Twice Bitten (Love, Lust & Magic #1)

Griff

Am I going to get up the courage to ask Pruitt what this whole night is, anyway? To ask Uriah? Deep in thought, sat with his fists interwoven. A friendly hangout? A date? Nothing? Maybe I should just see where the night goes.

With each question he posed to himself, he placed one thumb on top of the other. Oh, and what about my hunky professor? My pansexual roommate? The terrible on-campus food?

Unbeknownst to , the two patrons sitting at the table nearest to him—a grungy biker couple not much older than the bar’s overwhelmingly collegiate crowd—had cut short their casual conversation and had their eyes now on him.

“What to do, what to do,” muttered quietly to himself. His line of thought was enough to distract him from what was happening around him, even when his pendant radiated a purple glow visible through the fabric of his shirt.

The color matched a flash of light in the irises of the entranced couple. At that moment, it was almost like the hue was pulling them in. With the blink of an eye, the two stood in front of the booth found himself alone in.

“What to do, indeed ,” replied the man.

A startled looked up. “I’m sorry?” he asked.

The expressionless look on the duo’s faces was unsettling.

This was the last couple at the bar I was hoping would ask to take me home tonight, thought as his mind wandered back to Pruitt and Uriah.

Her long red hair spilling onto the table as she leaned forward, the woman looked directly into ’s eyes. “A curse for three: he who usurps the power of the moon, he who feeds on man’s very lifeblood, and he who steals ancestral witchery.”

“Oh, does this have something to do with the theme of the bar? You see, it’s my first time and?—”

“ A curse for three, ” her companion now repeated, but he wasn’t the only one.

Is that the surround sound or…

Several patrons had now set their sights on ’s table. Each appeared as though a zombie.

“Is this some kind of hazing thing? Because look, I don’t know what…”

The woman reached out and wrapped her hand around ’s neck.

“I’m new to town! Oh, and-and gay! See, it-it all began when I was seven, and...” word-vomited as he panicked. “And if you just…”

In that moment, it looked as though his aggressor’s bared teeth grew two sizes. He could feel the ends of the woman’s acrylic nails as they grazed his skin and traced his collarbone. She then grabbed the chain around his neck and yanked.

“Who, whoa, whoa!” Uriah appeared just in time to pull the woman off of the table and push her accomplice back without so much as flinching. “What’s going on here?”

Flailing backwards, the woman caught herself on the next table. opened his mouth, eager to explain the situation as Pruitt joined the two at the booth. “I?—”

The screeching sound of a microphone and the tap of drums drowned out all conversation in the room. As the audio feedback disappeared, the trio turned to the previously rabid woman who just moments ago looked like she was about to take a giant bite out of .

“Huh?” her enraged expression quickly melted into one of confusion. She pressed her fingers against her forehead and caught her balance on a chair before taking a seat. It was almost as though she appeared to be experiencing a blackout. “I don’t feel so good.”

The army of eyes that only a minute ago were staring daggers through had also dissipated. Patrons of the bar talked amongst themselves.

“Maybe your date should take you home for the night,” Uriah said as he stared into the woman’s eyes. The woman gave a groggy grunt before nodding and walking away. Uriah placed a drink in front of as he turned back to him. “The water is on me, but what the hell was up with that?”

“I—uh, it almost seemed like she…” struggled to find an explanation as he grasped for his pendant.

“Damn druggies,” Pruitt said sharply as he glared at Uriah. “What was that about your little friends playing nice again?”

“Looks like the ladies can’t keep their hands off of our man ,” Uriah shrugged it off.

“Uriah, it’s all you whenever you’re ready,” Kale called from the nearby stage.

“And it looks like Pruitt here is gonna have to babysit to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Uriah added before turning to Pruitt. “You good, mate?”

“Yeah,” responded Pruitt as Uriah patted him on the shoulder. “Knock ‘em dead, mate .”

sensed the sarcastic tone in Pruitt’s voice, but overlooked it as Uriah turned to him and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “See you soon, pipsqueak,” he said with a wink before making his way through the growing crowd of people to the stage.

If could guess, he imagined that in that moment his own face turned into a cheesy rendition of the emoji with heart-shaped eyes. “ Woof, ” he said under his breath.

To his surprise, it appeared as though Pruitt—who scooted in next to him with a drink of his own—had actually heard him. “Woof woof,” he replied.

“Oh, huh? Oops,” tried to play dumb.

“Trust me, I know a little something about woofing,” Pruitt teased. “So, uh, we’re gone a few minutes and you’re already causing trouble, huh?”

shrugged. “I didn’t think so.”

“Out of curiosity, what did they say to you?”

“Oh, uh, I think it was just crazy talk,” replied as he ran his hand across the nape of his neck and felt for the familiar chain. He was happy his necklace was unscathed. But why was she reaching for it, anyway?

“Guess she’s out here looking to steal some jewels,” Pruitt said with a laugh as he studied .

let out a chuckle, too, albeit a nervous one. “Maybe.”

The two let the sound of the music take over, both looking down at their cups, then back to each other.

“You don’t have anything to worry about, ,” Pruitt broke the silence. “I got your back.”

blushed. Did he just say something sweet? Mental note: enough with the obvious swooning , he thought to himself. “ Swoon ,” accidentally blurted out.

“Huh?” Pruitt asked, his left eyebrow arching.

Before either of them could react, the sound of Five Fangs’ instrumentals overpowered the bar.

“I guess they’re starting?” pointed.

Visibility faded as the overhead lights dimmed and two spotlights lit up the stage. Microphone and stand in hand, Uriah’s voice filled ’s ears with a sweet melody.

was prepared for how terrible this might be, but it surprised him to hear Uriah’s smooth, entrancing tenor voice take on Garbage’s “Bleed Like Me.” Now came the part where he was not supposed to let on his intrigue.