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“This isnotyour fault,” I say forcefully, and a tear slides down my cheek. “But what am I going to do?”

“We’ll get you into one of NIHA’s doctors tomorrow. They’ll prescribe your medications and adjust your blood dosage.”

All those bottles Noah has—those are going to be mine now, too.

“I can’t eat cucumbers anymore.” I cry a little harder now, laughing through the tears because I know that’s a ridiculous thing to care about. “Noah.”

“I know.” He pulls me in for a hug. “But there are perks.”

“Not getting sick,” I say, sniffing.

“That’s a big one.”

“I’ll never need glasses.”

“You won’t.”

“And you can’t get in trouble for infecting me because Ethan took care of it for us,” I whisper.

He pulls back and places his hands on my cheeks. I can tell he wants to say something, but he stays silent.

“I’m a monster now.” I blink quickly. “Not just a baby larva—a real one.”

Noah chuckles and leans down, giving me a gentle kiss. When he pulls back, he strokes my jaw. “I’m sorry.”

“For breaking my parents’ rules? Surely you know I don’t care.”

“No.” His eyes search mine, and he swallows. “No part of me should be happy about this.”

Despite everything, my heart flutters. “Are you, though? Happy?”

Remorse crosses his face, but he gives me the barest nod.

“Because myspecies has changed?”

He barks out an incredulous laugh, shaking his head. “I’m not sure how many times we have to go over this. You’re still human.”

“Sure. Just human…plus.”

“A limited edition.” He gives in to a lopsided grin.

“With all the upgrades,” I agree.

“And you can do things that pre-vamps can’t do.” He lifts his brows, smirking.

And, oh, that smirk eases a good portion of my fears. “Like drink blood?”

“That’s not that great.”

“Okay, what then?”

He lowers his mouth to my neck, brushing his lips over my sensitive skin. I shudder a little and hold my breath, my eyes going wide when I feel his teeth graze my skin.

“For starters,” he murmurs, “we can answer some of your more intriguing questions about vampire relationships.”

I grasp hold of his waist, afraid I’m going to melt onto the floor. “Okay,” I say, my voice going breathless. “Go ahead.”

“Not yet.” Noah pulls back, his eyes sparkling.