by Meg Xuemei X
Kai will not hit back, because no matter what, in his mind she’s still my biological mother. He also has a rule to never hit a woman. But I’ll hit back. She gave up the sacred rights of being my mother when she offered baby-me to a demon so she could get away. When I was six, I overheard her telling her demon dream to her coworkers at the recycling center.
I break free from Kai while he’s occupied with protecting me, and my fist rams onto the woman’s gut. She staggers back and doubles over. The broken chopsticks drop from her hands, scattering to the floor. Her husband stands over her, dumbfounded.
“What are you looking at?” she curses between her ragged gasps. “Hit them!”
“You can try!” I say, eyeing a chair near me.
Her husband isn’t going to do anything. He’s never been man enough. “Don’t fight,” he begs. “We’ll be the joke of the town.”
“You’d hit your own mother?” Squatting against the wall, the woman cries, as if someone she loved just died, if she’s ever loved anyone.
I used only half of my strength on her. I didn’t fight her as I fought the school bullies. For some reason, I can’t hit her with full force. And after I punched her, I still shudder on the inside.
But one glance at Kai’s bloody hands, my eyes turn into blades again.
“Heaven will damn you!” she curses among her tears. “No one who hits her own mother will go unpunished! Your conscience was fed to the wild wolf! I should have strangled you the day you were born, you monster! You fiend from hell!” She cries more.
“You’re no mother to me. My real mom passed away eight years ago. She used to make me flower pancakes,” I say.
Kai looks confused. “Your real mother?”
“Bloodline means nothing to me,” I say.
He nods. “Only those who love you are your true family.”
I hold his wrist gently. Both of his hands are wounded, one from the knife cut when he swore his love to me, the other from the chopsticks, which reopened the old wounds from the mirror. “We’re leaving, Kai. If they try to stop us, we’ll hit back. Show no mercy.”
The woman straightens up, but still leans against the wall like an invalid, with an intention to show the world how my blow has maimed her. I almost tell her not to waste her time. She of all people should know how compassionless I am.
“It’s not over!” she hisses. “When my son comes home and finds out what you two did to me, he’ll kill you!”
“Come near Kai and me,” my voice is dead and cold, “I’ll end you.”
Everyone shivers but me. Even Kai appears uneasy. He slips an arm around my stiff shoulder. “Let’s get out of here, love,” he urges.
“Leave, but go butt naked! You take your clothes off. You don’t get to take anything that’s mine!” shouts the woman, but she doesn’t come near me.
“Go to hell,” I tell her.
“You haven’t won, Xirena! The war has just started!” she screams. “You’ll lose everything for that devil boy. The whole town will . . . .”
I slam the heavy door shut.
Kai and I leap down the stairs, three at a time, like a pair of panthers.
I never look back.
TIME FLOWS, LOVE STAYS
Kai and I step into the white night. The only sounds are the sighs of the gentle, cold wind and tree twigs creaking under the weight of the snow. No light emits from the narrow, packed houses along the snow-covered streets. Dressed in a soft, white gown, the usually dirty, desolate town looks like a sleepy beauty.
Kai and I hold hands as we trek toward his brick house over the hill.
“You set me free, Kai. You’ve given me a pair of wings.”
“You broke the chain yourself, my love,” he says. Cold light from the snow reflects in his eyes, but it can’t diminish the warmth within. “You’ll never fear again.”
“Never?” I ask with a blank expression.
“Never,” he confirms with an unyielding look.
“You’re wrong,” I say ruefully. Then over his perplexed and concerned expression, I bend, glancing up at him through my long eyelashes. “Shouldn’t I fear you, you big wolf?” I grab a handful of snow, squeeze it into a hard ball, and toss it at his face.
The snowball makes contact with his fine-boned nose and shatters.
He looks stupefied. I’ve broken into a run.
A wolf’s howl erupts behind me. Kai chases and leaps, pinning me down to the ground. We roll over and over. One second he’s on top of me; the next I’m on him. Snow and mud are all over us.
I work on bending my knees to kick him off, but I’m laughing too hard to achieve that. My plan wouldn’t have succeeded anyway. I’m a dirty street fighter, but he’s a martial arts graduate.
“Xire, my love,” he says with a lazy, indulgent smile, and then he lets me go.
We lie side by side on the snow, gazing deep into each other’s eyes, seeking the hidden treasure we have yet to find.
The affair of the heart is the deadliest. I used to warn myself not to listen to the fool who says, “Follow your heart.” But I can’t help myself anymore. My heart burns for him.
“I love you, Kai,” I say. “No matter how far I go and how high I fly, I’ll always come back to you.”
He gazes at me; the bronze speckles that rim his dark irises ignite like the shooting stars. He rolls me on top of him. My lush, black hair cascades down around him and the snow. He slides his fingers into my half-wet hair, pulls me toward him, and claims my lips with ravenous passion. I’ve never felt more beautiful and alive.
Inside the flame, I return his kiss with equally scorching wildfire. This moment of supreme happiness flows at the speed of light, to the infinite universe where there is no end, where love never fades.
— The End —
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH SERIAL
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 1: ANGEL'S LUST
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 2: ANGEL'S OBSESSION
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 3: ANGEL'S INDECENT PROPOSAL
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 4: ANGEL'S GLORY
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 5: ANGEL'S FURY
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 6: ANGEL'S MATE
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 7: ANGEL'S WAR
THE EMPRESS OF MYSTH 8: ANGEL'S HOME
* * *
More books by Meg Xuemei X
LAMENTS OF ANGELS & DARK CHEMISTRY SERIES
THE SIREN
LAMENTS OF ANGELS & DARK CHEMISTRY, #1
"A flawless blend of sci-fi, YA fantasy, supernatural events, romance, adventure, action, suspense and intrigue ... The Siren is a one of a kind young adult story and the start of a truly captivating series. I cannot wait to read book 2 and see where this awesome adventure takes us."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MLHS2IM
THE PRINCE
LAMENTS OF ANGELS & DARK CHEMISTRY, # 2
"If you are looking for a sci-fi adventure with cutting edge battles, sophisticated heroes and villains, lost ancient powers, and an impossible love interest that can only end in disaster, look no further."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NHEUJZ2
THE RED QUEEN
LAMENTS OF ANGELS & DARK CHEMISTRY, #3
“A powerful plot full of dire circumstances, intrigue, romance, mystery, and action, fans will certainly be captivated and engrossed.”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017Q02M5C
LOVE’S PREY: A SWEET ROMANCE
“I would recommend Love’s Prey to readers who enjoy stories of first love, romance in general, YA fiction, and romance set in other cultures.”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KIC47AY
Meg Xuemei X is an award-winning author. She loves dark chocolate and gazing at the stars. She lives in Southern California with her husband, a panther, and a fox.
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