Envy painfully tangled around Castor's heart as Lucien blushed all adorably for Sebastian. Vampire venom had a special allure on humans, and he suspected that was why Lucien appeared so enchanted by him. It boiled his blood to think about Sebastian cozying up with Lucien and snacking on him in Castor's own damn bed.

They could've at least moved to the floor or literally anywhere else. It was petty to intervene when Sebastian offered to get Lucien's coffee for him, but Castor couldn't help it. He knew everything that Lucien liked, from the way he wanted his coffee to how he preferred his scrambled eggs drizzled in spicy hot devil's sauce.

Lucien had never made any indication of fancying men before. As Castor shoveled a strip of crispy bacon in his mouth, he couldn't help but watch the two of them closely. While he trusted Sebastian not to hurt Lucien on purpose, he knew firsthand what it was like for a vampire to get lost in their bloodlust.

It wasn't long before his dad came downstairs. His mom had always joked about how he could just sleep through an apocalypse. He wore his cotton flannel pajamas and smiling spider socks as if he'd just rolled out of bed.

"Morning." He greeted them with a sheepish grin, then his expression shifted when he noticed Sebastian perched at the table. "Oh, um, who's your new friend?" Dad took a cautious step toward his mom, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"That's Sebastian," Castor said through a mouthful of bacon. He paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin. "Remember? The vampire doctor I told you I met in Nevermourn?"

His dad nodded. "Oh, right. Well, it's good to have you here this morning, Sebastian."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your family for having me," Sebastian said. "It's been a long time since I shared breakfast with someone like this. Even if I couldn't eat the food Castor made, which smells delicious."

Castor gave him a half smile, his heart sinking like an anchor in his chest. It was ridiculous for him to feel jealous. All Sebastian had done was feed for nutrients, or whatever it was that kept the vampires going, and Lucien willingly offered himself up. Besides, it wasn't like either of them even had interest in guys.

Once they had finished breakfast, Castor and his mother cleaned the dishes. He was trying his best not to think about Lucien snuggling up against Sebastian in his own bed and basking in all the lustful sensations that vampire venom brought. But it was really hard not to.

"Do you mind opening the shop for me today?" Mom asked. "I want to get a few things done around the house, but I should be over there in an hour or so."

"Yeah, of course."

After the dishes were cleaned and put away, Castor got back with Lucien and Sebastian to give a rundown of their plans for the day. He just needed to spend some time at the emporium, then they could head back to Nevermourn at nightfall since it would likely be safer for Sebastian then.

"Sounds good to me," Sebastian said.

"I don't mind helping you out around the shop too," Lucien added.

There just better not be any more intimate blood sharing moments between his two friends either.