Pruitt
At least a hundred people were gathered in the Mystic Green, a large, grassy knoll at the center of campus, and it surprised and Griff to see a large stage towering before the crowd with a familiar face on it.
Griff gestured to the setup. “Whoa, guess they’re really going all out for this, huh?”
Above the makeshift stage, a large projector showcased a brief agenda of the event. The introductory speaker’s name shone across the screen, but still couldn’t believe it.
“Faculty, staff, and students of Mystic Hollow University, I’m grateful to have the pleasure of introducing the newest member of our university leadership team,” the presenter’s voice echoed through campus. “But before we get to that, let me introduce myself.”
?Is this really happening?? Griff’s voice echoed through the werewolf’s head.
“Apparently so,” was all could reply with.
“My name is Darcy Landon. I’m a sophomore studying investigative journalism here at MHU, but that’s not why I was chosen to introduce to you our new university president.”
Making their way to the side of the stage, Griff and stopped short of joining the crowd. Looking up from his podium, Darcy made direct eye contact first with Griff, then before flashing a friendly smile.
?He’s looking right at me—at us,? said Griff.
hesitated before replying. ?D-don’t worry. He’s not possessed anymore. At least not by a witch.?
? How do you know? Some kind of scent you can pick up on??
?No ,? answered the werewolf. But he knew Griff was right to be suspicious. After all, Darcy paraded around Mystic Hollow not a month ago under the spell of his witch ex-lover’s evil thrall and he couldn’t sense a thing. Just as before, ’s inner empath couldn’t read Darcy. ?Actually, I can’t pick up on much of anything. M-maybe it’s the crowd size.?
“ As we all know, the MHU Devils community is still grieving from the senseless acts of violence that claimed the life of our university’s longest-serving president to date, Dr. Edward Gore. Similar to many of you, uh, I-I was just an innocent observer that day caught up in the bloodshed. And when the killer set her sights on the student section, something inside of me told me that I had to act.”
and Griff stood with their mouths agape as Darcy took credit for stopping the homecoming game massacre. He stood in sharp contrast to the dirty mistruths he was speaking, appearing as handsome and charming as ever with a long-sleeved white button-up, crisp khaki pants, and a sparkling smile to match. His chiseled jaw line coupled with his styled and slicked back dirty blonde hair were enough to make the audience swoon. They cheered and clapped for him as the witch and werewolf watched in silence.
Darcy’s words seemed to bleed together and fade away as thought back to battling him and stopping Odessa. He saw the view through the eyes of his wolf form as he pounced on Darcy in the heat of battle. Sweat collected on his forehead as he paged through his sensory memory of that moment: the sound of Darcy’s heart beating fast, the movement of his chest as his breathing pace increased, the horrified look in his eyes, the warmth of his skin between his wolf claws as he pinned him to the ground. Was something missing?
? Huh?? Griff telepathically nudged , who quickly realized their shared thought collective goes both ways.
In a flash, he recalled the warm breath of Darcy’s exhale as his wolf mass pressed him down onto a stadium bleacher. He felt the warmth of fresh blood against his paws as his nails dug into the witch’s skin. And he worked hard to block it out of his mind before replying to his boyfriend.
? N-nothing.? could feel Griff’s eyes on him, keeping his attention purposefully on Darcy to avoid suspicion. ? Just seems like something is up.?
“Agreed,” Griff replied aloud.
The two tuned back into the speech, watching and listening closely.
“But we, as a student body, collectively know Mystic Hollow is all about new beginnings,” Darcy continued, pounding his hands on the podium before him. “That being said, I’m happy to announce that a professional search committee, which included faculty, staff, and students known for their contributions to the local community— myself included —has selected the next great leader of Mystic Hollow University.”
Darcy lifted his arms in the air to encourage cheers from the crowd. The audience went wild, the roar of applause echoing across central campus.
As Griff no doubt was processing his own thoughts about his former roommate, wrestled with the reality of potentially spreading his curse. The realization that a witch had manipulated his thoughts and life for three centuries meant he had to sift through years of manufactured memories. Some of those included wilder, violent days, but the more he searched for those memories, the more he hated to know. The werewolf narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on Darcy. Something, he repeated to himself.
“Her resume includes serving as vice provost and dean of students at Moonhaven University—and while I know that might elicit some boos from our football fans given that Moonhaven is our biggest rival, let me assure you she’s already pledged her loyalty to the MHU Devils ahead of this weekend’s big game,” Darcy shouted into the crowd. “Let me be the first to introduce you to Dr. Luna Dark Moon, the newest president of Mystic Hollow University!”
?Really? That’s her name?? Griff crossed his arms, a look of suspicion on his face.
chuckled. ?Sounds like a bad video game villain. Or a werewolf.?
?Doesn’t Luna mean moon, too? Dr. Moon Dark Moon?? Griff rolled his eyes.
Ahead of them, Darcy obnoxiously directed his arms to the right side of the stage.
“Do you see that?” grabbed Griff’s arm. Darcy’s unbuttoned sleeves flailed with every movement he made, but was sure that he saw red marks extending across his forearm. Marks that looked like they could belong to a creature. To a wolf, thought .
Griff shook his head. “Huh?”
Donning a lavish red dress—one more appropriate for a high-end cocktail hour than an introductory rally for a university official—Dr. Dark Moon appeared on the edge of the stage. With long, flowing red hair and a lipstick color that matched, the doctor appeared to be no older than her early forties. She was beautiful, and could tell that she most definitely knew it. She was met with raucous applause, but also with several whistles and catcalls.
“Thank you, Mr. Landon, for that wonderful introduction,” began the doctor. “And please—like all the students I served before you— call me Luna.”
“What’s the matter?” Griff noticed was now completely zoned out.
“This university owes Mr. Landon a great debt that we’ll never be able to fully repay him for, and I’ve appreciated getting to know him and several other students through a series of interviews this past week. I want to start by sharing the five tenets of leadership that I’ve stood by since I was a college student, just like Mr. Landon…”
“It’s Darcy,” whispered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “I-I think something happened to him.”
“What? You think she possessed him, too? I mean, I guess that’s kind of his thing now.”
shook his head no. “Not that.”
Griff’s attention turned back to Darcy, who made his way down from the stage and over to a group of students close to them.
?I think I should talk to him, . Things didn’t end great between us. And with him moving out and all, I don’t want him to ? —?
?I don’t know if that’s a good idea, G,? was quick to reply.
?Look, let me just say hi. I’m sure that if I ? —?
Before Griff could finish his thought, Darcy approached the duo and stuck out his hand. “Griff?”
“D-Darcy!” Griff exclaimed. “Hey there. What a pleasant surprise to see you.”
“! Nice to see you, too,” Darcy exclaimed as he offered up his hand again.
shook it, his eyes drawn to Darcy’s arm. His nostrils flared as he smelled for signs of a wound, for signs of a change in his human makeup. Nothing, he thought to himself.
“Darcy, I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” said through gritted teeth.
“Look, I just wanted to tell you both that I appreciate all that you two did for me,” said Darcy with a heartfelt smile. “And I apologize for taking credit up there. It’s kind of the university’s new narrative.”
Darcy appeared ready to rejoin a nearby group of friends, but Griff reached for his arm before he turned away. “Hey. I’m always here to talk about what happened. I know it’s not easy realizing you’re not in control of your own destiny.”
“Griff, thank you,” replied Darcy. “I mean that, really. And I want you to know that I’ve never felt more in control of my life than I do now. Never been so sure of myself.”
“Darcy?” Griff called to him once more as he stepped away. “Just one more thing. A-are you still using magic?”
Darcy looked back with a smile and a wink, then turned back to face the stage.
?A wink? What do you think that means?? Griff asked .
huffed. ?I have my theories.?
“No university community is without their hurdles, their challenges, their faults. But from my short time in Mystic Hollow this week, I’m certain that the best is yet to come for us,” Luna spoke into the podium microphone. “There is a new moon rising upon the city of Mystic Hollow, and upon the grounds of Mystic Hollow University, and I will be here to lead us through it!”
As the audience cheered and hollered, Griff and couldn’t help but feel something was indeed amiss—and Darcy was only one piece of the puzzle.
and Griff drove in silence for some time. By the time they reached Uriah’s mansion, clouds had overtaken the sky and drowned out most of the sun.
“Well, guess I won’t need my umbrella.” The familiar sarcastic tone of Uriah brought a smile to their lips. Griff smiled as the vampire leaned forward from the backseat, giving each of them a gentle kiss on the cheek. “But I have to say, I wasn’t the one who was late this time, eh? That would be you two.”
As he shifted the car into drive and took off, finally spoke. “Sorry. A lot on our minds.”
“Are you two still going on about me leaving the toilet seat up?” Uriah asked in a dead serious tone.
“No, Uriah. It’s not that,” replied Griff. “We just ran into Darcy at that event I was telling you about.”
“Oh, the one for whatever new asshole is getting rich off our tuition dollars, huh? How do they even pick a new university president that fast is my question. And why didn’t I get a say?” Uriah realized he was rambling and quickly reeled it back in. “I mean, uh, how’d things go?”
“Do you think Darcy’s a werewolf?” asked.
“That new university president? I think she’s evil,” Griff said at the same time.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, gents,” Uriah scratched his head. “First off, Darcy’s a dick, so yes, there’s a good chance he’s a werewolf. Second off, how evil are we talking? Because I’ve been called some things in my short time on this earth, and evil is definitely one of them. And you said she, so that means—well, is she hot?”
Griff filled in Uriah as they went, finally spilling to both boyfriends about Darcy’s presence in his dream the night before.
“So, let’s recap,” began Uriah. “The new prez looks like Jessica Rabbit, but just based on her name alone, we’ve already pegged her as a corny supervillain.”
“Yep! And Darcy’s either using magic to infiltrate my dreams, or he’s a werewolf, or both,” Griff added.
“Right,” Uriah didn’t sound convinced.
The sights and sounds of Mystic Hollow melted away as they reached the nearest highway, a winding road that took them into patches of wooded scenery that finally gave way to a forest. remained quiet for some time.
“Everything okay, Pru?” Uriah asked.
“I don’t know,” replied. “I can’t help but think…”
“Think what?” Griff interrupted.
“Think that I sank my claws into Darcy just enough to infect him.”
“Infect him?” Griff asked. “You mean you think you spread the werewolf curse to him?”
nodded solemnly.
“That’s it,” Uriah interjected. “If I get one more comment about how I’m responsible for turning Quinn and that I’m such a bad guy for?—”
“Riah, I say this with all my love, but please shut up,” demanded.
Uriah raised his hands in defeat. “Speaking of, he’s doing good, I think. You know, I think we could probably lock Darcy down there with him, too.”
“Couldn’t they hypothetically infect each other?” Griff wondered aloud.
“Don’t think so, pipsqueak. The vampire bite is deadly to werewolves,” explained Uriah.
“And the reverse—a werewolf's bite would kill a vampire,” added, making eye contact with Uriah in the rearview mirror as he spoke.
“Is that why you guys haven’t given each other any hickeys yet?” Griff asked in a playful tone, quickly realizing he shouldn’t have. “Okay, okay, bad timing.”
The trio sat with their feelings as they digested their latest theories.
“Well, there hasn’t been a full moon since all of this happened,” said Uriah. “Doesn’t that mean Darcy has yet to turn?”
“Well, wait a second,” said Griff. “If you infected Darcy, you did it on the night of the full moon, remember? He could’ve turned instantly, right?”
“Assumedly, yes.” replied . “We weren’t with him all night, though, and not all newbie wolves transform right away.”
“So, he can change whenever then?” Griff asked. “I mean, if we’re saying he got infected by you at the homecoming game.”
“A wolf’s first transformation must be on the night of a full moon,” said . “From there, they can transform at will.”
“Well, you think he’d tell me, right? Or, at the very least—I don’t know—destroy our dorm room, right?” asked Griff. “He did neither, so…”
The vampire leaned forward. “Don’t think I’ve ever asked. How’s that wolf snout work when it comes to detecting other shifters? Can’t you—I don’t know—just tell by gettin’ a whiff of good old Darce?”
opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. “I-I… Well, I thought I could.”
“How ‘bout this, then. When’s the next full moon?” asked Uriah.
“Sunday,” said with a sigh.
“Well, Pru,” responded Uriah, “I don’t mean to be insensitive, but what about all this has got you down? You’re literally the First Werewolf , so you’re not fooling anyone by saying you’ve never spread your lycanthropic germs before. Besides, accidents happen. Darcy can sod off if he’s gonna be pissy about it.”
paused before replying. “Ever since Griff stopped Odessa, my memories have been coming back. Not all of them, but some…” His voice trailed off.
“What kind of memories?” Griff asked, putting his hand on ’s thigh in a show of support.
“I-I don’t know how it first spread, but it did,” began the werewolf. “All those old legends and tales of werewolves—from loup-garou to rougarou —are because of me, right? Because of what I brought into this world like some kind of disease. And with some of them—gosh, I only remember their faces. With others, I remember much more. No matter who I tell you about, their stories all ended up the same way. They brought with them pain, suffering, and death. And I don’t know a single living werewolf today besides me. Or at least I don’t think I do, anyway.”
“Well, you know, Pru, maybe it’s time for the era of the enlightened wolf,” said Uriah. “I mean, these days we’ve got all kinds of monsters out there running amok. Just look at some of the elected officials in this bloody country alone. Besides, you can’t tell me there aren’t at least a few good werewolves.”
remained silent.
“I know at least one of them,” Uriah finished his thought, placing a gentle hand on ’s shoulder.
“Me, too,” Griff added. “If Darcy is a werewolf—and one that’s still alive, at that—you have to remember that he was collateral damage. He was brought into this fight by Odessa, not you.”
’s mind raced. “And now what do you think he’s brewing?”
“Well, all I know is that he’s back in town, and we’re all out here ready to enjoy the great outdoors together as a happy little polycule,” replied Uriah. “ Gosh, that’s a fun word to say. But to get back on subject, we’ll handle things one day at a time, all right, Pru?”
nodded, a smile slowly creeping across his face. “Thank you both. I just don’t want to see either of you get hurt again.”
“Well, we’re all in this together,” Griff reminded him. “What if I did some kind of werewolf-revealing spell?”
“Ah, the little witch is up to his old tricks again,” said Uriah. “How about this? We’ll conjure up your little spell when we get back to town, and then I’ll bite any bad wolves that come our way while still making time to audition for that play of yours.”
“Deal,” Griff smirked.
“In the meantime, let’s try to clear our minds,” the vampire suggested. “This weekend is about us , not anyone else.”
“How is it that he sleeps like a baby, even in your unbelievably expensive and uncomfortable car?” Uriah asked , his head nodding toward the curled up human in the front passenger seat.
smiled. “I would be exhausted, too, if I had both of us as boyfriends.”
Uriah shrugged. “Never thought of it that way. Makes sense, I suppose.”
“Listen,” began as he looked from Griff’s sleeping body to Uriah’s reflection in the rearview mirror. “I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but can you promise me something?”
Uriah nodded. “Anything.”
“I know we’re getting out of town to relax and unwind, but today’s got me feeling uneasy. I just...” the werewolf’s voice trailed off before he found the right words. “Please, just remember that Griff is mortal. Promise me, if for any reason I can’t be there, that you’ll protect him. If something bad ever happens, that’s your only mission: save him at all costs. I— we can’t lose him.”
“ Mondamin, you have my word,” Uriah said with both a straight face and demeanor. “You really feelin’ that on edge, jock boy?”
shrugged his shoulders, placing both hands on the wheel. “I’ve just got a feeling that trouble might be brewing back home. I also know your blood will heal him if he ever gets hurt. I-I can’t offer that.”
“Well, we saw how that went with the professor, huh? Now the poor bloke’s on some suicide mission in my basement jail cell.” Uriah scoffed, looking out the window before returning his gaze to the mirror and to . “Look, I’ve got big feelings for Griff, too, you know? Big feelings for— well, for both of you. I know some might say I’ve been a murderous playboy asshole for most of my existence—and they’d be right—but I would do anything, anything to keep you both safe.”
The two exchanged a knowing, tender look, and all felt right between them.
“Now, while our mini-magician is still passed out, are we going to discuss our little surprise plan or what?”
A devious smirk crossed ’s face. ?Maybe, but let’s keep it all ESP.?
The car roared past a sign with the words Moonhaven University - 5 Miles on it. The cloud-covered sun was halfway through setting, its color providing a beautiful backdrop against the fall foliage of the forest on either side of the winding road.
“So, a cabin, you said?” inquired a now-awake Griff.
“It’s just around the next bend here, I believe,” answered . “Surprised you couldn’t even stay awake for the thirty-minute car ride.”
“You two tire me out, what can I say?” The human teased. “Is this another one of the foreclosures Uriah is famous for squatting in?”
“Hey! I’ll have you know I compelled good people to get my home,” Uriah interjected, faux offense in his tone. “Er, uh, and to get this cabin, too.”
“All for a vacation?”
“He’s had it for as long as I remember knowing him, at least,” said .
“Are we talking seventeen-hundreds or?”
“Okay, correction,” replied . “Since we started college together, which I guess might just be a fabricated memory.”
“Any more of the real ones coming back?” Griff sidetracked the conversation. “I mean, I know Odessa’s spell made you both forget your connection to her, but—I mean, like you said, , you’re starting to remember your past with other werewolves, right?”
“Slowly,” Uriah chimed in. “Some things better than others. I always remembered some of my best party boy times, but other things are just now starting to come back to me.”
“Do you guys remember the first time you made love?” Griff asked.
The question seemed to bring with it a flash of memories—both men remembering their hands intertwined, their bodies pressed together. Multiple occasions, not just one. But hard to pinpoint. winced as the visuals flooded his subconscious.
“You tryin’ to make us horny before we even get unpacked, or what?” asked Uriah.
“Well,” said with a half-hearted smile, “I hate to interrupt this conversation—and we can certainly pick back up on it—but it looks like we’re here.”
The car curved to the right just off of the highway, headed down a small winding road that served as a driveway to a wooden cabin tucked just out of sight from the main road.
Griff crossed his fingers in a joking manner. “Please tell me there’s utilities and running water.”
“Just for that, I’m calling to get ‘em all turned off now,” said Uriah, leaning forward and unleashing a surprise tickle attack on Griff.
“Ah!” Griff let out a squeal. “I’m not trying to be a diva, I swear.”
“Oh, come on. I have a thing for divas, remember? Think that’s part of why I keep you around,” gave him a playful look and a quick kiss on the forehead before putting the car into park.
“Looks like we got here just in time for me to come out to play without my trench coat, cap, and shades,” said Uriah as he stepped out of the car. Leaves crunched below him as he opened the door for Griff, then moved to the trunk to unload. “Actually, maybe a hoodie and some sunglasses are a good idea,” he said as he winced and covered his eyes.
“G, while we’ve still got just a hint of daylight,” began , “would you mind if we ran everything inside quickly, and then showed you a cool little spot not far from here?”
An inquisitive look crossed Griff’s face.
“Come on, for me?” said, giving his best pouty lip.
“Well, since imminent danger and all the potential new big bads appear to be back in Mystic Hollow, let’s do it!” Griff said with a smile.