Page 31 of Two Thousand Shadows

“If I get any closer, we’re going to need to remove some clothes.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Chen hissed as he marched over to them.Freaking spoilsport.

Leo lifted his head from Junjie’s shoulder and grinned at the interloper. “I’m protecting Jun-Jun with my body.”

Chen’s head jerked, and his mouth hung open as if he didn’t quite know how to respond to Leo.

“Chen, this is Leo, the cat shifter who has been visiting us and blessed us with Erik,” Junjie explained with a note of weariness to his tone. Leo was pressing his luck.

“Oh. I…” Chen stopped and shook his head, as if to reorder his thoughts. When he started again, he directed his glare solely at Leo. “We’re tracking the fae. You need to be quiet and help or get out of here.”

“I’ll handle it, Er-ge,”?1 Junjie instructed. “You and Meimei can continue. I’ll catch up.”

The other vampire didn’t appear happy about it, but Chen nodded and walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

“Leo.”

The cat shifter slumped on Junjie. He could hear it in the man’s voice. Junjie was going to tell him to release him and behave, which didn’t sound appealing in the slightest. He’d allowed Junjie to carry him around the manor and cuddle him in his cat form, but this was the first time he’d been able to press against him as a human. This was even better than he’d expected. Why in the world would he ever want to stop? If anything, he was more eager than ever to pull away his clothes and explore his body more thoroughly.

“Just five more minutes,” he pleaded, his arms tightening on Junjie’s waist while he resettled his chin on Junjie’s shoulder.

“No.”

“Two.”

“No.”

“One minute.”

“Leo. The fae are killing humans, shifters, and vampires. The little boy you’ve entrusted to me is in danger because of the fae.”

He let out a hefty sigh and loosened his hold on Junjie. Not entirely releasing him, naturally. Relaxing enough to look him in the eye. “That’s hitting below the belt, you know that?”

“I have to do what is best for my clan.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Leo put actual space between him and Junjie and waved a hand at him. “I think I’ll tag along for a bit to make sure you don’t need my help.”

Junjie frowned, but in the end, he nodded. “You may wish to shift into your cat form. You’ll be able to make a quicker and safer escape if there is trouble.”

Leo hated to admit that his suggestion was tempting. He didn’t have any fighting skills like Junjie and the rest of his clan, but he didn’t want the vampire to see him as uselessanda coward. Besides, his senses were almost as strong in this form as they were when he was a cat. Still better than a human’s.

“I’m fine. You worry about yourself,” Leo chided, motioning for Junjie to continue along the course he’d been taking through the woods.

The vampire didn’t seem pleased, but he said nothing else. He turned and headed in the direction Chen had taken. The undergrowth was thick, and the moonlight barely pierced the spaces between the leaves, but Leo had no problem seeing through the heavy gloom. As long as there was even some illumination, his eyes could adjust. While they made very little noise as they picked their way through the brush, he could hear the sounds of small nocturnal animals searching for food. An owl hooted in the distance, but there was nothing in the way of large animals near them. Was it possible that even the fae were chasing away the bigger game thanks to their murderous rampage?

As they traveled, his eyes danced over Junjie’s lithe form, taking in the short swords he had strapped to his back. When he’d wrapped himself around the man, he’d also felt a few other hidden blades. The vampire was very well armed and prepared for a fight. He would prefer it if Junjie didn’t have to put his life at risk, though.

They walked for about another ten minutes before they met up with Chen and Mei Lian, who were crouched beside an ancient oak tree with broad limbs outstretched in every direction. Mei Lian’s whispered sigh reached his ears as soon as she spotted them, and they both stood.

“About time,” she grumbled.

“Have you spotted anything?” Junjie inquired, ignoring her complaint.

Chen frowned and dusted some dirt off the knees of his jeans. “Nothing. Mei Lian was checking our position on the map. We’ve covered the area that the Variks thought we might find some activity. I was about to check in with the other team.”

“Other team?” Leo asked as he edged closer to Junjie. It was tempting to put an arm on his waist and his head on Junjie’s shoulder, but there was a new tension humming through the vampire’s frame. He was on edge, and Leo did not want to set him off.

“Xiao Dan, Huli, Yichen, and Rei are out surveying another section of these woods,” Junjie explained.

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