Page 95 of Burn for Her
“Makes sense,” she whispered. “Being tied to someone for all eternity is a big commitment. Being tied to someone else out of obligation is just as big a move.”
Move or mistake? Sometimes there wasn’t a difference. Dorian was glad to see she was finally understanding the level of seriousness this was.
Turning vampire wasn’t like it was in the movies. Neither was immortality how it was in books. Everything about Lycan and vampire was dangerous—their love, their passion, their enemies, their powers.
Commitments this huge needed to be considered carefully.
“What—” Lena cleared her throat and tried again. “Dorian, what the hell just happened. I mean… before the flashy thing.”
“I think my survival instincts are getting more feral.” Shame landed in his belly like a rock.
“Then do something to stop this.” She grabbed his shirt and shook him. “I don’t understand your hesitation.”
Because you don’t know what you’re getting into, he thought. He wasn’t prolonging this transition because he was a coward, he was doing it to give Lena the best possible chance of success.
“It’s not that easy.” He pulled her hands off his shirt and kissed her knuckles.
“Yes, it is.”
Dorian dismissed her persuasive gaze and pulled away from her. The struggle was real. He knew it was foolish to prolong the turning but rushing it could kill her too. It was a delicate thing and needed to be handled cautiously.
Blood curses came in a variety of ways. That’s why Rogues were dangerous. If a vampire, in the wrong headspace, bit and turned a human, it could damage the mixture of saliva, blood, and intention. It could destroy the one they bit.
What if Dorian fucked Lena up? What if he wasn’t pure enough to turn her safely? He needed to make sure they could both do this, which meant moving slower than she liked, and faster than he was ready for.
That fear rocked his ass earlier when shit got real, and he’d clawed the floorboards. This level of aggression could taint their blood bond and turn her into a monster like him. He didn’t want her changed in any way.
“Was it my blood?” She crossed her arms. “It’s not as good as you hoped or something?”
“What?” He must be losing his hearing again. No way did she just say that. He closed the gap between them, “Your blood’s incredible.” What a lame ass answer to pop out of his mouth. “I’ve never tasted anything so divine.”
Jesus. Roosevelt. Christ. Just kill him now.
Lena’s jealousy skyrocketed. “Do you drink from others often?”
“No.” Dorian got seriously agitated. “I barely take a vein, and only when it’s absolutely necessary.” He tipped her chin up so she met his gaze. “Does that bother you?”
“I know it shouldn’t,” her lips tightened into a thin line. “It would be like you getting mad at me for having a hamburger.”
“That’s right.” His aggression rose as if competing with hers. What’s happening now, damnit?
Lena’s next statement dropped like a bomb. “But it pisses me off, Dorian. I can’t stand the thought of your mouth on someone else. I don’t give a shit if that’s how you live or what you need to survive.”
A smile spread across his face and the tips of his fangs peeked out.
She looked positively delectable when she said, “The thought of anyone else giving you what you need makes me murderous.”
Music to his ears.
Dorian dipped his head down until they were almost touching noses. “That’s because as my mate, your instinct is to feed only me.” He leaned forward and clipped her earlobe with his teeth. The tiny prick would send shivers of desire all over her. “Does it ease your jealousy if I say no one’s ever fed from me since I was taken in by these Lycan nearly three centuries ago?”
Lena leaned back, eyes narrowing. Suspicion looked adorable on her.
“I’ll never lie to you, Lena. No one’s taken my vein since I was a child.” His father was the only vampire to ever tap Dorian’s blood, between that, and Dorian getting raised by Lycan, no one in the vampire community would drink from him during a blood exchange. They considered him tainted and disgusting.
Ruined.
“Apart from one time with the King, the only vampire I’ve ever fed from is Lucian.” Dorian’s guilt for that never relented. An aristocrat like Lucian, feeding a low life like him was unacceptable in Dorian’s eyes. Even though Lucian willingly and honorably opened his vein anytime Dorian asked, he couldn’t shake his shame. “I don’t do it often, only when I must.”