With effort I contained my frustrated growl.
He burst out laughing, his arms closed around me and he hugged me close.
“Are we going to hug or are you going to teach me vampire knowledge?” I asked, trying not to sound as annoyed as I was.
“We’re going to do both,” he replied, his arms loosening but not letting go.
Whatever.
I lifted my head again and looked at him. His eyes caught mine.
“Feeding,” he started and my ears perked up because I was interested in spite of myself. “Do you remember the other night when I kissed you and your mouth tingled?”
I nodded.
“That was the anesthesia,” he explained. “It releases when my body prepares to feed. If I’d kissed you harder, longer, more frequently, your mouth would have gone numb.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. He was a good kisser and if my mouth was numb I’d miss all the fun.
He kept talking. “Also, when my body prepares to feed, the healing properties in my saliva release. They permeate your skin when I prepare it for the wound and they infiltrate the wound while I’m feeding so it’s healing even as I feed.”
As with all things vampire, this made sense so I nodded again.
Lucien continued, “Those healing properties stay in your bloodstream. They help your blood regenerate. Even after your first bloodletting, they were working. No mortal could have lost that much blood without a transfusion but after a couple of days rest, you were back to normal. The longer I feed, the more healing agents are released into your bloodstream, the quicker you recover. In a week, I can feed once a day. In two, I can feed more than once a day. In three weeks, I can feed whenever I like.”
This also made sense.
However, I was stuck on the idea of him feeding whenever he liked.
“How much do you need to feed?” I asked.
“The same as anyone. Three times a day.”
I felt my eyes grow wide and my lips part. Through my shock, I also saw his gaze scan my face and for some reason his face gentled when he caught sight of my expression.
“Food, the food you eat, gives me nourishment,” he went on to explain. “Just as it does for you, and my body needs it, just as yours does. However, the nutrients in mortal’s food aren’t near enough to sustain my body’s energy, to keep it functioning. Therefore, I need something more.”
“But you’re feeding every other day,” I whispered.
“Yes.”
“Are you saying that, right now, you’re fasting for more than a day?”
“Yes.”
Oh my God!
I’d tried fasting when I was on some crazy diet years ago. I couldn’t last until dinner. I couldn’t imagine going for more than a day!
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“Not as much as when I fasted for a week but yes, I am.”
I couldn’t believe this. “I don’t understand. Why would the rules do this to vampires when they change concubines?”
“The rules only state I can’t feed between the release of one and the initiation of another. Once you’re initiated, I’m free to attend Feasts.”
I felt my stomach twist at the idea of Lucien going to A Feast. Feeding on some random mortal. Touching her. Making her feel what he made me feel. Giving her what he gave me (before he took it away).