“Oh,” Jeanne Louise said on a sigh, and then frowned at him. “First you were upset with me because I was going to bite someone. Now you want me to bite you?”
He grimaced and glanced away. “Yes, well . . . I shouldn’t have reacted as I did. I guess I was a little jealous when I saw you cuddled up to that hunk in the parking lot. I suppose after that kiss earlier today I feel a little possessive.” Paul shrugged uncomfortably, and then rushed on, “Besides, you shouldn’t have to feed on others. You’re only without blood because I kidnapped you. If you have to bite anyone it should be me. No one else should have to pay.”
Jeanne Louise stared at him through the growing gloom. The sun had long set, darkness taking its place. She hadn’t even noticed that when he’d led her from the car, which said just what kind of shape she was in. And her state of mind was helping her with sorting out what he’d just said. He was a little jealous when he saw her with the man? He felt possessive after their kiss earlier that day? And he was admitting it? Wow. She thought that was kind of important but in her present state wasn’t sure if it was in a good way or bad.
“So, go ahead.” Paul shifted a little closer, and turned his head to offer her his neck.
Jeanne Louise just stared at him. She couldn’t just bite him. She couldn’t control his thoughts. She’d hurt him if she couldn’t keep him from feeling the pain. She wasn’t willing to hurt him. She wanted to bite him though. Not to hurt him, but to feed. The way he’d twisted his neck left his vein exposed and throbbing. She could almost smell the blood pounding through his veins. Groaning, Jeanne Louise turned away. “I can’t.”
Paul was silent for a minute, and then said, “You were controlling that guy in the parking lot.”
“I told you, we can keep them from feeling pain so that—”
“You were controlling him, Jeanie,” he interrupted grimly. “You weren’t just keeping him from feeling pain. He didn’t even seem to be there. It was like the lights were on but no one was home. He was walking, but he didn’t seem conscious despite the fact that his eyes were open.”
Jeanne Louise just nodded in defeat. There was no way to keep it from him now. “When we still hunted, it was a handy skill.”
“So you were controlling him?”
She grimaced. “Yes, Paul, I was controlling him. I submerged his will and overrode it with my own. He won’t even remember crossing the parking lot.”
“Have you ever done that to me?” he asked quietly.
“No,” she said wearily, watching Boomer chase his tail at the end of his chain.
Paul let that go and muttered, “I didn’t know your kind could do that.”
Jeanne Louise shrugged. “Knowing we can do that would make mortals nervous, so we generally don’t tell.”
“Hmm,” he said, and then glanced at her sharply. “Jesus, you could have taken control of me and made me release you at any time.” When she didn’t comment, he asked, “Why didn’t you?”
“Because I can’t control you, Paul,” she admitted wearily.
“You can’t?” He frowned. “Why?”
Jeanne Louise shrugged and said vaguely, “It happens sometimes.”
“But you can control Livy,” he said. “That’s what you’re doing when you take the pain away and when you put her to sleep, right?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
Paul nodded and then kicked his toe into the grass, before glancing at her and saying. “You’re still terribly pale, Jeanie. You need blood.”
“I can’t bite you, Paul,” she sighed and then added wryly, “Believe me, I wish I could. I do need blood.”
“Well, then why can’t you? You drank my blood at the house and it didn’t seem to affect you adversely.”
“It’s not the blood itself,” Jeanne Louise said on a short dry laugh, and then turned to peer at him. “I can’t control you, Paul. I wouldn’t be able to keep you from feeling the pain. It would hurt, and I won’t hurt you.”
“Ah, I see,” he said with a nod of understanding, and then grimaced. “Well, perhaps it’s what I deserve for kidnapping you in the first place.” He peered at her solemnly and said, “I really don’t want you having to feed off of others because of what I did. Hurt or not, I’d rather you bit me than feed on innocents around us.”
“Paul,” she began unhappily, but he interrupted.
“I’m serious, Jeanie. I would rather suffer the pain of your bite than have you bite others. So . . .” He tilted his head away from her, exposing his neck to her again. “Go on. Get it over with.”
Jeanne Louise frowned at him, then shook her head and peered away, but her eyes quickly slid back. Damn, she was hungry. Her stomach felt like it was boiling with acid. And the muscles all over her body were beginning to cramp and ache as the nanos sucked blood from them to carry to the main organs. And if she didn’t feed it would only get worse.
“Not here. The car,” she said abruptly and stood to walk back toward his vehicle. Silence reigned behind her for a moment and then she heard Paul murmuring to Boomer to wait where he was and take care of business, he’d be back for him in a moment.