Page 34 of Two Thousand Shadows

And nowhewas depending on Leo’s support to get to the SUV, the fiery bite of bloodlust chewing on his stomach and tendons.

“Um…I’m sorry for shouting at you,” Junjie began. The awkward meter shot higher, and he cringed at himself. Could someone stake him now?

“No. It’s okay. Um…thanks for saving my life.”

At least he wasn’t the only one lost in the land of awkward.

“You’re welcome.” The hand he had resting on Leo’s shoulder tightened as he stepped over a fallen log. His limbs felt weigheddown, and Leo’s racing heart beat a hypnotic song in his ear. Since his scare with the elf, it was slowing into a nice steady rhythm. The scent of the elf’s blood was masking the shifter’s rich scent, but he knew if he pressed his nose to Leo’s throat it would come in perfectly.

No!

No biting the shifter. It was wrong.

The second Chen and Meimei joined them, he could take a nip off them to stave off the worst of the bloodlust. Later, he’d be able to hunt for a proper meal.

Someone who didn’t know him. A faceless person who wouldn’t remember their encounter.

Just the thought of it soured his stomach.

Why would he want a stranger when sexy Leo had been flirting with him only minutes ago?

No. It was wrong.

His brain couldn’t remember why it was wrong, but it was. He needed to think about something else.

“I thought you left,” Junjie said, snapping the silence that had stretched and twisted between them. “Why did you come back?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was some useless coward.”

Junjie stopped sharply and partially turned so he could better meet Leo’s eyes. “I have never thought you were a coward. It would not have been cowardly to run. The elves we’ve encountered are soldiers, trained in weapons and fighting. All the members of my clan have over two thousand years of experience in combat. That’s why we fight. I would never expect the same of someone who does not have formal training.”

“But I’m useless. I dumped that kid on you without even asking.” Leo ripped his eyes away, yet Junjie caught his chin and turned his face to meet his gaze.

“Leo, that doesn’t make you useless. You were putting the needs of that child first. Yes, you should have asked me prior to taking me to Erik, but I understood your fear that I wouldn’t take him in.”

The cat shifter tossed up his one free hand and gave Junjie a nudge to get them moving. “My life is a mess, and I like it that way. I come and go as I please. I work when I want to work. Nothing tying me down or complicating my life. It’s the way I want it, but I know that’s not the kind of life you put a kid like Erik in. He’s lost his parents. He needs a lot of love, stability, and support so that he can have a chance at growing up into a somewhat functioning human being. There was no way he was going to find any of that in my life.”

Junjie nodded. He hid his growing smile behind a grimace as they started up a steep hill. “So rather than force this kid into your life where you’d both be unhappy, you found a family in which he had a chance of getting everything he needed.”

“Of course! I mean, look at your clan. You’ve been together forever and supported each other through everything. You have discipline and keep a regular schedule. From some things you’ve said, it sounds like you’ve trained and raised other kids, so having Erik around won’t be too much of a shock for you. I thought…” Leo’s voice drifted off and he sighed. “I thought he’d be happy there, and you’d eventually forgive me for forcing him on you.”

“You know, you didn’t force anyone to do anything. We could have walked away.”

Leo gave Junjie such a disbelieving glare that Junjie had to clear his throat and brush his nose, trying to hide his burning cheeks before he continued.

“We could have,” he pressed, a little quieter.

“Yeah, you could have, but I think I know you well enough after the past few months to understand that the chances of that were pretty fucking slim.”

“You’re probably right. But that’s not the point. You made a hard decision. I think most people would have attempted to take Erik in out of feelings of guilt or responsibility, regardless of whether it was the best decision for him. You examined the situation, understood that you were not the best for him, and found someone else who was. My clan and I are honored that you chose us.”

Leo huffed out a soft, breathy laugh. “You’re crazy.”

“Maybe, but we adore him. He’s so smart and sweet. I’ve never known a child who enjoyed being cuddled so much. Did you know one of his favorite things is to crawl into Chen’s lap in the evenings and have Chen read to him?”

The cat’s eyes looked as if they were going to pop right out of his head. “Chen? That Chen?” he demanded, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder in the direction they’d come from.

“That Chen.” Junjie lowered his voice to a whisper. “I think that’s part of the reason he’s so grumpy tonight. We had to leave prior to story time. When we return, Erik will be down for his nap.”

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