Epilogue

ZHANG XIAO DAN

X iao Dan wandered through the building that had steadily become a home to his clan over the past several months. This place was never supposed to be more than a haven until they could finally bring their missing didi back to China.

But their brief stay had stretched for much longer than expected.

And they’d made friends.

And several of his clan mates had found great love.

This house had become more special to them than anyone had expected. While Xiao Dan and his clan were eager to return home, there was also some reluctance to leave their American home. There were sweet memories sprinkled among the bad.

“It might take me a few tries, but I think I might be able to move the entire house to Luoyang.”

Xiao Dan jumped at the sound of Kai’s voice. It took an extra couple of seconds for his distracted brain to register what the dragon had suggested.

“What?” Xiao Dan gasped, only to shake his head. “No. No. Why would we do that?”

“Because Shixiong has been stroking that wooden post and lost in thought for nearly a full minute,” Kai replied, sending heat rushing into Xiao Dan’s cheeks. “Shixiong loves this house, and I want Shixiong to be happy.”

“I am happy. This property has more wonderful memories in it than I expected. Our home in Luoyang is more than big enough to accommodate our clan mates comfortably. We don’t need to add this one to it. Thank you for the offer, Kai.”

Xiao Dan made a mental note to be careful with his words around the powerful dragon. He was eager to please and could make the absurd possible.

“What will become of it after we leave?” Kai inquired.

“I had thought to sell it, but I’ve decided to keep it as a second home for our clan. I am sure that Moon and Leo will wish to return out of homesickness for the place of their birth, and the rest of the clan has expressed an interest in visiting. Aiden has kindly offered to check on the buildings and grounds from time to time for us.”

Kai grunted. “Good. Xiang likes this house, and I don’t like the idea of strangers walking these halls.”

Without another word, Kai continued on his way, leaving Xiao Dan with a bemused smile on his lips. His world was certainly more interesting now with a dragon in it.

Not to mention an elf, a fledgling vampire who could raise the dead, and two cat shifters.

Maybe the Zhang clan had stagnated for too many centuries, stuck in a familiar rut.

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?”

The fox blinked slowly at him, its nine tails spread out behind it like a peacock’s feathers raised in a great fan. Without a word, the creature shifted into a tall, slender woman dressed in a form-fitting white gown that shimmered in the moonlight. Her black hair cascaded down her back in an inky waterfall to her waist. She blinked again, and her red eyes became a sparkling violet. Everything about her held a flawless perfection that was captivating and unsettling. Nothing about her felt real.

“Who are you?” Xiao Dan repeated.

The fox spirit took a step closer.

“Where is Huli? What have you done to him?”

Xiao Dan’s heart hammered, and he balled his hands into tight fists. Where the hell was Huli? If this creature harmed even one of his tails, Xiao Dan would skin her and turn her pelt into slippers.

“There’s no need to worry about Huli any longer,” she answered in a low, warm voice. “He’s the one who promised me your soul.”

“What?”

“And now I’ve come to collect.”

Oh my God, Jocelynn Drake! You’re evil!

I am. I really am.

But don’t worry. You’ll get Huli and Xiao Dan’s long-awaited story in Two Thousand Promises , available February 21.

Like Healing Aiden from Lords of Discord, Two Thousand Promises will be shorter than the other books in the Kings of Chaos series as it focuses solely on the long romance of Huli and Xiao Dan.

Be sure to preorder your copy so you don’t miss a single second of their adventure and the final adventure of the Zhang clan.

And if you would like more of Junjie and Leo, you can grab their free bonus short story right here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/i16FdYAX

If you need a little more of Junjie, Leo, Erik, and the rest of the Zhang clan, be sure to check out the Halloween short story I have posted for my subscribers over on Patreon ( patreon.com/JocelynnDrake ) and Ream ( https://reamstories.com/jocelynndrake ).