Page 105 of Volik

“Da.” I flex my fingers against her hips, loving the way she feels. “But if necessary, we can go months, potentially years, without. So long as we have energy from another source.”

“Blood?” There is no disgust in her tone, only curiosity.

“Da.” I slide my palms down her thighs, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. “Sangue. It is the best source.”

“So…” Nix furrows her brow. “Is that how vampires got the label of nocturnal? Needing so little sleep, you’re up most of the night.”

I nod.

“It has nothing to do with the sun?”

“Nyet,” I huff. “We are not scared of the big star in the sky. It is simply easier to move around at night when one is trying to hide horns and black eyes. But ignorance leads to assumptions.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” It’s like I can see her beautiful brain working. And I love it. “Is all blood the same? As far as energy goes?”

I smile at her as I shake my head, enjoying her questions. “It is all different. In a dire situation, we can drink small amounts of our own blood. It will keep us functioning, but not strong.”

“So, to be strong, you’d need to… drink other vampires’ blood? Rather than human?”

“That is typically true. Though…” I think about the way I felt after consuming just the smallest amount of Nix’s blood. “I think, as my mate, your blood holds special power for me. Like a super charger.”

Her brows lift, and her lips pull into a pleased expression. “Well, that’s nice.”

“Da.” I dip my chin, agreeing.

“So, other than me…”

“The energy the blood provides depends on how powerful the host is. Bears are often a better source than humans.”

“Bears?”

I rub circles on her thighs with my thumbs. “They are physically strong and very intelligent. One or the other characteristic is good but combined is better.”

Nix hums. “Makes sense.”

“The strongest I have encountered was a polar bear.”

Her jaw drops. “Shut up.”

I feel my lips pull into a smile. “She was a good bear. I helped her hunt for a few weeks, and she let me feed off her.”

“That’s amazing.” Nix looks down at me with wide eyes.

“She was.” I wish that had not happened eighty years ago, so I could introduce them to each other.

“So you just drink a little? You don’t… I mean, I know vampires don’t kill everything they feed from. The world would be littered with bodies. But do you just need some?”

“It depends on whether a vampire is injured or depleted of all their power, though, for the most part, that is correct. But powerful blood will only work to enhance our innate abilities. A weak vampire will not become a warrior simply from feeding off something mighty. There is no cheating the fates.”

“That’s probably good.”

I nod my agreement. “Some have tried. They were put down.”

“Probably good.” Nix grimaces. “So vampires, bears, humans. In that order. With your mate potentially at the top.”

“Da. But a shifter is better than a bear. And a druid will land anywhere on the spectrum, above a human, depending on their strength.”

Nix blinks. Slowly. “I’m sorry. What?”