Twice Bitten (Love, Lust & Magic #1)

Uriah

A drink in his hand with the other tucked under the waistband of his boxer briefs, appeared as though he were a brooding mass of muscle, tattoos, and body hair as he sulked on the couch. His home, a beautifully adorned mansion on the edge of Mystic Hollow, was completely dark, with rich Victorian blinds carefully cloaking each window.

“Thank you, darkness,” said as he rubbed his temples and nursed what felt like a bad headache. Maybe it’s just a hangover that’s got me feeling like this. Or, gee, I don’t know. Guess it could be something else.

His mind replayed the past twenty-four hours and continued to come back to three visuals. Were they all bad? No. But put them together—and shit.

As downed what was left in his glass, he tossed it into the wall and sank deeper into the cushions. His mind raced back to last night.

He recalled pushing Pruitt against the glass of the shower as their lips met. For , it was a pivotal moment where he realized that the man he was most likely to get into a fistfight with at any given moment was actually his best friend— and even his lover . Despite the backhanded comments and physical punches they hurled at one another, never felt more confident than when he had Pruitt by his side. Pruitt, his voice of reason. Yet I’m an asshole to him, anyway.

Of course, then there was Griff.

Maybe I moved too fast. Maybe I don’t know how to show someone I care. And maybe it’s in my nature to be a danger to humans, to be evil. As Griff showered in Pruitt’s apartment the last time they were all together, he wondered those same things.

“I’m just gonna close my eyes for a minute,” Griff had said not fifteen minutes later as he let out a yawn and curled up on the vampire’s arm.

Black—the First Vampire, the father of vampirism, the baddest boy in all of Mystic Hollow—thought nothing was cute, but damn . “What a fucking cute little yawn,” he said aloud now as he replayed the memory in his head.

recalled slipping back into bed with Pruitt after his shower. As Pruitt dozed off, a slightly dazed Griff sat straight up in bed. “Oops, my glasses,” he had said with a soft moan as he pulled off his thick-rimmed frames.

“I’ll take those, little witch,” had replied, taking Griff’s glasses and carefully placing them on the nightstand.

“Thank you, Ri,” Griff said quietly as he rolled closer to the vampire. To ’s surprise, Griff rolled over one last time and found himself planted squarely between his pecs. His right cheek nuzzled into ’s chest, the sleepy freshman had adjusted himself so that their legs wrapped together like a pretzel. The freshman found support for his weight by wrapping his arms tight around ’s torso.

“Sorry if I’m a bit cold,” was all could think to say at the time.

“Brrr,” Griff shivered quietly before letting out a giggle and giving his new cuddle buddy a squeeze.

Little bastard, thought to himself now. At the time, he reacted by wrapping his arms around Griff and holding him for as long as he could. The scent of magic was strong, but not overpowering. It wasn’t something that inherently made him want to feed. After living as a vampire for over three hundred years, had quite a bit of self-control when it came to his humans, to his meals—and although snuggling up with a potent witch like Griff was the vampire equivalent of someone dangling a loaded crack pipe over a drug addict’s head, it was great to feel a connection.

Sure, the magical pheromones may have been partly to blame for why he stripped Griff down and had his way with him, but that was just a small part of the equation. Beyond Griff’s smooth, toned body and sexy, submissive mannerisms was his kind heart, his offbeat sense of humor, and his accepting nature. Unlike everyone else in his life, Griff refused to let be defined by his misdeeds, his looks, and his vampirism.

chuckled quietly to himself as he realized he had spent his entire afterlife chasing around the vampiresses with the highest body counts when the answer to his possible happiness was with a gay witch and the bisexual Wolf Man. Hell, until all these memories came popping back into my head, I barely even remember touching another man, let alone liking one.

And for it to turn out that he and Pruitt had, in fact, been brainwashed by magic, had their entire lives ruined by magic, and there was one single woman to blame? Well, fuck , he thought to himself. Guess I should’ve been gay all along.

For better or for worse, what stuck out in ’s mind most was the control Odessa still had over him. She was the one who made him who he was today. She’s who brought him to Pruitt—to Griff. She’s the one who marked Griff with her blood so that he would be hypnotized by its smell—so that he would eat the only human he cared about.

What couldn’t tell Griff or Pruitt was that it almost happened. As soon as he smelled blood, was seconds from biting into Griff’s neck and sucking him bone dry. He fantasized about it. It played out in his head multiple times, and for the first few replays he actually enjoyed the idea. It made his mouth water. That’s why he kept his distance as best he could.

Now, for the first time since he could remember, his chest felt tight, his stomach dropped, and he craved to be the comfort that only Pruitt could now provide to Griff.

In his mind, the best way he could protect Griff from himself was to stay far, far away. And when the opportunity came, he took it. realized this was possibly as close as he had ever come to the feeling of heartbreak, at least that he could recall. Gross, is that what this is?

’s stream of consciousness was interrupted as Pruitt tried to call him for the third time today. Even though the slightest effort felt like a monumental lift, he decided to pick up. “‘Ello, Pruitt.”

“,” Pruitt’s voice was calm. “It’s good to hear your voice, man.”

“This is the part where I make a dirty joke about you to throw the attention off of me,” replied .

“You’re right. It is,” Pruitt agreed. “I know they always come from a good place.”

“Well, I’m glad at least one of us figured it out after all these years,” retorted .

“How are you doing?”

“Good. Just, you know, the usual. Drinking myself into a stupor so that I forget how much of a worthless arsehole I can be.”

“Another thing you’ve got down pat,” Pruitt teased to lighten the mood. “But you are wrong about one thing. You’re far from worthless. And I think what happened at my place last night ? —”

“Was me being a pussy?”

“Well,” began Pruitt, “I was going to say what happened last night was amazing. It was sensual, vulnerable, and wild. I feel like I’ve never seen a side to you like that.”

“Well, how’s the old saying go? Humans do stupid things when they’re in love. Vampires do things just as bad—worse, maybe—when they’ve got a schoolyard crush.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I do. “I don’t.”

Pruitt was silent.

“Tell me you’re at least keeping an eye out for Griff. Is he—uh, how is everything?”

“He’s safe. He’s upset.”

“Are you?”

“I’m concerned. Confused, I guess.”

“Oh, Pru, I’m all of those things and more wrapped up in a fucking bow,” the vampire sighed. “While I don’t blame Griff for anything, I can’t forget that the reason he’s here—why I’m here—is because of Odessa. If the bitch had it her way, I would have eaten Griff faster than a human in a Hot Pocket right there in your bed.”

“The blood?” Pruitt asked.

“It’s her way of controlling the uncontrollable. Give me a taste of Griff’s insides so that I rip him apart to get to them.”

“That won’t happen, Riah,” said Pruitt. “Even Griff doesn’t believe that.”

“Well, that’s the thing. I do ,” rebuffed . “I am the cockiest vampire on this planet—you can attest to that—but even I can’t resist a little magic. And that’s why I’m in this shitty situation to begin with.”

Pruitt could feel the pain in ’s voice. “Can I come over to talk?”

“Oh, come on. Tonight’s your big night. Don’t worry yourself with me.”

“Riah…” Pruitt’s voice drifted off.

The call fell silent. could tell by Pruitt’s tone that he was also upset. He wanted to say something, but the words just weren’t coming.

“Look, Riah. You and I have been around for a long time. I mean, a long time. We both know that we can’t change the past; that there’s still things in this world that are out of our control no matter how powerful we might be. Immortal means we live forever, right? But what kind of life has it been? One where the narrative has been controlled all along. No real free choice. No real connections. No answers. Nothing,” said Pruitt. “I’m doing my best to make up for lost time by facing all of this head on. Am I upset? Of course I am. Do I want Odessa to pay for what she’s done? Yes. For once in my life, I want to fight for what I feel is right—to break the dumb jock human mold—and pursue what I’m passionate about. And that’s Griff—and it’s you.”

“Pruitt, I?—”

“Don’t pass up something that has the opportunity to change your life—and change you—for the better just because you’re scared, ,” continued Pruitt. “Until then, you know how to reach me.”

didn’t have the chance to get in another word before the call ended. “Christ,” he muttered as he tossed the phone across the couch. “Who needs therapy when you’ve got a werewolf?”