Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Those days were now long over with the new training schedules, diaper changing, bedtime stories, language lessons, and so many new personalities coming together. It was blissful chaos that Xiao Dan looked forward to every evening when he woke.
He paused in his aimless wander in front of the open doorway leading to the ancestral hall, where all the memorial tablets had been set up for their lost clan mates. A thin trickle of smoke curled up from the trio of incense sticks that were nearly burned down to the end. Chen had already made his evening stop to speak to Shifu.
Xiao Dan held his hands together before his chest and bowed to the tablets. “May you all be at peace. Your clan is safe and content.”
It may have taken them a century, but they were finally complete.
Xiao Dan turned from the ancestral hall, but his next step faltered as he mentally replayed that last thought. Something didn’t feel complete.
Chen had Moon, who was a mate and a shidi in need of guidance and training.
Yichen had Rei, an elf who was also adept at keeping Yichen on his toes.
Xiang had a dragon. His hands were full.
Junjie had gained a mate and a son.
Ming Yu and Mei Lian were destined to be mates if they’d stop dancing around each other and talk about their real feelings. Regardless, Xiao Dan knew better than to stick his unwanted nose into that lesbian love story.
That just left…himself.
But there was no question of who he wanted. There had only ever been one person for him. It was never the right time, or he’d feared being selfish when his clan needed him.
With everyone settled and the trek home so close, maybe it was time to claim that mischievous fox spirit as his own.
Except, where was Huli?
He’d said that he would pop by at sunset to help Xiao Dan pack up some of his belongings. That more realistically meant that Huli planned to lounge on his bed and talk while he watched Xiao Dan wrap breakables and fill boxes. Regardless, he should have been there by now. Huli might be flighty, but he was always prompt when Xiao Dan promised to spend time with him.
Xiao Dan continued through the house, pausing in the kitchen to ask Junjie if he’d seen Huli that evening. The vampire lifted his eyes from the snack he was preparing for Erik to shake his head.
Odd.
He stepped outside through the door off the kitchen and strolled through the rear garden. The stars were twinkling overhead in a clear sky. The night air had become crisp and cool now that they were deep into October. Leaves were now shades of bright yellow, orange, and red.
Following the winding stone path, Xiao Dan wandered over the small, curved bridge into the thicket of trees at the rear of the property. Just when he was about to turn toward the house, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.
A smile grew on his lips. This couldn’t be Leo. He’d heard the cat’s voice echoing down the hall as he played with Erik.
Another flash caught his eye to his left. This one definitely looked like the fluff of that multi-tailed fiend.
“Huli, what nonsense are you up to now?” Xiao Dan called out.
But the huli jing didn’t come bouncing up to him. There was a blur of color as he darted from one tree to another, circling Xiao Dan.
“If you’re not in the mood to help me pack…” Xiao Dan left the rest unsaid as he turned.
This time, the fox stepped out from behind the tree, coming between Xiao Dan and the house.
Xiao Dan’s smile tumbled from his lips and his heart sped up.
That was not Huli.
The fox facing him now was mostly white, with touches of orange on its chest and tails. Its eyes glowed a startling red, and its stance was both curious and aggressive.
How had the huli jing—no, jiuweihu—gotten onto their property without them knowing it? All the protective spells they’d put in place against intruders were still there.
“You’re not Huli,” Xiao Dan said sharply. “Who are you? What have you done to Huli?”