Atomic Mage by Garrett Carter (short books for teens txt) 📕

Sabine's sustenance is simple, you." She finished her declaration with a hand on Cade's tall shoulder, as she smiled at her mate's disbelieving expression.

"WHAT..... why me, I couldn't possibly keep up with her appetite, she just told us that she has been feeding on the slavers for sustenance, and implied they did NOT survive the feedings, so tell me, my MATE, how will I?" He finished his question with a humorless grin to his mate at her crazy suggestion.

"MY mate you must have forgotten the impressive healing that kept you from bleeding out during our mating battle, I'm sure you can keep up with Sabine's feedings just as well, probably better since she will not be feeding to kill but to eat. You will be fine my mate just wait." She looked into her mate's eyes as she tried to convince Cade to become a walking blood bag for Sabine.

Cade for his part wasn't convinced, looking to Sabine he said. "IF I let you feed from me how will it work and how much will you need per day, I would rather not be anemic all the time if we can avoid it." Crossing his arms he looked at Sabine, challenging her to lie to him as he slid a small thread of power into her mind to feel if she would lie to him about her feeding from him.

"The amount of blood I require depends on how much I use my powers and what I do with them. During a regular day, I will require little, a few sips in the mornings will allow me to survive the day, a little more to handle small uses of my magic throughout the day. And whole persons worth for what would be needed for the battle that is coming." He detected no lies in her words a little disturbed by the casual way she described exsanguinating some poor individual for power's sake.

Though given the caliber of individuals he had run into in such a short time in this new world, he couldn't fault her for having a little defense.

But if he was going to be feeding Sabine her breakfast lunch and dinner for the foreseeable future then he would like to get a better idea of who he was getting into bed with.

"While I am not opposed to the idea of losing a little blood for a better chance at victory, I would like to examine your memories to better know who we will be watching our backs in the fight ahead and if you choose to beyond that."

After he finished his ultimatum he lowered Sabine to the ground realizing with a start that for all of her fifteen-foot length the woman barely came up to his sternum.

"I don't mind if you take a look, but I will ask you to please be a little open-minded.... for... for a time after my mother was killed I was not a pleasant person to be around, dangerous even." Sabine began her answer with eyes shyly hid behind iridescent eyelashes that matched her short poorly cropped hair, with hands clasped tightly together that pushed her modest cleavage together in what would have been an enticing sight for Cade but was marred greatly by her emaciated body.

Her starved state allowed him to count her ribs on her torso and he could see the bones of her narrow hips that poked above her ragged skirt.

As he glanced down the tail she was supporting herself on, he could just see the ribs along its length, the small scales along its sides up to the three-foot blade she had at the tip of it.

An uncertain look passed across her face at the end of Sabine's statement about some of her trials.

"Let me have a look and then we will say who will or won't be pleasant company, ok?" He said not unkindly to the seemingly shy snake woman.

Nodding to his request Sabine looked Cade in the eye with a pensive expression clearly worried at what he might find.

"I will be back in a few seconds my Mina," Cade said as he placed a chaste kiss on his mate's lips.

The chaste kiss wasn't enough for her as she pulled Cades face back down to her level and proceeded to maul his mouth till they were both breathless.

"Return soon my Cade, I have need of a quickie once you are back."

A pleased smile was plastered on Mina's face as they both smiled at the request.

"Looks like I have some business to attend to once we are done. Let's make this quick shall we." He said to Sabine with a smile and outstretched hand.

His smile grew and he had to stifle a laugh at the basilisk woman's expression of thinly veiled interest.

Blinking and with a shudder that didn't come from the moist cool air coming from the river, Sabine composed herself and placed her hand in his.

"Yes, Cade let's make this quick, and by the way what is a quickie?" She finished her question with a cute quizzical expression.

"Let's get this done and Mina can tell you that when she is ready. Sound good? Let's begin."

After losing his battle with his mirth with a full belly laugh, he answered Sabine's question.

He had a suspicion that he might gain another mate if Mina's words and actions toward the slim but beautiful snake-woman were anything to go by.

He couldn't say he would mind getting to know the shy but sweet Sabine after he got her back to a healthy weight, and from her temperament so far he didn't think he would find anything too damning in her memories but better safe than sorry.

With that thought in mind and a