The Vampire's Surprise - Stormy Glenn Page 0,27

room. "Louis has arranged for some food to be delivered to us, and some bagged stuff for the kids."

"They eat real food, too," Quinn said. "They only need blood every few days."

"Really?"

Quinn nodded.

"Usually, vampire children need blood at least once a day."

"I don't know what to tell you." Quinn shrugged. "Maybe it's because they are only half vampire."

"I've never dealt with half vampire children before, so that's highly possible."

"You've never dealt with half vampire children before?"

"To be honest, I have never actually dealt with children before, vampire or not."

Quinn smiled. "You're good with them."

"Yeah?"

Quinn nodded.

"I don't have any experience with kids."

"There aren't any kids in your tribe?"

"There are a few, but vampires have a really hard time having kids so they are kind of few and far between."

Quinn snorted. "Well, apparently, my mother didn't get that memo. She pops them out like she's a Pez dispenser."

"How does that work anyway?" Dmitri asked. "How did you end up raising your siblings instead of her?"

Quinn had expected the question, but he shrugged anyway. "It just kind of happened. I mean, one day, I'm living on my own, trying to get by, and the next, my mom shows up on my doorstep, hands me this newborn infant, and says he's my responsibility now. I didn't see her again until she brought me Hannah and then Arthur. I figure, since Arthur is just six months old, I have a few years until she shows up with the next one."

"You ever think of telling her no?"

Quinn shook his head. "She'd just leave the kid on my doorstep."

Or in a garbage can in some alleyway, but Quinn didn't mention that part.

"She's not June Cleaver by any stretch of the imagination. The most motherly thing she ever did was give up her kids."

"Were you raised by her?"

"No, I was raised by my father. He passed away about two years before Robby was born."

"And the kids' fathers?"

"They all died. I don't know how. I never met any of them. I just know they all died before the kids were born. Mom just said they were dead when she dropped each of the kids."

"And they were human?"

"Yes, they all were."

Dmitri wrapped his arms around Quinn. "You haven't had an easy time of it, have you?"

Quinn shrugged. It hadn't been easy, but what other choice did he have? He couldn't allow his siblings to be dropped off with complete strangers. They were the only family he had. He certainly didn't consider his mother family. She just added to his problems.

"You know you're not alone anymore, right?"

Quinn tilted his head back to look up at Dmitri.

"I'm your mate, Quinn. That means what affects you affects me."

"You just met me," Quinn said. "How can you even know something like that?"

"Fate brings mates together. It doesn't seal the deal. It just brings them together. It's up to them to get to know each other and commit to the bond, to claim each other for all eternity."

"Wow." Quinn's eyes rounded. "That's a really long time."

"Not for a vampire."

"I'm human. I'm probably going to die in the next fifty or sixty years."

"No, once I claim you, you'll live as long as I do."

"How?"

"I'll share my essence with you as you do with me. By giving your blood to me, you'll give me life. I'll give you life in return every time I make love to you and your body accepts my semen. It will prolong your life to match mine."

Quinn smirked. "I knew there was a sexual component to all of this."

Dmitri chuckled. "You are a very handsome man. Of course there is a sexual component to our mating." Dmitri caressed the side of Quinn's face before sliding back to grab the nape of his neck. "I very much want to make love to you, to claim you in the ways of my people."

"Will it hurt?" Quinn blinked when that question came out of his mouth instead of the outright refusal that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Was he actually considering this?

"Have you ever been bitten?"

Quinn shook his head. "I've just donated blood at the clinic. Doc used a needle."

"The initial bite might hurt a bit, but that's usually due to apprehension. Not knowing what is coming and fearing it. Once I bite you, though, you will only ever receive pleasure from my bite."

Dmitri's eyes started to glow red. "You called to me from the first scent of your blood; that’s the way it is for my kind. Once we are bonded, a