Twice Bitten (Love, Lust & Magic #1)

Griff

The sound of dozens of students frantically evacuating their first class of the morning hummed around as he collected his textbook and notes, still unsure of how or if he would approach Uriah as the crowd trickled out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the upperclassman in question obviously dawdling.

There he is, twiddling his sexy little bad boy thumbs. The nervous freshman bit his lip as he got out of his seat. However, it was who approached first that took him by surprise.

“Excuse me, uh, Mr. Kyler, is it?”

In classic fashion, he nearly dropped everything in his hands as the voice of Professor Quinn startled him.

“Oh, shit! Hi, Mr. Professor,” replied quickly as he spun around to face him. “I mean, Mr. Quinn. Or, uh, Professor Quinn.”

“Please, call me Quinn,” the professor responded before adding, “I mean, all my students do. Apollo—my first name—works, too, though.”

“Call me then,” smiled as he collected his belongings.

“?” Quinn’s eyes darted between ’s pendant, his face, and a lingering Uriah. “S-sure. Uh, anyway, I’m the faculty advisor to the student theater group here on campus. W-we’re always on the hunt for a few good men to try out for parts, especially given the fact we haven’t had a single guy audition for at least five years. I was just seeing if I couldn’t round up a few of my male students to consider auditioning.”

“Oh, wow,” exclaimed . “Uh, yeah, sure. I-I mean, I’m not even sure what the play is, but why not?”

wanted to smack himself for how silly he sounded. I’m the worst, I’m the worst, I’m the ? —

“Great,” Quinn said with a smile. “There are posters on both sets of doors that list our audition times. Maybe your friend here will stop by and try out for a part, too?”

noticed Quinn glancing beyond him and turned around to see Uriah had now inched several seats closer to him, standing quietly with his hands in his pockets and a bashful look on his face.

“Me?” Uriah looked behind him as though Quinn might be referencing someone else.

“Oh, uh, definitely,” interjected without missing a beat, his gaze turning from Quinn to Uriah. “Maybe we can go to try-outs together?”

Uriah seemed perplexed, but nodded.

“Excellent to hear,” replied Quinn before turning to return to his desk. “I look forward to seeing you two in class on Wednesday.”

looked up at Uriah with a half-smile that looked a little like saying sorry. Uriah moved his shoulders with a shrug that looked a little like smitten forgiveness.

“Color me surprised to see you in the same freshman class you were disparaging only last night,” remarked as Uriah held the door open for him and the two made their way into the hallway. In the absence of knowing what to say to the stranger who had both scared him and turned him on the night before, he was grasping for any kind of idle banter. “And with more clothes on than I’m used to.”

Fortunately or unfortunately , thought to himself.

“Uh, well, I don’t like to admit it,” began Uriah with a nervous smile, “but I haven’t exactly been the most outstanding student at Mystic Hollow University.”

“Oh, no?” asked .

“Uh, yeah,” continued Uriah. “It’s something I guess you could say I’m working on. Me and my pal Pruitt’s girlfriend, too, it seems, because you clearly can’t run for homecoming queen as a freshman.”

“Huh?” asked. He wondered if Uriah was referring to who he was thinking of. “You don’t mean she’s dating Pruitt, do you?”

“Ah, yes, indeed. Miss Homecoming Queen Lite,” Uriah’s voice echoed with some kind of disdain. “She’s either registered for every freshman class just to get enough votes to win homecoming queen or she’s failed as many classes as me, which wouldn’t be surprising either.”

“Well, no better time than the present to tackle self-improvement, huh?” smiled as he looked up at Uriah, who smiled right back.

Uriah cautiously walked in pace with the freshman as they made their way down the hall of the building and toward its entrance. Though didn’t notice it at first, a small beam of sunlight from an overhead hallway window zapped his new acquaintance’s hand.

“What was that?” reacted to Uriah’s pained face.

“Oh, nothing! I, uh, actually just wanted to say sorry if I spooked you last night,” said Uriah, a curious look on his face as he studied ’s. “It’s definitely not my intention to come off as a creep.”

’s pace slowed to a stop as the two reached the atrium near the entrance. “Me, scared?” he let out a dry chuckle and swallowed hard. “Uh, never!”

“Ah, well, I know sometimes I look a little intimidating next to my buddy Pruitt.”

“Huh?” found himself momentarily enamored with the attention Uriah was giving him, so much so that he nearly had forgotten about Pruitt entirely. He figured now was as good of a chance as any to stir the pot. “ Oh, yeah. Are you two, uh, like?—”

“God, no,” Uriah interjected sharply.

“Well, I was going to say?—”

“Not my type,” Uriah continued, unintentionally speaking over . “ At all .”

“ Friends .”

“I mean, um,” the vampire looked down at his interlocked hands as though he might find a way out of the predicament he had talked his way into.

thought his reaction was kind of cute. However, it looked like Uriah wanted to kick himself.

“Pruitt is an old friend, sure,” Uriah finally replied. “Uh, but w-what I meant to say is I’m not really the bad guy everyone makes me out to be. So, again, sorry if I was creepy last night.”

At that moment, it was almost like could feel Uriah’s vulnerability. At first, he wasn’t sure how to respond. “Well, fortunately, as the new guy in town, I have almost zero predispositions.” The two exchanged grins. “That—and I figure if my only competition for any of the lead male parts in this upcoming play is late to class every day, I’ll clearly be a shoo-in.”

Uriah let out a chuckle. “Oh, is that so?”

“Only kidding.” tugged nervously at the straps of his backpack, adjusting them as he did so.

Ding!

Uriah nearly jumped. “Whoa, what was that?”

Clueless to the upperclassman’s mission to investigate him, raised an eyebrow as he caught Uriah’s eyes studying him closely. Before Uriah could say anything else, cuffed the pendant in his hand and held it up.

“Sorry,” Uriah blurted out as he blinked. “I couldn’t help but notice?—”

“This old thing?” was quick to interject. “Ha. It’s always getting caught on everything, backpack straps included.”

“Oh,” exclaimed Uriah, a look on his face like he wanted to say more. “I like it.”

“I got the pendant as a gift from someone close to me. I’ve changed the chain a few times, but started wearing it recently because—well, I guess it reminds me I’ve got someone watching over me.” seemed hesitant to elaborate much further. “Lame, I know.”

“N-not at all,” Uriah replied almost too quickly. “Assuming it’s from your, uh, boyfriend, then? Uh, or, I mean, maybe it’s a girlfrie—not that I…”

“Huh? Oh. Oh, n-no. I didn’t have the chance to get to know her, but it belonged to my mother. I don’t have a girlfriend. Well , I don’t have a boyfriend, rather,” replied as his bashfulness kicked up a notch. He couldn’t help but feel like he had just stripped naked in front of a stranger who likely would laugh.

“Ah, yeah, totally,” Uriah replied with the shrug of his shoulders, shifting his weight as he ran a hand through his hair. “I just wondered because it—well, there’s something about it, isn’t there?”

Uriah locked his eyes with ’s in an all-out attempt to compel him to share more.

“Huh?” asked.

“You tell me, ,” Uriah replied, never breaking eye contact.

A clap of thunder from outside broke his concentration and startled them both. took a few steps away from Uriah and looked out the nearby glass doors as low rumbles continued.

Uriah leaned forward just behind to take a gander himself. A grin crossed his face as he realized that the sunny morning had been replaced by completely overcast skies.

Another rattle of thunder actually sent jumping back right into the vampire’s arms—Uriah reaching out and instinctively clutching his startled acquaintance as the human fell backwards into his chest—while lightning illuminated the morning skies.

Damn. I’m in the arms of an extremely hot guy with a bad boy streak, great muscles, and—well, really cold hands , mused to himself as he made eye contact with Uriah. He watched Uriah’s curious reaction, noticing the upperclassman’s eyes studying his neck. Although the physical connection lasted for only seconds, at the moment it felt like an eternity. Was there a glimpse of a heart behind this bad boy demeanor? couldn’t decide.

“S-sorry!” quickly composed himself and backed away as his new classmate released his grip. Thankfully, no one was around for his minor damsel-in-distress moment, save for, of course, the hottie who looked like he wanted to eat him in an alley just the night before. And he looks like he could eat me up now, too. I might even let him.

Purple veins faded in and out of visibility on Uriah’s face, the warm smile on his face previously melting away to a harsh scowl. “ What was that?” he asked in a surprised manner.

instantly felt the change in his tone. “I didn’t mean to—I have to say the thunder really…” Although his first instinct was to make like a scared, wounded puppy and scamper off with his tail between his legs, saw the look in Uriah’s eyes as they both processed what had just happened.

“Hey,” Uriah reached out and gently took ’s closest arm in his hand. “No need to apologize. That was definitely a loud one. Fortunately, I have quick reflexes, and you’re pretty lightweight. J-just kind of surprised me, that’s all.”

looked down at Uriah’s hand.

“I-I’m not used to—well, being especially close with folks,” Uriah continued with a nervous smile on his face. could tell he was closely studying his every reaction. “If-if you know what I mean.”

Ugh, disgustingly cute , thought to himself. “It’s no worries,” he beamed.

Uriah smiled back.

opened the front door of Reed Hall and stepped outside. He turned back to Uriah, as though looking to see if he’d follow, completely unaware of his acquaintance’s aversion to the sun.

“I think it’s gonna stay dry,” attempted to reassure Uriah. It was clear it wasn’t certain, though. “My next class isn’t until one, but I wanted to sort of get the lay of the land and walk around campus a bit. Company is welcome, if you’d like to join.”

“Sure.” Apprehensive at first, Uriah tempted fate. Holding his breath, the vampire stepped outside. He blinked as he looked up into the skies and quickly reached for a pair of sunglasses.

“But don’t let me impede your cool guy reputation,” a tease from nearly blindsided Uriah.

“Oh, what, these ? Uh, habit, really.” He frowned and pulled the sunshades off, tucking them over his shirt collar instead. “But you’ve got a point. If anyone on this campus knew I was talking to a theater kid—let alone that this theater kid verbally signed me up for play auditions—it’d be all over for me.”

The two shared a chuckle.

“Does that mean you won’t be trying out for Professor Quinn’s play?” looked up at Uriah.

“Ah, listen, kid,” Uriah let out a playful groan as the two strolled past several buildings and clusters of fellow students. “I’m not saying I’m bad on stage, but I’m not sure Shakespeare is my cup of tea.”

“Then what is?” asked as they walked along an empty sidewalk.

“Uh, here, hold on,” Uriah stuck his hands into his jean pockets as he searched for an answer. Moments later, he produced a slightly wrinkled flyer donning Witch’s Brew’s logo and placed it in ’s hands. “It’s not as glamorous as the university auditorium, sure, bu-but I kind of sing in a local band.”

Dreamy, thought to himself. He tried to hide the fact that he was warm putty ready to be pressed between Uriah’s fingers. “Oh, wow. Your band name is, uh, Five Fangs?”

Uriah quickly pulled the poster out of ’s hands. “Oh, I, uh, kind of joined them just a few months ago, so I didn’t get much of a say in the name.”

Suspicious reaction, but okay. “Still, that’s pretty cool,” replied , forcefully grabbing back the flyer. He could tell Uriah wasn’t the best with small talk, so he pressed on. “What do you sing?”

“Oh, we’re really a cover band at this point. You could call us some kind of alternative pop and rock band, though, I suppose,” Uriah said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked to the ground.

“That’s neat,” smiled back. “I bet you have a great singing voice.”