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)
Just once had Yichen lost himself to the hunger, and it had been an exquisite experience.
It was the second time Yiyi had taken his blood. King Ash had tortured Yichen while the queen sent Rei off on some stupid errand. He’d returned to find Yichen in agony, the blood draining out of him while one arm hung limp at his side, his shoulder dislocated.
Yichen hadn’t even gotten out a genuine request. He’d panted “blood” at him, and Rei had nodded once. The vampire had then lunged across the tiny room, pulled him in close, and plunged his fangs into his throat. Pain had lanced through his body, but the most exquisite pleasure had followed it. Yichen’s working arm tightening on him, tucking him close as if he were the most precious thing in all the world.
Rei was reluctant to admit it, but he’d lost himself in that embrace. He’d wrapped his arms and legs around Yichen, allowing the vampire to carry him to the tiny cot in his prison. The feel of being held so tightly had blotted out the horrible conditions of that room, leaving him drowning in the caress of Yichen’s soft lips on his neck, the gentle swipe of his tongue.
Sadly, when he’d awakened later, it was to find Yiyi had tucked him into the bed alone while the vampire watched him with haunted eyes from across the room. He’d lost control with the one person in the world who was trying to protect him. It had taken weeks to talk Yichen back from his panic.
But neither of them forgot that moment. No matter how much Rei longed for it, Yichen never again bit him on the neck. The burning hunger could not overcome Yichen’s fear. Now he only bit him on the wrist, trying to cause Rei as little discomfort as possible.
It also meant there were no more bone-crushing embraces. No sweet, lingering brushes of his lips. No frantic need overcoming all that logic and common sense.
Rei simply smiled at Yichen, burying those secret longings deep inside.
What he wanted was impossible.
They were, literally, from two separate worlds.
And if he succeeded in his plan, he was going to pull them apart permanently.
Chapter 3
Wu Yichen
“Are you sure I should have brought my bag?”
Yichen’s head whipped around at Rei’s question, his brows furrowing and mouth falling open at the elf. He was usually the logical one of the two of them, but that was the craziest, most unexpected question.
They sat in the back of the ride share on their way to the Zhang clan’s temporary home. The call to Chen-ge had gone about as he’d thought—a lot of questions if he was safe and demands to allow Li Xiang to fetch him since the vampire possessed the ability to move around during the daylight hours. That way, they could leave Hartford the second the sun was down.
After many reassurances and promises, Chen gave them instructions for hiring a car the next evening. This arrangement was safer, as it allowed Yichen and Rei to watch for fae spies.
Naturally—or so he thought—they packed up the meager belongings they’d picked up after escaping the fae. Nothing much. Mostly clothes. It made sense that they would move in with his family after contacting them. Yichen was certain his brothers and sisters would not let him out of their sight for quite a while.
“My presence might make them uncomfortable,” Rei murmured. His tone was as light and indifferent as it usually was, but the elf was keeping his eyes locked out the window on his right. “I can return to the place we have rented.”
“No.” He said nothing more. Just waited. Nearly a full minute passed by before Rei dragged his green eyes to Yichen’s face. “We’re not separating. I believe we made an agreement prior to our escape that we would stay together. You need me to help watch your back, and I clearly need you.”
“Your family—”
“Whoa! When did they build this all the way out here? Someone put a castle behind those walls?” the driver interrupted, calling a halt to their discussion. The car slowed and turned into a driveway, but came to a stop a short time later in front of a wooden gate that remained closed. A man stood off to the side, his hand raised in front of his face to block the glare of the headlights.
Yichen’s heart sped up at the sight of those walls. They were identical to the ones surrounding his clan home in Luoyang. It was as if Shixiong had built the place to make him feel as if he were home again. As if he’d never left China.
“This is good here,” Yichen blurted out, throwing open his door. He glanced across the rear seat to tell Rei to get out of the car, but the elf was smirking at him as he opened his door.