The Golden boy
529 Words
His name was Theo. He was a grad student in the architecture department, and unlike every other man in my life, he didn't look at me like a trophy or a "brat." He looked at me like I was the sun.
When he arrived at the penthouse to pick me up for our study date, I made sure the door was wide open. I wanted Dante to see. I wanted him to feel the bite of the air I had been breathing for years.
"You must be Elena’s... brother?" Theo asked, offering a warm smile to the man standing like a dark monolith in the foyer.
Dante didn't take the extended hand. He stood there, arms crossed over his massive chest, his eyes scanning Theo with the lethal precision of a soldier looking for a weak spot.
"I'm his best friend," Dante rasped, the words sounding more like a warning than an introduction. "And who are you?"
"Theo. We're in the same honors program," Theo said, his smile faltering only slightly under Dante’s predatory glare.
I stepped out of my room, wearing a simple sundress that caught the light. I didn't look at Dante. I walked straight to Theo and tucked my arm into his. "Ready to go?"
"You're not going to the library in that," Dante’s voice dropped an octave, vibrating with a low, dangerous frequency.
I finally turned my head, giving him a bored, dismissive look. "Theo likes it. And since he's the one I'm spending my time with, his opinion is the only one that matters. Right, Dante?"
Dante’s Perspective
I watched them walk toward the elevator. Theo’s hand settled on the small of her back—the exact spot I had memorized through a camera lens.
The "Beast" didn't just howl; it tore at the bars of my ribcage. My staggering length was a hard, throbbing ache against my trousers, fueled by a mixture of pure lust and a violent urge to claim what was mine.
"He's a nice kid, right?" Leo asked, walking out of his office with a stack of papers.
"He's a target," I muttered, my jaw clenching so hard it ached.
"What was that?"
I turned to Leo, my pulse racing. I was one second away from telling him. I was one second away from saying, 'I'm the one who should be touching her. I'm the one who's been watching her. I'm the one who's in love with her.'
"He looks weak," I lied, the words tasting like poison. "He won't be able to protect her if something happens."
"It’s a library, Dante, not a war zone," Leo laughed, shaking his head. "You’re becoming more overprotective than I am. Relax. Let her have some fun with a guy her own age for once."
I didn't relax. As soon as Leo went back into his office, I grabbed my keys.
I didn't care if it was a "Cold War." I didn't care if I was supposed to be the "Best Friend." If that golden boy even thought about kissing her, I was going to show him exactly why they call me a "Beast."
I wasn't just following her anymore. I was hunting.
- Writer
