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)
He didn’t know how much time ticked by before Xiao Dan’s voice broke through his meandering thoughts. “Huli, can I give you something?”
The fox perked up, thoughts of shifting forgotten. “A present? Zhang-ge has a present for his Huli?” He lunged at Xiao Dan, sniffing him everywhere, which was unnecessary considering he would have smelled the food on Xiao Dan as soon as he’d entered the plum orchard. Food was what Xiao Dan always brought as a present. However, sniffing Xiao Dan gave him the chance to fill his nose with the vampire’s scent and make him laugh.
“I do,” Xiao Dan chuckled as he playfully fought to push Huli back. “But you might not like it because it’s not food.”
“I love all gifts from Zhang-ge.” Huli sat across from Xiao Dan with his chest out and his tails flicking wildly behind him. The vampire couldn’t expect him to be still when he was waiting to receive a gift.
He watched as Xiao Dan dug into a cloth pouch hanging from his waist. “I saw this in a shop a while ago and thought of you. I wanted to give it to you the moment I heard you achieved your fifth tail. It’s to celebrate all your hard work and to show you how much you mean to me.”
Huli gasped as the moonlight glided over the exquisite green jade pendant. It was intricately carved by what looked to be a master craftsman. Huli did not need to be human to understand the value of jade or that the pendant in Xiao Dan’s hands was worth a small fortune.
But what struck him the most was that Xiao Dan had seen this beautiful art and thought of him.
For the first time, he had an entirely new reason for wanting to be human. He wanted to hold the jade pendant, feel its smoothness with human fingers. He longed to press human lips to it and kiss this treasure Xiao Dan had given him.
“Do…do you like it?”
“I love it,” Huli breathed and meant it with every fiber of his being. “I love it almost as much as I love Zhang-ge.” He touched it with his paw but quickly withdrew it, not wanting to damage the jade with his claws.
“It’s on a ribbon,” Xiao Dan said, holding up the matching pale-green ribbon that ran through a hole at the top. “I can tie it around your neck so you can feel the weight on your fur.”
“Yes! Yes, do that!” He edged closer and lowered his head so Xiao Dan could place it about his neck. When the weight settled on him, he sighed to see the lovely jade against his white and orange fur. It was perfect.
Now he had a constant reminder of Xiao Dan’s love. He would learn to shift into a human, and one day, the pendant would hang from his belt, just like how the humans wore them.
Hell, he’d weasel up to Min again and convince her to teach him how to shift if he got stuck. Nothing was going to keep him from winning his vampire.
1 Shidi – junior disciple/brother
Chapter 13
Huli
October 30, 2023
Zhang Manor, Connecticut
“You mentioned you were looking for me,” Xiao Dan prompted as soon as they were alone in the garden.
Huli let out an enormous sigh, his shoulders slumping. Finally! He could get back to the business that had carried him out of the bedroom in the first place.
“Yes, I was searching for you. I wanted to tell you I’m all healed up now.”
Xiao Dan’s eyes traveled up and down his body, a frown pulling at his lips. Huli wanted to burst into tears.
“I don’t know,” Xiao Dan said. “What about your encounter with Min a moment ago?”
Huli thrust his hands up and waved them frantically. “No! No! She didn’t touch me. I swear. Leo and I chased her off. That’s it. No fighting.”
Xiao Dan held out his hand to Huli, his expression still full of doubt. “I think I will need to inspect you myself to be sure you’ve healed properly.”
Slipping his hand into Xiao Dan’s, Huli felt a flutter in his chest. Was his vampire speaking in a sneaky code? Could “inspect” mean “naked fun time”? If Huli had his way, that was exactly what the word would mean.
He allowed Xiao Dan to pull him through the hallway. The voices of the other clan members discussing Min and cheering up Erik echoed out of the various rooms.
Huli paused at Xiao Dan’s door, hating himself a bit as he said, “Should we go check in with the others? Discuss what we should do about Min?”
A soft smile spread across Xiao Dan’s lips that sent tingles throughout Huli’s body. “It can wait. Right now, you’re my top priority.” Xiao Dan tugged the fox into the bedroom when he seemed to freeze. Huli was sure he’d died. Yes, if this was death or a dream, he didn’t ever want to move on from this moment.