“Do you consent?”

Katie shivered. “I consent, Principe.”

As soon as Byron heard those words she sank her teeth deeply into her attendant’s neck. Katie gasped, but Byron knew it wasn’t a cry of pain. The vampire bite infused a feel-good chemical to relax the human, and to help with healing and with pain.

Byron moaned at first taste of fresh blood since this morning. The feeling of the fresh, warm elixir rolling over her tongue was indescribable. It turned on every sense and need, especially for sex. Her sex started to throb, and she closed her eyes and tried to imagine this was Amelia she was drinking from. When she did, she took Katie’s blood faster and faster, her mind clouded with bloodlust, and all she could think about was thrusting inside Amelia as she consumed her blood.

Katie started to wriggle in her arms, and the sound of Katie’s discomfort penetrated Byron’s fog of blood. She pulled away, gasping, blood running down her chin. Katie grasped at her neck, and Byron felt immediate guilt. She had lost control, and that was something she couldn’t afford to do. She had not been present, but somewhere else, in her mind, feeding and making love with Amelia.

“Katie, forgive me for taking too much.” Byron hurried to produce a dressing from the supply kept in every room of the house and gave it to Katie.

Katie smiled generously, even though she must be very light-headed. “That’s all right, Principe. I know you haven’t fed for a while.”

But it wasn’t all right. She could not lose control like this. It was too dangerous.

Katie buttoned up her blouse and placed the pad on her neck. Byron cupped her cheek, and she blushed.

“There’s no excuse, but I have certain pressures on me at the moment that led me to become careless.”

“I know. She’s very beautiful, Principe,” Katie said with a small smile.

Byron was surprised the young woman had connected the two things. Clearly even the staff had noticed how important Amelia was to her.

“I thank you for your understanding. You know, you are the first person to congratulate me on finding someone to care about. Everyone else is so concerned about the problems it may bring us. Alexis certainly thinks so.”

She didn’t normally talk this openly to many people, but there was something in Katie, an innocence, a goodness that reminded her of Amelia.

“Alexis—forgive me, Principe, the Duca—probably finds matters of the heart irrelevant.”

She didn’t always, Byron thought, and Byron was part of the reason Alexis had shut down that side of herself.

“I appreciate you telling me. Please tell Landon to take you off the blood service rota for a few weeks.”

“It’s okay. I don’t—”

“Please. Those are my wishes,” Byron said finally.

“As you wish. Thank you.” Katie bowed her head and walked away.

Just before Katie left, Byron said, “One moment, Katie. Would you mind keeping an eye on Amelia while she’s here? This will all be a bit overwhelming for her, and I think you are the right one to recognize that.”