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)
Huli turned his head ever so slightly toward Xiao Dan so that it looked as if there were a glint of laughter in his bright golden eye. “Does Gege need me to kiss it and make it better?”
That was the happy, flirty comment he was hoping for. The panic attempting to strangle him eased enough for him to take a breath.
“You heal for me, and I’ll let you kiss anything you want.”
“Don’t tease Huli, Gege. I want to kiss you everywhere.”
Behind him, someone cleared his throat. With burning cheeks, he glanced over his shoulder to find Chen standing a few meters away in the shadows.
“Forgive me, Shixiong. Min slipped past us. Rafe has sent a couple of his people to follow at a distance. They’ll send an update soon.”
Xiao Dan digested that info as he stared at his fox. His hand stroked his warm fur while listening to his ragged breathing. At first, he’d thought they might scare the other huli jing away. He hadn’t believed that they would need to kill her.
He’d underestimated Min and her powers, and he had no one to blame but himself. He’d judged Min on what he’d seen of his sweet fox. Huli had never used his magical gifts against the Zhang clan. When they’d fought the fae, he’d caught only glimpses of Huli, and then he’d been mostly sneaking.
He’d been wrong about Min. Not cautious enough. She had to die. And not because of the threat she posed to him.
No, she had to die for touching his mate.
No one was allowed to harm his huli jing. And she was going to pay for every drop of blood he spilled.
“Have Rafe call them off. She won’t be going far. She’ll return for me and Huli.”
“Yes, Shixiong.” There was one footstep followed by silence, as if Chen had stopped. “Will Huli be okay?” Chen inquired in a low voice.
“Oh, no! Gege, am I dying? Did Chen really ask about me? I must be dying!” Huli’s voice trembled with fake fear or genuine laughter he couldn’t quite hold in. Xiao Dan wasn’t sure which.
Chen groaned and stomped off. Xiao Dan was glad his back was to Chen so the vampire couldn’t see his grin.
“Huli, you’re incorrigible,” Xiao Dan admonished, not that either of them believed it.
The fox cracked open one eye to stare up at him. “But you still love your silly fox.”
“I love my silly fox with all of my heart.”
Chapter 11
Huli
Lying in bed alone was boring.
Huli wouldn’t deny that he loved sleeping in Xiao Dan’s bed while wearing his pajamas. He’d even bathed using Xiao Dan’s soaps. There was little else he could do to smell more like his mate.
Well, there was sex.
But Xiao Dan had declared no fun stuff until he’d fully healed. The fight with Min had been three nights ago, and he’d been healed for two of those nights. It was time to show Xiao Dan how ready he was for all the kisses he owed him.
Huli kicked off the blankets and sprang out of bed. He stared at the comfy blue pajamas he was wearing. Xiao Dan had rolled up the sleeves and legs personally, so the material didn’t stretch past his hands and feet. Should he conjure up some tight, sexy clothes to put Xiao Dan in the mood?
No. He enjoyed being in his mate’s clothes, wearing the same fabric that caressed Xiao Dan’s skin.
Besides, Xiao Dan had helped him into these pajamas. He could help Huli out of them again.
That decided, he slipped out of the bedroom and started down the hall in search of Xiao Dan. Voices echoed out of the kitchen. By the number and volume, it sounded like most of the clan was in there arguing about Min. At least they weren’t saying bad things about him.
He stood in the hallway, just outside of view of anyone in the kitchen, listening for the sound of Xiao Dan’s calm and collected voice, but it never piped up. Maybe he wasn’t in there.
While it was tempting to stand there listening to the other Zhang clan members come up with ways to roast Min, he would much rather locate Xiao Dan for some private time.
Smiling to himself, Huli turned on his heel and headed down a different hallway in search of his mate. An unexpected bubble of joy rose in his chest. He’d never felt such freedom walking through the clan home. The estate in China was three times the size of this one, and they had chased him away every time they’d spotted him.
In the United States, he’d been tolerated because they’d had a use for him against the fae.
But the fae were gone, and he could still walk where he wished within the home and on the grounds because he was Xiao Dan’s mate. This was where he belonged.