Page 36 of The Arrival
“I feel like a cannibal.” Nami stirs once more, opening her eyes. Her gaze flickers up at Nino and he smiles. “Ciao, topolina. Are you hungry?” She is. He can feel the tiny suction of her feeding against the curve of his finger, but then her little brow crinkles. He draws back. “Uh oh…”
Nami opens her mouth wider, but not because she wants to feed more. She cries. Her eyes clench tight and her entire face crumples as she screams and hiccups in utter distress. Nino glances up at his mate. “Do you want to try?”
“Hm.” Haruka adjusts her so that he can comfortably cradle her in the bend of one arm. He swiftly brings his fingertip up, bites it, then places it down against her mouth. Nino’s eyes widen as she grows silent and her entire demeanor shifts. Contented. Her brow relaxes and the tears dry up. She feeds, peacefully and without a sound.
Frowning, Nino folds his arms. “What the hell? So, I’m rejected?”
“It isn’t like that,” Haruka says. “Remember what the doctor said.”
“Jesus… we’re back to ‘the doctor said.’” They stare at each other. Nino’s face is flat. “Triggered.”
Haruka rolls his eyes. “She simply needs a little time. You’ll see. Be patient, my love.”
“Mmhm.” Nino smiles, leaning in to watch her as she falls asleep. “She’s really cute… I wonder what she’ll be like. What kind of person will she grow into?”
“Only time will tell.” Haruka pulls his finger from her, then lifts his chin in an expectant gesture. Understanding, Nino tilts his head and places a soft kiss on his mouth. Then another.
He sighs. “You can’t be the only one to feed her. If you’re feeding herandme, you’ll be exhausted within a few days.”
“We’ll be fine,” Haruka assures him. “We’re in this together, yes?”
Nino leans over, caressing Nami’s soft round cheek with his knuckles. She flashes another sleepy smile, her eyes still closed. Nino grins, his heart light. “Absolutely.”
* * *
Two weeks later,Nino’s eyes flash open and he sits upright in bed. The room is dark save for the glow of white moonlight spilling in through the patio doors. He rubs his eyes, shifting from underneath the bedsheets.
Lately, he’s like a well-trained robot. Nami cries, he gets up. Unthinking. Disoriented. Placing his bare feet on the floor, he slogs toward her bassinet near the foot of their bed. He peeks inside and she’s squirming, her blankets disheveled and her eyes shut tightly as if she’s in pain.
Reaching in, he wraps his palms around her small frame and lifts her to his chest. “Topolina, non piangere, per favore. Va tutto bene!” As he cradles her, Nami’s sobs become less intense, but she still huffs in quiet whimpers. Discontent. “Well, let’s see…” He lifts his finger to his mouth and bites himself, then tries to feed her for what feels like the millionth time.
She calms, seemingly taking his offering. Or at least, contemplating? Nino holds his breath, thinking that this may be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for.
A second later she draws her head away and is crying again. He exhales, shaking his head. “Jesus, Nami. Why?”
“I will feed her.”
Nino watches as Haruka drags himself upright in bed. His dark hair is a messy nest, and even in the soft moonlight, Nino can see that his almond skin is a little too pale. His mate has been carrying the burden of feeding both Nino and Nami for two weeks now. Nami is small, but she needs to be fed several times every day—almost once every hour as her nature strengthens and stabilizes itself.
This is natural for vampire children, but the stress of it has thrown their household and routine into a subdued chaos. With her still rejecting him, Nino has to be very careful about how much he feeds from Haruka, and neither of them has gotten much sleep since they brought her home.
Holding her in his arms, Nino walks to Haruka’s side of the bed, then sits along the edge of the mattress. “She’s lucky she’s so cute.”
Haruka’s chuckle is weak but genuine as he brings his own hand to his mouth to bite himself. When he’s finished, Nino keeps hold of Nami while Haruka feeds her. She takes his offering contentedly, and soon, her eyes are closed. Haruka sighs. “You should feed too, my love. It’s been three days.”
“I know,” Nino says, his eyes focused on Nami. Her chest rises in a deep breath and falls. Soon, her breathing is shallow. She’s sleeping. “I wanted you to regain some strength first. Are you feeling alright? You still look pale.”
Nodding, Haruka pulls his finger from her. “I am alright. I just miss sleeping through the night… or during the day. Whenever.”
Nino laughs, gently bouncing her as he smiles. “Agreed. Maybe we should cut her off from you so she doesn’t have a choice but to feed from me? She takes my offering, but then, it’s like she knows if she cries, she’ll get you afterward—like if she complains she’ll get an upgrade. I think we should stop doing that.”
Haruka frowns, pouting. “Notan upgrade.”
“I know, I know. It was a joke. But what do you think?”
Sighing, Haruka lifts his hand. He surprises Nino when he laces his fingers through his hair at the back of his head. While lifting his chin, he pulls Nino forward and into the curve of his neck. Compliant, he leans in.
Nino quickly licks his skin, and the sweet, rosy taste of his mate sends an intense rush of longing through every inch of him. He hasn’t fed deeply from Haruka since they brought Nami home, and his nature is in a constant state of defiant objection from want of him. It hates these shallow, sparse and hasty feedings. It wants Haruka therightway. Slowly. Intensely. The way in which his body has grown accustomed to over the past two and a half years.
