Free Autumn Moon by Karen Michelle Nutt Page A

told me Jin would have …” He shook his head. “No, she said I would find the elixir of life at Moon’s Acupuncture. I assumed I would need to speak with Jin.”
    “Leave it to Gladys to be so cryptic,” he mumbled under his breath. He looked at Jairec again. “There is gray in your hair. Is this new?”
    “Aye, I noticed it this morning.”
    “It’s one of the signs. How do you keep the hunger at bay?”
    Jairec narrowed his eyes. “Am I one of your science projects?”
    “I want to know if my granddaughter is safe with you,” Chin snapped.
    “I told you, I would never hurt her.”
    “You seem awfully sure of yourself.” He opened a draw, his hand curling around a knife.
    Jairec held up his hands. “Hey, I don’t want any trouble.”
    Chin held Jairec’s gaze as he sliced his own palm.
    “What the hell.” Jairec backed up. His fangs lowered and his eyes glowed red. “You need to get out of here old man.”
    Chin let the blood drip down his hand.
    Jairec’s throat rumbled and a growl left his lips. He swiped away the sweat that dripped down his face. “Why are you doing this?”
    “What if my granddaughter is injured in your quest to stop your brother? Can you resist taking her and draining her? You’ve already nibbled on her neck. Who’s to say you won’t take a little more next time?”
    “I told you, I wouldn’t harm her.” The blood teased, rousing the tantalizing scent of prey. He wanted to rip the old man’s throat out and feast. He leaned down, gripping his knees and forcing himself not to react.
    “Look at you. You’re pathetic. You can barely hold back.”
    “Please stop.”
    “No. You have to face what you’ve become. You aren’t human anymore.” With a wave of his other hand, he pinned Jairec to the wall.
    Jairec wondered what other powers Chin possessed. He was stronger than The Seer. The way he pinned him as if he was a bug on a corkboard, forcing him to meet his gaze proved he was no match for Chin.
    “Smell the blood,” Chin teased letting the precious droplets drip down his arm.
    Jairec growled again. His fangs lengthened even more. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to fight the urge to sink his fangs into the old man.
    “You’re a beast.”
    “You don’t think I know this?” Jairec bit out.
    “No, I don’t. I see the way you look at my granddaughter. I know you’ve slept with her and I don’t like it.”
    He met the old man’s gaze. “Tell me what you dislike more: That I’m a chiang-shih or that I remind you of Autumn’s father?” He heard the way Chin sneered at the mention of Autumn’s father. Chin had not forgiven Quinn Moon for taking his daughter away. He most likely blamed the man for her death, too.
    Chin’s face slacked in surprise that he had read him so easily, but then his lips thinned in a frown. “This has nothing to do with Quinn Moon. I want the best for Autumn.”
    “Then we are in agreement. I love her.” He cleared his throat.
    Chin stared at him for a blink of second. Then he released him.
    Jairec slid to the floor.
    Chin took a cloth out of one of the drawers and wrapped his hand. The smell of blood still filled Jairec’s nostrils, but it was tolerable. The urge to kill was not so pronounced now.
    “Holy, holy …” Chin tapped his lip. “You love her.”
    Jairec stood, a smile tugging at his lips at Chin’s choice of words.
    “Do you find something amusing?”
    “I just realized where Autumn gets her spunk.”
    “Flattery will get you nowhere, chiang-shih.”
    “It was worth a try. Aye?” He smiled but Chin’s face remained stoic.
    “You do realize you cannot be with her.”
    He sighed and nodded. “I’m aware. I will see her safe and then … I will rely on you to end my life.”
    “With pleasure.”
    Jairec would have preferred if he hadn’t seemed so pleased with the prospect.
    Chapter Sixteen
     
    Autumn wondered what her grandfather wished to tell Jairec. Why did he want her to wait out here when he