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)
Good. That was exactly what he wanted.
Chapter 21
Huli
Abranch snapped, the sound echoing through the silent woods, and Huli froze, listening for any other signs of movement. Night had fallen a few hours earlier, and the temperature hovered near freezing. By morning, a thick coat of frost would cover the ground and trees, whispering of winter that was barely more than a month away.
When it came time to confront Min, he’d been sure it would be in the middle of the city, where she had access to all the humans and comforts she preferred. She might have come into existence as a fox spirit and passed her earliest years living in a burrow in the ground, but as soon as she could shift into a human, she remained among the humans, preferring their silk finery, comfortable beds, and delicious foods.
But Kai had located her deep in the woods no more than a few kilometers from the Zhang property, as if she hadn’t wanted to travel far from her target.
The dragon had been quite put out when Xiao Dan had banned him from killing the huli jing the moment he’d located her. Huli might have been surprised at first. After losing his tail, he just wanted Min dead so Xiao Dan would be safe.
Yet, as the days passed and Huli slept curled in Xiao Dan’s arms, his head on the vampire’s chest, he understood why he’d stopped Kai. This was their fight. Min had threatened Huli’s mate, and he needed to clean up his own mess.
Xiao Dan also wanted some payback after Huli had suffered at Min’s hands.
The rest of the Zhang clan had accompanied them into the woods this night, but they were there only to keep the white huli jing from escaping.
A large hand came to rest on the top of Huli’s head, and he gazed up to find Xiao Dan standing beside him with a sheathed sword in his other hand and a reassuring smile on his lips. Just that touch was enough to release the tight grip of fear on his lungs, allowing him to breathe a little easier. With his mate at his side, he could accomplish anything.
A scent drifted through the woods and Huli snapped his head around, pointing his nose toward the faint whiff he’d caught. Could it really be Chenxiang?1 Maybe with a hint of lotus blossom. It was something old that called to fuzzy memories of a time long since dead. Without a word, he darted after the scent. The odor didn’t come from the vampires, which left only one creature from his past—Min.
As he followed it, the smell grew stronger. He didn’t dare look behind him and risk Min surprising him. He trusted that Xiao Dan was a step behind. Kai would track them from a distance, ready to deploy the rest of the clan the moment Huli had Min in his sights.
There was a flash of white on his right. Huli tried to change direction, to avoid the coming attack, but Min was faster. Thankfully, though, his vampire was faster than all huli jing. A hand seized the scruff of his neck, jerking him back as a dagger sped through the air and embedded in the dirt where Huli had been standing a second ago.
“Sorry about that,” Xiao Dan murmured as he released Huli.
The fox winked at his mate and turned his attention to the blur of white as Min darted away.
“Why are you running, Min?” Huli shouted. “I thought you wanted to claim the rest of my tails and steal all my power away. That’s why you helped me, wasn’t it?”
“That’s still my plan.” Her voice drifted out of the trees like a hawk on a gust of wind. “But you’ve brought along a vampire to protect you. I’ll need to kill him first if I’m to get to you.”
“At least you have a fair understanding of the situation,” Xiao Dan called out. “There’s no way I’d allow you to harm my mate. You’ll have to go through me.”
Min’s low chuckle trickled out of the shadows. “It’s amazing that you’re still willing to protect him after everything he’s put you through, the danger he has introduced to your precious clan. It’s as if you don’t know him at all.”
“Shut up!” Huli barked. He lunged away from Xiao Dan, rushing to where he thought she was hiding.
“Huli!” Xiao Dan shouted after him.
“What’s wrong, Little Fox? Afraid I’ll tell him who you truly are?” Min’s mocking voice came from his far right. She’d moved without him even noticing. Huli turned and ran toward where he thought she was hiding yet again, but still came up empty. He needed to stop her before she told all his secrets. After their travels and years of cultivation, Huli had spent as much time with Min as he did with Xiao Dan. Possibly even more. And with her, he hadn’t bothered to watch the things that came out of his mouth. Xiao Dan couldn’t know how horrible he really was.