BL SERIES 1: JOAQUIN RODRIGUEZ

SIRE HAD ONLY taken a few steps forward when something hard struck the back of his head. He spun around, his gaze sharp and dark, already hardened before he even saw who it was. He felt no surprise—only a dull, familiar weariness—when he recognized the woman standing there. The one he had been with just hours before. And the way she looked at him. It was as if she wanted to kill him right where he stood. Who could blame her? After all—they had been together, tangled in sheets and heat, breathless and clinging, crying out in pleasure, chasing that blinding, perfect peak together. Sire had left her as if nothing had happened between them. He had simply pulled away, dressed, and walked out, leaving her standing there, stunned and alone, as if nothing between them had ever mattered at all. Sire glanced down at the stiletto lying on the floor beside him—the very shoe she had thrown at him. Damn. That hit hard. He lifted his eyes to her face and met her furious glare with one of his own—c

DAYS HAD PASSED since Sire met the Spaniard- Joaquin. He had not once left his mind. Worse still, because Joaquin was Deme’s dearest friend, Sire saw him everywhere now. And as these days unfolded, something deeply unsettling began to surface within him: he had lost all desire for the things that once defined him. He used to crave heat, touch, bodies tangled in the dark—now he turned away women left and right, one refusal after another, feeling nothing but emptiness where hunger used to live.This wasn’t him. What in the world was happening?Sire noticed it everywhere—even now, in the crowded cafeteria. Other women watched Joaquin, their eyes trailing over him with open longing, but the Spaniard paid them no mind. Not a glance, not a flicker of interest. His gaze was fixed instead—steady, unwavering, intensely private—on him. Always on him.Just like this very moment. Sire caught him staring again. If he didn’t glare at him, he’d never stop.What is wrong with this man?He stood abrup

“CAN YOU TWO WALK ANY SLOWER?” Demter called out, impatient, looking back at Joaquin and Sire lagging behind. “Fucking turtles.” She and Dae had gone ahead, leaving the two trailing in their wake.Joaquin kept his pace slow, matching Sire’s step for step until Demter’s words seemed to spur Sire forward, and he walked ahead. Joaquin let him go, watching him instead, his gaze clinging to every movement but then he saw Demter reach out and take Sire’s hand, lacing her fingers through his, teasing him, claiming his attention.Joaquin gritted his teath lividly. He quickened his stride, catching up in seconds. He stepped between them, gently but firmly prying Demter’s hand away and replacing it with his own. He smiled, soft and satisfied, as he looked down at their hands clasped together—fitting so perfectly, as though they had been made only for this.“What are you doing?” Sire pulled his hand away sharply, stepping back, putting distance between them. “You’re creeping me out.” He turned a

SIRE PACED the floor, back and forth, restless, anxious, unable to settle. It had been nearly a week since he last saw the Spaniard. The restaurant was the last place they had spoken. After that nothing Joaquin had simply vanished.Did the things he said cut that deep? Had he hurt Joaquin so badly that he wanted nothing more to do with him? Guilt gnawed at him day and night. He barely slept, his mind looping over every harsh word, every cold look.This was what he wanted—wasn’t it? To be left alone, to have his peace back. Yet now that it was real, it felt wrong. Empty. He found himself longing to see him again. It’s just guilt' he told himself. That’s all. Nothing more.“You’re making me dizzy watching you,” Dae said gently. He’d seen him restlessness all morning. “What’s really bothering you?”“Nothing. Ignore me.”Dae nearly rolled his eyes. “How can I ignore you? Look at yourself. You look torn apart.”“I’m fine.”“You’re not.”Sire sank into a chair. “Has Demter reached out? Is s

“ARE YOU ON DRUGS or something?” Demeter asked Joaquin, narrowing her eyes as she stared at him. Her friend had been grinning like an idiot this whole time—the kind of look that made him seem high. She already knew exactly why this man was acting this way.Joaquin was lost in his own world, didn’t hear a single word Deme had said. Over and over, the memory of the kiss they’d shared kept replaying in his mind. Damn. His heart was beating faster with every thought, butterflies swirling wildly in his stomach. His smile widened even further. Anyone looking at him would’ve thought he’d gone mad.Deme was burning with curiosity. Her friend has really gone mad. What on earth happened while the two of them were left alone? “You should stay here tonight, Sire.” she said. “I’d hate it if it happened to you if we let you home alone this late.”Sire simply nodded, no trace of resistance in his manner. That only made Deme eye Joaquin with suspicion. Something definitely happened between those two