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)
The moment he was sure they were away from the few potential prying eyes in the park, Xiang held up the phone. “Put in the password and I won’t kill you.”
The would-be pickpocket released Xiang and snatched the phone from him. It took three tries, but he got the tiny computer to read his fingerprint. Once Xiang was sure which finger and which hand he needed, he took the phone away and dropped it on the grass for later.
A surprised gasp escaped the man as his eyes followed the phone to the ground. Xiang smirked. Poor thing thought he was just being robbed for his phone. Nope, Xiang planned to take his blood too.
With a light flick of his finger to the man’s temple, he was unconscious, his eyes rolling back into his head. Xiang winced. That had been a soft tap, right? Damn. He was out of practice. Time to stop teasing Moon about his techniques when he needed to practice as well.
He slipped one hand into the man’s short brown hair so he could cock his head at the right angle. Thankfully, his prey was the same height, giving him the perfect access to that throbbing vein right in his neck. Fangs sank deep and Xiang’s entire body relaxed as the first swallow of blood hit his system. Maybe he was hungrier than he’d realized. With the blood came heat from his victim, warming all of his organs like a bowl of Shijie’s1 soup, chasing an old chill that lived within his bones.
Vampirism gave him near immortality, strength, and speed, but he’d never feel human again. Even if he could walk under the sun and pretend to be human, there was a coldness that lived in his soul that never left him.
But when he fed, the cold faded and the bliss that permeated his entire body at least helped him to forget that wretched otherness for a while.
Annoying his brothers was the other thing that helped him forget.
Xiang might have treated himself to a few extra swallows since the man had attempted to steal his wallet. He swiped his tongue over the holes, urging the wounds to close while removing the last traces of blood. It was tempting to drop his unconscious form on the ground, but he sort of placed the man so he was sitting with his back against the tree.
There. He looked like he was taking a snooze. Nothing suspicious to see here.
Smiling, Xiang picked up the phone and the man’s right hand. It took another few tries with the proper finger, but he managed at last to get into the device. He winced at the image of the nearly naked woman that served as the phone wallpaper. Any lingering regrets that might have been forming over his meal evaporated. The poor woman was supposed to be seductive, but the pose struck him as painful, and she was probably cold. Someone needed to give her a sandwich and a blanket.
Whatever. He tapped the icon for the phone and stared at the numbers. Fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
What the hell was anyone’s phone number?
It wasn’t that often that he had to call any of them and when he did, the number was programmed into his phone. All he had to do was tap their name, and the call connected.
Of course, his own phone never turned on again after being dragged through the river with him and the dragon. He’d tried placing it in rice and even baked it in the oven. The only thing the device did was melt and spark a bit. Nope, the poor thing was dead and now he had to rely on his two-thousand-year-old memory.
He punched in some numbers. Stopped. Erased them. Tried a second time.
Finally, a low groan tumbled from his lips as a phone number rose crystal clear in his mind. Naturally, it was his number. Why couldn’t it have been anyone else’s?
He dialed it and waited. The phone rang three times and just as he was preparing to hang up before the voice mail picked it up, the call was answered. Chen removed all doubt that Xiang had gotten the right number when gruff Mandarin filled his ear, followed by Moon’s familiar snickers.
“Asshole,” Xiang muttered.
“Xiang?” Chen gasped.
“Yep, it’s me. Still alive.”
“Jun-Jun said you were. Where the hell are you?” Chen demanded.
“Told Junjie the dragon spit you out after trying to eat you!” Moon shouted in the background.
Xiang stifled a laugh and smiled at the ground. It was good to hear their voices. Even Chen’s. He missed them all more than he cared to admit. Each of them had gone traveling here and there during their long existence, needing to get away from the clan and explore. To find themselves in this new world. And maybe make peace with all they’d lost. But Xiang hadn’t been apart from his brothers for this long in centuries.