Finally, after searching for two years a man named Mason Sierra and his crew, find the notorious Copper Cave. Treasurer of Casper Venturi. But 1st they must "Tie-up-loose-ends." To keep the treasure for themselves. 

Xuan Kim Li had a lot to do with more researchers on the task of understanding the many things that were about Crystals, they were also tasked to Metallurgy.  The periodic table of this world did not match the one found on Earth.  Luckily, Wu Hai was smart enough to buy out a bunch of science books otherwise it would have been a long time before they could compare. Just how many people would have memorized the details of the periodic table in its entirety.
"Qu, Don't we have some sort of way to interface your knowledge into a crystal that we can read or analyze.. What pretense does your core undergo? Is it something like a mass of electrons or is it a mass of fluid, or .. what?  There are few things we can do other than ask you, but you don't quite grasp our production methods or knowledge of science." Thinking that Xuan Kim Li opened up with another question.
He asked. "Hey, how long would it take you to read the books that Wu Hai brought back from Earth?"
Qu had already started reading one or two of the graphic novels in passing in front of Xuan Kim Li. The stories from Earth were quite interesting to him, they had lots of action and vivid tales of love.  They reminded him of poetry in his spirit's past life.  One of his favorites had been 'Best-in-Slot', the Main Character built a kingdom and brought devastation in his wake.  Nothing stood in the protagonists way.  Qu was only slightly irritated that the story hadn't ended, but that was not the point for him.
"Don't trance out, How long would it take you to read all the books in science? Excluding Mathematics, how long would it take you to read all? ...How many books are in the science section?" Xuan Kim Li interrupted Qu's stupor with a question.
"I see the assimilation of knowledge doesn't take too long since its in paper format. If I were to read all these books on science just to remember them, it would take about 2 years 4 months." Qu came up with a very direct number.
His timetable wasn't unreasonable, but what else could he do but guess.
"What about if you just read all the geology and chemistry books." Kim Li came up with a compromise.
"Seven Days." Kim Li was stupefied by Qu's answer, just how many books were there in the library on science..
If it only took seven days to learn geology and chemistry.. what about the rest?  The Library in the Tower had a lot of subject matters that didn't even touch the subjects of science in this world.
Grabbing a crystal from a shelf, Qu walked up to Kim Li and handed it to him. "this crystal can hold about as many pages and words as you would find in one of your graphic novels. The problem is that its a one time use crystal and they are quite rare.  Perhaps you can figure out a way to … enter fate with them."
Kim Li corrected Qu "that's Interface, look, what I need to do is connect to your consciousness, and feed its data... somehow, to my laptop. I know that Wu Hai didn't choose to just buy laptops, but honestly.. some extra processors would have been fantastic."
"If I'm not storing information on the crystal, and I'm just holding the crystal... my mind is accessed. If you can read the crystal, you can read me... right?" Qu had a stroke of genius.
Kim Li ran up and tried to give Qu a big hug, but realized that his avatar was mostly ethereal. He had never touched Qu.
"Hey.. I see you drinking." Qu looked back at Kim Li.
"I get tackled by children playing in the hallways and students crammed the library. Being incorporeal when I feel like it is a lot easier." …. Qu explained.
"Anyway. The corpses of the fallen monsters feed recyclers that produce tiny and trace amounts of energy in their excrement.  In a decomposition room designated for consumption the droppings are cleared of Undead properties, the leftover corpses that aren't infectious are slowly digested. If we can potentially gather this energy.. that would be a boon, right now the only use we've found for the leftover energy is to power the tower's shield and boost your projected Mana pool.. so to speak."  Qu had a lot on his mind, but he was getting annoyed quickly with questions he couldn't answer.
"Wu Hai and now You, you both keep talking about Mana Pool this, and Experience point that. Show me some knowledge on that, give me the mathematics books. Then start bringing books you want me to read.. IN ORDER." Qu was starting to get depressed, he was very knowledgeable about this world, at least.. he felt like it but the more that Wu Hai or Kim Li spoke the smaller he felt until he felt like a frog in a well.
"Emotions.. interesting." Kim Li wrote in his notebook and started pulling copper wiring from one of the laptops that hadn't survived a previous test.
Pulling tape leads and separating the end joiners with a pair of scissors, Kim Li adapted the leads to a USB device he found from the convention that had a picture of Sailor Jupiter on the outside. "This better work." Kim Li pulled the memory crystal over from the other side of the desk and stood it in a wired frame, keeping it suspended in the air.
Using a probing device he started putting the leads to glowing portions of the crystal, if there was something there.. it would be there, he was sure of it.
The crystals had to operate by something, their varying properties had been recorded to some degree. Some qualities made crystals more potent, while others made the crystals more enduring, able to hold a lot more magic than just holding a quick burst of strong magic.  Fire crystals were a great example to go by, their dusted particles still held microscopic portions of the element. Looking at the under traditional microscopes was a problem until Wu Hai gave them a crystalline pad that wouldn't melt.
"I have some things to look through, call Wu Hai over when he has time.. Oh right, I have to go see him in the morning. What a bother. Okay. Qu, I want to know.. how many of these crystals do we have." Kim Li needed to know how many tries he had.
"We are running very low, I only have around 200 remaining. If Wu Hai were here, he might have some in his weapon, although I cannot see inside of it, its contents seem endless." Qu dropped another bombshell.
"Endless? What's so special about Wu Hai's weapon?" Kim Li started asking questions.
"That's Classified." Qu used a term he had seen in one of his favorite Graphic novels.
"eh? Seriously? Aw, Come on.. Seriously now? What the shit Qu." Kim Li was pretty angry, he really didn't understand what Qu was doing by rejecting his question.
"Yes, its classified. Let us not talk of this further. What else do you want to know about, we'll talk when you go bring back those books." Qu looked at Kim Li and laughed a little.
"Terrifying" Kim Li sneered and ran to the library. It was a long way to and from the 2nd floor.
Qu looked at the setup of for the crystal and laughed. "This is completely beyond me. I better learn this computer stuff too." Pulling out the graphic novel from the storage space instantly, Qu laughed..
He didn't need for Kim Li to get the books for him.. Qu could just pull them into his possession, but it was nice to make Kim Li sweat a little.
About half an hour later, Kim Li came back with the books and a very annoyed look on his face.
"This place needs Elevators." It was quickly dismissed by Qu by reason of architecture and merit.
"What have you found out since I've been gone?" Kim Li asked.
"I found out that Donna is pregnant with Demetrius's brothers baby, and unless they find the sword of conception to cut the death-god baby from its womb when its time to give birth, Donna will die." Kim Li tried to knock the drama novel out of Qu's hands but Qu dodged.
"What?" Its my time and you didn't have what I needed selected." Qu grinned in victory.
"You've gotta find better taste in novels.. what the shit bruh?" Kim Li had a unique look on his face.
Whatever the reason, Qu still put the drama novel down and picked up the mathematics book marked 'Beginners Mathematics and an introduction to Calculus.'  He wouldn't just flip through the book, the subjects were not boring.  Mathematics was particularly useful when calculating or adjusting exacting amounts of magic.  That reason alone had mad it extremely important to bring the majority of his focus into his absorption of the content.  Kim Li had come back with a stack of books.
"When you're done with that one, I suggest moving directly to 'Algebra 8' then 'Chemistry for Beginners'. If you're half as smart as you claim to be, basic math will open up a whole new world of information for you to process." Kim Li coached Qu a bit and then went back to trying to interface with the crystal.
'Maybe there is an on/off'
... ... ...
Darkwing was spending his time drinking his sadness away. Hao Hao was a good subordinate, quick and agile. Darkwing had trained him so roughly that even Darkwing couldn't have moved faster. When Hao Hao vanished in the puff of corrosive gas.. Darkwing wished he could have had the time to pull him out, but it was all over in an instant.
"I guess not everyone is fated to see a new beginning." Darkwing guzzled another bottle of wine from his stash.

In his drunkenness, Darkwing got surly.  

"Don't say that. A lot of people really could have died if not for the sacrifices of others." Genba looked like he was in a hurry.

Genba was readying himself to accompany his wife to dinner at one of the shops.  The Owners had started building a kiln with Genba's assistance.

"GO THEN!" Darkwing threw his gourd at the wall. 

"We all give, sometimes we have to give what matters the most. I never thought I'd find a place where I could find happiness again.  It was you that pulled me from that sinkhole.  Allow me to do the same." Extending his arm, Genba pulled Darkwing up and embraced him.
"Brother, we all lose sometimes.. its what we do after that makes us or tears us apart." …pushing Darkwing back out and patting his shoulders, Genba led Darkwing to a bed and walked off with his wife.

Darkwing watched them leave and sat at the foot of his bed wondering why he stuck around.   There was little joy in his life for the past few years.  Darkwing was a wild creature, domesticated and evolved.  

It weighed on him like bricks of uncertainty and misery.

Darkwing grabbed another gourd from one of the Cheng Brother's lost cache's and drink himself to sleep.

... ... ...
Trying to recreate Pizza was hit or miss, sometimes the cooks would try different methods, but getting the dough right was a big deal. Toppings would vary anywhere you went anyway, many of the people who transmigrated would try a slice every now and then.. some liked the new combinations but all voiced their opinions of the dough, it just wasn't good enough.
They had already solved brick oven without wood, the taste improved dramatically, but the dough always rose way too much or not at all.
"BAKING SODA" someone called it out.
"We don't have any" ...
"QU! Oh, love of mine." The Royal Chef insisted on coaxing Qu out with pleasantness, it did work but never drew his interest.
Qu answered quite annoyed. "What do you want?  I'm reading for the clan so we can do our research. What is it?"
"We need Baking Soda. Let us know when you figure that out." Everyone lounged around and Qu returned to the 14th floor annoyed, he was tasked to do something like a tool.  

It didn't sit well with him, Qu wanted to lash out and scold the cook but just smiled and went back to what he was doing.  

Responding to his request, Qu could only send him in the right direction, "Chemistry is Harris's Department, take it to him.   I have been given other duties."
He would not leave his post until he had completed the task.
Sitting on his Lotus Pad on the 5th floor Qu sat in his lotus position and pulled out a light novel drama. "Sucker."
Qu could make as many avatars as he needed, his brainpower was way beyond that of a humans. But, if he did take in too much knowledge at one time.. his information would get mixed up. That didn't help things. So, sitting and reading a mindless novel, didn't make him worried.  He could just have a second him reading in his stead. It was just a shame that he couldn't use his clones to do anything outside the tower. They might be able to multitask to some degree, but ultimately all the brainpower came from one place.
... ... ...
It was morning, and Kim Li had spent the entire evening and part of the night studying the memory crystal fragments.  Grabbing one, he went to find Wu Hai before he could leave.
"Prince Wu Hai, I have a request." Huffing like he was out of breath, it was obvious that Kim Li needed more exercise.
"Kim Li, what is it?  and what did you find out?" Wu Hai anticipated that Kim Li would find something, there was no way that this world and science didn't translate.
They took two whole years to develop that explosive chaos bombs.  But information translation and transmission was Kim Li's forte.  Kim Li was a programmer and cryptographer, his skills were great and if it had not been for Professor Quanli's untimely death perhaps Xuan Kim Li would be rich and famous on Earth. 

Life was comically disproportionate to some.  The Irony of his situation only took a few weeks to dissipate, Kim Li had adapted well to his new surroundings.   
"Its sort of as you expected, slow going. But, I don't' know how long you're going to be gone, so.. I need things from you."  Pulling out the crystal from his pocket he showed it to Wu Hai.

Explaining the functionality of the Crystal didn't take too much time but Kim Li knew he didn't have the best words and just blurted it all out. 

"This is a memory crystal. I need more of them, a lot more.. and anything remotely close to it.  Qu said you might have some in your weapon, they are incredibly rare so even just one would be great. But .. please, more than one if you have them."  Kim Li had a desperate look on his face.
"You're not asking for much now, Are you?" Wu Hai laughed a little bit and grabbed the handle of the weapon to search its contents.
He did find a few things that looked like the one in Kim Li's hands, but his were much bigger.
"All I have are these." Passing three head size orbs over to Kim Li, the eyes of the crafty little bugger started to loosen up.
Kim Li took the orbs gratefully. "With these, I'm sure I can figure it out.. holy shit.. they're big."
"I have this feeling... I can't elaborate.   Just do what you can and Here, take this as well." Passing a potion to Kim Li, Wu Hai laughed.
"You look like Shit. Kim Li.. Take better care of yourself." Wu Hai left to join his group.
Jiao Jiao and Khan Ni were waiting outside patiently for his arrival.   When Khan Ni explained how they were getting there the Prince hung his head a bit.

"?!%$%#$"  A loud distorted echo rang through the streets as they prepared to leave.

Re:Birth as the Hero

It's said a Soul can bind the Wheels of Fate, changing one's direction.

The Story of Zao Wu Hai, the lives he changed and the legacies he created.  His exploits were carved into the history of two worlds on his path to power.

֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
TAGS SUDDENLY GOT WEAK ON THIS SITE: HERE ARE BETTER ONES

#Isekai #Transmigration #Reincarnation #Espers #magic #Family #Zao #Gygax #War #Blood #Demons #Dragons #Qilin #Bloodlines #Violentandsweet #Conflictedhero #Killerhero #Alchemy #Formations #Fighting #Saga #Multigenerational #Royalty #Politics #Deception #Betrayal #Kidnappings #Mystical #Creatures #Monsters #ZaoSaga #RNG #OOMTOWN #Slavery #Gaming #MagicRealism #Emperors #Kings #Armies #Shadows #Powers #ReluctantHero #MultiWorld #Political #evolution #System #Cultivation #Death #Life #GODS #STRUGGLE #realism #Faith #Ancestors #Descendants

Currently undergoing full edit, 

If you're interested in reading this novel, in its most up to date version, please visit the official URL - [https://www.webnovel.com/book/17340962606579205]

"What took you so long?" Callea complained as Deive get off the car. "I am bored here waiting for you."

Torque left with Marina and Luna for a joy ride. Her cousin wanted her friends to go someplace else. While she was left at Villa Celesta alone. She also wanted to leave the villa for a while and see new sights. It has been a long time since she left Nagcarlan. Her destination was always Villa Celesta and the mansion. It was starting to become a bore. But she wanted a place that has no people around. She just wanted the view and nature.

"Do you want to attend a cosplay event?"

"Cosplay?" She clasped her hands and she saw stars as she thinks about people wearing different costumes. It didn't matter who they were because they were in character. They were not obliged to show their real self. What's important is they could represent the character well and could show their creative side. "I love that."

"There's a cosplay event in SM Mall of Asia. It is still early. We can get there on time." It was eight-thirty in the morning.

"As in right now?" She didn't know what to do. She was excited. It was her first time to attend that kind of event. She wanted to ask her cousins to bring her to those kinds of events before but they were killjoy. They said that it was only for teenagers. She ran inside the mansion to change into a costume that Pipay, her friend designer, sent her recently. She stopped suddenly when she remembered Deive. "H-How about you? Will you wear a costume?"

He nods his head. "Yes. I will be Shadow Knight. Pipay gave me a costume for me as a gift. She said that she wants you to have a partner when you feel like being on the character. I might as well use it." Shadow Knight was a character in one of her graphic novels.

"Then I will be Calliope so we can be partners." She stood in her toes and kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Shadow Knight."

In less than five minutes, her costumes and makeup kit were packed. Good thing Marina prepared it near the treasure chest and her knee-high boots were waiting for her as well.  Calliope's costume was perfect. It had a veil that covered her face. Nobody would know what she looked like behind it.

 At the car, she already wore the veil. Her body was buzzing with excitement as I answered Deive's questions about his character Shadow Knight. She didn't notice how long their trip lasted.

He said that he owned a condo near SM Mall of Asia so they changed their clothes there. It took an hour to fix her hair and the makeup. Calliope was a Gothic Lolita character. She let her hair down. She was wearing a long back tulle dress with petticoat. She also had a black lacy fan that could dispel evil spirits. She decided not to put on makeup since she would be wearing a veil.

Her breath hitched when she saw Deive in his Shadow Knight costume. He looked like an aristocrat vampire. His elegant black cape collar coat was perfect for his lithe body. Even the black lacy baroque pants were so on point. She never thought Shadow Knight could be this sexy until Deive personified it. Unlike her, he ditched the mask and it showcased his beautiful face. He didn't even need his jeweled sword because his piercing eyes could easily melt souls.

She was so amazed when she entered SMX Convention Center. Cosplayers were milling around and they were wearing costumes from her graphic novels. Her heart was about to burst. To see her characters come to life and loved by many was heaven.

But she was there as a cosplayer and not as Xylara, the mysterious author.

She suddenly got cold feet when she saw the tarpaulin hanging above the escalator and the entrance to the convention center. Xylara's Book Signing.

She blinked several times. That was her pen name unless there was another Xylara she was not aware of.

She looked around the convention center's lobby once more. All of the cosplayers were wearing her character's costume. Some were even holding copies of her graphic novels. The event was for her. Exclusively for her.

She felt trapped. She would be forced to talk to all those people. Strangers. A lot of strangers had come to see her. They were taking each other's photos and for sure they would take her pictures, too. What if they insist to see her face? What if they tried to hurt her? No. She couldn't do this.

She started running out of breath then stepped back. What would she do with those people?

Deive blocked her with his body before she could retreat some more. "Stay, Callea."

An arranged marriage to a perfect bride.

To keep him in line, playboy Deive Hontiveros needs to marry Callea Lopez so he could start his own business. He thought he got lucky when he sees how beautiful and caring Callea is.

She lives in a haunted mansion though and he got plagued by a mysterious ghost of a woman and her cat from hell.

He must protect his bride at all cost. 

But what if Callea is one with the darkness?


Original cover design by Runa Lee 
For cover designs, email lunafatima1093@gmail.com

And with that I fully became a hikikomori: no job, no friends, no girlfriend, no nothing except reading and writing.
And I kept that emptiness for five years.
It was pretty simple, though: I just had a bunch of projects I was writing, and a bunch of books I was reading—I even started reading literature, philosophy and art essays—so when I got bored of something, I could easily distract myself with something else.
At that time I bought and read so many books I started to buy bookshelves to fit them all in. They covered all my room walls and windows. And I wrote so much I finished one novel, two editions of a second one, a couple short stories and a lot of unfinished works.
Over two thousand pages of pretentious bs, and the number increased every single day. I kept myself so busy all the time I could barely realize how fragile I really was.
When I thought about my future or about getting a job, I immediately felt really anxious or depressed, so I always came with an excuse of my situation, like: "Jobs are a life sucking threat. I'd rather kill myself than give them the best years of my life for a joke of a salary and a ton of stress and unhappiness." Or: "There's no reason for me to get stressed with that; I just need to polish my writing skill a little bit to become a writer." Or: "It's ok. I know I need a job, but I'm just waiting for the right one. Maybe my favorite library will be hiring again soon, and maybe they'll hire me this time."  
But, weirdly enough, I didn't need an excuse when I thought about all the friends I abandoned. I just felt nothing about them, so I started to wonder if something was really wrong with me, if I was so eager to distance myself from everyone because I was so fragile and lonely that someone else's company will just break me. 
I was sure if someone hugged me at that time I would end up crying.
But no one did, so I could keep that lifestyle for five years, until one weekend I felt a mild pain in my left shoulder. I just ignored it at first—maybe I just slept in a bad position or something—but when the pain expanded to my chest and chin on Monday I panicked: my family has always been prone to heart diseases, and I knew my symptoms were related to that, so I scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist for that same day. He took my blood pressure, and it was like 165/129, so he gave me some medicine to calm me down and stop the pain and schedule an appointment for the next day.
So I went back home and tried to relax, but I couldn't, so I just went to sleep.
The next day, the doctor checked me again and concluded that, indeed, I had hypertension.
Yeah, I was a 28 year old with heart problems.
He then gave me a prescription that I had to take for the rest of my life and ask me to see him again in three months.
I was devastated; the chances of me dying young seemed pretty high, and the idea that I could start having heart attacks terrified me.
That was the first time I felt death as something real.
During my five years of isolation, I kinda knew I was gonna die young and alone, but I didn't really care.
"Death is only natural," I used to scared. "Being scared of it is pointless."
But, despite all my bs, I was scared, and that's when I realized maybe wasting some of the best years of my life with a bunch of hobbies wasn't really worth it, so I decided to stop being a hikikomori.
And for that I made a list:
         Be healthy again;
         Get some friends;
         Get a job;
         Get a girlfriend.
First I started to take better care of myself: I enrolled to a gym and started jogging on a treadmill each day and I tried to eat healthier and heart-friendlier—more oatmeal, pecans, and less sodium.
Sooner than later I started to lose weight, and my blood pressure started to decrease; it even reached got to the point it was so low I got scared of that.
Anyway, three months passed, and the doctor checked me again and told me I was doing so fine I could stop taking the pills in my prescription, but recommended me to keep measuring my blood pressure from time to time.
    ✓  Be healthy again;
         Get some friends;
         Get a job;
         Get a girlfriend.
So, an easy way to start socializing and make some friends was to find people who share my same interest. 
And that's why enrolled in some literature courses like storytelling and creative writing.
It was pretty hard at first: me, sitting with a lot of strangers and sharing with them my work—either some of my new and old short stories or all the activities we did there—dealing with their awkward silences when they had to comment some of my work—which meant it wasn't any good.
After a couple months I started to get to know them—and also I improved my writing skills so they started complimenting my work more often. They there were pretty nice and recommended me a lot of books and writers, and we even hanged out after class a couple times. 
But after a year they started to seem a little snobby; it was kind of annoying how they believed they knew it all and talked about things they didn't understand with an air of superiority and condescendence, or how their prose was trying so hard to be pretentious and complex it ended up as cryptic and illegible bs, or how they were so full of themselves when their works weren't even that good.
And then I realized I was the most worst of them all.
I hated it so much all my writing became simpler and clearer. I stopped focusing on philosophy, anthropology, psychoanalysis, sociology and so on, and I started writing about me, about my fears and concerns—and that's why I mostly write about sad people.
I also started reading simpler novels with a simpler prose. I even started to read light novels, graphic novels and manga.
And I enjoyed them way more than the books I used to read.
I also started watching more movies, series and even anime.
So, everything seemed to be coming my way little by little.
That is until 2020 came.

Becoming a hikikomori has nothing to do with rejecting society or having trouble adapting. It’s about emptiness.


{Warning: abuse, graphic depictions}

Alpina felt the hot blood dripping off from her tail, it felt quite unpleasant because she had mysophobia, she didn't even care about the pain. She was quite used to it. In her previous life she was often neglected by her parents, so she had little physical contact, that was until her dad died after drinking one day in a car crash.

Once her mom found out, Ichika got plenty of physical contact from her mom, but not in the right way. Ichika had many scars from drunken scuffles from her mom and it became an almost daily occurrence. When she was 12 her mom started bringing men home with her. Let's just say there was too much physical contact. It made Ichika very reserved and she started hating germs.

When she was 13 her mom died from choking on her puke when she got a little too drunk one day. She was sent off to an orphanage later where she was neglected once again, there she learned not to expect anything from other people.

Her life at school wasn't the best either, she was bullied because of her mysophobia and lack of interest to have friends. She learned to not care about it because she knew not to expect anything. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't depressed nor did she lack emotions, she just didn't have anyone she trusted enough to show them to.

Once she became an adult she moved away to a big city and began her career as a businesswoman, she became known for her quiet yet professional manner and was very good at her job. She read all kinds of things in her free time, manga, novels, manhuas, manhwas, the likes, you name it she read it.

She died when she was 26 years old and reincarnated as a dragon.

Ichika Fujita was an otaku businesswoman who led an above standard life, about to get promoted at her job; until one day she was walking to her car and looking at her phone only to hear honking, looking up from her phone she saw a truck speeding towards her she thought 'if it isn't the infamous truck-kun I hear so much about, if I'm going to die like this I might as well reincarnate as a dragon or something', she then felt the truck slam into her and everything went blank. 

'hm, not the death I was expecting, though I feel very cramped right now.'

......wait, cramped?

she fractically tried to touch her body, expecting to feel skin, instead she felt...scales?

-------------------------------------------------------

Warning: this is not a romance novel
Warning: slight gore depictions

I didn't even know this guy.

Daemon's eyes narrowed. "Matthew, if you value the ability to walk, I wouldn't go there." Weirded out to the max, I stepped to the side. "I think I should go."

"I'm thinking Matthew should go," Daemon said, stepping in front of me, "unless he has another purpose other than sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

Even Daemon couldn't block the revulsion in the man's stare. "I'm sorry," I said, voice wavering, "but I don't know what's going on here. We were just swimming."

Matthew's gaze swung on Daemon, who squared his shoulders. "It's not what you're thinking. Give me some credit. Dee hid my keys, forced me take her out to get them back." A hot flush swept through me. Did he really need to tell some dude I was a pity date?

And then the man laughed. "So this is Dee's little friend."

"That would be me," I said, crossing my arms.

"I thought you had this under control." He gestured toward me, sounding as if I were a homicidal clown standing next to Daemon.

"That you'd make your sister understand."

"Yeah, well, why don't you try to make her understand," Daemon retorted. "So far, I'm not having much luck."

Matthew's lips thinned. "Both of you should know better."

A crack of thunder startled me as they stared down at one another. Lightning streaked overhead, momentarily blinding. Once the light receded, dark, tumultuous clouds rolled in.

Energy crackled around me, flashing across my skin.

Then Matthew turned away, casting another dark look in my direction before heading inside Daemon's house. The moment the door slammed shut behind him, the clouds parted. I stared at Daemon, mouth hanging open.

"What...what just happened?" I asked.

He was already walking into the house, the door smacking off the frame once again like a shot in a canyon. I stood there, not sure what happened. I looked up at the clear sky. No trace of the violent storm. I'd seen that happen a hundred times in Florida, but what occurred seemed way too freakish. And thinking back to the lake, I wasn't sure what had happened, but I knew Daemon had been underwater far too long.

I also knew there was something not normal about him.

About all of them.

Dee called that night, and even though I wanted to tell her that my time with Daemon hadn't been all puppy dog tails and rainbows, I lied. I told her he was great. He earned his keys and then some. Otherwise, she might make him take me on another outing.

I almost felt bad for lying when she sounded happy.

The next week crawled by. I had endless time to dread the fact there was only a week and a half left before school started. Dee still hadn't come back from visiting family or whatever she was doing. Left alone and bored out of my mind, I'd gotten reacquainted with the Internet intimately.

It was early Saturday evening when Daemon unexpectedly showed up at my door, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. His back was to me, head tipped back as he stared up at the cloudless blue sky. A few stars were starting to appear but the sun wouldn't truly set for another couple of hours.

Surprised to see him, I walked outside. His head whipped down so fast I thought he would pull a muscle. "What are you doing?" I asked.

His brows slanted low. Several seconds passed and then his lip tipped up at one corner.

He cleared his throat. "I like staring at the sky. There's something about it." His gaze returned to the sky. "It's endless, you know." Daemon almost sounded deep. "Is some crazy dude going to run out of your house and yell at you for talking to me?"

"Not right now, but there is always later." I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

"I'm okay missing 'later.'"

"Yeah. Busy?"

"Other than messing with my blog, no."

"You have a blog?" He faced me, leaning back against the post. Derision pinched his features.

He'd said blog like it was a crack habit.

"Yeah, I have a blog."

"What's your blog's name?"

"None of your business," I said, smiling sweetly.

"Interesting name." He returned my smile with a half grin. "So what do you blog about?

Knitting? Puzzles? Being lonely?"

"Ha. Ha, smartass." I sighed. "I review books."

"Do you get paid for them?"

I laughed out loud at that. "No. Not at all." Daemon seemed confused by that. "So you review books and you don't get paid if someone buys a book based on your review?"

"I don't review books to get paid or anything." Although that would be sweet, which reminded me I needed to get a library card. "I do it because I like it. I love reading, and I enjoy talking about books."

"What kind of books do you read?"

"All different kinds." I leaned against the post opposite of him, craning my neck back to meet his steady gaze. "Mainly I prefer the paranormal stuff."

"Vampires and werewolves?"

Man, how many questions could he ask?

"Yeah."

"Ghosts and aliens?"

"Ghost stories are cool, but I don't know about aliens. ET really doesn't do it for me and a lot of readers."

One single eyebrow arched. "What does it for you?"

"Not slimy green space creatures," I replied.

"Anyway, I also appreciate graphic novels, history stuff - "

"You read graphic novels?" Disbelief colored his tone. "Seriously?" I nodded. "Yeah, so what? Are girls not supposed to like graphic novels and comics?" He stared at me a long moment, then jerked his chin toward the woods. "Want to go on a hike?"

"Uh, you know I'm not good with the whole hiking thing," I reminded him.

A grin appeared. There was an edge to it.

Rough. Sexy. "I'm not taking you up on the Rocks. Just a harmless little trail. I'm sure you can handle it."

"Did Dee not tell you where your keys were?" I asked, suspicious.

"Yeah, she did."

"Then why are you here?"

Daemon sighed. "I don't have a reason. I thought I would just stop over, but if you're going to question everything, then you can forget it."

I watched him go down the steps as I chewed on my lip. This was crazy. I'd been dying of boredom for days. Rolling my eyes, I called out, "All right, let's do this."

This is not the original book readers as I said that before. This book is originally written by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I just made few changes that's it. I am not trying to take credit of her work and skills. Thank you for reading. Enjoy Reading!! Stay safe

PLOT

STARTING OVER SUCKS

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

AND THEN HE OPENED HIS MOUTH

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

THE HOT ALIEN LIVING NEXT DOOR MARKS ME

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

IF I DON'T KILL HIM FIRST, THAT IS

This is not the original book readers as I said that before. This book is originally written by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I just made few changes that's it. I am not trying to take credit of her work and skills. Thank you for reading. Enjoy Reading!! Stay safe!!

ABOUT BOOK

This book Is one of those “new girl moves to town and accidentally meets a group of non-humans” It’s also a perfect “Boy next door romance” Katy moves from Florida to West Virginia. Turns out she lives next door to the most hottest siblings. Throughout the plot Katy is befriending her neighbours, however, realises that strange things are happening there. She experiences weird paranormal things whilst juggling high school, making friends, avoiding a certain bitchy girl, but mostly the gorgeous arrogant and snarky neighbour besides her. When you combine a feisty girl from Florida and a sexy, alien.

Kitty Mercenary Association 
Kitty Mercenary Contract 
Enforced by the God of Promises, & backed by the God of Gluttony 

Every Great Hero needs a Kitty Companion~

Rules:
1. The client is not allowed to abuse or kill the kitty. 
2. The client must always give the kitty the best available living conditions. (If you have a room with only one bed, the kitty gets the bed, and the client gets the floor.)
3. The client must always give the kitty the best available consumables. (If you drink wine, the kitty can't drink water.)
4. The client is not allowed to sully the dignity of the kitty.
5. The client is not allowed to send the kitty to certain death.
6. The client is not allowed to rob the kitty.
7. The client must pay the association XXXXX lbs of Catnip at the start of every year (the equivalent in human currency will also do). Otherwise, this contract will be terminated. XX% of this payment will be paid to the kitty as wages. Advanced payment is allowed. 
8. If the kitty dies, the client must die as well... 

Contract duration: __________ years  Start date: __________

If both parties agree, then sign here:

*______________________________  *______________________________

Congratulations! May the newly born pair of kitty and master have a wonderful adventure!

…

Back when kitty first read that contract, kitty thought that only an idiot would sign it. 

Kitty used to be a common, peace-loving kitty. After graduating from kitty school, kitty went back home, slept, ate, and slept all day. Every ordinary, non-changing day was a day of peace, a day that kitty would be satisfied with. 
Walking no further than to the doorway to pick up the graphic novels that kitty ordered online, and turning on the television while stuffing kitty's cheeks with delivery sushi, kitty lived a very efficient life. 
Kitty was satisfied, but mama kitty was not. Mean mama kitty kicked kitty out, telling kitty not to come back until kitty gets a job. How awful! What kind of mama kitty is she!? 

Left with no other option, before kitty starved to death, kitty went to the most well-known kitty job placement association, otherwise known to all the kitties in Kitty Paradise, as the Kitty Mercenary Association. 
The kitty mercenary association does not care for your credentials, as long as you're above a certain age. Whether male kitty or female kitty, educated or uneducated, citizen or convict, thin or fat, the kitty mercenary association accepts them all. 
Free job training, free catnip, and free lodging. They guarantee to never give up on you until you get a job! ...It was hell. 

The comfortable dorm life that was advertised on television was definitely pirated from some school drama. The reality? It was a ****ing kitty boot-camp. 
Every morning, kitty would be forced awake by a sounding gong. All the kitties in the dorms would be force to run. No run? No food. 
Even worse was that the kitty instructors would sometimes bring out a "prize" for the fastest kitty, an entire fish on a fishing hook! That's right, it was on a fishing hook, connected to a fishing line, to a fishing rod held by the kitty instructor running alongside us kitty mercenaries-in-training. Us kitties, whom have only the lowest grade of catnip every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, drool at the sight of said fish. Every kitty would run faster, and the first kitty to get to the fish would have it all to himself... or so you'd think. After that kitty takes the first bite, all the other kitties would leap at him, and start a kitty tussle. The brutality of it all scared kitty very much. Kitty didn't dare to take part. 

Breakfast really was just plain catnip. Kitty doesn't have anything against catnip. Catnip is the common currency and staple food of Kitty Paradise. But eating the same kind of catnip every day, every meal, can't help but make kitty feel it go stale...
There wasn't even any milk to go along with our meals, only water. Apparently, all the vitamins and minerals we kitties needed were infused into the catnip. No wonder the catnip tasted different from the catnip back home.

After breakfast would be our daily punching routine! We kitty mercenaries-in-training would line up standing, and thrust our fore-paws forward, shouting "Meow! Meow! Meow!", until our throats go hoarse. 
Squats, push-ups, sit-ups, dragging along kitty milk barrels... filled with sand! We kitties had to do them all. 

Then, still all sweaty, we kitty mercenaries-in-training would have to shout out the kitty code of honor, ten times for each verse. It was a code of honor filled with patriotism, designed to rehabilitate former kitty criminals. But the thing is, kitty is not criminal. Why does kitty have to shout all this...

After lunch is weapon training, and weapon maintenance. After the founding of Kitty Paradise, the ancestors of we kitty-kind adopted the same weapons used by those stupid fur-less animals called humans. What were our ancestors thinking, kitty wondered. But kitty didn't dare to say that out loud, or else, the kitty instructors will scold kitty for being an unfilial descendant. 
Sword, shield, spear, axe, club, bows, guns, bombs... kitty used them all. 

"Why can't kitty just master one weapon and be done with it?" One day, kitty was stupid enough to ask that.

"You stupid kitty! What if you one day lose your weapon and have to use whatever you find on the ground? Will you then complain that it isn't a weapon you are good with!? Go give me another 100 push-ups!" The kitty instructor so berated. 

After the weapon maintenance was a shower, then dinner, then chores, and then sleep. All of this sounds like it takes a short time, but in reality? We kitty mercenaries-in-training only had a mere 8 hours of sleep per night. Only a MERE 8 HOURS! For a KITTY! Isn't that awful? 

Days passed. Then weeks. Months went by. 
Just as kitty was getting despairingly used to this kind of torturous everyday life, when kitty thought that it couldn't get any worse, our weapon training courses got replaced by self-defense courses. 
It does not sound that bad? Kitty laughs at your naivety. 
If it was just sparring with your kitty comrades and instructors, it would have still been fine. But do you know that game in the arcades? The whack-a-mouse game? Mm. Us kitty mercenaries-in-training had to go through that... except we were the ones playing the role of the mice. 
A giant human-shaped robot raises it foot... and then stamps it down at us kitties at increasingly high speeds. How awful! This is kitty-abuse! 

It was at that moment that kitty decided to quit!
But kitty was not allowed to quit...
Kitty was chased by starving dogs...

"**** ****ing dogs! Why are those evil animals in Kitty Paradise!? This is a breach of national law!" 

"Don't worry. This isn't a dog. It is a toothless, claw-less, hairless, castrated... 4-legged big land fish." 

"Woof!"

"It barked just now! Kitty heard it bark just now!" Of course, kitty's complaints fell on deaf ears. Kitty went back to training. 

After training in how not to get stomped to death by wicked humans, next was projectile training... where kitty was targeted by bullets, from handguns, to sniper rifles, to gatlings. Then, it was artillery training, where kitty was targeted by ballistae, falling missiles, homing missiles. Disaster training, where kitty had to disarm bombs, swim against a flood, survive a fall from the top of a building, survive a fall from aircraft, survive an avalanche at Mount Olympuss...

Everything was for our own good, they say, so that kitty can survive in the work-world, they say. But kitty felt... it was hell.

After a year in that hell, kitty graduated, having gone from the late levels of the second stage of the monster cultivation stages, the stage of Salvaging Enlightenment, blazed through the third stage, the stage of Honing Perception, and entered the early levels of the fourth stage, the stage of Feral Instinct. 

This miraculous cultivation speed, was just as advertised on television!

Kitty cried on the day of graduation. Whether it was tears of joy, or tears of release, even kitty did not know.
After signing a confidentiality agreement, forbidding kitty from saying anything about the kitty boot-camp, kitty was given his kitty mercenary certificate from his squad's kitty instructor. The always mean kitty instructor looked at kitty with a proud smile on at that moment. Kitty thought he was a different kitty. 
Every kitty in our kitty mercenaries-in-training squad, or at least the ones that graduated on time and didn't have to take remedial lessons, took a photo together to take home as a souvenir. Every kitty, except our kitty instructor, was crying in the photo. 

Our kitty instructor told us a few more things about the job, told us to be careful out there, and then we left. The next time Kitty would come to the Kitty Mercenary Association would be when the association has found a client for kitty. Naturally, kitty is not allowed to decline. For the next hundred years, according to contract, kitty would have to accept jobs from the Kitty Mercenary Association, in return for the torture, scratch that, training, that the association provided to kitty. Hopefully, kitty does not get a client for the next hundred years.

Officially, kitty had gotten a job. Thus, the satisfied mama kitty finally let kitty back into the house. Kitty resumed his peaceful life, of eating, sleeping, flipping through the pages of graphic novels, watching anime, and sleeping. 

The peaceful life did not last very long. Kitty got a client sooner than kitty expected. 

It was a stupid human male with a stupid smile plastered on his face.

...

6

Talin hesitated outside his bedroom door, his gaze on the breakfast tray he'd made.  He'd burned the toast a bit, but it was edible.  Pushing the door open, he entered the bedroom to find Dimitri sitting up.  Ignoring his heart's little skip, Talin took the tray to Dimitri's side of the bed.
"I brought coffee," he said banging the tray slightly on the bedside table.
Dimitri helped him steady the tray.  Once it was safe, Dimitri took his left hand.
"I hope you're not leaving me to disappear downstairs," Dimitri said.
Talin laughed.
"No, I called Lori; she'll handle opening the club."
"Good," Dimitri tugged on his hand until he sat on the side of the bed.
"You took my rose," Talin said, shifting until he sat legs crossed on the bed facing Dimitri.
Reaching for the tray, he placed it on the space between them.  He took Dimitri's cup of coffee and held it out.
Dimitri took the cup with a small shrug.
"You don't need black roses, Talin.  I'll get you vibrant red ones if that's what you want."
"But, the black one was unique.  I don't even know where it came from."
Dimitri pressed a finger on his lips.
"Don't worry about a dead rose, my dear.  I'll get you a whole plant."
"And where will I put a rose plant?" Talin asked putting jam on Dimitri's toast.  "I don't have a garden out there."
Dimitri nodded to the windows and the little balcony built in there.
"We'll put a flower pot there."
"What about when it snows?"
"We'll wrap it up." Dimitri grinned.
Talin shook his head.
"You have a solution for everything."
Dimitri nodded.
"That's right."
Talin scoffed.
"It gives you a big ego."
Dimitri bit into the toast with a small happy sigh.
"I want to eat breakfast with you everyday."
"I doubt that," Talin said applying marmalade on his toast.  "You have Kat cooking for you."
"I'm a third-wheel in that house."  Dimitri grinned.  "She and Lukas have eyes for each other in the morning."
Talin laughed at that picture.  He doubted Dimitri would ever be a third-wheel in any situation.  His personality brought him up front and center.
"You don't believe me," Dimitri said.
"I think they both love you too much to make you feel like a third-wheel.  You're whining," Talin said.
"Jeez, there's no joking with you."  Dimitri sipped his coffee.  "Still, I prefer having toast with you to any fancy breakfast."
Talin felt warmth burst inside him and he took a bite of toast to hide it.  They ate in silence for a few minutes.
Talin reached out to wipe away toast crumbs caught on the corner of Dimitri's mouth.  Dimitri took his hand and pressed a kiss on his fingers.
"What are you doing today?" Talin asked.
Dimitri sighed.
"I have to go to the marina.  Lukas needs help with one of our charter boats.  Something's wrong with the engine."
"You like working with engines.  The day I went to your place, I found you working on a pump engine.  Is that what you do all day?"
"I do a lot of things in a day," Dimitri answered.
"Things like what?" Talin asked, wanting to know all he could about Dimitri.
So far, all he knew was that the man had insomnia, and liked to sleep in Talin's bed.
Dimitri put his coffee cup on the bedside table.
"Lukas and I own the marina together, but he does the administrative work and dealing with customers.  Kat helps but she has her restaurant to deal with.  I work behind the scenes.  I check the charter boats, do maintenance and if anyone needs help with their boat, I handle that.  We offer warehouse space, so I make sure shipments are in order.  My job gives me a flexible schedule and I get to work with my hands."
"And your men, those guys you hang with, what do they do?" Talin asked.
"Sean and Tomas help me," Dimitri said.  "They handle all the warehouse problems which can be trying."
Talin met amused blue eyes.
"Satisfied?" Dimitri asked.
"Nope," Talin shook his head.  "Where did you go last night?  I saw your car in the parking lot before I fell asleep.  You weren't in the club, I called Lori to ask."
"A friend picked me up," Dimitri said with a slight shrug.
"What friend?"
"Business friend," Dimitri said.  "He had an emergency to do with a shipment and needed my help."
"Is that why you didn't sleep?" Talin asked with a frown.  "Dimitri, you have to take better care of yourself.  I know how it is to overwork."
"Don't worry about me," Dimitri said.  "I don't sleep that much anyway.  Besides, I slept the whole day yesterday."
"Still," Talin moved the tray to the bedside table.
Dimitri pushed the sheets away and moved closer, reminding Talin that he was still in his boxer shorts.  They hadn't done anything beyond a few kisses and holding each other.  Dimitri sunk his fingers into Talin's hair, tilting Talin's head back so that they could kiss.
All thoughts of what Dimitri did or didn't do disappeared.  Dimitri tasted like coffee, strawberry jam and toast.  Dimitri's tongue stroked his, Talin pressed closer, his arms moving up Dimitri's strong upper arms to his shoulders.  He could kiss Dimitri all day.  Their kisses were drugging, heated...he sighed when Dimitri broke away to trail kisses along his jaw to his neck.
His fingers sunk into Dimitri's mink black hair, and a moan escaped when Dimitri bit at the curve of his neck and shoulder.
"I've dreamt of holding you like this," Dimitri said sucking on the sensitive spot.  "I can't believe it's finally happening."
"Why do you keep saying that?  Am I really so unapproachable?" Talin asked leaning back to meet Dimitri's gaze.
"I—," Dimitri pressed a kiss on his jaw and let him go.  "It seemed better to look at you from a far."
Talin sighed and got off the bed.  "Well, seems you're still looking from afar."
"Why do you say that?" Dimitri asked in surprise.
"Nothing," Talin said, picking a knitted sweater he'd thrown over an armchair beside his bed.  "I have no clue what we're doing, so—, it doesn't matter what I say."
Talin wore the grey sweater and tugged it over his t-shirt.
"Talin."
Talin tried…he tried…to fight that sexy voice, alas he was mortal and weak.  Dimitri's low voice was tempting; it felt like expensive silk stroking his cock, arousal slammed him hard.  He wanted…meeting pale blue eyes, he sighed, berating his body for wanting a man with secrets like Dimitri.
"What?" he asked.
Their gazes locked.
"I want in," Dimitri said, "all the way."
Talin forced himself to look away from Dimitri.
"Ah…well, if it was sex you wanted, you could have asked that first day," Talin said, trying to joke through the intensity of Dimitri's words.
He had no idea what to say.  He didn't know if he could handle someone getting to know him.
Isn't that what Dimitri was implying here?
It had to be…he frowned.
"Sex is easy, I want more than that.  I need it, Talin," Dimitri stated.
Dimitri got off the bed in a fluid motion and closed the distance between them with a few steps.
Talin couldn't help the gasp when Dimitri held his shoulders, turning him, so they faced each other.  Unable to resist, Talin touched Dimitri's stomach, his fingers tracing soft hair dusting down to the waistband of black boxer shorts.
Dimitri ran his fingers through Talin's hair, stroking the long messy strands.  Talin leaned into the touch.  It was so new, yet so familiar: comforting, he let out a shaky breath and looked up to meet Dimitri's gaze.
"Can we take it slow?" Talin asked
His chest felt tight, fear creeping in at the thought of allowing someone in…again.
Dimitri's smile was slow, roguish…sexy…jeez, everything the man did linked back to sex.
Talin's cock hardened, pressing against his jeans.
"Whatever you want, Talin," Dimitri said leaning to touch his lips to Talin's, "as long as you let me have breakfast with you."
Talin chuckled.
"And have my bed for sleeping?" he asked.
"Yep," Dimitri said his fingers bunching in Talin's hair gently.  Using the hold on his hair, Dimitri tilted Talin's head back, "for sleeping…and other pleasurable activities, hopefully soon."
Talin closed his eyes when Dimitri finally kissed him, this time leaving no doubt what type of pleasurable activities Dimitri wanted.
***
The trash pick-up truck showed up at around one o'clock.  They were two days late.  Talin stood at the back door watching them clear the trash area.  He'd been worried the health officers would show up and find the trash area messy.  Health officers were a pain…not to mention the fines…he sighed and stepped back into the building.  He needed to call the removal company and straighten the schedule.
Instead of going to the main club floor where Lori was dealing with late deliveries, Talin went to his office.  He'd spent the past thirty minutes compiling a list of potential waiters for hire.  Settling behind his desk, his gaze fell on the card Detective James left him.  He'd brought it down here by mistake.
Picking it up, he touched the number with a frown.  Dimitri thought it was a good idea for him to keep the card.  When he'd asked why, Dimitri had smiled and told him to let the detective know if Ken Luther showed up at the club.
Dimitri.
Now there was a man with secrets.
Talin opened the top drawer of his desk and dropped the card inside, his thoughts firmly on Dimitri as they had been through the week.  They'd only spoken for four days, and it felt like he'd always known Dimitri.
It had to be the epic kisses, Talin thought with a smile, though the secrets intrigued him too.
Like last night, he'd glanced out the living room windows to see Dimitri's car in the parking lot.  Talin wondered why Dimitri would leave his car in the parking lot when he'd need it to get to the marina.  Then there was the Caleb Barnes saga, and the two men who followed Dimitri around.  Then there was this morning…why had Dimitri looked so stressed when he'd shown up?
The questions were many, but then the kisses filled his thoughts and the questions rather took a backseat.
He was in lust with Dimitri's kisses.
Talin touched his lips and couldn't help smiling at the memory of Dimitri pressing him against the front door before he left two hours ago.  He hadn't wanted that kiss to end.  He'd instead wanted them to go back to his bed.
Dimitri, however, had broken the kiss, patiently held him until they both could breath easier, and then he'd left with a devastating smile.
Damn Dimitri, he frowned, the man had insane self-control.
"Talin," an amused deep voice broke into his thoughts.
He glanced up to find a tall thin black man smiling at him.
"Carl," Talin said, pleasantly surprised.
Getting up, Talin walked around the desk to meet Carl and give him a tight hug.  He laughed when Carl patted his back and tugged on his ponytail.  Carl Brown was his oldest friend.
"I knocked twice, but you seem preoccupied," Carl said stepping back to study him.  "I see smiles, visiting the land of the living again, Talin?"
Talin chuckled and playfully punched Carl's arm.
"It's great to see you, Carl.  Did Terry kick you out of the house today?  I haven't seen you in a while."
Carl laughed and moved to take a seat on the armchairs set before Talin's desk.  Talin joined him, moving his chair so that it faced Carl.
"She's driving me crazy," Carl said, his voice soft, dripping with fondness.
Terry was Carl's wife.  Talin had been Carl's best man at their wedding six years ago.  They had one two-year-old boy they both doted on.  Carl was madly in love with his little family.  Happiness radiated from deep within.  It brightened Carl's dark brown eyes as nothing else could.
Talin was jealous.
"You haven't come to visit the Turnip," Carl said studying him.  "We worried.  Terry asked me to come here and drag you out to lunch."
Talin smiled at the mention of Carl and Terry's eclectic bookshop.  He missed that place; the couple had a knack of stocking the bookshop with the best of books.  They'd let Talin name bookshop when they first opened it.  Talin still couldn't believe Terry had agreed to call the bookstore the Turnip.
"That woman," Talin smiled.  "She's so bossy."
"She worries about you," Carl said leaning forward, elbows on his knees.  "Although, I have to say, you're not as depressing as you usually are.  What's changed?"
Talin scoffed.  "What are you talking about?"
"Secret smiles, happy eyes, hmm…" Carl grinned.  "Anyone I know?"
Talin shrugged.
"Not really," he said not ready to mention Dimitri's name.
Carl gave him a knowing look and stood.
"Guess you're not ready to share.  Come on then, I'm not taking no for an answer.  We're going to the steakhouse down the street.  We need to get some meat on them bones."
Talin gave the list of names on his desk a wistful glance.
Carl took his arm before he could launch any protest and led him out of his office.  Talin barely grabbed his jacket on the way out before Carl closed the door.
It was wonderful to walk down the street with Carl.  He listened to Carl talk about his son, and watching him grow.  Carl talked about Terry, love in his every word.  He'd forgotten what this was like, just listening…Carl could talk for hours…somehow it had always seemed like the best thing about Carl.  He'd never needed to talk, Carl did it all…Talin just listened.
"How's your store, Carl?" Talin asked as they settled in their seats at the Steakhouse.
Carl picked up his napkin giving him a surprised look.
"Doing great, Terry ordered new graphic novels, you could come over and check them out."
"That sounds like a plan," Talin said studying the menu.
"Really?" Carl asked sitting back.  "She's kept stuff for you for months."
"I'll drive to the bookshop later."  Talin looked up to find Carl staring at him.  "What?"
Carl took the menu away from him.
"Okay, what have you done with the real Talin?"
Talin laughed.
"I'm the same old Talin."
"No you're not," Carl shook his head.  "You're definitely not the same Talin I've seen the past four years."
Talin held Carl's gaze for a moment, before he looked away.
The past filled the silence between them…too close…too hard…yet now; Talin took in a deep breath and let it out slow.
"I'm sorry," Carl said his tone regretful, "I've ruined it."
"No," Talin shook his head.  "There's nothing to be sorry about.  I-I checked out…"
Carl studied him, and then reached out to squeeze his hand.
"Don't think about it.  I'm insanely happy to see the icicles melting.  Please, let's go to the bookshop after this.  It will be like old times."
Talin watched Carl pick up the menu, a small grin on his lips.  He wondered why he'd never seen how much his self-imposed exile worried Carl.
"I feel like having barbecue short ribs," Carl said grinning at him.  "What do you say?"
Talin laughed.
"Sure, definitely feel like getting sauce all over my face.  Why not?"
Carl nodded and called their waiter.
****
Hours later, Talin drove back to the Talon from Carl and Terry's bookshop feeling happy.  He'd strapped in a box full of new copies of fantasy graphic novels on the passenger seat.  Terry knew his tastes well, and she'd kept the best titles for him.  Glancing at the box, memories came back, happy memories.  He'd always loved graphic art, the more conceptual the better.  Carl and Terry had helped fuel that love through the years, encouraged him when he'd created it too.  Thinking about his art skills brought back memories.
Memories…the vault in his head clicked open.
Gabriel.
Talin remembered afternoons in the sun, seated under a huge oak tree, the grass so green…gorgeous green, but not as gorgeous as Gabriel's green eyes.  He remembered sketching those eyes, trying to put them on paper, and capture the light just right…but never quite getting it.  Kisses under that tree, giggles of delight…followed by…emptiness.
On coming headlights blinded him, and Talin jerked his car to the side of the road, his foot heavy on the brakes.  He came to a stop with a jerk as the driver behind him honked his irritation.
Glancing at the box on the passenger seat, Talin wondered when the past would stop hurting.
His cell phone buzzed.  Glancing at the caller ID, he let out a soft sigh when he saw Dimitri's number.
"Where are you?" Dimitri asked when he answered.
"On the way back to the club," Talin said adjusting his seatbelt.  "I went to see old friends.  Are you at the Talon?"
"I stopped by to drop something off, you weren't there," Dimitri said.  "Are you alright?"
Talin glanced at the box of graphic novels.
"Yeah, I'm fine.  Are you coming over tonight?"
"Later," Dimitri said, his voice filled with promise.
Talin smiled.  "I'll wait."
"Drive safe," Dimitri said then.
Ending the call, Talin placed the phone on its holder on the dash.  Holding the steering wheel with both hands, he let out a steadying breath and eased back into traffic.
"Steady, steady…," he whispered.
***
Back at the club, Talin helped Lori clear tables for the night.  It was almost three o'clock in the morning, Dimitri still hadn't shown up.  Picking up the last stool, he overturned it on the table and stretched his arms above his head.  His shoulder muscles complained and he dropped his arms.
"Did you have fun with Carl?" Lori asked as she filled out the daily forms.  "I saw him drag you out of here earlier."
"Yeah," Talin said taking the rag he held to the counter.  "I didn't realize I was neglecting them until I saw him today.  Their son is walking and everything.  It was surreal, I remember a small tiny baby who had to be carried with care."
Lori chuckled.
"Boss, you haven't noticed much these last few months.  Working, working," she shook her head.  "I guess you've turned on a switch in there.  I can't wait for the new employees you're hiring.  It will mean day offs."
Talin frowned.  "You get day offs."
Lori scoffed.
"From where?" she asked looking around the empty club.  "I'm pretty sure the bulk of the work has been between you and me."
Talin picked up the dirty rags and went around the counter to dump them in the washing machine.  He put in the right amount of soap and started it.
"Dimitri came over earlier," Lori said as she put away the daily forms.
She went back to his office and brought back a package wrapped with delicate green netting.  She placed the package before him with a wide smile.
"Unwrap it, I've been dying to see what's inside all night."
Talin undid the green string holding it all together, and the netting fell away.  He grinned when he saw the small potted plant, the thorns unmistakable.
"A plant?" Lori asked.
She touched the earthenware pot with intricate designs on its surface.
"The pot is expensive.  I don't get it."
Talin touched the leaves carefully.
"It's a rose plant."
"A rose plant?" Lori frowned.
Talin ignored her confusion and instead reached for the card tucked into the plant.  He opened it and found Dimitri had written a note.
>>>For your balcony, water it everyday. D
Talin placed the card on the counter and went to the sink.  He picked up a beer mug and filled it with cold water.  Lori gave him an amused look when he returned to water the plant carefully.
Twenty minutes later, he carried the box of graphic novels, with the rose plant carefully balanced on top, upstairs.  Stopping at his door, he got his keys and unlocked the door.  Ignoring the lights, Talin went into the living room to place the box on the coffee table.
He went back to close the door and turn on the lights.  That's when he saw the white envelope on front door rug.  Frowning, he picked it up, as he locked the door.  Opening the envelope, he pulled out a picture with a note on the back.
'Dimitri Sedlackov is dangerous.  He's not what he seems.'
"Well, that's ominous," he said under his breath turning the picture.
There was Dimitri holding a bundle of…money?
Talin frowned.
***

#BLNovel #boymeetsboyworld
Talin focuses on work, barely giving anything else attention. One encounter in his club's parking lot drags him out of his dull life. 
Dimitri has watched Talin for so long, when Talin storms into his workshop, Dimitri decides he won't stay in the sidelines any longer. Dimitri decides he wants Talin for life.

best graphic novels of all time novel

The Graphic Novels of Harvey Moon

Return of the Royal wolf

Re:Birth as the Hero

Moonlight Bride English Version

The day I became a hikikomori

(Dropped) Reborn in another world? Ok.... WAIT I'M A DRAGON?!

Luxen series

Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Story Sadly Removed

A Healing Heart

People search best graphic novels of all time also like: