Dynasty (Boys of Winter 1)

“And what about you?” I ask as we walk out to the quad. “Where do you fit in?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I’m a free spirit. I jump around to all of the groups, but before that, I’m not going to lie, I was one of those desperados wanting to get noticed by Carver and his friends.”

I shake my head, letting out a deep sigh. “What’s so special about them? Everyone seems to be either terrified of them or wishing they’d be fucked and then fucked over by them.”

“Trust me, wait till you meet them properly and you’ll just get it. I can’t even describe them to you. They just have this air about them that draws people in. You have an air like that too.”

I scoff, looking at her as though she’s lost her mind. “You’re crazy,” I laugh. “I’m the furthest thing away from that.”

She shakes her head. “I think you’re wrong. You’re intriguing; people want to know more about you. They’re curious, but you have this solid wall that makes them too scared to approach you. It’s kinda like you’re off-limits.”

My brows furrow, but as we make it out to the quad, all train of thought fades away.

There they are; the four celebrities of Ravenwood Heights.

My gaze begins sweeping over them, starting with the guy who I’d pissed off at the party last night, the one I assume to be the all-famous Carver. He’s tall, and as the sun shines down upon him, he almost seems larger than life, and without question, I know that Ember was right. This guy really does have an air about him that draws people in. Hell, I experienced it first-hand last night. He’s the tallest of the four, dark hair and a stare that I wish was on me.

“That guy in the middle,” Ember starts. “That’s Dante Carver, the one you’ve been hearing about and the dick who blocked your bike in this morning. He’s the leader of the pack. Fuck, the leader of the whole damn school. But if I were you, I’d stay away. Stay away from all of them. They’re trouble, and not the good kind, but the dangerous kind. They’ll screw you over in all the worst kinds of ways.”

I narrow my gaze on the guy in question, unsure why I want him to screw me over so badly, but before I start drooling, I cut my gaze to the next guy.

“Who’s that?” I murmur, unsure why I’m keeping my voice so low while there’s no one around to overhear our conversation.

Ember follows my gaze to the guy who looks like he belongs locked up for all the right reasons. His dark floppy hair sits in his eyes, and even from a distance, they look like the kind of eyes that could have girls dropping their pants in a heartbeat. “Ahhh,” Ember says slowly. “That’s Hunter King, though he just goes by King. He’s almost the worst of them all. If the devil was in human form, that’s who he’d be. He’s got the whole dark, dangerous, and deadly thing going for him, and if guys like him didn’t scare the shit out of me, I’d be on my knees begging for it.”

I raise a brow, looking back at Ember with a grin. “Wow, looks like we’ve got a wild one over here,” I laugh, making her roll her eyes before we both cut our gazes to the third guy, the one with the mousy brown hair, the wide chest, and the eyes that seem to sparkle like diamonds. “Him?” I ask, my gaze sweeping right over his body like a hungry lioness ready to pounce.

A softness comes over her stare. “Cruz Danforth,” she says with a dreamy sigh. “He’s the flirt, which almost makes him the scariest of them all. He could work his way into any girl’s heart, but for the most part, he’s kinda sweet. Well, at least the sweetest out of that group. He’s the least likely to tear you a new asshole if you get in their way.”

Mmmm, Carver, King, and Cruz. Why am I so desperate to know the fourth guy?

The more she says, the more intrigued I seem to get. “And the last guy?” I ask, cutting my gaze to the guy who’s sitting by himself while still seeming to be a part of the group. He’s all kinds of delicious, and the way he stares and silently takes note of what’s going on around him almost makes him appear lethal, and fuck me, it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“That’s Grayson Beckett,” she explains. “He’s the silent brooding one. He doesn’t say much, but when he talks, bitch, you better listen. All four of them are a bit like that. It’s like they’re living in a different universe than the rest of us, but I don’t know. They’re just so compelling. You should see them in action, though. They’re like brothers. They always have each other’s backs and it makes them impenetrable.”