Page 79

Closing his eyes, he focused his magic on Chen. Already, his blood was powering through Chen’s weakened frame, filling shrunken veins and starved organs. Moon pushed a tiny trickle of magic into Chen, directing the blood toward Chen’s heart.

The vampire jerked in his arms and Moon almost stopped, but a long moan followed the motion. That was most definitely a sound of pleasure rather than pain. A good sign, right?

Please, let it be a good sign!

Moon pushed more magic into Chen, charging his blood as it flowed into Chen’s heart, healing the deep cut that had gone through the right side of his heart. He wasn’t a cardiologist, so he didn’t know the correct names of things. But he could feel where parts weren’t working right.

The moment he was sure Chen’s heart was on the mend, Moon turned his attention to the wound.

It was as if a hundred tiny silver slivers were embedded within Chen’s flesh and blood, keeping the wound from healing. Clenching his teeth, he directed the blood and all the magic he could muster into the wound. Chen groaned and arms wrapped around him with surprising strength.

Chen lifted his mouth and Moon dragged in a breath to order him to keep drinking. But the words never left him. The vampire struck a second time. This bite was lightning fast, like a viper’s. Pain flashed through him, but before Moon could cry out an exquisite sea of pleasure washed it away.

Holy shit!

This was what it was like to be bitten.

The stronger Chen became, the more control he had.

But Moon only had so much blood to give. He couldn’t pass out until he finished his work. Gathering together his scattered thoughts, Moon attacked the fae’s silver slivers. He forced them out with the blood still leaking from his body.

As more of the fae poison was purged, Moon could feel Chen’s flesh knitting together under his hand. The flow of blood out of his body slowed.

A whimper broke from Moon’s throat as Chen lifted his fangs from his body. His tongue swept over the wounds, lazily lapping up the blood in long strokes. The amazing man followed it up by a series of soft butterflylike kisses on the tender area, healing him while Moon healed Chen’s bloody chest.

The world swayed, and Moon’s hand fell to Chen’s lap. He tried to lift it, to continue his work, but he didn’t have control of his body. Everything moved, and he blinked to find himself staring up at a smiling Chen with a vibrant flush to his cheeks and a twinkle to his now icy blue eyes. The only disturbing thing was the bright-red smear of blood on his plump lips.

“You look…”

“Better?” Chen supplied.

“Yes.” Moon sighed with relief. The vampire even sounded better. “How do you feel?”

“Healed. I feel…more…”

“More what?”

A furrow formed between his brows, and he gave a shake of his head. “I’m not sure. Just more. More powerful, but not. As if I have all this extra energy.”

Moon smirked and held up a finger. “That would be from me. You got my blood and my magic. That should make you zippy for a while.”

“You don’t think my organs are going to melt because of your blood?” The furrow had disappeared, and there was the most adorable tilt to Chen’s lips. He wanted to kiss it, or at least poke it, but lifting that finger had used up the last of his energy.

“No melting.”

“Are you going to control me like a puppet now, wicked blood witch?”

Moon’s eyes drifted shut, but he still huffed a laugh. He couldn’t control Chen right now if his life depended on it. He didn’t have control over his own body.

But what could he possibly want to do? He was cradled in Chen’s lap, wrapped in a pair of amazing arms. Where would he want to go when this was perfect?

“Sleep, baobei. I promise to keep you safe,” Chen whispered. A kiss brushed his temple, and Moon sighed.

Moon didn’t want to sleep. He needed to get up and check over Chen. Make sure all the poison was gone. Make sure that the vampire was in no danger of relapse.

But he couldn’t open his eyes.

“Chen…” Moon exhaled.

“I’m right here,” Chen answered, following it with another kiss. Each one was so exquisitely tender. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had held him so tight, kissed him so sweetly.

“Don’t leave me,” Moon said.

“I promise I won’t leave you again.”

“Take me with you.”

“Always.”

That murmured promise followed Moon into the darkness as he gave in to his body’s demands for rest.

Chapter 19

Chen Bo Cheng

Chen held Moon for three hours while he slept.

He alternated between bliss and guilt the entire time.

Bliss for getting to hold this precious man, to be given a second chance when he’d been so sure that he was at the end of his existence.