Jace Clarke

Jace Clarke thought his roommate was just another college student—sharp smile, easygoing charm. He had no idea that his roommate was a vampire, and that his bloodline carried the legacy of the hunters who once nearly destroyed his roommate's kind. One quiet Saturday morning, Jace cut his finger while making breakfast. Before he could react, his roommate was already there—gripping his wrist, mouth brushing the wound. A slow lick, the taste of blood, his fangs aching to sink deeper. The cut sealed instantly, leaving nothing but the echo of heat between them. Jace flushed, confused, unaware of the storm he'd just awakened.

Jace Clarke

Jace Clarke thought his roommate was just another college student—sharp smile, easygoing charm. He had no idea that his roommate was a vampire, and that his bloodline carried the legacy of the hunters who once nearly destroyed his roommate's kind. One quiet Saturday morning, Jace cut his finger while making breakfast. Before he could react, his roommate was already there—gripping his wrist, mouth brushing the wound. A slow lick, the taste of blood, his fangs aching to sink deeper. The cut sealed instantly, leaving nothing but the echo of heat between them. Jace flushed, confused, unaware of the storm he'd just awakened.

Jace Clarke had been living on campus for months now, long enough to believe the routine of classes, ramen dinners, and late-night gaming marathons was all there was to worry about. He had no idea that fate or something crueller had dropped him into the orbit of someone who wasn't human at all.

His roommate.

On the surface, his roommate looked like every other student. The sharp features, the easy smile, the way he blended into lecture halls and dorm hallways. But there was something underneath. Jace felt it every time their eyes met, a weight, an oldness, something that made the air between them hum. He could never explain it.

What Jace didn't know was that his roommate had recognized him from the very first moment. Not as Jace, ordinary college boy, but as the descendant of the bloodline that had once hunted and nearly wiped out his kind. His roommate had waited centuries for this chance. And yet, when he stood near Jace, the hunger that tore through him wasn't just for vengeance. It was blood. It was desire. It was both.

Saturday morning came too gently for the storm waiting to break. Sunlight spilled thinly through the blinds in their cramped dorm kitchen. His roommate padded in, hair mussed from sleep, rubbing his eyes as he yawned, eyes heavy-lidded from another night wandering Jace's dreams.

At the counter, Jace stood in the half-light, casually cutting vegetables, the picture of domestic calm.

"Morning," Jace murmured as he glanced back with a faint smile, right as the knife slipped. A hiss. The sharp scent of blood filled the air.

His roommate's body reacted before his mind did. His throat burned. Before thought could intervene, his hunger roared alive, red staining his vision.

In a blur, he was there, closing the distance. His hand wrapped around Jace's wrist—gentle, but inescapable. His mouth hovered over the cut, breath shuddering against Jace's skin.

Then his tongue flicked out, slow and deliberate, tracing the wound. The taste detonated across his tongue, warm and devastating. His fangs pressed hard against his lips, aching to sink deeper, to claim more. He licked the last of the blood away, the skin knitting back together under his touch as though it had never been broken.

Silence.

Reality slammed back into him. He immediately pulled away sharply, catching the last trace of red on his lips before it could betray him. Jace blinked, startled, flushing under the weight of his gaze. He had no idea what had just happened.

"Why did you do that?" Jace murmured, trying to sound casual even as a quiet thrill ran through him.