“You’ll have to pace yourself. Your body is still adapting.”
I frowned.
“Easy, killer.” His gaze hardened with a trace of amusement. “I’ll keep you on a schedule that will ensure you develop control. That’s what you want, right?”
I sighed dramatically. “Yes.” Though I did dip a toe into questioning if that was what I really wanted. It wasn’t exactly like an addictive substance, a need to consume more or else I’d burn up. It was more like an indulgence that I craved, like lush cakes and creamy frosting, delicate pastries filled with ripe fruit.
Suddenly my muscles felt restless like they had been stagnant for far too long. “How long has it been?”
“Three days.”
My thoughts immediately went to Olivia. “Olivia, I have to—”
“I sent word to check in on her. She still has not left her bed orspoken to anyone.”
A bit of me relaxed at that. She once had a bunny whose name was really Fluffy, but she pronounced it as Faffy through her uncoordinated four-year-old speech. Eventually the bunny just responded to Faffy, so we all had to call her that. When Faffy died, she didn’t speak to anyone for nearly two weeks. She grieved within herself, and nothing could penetrate her tightly confined world of sorrow. In her own time she emerges, then we could help her heal.
She hasn’t emerged yet. Still, the guilt of my absence felt heavy.
“When can I go home?” There was a wariness to his dark eyes that had my own widening. “I can go home, right?”
The bed sank beneath his weight as he sat beside me. He braced himself on a hand he placed across me, leaning into me slightly. The classic pose for consoling someone before delivering bad news. My heart lodged in my throat waiting for him to speak. “I’ve never turned a human before. I didn’t know when you would recover. I nearly lost my mind waiting. One more day and I might have consulted Alaric. You shouldn’t feel all that different, do you?”
I didn’t. It was almost as if this was how I had always been. I shook my head.
“You are different though. Your vision and hearing is sharper, and you’ll move more swiftly. Your abilities will take some honing though because they are a skill, not innate. But when it comes to blood, it can feel like an all-consuming urge. Dregian vampires have been this way our entire life. We know to feed consistently to avoid bloodlust or a weakened state. Newborns tend to gorge themselves early on, and the need for more only grows.”
He placed his hand over both of mine, and I realized I had been clutching the blanket at my waist, my knuckles white against pink flesh. I released my grip, my hands falling limp beneath his.
“I’m not sure how long it will take for you to control yourself. I will manage your feedings, and that should help, but we might need to ... practice before having you back home.”
“Practice?”
“Being around humans.”
Humans. Because I was not one anymore. I didn’t feel different, but I did feel good. I was still the same person I was, despite having every bit of me rearranged and put back together in the most painful way.
“We can start with an open window.”
I squinted at him.
“You’ll know what I mean when I open the window.” He nodded towards it. “Since you just fed, let’s try it.”
Though I had felt restless from not moving for three days, I was surprised that my muscles didn’t feel achy. I stood right out of bed with no fatigue or wobbling. My chest warmed at the hand he snaked around my waist as he guided me towards the window. He opened the curtain revealing the gloomy city street before his townhouse. It had stopped raining, so people resumed strolling down the street, vendors tended to their carts, carriages rolled down uneven cobblestone.
I eyed him as he cracked the window, not even an inch. Surely that wasn’t enou—my doubtful smirk quickly fell from my face as the sweetness assaulted my nose in droves. My mouth watered. My throat burned. I was desperately thirsty all over again.
His eyes locked on mine as he shut the window with one swift motion, sealing that delicious sweetness out. Though it still lingered tauntingly. I also felt the unsettling urge to claw at him so I could open the window again.
“Don’t even think about it.” He read my eyes.
“Maybe I should see if I can get that punch in.”
“Go ahead, killer.” Though his body appeared relaxed, and his expression seemed almost bored, he still gave off the air that he was some sort of indestructible beast. He didn’t even bother getting intoa defensive position. His hands were in his pockets, which showed the faith he had in me.
My fist flew towards his face as I attempted a sneak attack. He stepped out of the way.Stepped. Actually, he simply leaned out of the way, his hands still in his pockets, sending me careening forward before his big tree branch arm stopped my fall, whilst also knocking the wind out of me because it was practically made of stone. He unceremoniously shoved me back onto my feet.
“Mannyenska, that was a pathetic attempt. I’d advise you to never try that again,” he said with all the flatness in the world.
