Page 26 of The Vampire's Receptionist
A warm hand rested on his forearm, and when he looked up, Kian’s expression was sympathetic. “From what I learned while checking with my past patients, it’s rare for incidents like that to happen more than once, unless the vampire is really young. Think of their presence as a precaution, not a judgment of your character. It’ll probably be fine.”
That settled some of his unease, and he nodded gratefully. “Thank you. I’ve never hurt anyone while feeding before. I hate that I did so today.”
Kian waved that away. “That was my fault. It’s been a while since my last emergency donation. I was too focused on your health and forgot protocol. It’s not a mistake I’ll make twice.”
Dorian could read between the lines with that statement. Kian would willingly give another emergency donation if needed, so long as he had proper backup. That bothered Dorian on some level. He’d nearly died from his last attempt at helping the situation. Did he care so little for his own wellbeing that the experience didn’t even give him pause?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The meal Dorian made was amazing, and Kian was pleasantly full by the time they all finished. It didn't help much with the fatigue. If anything, it made him want to lie his head on the table and go to sleep, but he still needed to feed Dorian. Small feedings every few hours, Doctor Chapman said. Which meant he’d have to wake up a few times throughout the night, too. Joy.
“You need rest,” Dorian said quietly. “You should go upstairs.”
Kian scrubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. “You need to feed first. I’ll sleep after.”
Dorian’s brows furrowed tightly. “That isn’t necessary. I feel fine.”
“For now. But the goal is to not have a repeat of earlier. So you’ll have small meals every few hours for the next day or so before we try a full feeding again.”
Dorian looked none too pleased by this revelation. Kian was honestly surprised Doctor Chapman left it up to him to explain it all to the vampire. Now he felt like the old druid was punishing him for his recklessness by making him deal with Dorian’s stubbornness.
Unfortunately for the old doctor, Kian wasn’t ashamed to use pity and force of will to get what he wanted. He pointed a finger at Dorian.
“No arguing. I’m too tired. We’ll go upstairs, you can feed while I’m comfortable in bed, and I’ll get some sleep right afterward. Rinse and repeat every few hours. Doctor’s orders. And mine, because as your current feeder, I get to dictate when and where. So let’s get moving.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Kian could see Ozen fighting off a smile. He turned toward the incubus, raising an eyebrow at him, but Ozen played it off by gathering the plates to bring to the kitchen.
“I’ll clean up,” Avery offered with a smile. “Kian, do you want me to bring you any water or anything?”
Kian waved him off, hoisting himself out of his seat. He really was too tired to fight with anyone right now, and he knew he wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep. Better to get this done quickly.
“Thank you, but I’m fine. Have a nice evening.”
Ozen left the dining room and Kian gave Dorian a narrow-eyed look when he didn’t immediately follow. Reluctantly, Dorian got out of his seat and left the room with Kian taking up the rear. It was a testament to how tired he was that he didn’t check out the handsome vampire climbing the stairs in front of him.
The awkwardness came back after Kian had finished getting ready for bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, hyper aware of Ozen sitting in a chair by the doorway. It didn’t occur to him before now that he was going to let Dorian feed from him with an audience. There was no way to hide his reaction with an incubus nearby.
He felt his cheeks burning as Dorian came back into the room. He hadn’t gotten ready for bed, just gotten morecomfortable with the jacket and tie gone and his sleeves rolled up. Which was entirely unfair. That look was kryptonite to every woman and queer man in existence. How was he supposed to get through this feeding without embarrassing himself when Dorian looked like that?
Dorian studied him with a frown. “I don’t think this is a good idea. You’re already exhausted.”
He sighed heavily, exasperated. “You won’t be taking that much. Think of it like a snack. Just enough to keep you settled for a few hours before the next feeding. Plenty of people eat six small meals a day instead of three big ones.”
“He’s not wrong,” Ozen agreed. “I think the push for bigger and fewer meals was created to interrupt the work day less. And it’s only for one day, for Kian’s safety.”
He put a lot of emphasis on that last part, and Dorian backed down immediately. Kian could see how much he hated to push while Kian was already so tired, but if it meant keeping him safe, he’d do it.
As Dorian approached him, Kian felt his nerves dial up a few notches. This wasn’t like an emergency blood donation. It felt vastly more intimate than that, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.
“You’re uncomfortable,” Dorian murmured, standing in front of him.
Kian rolled his eyes, the snark coming out automatically to hide just how uncomfortable he was. “And you’re hungry. So shut up and just do it.”
He shoved his wrist in the vampire’s general direction, his eyes locked on the carpet beneath his feet. Even the carpets were pristine. Did they never have guests or did they shampoo them regularly? Who had the time for that?
Dorian kneeled in front of him, putting himself in Kian’s eyeline. “While I appreciate your offer, I don’t think I can dothis, knowing it will upset you.” He put his hand up before Kian could protest. “I’m not saying we won’t. But I do have a suggestion. Often, when I meet with a new feeder, there is a layer of awkwardness. It helps to sit beside each other and talk. We know very little about each other.”
Kian grimaced. “I’m too tired for a long chat right now.”
