9. Huli
Chapter 9
Huli
October 27, 2023
Hartford, Connecticut
“ A re you sure this club isn’t owned by an actual phoenix?”
The loud thumping music almost swallowed Xiao Dan’s warm chuckle up. “No. Vampire. One of the Variks.”
“It’s Rafe Varik’s place.” Moon slung an arm across his shoulders and leaned in close so he didn’t have to raise his voice. “I think he renamed it Phoenix after the nightclub burned down in a vampire war. It used to be called something like Blush, I think.”
When they stepped into the club, he could understand the name choice. It was like they’d stepped inside of an inferno. The walls were shades of red and there were black torchlike light fixtures that cast a wavering, dancing glow as if they were small fires. Several black leather banquettes lined two of the walls, giving people a clear view of the large dance floor that was packed with revelers.
Huli’s heart raced in time with the music. His nose twitched at the rich scents that perfumed the air. Humans filled the nightclub, but they weren’t alone. He could smell vampires, shifters, and maybe even some witches in the mix.
Gentle fingers brushed his, and Huli jumped. He blinked and found Xiao Dan smiling at him while a worried look rested in his dark eyes.
“Are you okay? Not too overwhelmed?” Xiao Dan inquired.
This was what he got for telling Xiao Dan that he’d never been to a modern-day nightclub. He’d visited plenty of gambling halls and taverns prior to getting all of his tails, but in the last couple of centuries, he’d stopped venturing far from Xiao Dan’s side. Why go seeking amusement elsewhere when all he needed was smiling at him right now?
Besides, how could he be overwhelmed? He was in public with his mate. Xiao Dan wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed to be seen with him. Not that he thought the vampire would feel that way, but Huli had always kept his distance in the past, meeting with Xiao Dan in private because he knew the rest of the Zhang clan despised and distrusted him. Those days were in the past. No more hiding.
He tightened his grip on Xiao Dan’s hand and lifted on his toes. If he’d been in his fox form, all his tails would have been wagging. “Nope! I’m fine. I want to see everything with you. The only thing…”
Xiao Dan cocked his head to the side. “What?”
“Why are the humans all dressed so strange? And not even just the humans. Everyone is wearing weird things. I think he smells like a wolf shifter, but he’s dressed up as a sheep! Or maybe he’s a cloud.”
Moon’s laughter invaded their conversation. “It’s almost Halloween!”
“I thought that was a holiday for children to go candy begging.”
“It is, but adults use it as an excuse to dress up in slutty costumes and pretend to be magical and spooky things,” Moon replied.
“Why?”
Moon shrugged. “Because it’s fun and sexy.”
Huli glanced at Xiao Dan, trying to figure out what the vampire might dress up as to become even sexier than he already was, but his mind came up blank. He couldn’t think of anything that could make Xiao Dan sexier. Except maybe…Xiao Dan with a fox tail. Oh, and fox ears? Yes, that could be very sexy.
Xiao Dan pressed a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. “Save that wicked thought for later. We need to take care of Min first.”
Fuck.
Min. He’d forgotten all about her.
“Ope! We’ve been spotted,” Moon interjected. He thrust a hand between them and pointed at the enormous bar. “That’s Lola. She works for Rafe, and she’s a total badass. Don’t mess with her.”
Huli turned his attention to the woman who matched his diminutive height of one hundred and sixty-two centimeters. She had long black hair that hung down her back and was threaded with several slender braids, but it didn’t detract from her stern expression or overall air of violence. She looked like she was accustomed to having everyone listen to her.
“Are you from the Zhang clan?” she demanded when she was standing in front of them.
“We are,” Xiao Dan answered.
Her eyes skimmed them only to stop on Moon. “We don’t normally allow fledglings in here.”
“Come on, Lola. You know me,” Moon pleaded in his most cajoling tone. “I’ve been in here plenty of times in the past.”
“As a witch.” She lifted her gaze to Chen, who had a hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Rafe says you’re here searching for a possible troublemaker. I assume you’ll keep tight control of your fledgling.”
“Hey! I— eep !”
“I will keep him locked to my side,” Chen promised as he pulled Moon closer.
“Fine. Follow me. Rafe said he’d be stopping by later, but you can use his booth while you’re here.” Lola led the way through the crowd that parted at her approach. Huli held his head high as all the eyes in the club seemed to fall on them as they crossed to the largest circular booth in the center of the far wall, giving them an excellent view of everyone in the nightclub.
Maybe a bit too good, since it also put them front and center. There was no way Min was going to miss seeing them, assuming she hadn’t spotted them already. He wasn’t sure if the plan was to surprise Min or to use Xiao Dan as bait. He was not a fan of option two.
Once they were seated and Lola was on her way to the bar, Moon slouched in his seat, leaning his shoulder against Chen. “What’s the deal with all the crap thrown onto fledglings? I’m not some out-of-control monster. I have a handle on my impulses. It’s not like I’m going to throw myself at some human because he shows a little neck.”
Chen shifted in his seat so he could wrap his arm about Moon’s stiff shoulders. Huli’s mouth dropped open as he watched Chen’s body language change into something soft and cuddly. “That’s the thing, baobei. Most fledglings are out of control and don’t have a good grip on their impulses. Fledglings cause most vampire-related deaths in humans. Small things set them off.”
“But I’ve never been like that.” Moon pouted.
Xiao Dan laughed. “That’s because your maker is an ancient vampire. His blood flows through your veins. I’m sure most vampires turned in the last few centuries have much younger masters than our clan.”
“Not to mention, most fledglings need to feed nightly for the first few years of their existence,” Chen chimed in. “That’s not the case for you.”
“ Nightly hunting? God, no! I need a nibble once every other week at most.”
“That would be my ancient blood bumping you further along than you’d normally be,” Chen murmured.
“Speaking of hunting…” Xiao Dan drawled. “How goes that training?”
“Oh shit,” Moon mumbled, sinking farther in his seat so that he was practically under the table.
“We put that training on pause when the fae grew too troublesome,” Chen admitted.
“It would be a good idea to get back to that now that the fae aren’t a problem.”
“Yes, Shixiong,” Chen agreed instantly.
“Blech,” Moon complained.
Huli leaned on the table, getting as close to Moon as possible. “Do you not like the taste of human blood?”
The pale-blond vampire shrugged a shoulder as he sat up higher. “It’s okay. But nothing is as good as Chen’s. Plus, I’m not a big fan of being a creepy stalker, stealing blood from unsuspecting humans just trying to go about their lives.”
Chen grasped a short lock of Moon’s hair and gave it a tug. “I’m not a fan of you feeding from anyone else either, but this is for your protection.”
There was a sudden ripple of excitement through the crowd. The talking and even shouting grew louder. People on the dance floor shifted this way and that, but their movements weren’t in time with the music. They stopped talking and stretched to see what had the humans and even the other vampires excited.
Suddenly, the loud thumping music stopped, and the rich, lilting cry of a violin cut through the room. The song was haunting as it rose and crashed into the people in violent waves. No one spoke, appearing to hold their breath as the song hypnotized them.
The crowd parted near their table, revealing a tall, slender vampire with dark shoulder-length hair and vibrant blue eyes locked on them as he approached while playing a violin. He was dressed in a dark old-fashioned suit and a long cape, as if he were an old movie vampire.
As he reached them, the song ended, and the crowd cheered. Rafe Varik held up the violin and bow above his head for a second and bowed to his audience before sliding into the booth next to Chen and across from Xiao Dan.
“The head of the Zhang clan has finally come to my slice of the world. I am honored,” Rafe purred. A servant appeared at the table and opened a violin case. She carefully put away the violin and bow, each movement precise as if she were touching something infinitely precious and priceless. When she left without a word, the DJ restarted the music, but it seemed like discordant noise compared to the music Rafe had played.
“We are the ones who are honored. Thank you for having us,” Xiao Dan stated.
“I didn’t know you played an instrument,” Chen murmured.
Rafe gave a small dismissive wave of his hand. “All my brothers and I are musically inclined. I’m the only one who likes to show off.” His gaze sharpened on Huli, and he leaned forward. “And who is this adorable morsel? I thought I’d met all the Zhang clan, but you don’t look familiar to me.”
Moon snorted. “You’ve seen him plenty of times in the woods.” Rafe lifted one questioning eyebrow to Moon and the young vampire giggled. “That’s Huli. The fox spirit with the nine tails.”
The Varik’s eyes widened slightly to give away his surprise. His smile grew a little wicked. “So, you’re foxy in all your forms. How delicious.”
“I’m foxy only for my Zhang-ge,” Huli said while threading his arm through Xiao Dan’s.
“Don’t mind him. He likes to stir up trouble.”
All eyes snapped to the blond vampire, who was now standing next to their table. He was dressed all in white and even had a golden halo on a wire hovering above his bright-blond locks. Rafe slid to his feet and captured his mate’s hand. Solicitous Rafe replaced Flirtatious Rafe as he brought Philippe’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles several times as he ushered the other vampire into his vacated spot.
The booth was now cozy as it accommodated six full-grown men, but Huli wasn’t complaining, as it gave him an excellent excuse to snuggle close to Xiao Dan.
“ Mon ange knows me best,” Rafe murmured.
“You might not have been introduced properly. Rafe and Philippe Varik, this is my mate, Huli,” Xiao Dan announced.
A surprised squeak escaped Huli, and he threw his arms around Xiao Dan, pressing his face into the vampire’s chest. He’d said it. No, more than that. He’d told someone outside of his clan, introduced Huli as his .
A lifetime of waiting and pain and working through the hopeless abyss was all building to this exact moment. He was Xiao Dan’s, and Xiao Dan was his.
“I want the world to know,” Xiao Dan murmured into his ear.
“Aww…aren’t new couples the cutest?” Philippe cooed.
Chen sighed. “They can be when you’re sure that your clan mate isn’t going to lose his soul and have his heart broken.”
Huli opened his mouth to snap at the vampire, but Moon beat him to it.
“Huli adores Xiao Dan. He would never do anything to hurt him.”
Xiao Dan pressed another kiss to his head and loosened his hold on Huli. “Forgive me. This isn’t the place or the time for our nonsense.”
“I beg to differ!” Rafe declared. Huli lifted his head to find Rafe wrapped around his own mate. “Regardless of our long life spans, we should never waste a single opportunity to appreciate those who possess our hearts. Even a thousand years with mon ange is too little time.”
“I cannot agree more,” Chen stated.
Xiao Dan cleared his throat. “As much as I wish this was a normal evening out, we are here on serious business.”
“Yes, yes. You’re right.” Rafe snagged a quick kiss from Philippe and sat up.
“Aiden said something about you hunting a seductive human killer.” He paused and stared at Huli. “Another huli jing, correct?”
“I wish I could say that she was an abnormality among my kind, but in truth, I’m the oddity,” Huli grumbled.
“That’s not right. Some huli jing are helpful and friendly toward humans, and some are not,” Xiao Dan argued.
“Like humans!” Moon added.
“And vampires,” Philippe chimed in.
“What are we looking for?” Rafe inquired.
“Her usual approach is to appear as a lone attractive woman who is irresistible to men. She will choose her prey and lure him off alone to the woods, where she’ll steal his soul and leave his corpse to be eaten by wolves.”
Rafe blinked slowly at Huli, his face void of emotion. He then motioned one hand wildly at the thick throng of people dancing not more than a few meters away from them. Within the crowd were dozens of attractive women who could wrap a man in a haze of lust and lead him to his doom.
“That would be why this is such an excellent hunting ground. Even better than brothels.”
“I have so many questions, but now isn’t the time,” Philippe murmured. He lifted a hand and touched Rafe’s cheek. “Promise me we’ll travel to their home for vacation. I have questions that need answers.”
Rafe turned his face to press his lips to Philippe’s fingers. “Anything for you, my precious darling.”
“I agree that locating Min here or at any nightclub will be difficult,” Xiao Dan interjected. “Our goal is to locate her and chase her from your establishment. We don’t want to start a fight here.”
“That would be appreciated. I will alert my workers to keep an eye out for women who arrive alone and attempt to leave with a man.” Rafe sighed and shook his head. “They’ll think I’ve gone insane with instructions like that.”
“If they’re vampires, they’ll be able to smell the magic on her,” Chen stated. “She’s incredibly powerful. Tell them not to confront her. Just follow until one of our clan can get there.”
“But I think our best chance of capturing her is to blend in and catch her by surprise.” Xiao Dan bumped Huli, drawing his wide eyes up to his mate’s smiling face. “Care to join me on the dance floor?”
Huli sat frozen for all of one heartbeat, and then he leaped to his feet. He pulled a chuckling Xiao Dan out of the booth and onto the dance floor. The song had shifted to something slower and gentler, but Huli didn’t care. It could have been one of those frantic rock songs and he still would have pulled Xiao Dan into his arms for a slow sway.
“Can you forgive me, Huli?” Xiao Dan asked after they’d been dancing for a minute.
Huli lifted his head from where he’d rested it on Xiao Dan’s shoulder. He’d been wrapped in his sweet Xiao Dan’s scent and the strength of his arms. There was nothing more perfect in all the world, but his question was a jolt to reality. “For what?”
“For waiting so long to claim you as my mate. I’ve loved you for so long, but I hesitated, afraid that you didn’t really feel the same for me. I was afraid…”
“No more. I don’t care about all those years. Even if we weren’t mates, we were friends, and I cherish every second we’ve had together. I didn’t need to be your mate to be happy. Every time you smiled or laughed, I was floating among the stars. That was more than any huli jing deserved.”
This was all he’d wanted for as long as he could remember.
Huli tipped his head up, wordlessly demanding another sweet kiss from his mate, when magic tickled his nose. Dangerously familiar magic.
Min had just walked into the club.