" Cradling her to his chest, he cursed himself for taking too much blood. He was certain he hadn't taken enough for her to need a transfusion, but it had clearly left her weak.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, glad she hadn't found the deed in his thoughts. He had feared he wouldn't be able to hide it from her.
The dog began to whine again.
"It's okay, boy," he murmured. "She's okay. She's just tired."
Several minutes passed while he stroked her hair and held her close despite the pain it caused. She was petite and looked as though she only weighed about a hundred pounds. After spending all damned night digging his sorry ass up, no wonder she passed out.
"I haven't seen it yet," she mumbled against his neck as consciousness returned, "but I'm willing to bet your ass is actually quite nice."
Startled laughter escaped him, inspiring another groan. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much."
"Sorry. I couldn't resist. "

― Dianne Duvall , Awaken the Darkness (Immortal Guardians #8)