Single White Vampire (Argeneau #3)(45)

"We don't age. Everything dies," he explained patiently. "Diseases and viruses have no effect on us—the nanos see to that—and we don't age. But there are other ways to die. For instance, many of us were burned at the stake during the Inquisition."

"What about a stake to the heart?"

Lucern nodded.

"A bullet to the heart?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The nanos would repair the damage quickly."

"Then why does a stake kill?"

"Well, it will kill if you leave it in long enough. The nanos will try to repair the heart around it, but can't force the stake out. The heart won't beat, there will be no fresh blood or nanos brought to help, and they and the body will die."

"Oh. I see." Kate dropped her gaze and found herself staring at his flaccid penis. All this explaining had ruined the mood somewhat—which was a damned shame. Clearing her throat, she lifted her gaze to his face again. "So… Bastien sent you blood, but because I left your name off the registration it was returned, and now you're…" She hesitated. He was as pale as death. She would have looked like hell had she been as pale as him. He still managed to look strong and sexy, though. It really didn't seem fair. "What happens if you don't get blood?"

"The nanos will start to eat tissue to get the nutrients they need," he admitted reluctantly.

Kate's eyes widened in horror. "That sounds painful."

"It is," he said simply.

"Would it kill you?"

"Eventually, but there would be a lot of pain first."

"And I hung up on Bastien last night," she realized with horror. "Were you able to tell him to send more before—"

"No." Lucern suddenly sounded a little testy.

"Did you call him back?"

"I don't know where he is. All he said was that he was in Europe before you hung up."

"Oh, dear," she said faintly. "How long until it starts to hurt?"

"Four o'clock this morning."

Kate closed her eyes. Great! That meant the nanos were eating him already. She had a hungry vampire on her hands. One who was so hungry he was in pain. And she had him in a hotel with over two thousand romance fans waiting to throw themselves at him. It would be like bringing a lion to a hog farm. Kate heaved a sigh. This was all her fault, of course. She supposed she had better fix it.

"All right. How much blood do you need until we can think of a way to get you more?"

He looked surprised. "A full pint would be enough to get me through the day, maybe. But I need—"

"A pint!" Kate shrieked. Dear Lord. "A pint? That's like a milk-bag full."

"Roughly, yes."

Kate considered the matter seriously, it hadn't hurt when he bit her last night. Actually, it had felt damned good. But a pint?

"That's how much they take when you give blood," he told her helpfully.

"Is it?" She had never given blood. But she had seen footage of people giving blood on the news whenever they had those big drives. She supposed he was telling the truth.

"Yes, it is," he assured her. "I really need a lot more, but that's all that it's safe to take without side effects. And it would get me by for a bit."

Heaving a sigh, Kate held her arm out, wrist up toward his mouth. "Go ahead."

Lucern blinked, his nose quivering slightly. She wondered if he could smell her blood. The idea that she smelled like dinner to him was rather distressing.

"Go ahead?" he echoed uncertainly.

"Go ahead and bite me," she said impatiently. Turning her head away, she squinted her eyes in case it hurt this time. It was her wrist, after all, not her neck. Maybe she should have given him her neck.

She stiffened as he took her fingers in his. Kate held her breath, waiting for the bite. Her heart stalled, and she nearly snatched her hand away when she felt his lips touch the sensitive skin of her wrist. But there was no great sharp pain; it just felt like he was nibbling the skin.

Well, she thought as the nibbling sensation moved slowly along her wrist, this wasn't so bad. Much nicer than giving blood at the blood bank, she was sure. Much nicer. Exciting even. She squirmed a bit when the nibbling reached the sensitive inner curve of her elbow. Obviously, he hadn't bitten yet. Or had he? Blinking one eye open, she peered at him. All she could see was his head bent over her arm. He had nice hair. Thick and dark and—

"Oh," she breathed as he took a little nip at her skin. It didn't hurt, just startled her in a sexy kind of way. But Kate didn't think he'd drawn blood or anything. He was already moving further up her arm. The vein must not have been good there, she thought vaguely, watching his head rise farther and farther. When he got to the inside of her upper arm, even with her breast, he suddenly shifted to the side and latched onto her nipple. She started in surprise. She almost protested, but as he drew on her sensitive skin, she decided it might be better if he bit her there anyway. It wouldn't show. He laved and suckled her, then drew her deep into his mouth, and Kate decided that if he was biting her, he could do it anytime.

One of his hands slid up along her stomach to find her other breast. Kate slowly drifted back on the bed, telling herself that it was to prevent feeling faint after he took the pint, but the truth was her body was shaking horribly, her muscles quivering with excitement. She didn't think she could have stayed upright under his sensual onslaught had she wanted to.