The Lu House

Yanmei stopped and turned to Lijun slowly. One eyebrow rose. "Come again?"

A chuckle rumbled out from him "Get your mind out of the gutter, Kitten."

Her lips pinched. "My mind is not in the gutter."

"Uh-huh." he gave her a half grin. "You can stay at our house if you'd like. Then in the morning, Nixxi will be right there."

They went to Yanmei's building.

They sat in his car and she didn't speak as her gaze searched him, and then she nodded. "Okay. I just…I need to grab a few things."

He nodded. "I'll wait for you in the car."

Again, she studied him like she was trying to figure him out, and then she pushed open the main door. As she walked in, she flipped the light on in the foyer. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked back but didn't meet his stare. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be here."

Yanmei darted up the staircase, her flip-flops smacking off the steps. While she entered in her flat, he didn't stay put. He entered her building and then her flat.

But what he saw tipped up the corners of his lips.

Everywhere he looked, there were books, just as it had been in the living room. Two were on the counter, near a toaster. One was on the fridge, and he had no idea why there'd be one there. There were three on the kitchen table, stacked next to two unopened packages.

How in the world could someone have so many books?

He heard her moving around her bedroom. He turned off the light and wait out side of her flat. A few seconds later, she came out of her flat, carrying a small tote bag. "I'm ready."

Yanmei locked up, and then they headed toward his car. On the way, she kept peeking in his direction. He could tell she had more questions. Who wouldn't after finding out they were living with vampires? But he figured she had to have a breaking point, and he really didn't want to be the one to push her over the edge. That was one reason he didn't want her talking to Nixxi.

But he also needed to make sure They were on the same page, that Yanmei realized what she'd just stepped in and the consequences of knowing about them.

They sat on his car and went to his house. No one said anything .

When they reached to his house Yanmei's eyes were wide and her mouth hang opened. She knew they were rich but didn't guess they live in a palace. Their house was huge. She can't believed only two people live here. Her whole pack can fit in this house.

When they reached the front door, he stopped and faced her. There was no light on, and they stood in the dark. "There's something I just need to make sure of, okay?"

She held the tote close to her body. "All right?"

He lowered his voice just in case Nixxi was hovering inside the door. She was somewhere in the house. he could feel her. "What I've told you? What you know? I can't stress enough how much of a big deal this is. This goes beyond a normal level of trust. It's my life—our lives—you're holding in your hands," he told Yanmei. "I don't expect you to care too much about tossing me under a speeding bus, but you'd also be tossing Nixxi under it."

Yanmei stepped closer, so close, her tote bag brushed against his stomach. "I do get that, Lu Lijun. Honestly? What you said earlier was true. No one would believe me. They'd think I was crazy, but I would never do anything to betray Nixxi." She paused, exhaling softly as she tipped her chin up. "And even though you're a giant douchebag, I wouldn't do that to you, either."

His lips twitched. "Well, that's good to hear."

"I'm serious," she insisted. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

Some of the icy unease faded off, but the thing was, only time would tell if Yanmei could seriously be trusted. He hoped so. Not just for Nixxi's sake or his, but for her own.

He led her into the house and took her upstairs. She was looking around, her gaze bouncing off everything, and he realized this was the first time she'd been in his house. He figured Nixxi was in her bedroom, and he half expected her to jump out at any movement.

He walked Yanmei to a guest bedroom almost never used and opened the door. Flipping on the light, he stepped into the stale, cold air of the room. "You can stay in here." he walked toward the bed. It was made. "There're extra blankets in the closet there."

Yanmei turned slowly, eyeing the closet.

"There's a bathroom right across from this room. My bedroom is next door," he explained as he rubbed his palm over his chest "Nixxi's bedroom is down the hall. Just let…let it all go for tonight. She'll still be here in the morning."

She nodded.

His gaze flickered to hers. Dark smudges of exhaustion had formed under her eyes. He suspected she'd be out cold the moment her head hit that pillow. "Do you need anything else?"

"No."

He stood there for a moment, feeling like there was something else he needed to say, but he couldn't grasp on to any words, so he nodded and then turned toward the door.

"Lu Lijun?"

Stopping, he twisted around.

She was nibbling on her lower lip. "Thank you for saving my life tonight. I would be die if you hadn't."

He didn't respond to that, because there was really wasn't a reason for her to thank him.

"And…" She stepped forward, lowering the tote. "And thank you for telling me the truth. You can trust me with it."

His lashes lifted and he met her earnest stare. He wanted to believe her. "Prove it."

.............

It wasn't lost on him as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Heading down the hall, he stopped at Nixxi's door and gently rapped his knuckles on it.

The door flew open, and his sister was standing there, eyes shining. "Does she hate me?" she whispered.

"What?" he frowned, stepping inside and closing the door. "God. No. She doesn't hate you."

Nixxi folded her hands together. "Are you sure? I've kept secret from her, and how can she like me when all I've done—"

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he drew her in for a hug. "She understands why you couldn't be honest, Nixxi. She doesn't hate you for it."

She face-planted in his chest, and when she spoke, her voice was muffled. "You told her?"

"Yeah." he lowered his cheek to the top of her head and quickly told her what had happened with the werewolf "I didn't have a choice."

Nixxi was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, you did, brother."

"I also think it's nice you brought her over here," she continued

No response to that.

"She thinks I'm a freak, doesn't she?" she muttered.

He laughed as he pulled back. "No. She doesn't."

She didn't look like she believed him "Yanmei's tired. She's barely standing on her feet. Give her till tomorrow and then you can jump all over her, okay?"

Nixxi relented, and after chatting with her for a few moments, he headed back to his bedroom. Burned the hell out, he changed into a pair of sleep pants and was about the throw himself on the bed but was dying of thirst.

He really needed to put a small fridge up here.

Sighing, he walked out of the room. The hallway bathroom light was on as he headed downstairs. he grabbed a bottle and made his way back up, his brain strangely empty of all concerns, which proved just how tired he was.

As he neared his door, the other room's door opened and Yanmei stepped out in the hallway. She froze. He froze. Shit. He became a damn statue.

Yanmei clutched a toothbrush and toothpaste in her hands. Her hair was up in a messy knot and the thin wisps around her face were damp. She'd washed her face, and looked like she'd gotten more water on the dark blue shirt she wore than she did her face. Speaking of that shirt…

It was all that she was wearing. And it was thin. And he was getting an eyeful that he very much appreciated.

The visual packed an intense punch and there was no stopping the way his body, which could be so freaking human at times, reacted. The shirt was loose and bulky, ending at mid thigh, and those thighs…

Who knew a shirt could be so damn sexy?

Her eyes were wide and she looked at his hand. And he understood why?

She looked at the bottle....... bottle of blood.

He sighed. Not the way he wanted to meet her again.