Fated To Be His...

1. Hope in danger...

"Lei! Lei!", Zhan screamed the name at top of his lungs feeling the ice cold fear grip him. The scent of blood, fear and death was making Zhan nauseous but he held on as he searched for his friend. He tried his best to ignore the upturned tables, broken chairs, the smashed TV and the blood on the floor as he searched around for Lei and the shifters who stayed in the shelter with him. Running down to the basement, Zhan called for his friend and stilled when he heard a voice.

"A-Zhan?",came the familiar voice of Wang Lei and Zhan almost cried out in relief as he placed his ear on the heavy door before him. "I am here, Lei. Open up." Zhan stayed patient as the vault on the door slowly turned over and when the door opened Zhan jumped into the lion shifter's arms. "Thank God, Lei! I thought they got you." The older man patted his back reassuringly and as the members of the Luo pack took over, Zhan pulled Wang Lei out checking up on him. "Are you hurt anywhere?Let me heal you", Zhan said looking at him and the elder shook his head. "Not hurt. I brought everyone I could to the panic room as soon as the alarm blared. Some were still out...I couldn't reach all of them in time." The guilt and pain on the elder's face was clear as day and Zhan hugged the man. "Everyone knows you did what you could, Lei. Nobody will blame you." Zhan looked over Lei's shoulders and the sight of the room full of scared, traumatised people, it shook Zhan from within. "Are you guys alright?", he asked and many heads nodded in a yes at his question. "They are fine. The ones outside.." Lei chose to leave the question at that and Zhan shook his head with a heavy heart knowing what the elder wanted to know. Lei closed his eyes for a few moments to hide his pain and Zhan held the man feeling the same desolation as Wang Lei.

"Zhan, up here!", came Zhuocheng's voice and Zhan heard the Luo pack member's anger in his voice loud and clear. Zhan supported Lei as they climbed the stairs and followed Zhuocheng's voice, a gasp leaving both him and Lei when they saw the scene before them. A body was tied to a wooden chair and blood pooled under the chair from the numerous wounds on the man's body. Bones were broken, his head was bashed in and Zhan closed his eyes seeing the knife sticking out of the man's chest. "That's Li Jie", supplied Wang Lei in a low voice and Zhan held the man's shoulders supporting his body.

Li Jie was Lei's friend and a big brother to many of the shifters in the shelter. Zhan was himself very attached to the man and couldn't stop tears from gathering in his eyes, seeing what had been done to his easy going big brother. "I think they tortured him. They wanted to know where the others were." Zhuocheng's words were cold and it was clear that the Alpha was seething. The shelter was under the protection of the Luo pack and an attack like this meant only one thing. The Changs wanted war. A loud cry was heard from the doorway and Zhan saw a girl on her knees, sobbing seeing Li Jie's body. "Wei Wei!", he rushed to the girl and patted the girl's head as she cried miserably on his shoulder. Everyone around them was looking at the girl in pity and Wei Wei fisted Zhan's shirt in her hands as she broke down. Zhan kept rubbing her back and kept asking her to stop crying but the girl didn't stop and eventually, fainted in Zhan's arms. "Wei Wei!" A boy called her name and Zhan let Liu Fang gather the girl in his arms and smooth the hair away from her temple. "Take her to her room, Liu Fang. Keep an eye on her. She will be in bad shape when she wakes up." The boy nodded his head stiffly and carried Wei Wei out in his arms while Zhan buried his head in his hands.

"Zhan", Zhuocheng called gently and Zhan bit his lips, holding back his tears. "I am sorry, Zhan", the Alpha apologized and Zhan let out a shaky breath. "They were supposed to be safe here, Zhuocheng. I told Wei Wei and the others that they would be safe. They got in and killed nine people, Cheng. I don't even have the courage to apologize to the others. Fuck!" Zhan buried his head in his hands again and Zhuocheng's hand came over his head, patting him. "It's not your fault, Zhan. It's Chang Xia's. What she did today just made everything clearer. She doesn't care if the Luo pack becomes her enemy or not, she just wants Wei Wei dead." "Wei Wei will try to leave",came Wang Lei's gruff voice following Zhuocheng's and Zhan stood up.

"She can't leave, Lei. Chang Xia will be out there waiting for her. Wei Wei was safe here for almost an entire year. I won't put her out on the streets for Chang Xia to kill her. I won't let her die!" Zhuocheng rubbed Zhan's back to calm him down and Zhan took a deep breath before turning to Zhuocheng. "I need to talk to Uncle today. We need more people here." Cheng nodded his head and Zhan took Lei's hands in his. "You have worked so hard to make this place a home for us, Lei. I won't let anyone take this away from us. Just please make sure Wei Wei stays. If she gets out of control, call me and please take care of yourself." Lei pulled Zhan into a hug and the younger man let him. "I know you will find a way, Zhan. I trust you. But remember that Chang Xia knows about you. Whatever happened today, I don't think she will let this slide. You are the one who needs to be careful." Zhan pulled back and Lei gave him a stern look. "I am serious, Zhan. I believe that the Luos can keep you safe but I need you to be on your guard as well. I am worried about you." "Don't be. I will be fine. I will help you clean this place. Zhuocheng, you go on. Once this is done, I will come and talk to uncle."

Zhan was discarding the broken TV when he heard a faint rustle behind him. Zhan knew who was behind him even before looking back. That floral scent belonged to only one person in the world and that was Wei Wei. "How do you feel?", Zhan asked turning back and saw Wei Wei's tear filled eyes and trembling form. "Gege", the girl cried and Zhan pulled her into his arms, offering her the only thing he could...a shoulder to cry on. "Gege, please let me leave", she begged sniffling and Zhan patted her hair, calming her down. "Wei Wei, You know I can't let you do that. This is what Chang Xia wanted. To scare you and get you alone. Don't give into her, Xiao Wei. You need to stay strong." The she-wolf only cried harder and Zhan saw Liu Fang standing nearby, his eyes on Wei Wei filled with worry.

"You have a life here, Wei Wei. You have a man who loves you and a brother who will protect you. Don't be afraid. Gege will take care of everything." "Jie gege died because of me, Zhan-ge. All of you are in danger because of me. A-Xia won't stop until I am dead. Sometimes I wish I hadn't come here at all but then, I think of Liu Fang, Lei and you. I would've died a long time ago if it wasn't for you guys." The girl broke into another sob and Zhan held her tighter. "You have so many reasons to live yet you talk about dying. We are all glad you are here with us, Wei Wei. Is anyone bullying you in the shelter? Did anyone say anything?", Zhan questioned and the girl pulled back, wiping her tears. "No. Everyone has been so good to me, Zhan-ge. Even now, when I have put all of them into this situation they care about me and are staying strong for me. I don't deserve it, ge. I don't." Zhan could feel the heavy emotions weighing on Wei Wei. Shame, resentment, anger, grief...all of them clung to her and Zhan took the young girl's hand in his gazing into her eyes. "The only thing you need to know now is that Chang Xia will never lay a hand on your head. Everyone here will fight against her and protect you, Wei Wei. You are loved by everyone here because you deserve it. Aunt Jin has found a daughter in you, Lei has found a ping pong partner, I found a sister and Liu Fang has found his future in you. Don't let your fear hold you back from taking your happiness. We choose to protect you, Xiao Wei. We choose to love you. So don't be afraid and go back to Liu Fang. He has been glaring at me for a while now." Zhan gave a small smile as the girl's lips twitched and she gazed back at Liu Fang. The man was so smitten by her, anyone could see it even from a mile away.

Motioning Wei Wei's mate to come forth, Zhan told Liu Fang to take care of Wei Wei and to give him a call if need be. The rage Liu Fang hid so well was clear to Zhan and he warned the wolf to be careful. It was easy for Alphas to lose their cool when their mates were threatened but they had to handle this matter carefully. The Changs were not easy to deal with. They fought dirty and they fought unfair. Every step they took was calculated and Zhan didn't want Wei Wei to lose more than she already had. He spoke to them for a few more minutes and then left the shelter after hearing another lecture on safety and precautions from Wang Lei. He even talked to the other shifters and was relieved to see they were willing to fight. They were even more determined to keep the Changs out now and Zhan promised them all that he wouldn't let anything happen to them. Zhan had decided long ago that he would protect the shelter from anyone that posed a threat. All of the members in the shelter were Zhan's family. Anyone who messed with them would have to take Zhan down first and Zhan was a fighter. He would never admit defeat. Not until he took his last breath.