Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Xiao Dan’s heart skipped, and he found himself tongue-tied. In love with a huli jing? That was the focus of so many cautionary tales about the creatures, and ended in the human’s ruin. And yet, it wasn’t fear that he first felt when Huli spoke of falling for him.
He cleared his throat. “Huli is already precious to me. You’re my dear friend. How could I not love you?”
“No!” Huli bristled, and his tails stood up straight behind him. “Not as friends. You will love me as your mate. I want you with me forever!” Huli’s fierce determination had him trembling one second and wilting in the next. “But I must leave my Zhang-ge so I can become stronger.”
Xiao Dan reached out and scratched behind his left ear. “But you can stay with me for a little while, right?”
“Just two nights,” the fox mumbled.
Xiao Dan’s heart squeezed. That wasn’t enough time to spend with his fox, but he had to make the best of it. He didn’t allow his smile to waver. “Two nights is enough time for you to tell me about all the things you’ve seen while you’ve been away.”
“Yes!”
And like that, Huli’s spirits rebounded. The fox launched into tale after tale of distant forests, small villages, winding wild rivers, and epic mountains. Xiao Dan snagged his forgotten basket and resumed picking plums, hanging on Huli’s every word. For a time, he forgot about his worries with his clan and their growing restlessness. Huli opened up an entire world for him he’d never seen.
When the sun was rising on the second night, he hugged his beloved fox with two tails tightly and sent him into the world with a bounce in his step. Instantly, he missed Huli’s enthusiasm and simple joy in everything that surrounded him. He missed the fox’s playful mischief and fearless determination. There might have been a bit of worry in his heart that he would fall hopelessly in love with Huli. Could he dare to love a huli jing?
Yet, if his most recent encounter with the huli jing had taught him anything, it was that it was time for his clan mates to venture out in the world. Even if it was only for a short time. If a young huli jing could do it and return safely, thousand-year-old vampires had to be able to manage easily enough. Zhang manor would always be their home, but it was time for them to see a bit of the world after being hidden away for so long.
Chapter 9
Huli
October 27, 2023
Hartford, Connecticut
“Are you sure this club isn’t owned by an actual phoenix?”
The loud thumping music almost swallowed Xiao Dan’s warm chuckle up. “No. Vampire. One of the Variks.”
“It’s Rafe Varik’s place.” Moon slung an arm across his shoulders and leaned in close so he didn’t have to raise his voice. “I think he renamed it Phoenix after the nightclub burned down in a vampire war. It used to be called something like Blush, I think.”
When they stepped into the club, he could understand the name choice. It was like they’d stepped inside of an inferno. The walls were shades of red and there were black torchlike light fixtures that cast a wavering, dancing glow as if they were small fires. Several black leather banquettes lined two of the walls, giving people a clear view of the large dance floor that was packed with revelers.
Huli’s heart raced in time with the music. His nose twitched at the rich scents that perfumed the air. Humans filled the nightclub, but they weren’t alone. He could smell vampires, shifters, and maybe even some witches in the mix.
Gentle fingers brushed his, and Huli jumped. He blinked and found Xiao Dan smiling at him while a worried look rested in his dark eyes.
“Are you okay? Not too overwhelmed?” Xiao Dan inquired.
This was what he got for telling Xiao Dan that he’d never been to a modern-day nightclub. He’d visited plenty of gambling halls and taverns prior to getting all of his tails, but in the last couple of centuries, he’d stopped venturing far from Xiao Dan’s side. Why go seeking amusement elsewhere when all he needed was smiling at him right now?
Besides, how could he be overwhelmed? He was in public with his mate. Xiao Dan wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed to be seen with him. Not that he thought the vampire would feel that way, but Huli had always kept his distance in the past, meeting with Xiao Dan in private because he knew the rest of the Zhang clan despised and distrusted him. Those days were in the past. No more hiding.
He tightened his grip on Xiao Dan’s hand and lifted on his toes. If he’d been in his fox form, all his tails would have been wagging. “Nope! I’m fine. I want to see everything with you. The only thing…”