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“I wasn’t that bad,” Carver mumbled softly.

He had been. Carver wouldn’t have survived much longer without Dante. Just two feedings of Dante’s powerful blood had done so much for the boy. With any other vampire, Carver would still be suffering. “We don’t have to worry about it now. I’ll never let you get like that again.”

“You do understand that I came here to kill you, don’t you?”

That might have been the original plan but that was not why Carver had returned. “It was smart going to the club and placing yourself in front of me.”

“You’re not supposed to praise me for that.” Carver rolled his eyes as he responded.

Dante tapped his little one on his cute nose. “I give credit where credit is due.”

“Do you get stabbed a lot? I’m thinking this might be a kink or something of yours.”

Chuckling, Dante shook his head. “You’re the first brave soul that came with the mission to stab me.”

“And failed.”

Carver still seemed upset about that. “I wasn’t going to let you stab me, baby. No matter how you tried. Even if it was when we first met in the club or when I brought you back here.”

“Hmm,” Carver shrugged. “Okay.”

“Are you ready to explain?” Dante had hoped that the boy would share on his own but it appeared that Carver needed a little push.

“Explain what?”

Or Carver was just going to pretend that he didn’t know what Dante was talking about. “Carver.”

“What?” Carver fake yawned. “I’m tired. You wore me out. Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m wide awake,” Dante replied.

“Didn’t you say you’d give me blood if I climbed into bed with you? Where is my blood?”

Dante offered Carver his thumb.

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Bite it and stick my thumb in your mouth.” Dante waited for Carver to figure the rest out.

“I told you I can’t bite to feed,” Carver complained. “That’s just mean.”

“You can’t bite enough to feed yet,” Dante said. “You can use your baby fangs to cut me and suck my blood enough to sooth yourself.”

“Fine.” Carver wrapped his hands around Dante’s before bringing Dante’s thumb into his mouth.

There was slight pressure on the pad of his thumb then Carver’s fang slid deep.

Carver hummed as he started to suck.

“Good boy,” Dante told him. “I knew you could do it.”

With Dante’s thumb in his mouth, Carver grunted in reply.

“That was also a very smart way of getting out of this conversation,” Dante said.

Carver glanced up at him.

“Although it doesn’t change anything. We need to figure out how to help you. I’m not going to let you hurt me or yourself. I know it’s not easy being turned and suddenly be tossed into this world.”