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by a vampire,” Raymond said softly, “but I promise there are plenty of people who think otherwise.” He pulled down the rolled collar of his sweater to reveal the fang marks on his neck, thankful Jean had fed recently enough that they were still visible. The Aveu de Sang sped his healing so much that most bite marks were gone in a matter of hours after Jean finished feeding. Only the ones on his chest, the ones Raymond had not allowed to close since the night he and Jean finally admitted their feelings, remained for more than a few hours.
    “The woman I fed from last night said she was willing, but this is her job,” Pascale said slowly. “It isn’t your job. You don’t work here.”
    “No,” Raymond agreed. “I run l’Institut Marcel Chavinier in Dommartin.”
    “But you want vampires to feed from you.”
    Jean could not stop the instinctive growl of protest at the thought of any other vampire coming anywhere near Raymond. Before he could say anything, Raymond’s love surged through their bond, soothing him. “Not vampires,” Raymond said. “One vampire. But yes, I want Jean to feed from me. Angelique mentioned when she introduced us that I’m his Consort and his partner. Those aren’t meaningless honorifics. We are as committed to each other as it is possible for two people to be, and his feeding is part of that.”
    “The same is true for my partner, David,” Angelique said, “and for Sebastien’s partner, Thierry. I don’t know if you met Thierry last night, but Sebastien brought you here. Not every vampire has a lover, and not every vampire who has a lover has a partner in the magical sense of the word, but you are not the only one aware of the intimacy when you feed. The person you’re drawing blood from feels it as well. It can be a very alluring experience, one people are often willing to repeat if the first vampire to feed from them does it right.”
    “That’s not something I can even begin to comprehend,” Pascale admitted. “I know it must be true for there to be so many examples, but I wouldn’t know where to start in finding someone like that for myself.”
    “If what you want is a partnership like Raymond and I have, or like Angelique and David or Sebastien and Thierry, you’ll need to come back to l’Institut with us,” Jean said. “Where Adèle brought you last night. One of the many things we do at l’Institut is educational seminars for vampires and wizards who are interested in forming a partnership.”
    “Jean Bellaiche,” Angelique snapped, “you are not going to whisk Pascale off to the country and send her off into a partnership without preparing her properly for being a vampire. Give me a couple of weeks to finish educating her properly. Take your Consort back to Dommartin and leave Pascale with me. I’ll call you in a few weeks to let you know how she’s doing and whether she’s even interested in coming to l’Institut.”
    “You’re hardly the only vampire who could teach her to hunt,” Jean replied sharply. “Even if she found a partner immediately, which still only happens rarely, she’d have to hunt until the end of the seminar. I wasn’t planning on abandoning her the way you make it sound.”
    “I think I’d rather stay in Paris for a few weeks,” Pascale said, scooting closer to Angelique on the divan as if the others would try to forcibly remove her. “No offense, monsieur, but I don’t really know you, and Angelique has been very helpful since I got here. I’d be far more comfortable staying here.”
    “Then it’s all settled,” Angelique said. “Adèle, take Jean home so he isn’t stuck here without his partner. Denis, it was lovely to meet you. I assume Raymond will see you home. Pascale, find your coat. We’re going out.”
    Before the other four could blink, Angelique had ushered them back out into the parlor and returned to her office, the door shutting behind her with an audible snick.
    “Did she just kick us out?” Denis