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)
The too-quiet man closed the door and stood facing it for a couple of heartbeats. When he turned to face Leo, his expression was solemn, and his eyes were closed as if he couldn’t stand to even meet Leo’s gaze. This was a lot worse than being overcome and afraid.
“I would understand if you wished to take Erik from us,” Junjie said, his voice low and rough.
“I beg your pardon?” Leo cried. His brain locked up. What the fuck was this? The idea hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Junjie’s eyes jumped to his face and lines dug deep into his forehead. He seemed confused as well, but he continued. “You gave us Erik because you thought we could keep him safe. Tonight, Jiang Chong entered the grounds of the manor. While he didn’t get into the house, we all know that he’ll return.”
“Yeah, and you’re going to kick his ass when he does.” Leo stomped over to where Junjie was standing, his shoulders slumped and head bowed as if he were folding in on himself at just the idea of losing Erik. Leo grabbed his shoulders, careful not to touch his injured right arm, and shook him. “Jiang Chong is temporary. You’ll kill him, and everything will be fine. I forced you into taking that little boy because I thought you and your clan would give him a warm and loving home for his entire life. You’d teach him to be smart, brave, resourceful, and loving. It wasn’t only about keeping him safe.”
“You’re sure?”
Leo leaned as close as he could, the tip of his nose touching Junjie’s. “Yes! Hell, yes! Besides, I know that you’d be dead before Jiang Chong or anyone laid a finger on that boy.”
“I would,” Junjie agreed in a trembling voice, his eyes going wide for the first time.
Leo exhaled a heavy breath and smiled at the vampire, who was showing some signs of life. “All of the Zhang clan would. There is no better place in all the world for Erik than right here.”
The left corner of Junjie’s lips twitched into an almost smirk. “Surrounded by vampires.”
“And an elf. And a dragon. Why not?” He shrugged one shoulder and slid his hand up to cup Junjie’s cheek. “One tiny kitten in the middle of thousands of years of magic and power. How could anyone ever touch him?”
Junjie nodded, and that soft expression lingered for another second, then Leo watched it melt away. But where sadness and worry had painted his face earlier, there was now cold hardness creeping in. Junjie stepped out of his grasp and partially turned away from him. His left hand balled into a fist at his side while the right remained limp.
“I couldn’t kill him,” Junjie whispered, his voice trembling with what sounded like low-banked rage. “No matter how hard I pressed, how flawless my every strike, he slipped away like an eel. I couldn’t manage more than a few flesh wounds.”
“He’s a sneaky, cowardly bastard. Those are the hardest to kill. But you’ll get him,” Leo reassured him.
Junjie was shaking his head almost as soon as Leo started speaking. “The moment you get too close, or he senses that he’s losing, he slips into the dead realm. You can’t follow because he’ll leave you there. You’re blind to his location. It’s just waiting until he reappears to stab you in the back. Or worse, he escapes completely.”
That wasn’t exactly worse in Leo’s book, but he let that go. Junjie needed to vent his frustration and anger about his creator, and Leo was more than happy to serve as his support.
The vampire began pacing the open space, moving from the center of the room to the bathroom doorway. “He knew the others were away.”
“The asshole must have been watching the manor, waiting for an opportunity when the fewest number of people would be home.”
Junjie grunted. He stopped and whipped around to Leo, eyes wide. “He knows about Erik. And that Moon is a fledgling. Both are vulnerable to his attack. Moon wouldn’t stand a chance against him. And Erik…”
“You’re going to stop him,” Leo stated, trying to infuse those words with all of his confidence, but Junjie’s head was shaking.
“Jiang Chong knows I haven’t been using my gift. Won’t use it. There’s no point. All I ever see is death. I can’t actually change anything. The death never stops. What if I were to see Erik’s death? Or yours? How would I fight him? What would be the point?”
Junjie was spiraling out of control. Panic had him firmly in its grip. His left fist was shaking and even the limp hand at his side had taken on a tremble as his pacing picked up.
Leo snatched Junjie by the waist and shoved him into the low dresser on the opposite side of the room. The vampire stumbled and landed with his butt on the edge of the furniture, just low enough to erase the two-inch height difference between them.