The cold chill from a gust of wind whipped around Wei Ying as he stumbled and swayed, blinded by the dazzling brightness of the thick snow that was all around him. Every step that he took was agony. He propelled himself forward through sheer determination, gritting his teeth, and whimpering as he continued to walk.
He had lost his bearing some miles out during the chase. Not that he cared anymore. He could hardly think through the pain of his broken left hind leg, and there was a gaping wound on his left flank that was trailing a line of blood into the snow the further he made his way up the snow-covered mountain.
He had no idea where he was and no idea where he was headed, but he followed his instinct in whatever direction his nose led. The only thought he had was a desperate hope that he would find a safe place to rest before exhaustion and loss of blood caused him to lose consciousness.
He tried again to reach for his spiritual energy as he had been anxiously trying to do for the past few hours, but the reservoir inside of him was completely empty. This loss and the sting of the bite wounds that covered his body, brought tears to his eyes.
He couldn't shift.
He had tried desperately in the first few minutes after the fight, as Wen Zhuliu barely escaped with Wen Chao's unconscious body in his arms, and with the two dead warriors left between them. Wei Ying's body had locked itself into his wolf form and refused to budge. That was where the last reserve of his spiritual energy had been wasted. Most of it however had been severed during the battle with the war general.
Wen Zhuliu was a man of talent. Wei Ying would give him that. He had never met a wolf shifter who could do what Wen Zhuliu did. Had never even known that it was possible to cultivate one's spiritual energy in such a way. When Wen Zhuliu had latched on to Wei Ying's wolf form, Wei Ying had almost laughed. Unlike other shifters, his wolf was his first form. It couldn't be pulled off of him to reveal his human form. But the pain had been excruciating. Like bones compressing, and muscles and sinews tearing apart. Wei Ying had blacked out for a moment, and had almost choked on blood when he regained his focus.
Then because there was nothing beneath it, because he was a wolf first, his body had retaliated in self-defense by sealing his dantians.
He didn't even know if his brother was still alive. His communication was locked away to conserve his energy, just like every other part of himself. The last thing that he knew was that the Storm Wolves had won in Lotus Pier, but whether this came at the price of the Alpha pair or the Beta, he had no idea. All he could do was hope. And leave.
He had to leave Yunmeng. He had no idea how long it would take his body to heal the physical wounds that he suffered during the fight without the aid of his spiritual energy. And he had no idea how long it would take for his spiritual energy to return. In the meantime, Wen Ruohan could easily send another team of warriors to pursue Wei Ying. He had no intention of bringing even more bloodshed down on the Yunmeng pack again.
Just ahead of his path his eyes spied the opening to a cave. It was still a long distance away, yet Wei Ying almost passed out from gratitude. It took him another little while to get to it, but as soon as he did he immediately flopped down onto his less injured side and licked his wounds. It was just as well that he made it inside a shelter, because outside the rapidly falling snow and strong winds had crescendo into what looked like a blizzard that would last at least an hour.
He ventured deeper into the cave.
It was large enough to keep him well away from the mouth of the cave but small enough that even when he curled his aching body into the deepest, darkest corner, he could still see the light at the entrance.
Which was exactly how he noticed that he was no longer alone.
It was a person who retreated from the swirling mass of white fog and cold winds. Human, shifter, or ghost, Wei Ying couldn't tell. As soon as it entered it gracefully brushed a layer of snow off the thick faux-fur of its hooded white cloak, and lightly stamped its boots. Human then. Or even shifter in human form, which was actually the most obvious answer. Obvious, because as soon as the figure turned in his direction, Wei Ying could see the motif of a swirling blue cloud that were fixed like epaulets on each shoulder of the long white cloak.
I guess that means I'm in the mountains of Gusu, Wei Ying thought tiredly.
"You're bleeding."
The words were softly spoken but they carried in the cave somehow. Soft, and strong, and direct. Just from the voice, Wei Ying realized that it was a teenage boy around the same age as himself. At least, he assumed the other boy was also sixteen just from his height and his build, but a very, very careful sniff of the air between them left Wei Ying intrigued. He could hardly smell the other's scent. It was so very subtle that it mostly only made the tip of Wei Ying's nose tingle.
Does that mean he doesn't have a scent? Wei Ying wondered silently. Or is he just really good at hiding?
"May I come closer?"
There it was again. Soft, strong, soothing voice. It was actually extremely soothing, Wei Ying realized in mild frustration. Like the other boy had years of practice taking care of wild animals and knew how to get them to obey. Wei Ying almost regretted the growl that built in his chest as the figure approached. He didn't have the energy to attack, but he'd had enough of wolves encroaching on his personal space in the past few days.
"That's close enough!" Wei Ying tried to communicate, but it felt like he was shouting into a void.
Still, the growling and snarling couldn't be ignored. The other boy stopped moving and stood perfectly still, like a statue made of priceless white jade.
Wei Ying still couldn't make out the features of his face as it was very effectively hidden beneath the low light in the cave and the lushness of the white faux-fur hood. What Wei Ying could determine though was that every single action the other boy performed was deliberate. Each of his movements were elegant and precise and as graceful as art in motion. Like the crystal clear water of a stream flowing over river rocks, or the gentle wisps of snow falling on a mountainside, or like clouds floating across a light blue sky on an early spring morning.
"You're an Ice Wolf of Gusu," Wei Ying said quietly. "I have heard some seriously impressive things about your pack. Is it true that you're all descended from trained assassins? Assassins or monks or both, the rumours say. I think I believe assassins more. Tiān na! You move like the sharpened blade of a knife. I wouldn't feel a thing if you cut me, would I? I'd just be dead."
The other boy wouldn't hear any of his mini-rant but Wei Ying felt like it needed to be said. The Ice Wolves of Gusu were rumored to be as beautiful as they were deadly, and they had techniques in both human and wolf forms that were unmatched. Wei Ying wasn't afraid of him though. He was mesmerized. He couldn't tear his eyes away.
He had however stopped growling, and the jade statue came alive again and began to move forward.
"Let me help you. I can help."
"You can't help," Wei Ying told him sadly. "I just need to rest and hopefully my body remembers how to unclench itself and stop panicking."
"How long have you been hurt? There was a lot of blood on the mountainside."
Wei Ying sighed. "It doesn't matter. The blizzard will cover the trail."
"You could bleed to death."
"I won't." Wei Ying stubbornly tucked his muzzle under his front paws. "I can take care of myself."
It wasn't a fully conscious effort, but he really didn't want to inhale too much of the other shifter's scent, as subtle and almost non-existent as it was. It still made his nose itch, and Wei Ying fought back a sneeze. Instead, he checked to see if he could feel the tendrils of his spiritual powers. He still couldn't. He was still stuck in his wolf form. A black wolf with red eyes, with a broken leg and a wounded flank, probably getting the other bite wounds on his body infected from the cave dust.
The only good thing was that even as the other boy sat down beside him and reached out with two glowing blue fingers and a steady stream of spiritual energy, Wei Ying knew that his own scent was locked away deep inside. All he had to do was to keep his eyes hidden.
"Stay still."
Wei Ying whined at him. "I don't need help. You should save your spiritual energy."
"You've lost a lot of blood."
Wei Ying growled. Not viciously, but still loud enough to be heard. It was more of a grumpy protest to being told what he already knew. That if he didn't start healing soon, his body would go into shock.
"Rest now. I will stay with you."
"Are all Gusu wolves as stubborn as you?" Wei Ying asked. "Do you all just go around wasting spiritual energy on anybody who stumbles into your territory?"
Wei Ying's eyes were half closed this entire time anyway. He closed them fully now as the glowing blue energy continued to flood his meridians with a slight chill. It felt great, and Wei Ying was too tired to move away. He didn't fall asleep though. He was too anxious to fully relax in a strange shifter's presence.
When the stream of blue energy cut off approximately thirty minutes later, Wei Ying immediately missed it. The other boy rose from beside him, silently and with all the grace of a heavenly being. He walked over to the entrance of the cave and slipped two white leather gloves back on. Wei Ying hadn't even seen him remove them in the first place.
Wei Ying watched him through narrowed eyes. Outside, the howling winds had stopped blowing and the falling snow had calmed. A fresh layer of glistening white powder dusted the mouth of their small shelter.
"I have to go." The figure in white turned to look towards the dark corner where Wei Ying was still lying on the ground. "My family will miss me."
Family. Wei Ying thought of the Jiangs and immediately began to worry again. He whimpered into his paws and shivered. He really hoped that they had survived. He didn't know what to do with the thought that he was the direct cause of suffering for the people who he cared the most about. He couldn't change who he was, but he could use who he was to protect them.
As soon as the other boy left Wei Ying tried to shift into his human form again.
He still couldn't. It was just as frustrating to have his meridians blocked as it was to not be able to freely pace around the inside of the cave. His side felt a lot better from the healing energy that he had been given. Some of his more shallow wounds had even scabbed over from the force of it, but his hind leg was still very much broken.
He tried to open a communication channel to the Yunmeng pack next. It took an effort to cast his mental net so far since he was still so weak, but when he felt it flutter on the edge of Wanyin's consciousness he almost collapsed in relief. At least that worked. At least his pack-brother was still alive.
"Jiang Cheng, are you okay?" he asked. There was no response. He tried again. "Jiang Cheng! I know you can hear me. Is everyone okay? How are the Alphas?"
There still came no response. Wei Ying pushed harder until the flutter solidified like fingers that prodded against the other wolf's mind. "Jiang Cheng, stop being rude! I wouldn't ask if I didn't care. Are they dead?"
"No." It came back as the faintest whisper.
"Good." That was something to hold on to. "I'm sorry I left you to fight alone. I would have stayed if I could but I had to deal with Wen Zhuliu."
Jiang Cheng was silent. Wei Ying groaned inside the connection.
"Aiya Jiang Cheng! You can't be serious. You can't be upset that I didn't leave the murderous, savage, asshole for you to battle. I barely won in my fight with him! Whatever he does with his spiritual energy in his wolf form is fucking barbaric! I didn't even know it could be done."
"You don't know everything. Being an unbonded Sena doesn't always give you the right to do whatever the fuck you want!"
"Maybe not."
Wei Ying retreated a little. He wasn't surprised to hear his brother's anger, but he was surprised at how much was directed at him.
"You broke the circle. You fought alone against two warriors, a war general and his Beta, and you won. You saved the Alpha and the Luna from being killed. You even shattered the battle wards like it was nothing. And then instead of sticking around to take responsibility, you run off, like it doesn't mean anything!"
"You're there. You do it," Wei Ying said.
"How the fuck am I supposed to be Alpha of a pack that knows that another wolf can do so much better than me!"
Wei Ying was exhausted, and his broken leg ached, and he was stuck in a cave in his wolf form with only the faintest amount of spiritual energy to keep this communication open. He was out of answers, and couldn't fight anymore right now.
"Then Jiang Cheng, I'll leave," he said quietly into the silence between them. "You were born to lead the Yunmeng pack, not me. It's all you've ever wanted, and you've been training your whole life to be the Alpha, not me. If your pack can't see that you're the best of all of them then you need to show them. You don't need to always win in combat to be a good leader."
"Where will you go?"
"Qishan, eventually," Wei Ying said. "To meet the Alpha. To reject him to his face, and let him know that I won't bond with him or anybody else that he drags before me. I don't think that he'll accept the rejection very well. Alphas don't like being told that they can't get what they want, and they like it even less when they realize that someone else might get it instead."
Jiang Cheng huffed out a short laugh. "How many Alphas have you already met in the past few days to sound so angry?"
"I know you, don't I?" Wei Ying squeezed his eyes shut in defense against the darkness around him. "Mostly though I ran a lot. Now I'm stuck in a cave until I feel better. And I also met one of the Ice Wolves of Gusu, who I think is keeping me calm so that he can assassinate me."
It was many hours later before the other shifter returned.
By then Wei Ying had said all he could say in his goodbye to his brother. His pack-sister was even harder to communicate with. Yanli had sniffled the entire time it took for Wei Ying to explain that it was better for the new Alpha if he was cast out of the pack. As a lone wolf he wouldn't have the protection of a pack but he would have the freedom to go wherever he wanted, as long as he didn't cause trouble. As the Sena, he could do whatever he wanted without being questioned.
"I brought you food."
Wei Ying groaned and whimpered, and pretended to cover one ear. "It isn't even morning yet! How are you awake?"
"There has been daylight for at least three hours now." The figure in white approached Wei Ying's dark corner of the cave. When he was close enough to sit, he did it so gracefully that he hardly made a sound. "How are your wounds?"
"Are we really going to have a conversation? Is that what's happening? Couldn't we just close our eyes and sleep?" Wei Ying whined. It was just as effective in human form as it was as a wolf. "Be kind to the injured animal and let it go back to sleep." He reached out an arm and patted around until the tips of his fingers brushed a knee. "Nice shifter. Kind shifter. Shhhh!"
His fingers were gingerly lifted and removed from that knee. Wei Ying grinned into the crook of his elbow.
He had awoken in the middle of the night to the realization that his spiritual energy had regenerated enough for him to begin healing on his own. Once his broken leg felt like it was no longer shattered in multiple places he reached for his human form again.
This time it worked.
The shift was embarrassingly slow and he felt like a nightmare made flesh halfway through it. His eyes changed from red to grey first. They were always the easiest. While his body worked on elongating, his paws stretched into fingers with claws. He tried to hide his face away from the horror, but his muzzle got in the way so he tackled that next. The worst was his broken leg, and he shamelessly screamed through it as the muscles and bones reformed. The shift helped it to heal faster however, since dislocating and morphing was at the core of shifting. He worked relentlessly through the pain. By the time he was fully human again and could wiggle all ten fingers and ten toes comfortably, the leg looked and felt like it was only severely fractured instead of crushed.
Of course, human Wei Ying lying on a cave floor took up a lot more space than wolf Wei Ying. It was also a lot less comfortable to lie carefully on only one side and to make sure that he didn't re-open the wound near his hip. A quick assessment of it reassured him that it would soon be nicely healed.
When he fell back asleep it had been pure bliss. Now though, he had a stubborn, shadowy, blurred figure in white squeezed into a dark corner with him amidst rocks and dirt, and who was still insisting that he opened his eyes.
"You need to eat to help you to heal."
Wei Ying considered that, then he countered, "I need to rest to give myself time to heal."
"You have been resting. You have not been eating."
His tingly scent tickled Wei Ying's nose again, making Wei Ying want to laugh. It was still so very faint that Wei Ying didn't know if the other boy was even aware that he had a scent yet. Still the more he annoyed the other boy was the stronger the scent would get, and Wei Ying was intrigued enough now to want to discern it.
"I only eat rabbits. They're juicy and tasty and worth the chase. I don't smell rabbits so I'm not interested in eating." The tingle at his nose immediately intensified. Wei Ying chuckled softly. "Hmm. You smell like sandalwood."
There was a shuffle in the darkness as the shadowy figure moved away. "Shameless."
"Telling you that you smell like sandalwood or wanting to only eat rabbits?" Wei Ying wondered aloud. He raised his head slightly and took a deep breath but the air was once more clean of the tingly scent. "Oh, so you do know that you have a scent. And you are hiding it on purpose. Is it because you're going to kill me and you don't want to leave any clues behind?"
"You are ridiculous. I preferred your other form." As calmly as the words were spoken, the other shifter sounded petulant. And snarky. "You do not have a scent. Are you dead?"
Wei Ying almost choked on cave dust when he snorted, and he immediately started coughing and laughing. "Not dead. Just talented."
Something happened amidst a flash of blue light. Then Wei Ying felt as a cold glass bottle was pressed into the palm of his hands and warm fingers coaxed his own fingers to wrap around it. He unscrewed the metal cap and took a sip of refreshing spring water. It soothed his throat and calmed the tickle.
"Where were you keeping this?" Wei Ying asked when he could speak again. "Did you just pull it from the air?"
"I am also talented."
Wei Ying chuckled again. "You're funny. And kind. I think we should be friends." He tried to sit up slowly so that he didn't reinjure himself. It took a few seconds. "I'm Wei Ying. I'm from Yunmeng."
Their fingers met in the dark and they held on to each other.
"Lan Zhan," came the quiet response. "I am from the Gusu pack."
Lan Zhan. Wei Ying played with the name in his head. Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan, who was one of the Ice Wolves of Gusu. Lan Zhan who smelled like sandalwood, and whose scent made Wei Ying's nose tickle and made him want to laugh every time it did. Lan Zhan who moved like violence and grace, like art and danger.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispered. "Do you mind if I hide here in the dark?"
"Why?"
Wei Ying smiled. "Ah Lan Zhan, I'm hideous! I'm covered in bruises and scars. I have a broken leg and I got a chunk bitten out of me from a hellhound. I'm not at my best, Lan Zhan, and I'm embarrassed. I don't want you to run out of this cave screaming when you see my face. Like I said, I want us to be friends."
"We can be friends no matter what you look like."
Wei Ying patted the fingers of the hand that he was still holding. Lan Zhan's skin felt soft and smooth and warm, as if he had never done a day of manual labour in his life. "You say that now Lan Zhan, but wait until you realize that I have three eyes and razor sharp teeth."
"You do not."
Wei Ying ducked his head and smiled again at the trust in Lan Zhan's voice. They had known each other for less than a day and already Wei Ying felt himself returning the trust. Lan Zhan had been kind and polite. He had healed Wei Ying's injuries and had returned to give him food. All without either one of them getting a clear view of each other's faces.
"You said you had food?" Wei Ying asked.
"No meat."
"I'm sure it's good," Wei Ying said. "I'll try to eat as much as I can now that I can move without screaming."
There was another flash of blue light then Lan Zhan pressed a qiankun pouch into Wei Ying's hand. Wei Ying reluctantly released Lan Zhan's hand as he took the pouch and opened it. He reached inside and realized that it was filled with fruits.
"Ah Lan Zhan, you spoil me," Wei Ying teased as he pulled out a banana and quickly peeled it. "This tastes better than any stew. I'll never want to eat another rabbit ever again."
"Are you still in pain?"
"A little."
"How much is a little?"
Wei Ying considered the question before he said, "Slightly more than ten minutes ago? Moving was a bad idea. The floor was my safe space. We'd gotten very close these few hours. I never should have left its cold embrace."
"Ridiculous," Lan Zhan chided. "Hold out your hand."
Wei Ying held out his hand and Lan Zhan began to send him a stream of spiritual energy. The strong blue light felt cool and soothing, and it immediately worked to dampen the pain on Wei Ying's left side. Wei Ying half-heartedly tried to move his hand away, but Lan Zhan followed his movement, not once breaking the stream.
"Lan Zhan, I can heal on my own now. You don't have to waste your energy on me," Wei Ying said softly.
"It is not a waste. I've seen this before. Whatever Wen Zhuliu does to wolves in battle is very taxing on spiritual powers. You are still weak and tired."
Wei Ying twisted his hand and grabbed Lan Zhan's fingers, breaking the healing stream. "You've seen this before? Have the Blood Wolves been to Gusu?" he asked. "When were they here?"
"The Blood Wolves of Qishan are interested in expanding their territory. They have established their headquarters in Nightless City but they believe in absolute power. The last time they were at Cloud Recesses they sent a handful of their warriors with two of their Zetas. Wen Zhuliu was one of them."
"The last time? When was that? And what did they want?" Wei Ying's fingers tightened around Lan Zhan's. "Did they challenge your Alpha?"
"Yes," Lan Zhan responded in a whisper. "It was about a year ago. They had their excuses as to why they were in our territory. We fought. We barely won. My...Alpha...went into seclusion. He...is not expected to survive much longer. The Qishan warriors retreated, but it was strategic."
"Fuck, " Wei Ying breathed. "Fuck! They were testing us. Trying to understand our defenses. Get an idea of our strategies, and how many warriors we have, our arrays and wards, and fuck … I let Zhuliu and his Beta go!"
"They were at Lotus Pier."
It was more of an acknowledgement than a question, but Wei Ying responded anyway. "Yes. They were. We won too but our Alpha pair were severely wounded. My… my Beta had to enter the fight circle and will soon become the new Alpha. Is that what their Alpha wanted?" Wei Ying tapped his fingers against his forehead to get himself to think clearer. "Wen Ruohan forced a change in Alpha at Yunmeng, and soon in Gusu too. Were we the only packs that he attacked?"
"He also attacked the Stone Wolves of Qinghe. They were first. The Qinghe Nie Alpha was young, but he was not lenient. He returned only bodies back to Qishan."
"Smart! Fuck. We should have been smart too."
"Zhuliu was not in Qinghe. The Qishan Wen Alpha learned from that mistake."
"What about the Lanling pack?" Wei Ying asked. His breath caught in his chest as he thought of his sister. Remembered the sound of her crying in her wolf form only a few hours ago when he told her that he was leaving the Storm Wolves.
In the dark, Lan Zhan flexed his fingers the tiniest bit. A reminder to Wei Ying that they were once again holding hands. "The Gold Wolves have been fortunate so far."
Wei Ying nodded in relief, even though Lan Zhan couldn't see the movement. "So this is recon. After this the war begins." Wei Ying briefly squeezed his eyes shut. "And if he wins, if he manages to eliminate all the powerful Alphas, then who can stop him from becoming the Xiandu?"
"The Sena chooses its mate. Only the Sena gets to decide who becomes the Xiandu." Lan Zhan's voice was quiet but firm.
Wei Ying took a deep breath. All at once he missed Lan Zhan's tingly sandalwood scent. All at once he wished that he was strong enough to leave the cave, to go out into the daylight, to enjoy the falling snow, and the cold winds of the Gusu mountains. Everything was about to change. There was a war coming. Soon he would need to protect the people who meant the most to him. To do that he would need to be strong not only in his title but in his abilities as well.
"Lan Zhan, we can't let him win," Wei Ying said. "We can't let him wipe out our packs. When he comes back we have to make sure that we not only win the fights but that we cripple his forces so that he can't attack us a third time."
Lan Zhan squeezed his fingers in response. "Then that is what we will do. We will be prepared."
🐺
As soon as he was fully healed, he left the Gusu mountains in the middle of the night.
The trek down wasn't as physically painful as his journey towards the cave, but his heart felt heavy to leave. A part of the reason was because he knew that he no longer had a home to return to. Gusu was to the east, and Qishan was to the west. Directly between the two was Yunmeng, which meant that it was difficult to avoid.
He wasn't in a hurry though. He decided to travel along the coastline to get acquainted with the smaller packs that hid among the non-shifter population. He wanted to see their faces and for them to see his. He planned to sit at their tables and talk with them, and to help them to prepare for the hardship that would surely follow.
And that was exactly what he did. It was a slow, difficult, painful journey where he relied upon, and rewarded, the kindness of strangers.
It was many months later before he found himself on the outskirts of Lanling, and he reached out to Jiang Yanli again. She had travelled back to Yunmeng to help to take care of her parents and to support her brother's claim as the new Alpha of the Storm Wolves. While Wei Ying alternated between begging for scraps as an oversized dog in the cities, and a willing pair of working hands in the smaller towns and villages, Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng had spent months strengthening their connection with the Gold Wolves and fortifying Lotus Pier against another attack.
In the corner of a popular noodle house in Langya, Wei Ying finally enjoyed a spicy meal and a bottle of baiju with her.
"A-Xian, are you sure that you're doing well?" she asked for about the fifth time since she sat down across the table from him.
He grinned at her and waved off her concern. "I'm well! I'm well. I promise. You don't have to worry so much. I'm taking care of myself, getting food and rest, and doing what I can to help the smaller packs to prepare for whatever is going to happen in Qishan soon."
"Of course I worry. I haven't seen you for ten whole months, and all a-Cheng talks about are the Blood Wolves, and that their forces are getting stronger. I worry about you being alone without your pack by your side."
He didn't want to correct her. She knew that as a lone wolf he had no pack anymore. Instead he smiled at her and asked, "Has there been any more trouble in Yunmeng?"
"Not much of anything. We hear about minor attacks or a pack giving over their territory to the Blood Wolves, but most of them are loyal to Lotus Pier and a-Cheng is doing as much as he can to keep their loyalty."
"Good! The more support he can get is better. Wanyin needs to make them see how good of an Alpha he is. Especially now. They won't follow him into a fight if they don't believe that he can lead them."
"He misses having you by his side." She reached out to lace their fingers together. "He didn't mean for you to leave the Storm Wolves entirely, and you already know how upset I am that you left. You never needed to convince any wolf to follow you. With you by his side, this would have been easier for him."
He gently squeezed her fingers. "I know. But, I also know that he doesn't need me around to be great. He was born to lead the pack, and the pack knows it."
He saw the obvious question in her eyes before she asked it. He had been asked the same question in a number of different ways since he began to travel alone. It was because of this question that he bought a hooded black cloak and hid his face behind a red scarf whenever he found himself in wolf territory. And it was because of this question why he had to meet his pack-sister outside of Lanling and away from Jin Guangshan, who was still the Alpha of the Gold Wolves.
"Couldn't you have just taken Wanyin's mark?" she asked softly. "You were raised by the Storm Wolves pack as one of our own. No other Alpha deserves to have the Sena more than us."
Wei Ying had heard it before. Had heard it all. A litany of desperation, and anger, and annoyance, and a sense of entitlement. And he had to prove to each of them that he was just as strong, just as cunning, and just as fierce. That he didn't need an Alpha, and he couldn't be forced to choose. He was something more. He was more powerful than even they were. He was his own leader, his own pack, his own weapon. He was the Sena, and his equal would not just be the Xiandu in name only.
Wei Ying smiled at his sister. "Jiang Cheng deserves better than to be stuck with a mate that he can't control. He has a list, remember? There was something on it about being obedient and not talking too much. The only way for him to shut me up is to kill me."
"He's an Alpha now. He would do whatever is necessary for the good of the pack," she responded. But she couldn't look him in the eyes anymore when she said it. "You're an unbonded Sena. The only one. I don't know any shifter who doesn't wonder about which Alpha will become Xiandu for you."
"Jiejie, you have to believe me when I say that I have no intentions of ever meeting with that Alpha. My interest lies in pretty women. The more human she is, the greater my chances of flirting with her."
"We don't always get what we want a-Ying," she chided sadly.
Wei Ying sighed loudly and drained his cup of baiju.
Across the room three people stood up and began to approach the table. They had probably been listening to the conversation with Jiang Yanli the entire time. Wei Ying had known to keep an eye on them when they entered the noodle house a few minutes after his sister was seated. Shifters could pick other shifters easily out of a crowd. Not even just by scent, but also in the way that all shifters were careful around non-shifters. The three shifters — an arrogant looking Beta, a tall well-built guardian, and a beautiful female warrior — carefully weaved their way past tables of wide-eyed humans and stopped by Wei Ying's side.
In synchrony, they all bowed to him.
"Ah, shit! If I knew you would be joining us I would have ordered more expensive food." He gave a quick bow to the Epsilon and the Eta first, because they weren't looking at him like he was a fresh kill. "Grab a seat. The more the merrier. I could definitely do with another bottle of wine."
The guardian gestured to their server, who hurried over to take the new order and leave, before he sat down beside Wei Ying. Meanwhile the warrior lady cautiously sat down beside Jiang Yanli. Blocked in with nowhere to go, Wei Ying smiled at the Beta who was still standing by the table.
"Don't offend my sister in front of polite company, Peacock." Wei Ying's smile went a bit sharp around the edges. Jiang Yanli tried to pull her hand away at his words, but Wei Ying tightened his grasp around her fingers. "It's okay jiejie. Don't worry. Jin Zixuan knows to sit down beside you, before I make him do it."
Jin Zixuan showed no signs of surprise in being recognized as he met Wei Ying's eyes. Instead, he easily shifted his gaze to Jiang Yanli. "I mean no offense to you, Miss Jiang. I prefer to stand. My parents are still waiting for us to escort you safely back to Koi Tower, and we shouldn't spend too much time in another pack's territory."
They were stiff, polite words, but his arrogance was on full display when he turned back to Wei Ying and reached for his wallet. "Is there anything else that we can do for you, Diànxià? The Lanling Alpha has given me permission to take care of the Sena, with no expenses spared."
Well, fuck. Wei Ying almost visibly flinched, and he couldn't stop Jiang Yanli from tugging her hands free from his to wrap her arms around herself.
"Nothing else, Peacock. We're done talking."
Jin Zixuan nodded. His attention had yet to leave Wei Ying's face when he spoke again, "It is good to finally meet you properly, Wei Wuxian. I've heard a lot about your skills in both your human and your wolf forms. Most of what is said can only be rumors, I assume, but I would love to find out for myself. Koi Tower extends an open invitation for you to visit. I am sure that Miss Jiang will feel very comfortable with showing you around my home."
Wei Ying's eyes narrowed at the small dig at Jiang Yanli's character, but he kept silent. The warrior by Jiang Yanli's side quickly slid out of her seat to stand beside her Beta as if she was used to being there. The guardian at Wei Ying's side made no move to follow. Instead he looked at Wei Ying then looked over at Jin Zixuan and nodded. Jin Zixuan reached out a hand to Jiang Yanli and helped her out of her seat, which brought a smile to her face that made Wei Ying shake his head at her. Jin Zixuan didn't care about Jiang Yanli's feelings. He only cared about impressing the most powerful shifter in their group.
"A-Xian, should I stay?" she asked quietly.
Wei Ying shook his head again. "No. It's okay. Me and the Epsilon will have a nice, pleasant talk while his Beta settles our bill for us. There's no such thing as a free meal after all."
Jiang Yanli smiled and tugged at Jin Zixuan's hand as she turned to walk away. Jin Zixuan pulled his fingers from her grasp to let her go, then hesitated only the tiniest fraction of a second before he too turned and left, with his Eta leaving right behind him. Wei Ying waited for them to get to the other end of the restaurant before he sighed.
"Start talking before I change my mind," he said.
"Zixuan is not the Alpha of Lanling yet, but he could be one day. And, your pack-sister is very obvious in her interest in getting very close to him. We've heard that you left Yunmeng before Jiang Wanyin became Alpha, so you haven't tested him to see if he is your mate. But you have tested other Alphas while you've been travelling. The Lanling Alpha has heard about these tests and is wondering why you choose to stay away from Koi Tower so adamantly. Wouldn't it be easier to get it over with and be done?"
"If it stopped with Jin Guangshan then it would be one and done, but it's not that simple, is it?" Wei Ying tapped his fingertips against the table. "But if I say no then you'll drag me to Koi Tower anyway to stand before your Alpha."
He sighed at the tricky situation that he had gotten himself into, but he had known it was a possibility. Jiang Yanli had told him that she was on her way from Yunmeng to Lanling by invitation of their Alpha pair.
"First, tell me, how many of the packs have been told that I left the Storm Wolves and that I'm travelling alone?" he asked. "And then tell me what you would suggest that I say to Jiang Yanli when she asks me why I agreed to test the man she's in love with, before he even has a pack to lead? None of you fucking leaders have any pack loyalty when it comes to politics. My sister trusts me not to infringe on her claim to her mate."
"She is not his true mate. Even the Lanling Alpha would put his Luna aside if you chose him as your mate. Jiang Yanli would understand. The Sena and the Xiandu are the only true mates. They are zhiji, and their union is law. There is no greater bond than that."
"Jin Zixuan is not an Alpha! Yes, he is one of the Betas of his pack and that makes him an excellent fighter and a leader. But there is no guarantee that he will survive long enough to take over. You Gold Wolves act like you don't realize that the Blood Wolves are preparing to go to war."
The muscles in the other man's jaw tightened, but it was the only visible reaction that he let slip before he responded calmly, "What the Blood Wolves do is their business. Besides, there won't be a war if you bond with the Alpha of Lanling. Our pack is strong enough to protect you from any that would try and take you by force."
"Tell me how many packs are keeping track of me. I know the Gold Wolves have spies all over the countryside," Wei Ying said.
"The Storm Wolves have done their best to hide that you no longer have the protection of the pack. That is the only reason why you haven't been openly hunted and can still go where you choose for now. The Blood Wolves don't know where you are yet, but the closer that you get to Qishan will be the less that other shifters are inclined to keep quiet. The Stone Wolves will fight because they are fighters. We're not sure what they know. And as for the Ice Wolves, they keep to their mountains. They seem the least interested in either having you or using you. Which leaves all the smaller packs, who know nothing, until you show up at their doorsteps then somehow make them forget meeting you until you're far away."
It was a lot of information to process. The Epsilon was being very accommodating. Wei Ying wanted to not care about the source of the information or about the warnings sprinkled throughout, but it was too late to pretend ignorance. He decided to go for the direct approach.
"I'm not going to Lanling. Even if my mate is not in Koi Tower, your Alpha wouldn't let me go once I'm within his grasp. He'll decide that I'm too powerful to allow another Alpha to have the advantage of having me at his side. All my wicked tricks aren't just rumors. I'm sure both Jin Guangshan and Wen Ruohan are aware of this by now."
The Epsilon inhaled a sharp breath of air in preparation to respond, but Wei Ying delayed the interruption with a pointed look.
"They probably have some kind of wager that whoever finds me gets to keep me as their weapon in taking over as leader of all the packs. I'm the only one who gets to decide who becomes the Xiandu, but they are not the type of men to accept rejection gracefully. They'll try to force me, and I have to protect myself and the people I care about from becoming pawns."
"You must come back to Lanling! I have my orders."
Wei Ying looked him in the eyes, and then reached out to rest his fingers against the other shifter's forehead with the lightest touch that he could manage. Dark mist streamed from his fingertips and sank beneath skin and flesh and bones.
"As your Sena, I am ordering you to let me go," Wei Ying commanded softly.
There was no fight in the guardian. He didn't try to attack or even withdraw from the command. He only exhaled in quiet acceptance, and then nodded firmly.
"Then I will do as you ask, Diànxià. But we will need to leave right now if you want to have any chance of getting past Luo Qingyang," he said. "Mianmian might look like a walking doll but she's extremely loyal to her Beta. She is his personal warrior and her claws are just as sharp as her teeth."
They stood up together and the guardian waited patiently while Wei Ying drank as much of the baiju as he could swallow from the bottle. Wei Ying grinned in appreciation then gestured for the guardian to go first. Across the room he caught his sister's gaze. Jiang Yanli didn't so much as nod, but she quickly turned back towards where Jin Zixuan stood as if to sneakily blocked his view of Wei Ying's escape.
The female warrior, Luo Qingyang, intercepted them as soon as they exited the restaurant.
She was casually leaning against the wall with her head tilted back towards the sky, one leg up, and with her arms crossed over her chest. In her hand she held a carving knife. The blade of it glinted in the afternoon sunlight. She didn't seem to be aware of their presence but as soon as Wei Ying tried to slip by her she grabbed his wrist, pressed the tip of her knife at the base of his throat, and glared at him.
Wei Ying smiled at her and her fierce expression before he said softly, "Let go."
She immediately released her grip on his arm, but her glare seemed to intensify.
"Where are the rest of the warriors waiting?" he asked her calmly. "Don't say that the three of you came alone. If you do, I'll be very insulted. My sister deserves full protection, since her brother is the Alpha of Yunmeng, and she is the woman who wants to marry one of your Betas. Especially since Jin Guangshan is so positive that Jin Zixuan will become the next Alpha of the Gold Wolves."
"I heard that you left the Storm Wolves. She's not your pack-sister anymore," Luo Qingyang pointed out. Her knife pressed deeper. Sharp enough to nick a wound into his neck.
"She's my sister if I say she is." Wei Ying sighed. He'd been doing that a lot with this group of shifters. They didn't scare him, they just wore down his patience.
Luo Qingyang inhaled a deep breath as a thin stream of blood trickled out from Wei Ying's wound. That was all it took for the guardian beside her to react. With one hand, he gripped her arm until she lowered the knife and with the other hand he gripped her throat, and forced her to take two steps backwards and away from Wei Ying, before he finally released her.
"Sena, that's not fair," she said quietly, when she recovered from her surprise. "I wondered how you got Jin Haoran here to walk you out. He's usually very difficult to get along with, and yet you had him wrapped around your fingers the moment he sat down beside you. It's in your scent" -- she shook her head in disbelief -- "and your touch. Your voice can command, and your blood is a distress signal. How are you even doing that? I can just tell from the air around you that I'm still making you uncomfortable by standing so close."
Wei Ying reached out to lightly run his fingers up her right arm. Again, the dark mist gathered at his fingertips and sunk into her flesh.
"What does that do?" she asked.
"It interrupts your bond with your Alpha," Wei Ying responded. "While I'm with you, you have no obligations to follow any orders from him. It's easier for me to have a conversation with someone if they're not fighting the urge to either kidnap me or murder me because their Alpha commands it."
"I don't think I would have murdered you. It's not every day that I get to meet the Sena. Something about you makes me wish I could do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Even causing you the smallest discomfort makes me feel very disappointed in myself."
Wei Ying laughed. He liked her. "I can't control that. Sorry. Every wolf reacts differently to my presence. Guardians want to protect me, warriors want to defend me, Betas want to fight me, and Alphas want to claim me. At least that's my experience so far."
"Speaking of protecting you," Jin Haoran interrupted. "Sena, we should leave. Mianmian and I can escort you out of Langya without encountering any other wolves, but you'll need to travel away from Lanling on your own. If you can make it to Qinghe before next summer then you'll be safe to stay there for a few months. The Stone Wolves have outright declared to every pack that the Blood Wolves are their main enemy, so at least you know they won't hand you over to Wen Ruohan."
"Good plan. What's in Qinghe?"
"Hills, plains, and lakes mostly." Luo Qingyang crinkled her nose in disgust. "And a big, ugly, stone fortress called the Unclean Realm. Which is just about the worst name that you can give to a place."
Wei Ying took about a second to consider that, before he doubled over in laughter.
🐺
Jin Haoran and Luo Qingyang borrowed a car from the Lanling Jin's protection fleet at the noodle house, and took Wei Ying on a ninety minutes drive to just outside of Lanling. After that, once again travelling by foot and temporarily boarding with as many of the smaller packs that he could along the way, it took him an additional eight months to meander his way to Qinghe's border.
They were not lying about Qinghe. It turned out that the entire city was a fortress.
The Unclean Realm had pulled all its members and all the smaller packs on the outskirts into its borders, and had set up wards and traps to keep everyone else away. Commerce and manufacturing continued uninterrupted through a tight network of constant and efficient negotiations, but Wei Ying had no idea how to infiltrate it. Whoever was behind both the planning and the execution of the safety procedures was a mastermind, as far as Wei Ying could tell. The entire city was locked down, but the non-shifters who lived and worked in the rest of the province had no idea of what was happening.
By the time the sweltering heat of summer had dissipated and autumn had finally arrived, Wei Ying had spent all of his savings to get the necessary paperwork to enter Qinghe.
Once he was finally allowed within the city, he had no other choice but to seek employment or end up begging on the streets. A couple weeks after his eighteenth birthday, he requested entry into the Unclean Realm to meet with the Qinghe Alpha. One week later, his request was formally accepted.
The irony was not lost on him then that on the evening of his meeting with the Alpha of the Stone Wolves, he found himself surrounded by a pack of Blood Wolves instead.
The first thing that caught his eyes and warned him of the trouble that was brewing was a bright flash of red and a hard jostle. The streets were relatively empty for a late afternoon, which was why Wei Ying was caught by surprise to almost be laid out flat on his back by the force of the tackle.
"I'm so sorry!" said the lady in red, who had collided with him. He grabbed both of her arms to steady her. Her voice was urgent and apologetic but her eyes were not. Wei Ying could tell that although her mouth said one thing, her action had been deliberate. Still she peeled herself away from him, frantic and apologetic with another, "I'm so sorry!"
And then she was gone, as a flash of bright red that blurred away as she hurriedly left. The impression of her remained though. Bright red clothes, like a fresh wound. Quiet words. Cold eyes.
He followed her, and her bright red sweater with its orange sun emblem that was stitched on the edges of each sleeve. A rising sun over an ocean of death. A Blood Wolf.
He didn't need to shift to follow her scent. It wafted behind her, so strong that he knew she had indeed deliberately targeted him. He followed her to the end of the street, dodging traffic at a busy intersection, along that main road, then through a small alleyway, down another two streets, and into a small market of fresh produce and street food. He caught up with her when she was already in her wolf form, but he could still recognize her. Russet wolf. Stubborn jaw. Cold, intelligent eyes.
She was standing directly in front of a baby that was cradled in a younger teenager's arms. In front of her, like a pack of wild dogs, were five bigger russet wolves who snarled at her, and at the baby, and at the boy.
Wei Ying took a moment to consider his options.
He didn't need to help her. She hadn't asked for him to help. She had strongly implied that she needed help, but she hadn't asked. She was a Blood Wolf, though possibly an outcast from her pack. She hadn't asked for help, but she was clearly outnumbered and had something for which she was willing to die.
Wei Ying watched as the hunters closed in around her and the other two that she was defending. Then with a nod at her, he shifted, and made his way over to stand between the lady in red and her pack-mates.
The fight was quick and brutal.
Each time the wolves tried to get past Wei Ying's defense they were met with resistance that surprised them. Wei Ying could see after the first few minutes that he had gotten their attention. Even after the realization dawned between them of just who he was, their surprise only morphed into something vicious.
They definitely had their orders from their Alpha to track the woman and to kill anybody who protected her, but Wei Ying didn't make it easy for them.
He moved with a grace and with speed that confused them even when they all tried to pile on their attacks. He was a whirlwind of loud snarls and bared teeth, and his sharp claws ripped through fur as he used his entire body to block blows after blows as they tried desperately to get to his companions.
In the end, in a fight that was almost entirely five against one, there were two wolf carcasses left behind, and Wei Ying was once again balancing on three good legs and one painfully injured one.
"Dianxia, we need to leave," the female wolf said as soon as the three remaining Blood Wolves ran away in defeat. She looked around at the curious faces of the humans who had watched the skirmish like it was an everyday dog fight. "The Qinghe Alpha has Upsilons who regularly patrol these streets and report back to him. We have to go. Now!"
Wei Ying tipped over onto his good side and tried to catch his breath. He hadn't smelled any scouts in the crowd but he had been very preoccupied, so he could only take her word for it.
"We have to go!" she said again desperately, as she nudged him with her muzzle and nipped at his shoulder with her teeth. "I can help you with your injuries, but not here. If the Qinghe Alpha catches us then all of your effort was for nothing. He won't even hesitate to kill us."
She had a point. Blood Wolves in Qinghe. Blood Wolves that Wei Ying had just defended like his life depended on it. And if a scout had seen the fight then Wei Ying might not have a chance to explain. As the Sena, the Qinghe Alpha would need to treat Wei Ying with deference, but the Alpha didn't owe the woman, the boy, and the baby any of that respect. Especially since they were Blood Wolves who had no business being in Qinghe.
Wei Ying rolled onto his back and stared at the late evening sky. He sniffed the air and closed his eyes as he tried to decipher how much immediate danger they were in. The scent of food reminded him that when he woke up that morning it was with every intention of meeting with the Qinghe Alpha for a nice meal and conversation. The scent of the dead wolves a few feet away, showed just how much his plans had changed.
"You should definitely go," he said tiredly. "I'll stay here."
She yipped at him and batted one paw at his face. "But you're injured! What if one of the Kappas comes back and finds you before the Qinghe Upsilons do?"
The scents in the air were changing. Wei Ying could tell that more than just Qinghe scouts were coming towards them now, and she could probably smell them too. He turned his head to look past her to the younger boy who was still tightly cradling the baby. Neither of them seemed particularly upset at witnessing the savage fight. And Wei Ying had to remind himself yet again that they were Blood Wolves and had probably experienced worse in Nightless City.
"Don't worry about me. Just go," he told her.
For a second she seemed to hesitate, but without another protest she turned to nudge at the boy's foot. Like the signal that it was, the boy and the wolf immediately took off running in the opposite direction.
Wei Ying watched them for as long as he could.
When he was sure that they weren't being followed, he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes again. He listened as the sounds of car engines and footsteps interrupted the buzz of the nearby market. He lazily lapped at the wound on his injured foreleg and tried to get it to stop bleeding. Every swipe of his tongue caused a jolt of pain to slice through it. With the way the hunter had latched on with sharp teeth and twisted, it was probably fractured. Fortunately, his spiritual energy was already circulating through his meridians. It wouldn't take more than a few hours and some well needed rest for him to feel better.
Footsteps approached and Wei Ying opened his eyes again a little reluctantly. He really was very tired. He barely had time to focus as strong arms reached out to him, and he saw a sea of white, before he was gently cradled against a warm chest.
"Found you," the young man said softly.
His voice was low and soothing and it rumbled in Wei Ying's ear. Wei Ying couldn't believe how long ago it had been since he last heard this voice. It seemed like only a few weeks ago he had been lying in a cave with a broken leg, and yet here he was, injured again two years later.
Out of respect, Wei Ying resisted the urge to nuzzle against the side of the man's neck. The tingle at the tip of his nose no longer tickled quite as much as it used to, but it still made Wei Ying want to laugh. Sandalwood and falling snow. This man smelled like safety, and Wei Ying knew that no matter where he was being taken to, he would be okay.
"Lan Zhan, we really need to stop meeting like this," Wei Ying teased quietly.
He closed his eyes and tucked his head against Lan Zhan's shoulder. Immediately, he felt gentle fingers begin to pet his fur, across his side, over his back, careful to avoid the wound on his fractured foreleg. Over and over, as if Lan Zhan needed to make sure that he wasn't hurt anywhere else.
"You're injured," Lan Zhan said in his low voice. "You'll need somewhere to rest and heal."
Wei Ying whimpered in agreement. Their steady pace and Lan Zhan's warmth was lulling Wei Ying to sleep. He felt as Lan Zhan traced the outline of one of his ears and down his neck. This time when Lan Zhan's fingers stroked down his side, they stopped at his fractured leg and rested against his wound. Then Wei Ying felt the chill of Lan Zhan's spiritual energy as it flowed from those gentle fingertips and mingled with his own healing energy.
More footsteps. More voices now. More scents that overlapped each other, some human and some shifter. The sound of a quiet greeting jolted Wei Ying out of his light slumber and he turned his head to see a man dressed in a white suit, lean over to open the door of a sleek white car with swirls of blue clouds painted along the side.
Lan Zhan moved Wei Ying carefully in his arms before he slid onto the back seat and settled Wei Ying on his lap. The man outside firmly closed the door before he hurried into the driver's seat.
"Is that the Sena?" The man asked. His surprised voice was loud enough to make Wei Ying whimper in protest. "Why is she injured?"
Lan Zhan didn't answer with words, but whatever look he gave the driver was enough to get the man to drive. Wei Ying was grateful. He had some questions of his own, like why were Ice Wolves patrolling Qinghe streets, being scouts for a pack that wasn't their own. But, he could reserve his questions for a later time when he was fully healed and didn't look like an overgrown dog that had almost lost a fight.
"I'm taking you to Nie Mingjue, the Alpha of the Stone Wolves," Lan Zhan said quietly, as if he knew that Wei Ying had questions that he wanted to ask. "The Alpha expected the Sena at a meeting this afternoon and when you didn't arrive he asked his Tau to find you. The Beta of the Ice Wolves is friends with the Qinghe Alpha. We arrived with scouts and guardians."
If Lan Zhan was an Upsilon, or even a Tau who led all the scouts, then that would explain how he had found Wei Ying in the cave during the snowstorm and now in the streets. But if he was then, Wei Ying doubted that Lan Zhan was still one now. So, that would make him a guardian. Epsilons were the bodyguards of the Alphas and the Betas, and had to be both peaceful and powerful. Which described Lan Zhan in a nutshell. Strong and calm.
"It's a good thing you're not a Beta, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying said. "I don't know what I would do if you ever challenged me in a fight. I might roll over and beg you to scratch my belly. Or lick your nose to see if I can make you laugh. If you were a Beta, Lan Zhan, would you be jealous of me, and always afraid that I'd take your pack from you?"
He rubbed his forehead against Lan Zhan's fingers as Lan Zhan continued to gently pet him.
"Lan Zhan, if you were the Alpha of Gusu, would I have to hide from you?" Wei Ying asked. "When Jiang Cheng was a Beta he was always angry with me. When he became the Alpha of Yunmeng, I had to leave."
He waited in anticipation to see if Lan Zhan was offended in any way by his words. When Lan Zhan continued to stroke his fur and not respond, Wei Ying snorted. "I've heard that Mingjue once ripped a man apart with his jaws. With an Alpha like that, I can only imagine the strength of his warriors."
The soothing strokes of Lan Zhan's fingertips didn't pause, but Wei Ying still tensed at his own musings. What would he do if the Qinghe Alpha decided to test his strength against Wei Ying's tenacity?
Wei Ying was grateful for the chance to meet with Mingjue and for the protection that Qinghe had offered him, with or without their Alpha's input. But gratitude did not mean that he was complacent. Wei Ying had met with enough Alphas to know that he had to be constantly vigilant. Alphas were used to being the strongest wolf in a pack, and whenever Wei Ying visited a pack he threw this balance off with his very existence. Most Alphas could keep their inner beast civil, but other wolves reacted to the sight or smell of him as if he was something to be tamed.
"There is nothing to be afraid of," Lan Zhan soothed, as if the tension in Wei Ying's body was too much for him to keep being silent. "Nie Mingjue is a good person. He will not hurt you."
Wei Ying huffed out a breath of air against Lan Zhan's arm. "Fuck, no! I'm not afraid of him! Lan Zhan, I'm more fascinated by you than I am with any Alpha. And I'm not afraid of you at all."
Lan Zhan pressed his lips to the top of Wei Ying's head. When he spoke, his words were even softer than before.
"You will be safe, Wei Ying. I promise."
The warmth of his breath made Wei Ying's skin tingle. His words, him saying Wei Ying's name, made Wei Ying shiver. Not Wuxian. Not Sena. Not Dianxia. Lan Zhan had been sent to find the Sena and he knew that it was Wei Ying.
Wei Ying calmed his racing heart with a deep breath and he pressed himself even closer to Lan Zhan's warmth. All around him Lan Zhan's subtle scent grew strong enough that Wei Ying could breathe it in like a drug. It helped to make him feel better.
"Lan Zhan, when I wake I better not be dead," Wei Ying said as he closed his eyes again and tucked his head against a firm bicep. "I'll be very disappointed in you if I am."
He whined a little as he worked to get comfortable, and only settled when Lan Zhan's arms slid to hold him even tighter. Lan Zhan's fingers were still petting his fur. And as soft lips brushed against Wei Ying's ear each time he leaned in to hide his words, it sent tiny little flutters through Wei Ying's body.
"Ridiculous," Lan Zhan said softly.
Wei Ying's heart fluttered at the word, but he managed to resist the temptation to nip at Lan Zhan's fingers in retaliation.
As he drifted off into sleep he felt the cool chill of Lan Zhan's spiritual energy trickling into him again. He wanted to protest, wanted to say that there was no need, that he could take care of himself, could heal himself, and that he could protect himself.
Instead he allowed himself to relax into Lan Zhan's hold, as they entered into the fortress of the Unclean Realm, towards the Qinghe Alpha who waited for him.