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The more he trusted in his training, the more fluid and natural his motions became, while Jiang Chong’s started to be rushed and sloppy. The elder vampire’s face twisted with rage, and his waxy pale cheeks grew slick with sweat.

At last, Jiang Chong made a misstep and Junjie was there for it. He slashed, catching the vampire across the chest. The rich scent of blood blossomed in the night air, but it was foul like rotted meat to him since he’d discovered the sweetness of his mate’s blood.

Jiang Chong cried out in pain, and a black doorway opened behind him. Junjie tightened his hand on his sword, mentally preparing to follow his maker into the dead realm. He would follow him wherever he must to end his life.

But before Jiang Chong could slip away, Leo bit down on the vampire’s leg and tossed him back toward Junjie, away from the black doorway. The vampire stumbled, barely catching himself and blocking Junjie’s strike.

For the first time, real fear flashed across his face, widening his eyes and parting his lips in a soundless cry. There was noescape. Leo was patrolling the area, forcing him to remain in the living realm.

Junjie laughed as Jiang Chong tried again and again to escape. At each attempt, Leo was right there to jerk him back, and Junjie added another cut to his body so that blood now soaked his shirt and pants. It dripped from the fingertips of his empty hand, painting the forest floor.

“Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted?” Jiang Chong’s voice shook as he shouted at Junjie.

A smirk toyed with Junjie’s lips. “Not quite. We’re almost there.”

Jiang Chong was still digesting his comment when Junjie gave Leo the tiniest nod of his head. The tiny black cat had sneaked around Jiang Chong and was behind him. In the blink of an eye, Leo became a massive Bengal tiger again.

The giant cat lunged at Jiang Chong, sinking sharp teeth and long fangs into the vampire’s leg. Jiang Chong screamed and twisted as Leo pulled him off balance. As he fell, Jiang Chong attempted to swing his sword at Leo. In two quick moves, Junjie blocked the swipe at his mate and lopped Jiang Chong’s head off.

Jiang Chong fell dead while his head rolled to a stop against a fallen log.

“Spit that out,” Junjie admonished. “You’re not allowed to eat something so disgusting.”

Leo lifted his head to Junjie, making a show of sticking out his massive tongue and wiping it with his paw as if he had tasted something nasty.

Junjie stood over Jiang Chong’s lifeless body for several seconds, deaf to the sounds of fighting through the woods and across the field. This monster had been a shadow across their lives for two millennia. Even after they’d escaped him, he’d continued to haunt their memories and dictate their actions. He’d swooped in the moment their clan had been at theirweakest, when they had been in deep mourning for their shifu and many of the clan elders.

“We are free at last, Shifu,” Junjie whispered.

“Chen!”

Moon’s blood-curdling scream sliced through Junjie’s moment of peace. He swung about to find a sword and three arrows sticking out of Chen’s chest, pinning him to a tree, his pale face splattered with blood. Xiao Dan and Huli were barely holding their own a few hundred meters away, but elves surrounded them completely. Meanwhile, Moon had gotten separated from Chen and was standing near Rafe and Philippe, who were reloading their guns as fast as they could while more elves raced toward them.

“Leo, protect Moon!” Junjie shouted as he ran for Chen.

They had all been giving him space to defeat Jiang Chong, but they were out of time and strength.

Junjie sliced through several elves who were preparing to attack Chen while his er-ge struggled to remove the arrows from his body. Junjie reached him as he pulled the first one free.

“Forget me! Protect Moon,” Chen snarled. His voice was weaker than Junjie had ever heard it as blood poured out of him and pain coursed through his body.

“Leo has Moon?—”

“You dared to hurt my mate.” Moon’s low voice was a cold wind that froze everyone.

“Shit,” Chen swore and pulled frantically at the arrows, his hands slipping on the blood. “Moon! Don’t! Baobei, I’m okay. Please, don’t!”

Junjie dared to look over his shoulder, and his heart stopped. Gone was the sweet laughing Moon they’d all come to adore the past several months. The blood witch that Moon had put aside for his own safety had returned, and he was fucking pissed.

Moon sliced the knife in his right hand across his left palm. He lifted his left hand as if he were sprinkling seeds on the ground. Beads of blood dropped from his hand and hung frozen in the air like shining red stars. The tips of his fingers changed from a dark burgundy red to black as the color crept up his arms to his elbows. His golden-brown eyes glowed blood red, and the elf soldiers took a hesitant step back.

“Moon, you swore to never use blood magic again!” Xiao Dan called from across the forest.

“Oh, this isn’t blood magic, Shifu,” Moon said with a mad cackle. “I talked with Sky, and he had a different opinion about my magic. He says I’m not a blood witch anymore, but a necromancer.” He’d barely finished talking when he thrust out his left hand, sending the drops of blood he’d had hovering in the air flying out.

Junjie gasped and staggered a step. Some unseen force had slammed into his chest, pushing him off balance. Strong hands grasped his shoulder, and he glanced to see Leo in his human form standing behind him, holding him steady.

“You okay?”