The Marriage Game

Yum! Blood!

"So... should we do the classic neck chomp, some kind of wrist thing—that feels a little dark—or like- I don't know. Does blood taste different if it comes from different body parts?" Camila pulled her hair back into a bushy ponytail. If he wanted to eat her neck—she winced at the image that sprang to mind—wouldn't it be better if he didn't choke down her hair as well?

Or maybe he liked hair. Maybe it added a bit of texture to the blood, like melted butter in cookies.

Alex looked like he regretted ever agreeing to this. His face was pale as a sheet and his eyes were foggy, with a faint yellow tint at the edges. On second thought, it was probably the aftereffects of whatever torture Declan had put him through.

"Uh... the neck is good. You get more oxygenated blood. Oh, look. Crumbs." Alex had busied himself with cleaning the counter. He caught sight of a cluster of bread crumbs and leaned further over the counter, wiping them up with an old pink rag he'd found in the cabinets.

Sweet as the gesture was, Camila couldn't help but notice how his hands shook when he carried the rag to the sink and rinsed it out.

"Right," Alex said, shutting off the sink and squeezing drops of water off the wet rag. "But the neck is where your mating mark would go. So... that'd be bad."

"Eh, I've got that werewolf healing thing now. Plus, you're a vampire, so the mark won't work anyways. Hey." Camila reached around Alex, moving slowly so as not to startle him. She gently pried his fingers from the rag. "You're injured. I'll clean later, okay?"

He raised a clumsy eyebrow. "I swear I'm fine."

"It's for my nerves. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Well, that's ridicul-" Alex took a step towards her and stumbled. He shot out a hand, grabbing onto the countertop, and barely avoided smashing his face into the floor.

"Yeah, you're functioning really well," Camila deadpanned. She wrapped an arm around Alex's waist, helping him to a standing position. When he was safely leaning against the counter, she stepped away.

"It was the floor's fault," he mumbled, one hand still gripping tightly to the countertop.

"Of course it was." Camila nodded. "C'mon. Let's get some blood in you."

"What about- You know. Whoever you marry. Won't they be annoyed if someone's already... um. Bitten you there? "

"Oh my Goddess, I didn't tell you!" Camila hurried over to Alex. "Declan's giving us money. No marriage necessary."

Alex froze. "You're serious?"

"Yep."

"You mean- You're not getting married?"

"Well, I probably will eventually, but no, not unless I want to."

For the first time since they'd started talking, Alex looked alert. His bright eyes sparked with fire. He didn't move—maybe he didn't have the energy—but he listened attentively to every word that left her mouth.

"Wow." He breathed out. "Are you- happy?"

Camila smiled. "Yeah," she said. It was weird to have her future so open. For the first time ever, her love life was completely in her control. She could go on a date if she wanted. Get a tinder account. She could even—perish the thought—stay single. "I'm happy."

Alex leaned forward. For one crazy, bizarre second, Camila thought he was about to kiss her.

Then she realized he was falling.

"Oh." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around Alex to hold him up. Her cheeks flushed. Of course he wouldn't kiss her. They were friends. Friends didn't kiss.