Page 84 of Two Thousand Shadows

Kai shoved to his feet, towering over all of them. “No one is going to harm Junjie.”

Warmth spread from the tips of Junjie’s ears, down across his face, and to his chest. His clan—his family—loved and protected him. There was no greater feeling in the world.

His gaze shifted to Leo, who was watching him with worried eyes. Having a clan was something Leo knew nothing about, but Junjie wanted to change that. He wanted Leo to be with him always so that he could enjoy that same love and safety.

“It doesn’t matter what Jiang Chong’s intention is. He will have to kill all of us to get to Junjie. We will not bow to him ever again,” Xiao Dan said.

Chapter 25

Zhang Junjie

The meeting ended after that declaration, and Junjie led Leo to his bedroom, where it looked like someone from his clan had attempted to straighten up the mess he’d made. Some sensible part of his brain recognized that Leo was covered in blood. He needed a shower and a change of clothes.

The rest of Junjie’s brain had tromped off to commiserate with his battered heart, leaving him to operate on autopilot.

While Leo was in the shower, Junjie returned to his bedroom to gather some clothes for him to wear. He slid open a drawer and his heart skipped. Beside a neat stack of his T-shirts was a folded pile of Leo’s clothes. Over the past month, Leo had been coming and going from their home so often that Junjie had washed a pile of the cat’s clothes with his own. He’d placed them in the drawer so Leo could find them later but had forgotten about them in all the chaos they’d gone through recently.

Junjie took the change of clothes and sat on the edge of his bed, the garments clenched in both hands. Emotions swirled inside of him, forming a great vortex. He was overwhelmed. He told himself that he should be relieved that Leo was alive and okay. But every time he attempted to tamp all his emotions down, they slipped away from him.

“Well, that was a horrible shower.”

Leo’s sudden announcement had Junjie’s head snapping up. How long had he been sitting there staring at the clothes? Leo now stood in the open bathroom doorway, his wet hair slicked back and a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist.

“I’m sorry?” Junjie said, still trying to empty the clutter from his brain.

“You should be. I spent that entire shower hoping you’d join me.” The smirk lifting one corner of his mouth made it obvious he was trying to be funny, but laughing was not one of the things Junjie was feeling.

Leo strolled across the room and Junjie’s eyes locked on the spot where Jiang Chong’s sword had gone through his chest. The wound was gone and there was a faint red line in its place. Even that was fading as he watched the rise and fall of his chest, leaving his skin flawless.

“Are you truly okay?” Junjie asked.

The cat picked up one of Junjie’s hands and pressed it to the red line. “Completely healed, inside and out. No wound. No pain. All gone.”

“Can…can I ask…”

“You can ask me anything you want, and I promise to tell you the truth.”

“How many lives do you have left?”

Leo’s smirk became a soft smile as he leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Six.” He straightened and gave an embarrassed shrug. “I was reckless when I was young. Reckless and stupid.”

Six.

That was a good number. A very good number. Just hearing it made the knot of tension in the center of his chest ease. He could breathe easier.

“But no more stupid and reckless,” Leo declared. He put a hand under Junjie’s chin, tipping it up to meet his stern gaze. “Iam cherishing each of my remaining lives because that’s time I get to spend with you. Assuming you still want me.”

“Yes.” Junjie tossed the clothes resting in his lap aside as he shoved to his feet. He captured Leo’s mouth in a blistering kiss that left the cat clinging to him, a deep, loud purr rumbling up from his chest. He pushed his tongue into Leo’s mouth, claiming him piece by piece.

The scent of his soaps rose from Leo’s hair and skin. Just another thing marking the shifter as his, making his possessive heart join Leo in purring. His hands ran up Leo’s back, pressing them together even more tightly. Leo brought his arms up, winding them behind Junjie’s neck.

“Mine,” Junjie growled as he dragged his lips across Leo’s jaw and down to his neck.

A shiver ran through Leo and his arms tightened on him. “Really? You think you can claim all of me?” Junjie could hear the enormous smile in his words.

Challenge accepted.

Junjie lifted his head from Leo’s neck. He grabbed Leo’s towel and ripped it off. “Definitely.”

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