Page 68 of The Vampire's Receptionist
“Better than last night. Still healing.” He lifted his gaze to Dorian. “It’s your turn to be on bed rest this time.”
Dorian pressed his lips together, just barely hiding his sour expression.
Kian outright laughed. “Now you know how I felt. I’m going to go get a nurse. I think it’s time for another transfusion.”
“Kian–” Dorian protested.
Cupping Dorian’s cheek, Kian rested their foreheads together. “You need more blood to heal, sweetheart. And I’m not letting you bite me in front of my mother.”
That made Dorian’s face flush, which Kian thoroughly enjoyed. He shook his head slowly, careful not to dislodge Kian’s touch.
“I don’t want to be a burden to you,” he murmured.
“You’re not,” Kian reassured him. “I’m your mate, right? It’s my job to feed you.” He gently pressed his lips against Dorian’s forehead. He smiled to himself when Dorian leaned into it. Having a mate wouldn’t be so bad.
Taking his coffee with him, he went in search of a nurse while his mom fussed with Dorian’s blankets. He felt a little bad leaving him alone with her, but she needed time to see that Dorian wasn’t so bad. She was still stuck on the whole accidental attack thing she learned about the night prior. Kian didn’t want that one event tainting her image of his vampire.
The nurse’s station was empty when he arrived, but he didn’t mind waiting. Dorian wasn’t in any danger of starving. More blood would just help him heal. And a pain potion would ease the aches Kian could see him favoring along his left side. He took a few minutes to sip at his coffee and wake up his brain. He hadn’t slept well last night, waking up every time Dorian shifted or groaned in pain. Coffee was a necessity to get through the day.
“Good morning, Kian,” a smooth voice said behind him. Kian turned, lifting his coffee in greeting to Ozen. He lookedsurprisingly put together for a guy who slept in the waiting room. They all did. Dorian’s friends obviously loved him. They were all still there, even after they were told Dorian was awake and out of danger. Kian would be jealous if he wasn’t so glad that Dorian had the kind of support he deserved.
“Good morning.”
“How is he?”
Kian nodded. “Getting better. He’s uncomfortable, though, so I was looking for the nurse for another pain potion and IV feeding.”
Ozen hummed, his eyes scanning the long hallways. This early in the morning, there wasn’t a lot of activity in the hospital. Kian assumed the nurse was busy with a patient.
While they waited, he and Ozen talked about what Dorian’s recovery would look like and if he needed to stay with Ozen again. Kian didn’t think that would be necessary, he wasn’t a danger to himself or others. And as his mate, it was Kian’s job to care for Dorian. He’d need to contact Morana, since he would need a few days off to properly care for Dorian, but he knew she’d understand when he told her who Dorian was to him.
“I’ve tried contacting Dorian’s mother,” Ozen murmured, blood red eyes studying Kian closely. “She’s never ignored an emergency before.”
Pressing his lips together, Kian sighed. “I don’t know the full story. He hasn’t said it in so many words.”
Heartache crossed Ozen’s face, and he frowned down at the coffee in his hands. “I was afraid you would say that. He hasn’t mentioned anything to us either. Why would he hide such a thing?”
“Pain,” Kian answered honestly. “If it were me, it would hurt to say it out loud. To admit that it was real. Maybe he just wasn’t ready to talk about it.”
It was something he’d need to discuss with Dorian eventually. They hadn’t talked much about family before. From the way his friends reacted to his mother not being there, Kian could assume they were close. No one should have to grieve someone they loved alone.
Ozen came with him back to Dorian’s room when they eventually got the nurse’s attention. Dorian smiled when Kian came inside, the look of adoration making Kian’s stomach do jumping jacks. It was going to take some getting used to, this whole mate thing. His first instinct when someone looked at him like that was to put up walls and take a step back. He didn’t want to do that with Dorian. It was going to take work to give Dorian the mating he deserved.
While Kian sat at Dorian’s side, giving the direct transfusion, Dorian’s friends came in with their mates to check on him and offer him support and love. To his surprise, they did the same thing with Kian, making sure he had everything he needed and that he was comfortable. Even Zephyr, who was wary around Kian when they first met, brought him more coffee and offered to give them a ride home when Dorian was well enough to leave.
“No way are you getting Dorian up in your massive truck,” Taron pointed out with a smirk. “Unless you plan on bridal carrying him out of the hospital.”
The look of abject horror on Dorian’s face made Kian crack up. Not a chance in hell would he let anyone other than him carry Dorian like that, but it was fun to tease him with the idea.
“He is a lot bigger than me,” Kian drawled. “You’d probably be more comfortable with him carrying you around.”
Taron whipped his head around, a huge grin spreading across his face. Kian winked at him.
“Goddess, why do I feel like it’s a bad idea to leave those two in a room alone together,” Tony murmured under his breath.
“I second that,” Dorian agreed. His hand that was holding Kian’s tightened slightly. “Would you really allow someone else to hold your mate so intimately?”
Taron’s mouth fell open, and Kian couldn’t help but grin. Aside from his mother, who left to go find her mate and get them breakfast, they hadn’t told anyone they were mates. It was kind of fun, watching the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces. He liked that Dorian was getting in on the teasing too.
