The Darkness Bites Back by Ben Alderson, Laura R. Samotin

Tobias Osian was “made” in 1576 when Vladimir Damianos, head of Britain’s strongest vampire family, left him alive after a night of debauched killing. Ever since, Tobias has been consumed by plans for revenge on the man who stole his mortality and his family, posing as human and biding his time until he manages to manipulate his way into the orbit of the elusive heir of the Damianos family, who he can use to get to Vladimir.

The eldest son of Vladimir Damianos and heir to his influence and fortune, Alexander Damianos rebels against his father’s expectations, including the man’s insistence that Alexander find his place within the shadow government Vladimir has painstakingly created to control politics. With a desire to retain some moral high ground, Alexander instead pretends to be human and takes a position as a professor at Oxford.

There, Alexander meets Tobias, who is working as a librarian. Alexander is immediately enamoured with the young, waspish “mortal,” whose standoffish bite only makes Alexander more determined to woo him. Alexander easily falls into bed with Tobias, bringing him closer to his vengeance than ever. But their budding romance is marred by a series of gruesome murders plaguing Oxford. When the murders become too close to Alexander for comfort, he insists that the two of them take refuge at the Damianos family estate. But Alexander doesn’t realise that the real danger is much closer.

Instead of feeling triumphant that he’s finally wormed his way into Vladimir’s inner circle, Tobias doubts his ability to kill Vladimir, because when he does so, all the vampires that Vladimir has sired will die – including Alexander, who’s become more than a means to an end. Instead of enjoying what could shortly be the exact vengeance he’s sought for centuries, Tobias is beginning to fear that unfortunately, he’s falling in love…