He nodded. “You are also a witch, so if you can feed from a witch, that would be beneficial for you. If you feed from a human here, Sweyn will expect you to kill them. Prepare yourself for the inevitable task. But to avoid it, feed from vampires.”

“Like who? Does it have to be a male?”

“No, gender is irrelevant when it comes to blood.” He pulled off his white blazer and tossed it onto the bed, then he started rolling up his shirt sleeve. “Braison, Malik, Shi-shi, and Katelin are all safe to feed from. Your best options are me or Saber, if possible. Come sit.”

I sat in the chair next to him without hesitation. “Wait, you said two weeks. I’ve been here longer than that⁠—”

“And I’ve been feeding you through glasses of wine.” He tucked his sleeve above his elbow.

“Wait, we’re doing this now?” My face flushed. “I can wait. I feel okay.”

He arched one eyebrow at me. Without breaking eye contact, he lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit himself. Red blood rushed to the surface. “Are you sure?”

My fangs dropped down and stabbed my bottom lip. They tingled like little vibrations ran through them. My stomach cramped instantly, and my mouth went bone-dry. The muscles in my legs pulsed. I gripped the seat of the chair. My breaths were tighter and harsher, like I had to struggle more to get oxygen all of a sudden. “What . . . what happened?”

He sat on the edge of the table in front of me and rested his hand on his leg. “It’s been too long. The smell of blood caused a visceral reaction. Another two days and it wouldn’t have taken blood to trigger you. A strong pulse or strong perfume would’ve been primal for you.”

My eyes widened.

“Drink, Sam.”

I didn’t think twice. My body had started screaming the moment he punctured his vein. My mind was a tornado of thoughts, but the moment his blood hit my tongue, all of that noise just vanished. It was like someone hit the mute button. I sighed against his wrist and let my eyes fall closed as the tension in my body eased more and more with every swallow. His blood tasted like an expensive merlot.

He let out a deep sigh just as the bedroom door opened. When it clicked shut softly, I opened my eyes and peeked up just as Saber and Malik strolled inside. They glanced down to my mouth on Everest’s wrist, but it seemed more of an observation than anything else.