The moment that he was born, every wolf-shifter in existence felt the ripple of his presence into the world. And every shifter who was born after him, would enter the world with this knowledge, until the moment that he was no longer in the world.
On his birth, the shifters celebrated with excitement and awe. This resulted in a cacophony of yips and howls in secluded areas, and laughter and the flow of alcohol within the cities.
He had no memory of his birth. Or if he did, he quickly forgot the unpleasantness. If he could remember, it would likely have only been the warmth of his mother's tongue as she hastily cleaned him. Anxious, and in pain, she had instinctively known at the first contractions of labour that this birthing would be like no other, and so she had shifted into her wolf form.
All her plans for an epidural at a birthing centre for shifters, had to hastily be discarded. At the end she was beyond exhausted, but like all other wolves, she had been happy to welcome him.
He was born a wolf.
It was his first form, not the second form that others shifted into at some time around their fifth birthdays. He was born a shivering bundle of matted black fur, with eyes and ears sealed closed. His mother had picked him up by the back of his neck and cradled him under a gentle paw to keep him warm.
"You certainly made an entrance, didn't you? My sweet baby." She nudged him with the tip of her nose. "I think you've inherited my wild heart and your father's stubborn courage. What do you think about the two of us getting some sleep now, little one? That was exhausting for both of us."
His father, still wide eyed and panicked, had made a mess of the house trying to adjust to the realization that the baby boy that they had expected would not be sleeping in its bassinet as intended. Instead, the blanket that he was to be swaddled in became the blanket that he slept on. And the clothes that he was to wear, and all his first-born diapers, were used to make a den around him to keep him safe while he fed, and slept, and completed the final stages of his development.
A week after his birth his eyes opened and he looked around for the first time at his ecstatic parents as they smiled and clapped in delight at him. He still couldn't hear them. His ears took another week before sound filtered in. And then it wasn't long before he would trail after his mother, getting underfoot, or would tackle his father to play with him.
His parents worried about him, in the way all parents do. They worried that he wasn't growing fast enough, that he didn't eat enough, that he didn't have a human form, that he wouldn't make friends, and that he would never learn to speak.
"That's not for you to eat, a-Xian. You'll get a tummy ache. Come here. You feel a little bit warm. Is it a fever?"
"He's fine, Changze. A little dirt never killed anyone."
"He just licked something off the bottom of his paw! That can't be good for him."
"Hmm. Maybe he just really likes the taste of dirt."
They worried about his black fur. They worried about his red eyes. They worried that he was the only one of his kind. They had only ever found mention of one other like him in recorded history, and what they didn't read about, they only knew in the way that all wolves knew. They worried, and worried, and worried about his future.
"I reached out to a few of the smaller packs. Nothing too serious, but I said I'm looking for information on coaxing a pup in or out of a shift. Everyone criticized that a five year old should have plenty of sense to not get stuck in one form. That usually the child is either playing at being stuck or would pop out of it out of boredom, eventually. I really didn't want to admit that he's still so tiny. He's only a few months old. And if he was bored, he would have shifted out of it a long time ago."
"I hope you didn't go into too many details. All anyone needs is his eye color and it's not that hard to figure out."
"Of course I was careful. But it's hard to talk to other mothers about their babies when I have no idea if my baby even has all his fingers and toes. I get nightmares, Changze! What if he sees his thumbs for the first time and doesn't know what to do with them? What if he never has thumbs to even look at?"
They worried less after his first birthday when one day he came tottering into the kitchen on two chubby legs, chubby arms waving, and happily gurgling away at his accomplishment. Wild black hair framed his cheeks. He giggled in delight as his mother picked him up and cradled him tightly against her chest. His bright grey eyes sparkled as he patted her neck and babbled at her, as if he had been waiting for his chance to reassure her.
"Wei Ying. There you are. Our beautiful Wuxian," his mother whispered into one tiny ear. "Never forget how amazing you are, my clever boy."
🐺
The Alpha was warm, and his voice was kind.
He had found Wei Ying huddled alone at the side of a small, dark road, shivering in terror at another narrow escape from a pack of wild, hungry dogs. The dogs were long gone but Wei Ying tucked his muzzle beneath a paw and hoped that the shadows and his black fur were enough to hide him from view if they came sniffing for him. He knew that as a wolf he shouldn't fear them, but he was so much smaller than them, and they were louder than him and could run faster than him. So he hid from them. And that was when he was found.
The Alpha spoke to him. "You will have a home, and you will never go hungry again. You will have a powerful pack to protect you. You will have a wealthy family. Living on a secluded estate won't allow you to enjoy the modern trappings of life in the cities, but you will always be safe."
Just the promise of food was enough to sway Wei Ying, but he had been cautious anyway. He wasn't so young that he didn't understand the dangers of trusting a complete stranger, but this shifter smelled safe, and Wei Ying had been tired and scared.
He had been alone since the day his parents had hidden him behind a trap door in their bedroom. One of them used spiritual energy to hastily sketch the character for protection in the air, before they were dragged out of the house by two scary looking warriors of a pack. When they hadn't returned he had known that he would never see them again.
It had been so long. The streets and its people were unkind to little beggars. Every moment had been a struggle of survival. He had almost forgotten the shape of his father's face and the sound of his mother's laughter. For so long he had been alone, and hungry, and afraid.
"A-Sena, it would be an honor to accept you into my pack as your Alpha."
The Alpha had gathered Wei Ying into his arms, and Wei Ying had sensed the sincerity of his words. He would be safe. He would have a home. He would have a pack again.
But it wasn't only the Alpha who had to accept him.
"Jiang Fengmian, you are a fool! How dare you bring another woman's child into our territory without consulting me first. Am I nothing to you?"
The doors to the Hall of Claws banged open with force as the Alpha's mate strode in. All around them the other members of the pack cowered in fear, but she ignored them. Her target was the man who sat on the dais, cradling a terrified pup in his arms.
Wei Ying closed his eyes and tried to bury his face into the crook of an arm. Little panicked whimpers escaped his throat as her Luna scent flooded his senses in waves. It burned acrid in the back of his throat. Angry and hostile. He almost choked on it.
"It is not just any wolf. Look for yourself, Yu Ziyuan. Can't you see?"
The words rumbled through Wei Ying's body, drowning out his whimpers. He had no desire to be seen. He wanted to escape the arms that held him tight. Maybe he could hide from her like he did from the dogs. Maybe if he kept quiet she would forget that he was there.
"I see nothing but another mouth to feed! How old is it? It cannot be more than five or six years old. It looks malnourished and in need of a bath. Why would you take in such a pitiful animal? It's barely alive, barely strong enough to survive a few more weeks, much less to train and be of use to the pack."
"Before you pass judgement, you should pay attention. It is subtle, but if your nose still works you can smell him. What do all your senses tell you about this wolf pup? Look at him! Look at his eyes."
Wei Ying had no intention of letting her see his eyes. He was too busy trying to get away from her sharp scent and her loud words. When she leaned over with an impatient huff, his heart felt like it was trying to escape his chest. It surprised him so much to have her gently press her nose into the fur at the back of his neck that he wriggled to try and retreat from her.
The sound of her falling to her knees made him yelp. It was as if her legs could no longer keep holding her up. And maybe this was true. He looked down in surprise at where she knelt, and as his eyes met hers she sucked in a sharp breath.
"Sena," she whispered in awe. "It is here, in Yunmeng. How did you find it?"
"I don't know how he did it. My driver stopped the car at an intersection and I ran out. I felt him before I even realized he was there. I felt his fear, as if he somehow called out to me that he needed help. It was weak but insistent. I think I was just fortunate to be the only shifter passing by him when he called."
Her eyes hadn't left Wei Ying's gaze. She couldn't seem to look away, but then she breathed in another shaky breath of air.
"He..." The word was barely carried on an exhale. A confused jumble of thoughts followed.
"It cannot be a male. It is impossible to be born as an asena and be male. It cannot be. The Sena will only bond with an Alpha. She will accept no other mark. The Sena and her Alpha are zhījǐ and the Alpha becomes Xiāndū. It is the only unbreakable bond. The only law that all wolves know. The only certainty. That when the Sena is born, she will choose an Alpha as her soulmate."
Strong, gentle fingers stroked through Wei Ying's fur. It helped to calm him. He didn't understand all that they were saying, but he couldn't be expected to. He'd had a long day. He was tired and sleepy, and now that the Luna wasn't going to rip him apart with her claws, his heart rate returned to normal.
He yawned. That earned him a scratch under his chin which made him duck his head and whine.
"He may not need to bond with his Alpha. Or he could appoint a Luna by his side. You of all know that there are many powerful women who lead a pack. He may even choose to remain unmated and to rule alone. Perhaps not even rule at all."
Yu Ziyuan's eyes went wide as she considered the Alpha's words and all the possibilities.
All Alphas were male. All Lunas were female. Either could lead a pack without a mate. Victory in combat determined the leader of a pack, and the appropriate title of Alpha or Luna was then given. When a leader chose to bond, he or she would bestow a title to their mate. Together, they were the Alpha pair.
The Sena, by the very definition of the title, had always been female, so that her soulmate would be Xiandu.
Except, here was Wei Ying, unmistakable as the Sena, and he was unique.
Yu Ziyuan nodded, slowly, still lost in thought. "Yes. If he is a male then concessions will be made. His status as the Sena is irrefutable. It is just a question now of who will be by his side. If we keep him on the estate here at Lotus Pier then the question is easily answered."
She rose to her feet and looked around the hall at the few pack members brave enough to still be carrying on with their duties. Not seeing who she was looking for, her face immediately became clouded again by anger.
"Where are my children?" she demanded to know. "Why are they not here?"
No one was brave enough to give a response. Wei Ying braced himself for more shouting. He didn't even have to wait long before her voice rose again and her Luna scent felt as if it was trying to peel layers off the back of his throat. He gave up on even whimpering, too tired to care anymore. Instead he closed his eyes and curled tighter into the Alpha's embrace.
"Don't just stand there trembling! Find Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli and drag them here to me!" she bellowed.
Wei Ying was quickly realizing that with this woman around he would need to get sleep whenever he could find it. There seemed to be no way to stop her anger from igniting, and the more she yelled was the more he wanted to hide from her. Since he couldn't run he had no choice but to hope that the wolf in her knew not to hurt him.
"You are safe," his new Alpha whispered to him as warm fingers continued to stroke soothingly down Wei Ying's back. "You are now one of the Storm Wolves of Yunmeng. You are safe here."
🐺
"A-Cheng! A-Ying! That's enough swimming now. Come here!"
Wei Ying resurfaced from the water with a gasp for air. Beside him the water rippled and his pack-brother's head popped up. Immediately Wei Ying shoved him back under. Jiang Cheng pushed him away to escape his grasp and when he resurfaced again he splashed Wei Ying with a wave of water to the face.
Wei Ying laughed, although that just sent water up his nose and in his mouth. Soon his laughter evolved into sputters and coughs.
"Race you to a-jie!" Jiang Cheng shouted.
He didn't wait for Wei Ying to get his bearings before he took off towards the shore, arms and legs effortlessly cutting through the water in powerful strokes. Wei Ying reacted just in time to grab one of his ankles before he got too far away, and with a yank and a delighted cackle, he hauled the other boy back.
"Jiang Cheng, that's cheating!" He laughed. "Besides, you're going to lose to me anyway."
While Jiang Cheng shouted in frustration, Wei Ying began to swim. It didn't take long for Jiang Cheng to catch up to him and soon they were both neck and neck in their competition. Beside him, he knew that Jiang Cheng was putting in all his effort into the strokes, tiring himself unnecessarily, and it made Wei Ying smile. Jiang Cheng was always so afraid of losing to his pack-brother that he sabotaged himself. He never understood that Wei Ying never cared about winning or losing against him.
Jiang Cheng's hand slapped against the top of the pier only a few seconds before Wei Ying's, but as soon as Wei Ying tried to pull himself out of the water, Jiang Cheng hauled him back in. With a shout of surprise, Wei Ying crashed back into the lake. He fought his way back to the surface to find Jiang Cheng sitting on the pier, leaning over to glare at Wei Ying.
"What was that for? You won!" Wei Ying half shouted, and half coughed out. "You're as much a sore winner as you are a loser!"
Jiang Cheng kicked at him, and only just managed to miss connecting with Wei Ying's chest because Wei Ying dodged to the side.
"You let me win!" Jiang Cheng accused him.
"A-Cheng! A-Ying! Stop fighting!"
Wei Ying rubbed a hand down his face as he tread water. He pretended that the motion was just to get water from his eyes, but it was really just an excuse to reconsider. Whether he won or lost, Jiang Cheng was never happy. What was he supposed to do in such a situation? Most of the time he just did what came naturally and let whatever happened. Most of the time this meant that Wei Ying won, and Jiang Cheng would be left fuming for hours.
"It doesn't matter. We can race again tomorrow and then we can see if you're really better than me and deserved to win today." Treading water was tiring, and Wei Ying wanted to get out so that he could talk to his pack-sister. "Let's just dry off and get dressed."
Jiang Cheng moved aside. Wei Ying heaved himself out of the water and sat beside his brother. They were silent, with only the dazzling bright sparkle of the water to distract them. After a while they heard soft footsteps approaching and turned with similar smiles on their faces to greet their sister. She wrapped each of them in a large, fluffy, purple towel before sitting between them in the opposite direction, with her back to the water. She reached out to hold each of their hands so that all three of them were connected.
"A-jie, are you really going on a date with Jin Zixuan the peacock, this weekend?" Jiang Cheng asked. His eyes simultaneously conveyed disgust and worry in equal measure. "We won't believe it unless we hear you say it yourself."
Jiang Yanli smiled in amusement and squeezed the hands that she held. "A-Cheng, he's not a peacock. He's a good man and a strong wolf. I would be happy to join his pack and spend my life with him. I'm happy that he's open to us getting to know each other."
"He's a pompous show-off!" Jiang Cheng protested loudly. "Just because he's one of the Gold Wolves of Lanling, doesn't make him a good person. He's only a good wolf because of his family, and you're a strong wolf too. He should be happy that you even want to go on a date with him!"
Wei Ying frantically nodded his agreement and squeezed his pack-sister's fingers. As far as he and his brother were concerned nobody was good enough for their sister. Nobody was especially good enough for Jiang Yanli to want to leave the pack to go spend the rest of her life away from Yunmeng.
Jiang Cheng wasn't finished. "A-jie, why isn't he begging to join our pack? Why is he trying to drag you away to Lanling? All they have are high rise buildings and city lights blocking out the moon at night. They must feel so claustrophobic all the time!"
"A-Cheng, that's enough," Jiang Yanli chided gently. She slipped her hand from his to reach out and softly rubbed one of his cheeks. "It's not just about shifting, a-Cheng. I know that you don't understand. You're too young to understand yet, but I like him, and I want him to like me too."
"I'm not too young! A-jie I'm fourteen. I understand plenty of things!"
On the other side of Jiang Yangli, Wei Ying cradled her fingers between both of his hands, as he leaned over to smirk at Jiang Cheng. His pack-brother thinking he knew anything about anything was laughable. Wei Ying barely understood girls and he flirted with them more than Jiang Cheng did.
"You're nearly fifteen, and a-Ying is also nearly fifteen, but I am already seventeen." Jiang Yanli's fingers continued to stroke up and down Jiang Cheng's cheek absently. "One day you will understand better why I like Jin Zixuan so much. You and a-Ying are my brothers, you're my pack and you always will be. So don't worry so much about things."
"I'm not worried," Wei Ying finally chimed in. "I don't care how good of a wolf he is, I won't ever let him hurt you."
Jiang Cheng snorted, then said, "Yeah, you wouldn't be saying that if he was one of Qishan's Blood Wolves." He looked past Jiang Yanli to make a face at Wei Ying. "You would be so scared that you would run away with your tail between your legs, and then I would have to protect a-jie."
"I wouldn't have to run away," Wei Ying scoffed. "I run faster than you even when I'm tired. If anybody would run it would be you, just so you could have a head start!"
Jiang Yanli moved her hands to each of their chests to separate them as the boys had both leaned in to glare at each other. When neither of them relented, she pushed at them and infused just enough spiritual energy into her fingertips to deliver a sharp jolt of electric charge to each of their torsos.
"Alright! Enough!" she scolded.
The brothers recoiled, wearing almost identical expressions of hurt and indignation. Jiang Yanli sighed at their sad faces, and then seemed to be fighting a smile as they both continued to pout. She reached over first to Wei Ying, and pulled him into a tight hug.
Her nose grazed the side of his neck and he felt her take a slow, deep breath. He knew it was instinctive; something that any wolf would do that close to another wolf's throat. He was careful not to do the same with her. He almost had to angle his face away from her to escape her scent as it burned in his nose. But he also didn't want to be rude, and he never wanted his sister to ever feel rejected.
She smelled like plum blossoms and rain. It was sharp, but it wasn't unpleasant. Still it made him feel as if he had waded too far out to sea and couldn't see land anywhere. Her scent wasn't upsetting by any means, but in his nose it smelled wrong somehow, and he would never have been able to explain why to her.
"You smell so nice a-Ying," she said softly. But when she pulled away she scrunched up her nose and giggled. "Nice, but in an intense, overwhelming way. Like a bonfire, with flying embers that singe whatever they fall on." She laughed again, and then kissed his forehead. "Don't grow up too fast, didi."
Jiang Cheng made another face of disbelief. "Wei Ying doesn't smell nice. He doesn't smell of anything. Scent glands don't work until shifters are at least sixteen. He wishes he smelled like a bonfire!"
Jiang Yanli leaned over to Jiang Cheng and pulled him into a tight hug, just as she had done with Wei Ying. She didn't sniff at him or make a face. Instead, she quietly held him for a little while. When she pulled away she cradled his face between both her palms and smiled.
"You're right, a-Cheng. When you're older, and after you've fought the pack warriors and won, you'll begin to give off the strongest Alpha scent. Then all the girls will swoon for you. But, a-Ying is the Sena, didi. The rules don't seem to apply to him." She patted Jiang Cheng's cheek then removed her hands from his face so that she could hold on to each of her brothers' hands again.
Wei Ying's face went red and he considered jumping back into the lake to hide in embarrassment. His oddities were never something he wanted to discuss and he made a point to never discuss any of it with Jiang Cheng. It was bad enough that all shifters recognized him on sight, and that some even tried to kowtow to him and call him Huáng Shàng, as if he would ever let them.
The only person who really understood Wei Ying as the Sena was Wei Ying himself, because it was his own body. So much of who he was and how he navigated the world came purely from instinct because there was no one alive who had the knowledge to teach him. Every once in a while though he found out that what he thought was true for all wolves was only actually true for him.
He had always been able to smell the scent of other shifters, even babies. He had not known that other shifters had to wait until they were sixteen to even become aware of their own scent, much less others. All this time he thought that Jiang Cheng's scent was subtle because he was heavily suppressing it most days, like Wei Ying did out of habit to keep other wolves out of his personal space. Only now it was to realize that Jiang Cheng didn't think he even had a scent yet, and that he thought he would develop a scent one day out of thin air.
Jiang Cheng smelled like bergamot and static, and when Wei Ying got a strong enough whiff of it, the scent always made him feel like he was standing too close to a live electrical wire while drenched in water. His scent didn't exude the Alpha pheromones since he didn't have a pack to lead yet. Once other wolves named him their leader and started to obey his directives, then his scent would become more potent.
Just like fur color, a shifter's scent resulted from a combination of nature, nurture, and spiritual energy.
"Jiang Cheng, don't listen!" Wei Ying exclaimed, practically launching himself at his pack-brother in an effort to cover both his ears. "None of that matters! You and I are the same, no matter what."
Jiang Cheng fought him off with waving hands and a sour expression. Still sitting in between the two of them, Jiang Yanli gently moved Wei Ying away and blocked Jiang Cheng's flailing arms. When they both calmed, she stood up and brushed off her skirt. This was the cue for both brothers to try to get to their feet as well. This resulted in another almost-fight as they tackled each other in their silent competition to win even at this.
"We're not the same!" Jiang Cheng snapped in irritation. "Okay, so you can run faster than me, but a-jie is right. I'm going to be Alpha of the pack and that means you'll always have to follow my lead!"
Jiang Yanli reached down to pull their two grappling bodies apart. She held each brother by an arm and tugged them to their feet. When they calmed down yet again, she gave each of them a quelling look, and then sighed softly.
"Let's all go for a run," she suggested with a small smile.
Surprise gave way to delight on both boys' faces. Before they could throw their wet towels at each other, Jiang Yanli had already begun sprinting down the pier and towards the line of trees at the back of the Lotus Pier estate. Lake to the front, forest to the back, the Storm Wolves of Yunmeng liked to brag about having the best land out of all the leading wolf packs. For anyone who visited Lotus Pier, it was hard to argue with this, especially within the hearing range of the offsprings of the Yunmeng-Jiang Alpha and his Luna.
Jiang Yanli's right foot hit the last of the wooden planks that lined the pier and she leaped into the air. Mid-leap, her body pulsed with spiritual energy that looked like waves and waves of power pushing against her as she shifted from one form into the next. Fur rippled along her skin from her head to her feet. Her bones ground and shifted, painlessly dislocating and reforming, and her features molded itself from human to wolf.
By the time her two front paws hit the ground a dark brown wolf with a light brown chest and underbelly, black ears, and a black muzzle had emerged. She calmly stopped in place to turn and look back at the pier where her brothers were staring at her.
Jiang Cheng whooped and laughed in delight. He was next to start running and instead of waiting to reach the end of the pier he was already shifting before he leaped into the air. His shift was smoother than his older sister's. It took less pulses of spiritual energy to ripple along his body before he growled and snapped his jaw in the air then landed gracefully near Jiang Yanli.
They bumped noses as they turned to face each other. Then in silent agreement they both started to run again. Neither of them seemed concerned with whether or not Wei Ying would be able to catch up to them. With how similar their fur colors were, they looked like two shadows, slipping into the cover of the thick trees.
Wei Ying watched them go with a huge grin on his face. He jumped around on the pier, as if in preparation for a big fight, and although no one was watching he still stretched his arms, rolled his shoulders back and forth a few times and massaged his neck to loosen any muscle tension. When he thought they had enough of a head start he took a deliberate step forward.
The air around him shimmered as if he passed through a thin, invisible ward. On his next step, a black wolf with gleaming red eyes had already appeared.
He ran towards the trail that his siblings left behind. He could almost see their path with how strong their scents were. Grass, then dirt, then pebbles passed underfoot, and finally he was dodging rocks and dried sticks as he entered the forest. The smells around him changed then. He could still pinpoint the other wolves, but moss and leaves, and the smell of earth and flowing water all mixed in together. Wei Ying doubled his efforts, and briefly closed his eyes to focus only on his sense of smell. All the while he never slowed, and still kept moving with speed through the twists and turns of the trees and the rocks.
He reached out. Not with his physical senses this time but with his spiritual energy. It spread like the wave of an invisible beam of red light. In his mind he cast it like a net, and felt it ripple through Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. Once he felt them, he opened his mind to them and heard them communicating.
"A-Cheng did you hear that?"
"Yes. I think it might have been a rabbit. Let's hunt it!"
"Didi, it wasn't a rabbit."
"It could have been a rabbit. We can't be sure until we sniff it out."
"A-Ying will join us soon. You know how he hates us hunting rabbits. We should find a pheasant. He would like to hunt pheasants with us."
"I don't see why we always have to hunt what he likes most. I can't even remember the last time we hunted rabbits!"
Wei Ying ran into the small clearing that Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli were standing in. He immediately pounced on Jiang Cheng. Both wolves crashed to the ground, rolling and snapping at each other. In their shared mental communication, Wei Ying laughed to taunt his pack-brother. In retaliation, Jiang Cheng growled at him, rising to his feet and baring his teeth. Wei Ying laughed some more, and rolled to his side to look up at the angry wolf that stood over him.
"The last time you tried to hunt rabbits Jiang Cheng, they outsmarted you and escaped. We definitely don't have time to watch you fail again!"
"Wei Ying! How long were you listening to us? A-Niang says you shouldn't do that!"
Wei Ying rolled onto his stomach, then tilted his raised head to the side in consideration. "It wasn't that long, Jiang Cheng. I wasn't trying to be sneaky. But you communicate so loudly, I couldn't help it!"
Shifters could communicate only in their wolf form. Wolves communicated mainly within their pack, and only while in close proximity to each other or a wolf from another pack. Wei Ying did not have that limitation to his ability. Once Jiang Cheng realized this, he had wanted Wei Ying to teach him how to have an open communication line to all wolves that he could control similar to opening and closing mental doorways.
Wei Ying hadn't been able to teach him, as it turned out that this wasn't something that Jiang Cheng had the ability to do. After Jiang Cheng understood that no matter how hard he tried he would not have this advantage over other wolves, even if he became an Alpha, Jiang Cheng had gotten very upset at Wei Ying. He then insisted that Wei Ying not use this unfair ability when out with other wolves.
"Come on you two," Jiang Yanli interrupted. She nudged Jiang Cheng in the jaw to get him to relax his stance and used her left paw to poke at Wei Ying. "I saw movement through the trees. We should split up and see what we can catch."
She moved away from them and slowly ran forward, past the trees. Jiang Cheng was still standing over Wei Ying with a slight curl on his lips as a sign of his irritation. Wei Ying lifted his upper body to lick the tip of Jiang Cheng's nose.
"Urgh!" Jiang Cheng responded. As if his nose was burning, he rubbed it into the side of his right leg. "Can you not do that!"
Wei Ying laughed again as he bounded to his feet. He nudged Jiang Cheng's jaw with his muzzle like Jiang Yanli had done. Then he also began to walk towards the trees where Jiang Yanli was waiting. Jiang Cheng still hadn't moved by the time Wei Ying made it across the clearing. Jiang Yanli looked back between the two of them and bumped her nose against Wei Ying's muzzle to show that she was not happy with him making her younger brother upset. Wei Ying tucked his tail and ducked his head at her censor.
To appease both of them, he turned back to look at Jiang Cheng.
"Come on Wanyin," he called out, using his brother's wolf name to show respect. "Let's see which one of the two of us can catch the most prey before nightfall."
🐺
The path was familiar even in the dark as Wei Ying ran.
Behind him he could still hear the pounding of footsteps as the other wolves gave chase. He could see better than them, could smell better than them, and he knew these woods inside and out. Still it didn't do to be overconfident. His task was to lead them away from Lotus Pier without getting caught. At least not yet. They would catch him eventually. He had to let them.
He had to stop to fight. Had to make sure that Jiang Cheng had enough time to win his battle against the remaining members of the outside pack. If Jiang Cheng lost then the Storm Wolves would have no Alpha. Or worse, their pack would have to submit to the attackers.
...
"We've heard news that the Blood Wolves are coming to Yunmeng. They're moving fast. We have word from two of our scouts that there are thirty warriors and a war general, Wen Zhuliu, travelling with the two Betas, Wen Xu and Wen Chao."
The members of the Jiang pack had looked around at each other in shock. When their Alpha had ordered the highest ranking pack members to gather in the Hall of Claws, no one had expected to hear that they would be fighting off an attack in only a few hours.
"They are foolish!" Madame Yu said as she walked from the back of the hall to the dais where her husband sat. She didn't join him at the seat next to him. Instead she turned to the pack. "We are the Storm Wolves. The Blood Wolves have barely battled against any other packs in all this time. They are larger in number but not as skilled as we are in fighting. They don't have a chance of winning."
"Maybe not! But thirty of their warriors, their most ruthless war general, and the heirs to the pack means that they are coming here with a purpose," Wei Ying whispered frantically to Jiang Cheng. "You want to bet me that they're not really that worried about losing the battle if they can get what they want?"
The two of them stood off to the side, in view of the Alpha and the Luna, but not in front of the pack. They were the Betas of their pack but they were still only sixteen years old. It was better if they stayed unnoticed as long as possible while the Alpha pair spoke.
"What would they want though? A-Niang is right. We'd kick their asses if they came here, so why come?" Jiang Cheng asked just as softly.
Wei Ying shrugged as if he didn't know. He had a fairly good idea though. "Whatever it is, it would be better if it wasn't here when they arrived. Thirty warriors is not anything to laugh about. I know you're a badass Jiang Cheng, but I have no plans to die young if I can help it!"
"Who's looking to die? We have a strong Alpha and his Luna leading our pack. What do they have except their two useless Betas to show strength?" Jiang Cheng scoffed. "I don't have any intentions of dying either. Besides, a-jie is still visiting the Gold Wolves right now. If we send them a message, they can be here in less than a day."
Wei Ying snorted in exasperation, then lightly punched his pack-brother in the arm.
"Yes Jiang Cheng, that's what we need. We'll get the Gold Wolves to come fight our battles for us, and get non-shifters to do the cleanup. Why don't we film the next few hours to keep everybody entertained? This isn't the old days, Jiang Cheng! If we battle the Blood Wolves it will just be us. Maybe if they're feeling friendly, the other packs can send reinforcements without too much suspicion. It's bad enough that there are already thirty three wolves making their way across the country like a pack of idiots. Imagine the aftermath of a battle with wolf carcasses everywhere."
"Better them than us," Jiang Cheng retorted. "In fact it's going to be."
Wei Ying gave Jiang Cheng a slow look up and down in mock admiration. "Well look at you being overconfident and powerful. Just make sure you don't piss yourself when Wen Zhuliu tries to snap your neck with his jaw. I hear that's his favourite battle move."
Jiang Cheng gave Wei Ying a hard shove, and Wei Ying hid a grin in response. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Madame Yu's gaze zero in on where he and Jiang Cheng stood. Abruptly he pulled himself together.
"Wei Ying! Jiang Cheng! What are you doing over there? Come and stand in front of your Alpha so that we can strategize. There's no point in naming you as the pack Betas if neither one of you is good for anything in a time like this!"
Truer words were never spoken, Wei Ying realized. However he could have done without the way Madame Yu grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him out in front of the pack to stand before the Alpha. Jiang Cheng hesitantly followed behind his mother and reached out as if to help Wei Ying when Madam Yu all but pushed him forward. It was Jiang Fengmian who stopped his momentum though, and Wei Ying gratefully rocked back on his heels so that he was more or less standing beside Jiang Cheng again.
He could joke all he wanted to with Jiang Cheng, but as soon as his eyes met the Alpha's he immediately felt like all the air in the room was sucked out.
What did I expect, he wondered.
There was only one Sena in existence and it wasn't the best kept secret that it resided in Lotus Pier and had recently turned sixteen years old. The Blood Wolves -- really all wolf packs -- would find a way to present their Alphas to the Sena from now on, in the hope that their Alpha would become Xiandu.
"A-Sena," the Yunmeng Alpha acknowledged in a low voice.
Wei Ying inhaled a sharp breath and nodded solemnly. "Yes, they're coming here for me," he said in response to the unspoken question. "I'm really sorry."
"So am I," Jiang Fengmian said, still in that low voice. "I had hoped it would at least be another two years before we had to make these plans. Now we have no time."
"There is nothing to be sorry about." Wei Ying bowed at the waist, with outstretched arms and fingers clasped, he steadily held the position. "You've done so much for me already. It's my turn now to do something for you."
Silence fell in the Hall of Claws. Wei Ying stayed where he was, not looking even at Jiang Cheng. He didn't see the gesture that Jiang Fengmian made to the gathered pack members but he heard the collective shuffling of shoes as everyone turned and left the hall.
Once the only shifters remaining were the four of them, the three war generals, and the four guardians, the Alpha stepped off the dais to pull Wei Ying out of the bow.
"There is one thing that I would like to request," Jiang Fengmian said. "Madame Yu and I will fight our hardest, but we aren't young anymore and I'm not naive in thinking that we can fight Wen Zhuliu and his warriors without sustaining damage. Our warriors can hold their own, but we will need a Beta in the circle with us in case both of us are eliminated. Someone has to become the new Alpha and lead the pack if we are unable to."
Wei Ying understood Jiang Fengmian's words. He and the Alpha had come to an unspoken agreement. Someone had to survive to become the new Alpha of the pack and if the Alpha and his mate were killed then it would be up to Wei Ying to avenge them.
Before he could speak, Madam Yu grabbed his arm and dragged him out of her way so that she could face Jiang Fengmian.
"Your son is right here, or can't you see him! Are you blinded by this one's dark light? He's right here standing in front of you as your true heir and yet you would overlook him in a time like this! Am I such a failure as your mate that you reject our child for the chance to give the pack away to a boy that you found on the streets!"
"Jiang Cheng is too young to fight!" Jiang Fengmian snarled. "And Wei Ying is the Sena."
"They're the same age!" Madame Yu shouted.
"Wei Ying is a better fighter. Shifting comes naturally to him and he has skills that the rest of us don't. Wei Ying can lead a pack. You've seen him. Wolves obey him without question, even the pups. It was your idea to have Jiang Cheng and the Sena lead the Yunmeng pack together. The pack can still survive with Wei Ying as the Alpha!"
He closed the short distance between them and held on to both of her shoulders. As he leaned in he said quietly, "Our son could die if we let him fight when he is not ready. Is that what you want? Can you bear the thought of losing both the pack and our son because of a wrong decision? Wei Ying can do this. I'm not sure that Jiang Cheng can."
She threw his arms off of her and took a step away from him. Her eyes were angry and her Luna scent permeated the room as her anger grew.
"It has always been Wei Ying for you! You have never believed in Jiang Cheng! Have you been plotting this since the day you found him? Have you always wanted to name him as the next Alpha? Our son may be young but he is a strong wolf and a capable fighter. Let him fight!"
Wei Ying looked over at Jiang Cheng. Fingers clenched into fists at his side, his pack-brother glared at the floor as if he didn't want to meet anyone's gaze.
Wei Ying reached out to him to grab his wrist. "Jiang Cheng, it'll be okay. Our pack is strong. The Alpha is just being cautious. It won't come down to us Betas stepping into the fight circle."
But Jiang Cheng didn't want to hear it. Instead he pulled his arm away from Wei Ying's grasp and ran towards the doors of the hall. Wei Ying hesitated a second before he followed after him. He stepped outside and watched as Jiang Cheng leaped into the air. His body writhed and twisted as the change rippled through him. As soon as he landed he skidded around, growling and snarling at Wei Ying who tried to approach.
"Jiang Cheng, would you just listen!" Wei Ying had to back up a step as Jiang Cheng snapped at him. "Your father is only trying to protect you!"
Jiang Cheng turned around and began to run again, this time towards the forest. Before he could escape, Wei Ying chased after him across the fields, and just managed to catch up to him again, near the line of trees.
Wei Ying jumped on him, grabbing him around the waist and twisting his body so that they rolled over and over, until the wolf managed to find leverage and pulled away. They eyed each other cautiously as Jiang Cheng towered over Wei Ying on four legs. Wei Ying tried to back away from him, forced to stay low in his human form, as the angry wolf snarled and stepped forwards.
"Jiang Cheng, I know that you're meant to be the next Alpha of Yunmeng, and that I am to be your Beta. Your pack knows this, and of course both of your parents know this too!" Wei Ying held up his arms in surrender. "I'm not going to contest you for the title, and I'm not going to fight our pack warriors to prove my skills. I don't want to lead the Storm Wolves! But I also don't want to stand back and watch as the Blood Wolves of Qishan attack us. Right now, the two of us out here arguing isn't doing the pack any good. Let's just go back and listen to the defense plan."
The plan had been simple. By whatever means necessary, force the Blood Wolves out of Yunmeng.
The small delegation arrived in the late afternoon as a deceptively orderly group waiting outside the wards of Lotus Pier. A contingent of russet colored wolves standing with three men, all of whom inclined their heads in greeting when they were met by two Deltas of the Yunmeng pack. Pleasantries were exchanged, and one of the messengers returned to report on the discussion.
"They are requesting to meet with the Alpha pair and the Sena. They came here to see her. They have a gift for her from Wen Ruohan and hope that you will accept it as proof that they are here with good intentions."
From where he was sitting, sprawled at the base of the dais, Wei Ying couldn't hold back a snicker of disbelief. "They show up with at least one-third of their fighting squad and their best war general, and then ask us to believe that they have good intentions. Did you tell them to fuck right off, back to where they came from?"
The Delta barely hid his grin as he said, "Not in so many words, no."
"Then tell them we're busy, and not to bother coming back."
"Wei Ying, enough," Jiang Fengmian chastised. He had been silently listening to the messenger's report on the size and potential force of the other pack's members. Now he held up a hand. "If it's a meeting they want, we should let them in, and meet with them."
"A-Die, they are locked behind the wards. If we let them in then we're making ourselves vulnerable." Jiang Cheng almost tripped over Wei Ying to get to his father's side. "Besides, we know they're lying! I wouldn't be surprised if their gift is a nicely wrapped explosive with a remote detonator." It was his mother who pulled him away from where his father sat, and he impatiently tried to shrug off her grip. "Why should we let them in!"
"They are already here Jiang Cheng," Madame Yu responded with a sneer. "Should we let them set up camp and bring them a pig to roast? They won't leave until they have their fight and claim their prize. We are not cowards. If it's a fight they want, then let them come."
"Wei Ying can go —"
"Wei Ying will not go to be dragged in front of their Alpha like an Omega on his knees!" Jiang Fengmian snarled. "If Wen Ruohan wanted to meet with him, he could have met with me properly. As the Alpha of Yunmeng, Wei Ying is under my protection. Instead he sends his warriors to our doorstep to take him by force. Let them in! We'll send his sons back to him in pieces."
The Blood Wolves had entered Lotus Pier, and not an hour later the battle began.
— — —
"I heard that she was fast but I've never seen a wolf move like her before. And did you see her shift? I didn't! She appeared out of nowhere right in front of us like the air just spat her out. I'm telling you she's unnatural."
"She smells so good! I can't concentrate. I don't care if she rose out of the black smoke like a demon. I just want to catch her so that I can put my hands all over her and taste her."
"Shut UP! Why are you two even here? Wen Zhuliu, why did we have to bring these two idiots along? The two of us are strong enough to take down a single wolf. We really didn't need their help. In fact, if they would only shut up then we could get a thought through. We definitely would have caught up with this bitch already."
"The Sena isn't a bitch. And the Sena is more powerful than you believe. The two of us on our own would not be skilled enough to win against the Sena in a fight."
...
A ward was erected across the expanse of the field, blocking the majority of the Jiang pack from interfering in the battle. Within the ward, twenty of Yunmeng's warriors had formed the outer ring of the fight circle with the four guardians and the three war generals forming the inner ring. The Alpha pair stood at the center of the ring. The only other two participants, the Betas, stood at the east and the west, outside the ward of the circle. Only one of them was permitted to enter the ward once the fight began. And a Beta was only permitted to enter the inner circle if the Alpha pair were incapacitated.
Cloaked in shadows to disguise his identity, Wei Ying looked over to where Jiang Cheng stood. As he looked past his adopted parents to his pack-brother, he clenched both palms into tight fists and forced his emotions to calm. As they had discussed in the Hall of Claws, someone had to survive to become the new Alpha of the pack, and if the Alpha and his mate were killed then it would be up to Wei Ying to avenge them.
If the Alpha pair, who were the strongest fighters of the pack, were killed, then the chances of the Beta entering the circle and surviving would be almost impossible. With his family dead, Jiang Cheng would be left with the choice of entering the circle in the hope of being victorious instead of joining his parents in death. Or, to secede the pack to the outsiders.
The Yunmeng Alpha did not want his son to die, nor his pack to be defeated.
So Wei Ying could enter the fight circle and win, and become the next Alpha of the Yunmeng pack of Storm Wolves. And his brother would hate him.
"One day, you will be my Alpha and I will be your Beta," Wei Ying had promised Jiang Cheng since they were children.
The time had come to break that promise.
The warrior wolves of the Qishan Wen pack poured onto the fields from both the northeast and the southeast side of the circle as a sea of snarls and snapping jaws. The forerunners collided with the outer ring with enough force to constrict the circle, making it easier for more of the russet wolves to launch themselves closer to the inner circle to get to the guardians and the generals.
As soon as the attack began, Wei Ying's eyes searched for the two Betas and Wen Zhuliu.
Wen Xu and Wen Chao attacked as a team. Their strategy was brute force combined with viciousness. They were nearly impossible to avoid as they carved a path to the Alpha pair. Wen Xu in particular seemed to revel in causing pain as his jaw snapped down around the hind leg of an Epsilon in his path, before he threw him towards Wen Chao. The guardian wolf barely missed a swipe from Wen Chao's claws to the face. He retaliated by slamming his head into Wen Chao's shoulder, sending the russet wolf staggering backwards in a daze. By the time Wen Chao caught up to his brother, Wen Xu's muzzle was covered in blood and he seemed to be grinning.
"Where are you, Zhuliu?" Wei Ying muttered to himself.
He thickened the shadows around his body so that the most anyone would be able to see would be a tiny ripple in the air, even as he moved closer to the ward. He made it just outside the fray before he located the Zeta of the Wen pack.
Wen Zhuliu's strategy was much more refined than his Betas. He was very efficient in his fighting. His main focus seemed to be a direct route to the Alpha pair, so he didn't waste time engaging wolves on the periphery of his path. But he was savage with the wolves that he did fight. His teeth were like sharpened knives that he used to tear into the flesh of his opponents.
When he got to the center of the circle the Alpha pair were already engaged in a brutal fight with four other wolves.
Wen Zhuliu didn't spare a second of thought. Wei Ying could only watch in horror as the red wolf leaped into the fray, and aimed for the swirling, moving, blur of Madam Yu's wolf form. Then somehow, inconceivably, the larger wolf reached out with a faint glow of spiritual energy to grab the side of her neck with its teeth.
Wen Zhuliu pulled, and Madam Yu's wolf form ripped off of her like a cloak.
A single scream immediately tore through the animalistic growls of the wolves. A human scream of someone in agony.
Wei Ying raised a hand. With his index and middle fingers pressed together, he frantically carved a sigil into the air, and pushed. The shadows that surrounded him raced out to encompass the field of wolves, easily passing through the ward of the fight circle as if it wasn't there. The wards would never have stopped Wei Ying. Not even the law of the circle applied to him.
Madam Yu was still screaming as Wen Zhuliu's wolf tried to attack her. Thank the gods that all clothes and accessories stayed with each form. As a human, she could wield her spiritual weapon Zidian, even with the damage to her spiritual power. She lashed out with the whip in all directions, not just at Wen Zhuliu but at any wolf that came near her.
On the other side of the field Wei Ying saw Jiang Cheng pounding his fist against the ward and shouting. Wei Ying carved another sigil into the air and blasted the shimmering light with a wave of red. It shattered like a crystal globe, into shards of light.
The warriors were disoriented by the roiling cloud of shadows as it blanketed them. The most they could see were the two points of red as Wei Ying's eyes glowed through the dark fog. He ran through the field, jumping, rolling, somersaulting over them as he headed for the inner ring. On the opposite side of the field, Jiang Cheng was already in his wolf form and heading for his parents as well.
At the center of the circle Madam Yu lost her advantage with Zidian, and Jiang Fengmian became surrounded by the Wen Betas and Wen Zhuliu, as he tried to get to her.
Wei Ying dove for Wen Zhuliu.
He shifted so fast that his arms encircled the wolf a second before his sharp teeth ripped into the flesh of Wen Zhuliu's shoulder. Wei Ying's mouth filled with the metallic taste of warm blood and fur while his claws raked a path down Wen Zhuliu's chest. Wen Zhuliu twisted in his grip as he tried to retaliate with his own teeth, but Wei Ying rolled their bodies and jumped back. On their feet again, the two wolves circled each other with their teeth bared.
Wei Ying caught a glimpse of the Alpha lying on his side, bleeding freely from wounds all over his body as he curled around the unconscious human form of Madam Yu. Jiang Cheng was outnumbered trying to get closer to his parents, but in spite of this he was holding his own with both Wen Xu and Wen Chao. Even as he kept his attention on Wen Zhuliu, Wei Ying was already deciding on his next move. He had to get at least one of the Wen Betas out of the fight circle so that Jiang Cheng had a chance of surviving.
"It is an honor to meet you, Tiānzî." Wen Zhuliu's voice when he spoke was calm, almost reverent, in Wei Ying's mind. "I must now request that you come with us."
Wei Ying laughed. "I decline your bullshit request. Go back and tell your Alpha that no one forces me to do anything."
"You are the Sena," Wen Zhuliu pointed out. "The Sena should bond with the most powerful Alpha."
Instead of responding, Wei Ying took another step backwards and away from the other wolf. He could feel his control slipping. He wanted to fight to defend his family. Every muscle in his body tensed, wanting to rip into the outsiders for daring to start a war in Lotus Pier.
"The Sena? Is that her?" Wen Chao's attention snapped to Wei Ying as he realized what he had overheard.
Although Wei Ying was keeping his side of the communication private, the Zeta was either unable or unwilling to do the same. With Wen Zhuliu drawing attention to Wei Ying's presence, he could feel as many of the other wolves tried to discern his form through the dark mist. Once they focussed on him, their fights took on a new direction as they also began to actively try to battle towards the inner ring so that they could get closer and see the Sena with their own eyes.
Wei Ying saw the shift in both Wen Xu's and Wen Chao's focus as they both simultaneously took a step towards Wei Ying. It was all that Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng needed. Jiang Cheng immediately went after Wen Xu with teeth and claws and no mercy.
At the same time, Wei Ying turned and ran.
He hadn't taken more than a few steps before he heard a howl behind him and he realized that Wen Chao had abandoned his brother in favour of trying to catch their prize. Wen Zhuliu followed either to protect his Beta or to finish the fight. And, at the edge of the outer ring as Wei Ying finally broke through to the trees that marked the beginning of the forest, two of the Wen warriors joined the chase.
But the path was familiar even in the dark as Wei Ying ran, and he knew these woods inside and out. All he had to do was to lead them far enough away from Lotus Pier that he could sever their communication with the other wolves in their pack.
And then, he would tear them apart.