Seamus saw the determination in Maria's eyes and knew he could no longer stop her. She wanted to change. She wanted to be useful. More than anything, he did not want her to be hurt again.
Strangely, their goals were different, but the path toward them had become almost the same.
Maria needed to evolve.
"Fine," he said at last.
He tilted his head and guided her closer to his neck. "Go ahead. Drink as much as you need. Your evolution will be faster, but it's different for every vampire."
"So it's not a perfect shortcut," Maria said quietly.
"Exactly."
She did not bite him immediately. Maria hesitated, then spoke again.
"Thank you. For everything, Seamus," she said softly. "I'm sorry. This might hurt."
He let out a short chuckle. "What are you talking about? I've been hurt plenty of times. This feels like being bitten by a tick."
Maria nodded. She leaned closer, bared her fangs, and bit into his neck.
