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“Pfft. Because of how I smell to you,” Chen dismissed.

Moon shrugged. “That got my attention, but that is easy enough to get over. You’re different. The more time I spend around you, the more I want to get to know you. The closer I want to be to you. It certainly doesn’t hurt that you saved me.”

“I didn’t save you,” Chen sneered, trying to ramp up his frosty exterior, but the burning at the tips of his ears was spreading lower so that it now touched his cheekbones. He was not melting!

“You most definitely saved me.” Chen sucked in a breath to argue, but Moon plowed ahead. “Oh, I know that wasn’t your intention. I’m not an idiot. If I’d been a regular human, you wouldn’t have lifted a finger to stop those vamps. You had your reasons for saving me, and maybe I have my reasons for wanting to stay close to you.”

Ha! There! I knew the witch—

“I want to get to know you better. I want to know if there can be more between us than just a need to fuck your brains out.”

Chen’s mouth fell open, but not a single sound came out. No one. No one in all his years had ever had the power to render him utterly speechless like Moon could. Inanely, all he could think to say at last was, “We’re not staying long.”

Moon smirked, his thumb caressing the edge of Chen’s chin, sending more heat spreading across his face and down his chest to wrap his frozen heart. “I guess I better work fast.”

The witch released his jaw and smirked as he turned to walk away, leaving Chen leaning on the wall. His legs were not ready to support him on their own. Not after…that. What was that? No one flirted with him. No one thought he was sexy.

Except for Moon Mullins.

“Oh yeah, Sean wanted me to fetch you. We’re all meeting to eat and chat about your fae problem,” Moon called over his shoulder as if all of this were the most normal thing in the world.

Chen could only stand there against the wall while Moon walked away. His brain was still catching up with this new, unexpected twist, and even his body was locked up with indecision.

What did this mean?

Could there be more between them?

But he was a vampire and Moon was a witch. How…how could they be together?

It wasn’t just that Moon would age and Chen would not. They lived on opposite ends of the world. They were nothing alike.

In all honesty, the idea of finding a mate had not crossed his mind once since becoming a vampire. Yes, when he’d been human, there had been some elders within the sect who’d married and had children.

But once they were all changed, it was as if fate had swept that option off the table.

No. Wiped it from existence.

He never heard any of his clan mates talk about love or romance. There were occasional dropped hints that one of them was heading off for some “amusement” or a bit of a “distraction,” but there was always this idea that it was a temporary thing. They would never see the person they’d had fun with after that one night.

Did vampires date? Could they have fulfilling relationships knowing the clock was always against them?

These questions were nibbling at the back of Chen’s brain, more so than Moon’s unexpected attraction. Thinking about all of it made him start to see the man in a different light.

He’d certainly moved up from “talking bag of blood.”

Moon was…

No!

Not this! Not now!

Yichen needed them. Chen must focus on the mission ahead of them. The only thing that mattered was saving their brother and making the fae pay for taking him.

A disgusted growl escaped Chen as he shoved away from the wall and marched to the meeting room that was already echoing with boisterous conversation. That was enough to get Chen to increase his pace. Other than when Xiang was picking a fight with Jun-Jun or when Ming Yu was chastising Meimei about her sleep habits, the halls of their home were always silent.

As he stepped into the room, sharp, spicy scents of cooked food assaulted his nose. Some of it was familiar, but more was new and different. Plates and bowls covered the long table. Xiao Dan sat at the head of the table, while Li Xiang and Jun-Jun were on his left. Meimei and Ming Yu were on the right. Someone had placed a new bench at the other end of the table opposite Shixiong. That was where Moon sat. The witch grinned at him and patted the open space next to him.

“Shidi? Everything okay?” Xiao Dan inquired, breaking his stare.

“He got caught up talking poor Shifu’s ear off again,” Xiang muttered.

Chen smiled tightly at Xiao Dan. As he walked to the open seat beside Moon, he flicked Xiang in the back of the head. “Everything is fine. Forgive my tardiness.”