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)
“Are you proud enough to give me a kiss?”
He hated to admit it, but part of him had been looking forward to and dreading this moment for hundreds of years. Ever since Huli had first admitted that he’d wanted to shift into a human, so Xiao Dan would fall in love with him. He’d not wanted to face it, even as he’d fantasized about it.
“Huli,” he started, even though he had no idea what he was going to say.
“Please! I promise not to ask for another until I gain my last two tails. Just one tiny kiss as a reward.”
The fox could give all his sweet white lies, but Xiao Dan saw through them, and he didn’t care. He wanted this kiss, too. Even if it was the only one they’d ever share.
Xiao Dan shifted Huli in his lap so that he could cup one cheek with his left hand, his fingers sliding into that soft silky hair. Huli tipped his head to the side, settling more of the weight of his head into his hand while his eyes fell shut.
Leaning forward, Xiao Dan brushed his lips across Huli’s in the barest caress while he dragged in a deep breath, pulling Huli’s scent into his lungs to stay. Huli gave a tiny flinch and then tipped his head up, wordlessly begging for more. Xiao Dan kissed those soft lips again and again, adding more pressure with each pass, learning the gentle contours of his mouth, memorizing the hitch in Huli’s breathing as the tip of his tongue traced Huli’s full bottom lip.
Minutes passed, and the kiss continued in an endless barrage of exploring and learning all the little things. He wanted to take these memories out when they were parted and polish each one so that it shone brighter than the moon.
He only pulled away as his own lips grew sore and swollen. He opened his eyes to see that Huli’s face was flushed while his thick dark eyelashes lay like two exquisite fans on his cheeks. Those lips still begged for more kisses, but he needed to stop before he gave in to other desires.
Huli’s eyelids slowly lifted, and his eyes regained their focus. The soft smile turned into a hard glare. The handsome man pinched Xiao Dan’s chin and held him so that he couldn’t look away from that fierce stare.
“I will get my last two tails and become a jiuweihu. And when I am, you will be my mate. We will be together forever.”
And Xiao Dan was sure he’d never wanted anything more in all his life.
Chapter 16
Huli
November 3, 2023
Near Zhang Manor, Connecticut
Huli’s paws barely touched the ground as he ran through the woods, moving away from the Zhang manor as the sun sank lower in the sky. Leaves crunched and the bare limbs of trees rattled in the rising breeze, carrying with it the scent of a cold rain. But even with the air heavy with the aroma of rotting leaves, rain, and the distant hint of smoke, he could still pick out Min’s scent.
It was time to end this. No more putting it off or ignoring it in hopes of her simply going away. The presence of the other huli jing in the area had pulled a dark and ominous pall over the Zhang household. She wanted Xiao Dan’s soul, but she’d also made a grab for Erik. Who else would she threaten to get what she wanted? The entire clan was on edge, and it was Huli’s fault. If he was going to have a moment’s peace with his mate, he needed to get rid of the threat to Xiao Dan and his clan.
Plus, there was the nagging of his conscience to consider. While the blasted thing had been content to be silent most of his life, it seemed to want to make noise and complain now that he had everything he could want within his reach. Only he couldn’t grasp it and enjoy it until his mate was safe and happy.
There were definite drawbacks to being tied to a morally upstanding lover. You started developing the same values, and that was troublesome.
With the fae moving to their own realm, the tingle of magic in the forest had decreased, making it much easier to follow Min’s path. The annoying huli jing had lurked near the woods that surrounded the Zhang home. He didn’t know if she’d been searching for a hole in their protection magic, or just trying to lure him out. With Min, it was probably a bit of both. Aggravating him was a bonus.
He’d traveled more than a mile away from the house when he caught his first flash of white fur darting between the trees. Huli lunged after it, following it on a twisting path between trees and through the brush. Sometimes she moved toward the Zhang property, and then the next turn would take them farther away. Each time he’d get close enough to chomp on one of her tails, she’d speed up, eluding him.