Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Was there a chance he could lose his dragon the way Winter nearly lost his Fox?
Chapter 19
Kai
Something was wrong with Xiang.
Upon arriving at the grand Varik manor with its great white façade and windows of golden light, noise and chaos surrounded them. Winter, Chen, Moon, and another vampire named Aiden took Fox to a private room while the rest of them strolled into a lovely library. Some of the Variks bickered. Others shouted.
Xiao Dan worked to restore the peace and get them to discuss the attack as well as what had happened to the displaced shifters. Through it all, Xiang remained standing with his arms folded over his chest and his expression bleak.
No, this could not continue. His vampire could not keep this expression on his face.
As the night wore on, Xiao Dan declared he wished to remain with the Variks to ensure their safety after the attack, but someone needed to return to the Zhang clan home to protect it and Su Ming Yu.
“We will do it!” Kai announced, his loud voice cutting through the room as soon as Xiao Dan stopped speaking. “Xiang and I will fly to the clan home and protect it. We will also keep Xiang’s jiejie safe.”
A hand landed on his arm and squeezed. Kai shifted his stance to see Xiang staring at him with a wrinkled brow and wide eyes. “What? We will?”
“Mn,” he grunted. “We must return to your home.”
His primary intention wasn’t so much to protect it, though. He had layered his own magic over the spells Moon had woven into the walls, adding an even heavier barrier. The fae would have even more trouble entering the grounds, and they definitely couldn’t do it without alerting him. No, the point of returning was to remove this worried expression from Xiang’s face, and to do that, they needed more privacy than could be found in this motley collection of bloodsuckers.
“Oh. Okay,” Xiao Dan agreed with a blink.
Kai didn’t bother to linger another moment. He took Xiang by the hand and led the vampire out of the house. As soon as they were away from the structure, he shifted and lifted Xiang onto his back. They zipped across the short distance from the Variks to the Zhang home, where Ming Yu stood in the open doorway to greet them as soon as they landed.
“Xiang, is Fox going to be okay?” she inquired, grabbing Xiang’s hands in hers.
“He will recover. He’s received blood from both Winter and Shixiong. Chen is with him now. Fox’s love for Winter combined with the ancient blood of the Zhang clan will put him right.” Xiang leaned forward and brushed a kiss to her cheek.
A sigh of relief slipped out between her lips and her slim shoulders drooped. “Good.”
“We have returned to protect you and the clan home while the others remain with the Variks throughout the day,” Kai volunteered. Ming Yu flashed him a bright smile, but his words earned him yet another questioning look from Xiang.
With the sun rising, Ming Yu retired for the day, leaving him alone with Xiang at last. However, before he could even inquire into Xiang’s problem, the vampire whipped around to face him, one finger pointing at the tip of his nose.
“All right, what’s going on with you? Why were you so eager to leave the Variks? Do you not like them?” Xiang demanded.
“I’m indifferent to the Variks. They appear to be nice enough and are good friends with your family, but I have no reason to care about them,” Kai admitted.
Xiang deflated, his hand falling to his side and his brow furrowing yet again as it faded into the same worried expression he’d worn while in the Variks’ library. “Then…why were you so interested in leaving to come back here? Are you worried about your hoard?”
“No, I’m not worried about that.” Kai took brief pleasure in being able to point at Xiang’s face the way he had moments ago.
“What?”
“You wore that same expression the entire time we were at the Variks’ home, and I don’t understand why it is there.” Kai lowered his hand to rest on Xiang’s cheek, his thumb sliding across his cheekbone. “I also didn’t think you would tell me what is troubling you while so many people surrounded us. Returning here appeared to be the best solution.”
Xiang stared at him, but he could feel the movement of his jaw muscles against his palm as he clenched his teeth. Just as he began to worry that maybe Xiang wouldn’t tell him, the vampire grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the twists and turns of the hallway until they were behind the closed door of Xiang’s private chambers.
Within the seclusion of that room, Xiang released him and started pacing across the open space, his hands balled into trembling fists at his sides.