Ling’s pretty silver pools blinked at him, her fine brows knitted. Cao braced for a multitude of questions, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she waited for him. And he, well, he waited for his damn brain to catch up.

“So, a Chosen, huh.” He cleared his throat, hoping he hadn’t sounded as dumb as he feared it had. “What’s that like?”

“Umm…” She wrung her fingers, then set her hands in her lap. “It’s nice, actually. Like having an imaginary friend who’s not pretend. Sheep is always with me, there to guide me, comfort me. I can’t recall a time without my spirit animal.”

“Can I meet Sheep?”

“Sure.” Ling hopped from the stool, surveying as though ensuring there was enough space, and flashed into her spirit animal form. The hazy image of Sheep formed over her, cloaking her figure. Sheep’s gentle orbs glowed a soft white, and the spirit animal dipped its head toward Cao. Though not as large as some of the others, Sheep stood taller than Ling, and with so much fluffy wool, significantly wider.

Suddenly, the baggy sweaters and glasses made a shitload more sense. Sheep blended in, so Ling did, too.

Cao stepped around the island and stretched out his fingers to graze the creature’s silky fleece. “A pleasure.” As he lowered his hand, a grin tugged at his lips and he squinted to make out Ling’s shape. “If I’d been aware you had this badass sidekick, I would’ve let you tag along on my outings from the beginning.”

“Sorry about that.” She sighed and Sheep’s cloaking sucked back inside her. “I wish I’d been able to tell you.”

“I get it.” He swept her concern aside with his hand. “But no more secrets. Everything in the light. We’re in this together. Yeah?”

She pursed her lips but nodded. “I’ll share if you will.”

“Deal.” Narrowing his eyes, he searched her expression. “What’s up with the stones?”

Ling sauntered to a stool and plopped atop it. “They’re shards of a larger rock, the rock. The one the dragons followed from the heavens, initiating their descent into this world. As it fell from the sky, our atmosphere shattered it into eight pieces, each a different shade of the rainbow, plus one white piece to unite them—the shén stone, the one you have. From what I can gather, each of the shards possesses a unique power—those of the Three Treasures and those of the Five Elements. The one I have is part of the Three Treasures, jīng. Yours is half of the shén stone.”

“Jīng? Can you wield its powers?” Maybe she could use the gem to release her dragon. Although, getting naked with Ling sounded far more enticing.

She shook her head. “Only beings of immense power can manipulate the gems’ energies.”

Ahh… He had to admit, he wasn’t that disappointed. “Can I see yours?”

“Sure.” She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest, removing the jīng stone from her spirit and displaying the indigo stone on her palm.

“Wicked cool.” He let out a low whistle. “Will you show me how to do that?”

“It’s easy.” She demonstrated with the gem. “Place the stone to your chest and it will bond with your spirit. They can be safely stored that way.”

Cao withdrew the shén half from the safe and mirrored her actions, stowing the gem within his spirit. “Neat. How did you get the jīng stone? The shén was already broken when my brother and I, ah, stole it from the Emperor’s collection.”

She arched a brow but didn’t comment. “I found the jīng stone when I was a small child, during the time I was lost on my father’s island.”

Well, shit, that dampened the mood. He quirked his lips to lighten it once more. “What happens when you collect them all? You win a prize or something?”

She released a scoff. “Not unless saving humanity can be considered a prize.”

At his lifted brows, she elaborated, “The dragons came here, to Earth, because of this rock. They’re leaving because of the Red Death and the ones trying to take over. If we can collect the pieces of their precious rock, it might give them cause to stay. To fight with us. For us. Dragons can save humanity. We just have to give them a good enough reason to.”

“You’re quite certain, aren’t you, but what if you’re wrong?” A fierce light shone in her eyes as she explained her mission.

“It is more beautiful to believe in something fantastical than to know with absolute certainty it doesn’t exist,” Ling recited. “Da Xia told me that when she explained why the dragons remain on Earth. It’s the hope of the stone’s existence that keeps them here.” Eager, she shifted forward. “Don’t you see, I’m the bridge. That’s why I have to do this. To save both my worlds.”

“No pressure or anything, heh?”

“Exactly.” She blew a puff of air. “Since we’re disclosing everything, will you tell me about the marks on your arms?”

He stiffened, only surprised by the fact it had taken her this long to pose the question. “Well, some of us carry our transgressions on our shoulders, and some us are marked by them.”

Her eyebrows arched at the word “transgressions.” Understanding lighted her eyes. “Those are your—”

“Crimes? Yep.” He crossed his arms, but then unfolded them so as not to appear defensive. “I’ve spent a thousand years atoning for them, but it turns out, forgiveness isn’t so easy to receive.” Bitterness crept into his tone and he fisted his hands. “When Lü Dongbin gave me one of the Peaches of Immortality, it came with a price. The price of my sins. Because my soul would never be cleansed in Dìyù, I had to wear my transgressions on my sleeves. Literally. Lü promised one day I’d make them fade. But so far…” He let his words hang in the air. Now, she knew.

“See? That’s why I tend to avoid stone fruit.”

He barked a laugh, thankful she brushed it off, and her lips curved in amusement.

Those damned gorgeous lips he craved to nip and tease, to swallow her soft moans while she melted into his arms, like she had at the wedding. Would they ever get back to that level of comfort? “We kind of left things in a weird place.” He gently squeezed her hands. “I have an idea for how to remedy that, if you’re interested.”

Bloody ambiguous. Inside, he kicked himself.

Her eyes flickered for an instead before she nodded. “Okay.”

Right. This was his chance to not blow it. “Great. Let’s go.”

“Ah, where?”

“You’ll see.” He winked and strode to the closet, grabbed his jacket and the duffle bag he'd packed, and swept his hand for Ling to follow.

Sliding off the stool, she regarded him with caution before following his request to pass through the door.

They descended to the ground floor and strolled out onto the street. Cao often visited the wellness studio and, no doubt, it would be busy at this hour. Which was much, much better for helping him keep his hands off her. Mostly.

“Hey Pearl,” he called to the lead instructor as they passed into the studio. As expected, half a dozen couples clustered together throughout the bright, spacious wood-paneled room. Fragrant jasmine incense burned in one corner, wafting wispy white tendrils through the air. He waved for Ling to have a seat next to him on a mat along the window. Below, cars meandered down the cobble-stone street. Rhythmic drum music pulsed through the room, vibrating up through his limbs.

“What is this?” Ling whispered next to him.

He wound an arm around her back, resting his hand on her hip, and purred, “Couples yoga.”

Ling’s spine jolted straight and stiff. Obviously not what she’d been expecting. “Told you, I like to try everything once. Never had a partner to do this with. You game?” He tilted his face to hers, searching.

Truth was, he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. All he was certain of, was he wanted Ling. Where that might lead, he hadn’t a clue. She wouldn’t be like anyone else he’d fancied.

“This is about the most normal thing in the world.” She glanced at the other couples. “You’re an Eight Immortal and I’m a half-dragon Chosen, so hell, yes, bring on the mundane.”

“Exactly.” He grinned. “That’s why we’re here.”

She crinkled her nose at him but playfulness sparkled in her shining depths. “Where do we start?”

He jerked his chin as Pearl sauntered into the room with her boyfriend, Bo. The guy was as big as an ox, and he settled onto the floor, arms and legs raised. Pearl, lithe and tall, lowered herself onto the platform of his feet and hands, back arched and face to the sky.

“I think we’re supposed to do that.” He pointed at the flexed couple.

Ling snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“Hey, we can try.” He stretched onto the floor in encouragement, holding up his hands and feet.

Ling scooted to her feet and eyed him warily. “You drop me, you die.”

“How many times?” He smirked.

She perched her hands on her hips. “At least ten.” Her scowl broke into a smile and she stepped to his head, one leg on either side of him. Ling studied the couple for a few minutes before easing backward, the middle of her back resting on his flat feet and his hands holding her calves.

“Okay?” he grunted, holding his body steady.

“Yeah, you?”

“Easy. I’m not about to drop you, love.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” She hummed, her body sinking against him as she loosened her tense muscles. He detected the moment when she relaxed, letting him have total control.

A man could get used to this. Not to mention, the view of her tight ass from his vantage point? Sweet.

“And, we move on,” Pearl’s voice drawled from the front of the room.

Gently, Cao set Ling down, resisting the temptation to kiss her. Right. People. This was why he’d chosen a public venue.

It would make him keep his hands off her.

For now.

* * *

After the fear of being dropped on her ass dissipated during the first pose, Ling began to enjoy this. Cao was crazy strong, and he wasn’t about to lose his grip. A handful of the couples in the room seemed to be struggling, but soon into the next pose, she lost track of them.

This time, Cao rose into a plank position and she climbed atop him, bodies opposite, head to feet and feet to head, to do a plank atop him.

Teasingly, he did a few pushups to show off his sexy strength. She almost snapped at him to cut it out, but truthfully, he was impressive to watch.

The dark bands on his arms flashed with his movements, but she bit her tongue against asking what he’d done to earn each of them.

Because, of course, the answer was bad things. Those weren’t merit badges.

And yet, they made him all the more sinfully intriguing.

They engaged in a few more poses before the class was over, and Cao lowered her to the mat. “Have fun, normal girl?”

She mock-scowled at him. “Not as much as you.”

He chuckled and tossed a towel at her from their duffle bag. “What other normal things shall we do today?”

“Well, we don’t have a dog to walk.”

“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck. Sadness crossed his expression, tensing his jaw. “They die too fast.”

Right. Because when one is immortal, and everything else is not, the world kinda sucks. “Even though I get that he was a shapeshifter pretending to be my cat, I miss Zeus. Miss cuddling with him, miss him meowing at me to be fed. How crazy he’d go over the laser light.” She shrugged. Zeus had done an awesome job of imitating a real feline. He’d been her family as much as Da Xia. One day, she’d asked her grandmother for a pet; the next day, Zeus had appeared. Gods, she missed him.

“You know what this calls for?” Cao offered his hand, a mischievous grin on his face.

“What?” She narrowed her eyes at his excitement.

“Puppies and kittens.” He towed her behind him as he rushed through the room and out the door.

She hastened her steps to match his pace. The mention of cute furry animals had her amped.

After taking a taxi to their destination, Ling followed Cao inside the shelter. “My friend runs this place. The animals are always up for a good cuddling.” He waved at a middle-aged woman behind a counter. “Hey Joan.”

The woman waved back and continued her conversation with a gray-haired man.

Cao ushered her to the back. “Puppies or kittens?”

“Uh…” Could one really choose?

“Puppies first then.” He led her through another door, to a room full of adorable furry beasts. Unlike many shelters, these kennels were large, immaculate, and full of homey furnishings. Joyful barking pinged off the walls as they entered. “Hey guys,” Cao called to the dogs, who yipped and yapped happily at the sight of him. He closed the door behind them and opened the kennels. A rush of dogs smacked into her, licking and nuzzling. Wet noses and sloppy kisses.

“Aww.” Ling sank to her knees and took in the awesomeness of being enveloped by canine love. Mutts and purebreds of various sizes vied for her affection, which she generously shared between them. “Technically, these aren’t puppies.”

“I guess I don’t pay attention to their ages,” he droned. “They’re all puppies at heart.”

Was that a side comment meant to dismiss the difference between their ages?

“Joan works her ass off to find them homes.” Cao stroked a couple of dogs, his features relaxed. “Sometimes I bring her strays. We ensure they get the care they need.”

She cast him a sideways glance. Was there anything Cao didn’t do? Then again, immortal, remember? The guy had copious amounts of time on his hands.

His very capable hands. The memory of yoga poses with him fluttered through her mind. Why couples yoga? Was he being friendly or was there a hidden message?

She curled up with a gray and white mixed breed in her lap, stroking its delicate fur, and her mind wandered again. While playing hooky from reality was nice, she had some major responsibilities to attend to. Soon.

Before the world ended without her.

* * *

The kittens were even cuter than the dogs, but Cao witnessed the shadow of sadness clouding Ling’s features. She must miss her shapeshifting cat.

Too bad he didn’t have one of those in his back pocket.

Ling placed an orange cat into its kennel. “Thank you for this.”

“You’re very welcome.” He scraped a hand across the back of his neck, grasping how alone they were after the pets had been put away. “What would you like to do next?” Please don’t say go home.

“Go home, I guess.” Ling offered him a weak smile.

Dammit. “All right, but don’t try to sneak any of these guys back with us. Their new owners would be pissed.”

She laughed and shook her head at him, passing through the door.

“You hungry?” One last-ditch effort to avoid being alone with her.

“Sure.” She pointed across the street. “Pizza?”

“Sounds good.” They headed across the street together. A waitress brought them glasses of water and menus. While studying the menu, he drummed his fingers on the tabletop.

“I should talk to Jade soon.” Ling closed her fingers around her water glass.

Right. Because her best friend’s mate was a dragon.

“Maybe Liem can help me change.”

“Hell, no,” Cao blurted, then cleared his throat. “It, ah, doesn’t work like that.”

Ling raised no-bullshit eyebrows at him. “Spill it.”

“Spill what?” he evaded.

“Whatever M told you, tell me.” She reclined, but her shoulders tensed.

Why was he nervous? As he stared across the small round table at Ling, he struggled to form the right words. How could he say what he longed to without sounding like a complete creep?

In truth, he didn’t have to be the one to help her. Clearly, not Liem, but anyone would do. Well, anyone not mortal.

Because that was some serious energy zapping off her. Enough to harm or even kill a human.

“Right, so, to protect you, M took away what you’d need to remember in order to change forms. She didn’t want you accidentally popping into a dragon in front of the wrong people.”

“I get that. I do.” Ling nodded enthusiastically. “How do I change, then?”

“Energy,” he hedged. “You require energy.”

“Right.” She leaned forward again and tapped her glass. “How do I get more energy?” She peered into the water, but suddenly her lips parted and a flush of pink spread across her cheeks. “Oh.”

She froze in the position, avoiding meeting his gaze. Bloody hell. Not the reaction he’d been going for.

He shifted in his seat, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to elaborate. “When we kissed, the energy sparking off you, it was the—”

“Dragon. Yeah, I get it, Cao,” she snapped, groaned, and shook her head several times. “So, today was a pity date? Hmm?” She released her glass, spilling some of the water, and clenched her fists at her sides as she rose. “Tonight is what, pity sex?” she hissed, “Well, screw you, Cao. I don’t want your pity anything.”

Huffing, cheeks bright red, she charged for the door.

“Whoa, wait.” Cao tossed his head to clear it and dashed after her, but she was damned fast. Blurs of Sheep surrounded her, threatening to push her into full-cloak.

Sprinting toward her on the street, he finally caught up, seizing her arm, and he towed her into an alley. “That is not what this is, Ling. Let me explain.”

Grumbling, she whipped around. “You don’t have to explain it. I gather exactly how M put you up to this. So leave off!” She wrenched her arm free, and he released her, scowling.

Holy Emperor, he’d fucked this up.

Cao bunched his brows. How would he make her understand?

There was only one reason he’d agreed to any of this.

To be with her.

* * *

Fury blazed in pounding jolts through her. Ling was close to letting Sheep free and getting the hell out of here.

But Cao grabbed her around the waist, hauled her to his hard body, and kissed her, his lips demanding against hers.

She didn’t have time to breathe or think before his mouth was off hers and he snared her wrist, dragging her hand between them.

Down.

To the rigidness bulging against the front of his pants. “Does this feel like I’m being coerced?” he rasped. “Like I wouldn’t fuck you right here in this alley if you said yes? Shit, Ling. I’ve done everything I can to keep my hands off you today.” Growling, he released her wrist, but it was pretty intoxicating having her hands where they were, resting on top of an impressive display of lust.

Lust for me.

Ling swallowed hard.

Cao’s chest expanded rapidly against hers.

“Yes, the Matchmaker asked me to explore my…feelings for you. Yes, she said jīng could release your dragon.” He gave his head a hard shake. “But, hell, no, do I jump when she tells me to.”

She shifted her hands to his chest and gawked at his pectorals for a moment, absorbing his words. Cao has feelings for me? “So today was—”

“Me courting you. Obviously, doing a fuck-up job of it.” The masculine resonance at the end of his words tingled through her.

Why didn’t he say so?

Ha, court her. She curved her lips at the traditional term for dating. Cao was showing his age again.

“I’ve never really dated anyone.” His chuckling rumbled beneath her fingertips.

“Well, you’re pretty good at it.” She peered up at him through lowered lashes. “Except next time, you should ask the girl you want to date if she’d like to date you, too.”

“What if she says no?” he murmured, his lips feathering her forehead.

“Then you offer her puppies,” Ling intoned. “No woman can resist puppies.”

“Right.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I tried the puppies already. Got any other suggestions?”

“Umm.” She tilted her face to his, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. Whatever connection was happening between her and Cao, it was real. The deep, intense yearning in his eyes couldn’t be faked. She was pretty sure the flutters in her stomach weren’t imaginary.

“You could try kissing her again. This time, someplace without people.” In case I accidentally zap a mortal bystander.

“Brilliant idea.” His hand closed around the back of her neck, possessive yet tender. Releasing her, he sighed. “I know a place. Might take a while to get there though.”

“That’s okay.” She pressed her cheek against his chest. “You can spill everything on the way.”