BLAKE

Despite what a regular mortal may think, love potions are not illegal. They're just a taboo form of magic and when the potion is administered incorrectly, the consequences for both parties could be dire. Too much fennel and your lover may become so obsessed with you, they decide to lock you in a cage forever, or they'll kill anyone who breathes in your direction. If the witch forgets to add just a sprinkle of cinnamon, whoever drank the potion might become so overwhelmed with emotion every time they see you, they're compelled to sob uncontrollably.

The worst part might be when the target of the witch's affection drinks from the potion, a cry of anguish cracks through the sky. It's the sound of someone losing the love of their life to a wicked witch. It's the cry of someone's heart breaking. That alone could drive a person mad.

Blake never considered using a love potion.

Not until he took one look at Mike Finley's face.

Mike Finley and his soft tussle of blonde curls. Mike Finley and his chin dimple and endless ocean eyes. Mike Finley with the kind of smile that made Blake forget his last name. He would fork over his Social Security number or his entire inheritance, if he could just spend one magical evening in the back of Mike Finley's Toyota Corolla.

Blake left his parent's home for college for one reason and one reason only:

To date without his older brothers getting in the way.

After twenty-two years of being dateless and alone on the weekends, Blake planned to fall in love and he needed to do that soon because the winter break was right around the corner and he'd be forced to return home a failure.

When he first saw Mike, Blake was so distracted looking at his face, Blake ran right into a glass door. Sure, he nearly broke his nose and ruined a perfectly good sweater with a blood stain, but Mike came to his aid with an ice pack and a winning smile.

Twenty minutes after that, Blake scored a date.

"Hey, Blake!" Mike came jogging up the sidewalk. This college town was dressed for the holiday, its roads framed by trees dripping with Christmas lights enlarged Lamppost wrapped up in tinsel. Every shop was as pretty as a Christmas card. Blake wished he could capture it all in a snow globe to take home to show his family.

He wanted to come home with some sort of proof that he could make it on his own. That he didn't need his brothers to survive. That he didn't need Magic to be worth something.

Mike joined Blake wearing one of those skintight work out shirts and a pair of shorts that multitasked showing off his exposed calf muscles, but also cupping his butt. Needing an extra moment, Blake turned to the side and made a thousand dumb faces of excitement before he looked back like a normal person. Blake was good at pretending to be a normal functioning person with half a brain.

"Hey, Mike," Blake said and ran his fingers through his black curls.

"You're pretty dressed up for running around the block," Mike said in good humor and Blake's brain froze. He super glued his smile and just nodded, slowly putting the situation together. When Mike suggested the date, he said something about taking Blake around the block and something about working up a sweat, but Blake had hoped that was more of an innuendo than Mike suggesting they actually run a 10k or something.

I'm such an idiot, Blake thought to himself as he realized the truth.

The beautiful Mike Finley did not ask Blake out on a date.

He asked him to go jogging.

"Oh, yeah, uh," Blake said, gargling his thoughts in the back of his throat as he thought up some excuse to why he'd be wearing a sweater, jeans and a button up to workout. Thankfully, he wore his trusty pair of converses (not that he owned another pair of shoes).

With his face burning red hot, he said, "I've got uh plans after this and I like to really, really sweat. Like if I don't ruin these clothes, did I even work out?"

Why was he like this?

Mike laughed and nudged Blake's arm a little. "You're a weird guy, Blake."

"Thank you."

"Now, let's get our blood pumping," Mike said and started running in place. He patted Blake's back again, before taking off. Blake watched him go in amazement. Someone so gorgeous shouldn't be allowed to say something that could be taken so suggestively. It's probably Blake's fault. Actually, it was totally him. Blake had spent so much time imagining what he would say to a hot guy, he forgot he needed to actually go through with it. He didn't have enough practice talking to boys.

Honk. Honk.

Blake jumped at the sound of a car.

Mike turned, letting his run fizzle out. They both watched a shiny black Rolls Royce drive up against the sidewalk. It looks so out of place. So shiny in freshly waxed. The street was quaint with a homemade charm. Nothing like that car.

Blake's heart sank to his toes. That was his dad's car. He knew this was going to happen. He just didn't think it'd happen so soon.

From the driver's seat, Adrian emerged and fixed his blazer straight. Everything about Adrian always sat neat and tidy from his styled white blonde hair and his crisp white shirts to his silk ties and shiny shoes. That man has never scuffed a thing in his life.

Except Blake's good time maybe.

"Young master, Blake, I've been looking for you everywhere," Adrian said, keeping the car running as he walked up the sidewalk. He stood beside Blake at a full foot taller and with twice the muscles. He was just as good of an assistant as a bodyguard, usually for Blake's father and that must be why he was here.

"I've come to take you home," Adrian explained the way doctors gave bad news. The air grew colder and somehow the light dimmed. The last Blake checked, there was a zero percent chance of rain. Even the world felt bad for him.

To Blake's brothers, Adrian kept his brown eyes cold and distant. A good bodyguard stayed close to his charge's side but stayed away from their personal life. This wasn't the truth between Blake and Adrian. Blake was special. For most of Blake's life, Adrian was his only friend.

Looks like that fact would continue to be true.

"What..." Blake tried to say, but his mouth went totally dry. "What about my stuff?"

"It's already packed."

"Oh."

Adrian smiled for a brief moment and placed his hand on the small of Blake's back, gently guiding him to the car. "We leave immediately, sir." He whispered, "I'm sorry."

Blake nodded like a good son and opened the door to the backseat. Just as he was ducking his head and settling inside, Mike's voice called out. "Hey, Blake, do you know this guy? Is everything okay?"

Adrian turned the charm on as easily as flicking on a light switch, smiling brightly. "Hello, yes. I work for Blake's family. Have you heard of Winslow Apothecary?"

Mike wouldn't know. Mike was perfectly human and humans didn't know about the largest incorporation that produces, makes, and sells high quality potions for reasonable rates. It's not only the longest running apothecary, but it has made the Winslows the wealthiest magical family in North America.

As he moved down the sidewalk, Adrian closed Blake's door. Blake's body deflated as he melted against the seats. All that space outside. Reduce to this. Blake touched the cold glass as his heart broke in two. He listened to the heaters blast as he watched Adrian approached Mike. They spoke for a moment, before Adrian revealed a small perfume bottle that Blake recognized all too well. He sprayed it in Mike's face just once. That was all it took for a cloud of purple mist to appear.

Mike stumbled, coughing and waving the remanence of the spray from his face. He blinked and shook his head as if coming out from a daze. Adrian left Mike there to scrub the confusion from his eyes. When the cloud disappeared, Mike looked around with his brows quirked as if he just forgot something he was about to say. He checked the sky, his watch and finally scratched his head, but carried on anyways. He jogged down the sidewalk and out of sight.

Just like that, the potion erased Blake from existence. Again. This happened every time Blake thought he was going to live an independent life. His family took him back with some excuse why he needed to stay home.

Adrian climbed inside and started driving.

"You didn't have to do that," Blake said after a while, when he climbed out of his pit of despair. He crossed his arms, holding himself, unable to feel the heat sink into his skin or clothes. "It's not like I leave an impression on anyone."

"You know that's not true." Adrian gave his young charge the side-eye from the rearview window. Avoiding eye contact, Blake stared out the window and watched the college town go by. The cold finally sunk its claws into the earth and shook all the leaves from the trees.

Blake didn't want to ask but...

He had to ask.

"Why am I getting picked up? Is everything alright at home?" Blake stressed his seatbelt to lean forward. "Are they taking me out of school? I haven't even finished the semester. What about my lease? And... and everything?"

"Your parents will explain. Nothing's wrong, but they do need to speak to you at once," Adrian assured him and freaked him out all at the same time. Blake didn't sit back. He clenched the seat cushions, trying to will the answers out of Adrian. Deep down he knew it was useless. Blake really thought it'd be different this time. He thought he could finally have some freedom.

"I've been instructed to take you directly home but..." Adrian sighed. "We can make a detour. Just between you and me, I didn't expect so much traffic."

A lie. That also broke one of Adrian's rules. He never lied to Blake's father.

Except when Blake needed him to do it.

Blake's tension relaxed just a little, but the misery in his heart stayed. The grief of losing this life painted the walls of his body with cement. It was hard to move. Hard to breathe. The weight of it all left a bruising ache. He rested against the cushion again and requested what he usually wanted when he felt this hopeless. "Let's eat some garbage."

"Coming right up, sir."

#

Author's Note

Oh man guys. 

Here we go.

New book! I feel like I've been writing Going Rogue for forever. It's like I don't know how to write another story anymore. Lol. But here we are. I'm excited for you guys to meet Blake and Danny. They're my new boys and I'm so happy to add them to the family. It's full of fun stuff like childhood friends meeting again, royal wedding planning and it's all set around Christmas time! I might have been watching lots of Hallmark Christmas movies doN'T JUDGE ME

If you haven't heard, The Golden Rule is now a premium story on Tapas! It's very exciting!! And this isn't a spoiler, but you'll actually see a few characters from that book in this one! (I'll give you a hint. One is a vampire and one can see into the future. Okay! That's all you get!)

Tell me your first impressions of Blake! What are your thoughts on books with arranged marriages? Would you consider using a Love Potion? After all that angst in Going Rogue, are you ready for another romantic comedy??

I'm happy to be back guys! I've missed you <3