Page 32 of Toadstools and Vampire Kisses

He shakes his head, but I sure as hell am not backing down. If he wants this mating arrangement to work—something we still haven’t talked about since we’ve been, ah, distracted—then he needs to spill. Despite my worry, I smile and turn Beast over to the coven’s flock of children, silently laughing at his excited wiggle. I feel a very slight prick of betrayal that he is so eager to leave me, but I know it’s better for him to be outside running around with them than penned in my bedroom.

Once they are gone, however, I turn an irritated look at my tight-lipped would-be mate. “Reynard,” I hiss. “Out with it.”

He sighs when he takes in the look on my face. “I need to feed,” he grumbles.

Now that catches my attention and I frown. “I thought vampires didn’t feed that often. Didn’t you already have your fill?”

“Typically, that is true. And normally the feeding I had before our arrival would have been enough to sustain me until we return to the coven’s compound. I did not anticipate that I would begin nesting, however. It is natural for a mated male to feed more. I have, in fact, fed twice since then.”

I shake my head in confusion. “Nesting? You forget we haven’t talked about any of this yet. What do you mean?”

I can feel a sense of dread growing like a cold lump in my belly. What if he suddenly becomes so hungry that he turns into a monster and begins attacking the coven? My mother would see to it that he was destroyed on the spot, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop her. I know that’s extreme, but I don’t do well with unexpected changes in my preferably well-ordered universe and so this worries me.

He gives me a sidelong look as if aware of my apprehension. Quite possibly he is, since I seem to be able to sense his mood. I find it a bit odd having another’s presence in my head but it also quite useful.

“It is not as bad as whatever you are imagining,” he leans down and murmurs, his hot breath stirring the hairs at the nape of my neck. “Mated males do something we call nesting. Our bodies require far more nutrients than normal so we can nest with our mates and feed them.” He hesitates as my frown grows with suspicion. “It is not like that Fran. We bloodbond with our mates, which ties their life force to ours. It is necessary for our mates to feed daily from us along with their regular diet to reinforce the bond.”

His lips twist in a grim smile. “Unfortunately, since I’ve already fed from Edward twice since we’ve been here, I cannot in good conscience go to him again—not when he is feeding three other mature vampires. Usually, a mated vampire would have their own galkin to provide for them, and if not, they would leave their mate in their nest while they went out to discreetly hunt.”

“I see,” I murmur, relaxing a little with understanding, though I’m no less worried. “Well, you can’t just hunt among the coven. Not only would my mother disapprove, it wouldn’t feel right, watching you take from the other witches here.” I let it go unsaid that I mostly hate the idea of him laying lip on other women around here when he has a perfectly good male blood donor, aware of how selfish that sounds. Vampire bites are supposedly very pleasurable, and I don’t think I can stomach seeing another woman—worse a relative—getting off on his bite. I exhaled loudly. “Guess we need to see if we can find you an appropriate donor.”

He runs a soothing hand down my back, the light pressure encouraging my muscles to relax. “Don’t worry, galaka. I don’t drink from females. Most vampires won’t drink from any that they find sexually attractive, and I refrain from touching females at all when it comes to this need. Sex and the hunger should never mix except with one’s mate. As I am not attracted to males, they are universally safe for me to take from without guilt that it might spark an undesired reaction.”

A sense of relief washes through me. Perhaps it’s because I know that there isn’t likely to be any comparison, measuring me against his chosen donor in the back of his mind, that makes me feel better about the whole thing. Call it insecurity, but everyone is allowed to have one hang-up, and for someone who has never really belonged, I like the idea of belonging wholly to someone and him belonging completely to me in turn.

“Okay then, so we need to find a guy who might be willing.” I hum a Halloween melody from one of my favorite movies under my breath as I scope out the crowd.

My gaze falls on a large, burly cousin who is contently giving readings in one corner and I grin. Big and healthy as an ox, Ted stands apart from the crowd despite his obvious efforts to disappear into it bashfully. Because of his size, I’m pretty sure a blood donation won’t even slow him down, plus he’s one of the gentlest souls I’ve ever known. Though I know he has considerable power, he devotes most of his time to divination and necromancy to connect people with their loved ones. He says that he loves seeing that he’s helped a soul, whether living or dead. That makes him the perfect candidate to help in my book.

Grabbing Reynard’s hand, I tug him after me as I start walking toward my cousin. “Come on. I have an idea.”

Ted looks up and smiles when he sees me, but that smile slips the moment he sees Reynard hovering like a malevolent shadow at my side. His gaze skitters away from the vampire to return to me in confusion.

“Fran? Is there something wrong?”

I lean forward, setting my glasses bouncing against my blouse as I brace my hands on his table and smile down at him.

“Actually, I do have a teeny problem that I hope you can help me with, but this has to stay just between us,” I say quietly as I reach back to grab Reynard’s jacket to drag him nearer.

Ted’s brow beetles, but he doesn’t protest, though his gaze flickers curiously between Reynard and me. “You know I’m always here to help, Fran, especially with all the good you do for the coven,” he murmurs, and I immediately feel guilty.

I feel like I am somehow coercing him into this because its coming from me. But damn it, I don’t have much of a choice here. It’s going to have to be someone, be it a willing donor or hunted prey.

I gesture to Reynard. “This is my… Reynard,” I finish lamely, not even sure if I’m ready to announce the fact that I’m a vampire’s mate before we’ve even a chance to talk about it. “And he has a tiny situation on his hand. He has a medical condition,” I say, ignoring Reynard’s cough beside me, “that requires more blood donation than he anticipated, and his donor is unable to supply it. Since it would be areallybad idea for him to hunt in this company, I am trying to find a willing donor for him.”

I watch as Ted’s lips purse thoughtfully as he mulls it over. “I presume this will be for the rest of the time he is here?”

“Yes, but probably not more than once a day… right?” I give Reynard a questioning look, and he nods stiffly.

I’m certain this isn’t how they do their galkin business, but desperate times call for desperate measures. His pride and dignity will just have to suffer the small blow of having his mate blood-jockeying for him.

“What do you think? I could pay you,” I add on, which causes a small eruption of fierce snarls from beside me that make Ted go pale.

“No, no, the ball is only for a couple more days. I think I can spare a couple of donations free of charge,” he says hurriedly. “Though perhaps you won’t mind if, after the ball is over, I come out and camp out in your woods in exchange for this favor?”

My eyebrows fly up. “You want to camp this time of year?”

He flushes a little, his eyes dropping down to his cards. “My girlfriend kicked me out. Said she couldn’t deal with playing second fiddle to all the ‘spooky stuff.’” He glances up at me miserably. “Besides, I like your woods, and I know you have that extra cabin on your property.”

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