“I would love to.” Giro sat down next to Felix and just started doing the exact same palm rubbing thing without being told. I had to believe it was a witch thing.
“Where is Peter?” I asked, looking around as if he would pounce on us at any moment.
“He’s helping Astrea list the house. They’re on the phone with a realtor or something like that,” Giro explained. He did not seem to mind being apart from Peter, that had to mean their bonding was firmly in place, like mine was with Felix. I preferred being near him, but I was no longer driven by my vampire nature to protect and growl at the world. I much preferred things as they were now.
“I’m glad he can help,” Felix said, handing Giro another bundle of basil. There seemed to be a lot of it, but I knew better than to question him further.
“Me, too. I actually have a vampire question for you, Severin,” Giro said, eyeing me with a nervous smile.
“Oh. I would figure my brother would be eager to answer all your questions?” Peter was very much like myself when it came to my fated. I could not imagine why Giro would need to ask me anything.
“It’s about hair,” he elaborated.
“Ah,” I replied, finally understanding the issue.
“Hair?” Felix questioned with a confused frown.
“Yes,” Giro said. “More specifically, I want to know if a vampire’s hair continues to grow or not.”
Felix just blinked. “You think their hair stays the same?”
“Well,” Giro blushed. “Peter told me about how their family were Vikings, or their grandparents were. And he looks like a true Viking, even now with his long blonde hair. So, I asked—”
“Please,” I said, holding my hand up to stop him. “Tell me you did not ask him if you could cut it.”
“Um,” Giro began.
“Why would you cut it?” Felix cut in. “It’s fucking hot.”
I growled at that, but Felix ignored me completely. Giro continued, also seeming content to ignore my existence. “I just asked him if he wanted me to cut his hair sometime, because the thought of someone else cutting it made me irrationally angry.”
“Oh, I get that,” Felix agreed. “What did he say?”
Giro grabbed his neck, his movements shy and awkward. “He um, he held on to his hair protectively and left the room. We never spoke of it again, and it’s been killing me not knowing.”
I cut in this time, being the only vampire meant this was really a thing for me to explain. “Our hair and nails continue to grow, butslower than a human’s. In the time it takes for a human to grow an inch of hair, vampires only grow half that. I hope that makes sense.”
“It does,” Giro seemed thankful. “But I still don’t get his reaction then.”
“Peter had a lover once who cut his hair. They preferred a shorter style but Peter rejected the idea. He woke up with hair that went just below his ears.”
“Seriously?!” Felix gasped in disbelief.
I nodded. “I was surprised he did not kill the man for it, but to no one’s surprise, they were no longer lovers after that night. Peter secluded himself for seven years before he felt comfortable going outside again. I had to bring him humans to drink from. It was a whole thing,” I finished explaining.
“Poor Peter,” Felix muttered.
“Yeah,” Giro agreed. “Thanks for telling me. I won’t mention hair to him again. And besides, I like his long hair.”
“Does he let you touch it?” Felix asked and I began to feel like the conversation was heading in a direction I would not enjoy.
“Of course,” Giro replied, back to rubbing the stems again.
“During sex, too?” Felix questioned seriously. “Like tugging it?”
Giro grinned. “Oh, yes.”
Bloody hell.
