The Werewolf Next Door | WangXian

Chapter 32 - Together Forever

The bitter trails of Wei Ying's never-ending tears weren't enough to blind his sight of Xue Yang laughing at Lan Zhan's demise. However, when Wei Ying mimicked his laughter, leaving behind a stunned Xue Yang, Wei Ying attacked. And Xue Yang. Well, he wasn't prepared for the strike of Wei Ying's fist that struck him across the face, shattering his teeth into tiny fragments, and sending him stumbling several feet near the ruined bed of roses.

Wei Ying no longer cared, his mind; blank, and the pain in his body seemed to have vanished altogether. He must've been numb. It might've been the effects of officially sealing his bond with Lan Zhan, or it might've been the thought that Lan Zhan was dead. Either way, he no longer cared. So when he pounced upon Xue Yang and snapped against the werewolf's exposed throat, the taste of fresh blood didn't scorn him the way it did earlier. In fact, Wei Ying felt a sort of satisfaction at the snapping of bones and hearing Xue Yang's gurgling blood through his mouth while making pathetic attempts at hauling Wei Ying away.

When he could no longer feel the scrape of Xue Yang's clawed nails dragging across his bruised back, or hear the frantic beat of Xue Yang's heart, Wei Ying still wasn't able to calm himself down. Instead, he growled and bit down harsher - much like a madman, as he buried his face deeper until Xue Yang's neck severed and parted ways from his unmoving body.

Then, drenched in blood, Wei Ying screamed.

Killing Xue Yang should've helped ease the pain, take away the numbness. But seeing Xue Yang's mutilated body did not grant him the satisfaction he so desired. The ache in Wei Ying's heart was still there, for he knew. Deep down, Lan Zhan died because of him. It's all his fault. He should've marked Lan Zhan when he asked him to. Lan Zhan would've been alive. Lan Zhan would've been strong - they both would've been strong. No one would've had to suffer. He was selfish. And now, as Wei Ying clasped his palm over his face until his screams turned to whimpers, he felt hollow.

Time passed. Somehow, the commotion inside the house died down and everything went still, along with Wei Ying's whimpers. And when his eyes found their way toward Lan Zhan's unmoving body, Wei Ying's face went slack. He had no more strength to fight and no more will to live, but he needed to be near Lan Zhan before the sun rose. So, he crept on his trembling hands and wobbly knees until he hovered over Lan Zhan, where he picked him up and cradled the older man within his arms. The tears never went away when he said, "Thank you, and I'm sorry."

At a young age, Wei Ying's foster parents taught him that simple words such as 'sorry' and 'thank you' would leave a lasting impact. But now, he realized, sorry and thank you meant nothing. Instead, they were meaningless words that gave him no comfort in his times of trials.

Wei Ying's thumb caressed the corners of Lan Zhan's cheek. He hummed and cried in silence and hummed some more, the song that Lan Zhan so dearly loved, hoping to drown away the eerie silence. However, the quiet steps of Xichen's limping feet being dragged across the backyard snapped Wei Ying's attention elsewhere.

Wei Ying flinched. The left side of Xichen's face was gashed open and his right hand wobbled; broken. He could barely stand, much less walk upright. "Mingjue's injured. I took the pain away, he's going to be alright, but I think we should -'' Xichen gasped. His face grew much paler and his jaw went slack. Something must've shattered his insides, because when his eyes landed on Lan Zhan, he collapsed on the ground a short distance away from his brother, searching Wei Ying's eyes for answers. "Wh-what happened - A'Zhan?"

Wei Ying choked back a sob. "He -"

"A'Zhan!?" Xichen yelled, seeking a response from his brother but receiving none.

As Wei Ying's hands clamped down tighter around Lan Zhan, desperately wanting to savor the last bit of warmth, he realized; What was there to say? That he was the reason for Lan Zhan's sudden death? That none of this would've happened if he'd just listened and marked Lan Zhan when they asked him to? In the end, "He saved me," was all Wei Ying could say.

Xichen said nothing, and he didn't have to. His face - drenched in bitter tears, said it all. Instead, he just stared toward Lan Zhan in disbelief as Wei Ying continued stroking his brother's cheeks until the sky parted, slowly bringing forth dawn.

Wei Ying smiled. Despite being dead, Lan Zhan's warmth still lingered. He knew it would eventually fade away, but he hoped it wouldn't.

Then, just as Wei Ying was about to lean in for a kiss, out of nowhere a faint whisper of "Wei Ying" reached his ears. He gasped and pulled back. Shocked by the sudden sound of Lan Zhan's voice, his eyes frantically scanned Lan Zhan's face for some form of life. But he found none. He could've sworn he heard Lan Zhan calling his name. Or had it been a hallucination? He thought so, but when Xichen scrambled off the floor to get near him, Wei Ying realized it hadn't been a hallucination. Xichen too must've heard the same thing.

"Brother Xichen," Wei Ying whispered, his eyes blown wide. "Am I going crazy?"

"I don't think so," Xichen replied, quickly grabbing hold of his brother's hand. "I don't understand, there's no heartbeat."

Wei Ying listened. It's true, there wasn't - Wait! Wei Ying gasped. He heard it. A heartbeat! "Lan Zhan?" Wei Ying called. "Lan Zhan, can you hear me? Say something."

"Look," Xichen said as he gestured toward Lan Zhan's hand. "His fingers, they're moving."

"You're right," Wei Ying breathed out a sigh of relief. It wasn't too late after all. The bond saved Lan Zhan from dying. "Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan, can you hear me? Wake up." Lan Zhan's fingers started twitching, and his eyes fluttered in response to Wei Ying's constant calling. "Lan Zhan?"

"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan moaned. "Wei Ying, hold me."

More tears streamed down Wei Ying's face. "I'm here," he laughed, squeezing Lan Zhan tighter within his embrace. "I am holding you. Everything's over, you're safe now."

When Lan Zhan finally found the strength to lift an arm up, he too embraced Wei Ying. "I love you," Lan Zhan whispered. "I love you, Wei Ying."

Wei Ying sniffed, burying his face in the crock of Lan Zhan's neck, and cried, "I love you too, Lan Zhan. I love you too. Never leave me again, okay?"

"Never," Lan Zhan promised. "Never."

As the night clouds disappeared, welcoming the early morning sun, for the first time in Wei Ying's life he understood what it meant to be a whole, and what it meant to be brave. Lan Zhan came into his life at the most unexpected of times. Sometimes they laugh together, and sometimes they fight. But as Wei Ying tightened his arms around Lan Zhan, he found himself never wanting to let go. Because despite all the ups and downs, he finally found a rightful place where he belonged.