Fated To Be His...

30. A dangerous man...

Zhan was preparing for his visit to Wang Territory putting a big box of mooncakes Lei had made for Wei Wei in his car. "Stop making that face!", growled the elder and Zhan laughed as he scrunched his nose even more. "There are hundreds of things you could have made for her, Lei. You are so good at cooking. Why did you make these? They taste awful", Zhan said fake gagging and got a light slap to his head. "Just put the boxes in your car. It's the mid-autumn festival. One needs to eat mooncakes and enjoy the moon today."  "And get that awful aftertaste in their mouth for the rest of their life." Another slap came and Zhan ducked just in time smiling some more as he placed more containers in his car. "Well, if you have made more give some for the Wang shifters too."  When Lei turned to Zhan with raised eyebrows, Zhan shrugged a shoulder.

"Like you said, it's a festival. Since the Wang pack is doing so much for us, this can be a way of saying thank you to them."  Zhan stayed silent as the words penetrated Lei's head and a bright look came on the lion shifter's face. "Don't move, I'll be back. These aren't enough."  With those words the lion shifter ran away and Zhan shut the car door. He took his phone out thinking of letting Yibo know of his visit and saw that Yibo had already texted him. "Pack a bag. Stay here for the night", said the text and all of a sudden, Zhan's heart began to thunder in his chest. He was about to refuse the invite but then stopped himself. An image of Yibo's tear stained face, his pleadings reverberated in his ears and Zhan's chest panged at the thought. The day Yibo had confessed to him about why he had stayed away...why he hadn't come back...Zhan hadn't been able to sleep that night. He could imagine his baby lion suffering alone and Zhan hated himself even more. He had given Yibo shit over not coming to him for five years but hadn't he also stopped looking for Yibo? Yibo could have screamed and yelled too... accused Zhan of letting him go so easily but Yibo hadn't. All his Alpha had asked for was peace and love. For safety. And Zhan hadn't been able to give him even that. In retrospect, he now realized that he had been wrapped up in own pain and been blind to Yibo's struggles. He had the right to be hurt. Had the right to be pissed but he didn't have the right to hurt Wang Yibo. If someday he had to choose between Yibo's safety and his own pain, he would choose Yibo. Without a doubt. His Yibo had done the same.

"You are very deep in thought. What's going on?", came the familiar low voice from behind and Zhan turned to see Yichen walking to him. "Nothing. Just sorting my thoughts", responded Zhan shaking his head and giving the other Alpha a smile. "Going somewhere?"  "Umm, Yeah. Wang territory."  Yichen nodded his head and his hands were deep in his pockets as he spoke, "That's good. Wei Wei must be missing you and you her. It's good that you are going to see her."  Zhan's eyes dimmed at that and he leaned against his car as he stared right at Yichen. "I am not going to see her, A-Chen. I am going to meet Yibo." Zhan's voice was soft but Yichen heard them loud and clear as if Zhan had yelled them to his face. "Is this your way of telling me to give up, A-Zhan?", Yichen asked trying his best to keep a tight hold over his pain and jealousy but still some of his suffering bled through. "Is this your way of telling me that you are choosing him?"  "A-Chen, You will always have the space in my heart that you've always had."  "Yeah. I'll always be your friend." The last word was laced with disgust and Zhan's eyes narrowed at the emotions he sensed on his friend. There was jealousy..hurt...anger and rage and it was not directed to Zhan but Wang Yibo.

"All these years, I thought that I could make you love me one day. That one day you would look at me and see that I am more than just a friend."  "A-Chen-"  "It's only when Yibo came back that I realised you will never love anyone else", said Zhuo Yichen cutting Zhan off and Zhan's lips pursed in silence. "I don't know if you yourself realise this. But, I see it. The way you stare at him, that longing in your gaze the pain that shines through...I will never be able to bring out those emotions in you. I will never have the power to hurt you, Xiao Zhan. You've given that right to Yibo because you love him. I saw it all but I didn't want to believe it... didn't want to get my heart broken."  "Sorry, Chen", began Zhan softly, his eyes locked onto Yichen's face and the Alpha gave him a bittersweet look. "I want to be mad at you. Curse you to hell and back...but I can't even do that because it's not your fault. You never promised me anything beyond a friendship. It was me who was dreaming with my eyes wide open."  "Yichen... you'll find someone who loves you. Some-"  "Do you really want him, A-Zhan?", came the abrupt question and Zhan didn't want to hurt his friend anymore which was why he decided to be honest. "It has always been him. It will always be him. I won't love another because I don't know how to, A-Chen. I don't want to learn to love someone else. I just want him."  The words stung Yichen and that was when the Alpha scowled, his handsome features morphing into pure, unadulterated rage.