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He caught it before it reached the floor.

The cover showed a pale man with fangs holding a woman whose dress was almost falling off. Sten examined it, then looked at the other books on the shelf. Several had my name across the front.

“You wrote these?”

“Some of them.”

He read the title aloud. “Bitten by Midnight.”

“It sold better than the others.”

“Does he bite her?”

“Eventually.”

“Does she enjoy it?”

“Very much.”

Sten returned the book to the shelf. “I may read it while you are at the hospital.”

I couldn’t tell whether he was serious. And I wasn’t sure whether I wanted him to. Most of my friends didn’t even know I wrote these books. It was a little embarrassing, especially considering he could actually bite people.

“You’ll have plenty of time. My shift is twelve hours.”

His expression changed. “You still intend to go?”

“Of course I do. I’m not calling in sick because my date turned out to be an alien.”

“Your mate.”

“You haven’t bitten me yet.”

His gaze moved to the place where my neck met my shoulder. Heat gathered low in my stomach.

“The blood I took today should protect me through your shift,” he said. “The first time lasted much longer.”

“That’s what I’m counting on. You’ll stay here, rest and message me immediately if anything starts feeling cold or numb. I have an old phone somewhere that you can use. You will not go flying, no matter how bored you get.”

“I have learnt from my mistake.”

“You said that before.”

“This time I mean it.” His tail wound around my ankle. “You can trust me with your rodents, your television and my own survival.”

“We’ll see.”

I carried my suitcase into the bedroom – not because I needed it there, but because I wanted to move us to where I really wanted to be. Sten’s wings barely fitted through the doorway, and one brushed a row of framed photographs from the wall. He caught two with his hands and the third with his tail.

I stared at him. “That was impressive.”

“I told you my tail was useful.”

The clothes I had left ready for work were folded on the chair. I checked that my alarm was still set for half past five, then put my phone on charge. Sten watched every movement.

“You should eat before we complete the bond,” he said. “You have already given me blood today.”

“I ate two sandwiches in the car while you supervised every bite.”