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Rei snorted and closed the distance between them. Before the vampire could reach the house, he wrapped his arms around Yichen’s waist and put his chin on his shoulder. His heart hammered against Yichen’s shoulder blade and his cheeks hurt from all his smiling. Breathing deeply, he dragged in Yichen’s soft, woodsy scent, holding it in his lungs. The man’s smell was finer than the rarest flower.
“Take another step and I’ll toss you in the koi pond.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“I—” Rei’s words became lodged in his throat when the door opened and Xiang stepped out, one eyebrow raised in question at their embrace. Rei brazened through the moment, flashing the intruder an enormous grin as he released Yichen.
“Rafe called. Zelda is going to be at Phoenix in an hour. If we want to meet with her, we need to leave soon,” Xiang announced.
“Great! I just need to get changed,” Yichen replied. He turned to give Rei’s shoulder a playful shove, and then he stepped past Xiang into the house.
“Guess I should make myself presentable as well,” Rei murmured as Yichen disappeared. His foot touched the first step, and Xiang’s soft words stopped him.
“Are you going to tell him that you love him?”
Every muscle in his body froze. He couldn’t even lift his head to meet Xiang’s gaze. He hadn’t expected the vampire to call him out so bluntly. Of course, he’d been fooling himself by believing he’d hidden his affections from all eyes. Or maybe he’d underestimated the keenness of Xiang’s eyes.
After swallowing hard, he pushed his smile back in place from where it had slipped and lifted his head to regard the vampire with the concerned expression. “There’s nothing to be gained by telling him except for pain for both of us. Yichen doesn’t reciprocate my feelings. I count myself lucky that he views me as a friend rather than an enemy, thanks to my family.”
“A man must be judged by the sum of his actions. Not the actions of others. That includes his family. Didi knows that,” Xiang stated. “You’ve stood against your family. You’ve protected him. That’s how he sees you.”
“He sees me as a friend, and I am content with our friendship. Soon enough, I’ll return to my realm and become a distant memory for him. I’d rather not have my words make it a bad memory.” Unwilling to argue with him more, Rei nodded to Xiang and swept into the house. He turned all of his brain to making his legs carry him through the building to his private room.
Only when the door was shut did he raise a trembling hand to his aching heart. Yes, he could say the words, even accompany them with a smile, but it did nothing to silence the screams of his soul demanding more. Demanding forever with his Yiyi.
But forever wasn’t possible for him.
Yichen needed to stay with the safety and love of his family.
Rei needed to destroy his parents and drag the rest of the fae into their realm before they could destroy the human world. Love had no place in his future.
Chapter 11
Wu Yichen
Phoenix was nothing like he’d expected.
The world had definitely changed in the last century.
Prior to being kidnapped, he’d traveled to Shanghai with his clan mates and maybe they’d popped into a few bars and lively night spots for some entertainment. And maybe a quick bite. Gambling, some live music, and lots of drinking. That had been the standard.
But stepping into Phoenix was like slipping into jaw-dropping decadence and sin.
The walls were a mix of red and black while lights flickered and flashed as if they’d walked into a living flame. Booths of black leather framed a giant dance floor filled with scantily-dressed partygoers. There was even a man dancing in a golden cage hanging above the dance floor. More people gathered along a bar where three different bartenders were slinging drinks in a near blur.
The throbbing beat of the music was deafening, pounding against his chest with enough force to nearly knock his heart off its rhythm.
“Woooooh!” Moon cried, thrusting his arms into the air as he stood beside Yichen. “I love this song!” With a wide grin, he grabbed Chen’s wrist and pulled the vampire almost off his feet, dragging him toward the writhing crowd of dancers.
Chen shot him a panicked look, his face pale in the flashing lights, as they were both swallowed up by the crowd. Yichen threw his head back and laughed. He’d thought nothing could scare Chen, but that was wrong. Er-ge was terrified of dancing with his mate.
A pair of long, slender arms draped over his shoulders and Rei’s scent overpowered the aroma of sweaty human and alcohol as he leaned close.
“I don’t think Chen can dance,” Yichen stated, lifting his voice to make sure he was heard over the music.
“Can you?” Rei’s question tied Yichen’s tongue into a knot.
Dance? Here? He couldn’t be serious.
