Bitten by Mistake: The Alpha's Trap

I finally sank my teeth into Adrian.

Mission accomplished.

Except, nobody warned me about the side effect. Apparently, vampire saliva acts as a massive aphrodisiac when we feed.

Oh, and there is one more tiny detail.

Why does Adrian suddenly have two fluffy ears popping out of his head?

And is that a tail?

God, someone send help.

Chapter 1

My name is Clara. I am a half-vampire. Mom is a vampire. Dad is human.

Usually, I have zero interest in human blood. I have never even caught a whiff of that top-shelf vintage aroma my mom always raves about.

Until today.

I smelled it.

And God, it was mouthwatering.

Today was the annual club run with my roommate, Paige. I do not care much for the alcohol. I am here for the eye candy. Call it an appreciation of fine art.

Paige picked this spot specifically for the male demographic. The quality tonight was off the charts. We were having a field day.

Then it hit me.

A scent unlike anything I have ever encountered.

It flooded my lungs, sending a weird wave of comfort through my veins. My pulse spiked. My heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to break out.

My tongue darted out to wet my dry lips. Pure instinct.

"Clara! Look! It is Adrian!" Paige's sharp elbow dug into my ribs, snapping me back to reality.

Adrian?

I scanned my memory files. Right. The med school god Paige never shuts up about. I had never actually seen him in the flesh.

Under the strobing lights, three guys walked toward us. The one on the far right locked my attention.

Silver-rimmed glasses. Clean cut.

My type exactly. He looked scholarly. Refined.

"Which one is Adrian?" I asked.

"The one with the glasses!"

Of course. The campus legend. I could see why.

They breezed past our table, and that scent washed over me again. Intoxicating.

Where was it coming from? It was definitely radiating off one of them.

"Paige? Do you smell that?"

Paige twitched her nose like a bunny. "Oh, I smell it. Totally."

"What is it?"

"The scent of a Greek god."

I shot her a look. She did not smell it. Not the way I did. So it was just me.

My brain spun.

I remembered Mom's lecture on premium blood.

It comes with a compulsion, she had said. An uncontrollable urge to tackle them and sink your teeth in.

My gaze snapped back to Adrian. I raked my eyes over him, tracking upward until I stalled on the long, elegant line of his neck.

I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight.

There it was.

The urge to pounce. To bite.

Top-shelf vintage.

His blood was going to be sweet.

Chapter 2

"Paige. I am getting his number." My eyes were glued to him. I physically could not peel them away from Adrian.

"Yeah, no. Abort mission."

I whipped my head around. "Why?"

Paige gave me a look that questioned my sanity. She scoffed. "Are you blind? Look at the perimeter."

I blinked. Refocused.

She was right. He was fortified by a wall of girls. If I went over there now, I would need a ticket.

But I could not wait.

I needed that blood.

My insides were itching. It felt like a colony of ants was burrowing under my skin, screaming for a fix.

Suddenly, my mom's obsession with my dad made total sense. The constant clinging? The neediness? I get it now.

Paige dragged me back into my seat, but my gaze remained locked on him.

Subtlety is not a vampire strong suit.

Adrian paused. He felt the weight of my stare. He reached up, long fingers adjusting the bridge of his silver frames, and turned his head.

The strobe lights hit his lenses. A flash of white glare obscured his eyes.

I could not see him looking back, but the gesture alone sent a fresh wave of heat through my veins.

I needed to cool down. Immediately.

"Bathroom," I choked out. "I need a minute."

I stood up and made a beeline for the restrooms.

Mistake.

The second I pushed through the door, I was assaulted. The air was thick, humid, and filled with the unmistakable sounds of people hooking up.

Gasps. Thuds against stall doors.

My neck flushed. The heat traveled up, setting my face on fire.

A stall door swung open. A guy stumbled out. Let's call him Buck. He was absolutely wasted. He swayed into my path, eyes unfocused.

"Yo move"

He did not finish the sentence. His foot slipped, and he came crashing down like a felled tree, right toward me.

Please. I have reflexes.

I side-stepped. Smooth.

But the hallway was a claustrophobic nightmare. I dodged Buck, but my shoulder slammed hard into someone else.

Thud.

The guy hit the wall behind him with a heavy impact. A low, pained grunt vibrated through the air.

Who designed this place? A sardine can?

I kept my head down, panic rising. "God, I am so sorry. I didn't see"

The sentence died in my throat.

The scent.

It did not waft. It struck.

It rushed straight into my nasal cavity, bypassing logic, hitting the pleasure center of my brain like a sledgehammer.

I stopped breathing.

Slowly, terrifyingly, I lifted my eyes.

Adrian.

He was looking down at me, and he was smiling. A bright, blinding smile.

"It is fine," he said. "Just watch your step."

Chapter 3

He side-stepped me, moving to leave.

I couldn't let the meal walk away.

"Adrian!"

The name tore out of my throat.

He paused, pivoting on his heel to face me. "Something wrong?"

"Can I get your number?"

So I can lure you out and drain you dry.

He adjusted his glasses, sliding a sleek phone from his pocket and holding it out.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Access granted. Step one to the ultimate meal.

I patted my dress. My pockets.

Nothing.

Oh, God. I left it at the table.

Panic clawed at my throat. "II justWait right here."

I spun around to bolt back to the table. I didn't get far.

Warm fingers locked around my wrist. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm. He yanked me back. Effortless.

"Just put your number in mine."

Right. Logic. Why does hunger drop my IQ by fifty points?

And that smell

It was suffocating me. Wrapping around my senses. I wanted to tackle him right here on the sticky tiles.

My hands shook as I took his unlocked phone. I punched in my digits, praying I didn't mistype.

Save.

Done. Tomorrow, you are dinner.

Suddenly, the stall door next to us banged open.

Troylet's call him Troysauntered out, buckling his belt with a smug look of satisfaction. Behind him, Kaylee stumbled out, smoothing down her rumpled skirt, her face flushed crimson.

The air grew heavy with the scent of cheap sex.

Troy smirked at Adrian, jerking his chin toward the open stall. "All yours, bro. It's all clear."

Adrian didn't flinch. He looked down at me, his expression unreadable behind the glare of his glasses.

"Do you want to go?"

"Huh?"

I locked eyes with him.

Was he offering?

Was he literally delivering himself to me? In a bathroom stall?

Classy? No.

Convenient? Yes.

I couldn't hold back. The hunger was screaming. I nodded aggressively. "Yes."

I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the open stall.

Finally.

Thenwhiplash.

He yanked me back again. I stumbled, almost face-planting into his chest.

He looked down, a shadow of annoyance flickering behind his lenses. "I meant, do you need to use the bathroom. Before I go in."

Oh.

The silence that followed was loud.

I scratched the back of my head, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. "Right. No. You go."

He stepped past me, the stall door clicking shut. I swear I heard him mutter under his breath.

"Idiot."

Fine. Insult me all you want. Just wait until I drain you dry.

Chapter 4

I scrambled back to the booth. I pulled out my phone. Accept Request.

The moment my fingers brushed the screen, I caught it.

The scent.

It clung to my skin. I lifted my wrist to my nose. It was faint, but it was there. His aroma was literally embedded in my pores.

Should I never wash this hand again?

No. Gross. Get a grip, Clara. I scrubbed the thought away. If I played my cards right, I would have the real thing tomorrow.

I typed in my name. Clara. Short. Memorable.

I clicked his profile. No selfies. Just a picture of a white dog mid-yawn. Its ears were perky and fluffy.

Cute. I had a sudden urge to reach through the screen and scratch them.

His username was just Adrian. No posts. A digital ghost town.

Simple. I liked simple.

"Clara!"

Paige slid into the booth, practically vibrating. She waved her phone in my face. "I got a number! My soulmate has arrived!"

She looked ready to plan the wedding.

"Who?"

She cradled the phone against her chest like a newborn. "Hunter! The one with the big doe eyes sitting next to Adrian."

Adrian.

My head snapped toward their table. Hunter and Adrian were clinking glasses.

But I didn't care about Hunter.

My gaze locked onto Adrian. He tipped his head back to drink. The sharp line of his jaw extended. His Adam's apple bobbed.

Up. Down.

I watched the cartilage shift under the skin. The movement was hypnotic.

My mouth watered. God, I want to bite that.

"Clara? Did Adrian add you?" Paige's squeal broke my trance. I jumped.

"Jesus, Paige. Yes. I asked him outside the bathroom."

She squinted at me, assessing. "Damn. I didn't think you had it in you. You touched the Holy Grail."

I flicked her forehead hard. "Focus on your soulmate before he disappears."

She giggled, immediately diving into a rapid-fire text exchange with Hunter.

I looked at my own phone. I needed to secure the bag. The hunger was a physical ache in my gut. I couldn't wait.

I opened the chat. Typed out a message.

"Want to hang out tomorrow?"

Direct. I liked it. The bubbles appeared instantly.

"No. Drinking tonight. I am not moving tomorrow."

Excuse me?

Rejection?

I don't do rejection.

"Day after then."

"We will see."

I looked up, narrowing my eyes at him across the crowded bar. I wanted to laser him with my glare.

He caught my eye. The corner of his mouth quirked up. An unreadable smirk. He raised his glass in a toast.

Clink.

Fine.

He is a premium vintage. I can let him breathe for forty-eight hours.

I settled in, prepared to stare at him until closing time. I needed to guard the goods. What if another vampire swooped in?

"We are leaving," Paige announced.

I blinked. "What?"

"I am going home. I need to be a good girl. No more bars. I need to show Hunter I am wife material."

I felt steam shooting out of my ears. "You found love, great! Don't cockblock my food source!"

It didn't matter. Paige was on a mission. She dragged me out of the booth. I was physically hauled out of the club, away from the intoxicating scent.

I lay in bed later, staring at the ceiling, fuming. My blood was boiling.

Buzz.

I grabbed my phone.

"Home?"

I shot up in bed. The sheets tangled around my legs.

Opportunity.

"No! I mean, yes, but I can come back! Hang out?"

Adrian sent a screenshot.

3:45 AM.

"Time is a social construct. Moonlight walks are romantic, don't you think?"

Three dots danced.

"Afraid of ghosts. Shh. Go to sleep."

Chapter 5

True. If he came out, he would run right into a creature of the night. Me.

But how was I supposed to sleep knowing he was out there?

I tossed the phone onto the mattress. My wrist still held a ghost of his scent. I pressed it against my nose, inhaling deeply, staring at the ceiling fan cutting through the dark.

How the hell did Mom manage to feed on Dad back then?

I needed her playbook.

I drifted off, plotting. In my dream, my teeth were millimeters from Adrian's jugular. The skin was pulsing. I opened my mouth

Earthquake.

Paige was shaking me violently.

I groaned. She was the single biggest obstacle between me and my meal.

"Clara. You are drooling. Gross."

I peeled one eye open. She was dressed in full spandex. I squinted at the phone screen.

7:30 AM.

"Hunter wants to go for a morning run. You in?"

I pulled the duvet over my head, cocooning myself in darkness. "He wants to run. Why are you waking me? I need beauty sleep."

Who does cardio at dawn during summer break? He didn't even go home for the holidays.

Especially after drinking? Hunter was a freak of nature.

Paige hovered in the doorway. She dropped the bomb casually.

"Adrian is going."

My eyes snapped open under the covers.

Adrian?

That meant heavy breathing. Pumping veins. Accelerated heart rate.

And the park meant woods. Secluded, dark woods.

Jackpot.

My blood bag was keeping himself healthy just for me.

I threw the covers off. "Give me five minutes!"

The city sunrise was aggressive.

Usually, I avoid UV rays like the plague. My vampire genetics make me sensitive. I am the girl in the hoodie and sunglasses in July. That is why I am pale. Not porcelain. Pale.

But today, I skipped the scarf. I needed access. I left my face exposed. Tactical decision. I needed a clear path for my teeth.

We arrived at the hilltop park near our apartment. The air was crisp. I scanned the perimeter.

Thick trees. Dense foliage. Shadows.

Perfect.

I turned to tell Paige the plan.

Empty space.

She was gone.

"Clara? Are you posing for a statue?"

The voice hit me from behind. Then the smell. Pine, ozone, and something undeniably sweet.

It triggered a salivary response instantly.

I spun around.

Adrian.

He was wearing a dark blue sweatband pushing back messy hair, and a white tee that clung to his chest. He looked hydrated. Oxygenated.

A walking, breathing juice box.

"No! I I lost my roommate."

He didn't look impressed. "She took off with Hunter."

Ditched?

Perfect. No witnesses.

I clapped my hands together hard. "That is amazing!"

The words hung in the air. Adrian looked at me like I had just failed a kindergarten math test.

Right. I was supposed to be sad my friend abandoned me in the woods.

I dropped my head, channeling my inner damsel. I pitched my voice up an octave. "I mean that sucks. Can I run with you?"

I peeked up through my lashes. I caught the look in his eyes behind the clear lenses.

Pure, unadulterated judgment.

Chapter 6

I glued myself to his side. Adrian shook his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He took off.

"Keep up if you can."

Challenge accepted.

Except, Adrian was built like a gazelle. One of his strides equaled three of mine. I am not exactly an athlete. My lungs started burning within seconds.

I wheezed, scrambling to stay in his wake. "I thought you said you didn't want to move."

He didn't even look back. His pace remained brutal. "Running is training. Moving is a different story."

"Is there?"

My legs turned to jelly. I couldn't do it.

I collapsed, hands gripping my knees, gasping for oxygen as I watched his white t-shirt fade into the distance.

The woods were a lost cause today.

"Brutal, right?"

I looked up.

"Honestly, the fact that you even got his digits is a statistical anomaly."

Hunter.

He was standing there, looking fresh. Paige was right next to him, beaming. She stepped forward to support my sagging weight.

Hunter continued, looking dead serious. "I saw the army of girls around him last night."

"Getting a number isn't the same as getting a reply," Paige chimed in. "Adrian is a fortress."

I straightened up, trying to expand my burning lungs.

Hunter narrowed his eyes, giving me a conspiratorial look. "Look, since you are Paige's roommate, I will give you a pro tip. You are too eager. You need to pull back. Play hard to get. Make him come to you."

Play hard to get?

Thanks, but no thanks.

If I play hard to get, I starve.

Predators don't wait. They hunt.

Fast forward two weeks.

The strategy remained: Aggressive Pursuit.

Paige and Hunter were officially a couple now, holding hands and being gross.

Me? I was still sweating.

But I was getting faster. I could almost match Adrian's pace now.

I noticed a pattern.

Every time I suggested a detour into the dark, secluded woods, he would hit the gas and sprint away. But when I kept my mouth shut? He matched my speed. He waited for me.

My persistence was working. Sort of.

But outside of these runs? Nothing. Every text, every invite was met with a hard "No."

School was starting soon. If I didn't feed, I was going to lose my mind.

So, I tried again.

"Adrian! Let's go out. For real. Just hang out."

He skidded to a halt. He turned, wiping sweat from his brow, and looked down at me. "Is this morning ritual not enough for you?"

"No."

"This isn't hanging out. There are too many people."

His brow furrowed. His gaze flicked past me, landing on the dense treeline of the woods.

I had scouted it. That spot was perfect. Dark. Quiet. Prime feeding ground.

Suddenly, he moved.

He gripped my wrist. Hard.

He marched me backward, forcing me toward the shadows. My heart hammered.

Did he change his mind? Is this it?

He backed me up until my spine was inches from the rough bark of an oak tree at the edge of the woods. Then, he let go.

He leaned in, towering over me, trapping me with his gaze. First the bathroom stall. Now the woods. Every single day.

He tilted his head, eyes searching mine behind those lenses.

"Clara. Are you obsessed with me?"

Chapter 7

I let out a heavy sigh.

Does the oxygen thin out up there at six-foot-whatever? Or is he just purely decorative? Anyone with a pulse could see what I wanted.

He didn't pull back. Instead, he leaned down.

Closer.

My heart slammed against my ribcage.

Thump. Thump.

His neck. Right there. The skin looked soft. Warm. A pulse hammered visibly beneath the surface.

Bite him. Do it now.

The voice in my head was screaming.

His breath ghosted over my cheek, carrying that maddening, sweet spice. I was dizzy with it. High on proximity.

"I think you need to be clear," he murmured, his voice low and smooth like velvet. "Tell me exactly what you want, so I can decide if I agree."

"Yes! Absolutely!"

I didn't hesitate. The path was clear. No witnesses. Just me and the artery.

I parted my lips. I tilted my head. I lunged for the kill.

He straightened up instantly. My teeth clicked on empty air.

He pushed his glasses up his nose, that blinding, boyish grin back in place. "Great. Tonight then. Wait for my text."

I stood there, frozen.

Missed by an inch.

Literal millimeters from salvation.

My phone buzzed twenty minutes after I got home.

"6 PM. I will be downstairs."

This was it.

Tonight, I feast.

"Okay!"

Paige found out. She immediately went into crisis mode, dragging me to the closet.

"Help no dresses!" I protested, clutching the doorframe. Dresses are tactical failures. How am I supposed to grapple a full-grown man in chiffon?

"Non-negotiable!" Paige barked, rifling through hangers. "It is your first date with Adrian! Try this!"

It is a feeding frenzy, not a date!

But then panic set in.

What if I drain him and he ghosts me? Should I secure the relationship status first? Boyfriend first, blood bag second?

Or maybe I bite him and then threaten him into silence?

No. Look at him. He could snap me like a twig.

Screw it. Feed first. Consequences later.

Paige won. She shoved me into a little black dress that hugged every curve. I walked out to Adrian's car.

He was sitting in the driver's seat, his elbow resting on the open window, staring at the horizon. Black button-down shirt. Sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

We matched.

Paige is a witch. A genius witch.

He looked edible.

I smiled and slid into the passenger seat.

Suddenly, he moved.

He leaned across the center console. His left arm bracketed me against the seat. His right hand braced against the dashboard.

He was caging me in.

Our eyes locked. His gaze was dark, heavy with something I couldn't decipher.

My eyes drifted down. The collar of his shirt gaped slightly. The column of his throat. The pulse point.

I swallowed hard, my mouth flooding with saliva.

Thank you for the meal.

Click.

The sound of the seatbelt latching shattered the moment. Adrian sat back in his seat, cool as ice.

"Safety first."

I deflated against the leather. So close. Again.

"Right forgot. I don't ride shotgun often."

"Sit tight," he said, putting the car in gear. "I am taking you somewhere."

He drove us out of the city, up winding roads to a secluded lookout point on the edge of town.

I knew this spot. Paige talked about it. "Makeout Point." Great view of the stars. Very romantic.

Okay, Adrian. Points for effort.

He killed the engine. Silence filled the cabin. I reached for the door handle.

"Stopping the car doesn't mean we have arrived," he said softly. "Don't move."

He turned in his seat. He leaned toward me again. The air in the car grew thick. Heavy.

This time, his right hand wasn't on the dash. It was lifted, his fingers curled around something hidden in his palm.

He invaded my personal space. The heat radiating off him was scorching.

That scent. It filled the small cabin, overwhelming my senses, short-circuiting my logic.

I couldn't wait for permission. I couldn't wait for a signal.

Now or never.

"Clara, I"

I didn't let him finish. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him down. His body went rigid.

I didn't care.

I opened my mouth and sank my fangs into the junction of his neck and shoulder.

Chapter 8

Whatever he was going to say died in his throat. I bit down.

Something cold and metallic slipped past my collarbone, sliding down my chest. I ignored it.

Because a sound tore out of him. A deep, shattered gasp that vibrated against my lips.

He didn't push me away. He didn't fight. I took that as permission.

My fangs pierced the skin. The resistance gave way.

Then, the flood.

The moment the hot liquid hit my tongue, my brain short-circuited. I expected metallic. I expected gross.

I didn't expect nirvana.

It was electric. Sweet, rich, and absolutely maddening.

I drank. And drank.

I lost track of time. The world narrowed down to the pulse under my mouth and the heat of his skin.

My jaw started to ache. My arms, wrapped tight around him, began to tremble.

Reluctantly, I pulled back. I slumped into my seat, dazed, wiping my mouth.

Adrian fell back against the headrest. His hand clamped over the wound on his neck.

Silence.

"Okay! I drank your blood! I will take full responsibility!" I blurted out, the adrenaline crashing. "Adrian, be my boyfriend!"

I licked my lips, waiting for his answer.

Nothing.

His chin was dropped to his chest. His eyes were squeezed shut. The hand on his neck went limp, sliding down to his lap.

He wasn't moving.

The high vanished. Ice water flooded my veins.

Did I drain him? Did I kill the love of my life on the first date?

"Adrian? Adrian!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

Dead weight.

Oh my God. I am a murderer.

My hands shook violently as I fished for my phone. I jammed my thumb on the screen.

9-1-1.

I hovered over the call button.

Suddenly, a hand shot out.

Long fingers wrapped around the phone and ripped it from my grip.

Adrian's eyes were still closed.

"You have no conscience," he rasped. His voice was wrecked. "You nearly drained me dry. What, were you worried I wouldn't let you have seconds?"

"I It was my first time I couldn't stop I am so sorry"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the lever on the side of his seat.

Ker-clunk.

His seat slid all the way back, creating a cavern of space between us and the dashboard.

Then, I saw it.

Pop.

Two white, fluffy ears sprang up from his messy hair. I blinked. They twitched. They looked exactly like the ones on his profile picture.

Then, his eyes opened