“Comfort food it is.” He smiled as he left the room, leaving the door wide open.
Ben crawled to his spot so that we had wolfy Luca-sandwich going on.
Luca turned onto his back and began to really look at things.
“Are things different?” Ben asked as he realized what Luca was doing.
Humming thoughtfully, Luca considered for a moment. “Yeah. Colors are a bit more vibrant. Everything is sharper, too. I guess my eyesight wasn’t perfect as a human.” Then he took a deep breath and let it out, as if he couldn’t get enough of being able to do that. “Scents are different, too. I know this is a wolf’s bed. I know it’s Holden. I know Rian has slept here, too.”
Ben and I nodded. Seemed right.
“How do we smell to you?” I asked, wondering if that was different now, too.
“Like the woods. Like something piney and maybe earthy?” He looked at me, inhaling again, this time clearly taking in the scent. “Familiar and safe,” he whispered, then he swallowed hard before wincing. “Also pretty tasty.”
I laughed. “Okay.”
“Try to hold off for a while,” Rian called from the kitchen. “You’ll need more blood tonight, but learn how the hunger feels, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, Papa Rian,” Luca snarked.
“I’m too young to have children!”
We cracked up, and it felt good as hell being able to do that without having to fear for Luca’s life. He’d had so much trouble breathing just yesterday, that making him laugh had felt like a hazard every time.
Ben and I had dinner with a bunch of water. Technically, if it came to that, Ben could already donate again if needed. Wolves replenished fast, with the faster healing factor and all.
Around four hours after the turning, Luca’s movements became a little jerky. Something about it reminded me of ourdad and his betas when they’d been jonesing for a hit. I liked to think Ben and I had never gotten that bad, but I also didn’t feel like examining that part of my memories too carefully.
“Okay, I think it’s time,” Rian stated and got off the couch to intercept Luca where he was pacing between windows. “You’re not fascinated by the outdoors.”
Luca’s gaze snapped to Rian’s and he looked confused. “What? I’m kind of amazed by how much better I can see colors in the dark now.”
“You’re hungry,” Rian stated, lifting a hand to stroke his fingers over where Luca had pierced his bottom lip again.
“Oh.” Luca seemed to take stock of how he felt, and then his head whipped toward where I was sitting on Holden’s couch. Ben had curled into an armchair with one of Holden’s books, and now observed the situation.
Rian looked at me. “Do you mind if we do this a bit differently with you? I feel like it would be good for him to try drinking from the wrist, too.”
I cleared my throat and sat up a bit. “Uh, yeah. Sure.” Some part of me was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to feel Luca’s lips on my neck, but I squashed it down.
Ben moved to sit on my other side, his book abandoned on the chair. Rian rounded the couch to stand behind me. Luca approached us hesitantly.
His gaze flicked to my eyes and away, and he looked surprisingly conflicted.
“What is it?” I asked quietly, none of us needed me to be loud.
“I just… I don’t want to hurt you accidentally.”
I held out a hand, which was kind of funny given where he’d bite me, and smiled. “We won’t let you.”
He took in a deep breath and then grabbed my hand, joining me on the couch.
Ben wrapped his fingers around my left forearm and squeezed in support. On my other side, Luca was listening to Rian’s advice for finding the right spot to bite through.
“Does it matter which side it is?” Luca asked, stroking the delicate skin of my wrist almost absently as he looked at Rian.
The cool fingers sent a little shiver through me, and I could sense my brother’s amusement beside me. I wanted to nudge him to stop it, but we weren’t children or even teenagers, and I didn’t need more attention to be brought to—
