Page 59 of Two Thousand Promises

“Is this how you finally beat me? With an entire clan of vampires?” Min mocked.

“They are there to make sure you can’t escape,” Huli growled.

“Your fight is with us,” Xiao Dan finished.

The white fox huffed. “Two against one? Hardly seems fair.”

Xiao Dan pulled his sword from his sheath and slashed it through the empty air. “You were the one who was foolish enough to attack my mate and my clan. No one touches my mate or my family.”

As Min stared at Xiao Dan, Huli leaped at Min, tackling her to the ground. They rolled through the fallen leaves, broken branches, and stagnant pools of cold water. A horrendous noise rose out of the valley, a cacophony of screams and barks. They kicked, clawed, and bit at each other, tearing flesh where they could.

At last, Huli flew away from her, freeing himself from the tangle of teeth and tails. The second he was away, Xiao Dan stepped in, swinging his sword. Min was forced to shift into her human form. She blocked the vampire’s sword with her own magically conjured blade. Metal clanged and sparks flew up, briefly lighting the darkness.

While Min was quite strong fighting as a fox, she hadn’t studied the art of swordplay for as long as Xiao Dan. She struggled to keep up with his series of offensive slashes and thrusts to the point of her shifting back into a fox after less than a minute and darting off to another part of the valley.

As she ran, heavy tree branches fell from the trees that lined the edge of the rim. Each time, Min had to dart and dodge to avoid being hit.

“Rei!” Xiao Dan shouted. “We agreed on no interference.”

“That wasn’t me!” the elf cried out.

“Forgive me, Shixiong,” Kai mumbled.

Huli giggled until angry sparks of magic crackled along Min’s tails. He’d been hit with those magic bolts in the past, and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. He hunkered low, preparing to dart out of the way, when the white fox yelped and violentlyjerked to the left, pulling her tails out of a tangle of vines that had somehow threaded their way through them.

The elf snorted. “Okay. That one was me.”

Xiao Dan might not appreciate the interference, but Huli did. The second Min was distracted, he lunged at her. The impact of their bodies hitting drove her to the ground again. Unfortunately, she was ready for him and kicked him away. He hit a clump of leaves, rolled to his feet, and shifted into a human. He palmed the throwing knife Xiao Dan had pressed into his hand before they left the manor and threw it straight at Min.

With a wicked grin, she batted it away. But she didn’t notice that Xiao Dan was already racing toward her. The vampire snatched the blade out of the air and plunged it into her neck.

For a heartbeat, it was as if the world had become a frozen tableau of death as Xiao Dan stood over the white huli jing, her tails stiff and still behind her. But on the next beat, Xiao Dan stepped back, ripping the blade from her body. Min fell soundlessly forward on a gush of blood that covered the dead leaves and cold earth. Her tails fell limp. A couple of gurgling gasps escaped her and then…nothing.

She was gone.

The shadow that had stretched through so much of his life, the threat to his happiness with Xiao Dan, was finally gone.

His brain was still trying to process it when Xiao Dan’s arms wrapped tightly around him, pulling him in against his chest. Kisses were pressed to the top of his head and temple.

“Are you all right? Did she hurt you?” Xiao Dan demanded.

Huli lifted his face to look at the worry that lined his mate’s handsome features. A small smile grew on his lips. “I’m okay. No harm done.”

“Can you forgive me?”

Huli blinked at the vampire, his brain locking up after just starting to function again. “Huh?” That wasn’t what he’d expected him to say.

“I know you wanted revenge for all the harm she did to you and stealing your tail, but I lost my patience. She was getting too close to hurting you, and I couldn’t take it any longer.”

A swell of warmth pushed through his body, replacing the cold nausea that followed Min’s death. His mate had acted to protect him. His perfect Xiao Dan had lost his temper and acted in haste. How could he not love him more?

Huli wrapped his arms around Xiao Dan’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “Nothing to forgive. You saved me.”

“I will always save you,” Xiao Dan murmured, their lips brushing as he spoke.

“That’s it?” Rei’s cry broke them apart.

Huli stared past Xiao Dan to find the rest of the Zhang clan descending into the valley with them. Most weapons had been tucked away, and there were expressions of relief on their faces. All except for Rei.

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