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)
“I don’t trust you.”
A broad grin spread across Xiang’s lips, and he chuckled. “You’ve never trusted me.”
“I did. A little. When I let you hunt.”
“And I broke that trust to call my clan.” Kai’s shoulders slumped and his eyes drifted away from Xiang, but he wasn’t deterred. He reached across the bed and grabbed one of Kai’s hands. “You’re going to trust me again. I know it. We haven’t had enough time to get to know each other without the secrets.” He squeezed his hand and released it.
Kai’s soft voice stopped him on his way to the kitchen to heat some water for tea. “I understand how important your clan is to you. No one would want to stay trapped in a dragon’s hoard. As soon as I’m well, I’ll figure out a way to get rid of the fae. Then I’ll be able to return you to your family.”
Xiang smiled to himself. “Don’t worry about that now. Get some rest.” He continued to the kitchen and started preparing the tea. Kai was so damn stubborn, but he’d learn. Xiang wasn’t going anywhere without Kai. The man needed a clan, a family.
And Xiang would make sure he got it with the Zhang clan.
Chapter 12
Kai
Xiang was up to something.
He was being too nice.
The vampire was scheming again. Kai wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Xiang hadn’t given away any hints that he was plotting something, but he was just being so attentive. It had to be a trick to get Kai to lower his guard.
After nearly five days of being stuck in a bed, Kai was finally feeling better. He wasn’t at full strength yet, but most of the aches had left his body. His mind was clear, and he could feel his magic coursing through every cell. It was time to get on his feet and stop allowing Xiang to care for him.
Not that he wasn’t thoroughly enjoying it.
He stepped out of the bathroom, following a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Xiang stood a few meters away with a bundle of bedding in his arms after he’d changed the sheets.
“So, I gotta know. Is the dirty clothes hamper magical?” he asked as he approached. “I put dirty clothes in and the next day they’re in the bureau, smelling of lavender.”
Kai snapped his fingers. The soiled bedding disappeared. “No, I’m magic. The clothes hamper is Ikea.”
Xiang threw his head back and cackled.
The kitchen and bathroom hadn’t existed in his hoard until he’d brought Xiang to it. While Xiang might be a vampire, he still needed some basics for his survival and comfort. As a result, Kai had conjured up a bathroom and kitchen based on pictures he’d seen in a magazine. Both rooms were woven with spells so that dirty things were cleaned instantly when Xiang walked away. Anything in the cupboard or fridge that was exhausted would be replenished by morning. That way, Xiang would want for nothing.
“Feeling better today?” Xiang inquired as he approached.
“Yes. Thank you for your attentive care.”
The vampire shrugged and smiled. “Can I get you anything? Something to eat?”
“No, thank you.”
“In the mood for a little sparring?”
“No, thank you.”
“How about a game of weiqi?”
Kai narrowed his eyes on Xiang and took several steps closer until his chest nearly bumped into Xiang’s. “What are you up to?”
“Huh?” Xiang laughed. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re being too nice. You never offer to play weiqi with me. I have to convince you to play,” Kai grumbled.
His companion chuckled and gave his shoulder a shove as he took a couple of steps away. “You’re being paranoid. I’m not up to anything.”
Maybe he was being paranoid. After all the sweet care Xiang had given him, it was rude to suspect him of plotting something. “Forgive me. I was rude.”
Xiang stretched his arms over his head as he paced a short distance away. The motion hiked his T-shirt up so that it exposed a section of his smooth, muscular back. Kai jerked his gaze away, directing it to the floor while ordering his heart to resume its normal rhythm. He was not attracted to the vampire. It was just that things had gotten confusing with Xiang caring for him and that very random kiss to the center of his forehead. Besides being a strong, handsome man with a deep sense of loyalty and love for his clan, Li Xiang was a nuisance and a pest.
“Well,” Xiang drawled out. He dropped his hands to his sides and turned to face Kai with a crooked grin. “Since you are feeling better, I have one small request. A tiny one.”
With all his grace and strength, he managed to not roll his eyes. Here it comes. He knew it.
“Would you be willing to let me see you as a dragon?”
Kai blinked. “What?” That was not what he had been expecting the man to ask for.