“Suppressed how?”
“Justin’s medication is for regulating his blood sugar level, correct?
Taylor nodded. “Yes.”
“When Justin doesn’t take his medication, he begins to get sick. He begins to feel anxious. His mouth dries out, and he can become nauseous. He might become slightly confused and dazed.” The prince cocked an eyebrow. “Correct?”
“Yes,” Taylor replied, “but not eating properly can also make his blood sugar level rise, and Justin is terrible about remembering to eat. His sugar level also rises when proper insulin isn’t taken at regular intervals.”
“What I believe is happening is that when Justin forgets to take his medication, his vampire genetics start to come out and his body begins to crave blood. When a vampire doesn’t get the blood he needs, he experiences blurry vision, which can lead to seeing spots and eventually blindness, pale skin, loss of senses, lack of energy and movement, and eventually death.”
“No,” Taylor whispered, suddenly very afraid that Prince Dominic was telling the truth. Most of the symptoms that Dominic mentioned, Justin had suffered from when he had gone too long without his medication. Taylor had always assumed he just needed to keep better track of Justin’s medication schedule.
“All of these symptoms can be misinterpreted as low blood sugar, Taylor, especially by humans that do not know about vampires. I imagine quite a few diabetics are actually vampires and don’t even know it.”
“But…Justin doesn’t have it in him to drink blood. He’s just not like that.”
“Just not like what, Taylor?” the prince asked as his dark eyebrows pulled down low over his face. “Not a bloodsucker?”
“Uh…” Oh man, he had just pissed off the prince of a vampire coven, one that was currently holding his lover. He was so fucked. He needed to fix this, and fast. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just—” Taylor shrugged and wished he had a gifted tongue instead of the one he kept tripping over.
“Contrary to popular belief, we are not all bloodthirsty monsters, Taylor. Granted, we do have those of our kind that take without asking, and even take blood slaves. But Prince Zacarius and I are working to change things and make blood slaves illegal and punishable by our laws.”
Taylor blinked in surprise. Vampires actually had laws? Wow. Who knew? “Really?”
“I do not believe in taking blood from those that do not wish it. As a matter of fact, because I am now mated to Danny, I can only take blood from him. It would drive me slowly insane to take blood from anyone other than my mate, and I would have to be put down for the safety of everyone.”
Taylor felt like a total shithead. He had insulted the very man who had helped his lover when Justin needed it. Talk about ungrateful. “I didn’t mean to be rude, prince. I just meant that Justin gets sick to his stomach at the sight of blood. I don’t see him going for this whole blood drinking thing.”
“Yes, well.” The prince looked a little shocked. “I can see where that might be a problem.”
“It’s different when you’re drinking from your mate, Taylor,” Chase said from beside Taylor.
Taylor turned to look at him, confused and a little jealous. It sounded like Chase knew what it was like to be a vampire, or at least be a blood donor to a vampire. “How would you know? You’re not a vampire.”
Taylor liked it even less when Chase’s face flushed. First off, he was surprised the man could even physically blush. Chase just didn’t seem the type. And second, he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to his question.
Taylor was finding that he didn’t like thinking about his mate being with anyone else, even though it was ridiculous to think Chase came to him as a virgin. No man that fucked like Chase did went through life without any experience. It just wasn’t possible.
But that didn’t meant Taylor wanted to know how Chase gained his experience.
“I know,” Chase said, “because wolf-shifters claim their mates just like vampires do.”
Chapter 8
Chase didn’t want to examine the satisfaction he felt when he realized that Taylor was green with jealousy. There was a deep part of him that was jumping for joy at this knowledge. He was still reeling from the fact that not only had he claimed Taylor as his mate but the fact that Justin was a vampire.
Prince Dominic might not be someone Chase had ever met before, but he was a good friend of Prince Zacarius. Chase had heard Devlin talk about the man. If his brother trusted the prince, then Chase knew he could also, which meant Prince Dominic was telling the truth about Justin.
Justin was a vampire.
Talk about a shocker. Chase hadn’t seen that one coming.
How it had happened and how Chase, and just about everyone else, had missed it, Chase would never know. There was a certain scent that vampires gave off, but Justin never did. He always smelled of sweet red wine and strawberries.
Chase rubbed his hands over his face and then sat back in his chair, once again entwining his fingers with Taylor’s. He needed the connection with his mate at the moment, no matter how it might look for anyone else.
“Prince, you mentioned something about Justin having a connection to your mate. Can you explain that?”
“As I said, after Justin was brought to us, Danny and I both scented his vampire genetics, and we both recognized how familiar they were to us. I requested a sample of Justin’s blood, which he provided.”
“And?” Chase encouraged when the prince stopped talking.
“And, after tasting his blood, Danny and I both agree that Justin is Danny’s brother.”
“What?” Taylor shouted as he shot forward in his seat, blinking rapidly at the prince.
Chase agreed with his mate’s astonishment. “I was under the understanding
