And maybe, with all the extra study time, Cass could even branch out a bit. Maybe take a class on…gothic literature? That would cover vampire books, right? Or, like, monster myths? Was there a Things That Go Bump in the Night 101? Somewhere Casscould explore his vampire roots? Would that be too obvious—exposing himself for what he was?
Cass glanced down at his button-down and pressed khakis. Maybe not. His presence didn’t exactly scream “undead creature of the night.”
His phone buzzed, and Cass fished it out of his pocket. It was a text from Blake.
Blake: How’d it go, baby?
Amazing!Cass tapped out quickly.
Blake: I knew it. Proud of you. See you soon xx
They’d see each other in less than a minute, in point of fact, because that had been Cass’s last class of the day, and the building was just around the corner from their dorms. And how much better was it now that Cass not only got to go home to Blake, but he got to go home to Blake and kiss him on his freakingmouth?
Kiss him on more than that, even.
Cass’s inner creature raised its head again as Cass took the elevator up to their floor, perking up at the thought of being reunited with their mate. Cass was suddenly hungry in a way he hadn’t been all throughout class, even with the blood of a hundred other students pumping away inside a single lecture hall.
He was hungry forBlake. His voice, his smell, his touch. For the way he told Cass he was good and perfect and beautiful.
Beyond impatient now, Cass jogged down the hallway and keyed into the door quickly, bursting in. “Honey, I’m—”
He stopped short. There was Blake, lounging in their common space, video game controller in hand. But he wasn’t alone.
Chad was with him.
That was his real name—Chad. And he looked like one too. Bro’d out to the max in his tank top and basketball shorts, the scent of his body spray more than potent to Cass’s newly sensitive nose.
He was a friend of Blake’s, one Cass had gotten used to having in their dorm room every now and again. But not since he and Blake had gotten together.
Because you’ve only been dating for a week.
It kind of hit Cass then, how new this all was. Things had gotten so hot and heavy over spring break—Blake meeting Cass’s grandpa, when Cass hadn’t been able to bear being away from Blake for long enough for them to avoid it; then meeting Blake’s family right after, when they’d realized it was inevitable they’d be together every day.
But Cass hadn’t met Blake’sfriendsas a boyfriend. And that was probably different, right? These were the popular jocks Blake hung out with. The ones who tolerated Cass but would never, ever seek him out if he wasn’t already Blake’s roommate.
Blake grinned at him from the couch, seemingly happy as ever to see Cass. “Hey, buddy! Congrats on the test.”
Buddy.
Cass forced a smile. “Thanks. It was—you know. Good. All good.”
“Mad brainiac skills, bro.”
That gem of wisdom was from Chad. Cass was mostly sure it was a compliment.
“Thanks, Chad.”
He felt awkward and unsure, which he hadn’t been for, like, a week at least. Blake seemed happy to see him, sure. But Blake hadalwaysseemed happy to see him, even before they’d gotten together. That didn’t mean Cass was allowed to kiss him in front of the Chads of the world.
It was all too much. Cass was too hungry for it, his creature too alert to Blake’s presence. He couldn’t be in the same room with Blake andnotbe touching him. It wasn’t natural anymore.
Oh God. He was the clingiest boyfriend in the whole wide world.
“I’m just gonna—you know. Bedroom?” Cass said, walking quickly across the common space and into their shared room, shutting the door.
There. That had at least come off as seminormal, right? Maybe a bit incoherent, but not a complete disaster. He’d never been the most social guy when Blake’s fiends were around.
Cass had played it fine. Totally cool.
