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The vampire relaxed, and the pressure of discomfort and embarrassment surrounding Moon’s heart evaporated.

“Chen would be best if we’re with strangers,” he said.

“And with your clan? They count as family, right?”

Chen nodded. “Chen-ge is fine.”

Moon grinned. He enjoyed calling him Chen-ge. “Okay, but what about when we’re alone like this?”

“Ah-Cheng.1 No one’s ever called me that.”

“Ah-Cheng,” Moon repeated in a breathless whisper. Yes, that was very nice. He liked that. It wasn’t that the endearment sounded like a happy sigh, but he loved it was something that he alone would use for him. It was theirs alone.

“What should I call you besides Moon?”

“I still like baobei, but if you’ve got something else, I’m willing to try it.”

Chen leaned in and kissed his lips. “Baobei is still my favorite, as well.”

For a while, they got lost in a series of slow, deep kisses. The heat still burned between them, but Moon was feeling fatigue settle into his bones. He could use a few days of sleep. They both could.

With a great deal of reluctance, Moon broke off their kissing and rolled them onto their sides so they could remain cuddled together as they slept.

“Let’s try to steal a few hours while we can,” Moon murmured against Chen’s chest. “Once the sun sets, we’ll head for your place and get your brothers updated. We can make new plans to save Yichen.”

His lover’s chin brushed the top of his head as he nodded, while his arms tightened. “Baobei,” Chen began, his voice growing thick. “Will you do a favor for me?”

“Of course.”

“I have a question for you, and I wish for you to consider it seriously prior to answering me.”

That got Moon’s attention.

Sleepiness evaporated and his body tensed, his brain racing like a hamster on a wheel as he tried to anticipate what his Ah-Cheng was about to ask him. This wasn’t some bit of teasing or silliness. He could feel the fear mounting in his chest.

“I promise to give whatever your question is serious consideration,” Moon said.

“If something were to happen to you, and the only way to save your life was to turn you into a vampire, would you choose that? Or…” Chen paused and cleared his throat. Yet, even when he continued, his voice remained rough. “Or would you rather I let you go?”

“Ah-Cheng,” Moon whispered before his throat closed up. He’d not expected Chen to bring up such a dark topic.

Trembling fingertips pressed to Moon’s lips as if to stop any additional words that might tumble out. Chen tried to smile, but the expression fell away.

“Please, don’t answer yet. Think about it. Whatever your answer, I will respect it. Becoming a vampire must be your choice. It must be what you want.” Chen’s mouth flinched into another attempt at a grin. “I want you with me always, but if it’s not what you want, vampirism will be a terrible decision for you.”

He grabbed Chen’s wrist and moved his fingers from Moon’s lips to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes, rubbing his face against Chen’s palm while he tried to settle the chaos in his heart and head. For now, he avoided Chen’s question, his mind latching on to something else he heard hiding in Chen’s tone. “Were you given a choice?”

“Not like you.” The vampire’s gaze drifted from Moon’s face to stare unfocused at some point just over his shoulder. “It all happened so fast that night, but I still remember it clearly. Shixiong and I were called to Emperor Wu. He wanted our clan to become an elite, secret army. And it required us to become vampires. Shixiong was changed first. I didn’t understand what was happening. I thought he was being killed. And for a moment, he did die.”

“But he came back to you,” Moon murmured.

Chen swallowed hard and dragged his eyes to Moon. “He did. Different, but the same. I still didn’t understand what was happening. It was months before any of us understood to the full extent. But in those seconds as I kneeled on the floor in the emperor’s private audience chamber, I knew that if I rejected the emperor’s offer, I’d be killed.”

“That was your choice—to become a vampire or be murdered? That’s not a fucking choice,” Moon snarled. Now he very much wanted to travel two thousand years into the past to find this emperor and put such a fucking curse on him. He would hex the shit out of him and the bastard who’d changed all the people in Chen’s sect.

“In the end, I agreed to it for all my remaining sect mates. We would need each other if we were to get through what was ahead of us. Many didn’t survive more than a few decades because it was not what they wanted.” Chen leaned his head against Moon’s. “I don’t want to lose you, but I won’t force this on you. Please, just…think about it.”