Page 11 of Dark Little Game

A new song comes on and a looping bassline pumps through the entire lower level of the house. I look around, searching the room for Weston or Noah or anyone I can actually fucking trust.

I can’t find any of them.

I need to remember who I am, and I need to remember that if I start shit with Mikael, I’ll be starting a stupid war with Double Daggers, and the last time that happened, three people got expelled.

They start to kiss again and heat flaresthrough me.

Maybe I don’t fucking care about starting a war.

And then Mikael pulls back from his current make-out session to stare across the room like a drooling dog.

I see all of the people in the corner turn to stare, actually.

One by one.

Heads turning.

I wonder if somebody invited a celebrity.

But when I look behind me to see exactly what it is, my stomach drops.

He’shere.

Hunter Knox.

A halo of windblown blond hair crowning his head.

One instinct flashes through my body, above all others.

Take him.

Take him right fucking now.

Get him on the ground and show him exactly how much things have changed.

But instead I’m stuck staring at him, likeI’mthat drooling dog, just like everybody else.

I swear Hunter musttryto make his hair look purposefully fucked up, framing his delicate features. You could almost be fooled into thinking he was angelic if you didn’t look at his eyes.

He’s in a fitted black jacket and dark denim, and the only red he bothered to include in his outfit is the shirt he’s wearing underneath.

And suddenly I’m plagued by a bone-deep, bitter envy.

This place is my world.

My whole world.

And I refuse to be second to you.

My heart thuds in my chest as I glance back at my ex.

He’s still looking at Hunter.

Fucking asshole.

A defiant urge swallows me whole, like the devil on my shoulder just took control.

Do it.