Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
“But…the bridge…” Rei stammered, looking so utterly lost and helpless.
“We’re vampires! We can’t drown!”
“Oh…”
Yichen couldn’t take it any longer. The fear and adrenaline from the Black Dogs attack, the crash on the bridge, and Rei sailing limp through the air after risking his life to save a bunch of vampires. It was all too much. His brain shut down, and instincts took over.
With a growl, he pulled Rei forward, slamming his mouth into Rei’s. Those perfect lips froze, but only for a moment. They softened and parted on a moan, beckoning him in for an even deeper kiss. Slender fingers twisted in his shirt, trying to pull him closer. It was breathtaking. Better than any first kiss he could have imagined in a thousand lifetimes.
But all too soon, Rei went slack in his arms.
Yichen broke off the kiss to see Rei’s eyes closed and mouth open. The elf had passed out midkiss.
Of course.
Dropping his head to the road, Yichen squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed a groan of frustration. At that exact moment, his brain rebooted and replayed the last few seconds, allowing horror to sink in fresh.
What the fuck did I just do?
Chapter 14
Wu Yichen
Yichen ignored the stares and silent questions radiating from every member of his clan as he carried Rei’s unconscious body from the car, through the house, and into one of the smaller gardens that had a retractable roof. It would have been better to put him in the larger garden, but if he didn’t regain consciousness prior to sunrise, the only person who could properly protect him would be Xiang.
No, this was safer. If Rei needed him, he would be able dip outside under the cover of the roof and bring the elf inside.
He placed him with care under a tree, making sure his long hair wasn’t trapped under his back or bunched awkwardly under his neck. His hands rested comfortably on his stomach. Yichen paused, watching the slow and steady rise of his chest with each breath. His beautiful face was relaxed, not showing any signs of discomfort or stress. Rei was just in a deep sleep as his body replenished the magic it had used up. With any luck, when he woke, he wouldn’t remember the last few minutes before he passed out.
Sitting next to Rei on the ground, Yichen dropped his face into his hand and sighed. What the fuck had he been thinking?
Okay, so maybe he hadn’t been thinking at all.
He’d been terrified and angry. Maybe there had been a few other emotions mixed in too, but that was a mess stirred up by their conversation with Zelda. There hadn’t been enough time to sort through that nonsense ahead of the attack.
Time slipped away from him as he sat there listening to the soft trickle of water in the pond and the chirp of the crickets. His thoughts chugged along in useless circles until he heard a pair of footsteps approaching. Yichen lifted his head and his breath caught in his throat to see Junjie standing with his guqin cradled in his arms next to a frowning Chen. Actually, a frowning Chen felt like the most normal thing he’d encountered since returning to his clan.
“Chen said Rei has exhausted himself. I thought I would play for him. It may help his healing,” Junjie offered. An orange-and-white cat padded through the hall and wound its way around Jun-Jun’s feet, rubbing against his ankles. His purring was loud enough to be heard across the garden.
“A new stray?” Yichen inquired, tipping his head to the cat.
Jun-Jun smiled at the feline, then returned his attention to his brother. “He appeared shortly after we moved in and comes to visit me a few times a week.”
“I thought the strays weren’t allowed inside the house,” Chen grumbled.
Junjie shrugged. “I haven’t figured out how he’s sneaking in. But he doesn’t stay long or get into the food in the kitchen. He likes to sleep at the foot of my bed.”
Chen glared at the furry beast. “He probably has fleas.”
The cat turned his head toward the vampire and hissed as if he knew he was being wrongfully disparaged.
Yichen huffed a laugh while Junjie immediately jumped to his defense.
“Yiguo1 does not have fleas! I checked him carefully. He’s a very clean, considerate cat.”
“Yiguo? You named it?” Chen gasped.
“Of course. I didn’t want to keep calling him ‘Cat,’ and he’s so happy when he visits.”
Chen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Keep him out of the kitchen, or Shijie will cook him in a pot.”
“Thank you, Jun-Jun,” Yichen interjected before Junjie could snap at their er-ge. “I think Rei will appreciate you playing for him. Just don’t expect him to wake up. It’s likely he’ll be unconscious until after the sun rises.”
“Did this happen while you were in the fae realm?” Chen asked, seeming to forget about the stray cat who was now following Junjie into the garden. It wandered close enough to Rei to sniff the side of his foot but darted to Junjie’s side, some of its hair standing up as if suddenly realizing it had gotten far too close to a powerful creature.