alexis White. They went, it seemed, down a cold, dark hallway. Then they emerged into a somewhat brighter area. When they stopped, Jenny felt herself being turned in a particular direction, then a pleasant wave of heat on her back.

She heard Kristin’s voice again. “Sophomores, stand down.” The girl who had led her there moved away, and Jenny was in her own private darkness. Alexis White spoke.

“A very special part of our tradition here is the relationship between the seniors and the freshmen. Each senior picks a freshman whom she will mentor throughout the year. In return, the freshman serves that senior’s needs to the fullest of her ability.”

Kristin gave another order. “Juniors, prepare the initiates.”

There was a sound of footsteps and rustling fabric as the juniors moved into position, and then Jenny felt a new set of hands on her. They unzipped her dress, pulled the straps off her shoulders, and lowered it around her ankles. Jenny obediently stepped out of it. The hands unbuckled and removed her bra, taking liberties with her as they did so. Jenny felt her nipples stiffen as the hands cupped her breasts and slid down her sides to her hips, where they slid under the waistband of her panties and began to ease them down her legs. Again Jenny meekly allowed herself to be stripped, scarcely believing what was happening to her.

This was certainly not what she had expected. Again every sober instinct inside her was telling her to run, that she was now passing through a door that she’d never be able to walk out of. But she remained rooted in place, feeling a strange mixture of emotions as she realized that all the other freshmen must be standing nearby in a similarly exposed state. She could feel eyes on her naked body, and while it was an unfamiliar sensation, it was not an altogether unpleasant one.

Next thing she knew, the hands were roughly grabbing her wrists and pulling them behind her back. A cord of soft fabric – she guessed silk – was wrapped around her wrists, rendering her helpless as well as naked. She felt the warmth of a body against her, breasts pressing against her back. The hands moved around in front of her, sliding across her hipbones and into her pubic hair. They dove quite boldly between her legs, stroking her inner thighs and briefly exploring the burgeoning wetness between them. Jenny wanted the hands to penetrate her and never stop, and at the same time she was mortified at her own wantonness. But just like that they were gone, and Jenny bit her lip in quiet frustration.

Then the hands applied gentle pressure to her shoulders, indicating that she was to kneel, and she complied. There were footsteps as the girl who had undressed her walked away. Jenny would never know who it was that had violated her.

“Beautiful,” said Miss White, in a whisper that was only audible because it was so quiet in the room. Then, more loudly, she announced, “Kristin, as president, the first choice is yours.”

“Thank you, Miss White,” answered Kristin, and Jenny heard her heels clacking on the wood floor as she circled the group of kneeling, naked girls. Jenny’s heart was pounding. It was silent except for the sound of Kristin’s shoes for what seemed like forever, until finally Jenny felt her blindfold being slipped off and blinked momentarily in the restored light. Kristin was standing over her, smiling down benevolently. In her hand was a black studded collar, which she ceremoniously fastened around Jenny’s neck. She then attached a leather leash to the collar and went to stand behind Jenny, who despite the strangeness of the situation beamed at being so chosen.

“Emma, you’re next,” said Miss White, and a pale redhead with sparkling green eyes stepped forward with an identical collar in her hands. Jenny examined the line of bound freshmen extending to her left and right. April was all the way at one end, and since she was still blindfolded, Jenny took the opportunity to drink in all the details of her naked body. Her breasts were smaller than Jenny’s own, but firm and high and capped by dark brown nipples. A neat patch of black curls covered her pubis and disappeared between her coffee-colored legs.

As Emma inspected the merchandise available to her, Jenny looked around the room. It was the same large room in which they’d waited for their names to be called the preceding week. The heat on her back was from the roaring fireplace, which made the kneeling girls reasonably comfortable despite their nudity. A magnificent chandelier hung far above their heads, and a large bronze statue of the Three Graces stood in one corner. She had been too nervous to notice these details before, Jenny realized, but now she felt amazingly calm.

She turned her attention back to Emma, who seemed now to have made up her mind. Jenny’s heart soared as the redhead leaned over April, removing her blindfold and repeating the same motions with the collar and leash. Jenny wanted badly to look into April’s eyes, to see what she was feeling, but for some reason she felt that she shouldn’t. They were to be separated now, at least for the time being.

One by one the seniors stepped forward and made their choices. One by one the freshmen were allowed to see the scene around them, to see who they now belonged to. The final pairing consisted of Corinne, a senior who looked like she could have been Alexis White’s daughter, and Maura, a red-haired freshman who looked like — and was, in fact — Emma’s younger sister.

“Alright,” said Miss White, “juniors and sophomores, you are dismissed.” The twenty girls filed out dutifully. “Seniors,” she continued, “these freshmen are yours to do with as you will. Good night.”

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Slave Girls of Alpha Beta Delta, Chapter 6

The night of the initiation, Jenny was so nervous she felt sick to her stomach. At one point she thought she was actually going to throw up, but nothing happened. She wondered why she was so much more nervous this time. Maybe because the first time it hadn’t quite seemed real to her; now she had a picture in her mind of who and what she was dealing with. Her desire to fit in and impress her new sorority sisters, and her fear that she wouldn’t be able to do it, had been making her anxious all week. Now, with the moment of truth approaching, it was getting worse by the minute.

Meanwhile, April was scrambling to get Jenny’s dress ready. As a sort of peace offering she had offered to use her sewing skills to make some alterations to the dark red dress. She figured that without too much trouble she could make it seem like a different outfit, and that way Jenny could avoid paying for new clothes. But the changes she was making had turned out to be more complicated than she thought, and as six o’clock came and went she was still sewing away.

By 6:30, though, April was finished with the dress, Jenny’s stomach had settled down a bit, and the girls began bustling about to get themselves ready. Jenny returned to the bathroom to get dressed while April slipped into the strapless dark green number she had picked out for herself. Then April made some final adjustments to Jenny’s dress, teased her hair for a minute, and stood back to evaluate her handiwork. It was the same girl, and the same dress, but she looked like a different person. The altered dress really showed off Jenny’s cleavage and was very tight around her butt. April smiled slyly to herself; a perverse part of her took great pleasure in making this sweet, innocent, repressed girl look like a bit of a slut.

For her part, Jenny was envious of her roommate’s ability to pull herself together so easily. It seemed like April threw on a dress, tugged at a hem here and moved a strap there, spent 10 minutes on hair and makeup, and looked like a million dollars. Jenny thought that if she wanted to, she would be a supermodel someday.

At 7:30 the girls grabbed their overnight bags and retraced their steps of the previous week to Alpha Beta Delta. At the door they were greeted by a cute, slim girl with brown hair and glasses who led them to an enormous formal dining room at the back of the building. She pointed out their placecards, which were toward one end of a very long and narrow table, and returned to wait for the next arrival. The table was already almost full, and by talking to their neighbors Jenny and April gathered that the ten freshmen were all seated at their end of the table, five on one side and five on the other.

In the next few minutes the rest of the places at the table filled up except for the single chairs at either end. At that point Kristin appeared through a side doorway and nodded to the girl with glasses, who was standing in one corner. From her angle Jenny could just make out that she returned to the front door, swung it closed, and folded down a big, heavy inside bar that would make sure it stayed closed. They were in for the night now, Jenny thought. Her heart was beating fast as Kristin sat down in the open chair farthest from them, way at the other side. The atmosphere in the room was highly charged; something very important was happening here, though it was hard to say exactly what.

Then, in the doorway through which Kristin had entered, another figure appeared: Alexis White, looking somewhat less severe than she had the week before. She was wearing a formal, fairly conservative black gown and her hair, while not in a bun this time, was still up in an elegant style with not a strand out of place. Jenny studied her as she swept into the room and headed for the last empty chair. She had an air of quiet authority about her, the demeanor of someone who’s used to being in charge and comfortable with it. Her posture was perfect and every detail of her attire was impeccable.

Arriving at the head of the table, Miss White (as Jenny would soon learn to call her) motioned for everyone to stand. She picked up the half-full wine glass waiting at her place and everyone else followed suit. “To our new arrivals,” she said, and there was general clinking of glasses and sipping of wine. When it died down she asked the company to be seated.

“I’d like to personally welcome to Alpha Beta Delta house our incoming freshmen: Sofia, Maura, Jenny, Rebecca, Natalie, Maia, April, Jessica, Angela, and Rachel.” She rattled off the names without a pause, like they were a poem that she knew by heart. “ABD is a sisterhood with a long and distinguished history here at Bowmore, and to tell you about it, here is this year’s sorority president, Kristin Thompson.”

There was loud applause as Kristin stood, looking intimidatingly gorgeous in a simple white dress. “I would also like to toast the freshmen,” she said, and there was another round of clinking and drinking. “We have a particularly promising crop this year, I think. No offense to you sophomores, of course.” It seemed to Jenny that Kristin was staring directly into her eyes as she said this. Was she, or did she just have the gift of making everyone think she was looking at them?

“Alpha Beta Delta was founded in 1927 as a way for the women of Bowmore to support and encourage each other. There were far fewer of them then than there are now, of course. And things have changed a lot, for the better. But even today, academia presents a unique set of challenges for women, and ABD offers you a place to grow as a person in a safe atmosphere while you develop your mind through your studies.

“Oh, and we have a lot of fun, too. My experience here has been incredible, and I know yours will be too. Miss White?”

“Thank you, Kristin,” said Alexis White. “Now I need to talk seriously to the freshmen.” She scanned the eager young faces to her left and right. “Our conduct here at ABD is governed by three sacred oaths that every member must adhere to. The first is the Oath of Loyalty. We take the idea of sisterhood very seriously, and by taking this oath, you pledge to support and respect every other member of Alpha Beta Delta. Are there any questions?”

As she asked this, she looked directly at Jenny, who was momentarily startled. She realized that she had been staring, transfixed, into Alexis White’s eyes, which were unlike any she had ever seen. They were a cool, steely gray flecked with bits of cobalt blue; the overall effect was of a powerful intelligence that exuded a strange mixture of kindness and cruelty. She felt, immediately, that she would do anything for this woman, would go to any lengths to please her. She shook her head to say: no, no questions. I understand completely.

Miss White looked around at all the freshmen, who were likewise shaking their heads or murmuring “No.”

“Good,” she continued. “To make it official, each one of you starting at my left will say in a loud, clear voice, ‘I understand and accept the Oath of Loyalty.’ ”

Beginning with Maia, a honey blonde who looked too young to be in college, each freshman girl repeated the phrase. When Jenny’s turn came, her voice shook at first, but she gathered her will and by the time she got to “Oath of Loyalty” her tone was firm and decisive.

When all ten had taken the oath, Miss White nodded and went on. “We also place a very high value on privacy. In a man’s world, women rarely get the space they need, either physically or psychologically. Alpha Beta Delta is a place for us, and for that reason, we swear never to discuss our business with outsiders. What goes on inside these walls, or between Sisters wherever they are, remains between us. Is that clear?”

There was a general assent. “Now repeat, ‘I understand and accept the Oath of Secrecy.’” Again, each girl in turn repeated the phrase. Jenny, this time, spoke up without hesitation. As she did so she glanced over at April, who was looking very serious. When April’s turn came she gazed thoughtfully into her roommate’s eyes, as if swearing the oath to her personally.

“Now, our final oath is one that some people have trouble with,” said Alexis White gravely. “But it may be the most important one. You need to understand that Alpha Beta Delta is not a democracy. We have a hierarchy that we strictly adhere to. The seniors are at the top, then the juniors, then the sophomores. You will be at the bottom, and some of you may find this difficult to deal with. But remember that every year you move up, and eventually you will find yourself on top.

“This oath is the Oath of Obedience, and it means that when someone above you instructs you to do something, you will do it quickly, fully, and without hesitation. Failure to do so will result in punishment at the discretion of the offended party. If you feel you have been mistreated, you can always come to me. But keep in mind that if I feel your complaint is trivial, I may impose a punishment on top of that already given. My decisions on these matters are final and cannot be appealed.

“Think hard before taking the Oath of Obedience, because it is no laughing matter. If you don’t think you can do it, speak up now and the Sergeant-at-Arms will escort you to the door. In that case, we simply ask that you abide by the oaths you’ve already taken and not discuss what has happened here with anyone.”

There was a minute of solemn silence as the ten freshmen thought over the significance of Miss White’s words. Then, at last, she turned to Maia and said evenly, “When you’re ready.”

Maia gulped and slowly intoned, “I understand and accept the Oath of Obedience.” Next up was Angela, a black girl with darker skin than April’s and long, straight hair. Her wide brown eyes scanned all around the table before she said the words. Then it was Jenny’s turn.

Every sober instinct told Jenny to get out of there — that the devil was at work here and she should get out while she could. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t walk away from April, from Kristin, from Miss White, from the panoply of beauty that surrounded her. All eyes were on Jenny as she wrestled inwardly, sipping her wine as a delaying measure. When she looked up, it was to meet the calm, confident gaze of Alexis White. There was no way that she could disappoint this woman. “‘I understand,” she said, “and accept the Oath of Obedience.”

Immediately upon saying the words, she felt a sense of warmth and peace. It was obedience, she realized, that would set her free. By surrendering herself to whatever happened, she would come to know herself. She looked down the table at Kristin, whose luminous face glowed like an ember in the dim light, then at April, whose golden eyes were two torches. Jenny smiled to herself. This was where she belonged.

After Jenny, the oath went around the table quickly. It was as if the others, seeing her accept the idea, lost any doubts they might have had. When the last girl, Sofia, had repeated the oath in her Italian accent, Alexis White smiled. It was a smile that lit up the room, and at the same time was suggestive of a shark about to devour its prey. “Excellent,” she said, looking around approvingly at the newest members of Alpha Beta Delta. “Now we can begin.”

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