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He had no delusions about the type of person he was. Even prior to becoming a vampire, he’d been cold and distant. A hard person to grow close to. A perfectionist that the rest of the world found annoying. Of course, he was also loyal and dedicated to protecting his brothers, but that was about it for his positive qualities.

Which brought up a very important question—why the hell did Moon seem to care about him in the first place? What did the witch get out of the relationship?

Not much, by the looks of it.

Would he stick with Chen out of a feeling of responsibility? Moon had saved his life and now he felt obligated to stick around to make sure the life he saved remained saved.

The sex was great. Really great.

Duty and sex weren’t enough for them to form something lasting.

Things had happened fast.

Too fast.

Chen hadn’t been able to woo Moon properly. He needed to prove to Moon that he had more positive qualities than dedication and loyalty.

“What’s wrong? You’re scowling at the counter. Has it done something to offend you?” Xiao Dan teased.

Turning his head toward his eldest brother, Chen presented him with a look of impatience. Now wasn’t the time for mocking. He had a real problem.

Xiao Dan chortled and walked to the stove. He shut off the burner and lifted off the kettle. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“It has occurred to me that we rushed into this…relationship.” Chen struggled with how to describe his ties to Moon. He wasn’t ready to mention the soul bond that tied them together. That might make his shixiong panic.

“Are you beginning to doubt that he’s your mate?”

“No!” Chen barked out. The brief look of concern on Xiao Dan’s face cleared in an instant. “He is definitely my mate. I know it. I can feel it. He is mine and no one else’s.” His hand lifted to cover his heart as he spoke. A red thread may link their souls, but he could feel it in every fiber of his being that Moon Mullins was his soul mate, his mate alone. No one else could ever fit him so well. His heart now beat for that man’s smile; his soul soared at the sound of his laughter.

Xiao Dan poured the water into the smaller teapot to steep the tea. “Then what’s bothering you?”

“What if…what if Moon begins to doubt that we are mates? What if he doesn’t understand the depth of my affection for him? Since we met, I have growled at him and dragged him into a dangerous battle with the fae. We’ve shared too few quiet moments.”

His brother had been walking to the stove to return the hot kettle to a burner when he stopped. He stared over his shoulder at Chen, an eyebrow raised in skeptical question.

Chen huffed. “I’m not talking about sex. Yes, we have shared that. But I’m speaking of those moments that appear in every poem, romance story, and even TV shows. Those soft moments of caring and companionship where two people are supposed to fall in…fall in love.”

He struggled to even say the word aloud. The emotion terrified him. Not so much the idea of being in love with Moon, but rather Moon realizing that he couldn’t love Chen.

His brother and oldest friend walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. “It is as you have said: we have been fighting for our survival and the rescue of our brother since you met Moon. There has been no time for courtship, but that doesn’t mean you will never have time. I think Shifu would remind you to be present in this moment and do not go searching for trouble. When you are together now, look for opportunities to show him the affection and concern you have for him. Cherish your time together. That will be enough to show Moon what he means to you.”

A soft sigh slipped from his parted lips. Shixiong was right. He needed patience. Shifu would most definitely—

“Shifu! I nearly forgot!” Chen’s head popped up, and he grinned at Xiao Dan. “I saw Shifu’s spirit while I was passing through the underworld. He spoke to me!”

“Wh-what? How? How is that possible?”

“He said that he’s been waiting by the bridge for all the clan to cross.”

Xiao Dan pressed his hand to his forehead and moaned. “Oh, Shifu, why don’t you move on to your rest? You deserve peace and rest.”

This time, it was Chen’s turn to place a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t worry too much about Shifu. He seemed to be happy and comfortable. He spoke of Meng Po and appeared to be on good terms with the demon king.”

The lines smoothed from his brother’s face and a ghost of a smile tugged on his lips. “Were you able to speak with him?”