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)
“You know, that’s an interesting offer.” Leo took another step, putting more distance between them. “I’ll have to think about it.”
“This isn’t something you can turn down,” Jiang Chong said.
“Yeah, I kinda figured it was something like that.”
In the blink of an eye, Leo was in his house cat form and running as fast as he could into the woods rather than the gate. There was a tree that he used frequently at the rear of the property that had a limb that stretched close to the wall. It was a bit of a leap, but he could make it with ease. This would either slow Jiang Chong, or more likely, cause him to set off the warning alarm.
There was little noise through the brush, but he could feel the vampire following close behind. He could imagine Jiang Chong cursing him under his breath.
Leo flew up the tree and out across the limb. He was moving so fast it felt like his paws were barely touching the bark. At the very end of the limb, he jumped. Fingers scraped across his stomach as Jiang Chong stretched for him but just missed.
The cat flew over the wall and landed hard in the soft grass. He stumbled a few steps and caught his balance again as he raced to the house. He was aiming for the rear door, but he heard voices out front.
Junjie’s voice.
“I know he’s still angry with me, but I can’t sit by and do nothing. I need to search for him. Bring him back to the safety of the clan house.”
Leo’s heart stopped at his lover’s frightened words. He changed direction and ran for the driveway. As Junjie came into view, he heard the door close while the vampire walked toward the driveway gate. Whomever he’d been talking to must have gone inside.
A yowling meow erupted from Leo’s throat as he sped to Junjie, praying that he was still ahead of Jiang Chong. He couldn’t risk slowing down to look behind him.
“Leo?” Junjie gasped.
The second he had Junjie’s attention, Leo shifted into his human form. “Jiang Chong!” he shouted.
Those two words were barely past his lips as the house behind him erupted in bright lights and noise. He could make out Moon shouting the same thing. The vampire had crossed inside the walls to kill him and Junjie.
Panic filled the vampire’s face as he stared at his empty hands. In his panic to find Leo, he’d run outside without a single weapon on him. Leo reached him and captured his wrist. With a hard jerk, he pulled him to the house. If they moved fast enough, they could reach the armory and Junjie could grab what he needed while the rest of the clan ran to intercept the bastard.
They didn’t get more than two steps.
Jiang Chong sliced through the air, stepping from the dead realm into the living world, coming between them and safety with ease.
Leo barely had enough time to register that death was standing in front of them. Junjie whipped Leo behind his larger frame, drawing Jiang Chong’s attention to him. The asshole took the bait and slashed his sword through the air at Junjie. His lover had no choice but the dodge and block as best he could.
Fuck. This. Shit.
House cat might be his preferred form, but it wasn’t his only one. And Junjie was worth giving up all of his secrets.
Gritting his teeth, Leo called on the magic that bubbled and hummed in every cell of his body. It took a second to remember how, but he forced his body to shift into a Bengal tiger. He was over five hundred pounds of muscle, teeth, and claws. And he was fucking pissed.
His roar made the ground tremble and every bird in the vicinity took to the air.
Both Jiang Chong and Junjie stopped in their tracks to stare openmouthed at him. He tried to take advantage of their shock by lunging at Jiang Chong. The vampire snapped from his wonder in time to dodge out of the way. Leo chased after him, swiping massive paws at him with long claws extended. He just needed to land one good hit to disembowel the man.
“What the hell?” Xiang shouted from the house.
“Who brought the tiger?” Chen demanded.
“It’s…Leo.” Junjie sounded as if he were still trying to process what he was seeing.
The arrival of more of the Zhang clan must have unnerved Jiang Chong because the asshole created an opening in the dead realm and slipped into it, nearly disappearing from sight. Leo started to jump in after him, but Junjie’s desperate cry of “Don’t!” reminded him of the warnings his lover had given more than once. Never follow Jiang Chong into the dead realm. The bastard was too quick and would leave Leo to rot there.
With a roar and a flick of his tail, Leo retreated, following the shadowy vision of the vampire with his eyes. The only problem was that the farther Jiang Chong moved away from him, the harder it was to see him. He made another frustrated noise in the back of his throat and shifted into his human form.