Page 57 of Two Thousand Promises

That got his eyes to widen. “Yes. Definitely. But the next time, I get to come first, and you come second. I almost died!”

It started as a low chuckle that shook his frame and exploded out of his mouth as a deep belly laugh. Yes, only Huli would suffer a close call with death over an orgasm.

“Deal!” he agreed when he could catch his breath.

Huli smirked as he shimmied up the bed to stretch out next to Xiao Dan. They lay on their sides so they could face each other, both smiling like fools.

“I love you, Huli. You are the joy that has been missing from my life. I never want to lose you,” Xiao Dan murmured as he reached out to brush the tips of his fingers along Huli’s round cheek.

“You will never lose me. I love you with all that I am. This fox spirit has followed you nearly his whole life. Never gonna let you out of my sight.”

“After we defeat Min, we’ll go home to China. Will you live with me there?”

Huli lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes on Xiao Dan as he made little thinking noises. “I don’t know. Will I get to sleep in your bed every day?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“And will I get to shower with Gege whenever I want?”

Xiao Dan’s lips twitched, but he held back his smile. “Of course.”

“Will we go for our rambles through the plum orchard like we used to?”

“All the time.”

“Will you tell me every night that you love me?”

Xiao Dan leaned in and pressed a kiss to Huli’s lips. “Of course. You are my heart and my happiness. I love you with all that I am.”

Huli nodded. “Then Huli will live with you forever.” The words had barely left his lips when his regal, reserve façade shattered. He crashed into Xiao Dan and peppered his face with kisses. “You are never getting rid of your huli jing.”

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.

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