Now, I'm going to say this ahead of time. As much as I despise being called mutt, or pup, or dog in general, I had to face the fact that the canines and I shared a lot. Not just the collar and the tail and ears, but we also shared a dislike for bathes. At least, all the hellhounds I've met hate bathes, especially if they involve a ton of bubbles and the rich scent of cherry vanilla suffocating my senses.

"Will you hold still? You're splashing water everywhere!" Connor protested, grabbing me by the shoulders and forcing me against the side of the tub. I yelped as water splashed up in my face. I squirmed in his grip, easily slipping out since I was practically coated in body wash.

"You didn't say you were gonna make me take a bath, then I'd of never agreed to this!" I protested angrily, trying to climb out, but Connor grabbed me and forced me back into the water, my head almost going under the mountain of bubbles. I just grabbed onto his arm to keep from dying. Connor rolled his eyes before smirking.

"Calm down. This is gonna make you all shiny and clean, instead of looking like you slept on the floor."

"I did!"

"But the guy you like doesn't know that. Now, come on. I'll just shampoo and condition your hair before we get you outta there and I can fix you up. It won't take too long, so don't make such a face! You're already adorable to start with." Connor added as he grabbed a bottle of shampoo. I went to glare at him, but he shoved my head so I was looking down into the soapy bubbles. He started to massage the shampoo into my hair and I relaxed at the feeling of his fingers, running through my hair.

"So, tell me about this guy you like." Connor stated as he washed my hair. I blinked and scowled a little.

"What do I look like? A girl? I do not need to gossip."

"It's not gossiping, it's just talking! Now come on, spill. Who's this guy you like?"

"Uh… He's just someone. He's sort of new…"

"Oh? What's he look like?" Connor asked, humming with interest as he filled a cup full of water to dump it on my head. I stared into the bubbles, imagining Dante's face in my mind, making me smile.

"He's… Very beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen someone like that. His hair is so dark, almost black and his eyes look like a neon green, or something… And he looks so strong, like he could punch someone's head right off."

"He sounds totally hot. What's his name?"

"… Dante."

"Dante, huh? That's Latin for enduring, long lasting. Is he older?"

"Older than me? No way. By far younger, but he's very tall. Maybe I should change my human form so I don't appear that much smaller than him." I muttered, realizing Dante would probably stand at least a foot and a half taller than me if not two feet. Connor laughed as he dumped water on my head, sending chills up my spine. I shivered and peered up at him as he smirked at me.

"No way, stay like this. You're adorable! Anyhow, tell me his expressions."

"Expressions?"

"Yup. I gotta know."

"Uh… He seems to have a calm attitude… He's got such a lovely smile and his lips are just perfect for it…"

"I see… Well, he sounds like the tough guy. The one who won't let anyone stomp on him and he's definitely got a dominant physique. He probably radiates power and royalty. You definitely chose a compatible mate, Prince Cerberus. Without a doubt, he'll adore you."

"Wait, how did you know all that stuff-"

"Oh please, prince. Take it from me, I absolutely adore males, females as well, but not so much. I just know how they're minds tick, what they're posture and body will tell me about their inner self. It's one of the perks of being an incubus. And let me tell you, that this Dante may have a strong, solid exterior, but he has a soft spot. No one is completely dark, not completely light."

Connor washed the shampoo out and poured cold conditioner in my hair, but by now, I didn't care what he was doing because I was curious. Connor seemed to know more than I had figured. There were obviously things about him that I didn't know.

"Well, that's mostly true," I drawled, "Except for all the gods. They're all evil." I huffed and hunched over, shivering as Connor ran his fingers through my hair, rubbing his hand down the back of my neck. Connor laughed.

"Oh, please. Don't fall for that fairy tale crap, dear prince. Come now, you're not pure evil, now are you?"

"No…"

"Exactly. Nor am I. Nor is Charon… Nor is your father."

"That's a load of crap. The guy created me, I know everything about him."

"Do you?" Connor challenged. I remained silent, glaring at Connor's reflection in the soapy water. Connor grinned at me and put his arms around my neck, pulling me up and making me yelp a little as the water splashed.

"Who do you think is tormenting Voltaire for violating Hell's prince? Who do you think was watching you with Father Time? Who do you think is watching you right now at this very moment as you sit here naked in the tub?" He asked. I blinked and tilted my head to stare at him in surprise.

There was simply no way. My father hadn't given me one glance the moment I was created. He threw me at Charon and commanded that he baby sit me. I was taken away to guard the gates and that was that. He couldn't possibly…

"You can doubt all you want," Connor replied wistfully as he let go of me to stand up and grab a towel from the towel rack beside his locker, "Your daddy isn't all evil, but he isn't all good either. He knows what he has to do to keep his followers in line. All the gods do. Shiva, God, Zeus. All of them know what they must do."

"You act like they're flawless." I snorted as I stood up, the bubbles sliding off my body. I wanted to quickly cover myself, but Connor wrapped a towel around my shoulders, hugging me in the process and making me glare at him. He was such a creep. How did he know so much of what was going on? He couldn't possibly. Even Walker, the strongest incubus in history, was quick to judge who was entirely evil and who was not.

"Ha! Nothing is flawless, dear prince! But, you're still young," I gave him a cocked brow and Connor smirked, "Compared to the rest of the gods and their children, you are. You aren't as old as Cain and Abel, but then again, they don't count as children."

"Eh?"

"I don't wanna talk about that now," Connor declared with a grin, "We're gonna finish making you all cute! Now, up you go!"

"Sweet Satan, put me down!" I yelled as Connor heaved me up into his arms. I flailed and tried to keep the towel on at the same time, grasping out at nothing in particular as Connor carried me over to a stool in front of the bathroom mirror. He sat me down in front of the mirror, pulling the towel up around my shoulders.

"Now hold that there. I'm just gonna style your hair different, maybe trim the split ends here… Oh, I got such a cute hairstyle. After that, I'm going to get you an outfit."

"We're in the infirmary bathroom. How in Satan's name are you-"

"Will you stop using your father's name in vain? Do you see Jesus saying 'oh my God'? Besides, you underestimate me. Incubi are known for having the ability to weave spells and if I can't even summon material for an outfit, then I'd be shamed. Now hold still or I'll cut your pretty little neck off." Connor declared. I went still, my shoulders still as Connor held his hand out. A pair of scissors morphed into his hand and a thin black comb in the other. Soon, he was snipping little bits off the end of my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut, terrified of what was happening to me. My poor hair…

It tickled to feel the ends fluttering down my bare back and the scissors sliding across my wet skin. I felt him combing my hair, parting it and brushing like he was experimenting with styles.

"All righty, open your eyes and tell me what you think!" Connor exclaimed. I waited a moment before daring to look at my reflection.

I was surprised, actually. My hair wasn't ruined and it was only barely shorter than before. It was parted a bit to the right with my bangs brushed off to the sides, more on the left than the right. He even took the liberty of fixing the choppy left side that Charon so rudely did to me when I wasn't paying attention to one of his lectures.

"Wow." I stated. Connor grinned, then grabbed the towel and pulled it off. I jumped and went to grab at it, but Connor held it out like some kind of bullfighter, wagging a finger at me and tsking.

"Ah, ah. I need you to be completely nude for this. Not that I'm a pervert or anything, but I need a good size for the clothes I have in mind for you. I saw this on the fashion channel once in Asia. Now, you need to stand up straight and put your arms out."

"No!"

"Cerberus, I can easily make you do it. Do you want Dante or not?"

"Y-Yes, but-"

"So, do what I say and stand up, arms out!" Connor ordered. I glared at him for bossing me around and I wanted to just sit there and refuse, but he had a point. I wanted to Dante to at least look at me. I slid off the stool and thrust my arms out, squeezing my eyes shut again as Connor seemed to purr.

"Oh, I'm so jealous of Dante right now. You've got such a nice body. Did you really live in Hell before this or was that just a lie? All righty, looks like you're a size small… Nice hips, good shoulders, smooth abdomen. Hmm, let's try this." He thrust his hand out at me as I dared to open my eyes. I watched Connor's eyes turn purple, glowing for a split second before he lowered his hand, beaming.

I looked down to see that I was no longer naked, thank the gods.

I wore a long sweatshirt with a hood, the sleeves definitely past my fingertips by a few inches. The hood and sleeves were a deep black, the torso a bright strawberry red. A pair of black shorts with folded ends came just a couple inches above my knees along with tall, buckled boots. I cocked my head and looked at Connor.

"Why in blazes are you a nurse?" I demanded. Connor giggled.

"Oh, please. You're embarrassing me… Hmm, but that red is too bright. Let's try a cherry red, you know, to match the scent I gave you." He flicked his finger at the torso of the hoodie and the color grew darker, as if someone was slowly turning the knob on the color. He nodded, then stepped up to me, holding up his hand so a little tub appeared between his fingers. He flipped it around and pulled the cap off, taking my chin in his hand to apply whatever it was to my lips.

"Oi! I'm not a doll! You are not putting make up on me!"

"It's not make up, you dork! It's just a lip care product. It'll give your lips a healthier shine, make you look all kissable."

"Girly, you mean."

"NO. And, the final touch," Connor grabbed my cheeks and pinched them, making me yelp and clap my hands on my cheeks in pain, "There. It's cheaper than blush and works so much better. All righty, see? That wasn't so bad."

"Ugh, says you. I look like a China Doll." I muttered, glancing at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Although, I had to admit, it was a lot better than how I looked before. From street rat to Barbie doll… I hated my life sometimes, truly I did. Before I could turn to say something, Connor grabbed my arm and tore me out of the bathroom, stumbling after him out of the office and toward the exit.

"Now let's go find you your lover!"

"Huh? But I said nothing about you-"

"Connor, where are you going?" Connor skidded to a stop an inch in front of the door, glaring at it in annoyance before he took a deep breath, then swung around to face Dr. Carmichael, who was standing there with his clipboard and a stern expression. Charon was behind him, cocking a brow at me. I could just hear his voice in my head demanding what in blazes I thought I was doing… And why I was dressed like this.

"Dr. Carmichael, I have a medical emergency that I must attend to right now that requires me to leave with this young boy." Connor announced. Dr. Carmichael looked skeptical, folding his arms over his chest.

"A medical emergency? What medical emergency requires that you give Cerberus a make over like he was Hell's Next Top Model?" He asked. I twitched and glared at Connor for an explanation to that. Connor waited a moment, then grabbed me around the neck, making me gasp and choke a little.

"This boy needs true love and I must help him, Charles! Besides, I'm sure Charon wouldn't mind doing a little work around here that doesn't require touching you in such sexual themes. And just consider this my dinner break, eh?" He asked, pouting for effect. Dr. Carmichael frowned at him for a while before he sighed almost miserably, waving his hand.

"Fine… All right, but you be back here in two hours or I'll send Charon after you."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, Charlie!"

"Don't call me-" Connor flew out the doors, dragging me after him. I stumbled to keep up, wondering why he gave me boots that felt so heavy, but I didn't bother to play with them as Connor let go of me, leading me the rest of the way down the hall. He sighed with relief.

"Finally. I feel as if I'm a student here again. I haven't been out here in a while, just to wonder around, you know? So, where is this Dante guy? You said he was new, so is he still packing things up in his dorm room?" He asked. I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't want to lie, but at the same time, Connor was acting suspicious in helping me all of a sudden, so I didn't want to tell him everything.

"Well, he's not new, per say… More like visiting the academy."

"Really? No wonder he stinks of royalty, no offense, Prince Cerberus. He's probably a representative. Do you know where he'd be?" Connor asked.

"What time is it?"

"It's about six. Why?"

"I was supposed to be helping him tour the academy, but… Well, I sort of can't be around the humans right now. They can't be near me."

"Well, that's dumb. Why not?"

"Just because. Seeing as it's just about time for dinner, they're probably heading to the food court. Knowing the humans, they're taking the way they always do from the dorms, that long hallway that just goes straight through."

"All righty! We'll meet up with them and maybe I can lead those dumb humans away, or distract them somehow so you have your moment!"

"My moment?"

"Yea, where you do your thing to make him fall in love with you. Some kind of cute pose or something, kid. Don't you have this planned out?" Connor asked. I rolled my eyes, cocking a brow up at him.

"I am not a love doctor, nor am I some creepy psychic who knows what goes through someone else's mind. I don't know what I'm supposed to do to make that- I mean, Dante like me. He's probably already fallen for Kyler. This is just a waste of time-"

"Don't talk like that," Connor scolded as we headed down the stairs for the food court, my boots clomping with every heavy step I took, "See, that's why you're having trouble. Guys like Dante like feisty, cocky little things like you. And you are naturally like that, so quit acting so depressed! I wanna see the real Prince Cerberus, come on!" I glared at him.

"And just how am I suppose to do that? Technically, I am not a prince anymore-"

"Oh? That's not what I hear." Connor hummed, walking up ahead of me. I blinked, looking at him curiously and running to catch up with him. Something about his expression was secretive and cheery. It was making me curious, and annoyed.

"What have you heard?"

"Why should I tell you? I only talk to Prince Cerberus."

"I am Prince Cerberus, now tell me or I'll gut you like-"

"Right there," Connor declared, poking me in the nose so I tried to smack him away fro me, causing him to laugh, "That's the Cerberus I know. From what I've heard, just because you are no longer guarding the games, does not mean you aren't still a prince. Even Charon still refers to you as Prince Cerberus. The humans do too, I bet. And you just said it yourself, that you are Prince Cerberus. Now start acting like a prince." I studied him for a moment, then huffed and looked up ahead at the hallway as we approached the food court.

Connor truly had a weird way of cheering me up. It was almost unnerving. He knew way too much for his own good, which led me to further curiosity, but that wasn't my goal now. He was right about one thing for sure. I was a prince. I was created by Lucifer's bare hands and given the title of Prince, his own words.

And I got what I wanted.

And what I wanted was Dante.

We walked into the food court and I ignored the looks from several guys sitting nearby, their eyes following me. I let my eyes flit across the large food court in search of the humans and Dante. It wouldn't be hard to miss them, especially Dante. I was about to turn to Connor when I noticed that he had completely vanished, and the doors behind me opened. I jumped and whipped around to hear my name.

There they were, the humans were standing there with Dante right beside them and my heart leapt right back up into its proper place, now pounding harshly in my chest at the sight of Dante. Those lovely bright green eyes of his were on me, mine on him.

"Cerberus! Jesus Christ, where were you?" Kyler exclaimed, stepping forward. I looked at him, blinking for a second before huffing.

"I slept somewhere else last night." I retorted. Aidan winced, twiddling his fingers uneasily.

"Cerberus, if you're mad about what Damon said last night, I'm sure he didn't mean it. He was just really mad. He's way calmer now…" His voice trailed as I shrugged.

"I don't care." I muttered. I let my eyes drift back to Dante, who seemed to have a solid smirk right on his face. I couldn't take my eyes off him as I stared up at him.

"So, this is the ever famous Prince Cerberus." Dante murmured. His voice! I tried not to show how excited I was at having him say my name. It sounded so musical, I wanted him to say my name again. I just smiled up at him.

"You must be Dante Castillo. Sorry I couldn't join you on the tour this afternoon, I had a previous engagement, but if you'd like, I'll join you for the rest of the evening." I answered and Dante's eyes seemed to glow.

"That would be… Very pleasant. I'd like that." He answered. A chill went up my back and it was probably meant to warn me, but I was too sucked into those dangerous cat-like eyes of his. I watched the other humans share looks before looking at me curiously.

"Well, we're having dinner, so why don't we just split up to grab whatever then share the usual booth?" Aidan asked. Everyone nodded in agreement, but I just followed Dante. I couldn't resist as I tagged along his side. His human scent filled my nose, sending my senses into a frenzy. His scent was strong to my nose, mingled with his musky cologne along with the faintest hint of cigarette smoke.

"Previous engagement?" Dante asked as we headed over to the Italian food shop, waiting in line. I averted my eyes.

"Yes. So, what do you think of the academy?" I asked, changing the subject. There was no way I was telling Dante that I let an incubus pamper me up, just to look good for him. I watched Dante smile lightly before it seemed to shut off and he gave a light shrug.

"It's much older than I thought it would be. I rather enjoy the collection at the library as well as the style of my room. The bed is very nice."

Was that a hint toward something or was that just my wishful thinking?

"Glad you like it." I replied. I winced inwardly at sounding so casual. Goddamn it, that pauper talk was getting to me. I was losing all the years of proper speech that I had learned, mostly on my own. And now I was almost talking like Kyler. Sweet Satan, this was failing miserably. I wanted Dante to know that I had proper manners…

"Do you like it?" Dante asked. I blinked and looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I escaped Hell to come here."

"You must have been very lonely down there, guarding those Gates for the last several hundred millennia." Dante mused as he turned to the counter to order his meal. I wanted to just sink against him and tell him.

Yes, it had been lonely.

Yes, it hurt.

Yes, I wanted someone to be there for me. I wanted someone to tell me they loved me, that they needed me to be with them, that I wasn't a complete waste of space. My heart ached for it, but I'd never say that out loud. I was a prince and I never told anyone my deepest thoughts, not even those humans.

"I suppose." I said at last, frowning as I stepped out of line with Dante, who glanced at me.

"Won't you eat?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not hungry."

"You know, Cerberus," Dante took his meal and led the way toward the booth where the other three humans were already waiting, "You are a very interesting person… An interesting creature. I've heard a lot of stories about you."

"Oh?" I asked, regretting that a bit. I didn't want him to hear the bad stories. About how I was forced to rip souls apart if they tried to beg me for forgiveness or beg to be released. How I tore down any living hero that tried to sneak into Hell to rescue their already damned loved ones.

"Yes. But none of them mentioned how beautiful you were."

My heart stopped and I looked up at him as Dante stopped to look at me. I stared up at him and my heart started pounding again, so loudly I was afraid he'd hear it. I was tongue tied and that was so painfully un-prince-like. I tried to find something else to respond with, but nothing came to mind.

"It's all right," Dante's eyes glowed as he spoke with a light smirk on his lips, "You probably hear that a lot."

"No," I blurted dazed, then blinked and felt my face grow red hot as Dante cocked a brow, "I mean, yes! Yes, I do. I mean, not that I didn't like that- I didn't. I mean, I did. I…"

Oh, for the love of Charon. My heart was in my ears now and I just wanted to melt into the floor. Dante's eyes seemed to pierce me as he watched me stand there like a complete fool.

"You know. I may have heard stories about you, but I don't know anything about the real you. I won't pressure you about it. After all, it's not my place. But, I'm telling the truth. You are beautiful. I've never seen anyone with eyes that red, not even a vampyre and I've met quite a few of them through the connections I have with Mrs. Belle. Nor with hair that white. It reminds me of snow… And you have a very curious expression on your face when you're thinking, as if you're thinking very hard about something. It makes one very interested."

"I…" I didn't know what to say. I had to be dreaming. Before I knew it, I was blurting out stupid things again. This was highly unlike me. I always knew what to say. I always knew how to act. I was proper and prince-like when it came to those who were closer to my age, then more casual with those I was close to.

"I've never had someone tell me that before. All of that. Just because I'm a prince, doesn't mean anyone pays attention to me. I was made only to guard the gates of hell and nothing more. I wasn't allowed to leave the gates either. My room was right next to them- Uh, let's not keep the others waiting." I brushed past him quickly to the booth, plopping down beside Kyler stiffly, staring at the table.

"Aren't you gonna eat, Cerberus?" Aidan asked curiously as he unwrapped his meal, glancing over with bright blue eyes. I didn't answer. I couldn't find my tongue. Dante sat beside me and I was really tongue tied now.

"He said he wasn't hungry," Dante answered smoothly, setting his meal out in front of him, "He's told me he likes this academy, I'd have to strongly agree. It's very interesting. I may even consider attending for a year or so, just to see what it's like."

"Is that really such a good idea?" Kyler asked, then yelped as I kicked him in the shin, glaring at him. He glared back at me and opened his mouth to speak, but Aidan cut him off.

"Really? That's great! Hellsium's has a ton of classes for you to take. We'd be happy to side with you on it if you have trouble convincing your parents." He said. Dante's eyes seemed to laugh as he reached out to his drink to take a sip. His arm brushed against mine in the process and I almost died.

"It's not so much convincing my parents as convincing my agent. He'll throw a fit if I cancel all my shows for a whole year just to attend school again." He explained.

"Well, that's too bad." This time, both Dominic and I kicked Kyler in the leg and he bit down on his tongue, squeaking in pain. Aidan glared at us. Dante didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring Kyler right now. I was curious as to what happened for that to occur. Kyler was almost impossible to resist.

"I hope you can stay longer." I didn't mean to say that out loud. Kyler, Dominic, and Aidan were staring at me and I just stared at the table to avoid looking at them and embarrassing myself further.

"I hope to stay longer too," Dante replied, making me relax a bit, "Well, I should probably head back to my room. All that walking has tired me out." He rose to his feet, wrapping up what was left of his meal.

"Did you want us to walk you back?" Aidan asked. Dante smiled faintly.

"No, it's fine. I know where it is… Although, I wouldn't mind if Cerberus accompanied me."

My eyes lit up and I was on my feet faster than I could stop myself. Dante looked pleased and Kyler look at me curiously.

"Aren't you a happy puppy?" He drawled. I ignored him with a huff and turned to face Dante who had thrown the rest of his meal away, giving a short salute to the other humans.

"I should hope you can continue the tour tomorrow. As well as showing me to Mrs. Belle's office so I can speak to her about some arrangements." He replied. The humans nodded and Dante led the way out of the food court. I kept close beside him, but not right next to him. I stayed at least a foot behind him so I could look at him from behind.

I could just see the muscles in his back as he walked, his head lifted confidently. Connor was definitely right. Despite being a mere human entertainer, Dante held an aura of royalty that was almost as bright as my own. And his words kept swirling in my head, making my heart pound.

You are beautiful.

I had no idea how to react to that. I had never heard someone say something like that to me, and I had always longed to hear it. Now that I have, I don't know what to do. Now that I have Dante, or at least I was on my way, I had no way to react. What were you supposed to say when someone called you beautiful? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy! I'm so happy that I felt like I could do anything. Problem is, I just didn't know what to do.

A little voice in the back of my head was nagging at me, though. He called Kyler beautiful too, and now he was ignoring Kyler. Was he going to do that to me?

No. Because he invited me to escort him back to his room.

Wait. Escort him to his room?

Does that mean he really, really liked me? The way I liked him?

Ugh, it was so hard to control my thoughts from spinning around in random directions. I felt like I was becoming a new person altogether and the thought was unnerving. I liked who I was. I was a confident and proper prince… With a bit of a perverted side that I wouldn't dare reveal to Dante. He'd probably freak out, just like the other humans.

"You have that look on your face again." Dante stated, not looking at me. I blinked and looked up.

"What?"

"You're thinking hard about something."

"I'm just curious… Do you like Kyler?" Yea, it was about time I just embarrassed myself even more. I had nothing to lose anyway. Lost my friends, lost my dignity. Dante laughed, making me look at him curiously.

"Of course not."

"You don't? But, he's beautiful!" I exclaimed. How could anyone not like Kyler? Sure, he could be an ass sometimes, but he just sucked you in with that stunning body and face of his.

"Oh yes, he's attractive," Dante agreed, then laughed some more, but it sounded a bit annoyed this time, "However, Kyler is not the sort of person I would go for. He's got an attitude that irritates me. He's judgmental and the worst part is, he doesn't understand what he's judging. I don't like people who are… Dim-witted."

"You can say he's stupid. Everyone else does."

"He's not entirely stupid… All the time. I much prefer someone with a sense of decency and knowledge." Dante responded coolly as we headed through the maze of hallways that led to the staff wing. I was getting curious about Dante's room. Was it better than the dorm rooms? I bet. They always held out on us students.

"Decency and knowledge," I echoed, returning to the conversation, "I have plenty of that at my age." Dante's eyes flickered with interest and the only reason I noticed was because I was staring at his face. I looked away sharply, but not before catching a smile on Dante's face.

"Your age? You look fourteen, or do hellhounds also have the ability to change their appearance?" He asked. I shifted a bit uncomfortably. Wouldn't he be a bit disgusted if I told him that despite the face I was wearing, I was technically almost as old as earth itself?

Talk about big time pedophilia.

"Uh. So, which one's your room?" I asked, changing the subject as I glanced around the hallways that was crowded with doors to other rooms. Dante waited a while to answer, as if he was pondering to question me further, but then he seemed to think better of it and opened a door nearby.

"Welcome to my suite." He pushed the door open and stepped aside to let me in. My eyes widened in awe and I didn't stop it from showing on my face.

His room was freaking amazing! The floor was a sleek black marble with matching walls and red drapes lined with gold that matched the silks and other expensive material that draped across the large canopy bed across the room. A couple of black wood nightstands sat on either side with a glass lamp and a leather bound journal as well as a magazine titled People.

A flat screen television sat across from the bed beside what looked like an old record player built into a large stereo. A dark wardrobe sat in a corner, wide open to reveal all sorts of expensive clothing and a bathroom door sat near the bed to the right, opened to show off the luxurious bathroom.

"I wish I was a guest!" I cried immediately, walking in and ignoring the fact that I was being a bit rude. But, I couldn't help it! After all, this room was at least two times larger than our dorm room! And the bathroom, don't get me started!

"The guest rooms must be much better than the dorm rooms, I take it." Dante said, closing the door. I nodded numbly before plopping on the end of his bed, staring up at all the transparent gold silks that hung like curtains.

"Make yourself at home, I'm just going to change out of this outfit. I hate dressing up for events." Dante mused as he walked over to the wardrobe. My eyes immediately followed him, watching his long legs move and his attractively muscular back shift under his clothes. My mouth went dry.

I wanted to say something in response to that, but I found myself tongue-tied again. This was unbelievable! I always had something to say. Always. This man, this human, must be more than simply human to be able to do this to me.

"Uhm." Was all I could manage and I mentally kicked myself. I was pulling a Kyler.

"Hm," Dante hummed as he unbuttoned the vest, dropping it on the floor and moving onto his shirt, "The others told me that you were rather talkative, Cerberus. You seem to be a bit quiet now."

"Eh? Ah, well, I'm currently rather distracted." That was a bold move, but there was a thrill that went through me as I watched Dante take his shirt off, lowering it to the floor before turning to face me, his feline eyes staring at me while the corner of his lip was quirked.

"What's distracting you, Cerberus?" He asked. I shifted on the bed a little, inching further on before leaning back on my hands.

"Someone." Was all I answered before I flopped back on the bed and closed my eyes tightly. Was this dangerous? Was it wrong to like him? It was making my heart pound and my face grow hot. It definitely felt hotter than when Connor pinched my cheeks. I opened my eyes, then jumped to see Dante standing right in front of me.

"You should tell me or I'll get jealous." Dante responded, his eyes studying me closely.

"I like playing games, though." I replied, feeling more and more eager. I could feel whatever shyness held my tongue dissipating as Dante watched me.

"Is that so? Well-"

"Dante!" We both jumped and snapped our heads toward the door where an unfamiliar man walked in and he just reeked of humanity. He was taller than Dante, and seemed just as muscular, but something about him felt off. It wasn't just his business suit and the dark sunglasses that sat on his dark head. His eyes looked almost gold as he walked in with a briefcase and a file folder.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw us, though. A frown worked its way onto his face as he paused.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked, in a dry, sarcastic tone. It irked me and I didn't bother to hide the glare. Dante frowned a little, then let his expression relax.

"Jason. It's not polite to barge into someone's room." He stated. Jason didn't seem to care and casually leaned on the doorframe, cocking a brow at him.

"Oh. It's also not polite to ditch your manager in a witch's office. She could've cast some voodoo spell on me." He retorted. I slid off the edge of the bed, landing on my feet and folding my arms over my chest.

"Witches don't do voodoo." I replied rudely. I couldn't help it. There was a boiling anger inside of me for this arrogant human. He dare interrupt my seducing! Dante was right there, shirtless and we were on the bed! And he had to come in and-

"Of course not. And what're you supposed to be? An expert on this?" Jason asked, rolling his eyes and pushing off the doorframe. I glared at him heatedly.

"Far better than you."

"Jason," Dante began, before Jason could even start to respond, "This really is not a good time. I'm quite busy receiving some tutoring from Prince Cerberus here, and I also ask that you treat him with respect. As for whatever you wish to tell me, wait until tomorrow when I'm actually in the mood for work. I came here to get away from it."

I smirked at Jason cockily, getting a glare from him this time, but it was short lived as Dante passed in front of us to head to the bathroom, pointing toward the door.

"Jason, leave. Cerberus, I'll be right with you, just let me finish changing." Dante sighed, sounding truly stressed. I wanted to cuddle up and make it all go away. I hardly noticed that my eyes were following him longingly before the door closed and Jason pushed off the doorframe.

"So, you think you're special because Dante likes you?" Jason asked. I whipped around to face him, clenching my fists and glaring at him.

"You are a very stupid human. I'd close your mouth if I were you." I answered threateningly. Of course, the best I could do would be to beat him to a bloody pulp with bare fists seeing as my sealing collar was still in place. For the safety of those around me, damn them. However, he didn't know that. That did make him back down a little, but then he averted his eyes.

"Look," He sighed, shaking his head, "I have a reason as to why I want to scare you away from him. Dante's… Dante is not the kind of guy you'd want to date." I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so now you're a matchmaker and a manager?" I asked, not falling for that little sad story bit. Jason looked at me seriously now, frowning.

"Dante is famous, in case you haven't noticed. He gets what he wants when he wants, I'm sure you're aware of that sort of thing, aren't you, Prince Cerberus?"

"So what?" I demanded. I was getting a sick feeling in my stomach as I watched Jason sigh, shaking his head before folding his arms over his chest.

"You're just another one of Dante's one nightstands is what I'm trying to say." He stated and I felt an icy bullet go up my spine as I glared at him. I didn't know whether to be angry, worried, or hurt. It was confusing.

I mean, it made sense, didn't it? A lot of popular celebrities had their way with someone at least every weekend before they moved onto someone else. Even I knew that, and I had been living in Hell for most of my life.

"You're just trying to scare me away from him." I responded sharply. Jason frowned.

"Oh, because as his agent, I definitely don't know anything, right? Believe me, kid, I've seen all of Dante's lovers. They come and go like the weather. I'm just trying to warn you ahead of time before you get your heart broken. I'm not a fan of most of Dante's lovers, but you actually seem kinda cute. So if you know what's good for you, you'd leave and never talk to Dante again."

"Besides," Jason added as I started to roll my eyes and turn my back to him, "You don't want to get in the way of his career, do you?" I felt stiff, but didn't turn around to look at him.

"Dante's life depends on his career. If he doesn't make money, if he doesn't sell albums, he'll go broke and become the subject of mockery in the magazines, and seriously, that's worse than death sometimes. People can be cruel." Jason explained. I didn't say anything.

"Fine," Jason huffed after a while and I heard the door opening, "But don't come crying to me when Dante moves onto one of your little friends, especially the blondie. Dante has a thing for guys like that." The door closed behind him and I flinched when it did. I felt cold all over and I didn't know what to do.

I didn't want to get in Dante's way. I didn't want him to lose the respect of his people or fall off that pedestal of his. Not that I was being selfish. I just didn't want him to get hurt. The moment I saw his picture in that file, I just had to have him. And now that I finally did, at least, I think I did… I felt like he was slipping past my fingers again.

I didn't get to think about it much longer as Dante walked out of the bathroom, sighing in relief as he wore a pair of silky black pajama pants, the muscles in his torso rippling attractively enough so that I just wanted to hold him, to feel those muscles through his flawless skin…

"I apologize for my manager's rude behavior. I told you he was a strict man about my career." Dante said, walking over to the door to lock it. Just the sound of it clicking made me turn around as Dante seemed to smile more to himself for a moment before walking over to me.

"So, did you want to play a game?" He asked. I stared up at him, feeling myself blush in spite of all the things Jason said. They were fading to the back of my mind as I found it impossible to pull my eyes away from Dante's. I wanted him so much… This want was turning into a need and I felt like my air was being choked off before I opened my mouth to breath in.

"Yes."