Chapter 17 - 5

Both the Nie brothers had to spend some time in the infirmary after their long fight. They had beaten each other up so much that the Thetas of Qinghe and Gusu spent a few hours in intense consultation with each other to figure out how best to heal them. Then, as soon as the new Alpha was conscious and able to make the journey, the Qinghe delegation packed up and left Cloud Recesses to return to their territory.

A few days later, when the message arrived that the Qinghe Alpha and his team of Etas had returned for the Alphas' battle, Wei Ying literally sprinted all the way to the gates to make it there before any of the other leaders.

Nie Huaisang was dressed exactly as he always did, looking more like a military brat than the general of his own army. The difference was in the way his warriors treated him. Even the way they stood behind him with their legs slightly apart, arms clasped behind their backs, and all of them serious and solemn, showed their dedication in following his lead.

The warriors all saluted together when the Sena stopped in front of them. Nie Huaisang glanced at the team of them in wide-eyed shock and wonder, as if he hadn't known that they were going to do that.

Which made Wei Ying shake his head and laugh loudly at his antics.

"Stone Wolves, welcome back to Cloud Recesses," Lan Xichen said as soon as he, Lan Qiren, Lan Zhan, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Jingyji strode up to the group. "Let me especially welcome you, Huaisang, as the new Alpha of Qinghe."

Nie Huaisang looked around when everyone looked at him, and then he sighed and stepped towards the Gusu Alpha and sunk into a respectful bow.

"Thank you, Xichen," he said as he rose to his full height.

He turned to Lan Zhan and then he and the entire Qinghe squad saluted the future Xiandu and his two warriors. The three Shadow Wolves returned the military salute sharply and in perfect synchrony. Once that was done, the warriors on both sides all relaxed their stance.

Lan Xichen walked over to where Nie Mingjue was standing in the midst of the other Qinghe shifters.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," Nie Mingjue said with a small smile. "I know Gammas are supposed to be wise, but I don't know what to say to anyone anymore."

"Da-ge, we were sworn brothers before we were leaders. Nothing is going to change that. You'll speak to me the same way you always did," Lan Xichen responded.

They walked away towards the main buildings of Cloud Recesses together.

As they walked, Wei Ying kept his gaze on Nie Mingjue. The Gamma was trying his best to hide it, and Xichen was gracious enough to slow his pace, but even from behind it was clear that Nie Mingjue had a new and distinct limp to his gait.

Turning to look at Nie Huaisang with interest, Wei Ying scrutinized the Alpha silently, as he pondered.

Was hurting Mingjue permanently the only way that Huaisang knew to take the pack, and still keep his brother alive with Mingjue's pride intact, Wei Ying wondered. He remembered in the Unclean Realm when he had stood on a cliff overlooking the Stone Wolves territory. No one would take his pack while he was alive, Mingjue had said. He had been so sure of his place as the pack leader and determined to hold on to it, even if it meant losing his chance for something greater. And now, he had reluctantly released that hold to someone else.

"Sena, can we go for a quick run together?" Nie Huaisang asked when he had clearly had enough of Wei Ying staring silently at him. "We have some things still left to settle between us, and I don't want to dampen the celebratory preparation for the coronation battle."

Wei Ying made a face. "Coronation battle? God, is that really what everyone is calling it now? All other monarchs get a crown and Lan Zhan gets wounds instead."

Strong arms wrapped around Wei Ying's waist from behind as Lan Zhan pulled him close and surrounded him with warmth. He smelled nice. And as he kissed the tip of one of Wei Ying's ear, his voice when he spoke was soothing and calm.

"Stop worrying," Lan Zhan whispered against Wei Ying's cheek.

"Who's worrying, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying asked grumpily. "I'm not! I'm just angry that it came to this. More energy is being focussed on this fucking battle than anybody put into us getting bonded. A wedding is a celebration. A battle isn't."

Lan Zhan hummed against Wei Ying's cheek in quiet amusement. Which actually served to make Wei Ying less grumpy somehow. He wanted to hold on to his frustration, but Lan Zhan was being so great that he was finding it hard to feel anything but well loved. Standing in front of Lan Qiren and so many warriors, being held by his husband, and not feeling an ounce of embarrassment, Wei Ying inhaled the subtle, distinct, scent of his mate as it wafted around him.

He turned in Lan Zhan's arms and rubbed their noses together.

"I'm going to talk to Huaisang for a little while, and then I'm coming to find you. If I'll have to watch you fight in a few hours like a good husband only from the sidelines, then I'm stealing you away first," he said.

Lan Zhan nodded obediently and said, "Yes. Come find me when you miss me."

Wei Ying reluctantly stepped out of his mate's solid hold and turned back to the Qinghe Alpha. Huaisang had two sets of butterfly knives, one in each hand, which he flipped intricately around his fingers. The sharp blades twisted and snapped precariously as the metals clinked and flashed, almost in a blur, with the speed at which he simultaneously performed the knife tricks.

Everyone was studiously paying attention to him, and pretending to not pay attention, to the quiet, intimate moment between the Sena and their future Xiandu.

"Huaisang, let's go for that run," Wei Ying interrupted.

The knives immediately stopped moving as Nie Huaisang snapped them close. He pocketed them, then smiled briefly at the Sena, before he turned to his Etas and gestured haphazardly at them.

Somehow the warriors knew what all the flapping wrist movements meant, since they all immediately moved towards where Lan Qiren, Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were standing together. The Gamma gave the Qinghe Alpha a disapproving look for his lack of command. It made Wei Ying bite back a smile, since for once, he wasn't on the receiving end.

Lan Sizhui nudged his best friend in the side and then the two of them stepped forward.

"This way! Come with us!" Lan Jingyi said loudly. "We can show you to the guest suites. We've obviously turned into servants overnight. Definitely don't have some opening fights to prepare for, before the main event."

"Jingyi. Behave."

The Shadow Wolf's mouth snapped close at the sound of his Alpha's voice. Lan Sizhui smiled at his discomfort, and Lan Jingyi glared at him and jabbed him in the shoulder in annoyance. Which only made Lan Sizhui snicker.

The two of them led Lan Qiren and the Qinghe Etas away, in the direction of the guest houses on the Cloud Recesses estate. That left Wei Ying, Lan Zhan and Nie Huaisang behind.

Wei Ying shifted into his wolf form.

He turned to Lan Zhan and his mate held out a hand to him. Wuxian nuzzled against his wrist, and inhaled the sharp sandalwood scent that lingered at his pulse point. Lan Zhan scratched behind Wuxian's ear with his other hand and then petted the top of his head and between his eyes.

Then Lan Zhan lowered to his knees, right there in front of the gate and their witness, not caring about propriety or his pristine white pants. He rested his forehead against Wuxian's muzzle.

"Wei Ying," he said softly. "Stop worrying. It will be okay. I've fought more than a handful of warriors on my own, many times before."

Wuxian whimpered and whined pitifully. He licked the underside of Lan Zhan's chin and the column of throat that his tongue could reach.

"If anything happens to you because of being with me… Fuck. Lan Zhan, I don't think I can —"

"Nothing will happen to me. I know each of the Alphas and the Lunas who were chosen for the battle. I know their strategies and their weaknesses. I'm prepared for anything that they do," Lan Zhan said.

Wuxian moved closer so that he could hide his face against Lan Zhan's shoulder. Lan Zhan wrapped his arms tightly around the black wolf and held him close.

"Promise not to let Lan Qiren talk you into something stupid, like starting the fight without me being there. He thinks I'm a distraction for you."

Lan Zhan huffed softly into Wuxian's fur. "I do promise. If he orchestrates the fight to start without either you or Huaisang, I'll be very angry with him. I would hope he has enough self-preservation to avoid that."

"I bet you've never really been angry with him before in your life," Wei Ying teased.

"There's always a first time," Lan Zhan responded solemnly. "Today isn't the day to test my patience."

A shuffle and the loud, dramatic clearing of a throat, interrupted their conversation. They both turned to look at Nie Huaisang who was looking down at them in confusion. Wei Ying, for one, had completely forgotten that the Qinghe Alpha was still standing there silently observing them.

"You're really doing that, aren't you?" Nie Huaisang gestured with a knife back and forth from the wolf to the shifter. "Your soulbond lets you communicate between forms?"

Lan Zhan rose gracefully to his feet and stepped around Wuxian, towards Nie Huaisang, until they stood face to face.

"Yes. We have a soulbond. It's unbreakable," Lan Zhan said calmly. "So keep your teeth away from him, Alpha. It's too late now for you to change anything. You've lost your chance. And I won't be happy if you try to put him through any of it again."

Nie Huaisang smiled, but there wasn't only amusement in his expression when he responded.

"Bìxià, the Sena's day begins and ends with you. You are the air he breathes, and the person that he would give his last breath to keep," he said respectfully. "I'm not stupid enough to contest your bond. But I told you once before, and I still mean it. All he has to do is ask. Even now. Even knowing that he's bound to someone else."

"He will never ask anyone else to take my place," Lan Zhan said.

Nie Huaisang inclined his head in acceptance of that. "Then you'll never have to worry, Bìxìa. You have my word. I won't do anything to make either you or him angry. I like my insides where they are. I only want to talk. I'm not going to try anything to get myself killed."

Wuxian looked between the two of them and growled low in his chest.

They glanced at him, and then each of the Alphas took a step away from the other. He walked into the space between them and nuzzled against Lan Zhan's hip until his mate reached over to pet the top of his head.

He indulged in the feeling before he raised his muzzle and licked Lan Zhan's palm and fingers in goodbye. Then he turned and slid past Nie Huaisang, and escaped past the gates of Cloud Recesses.

He had the option to head towards the peak of the Gusu mountain range and further northwest. Instead, he headed southeast, towards the base of the mountain. Once he was no longer at a high altitude, he slowed his pace so that Huaisang had a chance of catching up to him. By the time he could smell civilization again and hear the sound of vehicles in the distance, he was mostly just picking a path along the trail and stopping often to sniff at rocks and bushes.

He made it all the way outside of Gusu and the Ice Wolves territory, and was meandering his way towards Caiyu Town before he finally heard the sound of footsteps catching up. With a huff of relief, Wuxian turned around. He barely managed to growl in surprise, before the large grey and white wolf leapt playfully on him, and the two of them went tumbling onto the ground.

Wuxian forcefully shoved Huaisang away and scrambled to his feet before the other wolf could get his bearings.

"You said you would behave, Alpha. So behave," Wei Ying warned.

Nie Huaisang laughed teasingly into their mental connection. "I am behaving, Sena. I said I would keep my teeth away from your neck. I didn't promise to keep your nose away from my throat."

Wuxian sat back on his haunches as Huaisang rolled to one side, leaned his head, and gazed happily at the black wolf. Huaisang's eyes were mischievous, and as he opened his mouth and panted with an almost wolf-like smile, nothing about him seemed threatening or dangerous. But, he was an Alpha now, and he was one of the wolves who would battle against Lan Zhan in a few hours.

"This will change absolutely nothing," Wei Ying said. "Lan Zhan is my mate. The Alpha whose mark I've taken. We already have a soulbond. He has already been chosen to become Xiāndū. Literally, Huaisang. This changes nothing."

"But you're so curious. Aren't you, Tiānzî?" Nie Huaisang continued to tease. He jumped to his feet and walked a slow, deliberate circle around Wuxian. "What is Huaisang's scent? Is it sweet or savory? Why is he so good at hiding it? Hmm. I bet you've been curious for years and years."

Wei Ying snorted. "Not even close! I've had better things to do with myself than wonder about your scent all these years. Curious, maybe! But, I can definitely live without knowing. Maybe if you were Lan Zhan, I'd find it harder to walk away."

"What if I was?" The lightness in Nie Huaisang's tone became slightly more serious. "What if I said, I could have been yours? What if you'd met me first? In my stone fortress, sitting on that bed the day I walked into your room, as you were waiting to see my Da-ge. What if there hadn't been an Ice Wolf standing next to you, stealing all of your attention away. What if…you had only seen me?"

Huaisang stopped moving. And Wuxian rose to his feet and got closer to him, not taking his eyes off him as their gazes locked.

The air between them became concentrated by the dominant scent of the Stone Wolf. It was strong and fiercely Alpha. Like a heady cologne that made Wei Ying want to cough to clear his lungs.

Sharp cedarwood, like pencil shavings, and freezing cold, like the waters of the raging mountain rivers.

"I love him, Huaisang," Wei Ying said into the silence between them. "He is my zhījî. My Xiāndū. My one true mate. There is no 'what if'. My heart belongs to him. And if he hadn't been in that room that day you walked in, it still wouldn't have mattered to me. I would have searched the universe to find him if I had to. It's not you. It's him. I only want him."

Huaisang lowered all the way down to his stomach on the ground in front of the Sena and hid his face between his paws, in submission.

"Good," he said softly. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that's your answer. I don't know what I could have done if you'd said something else."

Wei Ying shifted back into his human form and stood in front of the closest Alpha he'd ever found to his mate's scent.

Lan Zhan was Lan Zhan. Irreplaceable. Wei Ying would never want anyone else. But still, it was good that he and Nie Huaisang had become such close friends before he got to know the other wolf's scent. And it was good that Lan Zhan hadn't known what Nie Huaisang's scent was before he and Wei Ying were bonded. Because, even with how patient and kind Lan Zhan was, it might have driven his calm, powerful, amazing husband, absolutely mad with jealousy to even see the two of them conversing together before Wei Ying wore his mark.

Nie Huaisang was a very, very clever man. Absolutely diabolical even, to keep Wei Ying's trust and friendship through all the years, while knowing that he had this secret squirreled away.

"You cocky son of a bitch. You were so sure of yourself! Now it's obvious to you that I haven't made a mistake accepting Lan Zhan's mark, now you risk letting me know your scent," Wei Ying said with a laugh.

He sobered quickly though and shook his head in disbelief as another realization fell into place. One that made him walk away to put some distance between himself and the grey wolf. Then he spun around to look at the wolf who was still his friend, but who was also so conniving.

"No, you're worse than that! You thought you were my mate, and that's what stopped you all those times from challenging Mingjue to be Alpha. You didn't want to be bonded with the Sena! Too many eyes would be on you. You planned to leave me all alone if it really was you. The day I told you my zhiji is Lan Zhan must have been a shock and a relief to you, because you didn't have to feel guilty anymore for not saying anything all these years."

Huaisang rose to his feet, shook himself off, and then quickly began to shift back into his human form.

Instead of watching the change, Wei Ying looked around their surroundings instead. They were standing mostly hidden from the nearest roadside, by a thicket of trees and bushes. If they continued in the direction that they started in, they would soon be in Caiyu Town with all the noises and smells of an area filled with lots of different buildings and people. For now though, they were safely away from curious non-shifter gazes.

"I know how you smell to me. It wasn't overwhelming or intoxicating like everybody said you did, so I knew that I was different. I didn't factor in how your soulmate smells to you. Still. I couldn't risk it. I watched you be alone as Mo Xuanyu and you seemed okay. Of course, I didn't know about Wangji. If I did, I would have realized sooner that it didn't have anything to do with me," Nie Huaisang said once he could look Wei Ying in the eyes again.

Wei Ying still didn't look at him. It almost hurt him to get his next words out, but he said them anyway.

"Now that you've accepted being an Alpha, you could still become the next Xiandu. We're not zhiji, but that's why you're here. If Lan Zhan changes his mind today, or if anything horrible happens to him, the title would be yours to accept. Of course, Lan Zhan is my other half, but you would be the best alternative."

"Not on your fucking life!" Nie Huaisang said immediately. He gave a sharp laugh. "I'm still not ready for that. I'll take the title only if something really bad happens, because I suspect that then I would be taking it alone. You living without half your soul doesn't sound viable, am I right? There's a reason why I've never wanted you the way other wolves did. It's because if I'm Xiandu, I won't have the Sena by my side."

He got close enough to Wei Ying to rest a hand on his shoulder. Wei Ying finally held his gaze, and stared into his mischievous hazel eyes. He exhaled softly, but then he returned the gesture by resting an arm on Nie Huiasang's other shoulder.

"I'm not your brother, I'm not your Luna, and I'm not your soulmate. But, I am your friend Wuxian," the Stone Wolf said, as serious as Wei Ying had ever seen him before. "If you ever need anything that you can't ask your mate, then I'm here. Until then, my stone fortress and every wolf who follows me is under your command."

It was unnecessary for Nie Huaisang to say, but Wei Ying accepted the oath anyway. They were friends. And in the end the secret of Huaisang's scent changed nothing, because Huaisang wasn't Wangji. He wasn't Wuxian's zhījî.

Wei Ying nodded and reluctantly smiled at him, but he did have one last thing to say.

"Just so you know. The truth is that I met him long before I met you. I was already falling in love with him before you even saw us in the Unclean Realm. What I said that day wasn't to make you uncomfortable. I just didn't want him to feel pressured," he admitted.

Nie Huaisang shrugged in easy acceptance, already back to being his usual self.

"That's good. But now I feel like I owe you a drink or something," he said. "I'm sorry I hid it from you. Let's just celebrate the fact that your mate is much better at looking out for you than any of the rest of us."

They decided that since they were already close to Caiyu Town they might as well find a good place to eat and to talk some more.

Caiyu Town was one of the ancient water towns, located southeast of Gusu. It was gorgeously preserved with its unique old stone bridges and small rivers. The town was extremely popular with tourists, both for its proximity to the stunning Gusu Mountains and with its own charm of leisure and tranquility. Gondolas floated along the rivers, and transported excited occupants from one end of the water town to the other. While the stone roads were lined with street food and vendors with all kinds of interesting wares. There were also plenty of cafes and teashops, with tables set up outside for anybody who wanted to enjoy the bustling atmosphere.

Nie Huaisang and Wei Ying meandered their way along the streets, talking and laughing, and stopping every few minutes to buy from the food stalls.

There were so many people, and some of them spoke in foreign languages. Wei Ying kept getting stopped by beautiful women who smiled shyly at him and held out phones and cameras and asked if he could be in their photos. Each time it happened, Nie Huaisang would make a show of pretending that he was too cool to be asked and was perfectly happy to be the photographer.

The shifters were a little less adoring, but their responses to being around Wei Ying made him feel even more self-conscious.

There weren't many of them, but as soon as a shifter spotted the Sena, Wei Ying watched their eyes widen in shock and then they gasped and stared, or bowed or, in one person's case, gave a tiny squeal and tried to kneel in front of him. And Wei Ying would turn to silently look at Nie Huaisang, and then Nie Huaisang would pretend to be his bodyguard, and grab Wei Ying's arm to steer him in another direction, away from the crazy person.

"What're your plans for Lanling and Jin Guangyao?" Wei Ying asked.

They had finally stopped on one of the larger stone bridges and were leaning forward against the wall, watching the gondolas slowly drift by when Wei Ying turned to Nie Huaisang curiously.

"You know me, Wei-xiong. I don't know anything about plans." Nie Huaisang shrugged. "But if I did, it would be the same thing I've always wanted. To take everything away from him and to watch him suffer. I don't know if Zixuan still wants that though, and I'll need his help. Yanli keeps asking him to let go of his anger. But he also wants his son to become their next Alpha."

"Now that you're the Qinghe Alpha, you don't need to avenge Mingjue's past," Wei Ying pointed out.

Nie Huaisang looked at Wei Ying with narrowed eyes and a tight expression on his face.

"It wasn't ever really about my brother, Your Highness," he said honestly. "I just don't like the man. I don't like that I even have to fight next to him today in the coronation battle. He's lucky that Bìxìa was merciful to him after he attacked you. His slick tongue gets him out of sticky situations with his pack. And he's always playing on Yanli's heartstrings."

Wei Ying couldn't really disagree with that. Jiang Yanli was adoring and forgiving of everyone. She fell in love with the man who ignored her for years, so it would be nothing to her to defend the man who murdered his father, blackmailed his brother, and abused his sister. She had the excuse of being an outsider and not being a warrior who witnessed Guangyao's crimes firsthand. It was no surprise that Jin Guangyao kept Jiang Yanli close, to keep her husband and her son in check.

"One day soon, his luck will run out. His favors will dry up. He won't have anybody else to stand by his side. When that day comes, Tiānzî, I'll be there to watch his world burn," Nie Huaisang said.

Wei Ying huffed out a short laugh. "But you don't have any plans right? It's not like you're not more or less admitting to me that you have every intention of targeting another Alpha for your own revenge."

Nie Huaisang pointed at himself with innocence and shock on his face.

"Me, Tiānzî? You must be deeply mistaken," he gasped. "What would I know about having intentions? I don't know anything about anything. I definitely don't know anything about revenge against the man who tried to kill me as a child."

Wei Ying looked away from him and the blatant acting that wasn't fooling either one of them. His thoughts drifted to his mate, and the look in Lan Zhan's eyes when Jin Guangyao had held a spiritual garrote to Wei Ying's throat. He thought of how close Lan Zhan had gotten to killing him. And the fact that the same man would be standing in front of Lan Zhan in a few hours with that same weapon, ready to use it against Lan Zhan instead.

Wei Ying absently stroked his thumb against the scar in his palm as he silently admitted, Lan Zhan, if anything happens to you… If he tries anything like that today... I'll burn the world down myself and feed on the carcasses of him and his descendants.

Wei Ying turned again to look steadily at Nie Huaisang.

"I won't condone another war. I'm fucking tired of all this plotting," he said. "But, I'm not opposed to Jin Guangyao no longer being the Lanling Alpha. I'm willing to help Jin Ling be better at it. And I'm sure that Jiang Cheng wouldn't mind the idea of Rulan becoming the next Alpha, as soon as he's old enough to challenge Guangyao. So that will give you at least a few years to continue to make plans behind my back."

Nie Huaisang expertly palmed one of his butterfly knives, and tapped it conspiratorially against his lips, before he winked and smiled mischievously at Wei Ying.

"You're one of a kind, Wei-xiong," he said with a slight tilt of his head. "When I think you'll say one thing, you say something even better. I'll figure out a way to remove Guangyao from his position as the head of the Lanling pack. And just to impress you, I'll do it without anyone even suspecting anything."

Wei Ying smiled back at him, because Nie Huaisang was so charming, and he couldn't help liking him. Even if Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao could have been two sides of the same coin.

"The older we get, Huaisang, is the more I realize just how secretly dangerous you can be," he said with a shake of his head.

"Don't worry, Wei-xiong," Nie Huaisang responded with a laugh. He bumped his shoulder against Wei Ying's and then turned and bowed over clasped fingers. "I swear on my life to you, Tiānzî, that I will use my powers only for good."

Wei Ying laughed again, and nodded in acceptance of his promise. Then, because he had enough of heavy emotions and talks about politics and revenge, he pointed to a restaurant on the other side of the bridge and smiled at Nie Huaisang.

"You still owe me a drink, Alpha," he said as he began to walk away. "I want whiskey. And it's going to be the most expensive bottle that your wealthy ass can afford."

— — —

Back at Cloud Recesses, a steady stream of visitors were being admitted through the gates.

In the few hours that Wei Ying had been away, an ambitious team of decorators and event planners had swept through like a storm and transformed the entire estate. Red cloths and gold tassels hung from every available surface and the doors to the dining hall were left wide open to allow access to a ridiculous amount of food, laid out for everyone's enjoyment.

Wei Ying could barely take three steps in any direction before he was being accosted by someone smiling and speaking rapidly at him, or trying to drag him off to meet someone else.

He strongly considered climbing onto the roof of the Jingshi, to hide away from the excitement.

In the end though, when he finally managed to escape his admirers, he walked over to the Gusu training field where the Coronation Battle of the Xiāndū would take place as soon as night had fallen. Then he surreptitiously found a seat in the crowd and watched as the Shadow Wolves battled against the Ice Wolves in a friendly match of sharp claws and teeth, while the spectators cheered thunderously.

Not surprisingly, Sizhui and Jingyi dominated the field together. The fact that they had been fighting side by side since they were children showed in their every movement. One would set up the attack and the other would immediately follow through without question or hesitation.

Keeping his focus on his son, Wei Ying absently stroked the scar on his palm as he watched the two young warriors work effortlessly together to loud cheers and whistling. And, he wondered how the crowd would react if they ever saw Wuxian and Wangji fighting next to each other. Best friends were impressive to watch. But true soulmates, with a soulbond, who could communicate between forms, would blow their minds and leave everyone stunned and speechless.

He wondered if they would allow him on the field to fight beside Lan Zhan when night fell. Together, they would be spectacular. Unstoppable.

"Wei Ying. Come here."

Wei Ying sucked in a sharp breath at the tug of Lan Zhan's voice in his head. He immediately looked around to see if Wangji was on the field with his Etas, but of course the white wolf wasn't. There was no way that Wei Ying would have missed seeing him earlier.

Rising from his seat, Wei Ying left the training field and immediately shifted into his wolf form.

Instead of using his spiritual powers to follow their communication line, he tracked his mate by scent and instinct, like every other wolf would have.

There were hundreds of distractions in every direction, so Wuxian made a game of it. He sniffed at the different tracks on the ground and all the overlapping smells that wafted through the air, until he caught that one beautiful scent that was like a siren song to every part of him. Sandalwood, and cold winters, and snow falling softly on a mountainside. And his heart and home in one strong, gorgeous beacon of light, and love, and hope.

When he found him, Lan Zhan wasn't anywhere Wei Ying had even seen before.

There was the backdrop of a tall, sharp, jagged incline that rose high above, with a powerful waterfall crashing into a large river of rocks and stones below. And on a massive boulder, close enough to be sprayed by the mist of the waterfall, Lan Zhan jumped and spun in the air as he practiced various martial arts moves.

Wuxian sat back on his haunches on the soft, prickling bed of grass and weeds on one side of the river banks while he watched him. Each punch, each kick, each flick of his wrists as he twisted his karambit knives like claws and weaved a tornado of spiritual energy in the air, each precise movement was like a vicious, mesmerizing dance.

He was so absolutely beautiful in every way that Wei Ying couldn't take his eyes off him.

When Lan Zhan finally got to the end of his training session, he looked over at Wuxian, who immediately began to cheer with yips and howls, wagging his tail, and running around almost in circles, in happy excitement.

Lan Zhan bowed low at the waist to him. And then he lept high into the air. He stretched his body out as he soared across the distance. A pale, glowing blue light encased his body and he shimmered inside of it. There was no writhing or twisting, no breaking and realigning of bones and muscles this time, as he shifted into his wolf form. There was only the briefest moment of transformation, and then he emerged.

A white wolf, who landed gracefully on four paws, and then trotted over to his mate.

As soon as Wangji was close, Wuxian stood still and watched him approach. Wangji nudged the side of Wuxian's face with his nose, and then he began to lick the side of the black wolf's jaw, along his muzzle, under his chin, and across the fur at his neck.

Wuxian turned towards him and pressed even closer to the warmth of his body. Tiny little whimpers escaped his throat as Wangji groomed and petted him with his tongue and the occasional nips and tugs of his teeth. Until they were curled around each other, nuzzling and licking, and Wangji started to make this really comforting deep rumbling growl that drowned out Wuxian's whimpers. And Wuxian ducked his head and burrowed his face against his mate, until his ear was against Wangji's chest and he could almost feel the sound vibrating through every part of his body.

The sound of Wangji's growls, mixed with the intoxicating smell of his scent, made Wuxian's breathing slow, and he relaxed his tensed muscles.

He lowered to his knees, then to his stomach, and finally stretched out on the ground with his muzzle resting on his outstretched paws, as his eyes slowly drifted close. He huffed out a sharp breath of air as Wangji climbed on top of him. Wangji's body was heavy and warm, and the weight of him pressed Wuxian firmly into the ground as the white wolf mounted him.

"Don't you want me to fight for you, Sena?" Lan Zhan asked softly, as if he was whispering into Wei Ying's mind.

"I'm already bound to you, Alpha. Why do they still need you to fight?"

Lan Zhan hummed almost possessively into their connection as he responded, "To prove that you belong to me. That you're unmistakably mine."

"God, Lan Zhan. All they'd have to do is see me like this and there wouldn't even be a question of who I submit willingly to every day," Wei Ying said as he opened his incandescent red eyes, and turned his face to the side of Lan Zhan's neck.

He sharply inhaled the heady scent that was like a cloud emanating from Wangji's body. His favourite scent in the world. Incomparable to anyone else in the way it made Wuxian feel. He licked and licked at the base of Wangji's throat. Until, Wangji snarled at him in a show of dominance and instinct. His mouth closed carefully around one side of Wuxian's muzzle, trapping it between sharp teeth as his jaw clamped down just tight enough to not cause any harm.

"The only thing that will stop me from fighting for the honor of being publicly declared as your mate is if you tell me yourself, that it's not what you want," Lan Zhan said.

"Is it what you want, Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying asked quietly. "Or are you only doing this because you think it's the only way that they'll accept you being with me? Only if you're Xiandu. Only if you lead the wolf packs as the Alpha of all the Alphas."

Wangji released Wuxian's muzzle with a low growl, and then moved his head to nibble playfully on one of Wuxian's ears. Wuxian whined and ducked his head again so that his chin rested on his outstretched paws.

"Is that what you've been worried about?" The weight of Wangji's large body shifted on Wuxian's back as the Alpha nuzzled into the side of his neck and licked along his jaw. "That I gave in and decided, against my better judgement, to agree to lead only because I didn't see another way out, Wei Ying?"

"I didn't say that. I don't think you gave in, but I don't ever want you to do something that you don't want to. I'll walk away with you if I need to. All their requirements, and ceremony, are unnecessary. It's just for show. It doesn't mean anything."

Wangji's tongue found the back of Wuxian's neck, and he licked at the dark fur there. Hot breath curled against Wuxian's skin as his entire body trembled under his white wolf. Then Wangji growled again, deep and low in his chest, in a rumbling, possessive snarl, before he began to gnaw at the mark that was scarred into the back of Wuxian's neck.

Wuxian whimpered again, and pawed at the ground as Wangji held his mate down. He didn't even try to fight against the Alpha's strength. Whatever Wangji wanted, Wuxian was only too willing to give it to him.

"Lan Zhan, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. You can fight them, but even if you win, you don't have to become Xiandu," Wei Ying admitted.

"Explain."

Lan Zhan's voice was like melted dark chocolate laced with salted caramel. Wei Ying could almost feel the silky smooth brush of his words like satin along his body. He trembled again, into a full-body shake, as he was teased and nibbled on like a chew-toy.

"The Sena chooses its mate. The Sena does. Not a group of Alphas in a fight circle. The choice isn't made out of necessity or fear. The choice is mine and only mine. Only I get to decide who becomes Xiāndū. Only I can grant you the power of an immortal."

Wei Ying's words hung in the silence that fell between them.

Then Wangji released his hold on the other wolf, and gently licked at the bondmark. When he was satisfied, he retreated off Wuxian's back and moved a short distance away to give himself some space.

Wei Ying felt the air contract behind him as Lan Zhan shifted back into his human form, but he didn't turn to look at him. Instead, he waited a few seconds to calm his own breathing before he also shifted into his human form.

Lan Zhan sat on the grass, silently and patiently waiting, as Wei Ying moved to sit beside him, facing him.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before about the power of the Xiāndū. You only just decided to lead. I didn't want to throw the rest of it at you as well," Wei Ying explained.

"The rest of it will strengthen our bond. There will be a true balance of power between us," Lan Zhan said. He didn't even ask a question.

Wei Ying nodded in response anyway, and looked down at the grass as he restlessly tugged and pulled at a blade.

Lan Zhan reached out to cup his cheek. His thumb stroked soothingly back and forth across the tip of Wei Ying's nose before lowering to Wei Ying's top lip to trace the outline of the cupid's bow there. Wei Ying sighed, and looked up at him. And Lan Zhan leaned across the small space that separated them and rubbed the tips of their noses together.

And because Wei Ying craved every little piece of him, he tilted his head just a little, and leaned even closer, so that he could press their mouths together. He moaned softly as Lan Zhan's lips parted and he flicked the tip of his tongue to taste Lan Zhan's mouth. Then gentle fingers curled under Wei Ying's chin and pulled him into a deep kiss that gave Wei Ying exactly what his mate knew he wanted, and left him panting when it ended.

"Will becoming Xiāndū change the way I fight?" Lan Zhan asked against Wei Ying's mouth.

"Yes," Wei Ying admitted. "We won't need our spiritual gloves once our bond is sealed both ways. You'll have full control over unimaginable power. And I won't have to restrain myself anymore."

"Will it change who I am?"

Wei Ying leaned his head away at that question. Lan Zhan's golden eyes steadily held Wei Ying's gaze, which made Wei Ying remember what Lan Zhan had looked like in that brief span of time when he had shifted fully into his were-form and fought with Jin Guangyao to defend his mate.

His beautiful eyes had changed colors, into a shade that had been even more beautiful as they glowed. And the way he had moved like a blur of white mist and fog. He had shifted from human to wolf to werewolf, and back to human, so effortlessly. Almost as fast as an asena.

"You'll still be you. Just like I've always been me. Just because you'll be stronger and more powerful, doesn't mean you won't still be Lan Zhan. You're my zhījî. You're the only person who can truly become Xiāndū without eventually being destroyed by it," Wei Ying finally said.

Lan Zhan nodded in easy acceptance at that, just like Wei Ying knew he would. Nothing Wei Ying said or did, ever scared him. He was Wei Ying's firmly rooted tree of hope. Solid, and steady, and fearless. He gave life to things and could heal an army.

Wei Ying wrapped both his arms around Lan Zhan's neck and nuzzled his face against Lan Zhan's warm cheek.

"Will it give me an unfair advantage?" Lan Zhan asked next.

Wei Ying huffed out a quiet laugh against his skin at that question. Trust Lan Zhan to consider the disadvantage that would be caused to the wolves picking a fight with him when anyone else would have been happy just to win.

"I fucking hope so!" Wei Ying chuckled. "One of the advantages is that they'll never think of challenging you to a battle ever again."

Lan Zhan hummed thoughtfully. "Then, can it wait just a little while longer?"

And Wei Ying groaned, because he had seen where the line of questions were going and of course this is where they would end. Lan Zhan wanted to fight in the coronation battle against ten other pack leaders, as he was right now. Even if it meant he could be severely wounded by them.

When Wei Ying sighed and then finally nodded, Lan Zhan gently pushed him towards the ground. Understanding his unspoken request, Wei Ying unwound his arms and laid on his back on the grass to look up at him.

Lan Zhan slowly climbed on top of him, lowering his weight onto Wei Ying like a blanket of heavy, warm, sexy man. Sure that Wei Ying could take it without him having to be too careful and gentle. He immediately began to nuzzle against the side of Wei Ying's neck like he would have in his wolf form. And it made Wei Ying laugh, and wrap his arms around his firm body and hold on tightly to him.

"You're Heaven on Earth. The Goddess of the Moon. My asena," Lan Zhan whispered. He trailed a line of light kisses along Wei Ying's jaw, across Wei Ying's cheek, and brushed their lips together in a slow, sensual kiss. "My impossible Wei Ying."

Wei Ying immediately made a face and grumbled, "I'm not a deity."

But Lan Zhan didn't laugh. He traced the curve of Wei Ying's face with his fingertips as if he still needed to memorize everything about him. And he stared down at Wei Ying with amber eyes that were mesmerizing in the early evening light.

"You are. I know you are, Wei Ying. I'm the one who bound you to me," he said with certainty.

And Wei Ying looked back at him with suddenly glowing blood red eyes and a teasing smile that showed sharp wolf fangs, before he pressed a clawed index finger to Lan Zhan's lips.

"Shhhh. Lan Zhan! Don't start telling our business now. Some things aren't supposed to make it into your Gusu history books," he whispered back, with a wink.

— — —

Night-time. A full moon in the dark sky. The impatient, restless, shuffling of a crowd who had waited for a long time to be witnessing this anticipated event. The cool breeze of a late evening. The smell of dirt, grass, and of crisp mountain air.

Wei Ying closed his eyes and took the time to appreciate all the decisions that had led to this moment and this place. If he had a choice he would run from this, and wildly protest the necessity of it. But he couldn't deny what was true. That this, all of this, was in honor and respect of him.

Only the most powerful wolf was accepted by the pack as the Alpha. Only the strongest could lead.

And only the Sena's mate would become the Xiandu.

"Welcome to Cloud Recesses, everyone! The Ice Wolves have been honored to host the Sena on our pack territory for the past few weeks. And we have felt even more blessed, as one of our own was chosen as his mate!"

The announcer's voice was projected around the entire field in an enthusiastic, excited sound, like thunder that reverberated in everyone's chest.

"Now, you are all here to join us for this most auspicious event. To watch the Coronation of the Xiāndū: The Battle of the Alphas. And we welcome each and every one of you, as you join our celebration!"

Standing at the center of the large Gusu training grounds, Wei Ying opened his eyes and gazed up at the bright, round moon in the night sky, just as the loud howl of a Beta wolf pierced the air.

That one howl was joined by a team of others. All howling over and over with their heads thrown back and their gazes locked on that same bright, full moon that cast its light on the sea of spectators.

The howls of the Shadow Wolves were joined by the Gusu Ice Wolves, and the Qishan Blood Wolves, and then the Yunmeng Storm Wolves, the Lanling Gold Wolves, and the Qinghe Stone Wolves.

The sound intensified around the circle of wolves that surrounded Wei Ying, catching fire from one pack to the next. The Yingchuan Rose Wolves, led by their Luna, Wang Guiying, joined in. Then the Baling Mystic Wolves and their Luna, Ouyang Yumei. The Moling Snow Wolves, and Su Minshan, their Alpha. The Tingshan Timber Wolves and their Luna, He Siniang. And, the Pingyang Midnight Wolves and their Luna, Yao Xiulan.

Finally the crowd of shifters joined in to the loud howling of the wolves' voices with their own whistles and shouts, and loud applauses. They stomped their feet like an army of soldiers wanting to intimidate their enemies, and they clapped their hands and shouted out their battle cries. Loud and fierce.

And then as loud as the noise became, it suddenly, abruptly stopped as dead silence fell over the entirety of Cloud Recesses for a long moment, until the announcer's voice spoke again.

"Everyone, it is my greatest honour to welcome to the field, the Sena's mate, the Alpha of the Shadow Wolves, and our future Xiandu. Lan Wangji!"

Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying turned to look at him as he approached Wei Ying, still in his human form and dressed entirely in white. Strong and fearless. Confidence and grace radiated through every line of his lean body as he covered the distance and strode towards his mate.

"Hey, Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying called out enthusiastically to him. Not caring that all eyes were focussed on the two of them. "You made me wait for so long, I was ready to give up on this whole thing!"

The crowd laughed, just as Wei Ying intended, but the small smile at the corners of Lan Zhan's mouth was only for his husband to see.

"I'm here, Wei Ying. Thank you for waiting for me," Lan Zhan responded, so quietly that even the Alphas wouldn't hear.

Wei Ying almost grabbed him by the waist to shamelessly kiss him in front of everybody.

Instead, he smiled happily at him and nodded, feeling like all the love in the world existed only in the spaces between them. As if all the molecules in the universe worked tirelessly to keep them together.

"Hurry up here. Don't take too long. I miss you already," he grumbled teasingly.

Lan Zhan reached out to him then. To gently cup Wei Ying's cheeks between both his palms. He lightly brushed his thumbs back and forth across Wei Ying's skin. His golden eyes were soft and kind, and full of hidden emotions as their gazes held, and they just stared at each other. Silently communicating all the words that they couldn't say with an audience watching.

He was everything that Wei Ying loved. His everything.

When he stepped back, Wei Ying stepped away from him too, to give him the space he needed. And Wei Ying watched as he shifted into his wolf form. From human to wolf, in a haze of blue spiritual energy.

Wangji sat back on his haunches and gazed up at Wei Ying as absolute silence fell again. Hundreds of wolves and shifters all waited for the Sena to announce the beginning of the fight.

Wei Ying stepped towards his white wolf, and held his gaze.

Then before all the wolf packs and their leaders, under the light of the full moon, and beneath the eyes of the heavens and earth, Wei Wuxian, the most powerful wolf-shifter in existence, lowered to his knees in front of another wolf.

He bowed low and pressed his forehead to the base of his Alpha's throat, in submission. As soon as he did, the bondmark at the back of his neck was bared to every eye that wanted to look at it, and it glowed softly, like quicksilver against his skin.

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said. "They don't need to see this."

Wei Ying laughed softly. "I want to show them, Lan Zhan. Let them understand. They can have this stupid fight, to test you. But you're already mine, and I'm already yours."

The Etas in the fight circle all rose and walked away as Wei Ying knelt, leaving only their pack leaders behind.

Wei Ying rose to his feet and looked around at each of the remaining wolves. The wolves in the circle all lowered to their stomachs and hid their faces beneath a paw as he turned to them. Ten of the most vicious, strongest, most powerful warriors, who had battled their way to the top. All against only one Lan Zhan.

"Alright! Alright!" Wei Ying held up his hands in surrender and shouted. "I've stalled long enough! Let the battle begin!"

Lights and sparks exploded into the air as the battle wards activated and enclosed the opponents in the circle. Wei Ying barely managed to jump the barrier, into the stands with the rest of the spectators before he heard a loud snarl behind him and then the sound of pounding feet on dirt.

By the time he made it to where Lan Jingyi, Lan Sizhui, Wen Qing and Wen Zhuliu were seated, the crowd was already on their first round of cheering.

Wei Ying looked back at the field just in time to watch Lan Zhan shift back into his human form while he fought against the Gusu Alpha. Lan Xichen anticipated the shift by pulling his knife and aiming for his brother's throat like he had every intention of flaying him open like a fish.

Lan Zhan leaned away from the blade, caught the Gusu Alpha's wrist, pivoted on the spot, and twisted the arm behind Lan Xichen's back so that he was forced to release his weapon. Lan Xichen easily complied. He released the knife from the arm behind his back and caught it with the fingers of his other hand. Then just as swiftly, he aimed to plunge it into one of Lan Zhan's kneecaps.

Lan Zhan anticipated the move though, because he used his brother's shoulders as leverage and cartwheeled over him. Once he was in front, he kicked Lan Xichen squarely in the chest and sent him flying backwards.

Wei Ying was on his feet again like everybody else, already screaming out a protest of, "What the fuck, Xichen! Why are you being so savage already? The fight only just started!"

"He has to, Ba!" Lan Sizhui said tersely. He was still sitting in his seat, but his entire focus was on the fight. "If they don't go all out immediately, then we'll be here for days."

Wei Ying nodded in acceptance of the explanation, but he was already watching the field again. He did have to appreciate the logic in not dragging out the battle longer than necessary though. He definitely would not be able to stomach a fight that lasted more than a few hours.

On the field, Jiang Cheng snapped Zidian sharply and the purple whip made a loud cracking sound that put the most evil smile on the Yunmeng Alpha's face.

He looked over at Wen Ning, who immediately took off running in Lan Zhan's direction. Wen Ning bumped the shackles on his wrists together and heavy silver chains flew out of them like vines on steroids. Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng snapped his spiritual whip into the air again and it seemed to get twice as long.

Lan Zhan was busy trying to hold the Pingyang Luna back from clawing out his eyes, and didn't see the whip and the chains that flew towards him. Xiulan growled and snarled as Lan Zhan wrapped his fingers around her neck and held her away from his face, just as Wen Ning's chains snaked around each of Lan Zhan's wrist, causing him to lose his grip on the feral wolf.

"Fuck!" Wei Ying shouted. Because he couldn't think of anything more useful to say.

Zidian wrapped itself like a python around Lan Zhan's legs. Between it and the weight of the Luna still snarling at him, Lan Zhan went down like a felled tree trunk.

For the briefest second it looked like Lan Zhan was being mauled alive. But then Xiulan began to howl and whimper like she was the one trapped beneath a murderous animal. Her cries were abruptly quieted as Lan Zhan quickly rose to his feet looking just as flawless as always, and the chains on his wrists tightened around the Luna's throat as she struggled against him.

Wen Ning laughed like a psychotic maniac when he realized that Lan Zhan had somehow gained the advantage, and he unravelled his chains from around the shifter and the wolf, to spare the Luna from being strangled to death.

"My god, that woman is horrifying when she fights, but that's definitely going to leave a mark," Lan Jingyi said with a grin. "I could have warned her that he would use her as a hostage if she stayed so close."

From the other side of a very silent Wen Qing, Wen Zhuliu made a scoffing sound at the back of his throat.

"Qionglin was being too kind. He should have considered her as collateral damage and carried on with his attack," he said gruffly.

Both of the Shadow Wolves and the Qishan Luna looked at him in disapproval. Wei Ying didn't. Silently, Wei Ying admitted that Zhuliu was not wrong. In a fight with enemies, Xiulan would have gotten herself killed for her lack of foresight.

Zidian was still wrapped around Lan Zhan's legs, and Jiang Cheng pulled on it, which drew Lan Zhan's attention away from the wounded wolf, and towards him.

Instead of fighting against the hold from the whip, Lan Zhan used it as part of his strategy as he fought hand-to-hand against both Wen Ning and Jiang Cheng. He wound himself into it like a spool of thread, tugged on it like a rope, and held it taut between his hands to block the hits. Until Jiang Cheng had enough of his arm being wrenched all over the place to keep up with all of Lan Zhan's movements.

Just out of Lan Zhan's scope of vision, Ouyang Yumei, He Siniang, and Wang Guiying had a triple attack planned. The three female warriors launched themselves into the air and shifted mid-jump into their wolf forms. They landed close to Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning, who were still in a brutal fight with Lan Zhan. The Baling, the Tingshan, and the Yingchuan Lunas growled and snarled as they stalked their prey.

Five against one, and Lan Zhan had only just managed to free himself from Zidian, while keeping the three wolves at bay and dealing with the blindingly fast attacks of the two warriors.

In the sky, a cloud passed over the moon, obscuring its light, and the entire field darkened with a thick mist of shadows and heavy fog.

"Baba!" Lan Sizhui shouted in annoyance.

"What?" Wei Ying asked innocently. "I control the weather now? Give it a minute. It will pass soon."

On the speaker, the commentator made a pointed remark about being married to someone with a dark temper and an even darker sense of humor. But nobody was even really listening anymore, because an eerie silence had fallen on the field.

It was suddenly broken by the clinking sounds of butterfly knives and bright flashes of blue light.

There was no way to make out anything useful in the fog, and that had everybody on their feet shouting in protest and trying to squint their eyes to figure out what was happening. It also made frustrations increase even more when somebody started making choking, gagging noises. It was a sound that Wei Ying had heard years ago in the middle of another battle and he had pointedly ignored it out of anger and spite, while choosing not to interfere.

Wei Ying shifted into his wolf form as a cold panic washed through his body.

"Lan Zhan?"

"I'm okay, Wei Ying. Remember, he learned his trick from my technique. He has one cord. I have many, " Lan Zhan responded.

He was surprisingly also in his wolf form, considering that the choking sounds hadn't completely stopped yet.

Wei Ying's legs almost collapsed in relief, but instead of jumping the barrier onto the field like every muscle in his body was prepared to do, he forced himself to relentlessly pace back and forth.

"You can shift into your were-form now. No one can see you do it and it will give you the advantage of your heightened senses while staying human," he said.

Lan Zhan's voice was still soothingly calm in their mental connection, even as the field lit up again with muted flashes of light like lightning in the sky.

"I don't trust my control yet and I don't want to keep pulling power from our soulbond when I know now that it's not sealed both ways."

"It's not like it's a thin thread that will break if you pull on it," Wei Ying protested. "Give me some credit for what I bring to our union! No offense, beautiful man, but whatever power you pull from me as you are now, doesn't even register with my core."

"Are you calling me weak, Wei Ying? As I've proven before, I'm strong enough to hold you down and leave you breathless."

Wei Ying shivered in his wolf form at those words, and he growled inside his mind.

"If you let anything happen to you before I get to hold you in my arms again, I'll be incredibly upset," he threatened. "I'm going to lift the shadows now before the crowd starts to riot. Watch your back! Jiang Cheng relies on Zidian too much. Huaisang flicks his knives like a warning bell. If Wen Ning shifts into his wolf, make sure to keep at least three people between the two of you. His spiritual chains are much worse than his physical ones. And, He Siniang once knocked a non-shifter unconscious in my bar in Tingshan, just by pressing her hand to his chest. Don't let her touch you!"

"Wei Ying. I'll be okay. I won't stop fighting until I win," Lan Zhan soothed.

Wei Ying continued to pace back and forth restlessly while staying in his wolf form.

It was already feeling like a very, very long night and the battle hadn't even hit an hour yet. He didn't know how he was going to make it through the rest of it without doing something stupid to protect his mate.

— — —

Hours and hours later, Wei Ying got to finally wrap his arms around Lan Zhan again.

At least four of the pack leaders had to be unconsciously carried off the field and the rest were sufficiently incapacitated. Lan Zhan had been exhausted and dehydrated, which meant that he spent hours in the infirmary recovering both physically and spiritually under the watchful eyes of a combined team of Thetas.

The next evening, when Lan Zhan finally walked through the doors of the Jingshi, into the living room, Wei Ying was sitting on the couch and blankly staring at the flames that danced in the electric fireplace.

His face lit up in happiness as he parkoured over the furniture to try to get to his mate faster. Once he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan's neck, pressed his face against his husband's skin, and sighed blissfully.

"Did you miss me?" Lan Zhan asked, soft and low, like he already knew the answer.

Wei Ying hummed. "Yes. Always. I miss you as soon as you look away."

Lan Zhan wrapped one arm tightly around Wei Ying's waist, and slid his other fingers into Wei Ying's hair to cup the back of his head. Wei Ying moaned and nuzzled against his jaw, like a puppy needing warmth. Lan Zhan turned his head towards him and Wei Ying lightly glided the tip of his nose along his cheek, stopping just short of their lips meeting.

"Bìxià! Bìxià! Bìxià!" Wei Ying softly chanted to him. The same way the crowd had gone wild at the end of the coronation battle. "Xiāndū! Xiāndū! Xiāndū!"

Without warning, Lan Zhan backed Wei Ying up against the nearest wall and then captured his mouth in a rough kiss.

Wei Ying's fingers twisted into Lan Zhan's shirt as he pulled him even closer against his body. And Lan Zhan clutched Wei Ying's waist tightly as he held him steady. They clung to each other, kissing like they were desperate to have their hands on each other again and hated that they ever had to be apart. Then Lan Zhan began to move against Wei Ying, rocking the hard bulge of his erection against Wei Ying's crotch, until Wei Ying felt an answering need ignite inside his own body.

"Are you proud of me, asena?" Lan Zhan asked gruffly. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, Wei Ying."

"Xiāndū. My Xiāndū," Wei Ying breathed.

Lan Zhan caught Wei Ying's bottom lip between his teeth and bit him.

"Not yet. But, I will be. As soon as you seal our bond both ways," he said, still in that low growl that sent flutters through Wei Ying's stomach. "How could you think I'd want to be without you? How could you doubt how much it hurts not to have you? I'd be in agony every day I had to live without seeing your face."

At those words, Wei Ying leaned away from him to look at him in surprise. So, Lan Zhan knew that Wei Ying had left their bond unsealed to spare his soul from being bound forever. His pretty eyes were a storm of colors. And there was so much hurt in those eyes that Wei Ying's chest ached.

"Wen Ning told you? In the infirmary?" It was the only way that Lan Zhan would have realized why Wei Ying was holding back.

Lan Zhan nodded sharply. "I offered him a position in the pack as one of our royal guardians. He accepted. And then he explained about the weakness in our bond. You don't think my soul is already yours, Wei Ying?"

"That's not it."

Wei Ying moved his hands to cradle Lan Zhan's face between both palms. He rested his forehead along the bridge of Lan Zhan's nose and inhaled shakily.

"It's a soulbond, Lan Zhan. I know it sounds magical and romantic, but it's permanent, and it makes you vulnerable. If I die, you'll die with me. Your life is in my hands, and mine is in yours."

Lan Zhan growled low in his chest as if he was barely holding his wolf back.

Wei Ying's knees went weak.

He knelt in front of Lan Zhan as the sound tugged at the most primal part of himself. Then he bit back a soft, breathy whimper, and pressed his face to Lan Zhan's crotch, to mouth at the hard line of Lan Zhan's erect cock through the material of his white pants. Lan Zhan's fingers slid into his hair and tightened against his scalp. Which just made Wei Ying moan as he sucked in the sharp smell of Lan Zhan's scent there and almost sobbed with need.

Lan Zhan hooked his fingers beneath Wei Ying's chin to force him to look up at him.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Exactly. My life for yours. My heart for yours. My soul is yours. I am yours, Wei Ying."

He coaxed Wei Ying back to his feet. Once they were facing each other again, Lan Zhan grabbed both of Wei Ying's wrists and held them together in one large hand as he tugged Wei Ying behind him and over to the couch.

Wei Ying followed obediently. When Lan Zhan sat down and released his wrists only to tug roughly on his waist, Wei Ying obediently parted his legs and climbed onto Lan Zhan's lap. Lan Zhan tugged him closer and Wei Ying curled his arms around Lan Zhan's shoulders and buried his fingers into soft, black hair. He leaned their foreheads together as Lan Zhan's sandalwood scent intensified.

Sad, upset, sexy Alpha wolf.

"Take off your clothes. I want you naked," Lan Zhan commanded. "I'm going to remind you of my place. Deep inside you. Caught on your every breath. Marked into your flesh."

Wei Ying exhaled roughly, but again, he obeyed. He rose to his feet and began to unbutton his black shirt. Lan Zhan's eyes followed the trail of Wei Ying's fingers as he slowly revealed his body. And by the time Wei Ying got to the last button, he was nearly panting, as he stared at the hungry eyes of his mate. He pulled the shirt away from his arms and dropped it to the floor.

Lan Zhan reached for him, and Wei Ying almost forgot how to keep breathing as Lan Zhan's fingertips slid purposefully from the top of his chest, down the muscles of his abdomen, and snagged on the waist of his pants.

"Now these," Lan Zhan ordered.

Wei Ying attacked the fastenings on his pants. When he had them open, he tugged both the pants and his underwear down to pool at his ankles. He didn't step out of them yet. He just waited for his Alpha's next command.

Lan Zhan rose from his seat. Locking his gaze with Wei Ying, he reached for Wei Ying's wrists and then pressed Wei Ying's palms against his shirt. His expression was still so serious that Wei Ying swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat. Lan Zhan's eyes narrowed just the tiniest bit as his gaze dropped to watch as Wei Ying's throat bobbed from the effort.

"Can I take your clothes off too? Can I touch you?" Wei Ying asked hoarsely.

Lan Zhan's fingers tightened around Wei Ying's wrists. But, then he nodded and released his hold. And Wei Ying immediately got to work, unwrapping Lan Zhan like his favorite present.

Once he was as naked as Wei Ying, Lan Zhan immediately sat back down on the couch. He leaned back with his feet apart and his arms to the sides so that Wei Ying's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the proud, erect cock that jutted out between his legs. Seeing where Wei Ying's eyes focussed, one corner of Lan Zhan's lips rose into a teasing little smile and he moved one hand to his crotch to stroke his shaft, as Wei Ying watched.

Wei Ying's mouth watered at the sight, and he licked his lips.

Then, before he could fully hesitate, he moved again. Out of the pants constricting his ankles. Back onto his knees. He knelt on the padding of Lan Zhan's crumpled clothes and bowed his head, not meeting his Alpha's eyes. He gnawed painfully on his lower lip, as he waited to hear the next command.

Lan Zhan tipped Wei Ying's head up again with gentle, insistent fingers under his chin. He stroked Wei Ying's cheek with his thumb and tugged the abused lip from between Wei Ying's teeth.

"You kneel to nobody else but me," Lan Zhan said. As if that was a surprise.

Wei Ying softly cleared his throat and nodded. But Lan Zhan's fingers were still working his own cock and Wei Ying was so distracted by it that he couldn't concentrate.

Lan Zhan stared at him in silence, and Wei Ying stared hungrily at the sight of that beautiful cock between those strong fingers.

Until Lan Zhan groaned softly and said, "Come here. Put your mouth on it. You look like you want a taste."

Wei Ying leaned towards Lan Zhan's fingers and opened his mouth with a breathy, little sigh. Lan Zhan guided the tip of his cock to Wei Ying's lips, just as Wei Ying stuck out his tongue. He licked it greedily, swirled his tongue around the head, and sighed a sound of happiness as the taste of Lan Zhan filled his mouth. He sucked on it, played with it, kissed it and licked it until it was throbbing and hard as it filled his mouth and teased near the back of his throat.

Wei Ying's fingers replaced Lan Zhan's to wrap around the base, and his jaw worked to keep up the rhythm. He bobbed his head, and moaned loudly as he lost himself in the bliss of it. Lan Zhan tasted as good as Wei Ying remembered and he smelled just as amazing there. His scent poured out of him and left Wei Ying feeling like he was lost in a haze of sensations.

When Lan Zhan finally pulled Wei Ying's mouth off his cock, Wei Ying was sure that he actually sobbed in disappointment. But Lan Zhan tugged Wei Ying onto his lap and held him against his body.

"I know," Lan Zhan murmured into his ear as Wei Ying clung to him and tried to regain control. "I know you want more, baby, but I just need you so badly. I can't wait any longer. Will you make yourself ready for me?"

He reached behind Wei Ying and stroked between his asscheeks. His fingers were already slick with some kind of lubricant as he prodded at Wei Ying's hole. And Wei Ying buried his face against Lan Zhan's shoulder and keened softly as he rocked his hips and pushed against the probing fingers.

Wei Ying didn't even think to ask if Lan Zhan had been hiding lube between the couch cushions or if he had just pulled it from thin air. He just wanted Lan Zhan to finish stretching him so that he could get to the main event.

He was all out of breath by the time Lan Zhan hooked his fingers deep inside and massaged against the bundle of nerves that shot sparks through Wei Ying's entire body.

"Lan Zhan. Fuck me, please. Please. I need you inside me," he begged shamelessly.

Lan Zhan kissed the edge of Wei Ying's jaw and whispered scorchingly into his ear, "Then do it, yourself, Wei Ying, if you need it so badly. Show me how much I mean to you. I want to feel your body pulling me in."

His man said the dirtiest things when Wei Ying least expected it and it drove Wei Ying wild.

He rocked forwards on his knees and lifted his ass off Lan Zhan's lap. He reached back blindly until he felt the rigid line of Lan Zhan's cock and he wrapped his fingers around it.

He gave it a few tight, loving strokes to make the head slick with precome. Then he lined it up and pushed down as he sank onto it. It took a few tries of shallow up and down rocking, and Wei Ying held his breath in concentration, but he was finally able to get it all inside.

He loved the way this felt. Lan Zhan connected so intimately with him. He missed when he couldn't have this. He craved it. Needed it, more than he admitted. It just felt so damn good to be fucked by Lan Zhan. Every part of him felt alive when they were in each other's arms.

He began to move his hips again when he couldn't stay still any longer. Each thrust was slow and deep, and he bit down on his lower lip again and squeezed his eyes shut as he chased his bliss. Lan Zhan's fingers grabbed both of his hips and steadily began to guide his body into a slightly faster, more grinding, rhythm. Wei Ying was happy to follow his lead.

"You have no idea how sexy you look right now. Does it feel good like this?" Lan Zhan asked.

Wei Ying's breath hitched. "So good. God, you always feel so fucking good. Whichever way you fuck me. Up against a wall. In our bed. Outside where anyone can hear. On the ground. Covered in grass. Fuck. I love it."

"Me too," Lan Zhan responded. "Whichever way I take you is always the best for me."

As Wei Ying fucked himself on Lan Zhan's cock, Lan Zhan reached between their bodies and wrapped his fingers firmly around Wei Ying's shaft. Wei Ying sped up his movements, and Lan Zhan helped by bouncing Wei Ying on his lap and stroking Wei Ying's cock to keep pace with their rhythm.

Wei Ying wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan's shoulders and clung to him.

Until he felt his orgasm building as his balls tightened and his body trembled. He gasped out Lan Zhan's name between clenched teeth and hid his face against his neck. Lan Zhan's fingers around his cock were relentless. They pulled and twisted, mercilessly coaxing the pleasure as it rushed through him, and left him shaking in his husband's arms.

And then he was coming between Lan Zhan's fingers.

He bit his lip to stop the loud moan that escaped his throat as Lan Zhan continued to bounce him on his still hard cock. Pleasure so sharp, it was almost painful, continued to rack his body in waves as his cock pulsed strings of white fluid that coated Lan Zhan's hand. Until oversensitivity kicked in, and Wei Ying's entire body jerked, trying to escape from the relentless stroking.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying half sobbed in protest.

Lan Zhan made that low, sexy, Alpha growl again that resonated in his chest. And if Wei Ying didn't already feel boneless it would have made his knees go weak.

Lan Zhan flipped him onto his back on the couch as he pulled out of him. He stayed close though. His body was firm and heavy as he stretched out on top of Wei Ying, still cradled between his legs. He reached for Wei Ying's wrists and then pinned them with a tight grip, above his head against the cushion.

Wei Ying was breathing so hard that his chest heaved, even under the weight of the Alpha holding him down. Lan Zhan's expression was still so serious that Wei Ying felt shivers chasing up and down his body. And there was still a storm of colors flashing like electricity in his mate's eyes.

"We're not done yet, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said, low and husky.

He slid down the length of Wei Ying's body and nuzzled against his crotch. Then he began to lick him clean. Mouth open, tongue laving from the base to the tip of Wei Ying's still sensitive shaft.

Wei Ying struggled against his hold, and Lan Zhan lost his grip on him. But, he was more preoccupied with the treasure between Wei Ying's thighs.

"Lan Zhan…" Wei Ying said again, but this time with more resignation.

Lan Zhan abandoned his prize with another of those half smirks that lingered on the corner of his lips. He complied to Wei Ying's wishes by pressing his mouth to the muscular plain of Wei Ying's abdomen and trailing a line of sucking, licking, nipping, kisses all the way to Wei Ying's collarbone.

Wei Ying sighed and prepared to get lost in slow kisses, the way they always ended their nights.

Instead, Lan Zhan slipped an arm under one of Wei Ying's thighs and moved to lie on top of Wei Ying again, pressing him down into the cushions with his weight. And then, without warning or hesitation, he lined his cock back up and pushed hard and fast, deep inside Wei Ying's body again.

Wei Ying cried out in surprise at the force of being so thoroughly invaded. It didn't hurt at all. That would never be Lan Zhan's intentions no matter how upset he ever got. But, it was unexpected. And that caused Wei Ying to arch his back, which just made Lan Zhan slide in even deeper.

Wei Ying clutched at Lan Zhan's back with his fingertips as Lan Zhan began to move inside him again.

"Tell me that you don't want this from me," Lan Zhan rasped.

"I want it. You know I want it," Wei Ying admitted in a tight voice. "And I only want it from you. I have absolutely zero interest in living on this earth even one second longer than you. You're taking me with you, because I only ever fucking want to be with you!"

"Then be fair!" Lan Zhan snarled. "Don't leave me alone to live without you. I want a true bond. A complete soulbond, with all the complexities. With the power of the Xiāndū and the tether that binds me. Give me everything! I want to share everything, Wei Ying."

He captured Wei Ying's mouth in a brutal, desperate kiss as their bodies moved against each other.

Wei Ying felt like every nerve in his body was overheated. Instead of getting worse, their lovemaking was getting better. He felt his cock bravely trying to fill again, felt his hole clenching around Lan Zhan's shaft on each deliciously hard thrust, and it just proved what he had always known. That this man really was the other half of his soul. His twin flame. And they burned brightest together.

Wei Ying's second orgasm was unexpected but no less staggering.

This time he didn't stop the guttural little sobs that he made as Lan Zhan brought his body to pleasure a second time. He wrapped his legs around his husband and let the waves wash through him. He didn't know what Lan Zhan was doing to him, but his body loved it. And it felt so intense and so unbelievable that he could only allow himself to get swept away by it.

Once he calmed his breathing and stopped sucking and kissing the side of Lan Zhan's neck, he unwrapped his legs from around Lan Zhan's waist. Lan Zhan pulled his hips away, and slid from Wei Ying's body.

He was still somehow unbelievably hard, and Wei Ying's eyes widened in shock.

"Lan Zhan. What is this?" Wei Ying asked. "Despite what anyone says, those little blue pills are bad for your heart."

Lan Zhan raised one perfect eyebrow and said, "I haven't taken any blue pills. It's all you, Wei Ying. I'm only testing a theory."

Wei Ying scrambled from the couch and fell onto the floor, using his spine to break his fall. The clothes and the rich fluffy rug helped to mitigate any lasting pain. He would have stayed where he landed too, but one glance at the look in Lan Zhan's eyes and he felt those shivers tingling through his body again.

Lan Zhan lowered gracefully to the floor like a fucking dancer, and Wei Ying immediately began to scoot backwards away from him.

"What theory?" Wei Ying asked to ease the tension.

Lan Zhan huffed out a quiet laugh, but he didn't answer. Instead he stalked towards Wei Ying on his hands and knees, as a predator hunting his prey. Wei Ying realized that he had stopped moving, and returned to trying to put some distance between them. He made it as far as directly across from the electric fireplace where the rug felt warm and toasty, before Lan Zhan's finger closed around one of his ankles.

Lan Zhan tugged sharply on Wei Ying's foot, which caused the Sena to slide onto his back in a sprawl of limbs, leaving not nearly enough time to return to his escape.

This time Lan Zhan flipped him onto his stomach and roughly grabbed his hips and pulled him to his knees with his ass in the air, open and ready.

When he felt the weight of Lan Zhan's body settle over him, he gasped and moaned for it like he hadn't just gotten this. He hung his head low and clenched his fingers into tight fists in the thick fibers of the rug, and stopped breathing in anticipation.

Lan Zhan pushed inside his body for the third time and Wei Ying had nothing left to fight against.

He desperately rocked back into the hard thrust of Lan Zhan's hips and a debauched, filthy cry left his lips. He didn't even care anymore as he moaned and panted and keened for more. Whatever this was, he couldn't help it. His body felt like he was burning up, like he was on fire. He felt brighter than the moon and the stars in the night sky. Brighter than the sun.

"I claimed you through blood, and soul, and contest. That is how I bound you, my Sena," Lan Zhan said gruffly. "When an asena is born, only its soulmate has the strength to hold on to it forever. Only an Alpha, your Alpha, can create the soulbond. Once you take my mark, you are given to me. And I get to decide whether I want to keep you for eternity."

Wei Ying writhed, and rocked, as Lan Zhan pounded into him. Lan Zhan slid a hand down to the tense muscles of Wei Ying's lower abs and rested his palm there. And Wei Ying felt like Lan Zhan was tugging at invisible strings inside of him as pleasure blossomed and curled in him, tingling through every part of his body. He was trembling from exhaustion, and adrenaline, but it was worth every second as Lan Zhan pulled him down to the floor and held him tightly.

Lan Zhan curled around him, arms wrapped around Wei Ying's stomach and chest as he relentlessly, slowly, fucked into him. Rocking Wei Ying's ass on his cock over and over. Wei Ying was a mess of soft, little gasps and breathy grunts, as he lost himself in the debauchery of losing control to this man who took him apart so easily.

As he came again with Lan Zhan's cock still inside him, and even though Lan Zhan was barely even thrusting by then, the pleasure from his orgasm was just as intense as before.

This time though, he was hoarse from shouting and his body had nothing left to ejaculate so he sobbed and moaned as Lan Zhan held him still and finally spilled his seed deep and hot inside Wei Ying's trembling body.

As he pulled his spent cock out of Wei Ying with a quiet hum of satisfaction, he held him tight, and stroked him, and gently kissed the thin sheen of sweat on Wei Ying's temple. He kissed across his face, and down the side of his neck as he nuzzled into him and murmured sexy, gorgeous, quiet promises along Wei Ying's skin, before he finally spoke softly into Wei Ying's ear.

"You are the only male asena in existence because you're mine. You're exactly who I needed you to be, Xīngān," Lan Zhan whispered. "No more second-guessing. No more hiding from each other. No more doubts and secrets, Wei Ying. We belong to each other. We'll keep each other safe. Let's make it forever now."

At those words, Wei Ying shifted into his true form. His wolf form.

His eyes went from silver to blood red, because they were always the easiest to shift. His fingers twisted into claws, and his body shimmered as it changed from human to wolf. Black fur rippled across his skin and his teeth elongated and realigned as his face lengthened into a muzzle.

He sniffed and whined where he laid on his side, enclosed in strong human arms, until Lan Zhan leaned over and pressed a kiss to the back of his dark head.

He rose to his feet and wildly shook himself off before he turned to look at his mate, as Lan Zhan sat up in front of him and patiently held his gaze. Lan Zhan was always Lan Zhan, no matter which form he took. He always smelled the same.

Just like when they were teenagers together in a dark cave the first time that Wei Ying got a whiff of that now familiar scent. Lan Zhan smelled like his other half. Like an unwavering sandalwood tree, and of snow falling on the highest mountain peak. And Wei Ying loved it. Was crazy, stupid, in love with him. He loved the way being so close to Lan Zhan made him feel safe and happy. This man was his home, and Wei Ying only ever wanted to be near him.

He pressed his muzzle against Lan Zhan's cheek and whispered into their cross-species connection, "My Alpha. I choose you."

And even more than that, he said the truth that he had known on every level, locked inside of him since he was sixteen years old and wounded in a dark cave.

"It's you. Just you. Always you, Lan Zhan. It's why you're my zhījî. For me, it will only ever be you. You were the only one ever meant to become Xiāndū for me."

He tucked his nose under Lan Zhan's chin and sniffed at the base of his throat. And then he asked very softly, "Will you accept me, Lan Zhan? Will you take my mark now?"

Within the space of a few seconds, Lan Zhan immediately shifted into his wolf form too.

He sat back on his haunches and then ducked his head to bear the back of his neck to the Sena. The black wolf circled around him solemnly. Only when they were against face to face, though still keeping his head bowed, did the white wolf finally answer.

"Yes," Lan Zhan said quietly. "I accept you, Wei Ying. I accept your claim on me. Mark me, Tiānzî."

The Sena sniffed at the back of his Alpha's neck until he found the spot that he had teased with his fingernails so many times in his human form, just to get a reaction. He had known that this was why the two of them reacted the same way to this spot being touched by their true mate. They were different from other mates. They shared a soulbond, and it had to be sealed with a bite on both ends.

He nuzzled at the fur there. And then he opened his jaw wide, bared his sharp fangs, and sank them into the vulnerable flesh of his white wolf.

In the room, a wolf howled in pain, while red eyes lit up to match the heat and intensity of the nearby flames, and the scent of bonfire and tears permeated the air. Darkness descended with a total lunar eclipse in the sky. The moon burning red, and bleeding. All the stars across the world were snuffed out while the shadows reigned.

And then, a few hours later, the white wolf opened glowing, ice cold blue eyes, and the moon began to shine again.

🐺

The winter air was freezing and brutal, and it got even sharper the higher they ascended the mountain. The thick bed of snow that coated their path made it difficult for their paws to get a firm grip sometimes. Which meant that there were a lot of shouts of surprise and a lot of laughter reverberating through the shared communication channel.

Hunting as a pack was as easy as breathing. Hunting as a pack in the middle of winter while visiting another pack's territory took a lot more coordination. Usually they were better at it. Tonight though, everybody had the giggles and nobody was putting in any real effort to find prey.

"I can't feel my legs. Are they still there? I think one of my toes just fell off in the snow. Come look! Sizhui, I'm not lying this time! Why would I lie? It's not like you're not the most gullible person in the universe or anything."

"Jingyi! How old are you? Get away from me! See if next time I care. You could have your intestines in your hands and I won't even look at you."

"Ah, fuck! Don't get angry. Stop being angry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Where're you going? Sizhui! Sizhui!"

The Sena looked over at the two teenage warriors. The Beta and the Zeta went tumbling to the ground together, and proceeded to roll around in the fresh snow like young pups. Their predominantly white fur with subtle black markings were the only things that differentiated them from the icy powder. After a while, they were both laughing and teasing each other so much that there was no point even interrupting.

The Sena huffed out a breath and rubbed his muzzle against the side of one leg to wipe the snowflakes off the tip of his nose.

Looking around, there were almost forty warrior wolves in the pack now. Some of them were jumping and chasing each other, while others sat back and watched, or nuzzled into the snow to sniff at whatever lay beneath the icy surface. The rest of the pack had clearly also given up and had decided to try to play in the snow too, while it was still only a gentle haze. Nobody seemed interested in the night hunt anymore. Which was actually fine, since they would need to find shelter from the coming snowstorm soon, and wait for daylight.

"Wei Ying."

The Sena turned towards the last place he had seen his mate before laughing chaos erupted in their pack. It was a little difficult to spot the Xiandu since his fur matched the pure white of the snow so perfectly.

His dazzling blue eyes though, were unmistakable, even from a distance.

Wuxian ran over to Wangji as soon as he saw him, and he pounced on him, crashing the two of them into a tangled heap in the snow. They struggled together to get up, which was even funnier, and eventually they sort of just gave up and curled around each other for warmth.

Wangji nuzzled and licked at Wuxian's jaw and neck before he was finally satisfied.

"If we're going to freeze to death together, could we do it somewhere warmer?" Wei Ying asked as he tucked his face against white fur that tickled his nose and made him want to laugh.

"Ridiculous," Lan Zhan said. "This is the perfect place to be caught in a Gusu snowstorm. One of my favorites."

"Perfect, huh?" Wei Ying teased.

"Yes."

Wangji rose to his feet and then bent his head to nuzzle and prod at his zhījî. Wuxian lifted his upper body just enough to lick the tip of Wangji's nose as those radiant sky blue eyes gazed lovingly down at him.

"Follow me. It's not too far away," Lan Zhan said softly. "You might even recognize the trail."

It was the cave, of course, where they had met years ago.

As soon as they approached the entrance they simultaneously shifted into their human forms. It was dark and cold. Wei Ying shivered at both the falling temperatures and the memory of two decades ago when he had found shelter.

"Dark as fuck in here," he said loudly as he tried unsuccessfully to look around. "I can't see shit. Lan Zhan, do something! My eyesight is not what it used to be when we were teenagers."

Lan Zhan laughed very softly and Wei Ying turned around sharply to look at him. They were still mostly standing at the entrance so Wei Ying could just make out the slight upturn of the corners of his lips, and the gentle, patient squint of golden eyes as Lan Zhan looked at him.

"Ask properly, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said to him.

Wei Ying wanted to groan so badly at that, but his smile won instead as he said dramatically, "Gracious, most powerful Xiāndū. Your Imperial Majesty. God of the Moon. Hánguāng Jūn. Can your Wei Ying please have some light before I stub my toe and bleed all over the Ice Wolves' snow covered mountain, like I did the first time I was in here?"

"Yes," Lan Zhan said in response.

His eyes momentarily flashed to their pale blue color and he raised a hand and made a tight fist.

Beams of pure, white light rushed in like a storm and flooded the cavern. Every nook was lit up and every mound of cave dust shone like lumps of grey stones. Not that there weren't plenty of sharp stones and pieces of rocks too. It was enough for Wei Ying to be surprised that when he was sixteen sleeping in here, he hadn't managed to injure himself even more.

"God, I love when you do that. Luckily I can just carry you around with me like a lamp and turn you on when I feel like it."

Wei Ying looked around properly this time and then literally ran over to the spot where he had spent two weeks lying down and healing.

"Was I the size of a rock when I was sixteen?" he asked in confusion as he turned around and around in the spot. "I remember it being so much bigger, back then."

"You were the size of a wolf," Lan Zhan said dryly.

Wei Ying laughed loudly. "Well, now I'm the size of a large wolf, so that's better for my ego."

Lan Zhan walked over and stood in front of his husband. Which brought back even more shared memories between them. Of glowing blue fingertips. A bottle of water. Fruits in a qiankun pouch. The first time he said his name. The sound of each other's voice being the only thing they needed to know about the other person.

Lan Zhan reached over and pulled Wei Ying into his arms, wrapping him up in warmth. Wei Ying snuggled against him, for all of three seconds, before he had to abruptly pull away.

He sneezed loudly, and then he looked at the man standing in front of him.

"Lan Zhan, I think I'm allergic to cave dust. Tiān na! That's why my nose tingled so much the day I met you! Maybe that's what I'm in love with. Cave dust and conversations about rabbit stew," he said as he rubbed his nose.

"Mn."

Lan Zhan reached for Wei Ying's hands and led him back to the entrance of the cave. Once they got there, Lan Zhan snapped his fingers and the light was immediately snuffed out, leaving them mostly in darkness, except for the soft glow of the moon as it glistened off the snow.

Wei Ying leaned over to nuzzle against Lan Zhan's cheek and to lightly press a trail of kisses to the corner of Lan Zhan's mouth. There was no tingling anymore, but there was no mistake that he still loved how amazing his zhījî smelled.

Before he could get distracted and start to dry hump him in the dark, Wei Ying took a step back and shifted into his wolf form.

Lan Zhan looked over at him and then held out a hand.

Wuxian thoroughly sniffed at it. Then he licked at the crescent shaped scar in Lan Zhan's palm, and each of Lan Zhan's fingers. When the fingers began to move away, he tried to follow them with his eyes. But they didn't go far. Lan Zhan rested his hand on the top of Wuxian's head and began to scratch soothingly behind his ears and across his forehead. It was pure bliss for the wolf and he indulged in it.

They stood like that in silence for a few minutes as they looked out in the short distance at the members of their pack. They had their own territory to return to eventually. Their own breathtakingly beautiful estate that they had spent the past year building together, in a city of light and shadows.

One half, wolf and the other half, human. They were powerful and glorious. Two forms of one shared soul. Like a key turning in a lock, forever bound through time, and space, and eternity. Forever one.

The Sena and the Xiāndū of all the wolf packs.