Page 37 of Love Bites
"I know you're joking but you really shouldn't sell your blood."
"Because it'll make you jealous?" I wanted to smile but my gums hurt and my stomach tightened and my heart was quietly breaking and my lips wouldn't move in that position.
"You know why."
"Uh-huh." I had only half my mind on the conversation and the other half on my stomach. I rested a hand on my belly.Please not now.If I had to leave here, I wanted to make a dignified exit. As dignified as I could with my pants still sticky anyway. "Is it normal to feel sick after a bite?" I asked. After all, this had started about a month ago.
"It's normal to feel a little dizzy right after, but I didn't take enough blood to make you seriously sick."
"Are you sure about that?" I lifted my free hand to my mouth. Just a precaution.
"Positive. I'm not a freshling."
My stomach churned. "What's a freshling?"
"A newly-turned vampire who can't control himself."
I nodded, and then I jumped from the bed and rushed to the bathroom. My knees hit the floor in front of the toilet just in time for me to empty the meager contents of my stomach into the bowl. Talon was right behind me. I really kind of wished he wasn't, because gross. "Go away," I muttered.
He didn't though. Instead, he knelt next to me and wiped my mouth with paper napkins. "That's the second time tonight."
"It's not night anymore," I pointed out, feeling petulant. It wasn't like I was doing this on purpose.
"You're not sick. Your blood would have tasted different if you were," he explained before I could ask.
"Ifeelsick." I swallowed down the insults that wanted to follow those words. How dare this vampire tell me if I'm sick or not after I'd just puked my guts out? "You'd make a terrible doctor."
"My apologies." He rose and gently pulled me up as well. His thumb touched the side of my face. Concern colored his voice. "You look pale. I didn't notice before, but that's not a healthy skin-color for someone who's still alive."
I glanced aside and found a mirror. Talon was right. My skin looked kind of like his. But why, though? "You sure you didn't take a little more blood than necessary? I know I'm delicious."
"This wasn't me."
"No, probably not." After all, I'd been sick on and off for weeks. This was the first time I'd gone this pale, though. Or maybe just the first time I'd noticed, anyway. "I don't feel so good."
"Are you going to throw up again?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe?" I closed my eyes, taking stock of my body. For the most part, I felt as if I'd eaten something bad. Like that one time Elena had been in charge of mealtime. My throat felt parched and my gums still hurt too. I had no idea what that was.
"All right. Come on." Talon laid an arm around my shoulders and guided me out of the bathroom and back to his bed. I didn't need to be asked to lie down in it.
"Could I have some water?"
"Certainly." Talon fetched a glass of water from the kitchen, then sat down at the edge of the bed and offered it to me. I took it gratefully and raised it to my lips. Talon watched me intently while I was drinking.
"Open your mouth," he said as soon as I lowered the glass again.
"What?"
"Pretend I'm a doctor. Open nice and wide."
What the hell? "I don't really want to play doctor right now."
"Collin, please."
"All right, fine." I opened my mouth, feeling stupid. Talon traced the upper row of my front teeth with his finger, which was fucking weird. Then he retracted his finger, the expression on his face grave.
"You're growing fangs."
