Page 44 of Love Bites

“We’re having the talk,” Kara said, and Lou’s grimace deepened.

“How often does he actually need to feed on me?” I asked.

“Most vampires only need blood once or twice a week, but I analyzed his to look at the rate of cellular turnover,” Kara said. “He needs blood every day.”

My eyebrows lifted.

“I asked her to,” Lou said, sitting down on the arm of Kara’s chair. “The first time Hale used his power and nearly burned himself out.”

“It’s happened before?” My voice raised. “How often?”

“A few times a year,” Lou said.

I shoved a hand through my hair.

“He refuses to believe he needs to feed more than twice a week, and he always drinks from blood bags,” she added.

“Why do the blood bags matter?”

“They contain a set amount of blood. When you drink from the vein, your fangs retract when you’ve had enough. You keep drinking when you’re lost to bloodlust, but your fangs aren’t in the picture,” Lou explained.

I racked my brain, trying to remember if I’d ever felt his teeth naturally retract while in my skin. I couldn’t remember that happening, but I was usually relaxed and horny when he drank from me. So, I didn’t think I’d remember even if it had happened.

“He wouldn’t be in this bad of shape if he drank enough from you before the fight,” Kara clarified.

“So he was hungry even before the wolves?”

“He’s hungryconstantly,” Lou said.

I leaned back against my bed. “The injections just make my body create more blood? Do they change it in any way? Will it taste different, or force him to drink more, or become more addictive or anything?”

Both women shook their heads.

“The man is bent over your hospital bed, slowly bleeding out, Blair. He doesn’t need any help becoming addicted to you,” Kara said.

She wasn’t wrong.

“They’re not addictive forme, right? And they wouldn’t hurt me if I stopped them?”

“No. There are no side effects.”

“I’m not going to commit to trying to convince him to feed from me every day,” I said, “But I’ll think about it, and try to pay more attention to his hunger. For now, I’ll try the first injection so I can get him to drink more from me today. I’d like to see copies of whatever medical studies have been done with it before I think about getting the rest.”

“See, I knew I liked you,” Kara said easily. “So much common sense.”

Lou looked relieved. “Thank you.”

I nodded.

The injection was mostly painless, and over quickly. I didn’t feel any different at all afterward, which seemed like a good sign.

They asked me a few questions about the attack before Kara told me I was set to leave whenever I was ready. She promised to lock the door on the way out so I had privacy with Hale.

Then, the two of them left.

I’d been itching to get my hands in Damian’s hair again since I’d woken up, so I let myself bury my fingers in. It was a little crusty with blood, and there was still glitter in it, but he had saved me and my sisters so I didn’t care about that.

He didn’t stir as I touched his hair, or rubbed his scalp lightly.

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