Trancing the Tiger (Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 1) (22 page)

As though she’d become the trophy in this cockfight.

She stiffened, not buying anything he said. The smugness on his face strengthened her resolve. She slipped away from the security of Sheng, ignoring the warning growl he sent in her direction. Sliding her fingers against Zhao’s cool, manicured hand, she introduced herself. “Lucy Yeoh.”

“Yes, I know.” His perusal dipped over her as though peeling through her layers of clothing. She resisted crossing her arms. He wasn’t trying to undress her, even if that was what it seemed like. He sought a much greater intimacy.

Another glimpse of Rabbit.

Well, better luck next time. The bunny burrowed so deeply, even she barely sensed its presence.

Zhao’s nostrils flared as his gaze slithered over her. Snake’s forked tongue flicked, making her skin crawl.

“The Rabbit, Li?” he sneered. “Didn’t your
Kongsi
claim the Dragon was coming?” To add to his taunt, he extended a hand mockingly to a street quite empty of the Dragon.

“No offense, Lucy.” Those glinting eyes refocused on her. “The Rabbit isn’t worth anyone’s time. Just like
Chicken
wasn’t either.” He shot the word “Chicken” to Sheng, who flinched in a fleeting manifestation of raw, wounded emotion.

Sheng’s gaze flicked to the limo. Who was inside?

Lucy peered past Zhao into the open door of his waiting limo. Another man sat inside, observing this confrontation, she was sure. Obscured by the tinted windows, she noted his large, imposing form and the tailored pant of one leg.

As though catching her staring, he leaned forward. Shadows shrouded most of his face, and she sensed no spirit animal within him, yet a magnetism about this man left her…ensnared.

“Ah, you must forgive my companion, Tián Delun, for remaining in the car.” Snake’s voice jolted her to the present. “I can assure you the members of the Ghee Hin are not as barbarically ill-mannered as our encounters with you have suggested.” His brows drew together and he regarded her with augmenting interest. “Intriguing. Can’t tame this one either, eh, Li?” His question shot to Sheng, but his scrutiny never left her…as if he tried to penetrate her, break her, make her yield to him.

She placed her hands on her hips.
Either?
His taunt worried her. Who the hell was Chicken? The spirit must be a black mark in their history together. But, black for whom? Both Snake and Sheng stiffened at the spirit’s mention. Each appeared angry at the other.

“You should drop by the Ghee Hin residence sometime, Lucy. We own the best beach in Penang. Just make sure this riffraff doesn’t follow you. The Hai San have a tendency to sneak around, uninvited.”

Yeah, no. Playing Snake’s beach bunny was definitely not on her sightseeing list. “Well, it was lovely to meet you.” She pasted on a fake smile and forced her voice to sound perky. “We have an appointment and we shouldn’t be late. Sheng?”

Sheng took a moment to break his stare-off with Snake before nodding at her proposal. He shoved his hand possessively beneath her elbow and she permitted the gesture. Between the two men, she’d much rather be led away by Sheng.

Better the devil she knew, right?

Sheng might not be a devil, but he certainly wasn’t a saint either. New shadows fogged the dark mystery surrounding his past, and she was determined to unmask each one.

***

Sheng clenched his jaw. Fuck. A string of curses pounded through his mind. He was in such deep shit. Going against the command of the Elders had seemed brilliant yesterday when Lucy was the sole concern in his mind.

Snake knew. He fucking knew Sheng had killed those demons yesterday. If he hadn’t already sent a warning to the Hai San to stay off Ghee Hin turf, he expected Sheng to deliver it to them.

It wasn’t the notion of peace that kept the Hai San from engaging the Ghee Hin. It was bloody survival. They were outnumbered.

That bastard Snake was right—he could invade Kek Lok Si and wipe them out.

Despite being a sly motherfucker, Snake did possess a few admirable qualities. Like honor. Respect for the Elders. More than anything, he was motivated to prevent the taint of shame from tarnishing his family name.

If he aspired to make a conquest, he’d do it in such a way no one would question the righteousness of his actions.

The family name meant everything to Snake. He didn’t seek to merely control his territory. He aimed to go down in history for being great. Bringing honor and respect to his family and all that bullshit.

Lucy tugged his arm. “Sheng?”

He cast one last glimpse in the direction Snake had slunk off. A hundred times, he’d imagined tearing out the douchebag’s throat. He’d begged, pleaded on his knees for the Elders to give him permission.

Had Snake asked for the same about him?

The Elders remained convinced the two
Kongsi
would learn to work together, eventually. Fuck that. Chicken was the perfect example of why that would never happen. The mention of her sent spikes of remorse jabbing into his heart.

“Let’s go.” He didn’t cloak this time. The Council Chambers lay two blocks away, and he refused to risk Snake being in the vicinity to snoop on the extent of Lucy’s abilities. Especially since Snake had been aware of her presence in the Gardens.

If the bastard had gotten his claws on her before Sheng had rescued her… He clenched his fists and forced the image of Tiger tearing out the man’s throat from his mind.

They trekked in silence. He damn near heard the questions strumming through her mind, but she held her tongue. Another display of fortitude he hadn’t expected from her. Even with Snake, she’d done her best to conceal her intimidation.

A thousand layers to Lucy. Would he ever delve through every one? The questions she sought to ask…she had every right to the answers. He just didn’t know how to give them to her. He halted in front of the archival building. The augmenting rumbling of motorcycle engines signified the other Chosen were arriving. Fantastic. Monkey was better at this sort of thing.

“You ready for this?” Mei stopped her bike alongside the staircase of the Council’s office building and slid off. Kassian and Fang followed suit.

“Nah.”

Mei rolled her eyes. “Not you, Li. Lucy. The universe doesn’t revolve around you, you know.”

He grinned as she linked her arm through Lucy’s and led her through the opening doors.

The same monk who’d led them last time, did so now. They entered the large chamber and the Matchmaker lifted her head from her perusal of the papers scattered across her lap. She lifted an ornate Chinese fan off the table beside her and set the papers in the fan’s place. Then she tapped the papers into a neat stack, folded the fan, and laid it on top.
Fuck, she’s meticulous.
Probably enjoyed taking her time in making him squirm, too.

One finely shaped brow lifted at Sheng. “I didn’t summon you.”

He shrugged to hide the swallowing of his concerns. Lucy had healed him last night. Rabbit was ready and, after meeting Snake, he refused to put the ceremony off any longer.

Rabbit had to join with Tiger. Now.

“You asked me to test her, to secure the Rabbit, and I’ve done it. Why so surprised, Matchmaker?”

Her blood red lips curved in a haughty smile. “Well, with you, one can never anticipate when you might have a sudden bout of impotence.”

He scoffed at the pleased smile pursing the woman’s lips. She’d never let him forget that night. Not for one second.

“Well, Matchmaker, consider yourself lucky.”

“Lucky?”

“Yeah.” He leaned forward, bent to whisper so she, alone, heard. “I would’ve fucked you so well, Turtle wouldn’t know where to stick his puny dick.”

Her eyes fumed. His jibe had struck a sensitive note. Everyone assumed the Matchmaker banged Turtle, which made Sheng’s skin crawl. The Elder had to be close to a hundred years old and his visage was as wrinkled as his namesake.

That shut her up. Because to admit or deny his comment, either way, she was screwed.

She made a tiny growl in the back of her throat before her seething glare dismissed him from her presence.

Right. A grin tugged at Sheng’s lips. He’d looked forward to proving everyone wrong about him, about Lucy.

“Little Rabbit, I am glad to see you once more.” She rose and unclasped her hands, long red nails clacking together.

“Matchmaker.” Lucy inclined her head, revealing how she’d picked up the respectful nuances. Tradition this and ritual bullshit that.

A warmth spread throughout his chest. Once this was finished, he’d take her home. To his bed. Let them try to order him against that. Tiger remained riled up from the confrontation with Snake, from the anticipation of this moment. Slap everything together, and Sheng had more agitated energy than he knew what to do with.

Well, other than pursuing Lucy.

***

The Matchmaker scraped her long red fingernails along Lucy’s cheek, making her tense. No one bothered to explain to her what they were doing here, but this initiation of sorts would bring her one step closer to the truth.

To saving lives.

Adrenaline thrummed through her body. The second she’d stepped foot inside this building, Rabbit had crept out of hiding. Now, with the Matchmaker, Rabbit cloaked around Lucy. The spread of white fur coated her body like a blanket of freshly fallen snow before fading back inside.

“Good, good.” The Matchmaker murmured in approval. “Very well, Li. You may proceed with attempting the joining. If you are successful, you may complete the circle.”

“Joining? Circle?”

“Yes, Lucy. Do you recall the chamber I showed you with the statues?”

She glanced at the anteroom.

“After Rabbit submits to Tiger, your spirit animal will be beneath the dominance of Sheng’s. Part of Tiger’s circle. The process of securing loyalties must be repeated with each new host. Do not worry. We will instruct you on what to do.”

As the Matchmaker stepped back, Sheng waved for Lucy to stand facing him. He stared deeply into her eyes, flashing reassurance at her. “Cloak Rabbit, Lucy.”

She swallowed hard and let Rabbit’s essence surround her. Sheng did the same, fearsome Tiger forming a hazy image over Sheng.

Inside her, Rabbit thrashed against its walls. She clamped down on every ounce of control, but Rabbit pulled a full-on panic attack—thumping, bounding, dashing left and right.

The second Sheng seized her hand, the electric energy between them sparked. A bright burst of light shot straight to the domed ceiling, blasting her and Sheng apart.

Her body flew through the air, crashed against a wall, and slumped to the ground. Spearing flares spiked through her body, and she writhed on the floor as though being electrocuted.

Pounding footsteps clattered toward her, but no one came closer until the last tremor eased. She’d sliced her teeth into her lower lip, causing it to bleed and coat her tongue in a coppery tang. Spitting a glob of blood, she twisted her face to peer at the crowd huddled around her.

“No one touch her.” Sheng ordered them back, his face contorted in a mixture of concern, fear, and disappointment. “Lucy? Can you hear me?” His dark gaze roamed over her, his mouth set in a grim line.

She tried to speak, but no sound escaped. Her ears continued to ring, her head to buzz. His mouth kept moving, forming words, but they didn’t register in her ears.

The Matchmaker’s porcelain face hovered above her and she shoved Sheng aside.

As bad as Sheng’s concern was, the haunted resignation in this woman’s frown cut through Lucy a thousand times deeper.

A spasm speared through her middle. She whimpered. Hunching, she gripped her stomach. Her body twitched in jerky convulsions, her head fractured from the painful tremors, and still no one touched her. Worse than this unexplained onslaught, was the notion she’d somehow become untouchable.

To Sheng.

Chapter 17

Sheng didn’t fight Ox’s grasp as the man strong-armed him to his feet, distancing him from Lucy. His brain railed against what the fuck had just happened, but one thing was certain.

It was his fault.

Nothing had happened to Lucy until he’d made contact with her. Until he’d seen
that
.

Dammit. He growled, shoved off Ox’s supportive arm, and paced, stalking the Matchmaker’s efforts to revive Lucy.

He’d received a light zap, but tendrils of steam continued to rise off Lucy’s electrocuted body. She lay helpless on the ground, but he didn’t dare touch her.

Exhibiting greater strength than her slight frame would suggest, the Matchmaker scooped Lucy into her arms. “Li, go to the Grand Chamber.” After issuing her command, she carried Lucy away.

He let out a shaky breath. Today had started off so well and, now, it had all gone to shit. His chest tightened as he marched up the long set of marbled stairs to the Grand Chamber. Lucy’s injury gutted him, yet if Rabbit kept proving this uncooperative, what did this mean for her future?

Would she eventually break as Chicken had?

No.
The notion lanced through him, and he gritted his teeth. He’d never let it come to that. There had to be a solution. Maybe he’d rushed things. Pushed too far, too soon.