Kali Willows BUNDLE (Shadowed Desires Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

happened to me tonight? I’m not so normal myself these days.”
    Yong stared at Tatsu. I don’t know what to say to her.
    She’s our last chance; it’s now or never . “We are human,” Tatsu said.
    Yong sat beside him and leaned back.
    “You are?”
    “Half, anyway.”
    “Half human? What about the rest of you?” Her widened eyes darted between them.
    Yong pulled a brown leather journal from his coat pocket and handed it to her.
    She flipped through the pages. “I can’t read it.”
    “It’s written in kanji—Chinese calligraphy.”
    “I can see that much. What’s it about?”
    Yong patted the couch between them. He took the book as she snuggled in. “Our grandfather started his journal as a boy and kept writing over the decades, knowing he would have to pass the information down someday.”
    “About what?”
    “Chinese culture sometimes refers to our people as “Descendants of the Dragon.”
    “Go on.”
    “We’re parahuman—half-breeds.”
    Gwen shrank back, staring blankly at the page.
    We’re going about this all wrong, little brother.
    Gimme a minute .
    “Our mother didn’t hook up with a dragon, or anything bizarre like that, but we believe we evolved from them centuries ago. Grandfather’s research says that our people carry the dormant gene, and twins born during the year of the dragon receive the dominant version.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “We were born in 1976, the year of the dragon.”
    “So what does that mean?”
    “Legend has it, twins born under that Chinese zodiac sign are in fact one dragon’s spirit, split in two.”
    “So we’re talking talons and scales, with wings and fiery breath?”
    “Not yet, but it could happen. The tales say one twin will at some point overpower the other. The stronger one will remain human. The other will shift into the form of a dragon then die—reuniting the spirit in one body.”
    “So, you believe the story? The ramblings of your grandfather’s lifelong obsession with legends?”
    “Of course we do.”
    “Why? It’s just fiction. People write about that kind of stuff all the time.”
    “Fiction is often based on some element of truth. Grandfather was born in 1940.”
    “What’s your point?”
    “The year of the dragon.”
    “And?”
    “He’s the surviving twin.”
    She got to her feet and looked from Yong to his brother. “Stand up, right now.”
    The brothers complied. She circled them at a slow pace.
    “Take your coats off.”
    Tatsu shook his head.
    “Please.” She stepped in front of him and cupped his pale cheek in her palm. He allowed his leather coat to drop to the floor.
    Running her hands along both their chests, she frowned. “Now your shirts.”
    Tatsu winced, sucking in a breath as he lifted the turtleneck sweater over his head.
    “What are these tattoos on your chests? They’re the same.” Her fingers glided over the markings.
    “The kanji symbol means double dragon,” Tatsu said.
    “Twin dragons?”
    He gave a soft smile. “Yes.”
    She stepped behind Yong, and continued her gentle exploration with her nails along his bare back. Next, she moved behind Tatsu and clapped her hand over her mouth.
    “Does it hurt?” Her eyes welled up.
    Yong feared what he would find. “No, it can’t be.” Approaching, he swallowed hard at the sight of the jagged flesh and touched the nubs of wings poking out of Tatsu’s back.
    “How can we stop it?” Her voice was frantic.
    “I’m not sure we can anymore.” Tatsu said.
    “We could have before? How?”
    “It doesn’t matter now. We shouldn’t have gotten you involved.”
    “The book states,” Yong tried to keep defeat from overwhelming him, “the way to keep the change from happening is to cancel the exchange of energy flow between us, basically short circuiting it.”
    “Grandfather had a theory,” Tatsu said.
    “What was it?”
    “If both of us were to—experience the identical explosive force at the same time, it would neutralize the event and