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)
A magical charge rose in the air a second time. Huli didn’t pause to think. He jumped behind a large tree, letting it take the brunt of Min’s attack while he gathered his wits. Fine. If she wanted to fight like this, he was happy to let her exhaust herself. It didn’t matter how powerful she was. No one’s magical energy was limitless.
With a new plan in mind, Huli darted from tree to tree, circling. Sometimes moving closer and other times retreating. She sent a few bolts of magic at him, but he was quick enough to dodge the blast each time.
As she seemed to at last be flagging in strength, Huli launched a new attack, throwing his body at her with claws and fangs bared. Yet, it was only when he was in the air that he realized she’d been waiting for this move.
White-hot pain scorched across his chest and down one of his tails. A scream ripped from his throat and was silenced as he hit the ground hard. The forest went black, as if a moonless night had descended on the world. He needed to move, to keep fighting, but there was too much pain. He couldn’t even escape to save his own life.
Huli lay on the forest floor, panting hard enough to shatter his ribs. Everything was pain. But he had to move. He had to get to his gege. Dying here without being able to say good-bye to his vampire was not happening. Even if he had to crawl on his belly, he would get back to his mate.
“No!” Xiao Dan’s roar echoed through the forest and Huli whimpered, trying once again to move despite the overwhelming pain radiating throughout his entire body. Where were his damn healing powers? Why was it taking so long for his body to rebound from that hit? He needed to move so he could protect his mate.
“I think it’s a little late for that,” Min derided just before steel clashed into steel.
Had Min shifted and wielded a sword against Xiao Dan?
Huli attempted to move while rapidly blinking his eyes. The blackness had faded and he could make out shapes, but everything was so blurry. He couldn’t clearly see Xiao Dan or Min.
Another noise reached his ears under the fighting. Someone was moving closer to him. His ear turned toward the noise, but it was the only body part that was obeying his wishes.
“Kai! Take Huli home while I kill this monster!” Xiao Dan ordered.
The dragon was here?
“Gods, Huli! You’re a mess,” Kai murmured, his voice coming from behind him.
“No! I can’t leave!” Huli cried. “I need to help Xiao Dan.”
“You’re not in any kind of shape to help anyone. Let me get you home to the rest of the clan.”
Fresh panic bloomed in Huli’s chest, sharpening the pain pulsing through every nerve ending in his body. “No! You have to stay. Kill Min first. Don’t leave Xiao Dan alone with her. She’s dangerous. Come back for me later.”
“Chen is here as well. He will protect Xiao Dan.” As Kai spoke, he could feel a pair of large hands slipping under his limp body, sending new ripples of pain screaming through all his limbs. He cried out, but even that felt like it was cut short as darkness flooded his senses, sweeping him out into the icy embrace of unconsciousness.
Chapter 17
Zhang Xiao Dan
She stole his tail.
That grim thought kept repeating through Xiao Dan’s brain as he chased and slashed at the creature who danced ahead of him through the forest with a woman’s body and fox ears. In one hand she held a long, slender sword and in the other dangled one of Huli’s orange and white tails like a grotesque trophy.
He wanted her dead.
The monster had harmed his sweet Huli. When he’d located the two huli jing, his mate was a limp, matted husk of blood-soaked fur. If he hadn’t been panting, Xiao Dan would have guessed that he was dead.
She stole his tail!
Huli had worked lifetimes to achieve each one of his magical tails. They were signs of his determination, dedication, and unwavering strength. Those tails were a source of great pride and joy for Huli. She had no right to touch a single one of them, but now she had one. She’d ripped it from his body.
And now he wanted to rip each of her limbs from her body.
Everywhere she went, he was right there to block her path with a lethal swing of his sword. The laughter that had greeted him at his arrival was gone. So was her contemptuous smile. Lines of strain formed around her mouth and stretched out from the corners of her eyes. Each slash that she dodged or blocked was getting closer and closer to his ultimate target.
“It’s okay. Kai has Huli at the manor,” Chen called out, but it was too late for retreating to check on his mate. He could only face Huli when he could bring his fox Min’s head. Along with all nine of her tails. That was the one consolation he could give his mate after losing one of his own tails.