Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
As clear as this was to him and pretty much everyone else in the clan, he was keeping his mouth shut. Sticking his nose into Chen’s private life was a good way to get his nose broken. This was something for Chen and Moon to figure out.
Junjie’s heart went out to Chen, though. As much as his er-ge tried to maintain an aloof and untouchable exterior for the world to see, there was no missing that Chen was soft and very fragile on the inside. Shifu’s death had cut a deep wound within him that had never healed. Losing Moon—particularly to Jiang Chong—could very well shatter him.
Not that he was sure he’d be any better if he were lucky enough to gain a mate within his lifetime.
With a grunt, Junjie brought his sword down in front of him and held the position, only to frown at his weapon. His stance felt overextended. That shouldn’t be. Not after so many years.
No, he was distracted.
Not by the clan being in the woods with the fae or even the Moon and Chen dilemma. It was Leo who kept sneaking into his thoughts. He hadn’t seen the damn cat in two days. It wasn’t the longest he’d gone without seeing Leo, but when they’d last parted ways, it felt like something had shifted between them. Some tiny bond had strengthened. He thought he’d see Leo again much sooner.
And what about the fae? Had they found him? Was he hurt or in danger? He had no idea. Leo hadn’t bothered to give him a way to reach him. Of course, Junjie hadn’t been smart enough to ask for one, either.
Junjie relaxed his stance, lowered his sword to his side, and sighed. Leo was turning him into an idiot. He couldn’t get the cat and his infectious smile out of his head. There were more important things to worry about than whether Leo was going to visit him and Erik.
A cool wind stirred the trees, growing in intensity as if a storm was rolling in. Limbs swayed overhead and birds took flight in search of more sturdy protection from the wind and rain. Would this storm force the clan mates out in the woods to return home early?
A new thought crept into his head as he gazed up at the black clouds rolling across the night sky, blotting out the stars. Was this a natural storm, or had the dragon who controlled rivers and rains called up this storm in reaction to a fight they’d found?
He reached for his phone in his back pocket. A quick check of the weather app would reveal if this storm had been part of the forecast. However, a strange warning itch crawled up the nape of his neck. Goose bumps broke out across his skin. Something was wrong.
Lunging forward, he planted his left foot and spun, lifting his sword up to where his neck had been only a second earlier. Metal clanged against metal, and Junjie’s blood froze in his veins as Jiang Chong stepped out of a rip in the darkness, his sword centimeters away from where Junjie had been standing.
Fear and hatred seized Junjie by the throat and tried to choke him as he stared at the vampire who’d made him and his clan into near-immortal blood-sucking monsters. The heartless creature who’d slaughtered almost all the Zhang clan and the members of the sect he’d deemed unfit to serve him and the emperor. The demon who’d tormented him for years before he’d snapped.
“Hello, my would-be murderer,” Jiang Chong growled. With vicious determination, Jiang Chong swung his sword again, nearly taking Junjie’s head off as he woke from his shocked paralysis.
Junjie dodged the first swing and blocked the next. A cold sweat broke out across his flesh, chilling him to the bone. How was he supposed to defeat Jiang Chong? The last time they’d succeeded in “killing” him, it had taken the entire clan. This time he was alone, and he was afraid Jiang Chong knew it.
Somewhere behind him, a door opened and Moon’s panicked voice rang out. “Something has broken through the protective spells!”
“I noticed,” Junjie grunted between clenched teeth.
“Holy shit! That’s Jiang Chong!”
Junjie didn’t dare take his eyes off Jiang Chong to look at Moon. It was on the tip of his tongue to order Moon to grab Erik and Ming Yu to escape on foot, and call Chen for help, but that could be part of Jiang Chong’s plan to pick them off one by one. Possibly even the fae’s attempt to kidnap some of his clan. No. It was safest in the house.
“Go back inside! Lock yourself in the armory with Erik and Ming Yu. Call Chen!” Junjie ordered.
“But I can help you!”
“No! You are my shidi! You will obey my commands. Protect Erik and Ming Yu!” A clang of his sword crashing into Jiang Chong’s punctuated every sentence.