Page 8 of Accidental Blood Lust
I nearly gasp. “Why would you do that? Jareth hates vampires. You had to know that, right? He doesn’t exactly keep it a secret.”
“Well, hate is a strong word. I thought maybe he was exaggerating a little.” He pinches his thumb and forefinger together to make his point, and shoots me a chagrined look.
“Dude, no. He wasn’t.” I shake my head.
Lochlan huffs a laugh and sinks back against the loveseat, looking defeated. “I know that now, but it was the only way to become one of you.”
“One of us?”
“A supe, Roman. It was the only way. If you’re not born with it, or cursed, vampire it is.”
“Why did you want to become supernatural?”
He crinkles his nose, turning away. “That’s not important right now. The important part is that I really messed up. Jare is mad at me. He broke up with me and said I betrayed him. But that’s not what it was about.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. Jareth doesn’t play when it comes to vampires. He barely tolerates Cassius.”
“Who’s Cassius?”
“My… friend. Coworker. He’s a vampire.”
Relief spreads over Lochlan’s face. “You do know a vampire. Could he help me?”
“With what?”
“Being a vampire. I don’t know how to do it and I’m messing it up. Badly. I haven’t been able to find any vampires willing to help.”
“Yeah, they aren’t known for being open to newcomers.”
“No,” he mutters in agreement. “Would Cassius help me?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. We can ask.” I lean in. “But that’s not why you were looking for me. You didn’t know about Cassius. So why were you looking?”
“You know Jareth. Maybe even better than I do. I want to win him back, or at least get to a point where things can be civil.”
I practically recoil. The last thing I want to do is interfere in Jareth’s love life. I have no right. “I can’t do that. Jareth’s an adult and he knows what he wants. Sorry if that’s not you anymore.”
“Does he?” Lochlan reaches out and squeezes my hand. “He’s stubborn and hurt, which makes him even more stubborn.”
That’s a good point.
“I know he still has feelings for me. You’re supposedly one of his good friends. Don’t you want him to be happy?”
“That’s a low blow, Lochlan.”
He pulls my hand to his chest. “Please. I’m desperate.”
My eyes move to the point of contact between us, and I’m distinctly aware of how warm the connection feels when it definitely should not. I’ve touched lots of vampires and they’re always cool to the touch, but not Lochlan.
It doesn’t help that he smells like my favorite everything, like a place I’d love to nest and burrow. Like home. Why does he smell like that now? I’ve met him a few times before and other than recognizing that he’s attractive and hating him for getting to have Jareth in a way I can’t, it was pretty uneventful.
His eyes lock on mine, the warmth in them surprising. They’re a soft sage green with flecks of brown in them, but thelonger we look at each other, the more intense they grow, pink rings appearing around the irises.
I know what that is. That’s arousal. I’ve learned it can be a spectrum from rage to lust, and he’s definitely not angry right now.
Oh.
I pull my hand away. This is bad. Very bad. I could never. Not with him. Not after he’s been with Jareth. My wolf doesn’t agree though, swishing around and making its presence known by causing hair to thicken and spread across my arms. My cock is so hard it’s straining against the zipper of my jeans.
