Griff
pondered Uriah’s initial question as he grabbed a hairbrush and ran it through his hair, moving in front of a long mirror across from the bed. He stopped to play with his white streak before speaking. “I haven’t noticed any strange behavior from Pruitt, no. Is that what would happen if some other wolf could control you, Pruitt?”
“Hm, not sure,” said Pruitt. “I’ve never heard of it before, but frankly I haven’t had a lot of experience with other werewolves. Or at least, like I said yesterday, I don’t remember much of it.”
“I mean, you created the whole damned werewolf line, Mondamin,” said Uriah. “You’re the bloody First Werewolf.”
“What?” Pruitt shrugged, his mind racing back to the surreal dream the night before. As confusing and cryptic as it was, though, he didn’t feel ready to share. “So, I bit a lot of people. You did, too.”
smiled, rolling his eyes before he turned back, placed the brush on the dresser, and climbed into bed with his men.
“All right, all right,” said Uriah, adjusting so that could lay across both of their laps. “Well, here’s what I’ll say then. After you passed out last night, little witch, I joined Pru in the shower for a little rinse off. I don’t want you to get jealous for missing out on all this action, but?—”
“Oh, yeah,” interrupted, completely unfazed. “You guys went at it like animals. Could hear you from in here. I guess that’s only a little out of the ordinary.”
The vampire and werewolf seemed surprised, neither realizing how loud they had been. Uriah cleared his throat before responding. “Well, uh, yes. And on top of that, I know you view me as the alpha male of the group, extremely dominant, and with major control issues— all true , by the way—but Pru here convinced me to?—”
“Let him top you?” interrupted once more.
“Uh, yeah,” Uriah admitted, again caught off guard.
“It’s okay,” said with a wicked, knowing smile. “Doesn’t make me think any different of you, my little vampire scum .”
Both the vampire and the werewolf’s eyes grew wide.
“ Well, well, well, ” said Pruitt. “If vampires could blush.”
“Um, yeah,” replied Uriah. “So, that—literally all of that—was pretty out of the ordinary. Don’t you two think so?”
“Why’s it gotta be out of the ordinary?” Pruitt asked, crossing his arms.
“Well, I mean, no one is denying you’re an amazing lover,” began Uriah. “I just—um, it’s new, I guess, is what I’m saying. Plus, what? Thirty minutes before that, little witch rides one out of you and you knot him, you look like you’re about to fall into a hundred-year slumber, and then all of a sudden you’re abusing my ass in a way I’ve never even experienced before.”
Pruitt nodded. “I guess that’s true.”
“Jealous,” giggled.
“I’ll be honest, I have been feeling weird,” Pruitt admitted. “While that was very hot—and something I’m hoping to experience again soon—it felt like I took the backseat through that whole thing. Kind of like someone was using my body.”
“Well, someone was definitely using my body,” said Uriah. “And whoever they are—good, evil, or otherwise—they’re for sure invited into the polycule.”
“The sex was that good, huh?” Pruitt asked.
Uriah nodded, kissing Pruitt on the cheek as he played with ’s hair. Pruitt smiled, his hand sliding underneath Uriah’s chin as he went in for another kiss.
“Are all signs pointing to Haven, then?” asked.
Pruitt shrugged.
“Could be,” said Uriah. “You guys mind if I go wait for him in the locker room over at Moonhaven University, test him out, and get back to you?”
The trio laughed. “Well, I’m not saying I wouldn’t be jealous,” said . “And by jealous, I mean jealous that you’re getting some action from Haven.”
“Same, apparently,” said Pruitt.
“Well, did we think Pruitt could’ve infected him?” began the witch. “I mean?—”
“Only person I came in contact with last night was already in werewolf form, G,” replied Pruitt. “In all seriousness, between all of this—the attack in the forest last night, the other werewolf besides the one that bit me, this Luna Dark Moon, and Darcy—we should be cautious.”
“What should the plan be?” Uriah asked, looking from boyfriend to boyfriend.
cleared his throat. “Well, it’s funny we’re on this topic, because I actually got a late-night text from none other than Haven himself.”
“Oh?” Uriah and Pruitt asked simultaneously.
“Something about a party at his frat house.”
“Oh, great. Frat boys,” Uriah rolled his eyes.
held up his smartphone and began to read aloud. “, so great to connect. Hope you and your cabin mates are doing well after last night. I just wanted to see if you would be interested in stopping by my fraternity party tonight. Just let me know. The address is 6863 Dark Moon Manor Drive.”
“Dark Moon Manor?” Uriah rolled his eyes before giving Pruitt a gentle shove. “You werewolves are so tacky.”
“Not all werewolves, okay?” defended Pruitt.
“And what do we do if we’re walking into a big feeding frenzy of werewolves looking to gobble me up like last night?” asked. “Uriah can’t go, either, because if he gets bit, then?—”
“Calm down, little witch,” the vampire said softly. “Nobody’s gonna hurt me, and I’m gonna make sure nobody hurts you. I mean, you know, unless it’s something consensual, like a little bit of ass-slapping, a light choke, or something.”
“I get that we are going into this with some mixed emotions, but if we’re actually considering going to this little party I think we should presume the worst,” added Pruitt.
“You’re right,” said, sitting up. He planted a kiss on both of his boyfriends before jumping out of bed. “I think I’m going to need some magical backup.”
“Magical backup, eh?” Uriah asked, rolling out of bed himself and following .
“Well, they’re going to smell what I am, right? Guessing that’s what drew last night’s werewolves to me in the first place. If I can find my family grimoire, I think I can stop that.”
“Doesn’t exactly sound like a quick morning stroll in the park, does it?” Uriah asked, wrapping his arms around ’s thighs before hoisting him up onto his shoulders.
“No,” smiled as Uriah spun him around. “But that’s where my other witch friends come into play.”
“Let me guess,” Pruitt said, moving much slower as he got out of bed. “Darcy slid into your DMs?”
“Well, I wanted to be friendly and check in with him,” said with a coy smile.
“Naughty boy.” Uriah adjusted his grip so that he could lightly spank his lover’s bare ass. “I love it.”
“Darcy’s magic is already cloaked, right? I mean, he didn’t even register as a blip on our radar,” Pruitt added. “You think Odessa did that? Like maybe she had a big library of grimoires somewhere?”
furrowed a brow. “Well, Darcy isn’t part of my witch line. Otherwise, Odessa would’ve killed him, too, right? Or, uh, is Darcy related to me?”
“Well, magic has existed since forever, right?” asked Uriah. “All humans came from the same place somewhere down the line. Doesn’t mean you’re family, per se.”
“Magical family, maybe?” Pruitt added.
“So, if adds Darcy to the polycule, he’s keeping it all in the family,” Uriah teased as he playfully bounced his lover up and down.
playfully squeezed Uriah’s nose. “Oh, shut up!”
“Only kidding, little witch,” the vampire replied with a wink. “Why don’t I let you down so you can get some pants on, then we can investigate?”
“Oh, hold on,” Pruitt said, wrapping his arms around from behind. “I just want a few more seconds of this beautiful view of our sexy boyfriend in a jock and my t-shirt.”
turned at just the right angle to press a kiss into the top of Pruitt’s head. “If you’re feeling up for it, you can come with me.”
“Oh, bite or no bite, I’m definitely coming with you, G,” Pruitt said.
“You don’t think that’s a way for the Dark Moonies—or whatever they call themselves—to spy on us, now do you?” Uriah asked, looking his werewolf lover up and down.
“So, wait. I’m a plant now?” Pruitt asked defensively.
“Good point,” replied directly to Uriah before looking to Pruitt. “Have we graduated to the point in our relationship where I get to drive your car without you?”
Pruitt was silent.
“Pru, that’s a you question,” Uriah gently nudged him.
“You know, that’s a hard one for me,” Pruitt’s voice trailed off. “I don’t want you both to think this is uncharacteristic of me—and suspect that I’m some kind of wolf possessed—so I’ll make you a deal.”
Uriah adjusted his hands on ’s legs, spinning around backwards so that his piggyback rider could face Pruitt. “How do I know I’m not making a deal with a werewolf spy?” the witch teased.
“Because a werewolf spy wouldn’t know my middle name is Oliver,” replied Pruitt.
“Good,” began , “ but not good enough . What’s Uriah’s middle name?”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Uriah shouted, spinning around and throwing onto the bed. “Pru, as far as he’s concerned, I don’t have one.”
“No?” Pruitt asked with a smile. “Always so temperamental, my little vampire scum.”
Uriah groaned. “That again, huh?”
“Take it easy, Riah,” Pruitt smiled. “I don’t even know it. Yours, on the other hand, my sweet in, is Eugene.”
blushed.
“Oh, and here I thought mine was embarrassing,” Uriah laughed as playfully smacked him.
“So, that means I passed the spy test, right?” asked Pruitt.
“Yes, Pruitt Oliver, you did,” said .
“Well, then back to my offer,” said Pruitt. “You get to drive my car if we get to have our way with you before you go.”
The vampire and werewolf shared a devious grin as crossed his arms before finally agreeing. “Deal.”
A cold fall rain blanketed the glum streets of Mystic Hollow. The witch slowly coasted through the city’s Campustown neighborhood, savoring the calm atmosphere and pit-patter of raindrops on Pruitt’s car. The surprise rainfall annoyed him—he could’ve invited his vampire familiar to act as his muscle should things go sour. But this storm was unexpected, just like everything else about this weekend so far, thought as he pulled up to an apartment complex not far from Pruitt’s loft.
Putting the Porsche 911 into park, slid his finger across the touchscreen display of the vehicle. A series of widgets highlighted a stormy forecast for the rest of the day, showed the approximate time as ten in the morning, and projected an automatic countdown customized specifically for Pruitt that tracked the cycles of the moon. “One day until the full moon,” he read aloud to himself.
His thoughts jumped from Darcy to Haven and back again. Will they be turning because of Pruitt? Or is Haven already a wolf? Is someone using magic to control Pruitt’s body, or does it have something to do with this mysterious bite that won’t heal? Are Darcy and Luna Dark Moon—suspiciously also the name of the street Haven’s fraternity is located on—connected back to my new friend?
The possible theories were as plentiful as the raindrops on the windshield. All knew for certain was that he didn’t want to walk into tonight’s party without a cloaking spell to hide his magical identity as a witch. Grabbing the keys and tucking them into his satchel, the freshman pulled on his purple rain jacket, turned off the car, and headed inside the building.
A series of labeled buttons on the wall served as a means to dial the complex’s residents. searched for the one labeled Landon and pressed it. An annoying ring echoed through the building’s foyer.
“Darcy here,” a familiar voice finally came through the speaker.
“Darcy,” sighed. “It’s . I don’t suppose—um, that I could talk to you?”
Silence on the other end. Another ring echoed, followed by the chime of the elevator behind . The door opened.
“Come on up,” Darcy’s voice carried through the speaker once again.
Hesitant at first, stepped into the elevator. Let’s hope this works.