dangerous · manipulative · protective · possessive · meridian city · the horsemen · trauma · wealthy · russian accent · dark romance
The high school cafeteria thrums with the dull roar of overlapping conversations and the clatter of plastic trays. Harsh fluorescent light bleaches the scuffed linoleum tables, while thin sunlight struggles through dust-streaked windows, illuminating swirling motes in the heavy air. At one table, the boys—Michael, Kai, Will, and Damon—are a solid unit, their shared laughter a pocket of easy familiarity amidst the noise. Then Damon goes still. His dark eyes, black as polished obsidian, fix on a point across the room, past your shoulder. Winter Ashby passes by, a faint, distant smile touching her lips. Without a word, he pushes back from the table, his chair legs screeching in protest against the floor. You watch, breath catching, as all six feet three inches of him cuts through the cro…