Page 138 of Taming His Vampire Mate

He snorted again.I’m reminding you what’s real and what’s not.

Truthfully, he’d probably have to remind me plenty more until the jagged feeling in my chest dulled.

I will,he whispered, warmth and concern wrapping through the bond.I promise.

“That’s very irritating,” Reed commented mildly, arms crossed. He frowned. “You two were tuning us out, weren’t you? The vibes are very ‘get a room’ right now.”

“As far as vibes go, it beats yearning to feast on your heart’s blood,” I shot back, tempted to smack the lot of them. “So perhaps we chalk tonight up to a win and leave the interrogations until Jeremy’s had a chance to rest.”

“Speaking of feeding,” Simone said, ignoring me. She stepped subtly in front of Reed and Lindsey, her dark eyes fixed on Jeremy. “Areyou hungry? You must be.”

The question caught Jeremy off guard. I knew through the bond that he hadn’t been—at least, not until she asked. First came his confusion, then denial, and then—

His stomach growled. Loudly.

Shit,he whispered through the bond.They smell… good.

“Yes,” he admitted with a grimace. He shot Reed and Lindsey an apologetic look. “I hadn’t realized it before, but you should keep back from me for a while. Until I know I’m safe.”

“Don’t be a jackass,” Lindsey said flatly. “If you’re still you, you won’t hurt us.”

Reed gave her a dark look. He was probably still thinking about how Jeremy had nearly forced him into a fight to the death.

But the thought nagged at me: Jeremy had technically died. Was he still alpha? Or had Reed become alpha the moment Jeremy’s heart stopped? It wasn’t important yet—but it would be soon.

“It’s manageable,” Jeremy told them. “It’s like not having eaten for a while. I’m hungry, but I’m not out of control.”

“It could be the mate bond,” Nathaniel mused. “Perhaps Thierry’s presence calms him, the way Michael calmed Danny. Or Derek calmed Quinn.”

Simone seemed to consider his words, then shook her head. Her brows drew together thoughtfully. “The bond calmed Danny because Michael was mortal at the time. Same for Derek and Quinn. If either of them had lost control, they might have hurt their mates. Jeremy, even if he is something new, is highly unlikely to hurt Thierry. No, I think this is something else. If he were a normal newborn vampire, he’d be struggling around mortals—even his own pack.”

“The hunger is normal?” Jeremy asked. “That’s part of this, right?”

“That depends,” Simone replied. “What are you hungryfor?”

Jeremy shrugged. “Food?”

Everyone in the clearing stared at him.

He shot me a look that all but begged for backup. “What? It’s been two days since I’ve eaten. Plus, I died. You’d be hungry too.”

“I’d be famished,” I agreed gamely. “We’ll need to test different cuisines and see what sticks.”

“I brought some blood bags,” a soft voice called from the trees. A moment later, Tobias and Bryan stepped into view. In Tobias’s hand, a sphere of bluish light crackled. He wasn’t Poppy-level powerful, but he was still one of the most gifted warlocks I’d ever met—and perpetually on guard for Bryan’s sake.

Despite the angry orb of pure magic casting his face in shadow, Tobias shot me a bright grin. “Well, looks like the rumors of tragedy were exaggerated. Between you and me, I think Michael’s become a bit of a drama queen since turning into a vampire.”

“Theatrics probably come as a side effect of being Thierry’s progeny,” Bryan agreed, studying us. His eyes were glassy when he flashed me a smile. “For the record, I’m really glad he’s okay.”

But Nathaniel and Simone only tensed further, their alarmed gazes snapping to Jeremy—like he might spring at Tobias without warning. And to be fair, if Jeremy had been an ordinary newborn vampire, he might have.

Jeremy frowned, cocking his head at the newcomers. “More friends of yours?”

I sighed, but felt a rush of warmth that they had both come. “Yes. They’re friends.”

“Well,” Bryan said brightly, glancing around the clearing. “Looks like we’ve missed a lot.” He paused, frowning at Jeremy. “And apparently we’ve got a ravenous newborn… wolf-vampire hybrid—”

“You said you have blood bags,” I cut in. “Go get them. Preferably before I clobber the lot of you with sticks. Please and thank you.”