Fated To Be His...

50. Treasure it...

"I guessed this would happen", sighed Zhan eyeing the man in front of him. Dark bags under his eyes, and his face pale, Liu Fang looked like he had aged a decade in a single night. The scent of desolation and despair on him got heavier with every second that passed and Zhan patted the young man's shoulder offering him comfort. "Don't be hard on her, A-Fang. She is just going through a lot. She doesn't mean to push you away." The man before Zhan shook his head before wiping his palm across his face, his eyes clearing a bit. "I am not angry, Zhan-ge. Honestly, I don't think I can ever be angry at her. I am angry at myself. She is hurting and I can't do anything to help her. I tried to reach her...talk to her but she isn't responding to anything I say or I do. If only I could ease her pain somehow. Can you...Can you talk to her, Zhan-ge? I don't know what to do." The young Alpha's throat clogged and he looked away blinking his eyes rapidly. The young wolf was pulled into a side embrace by Wang Lei and Zhan witnessed Liu Fang rein his sorrow in, his face becoming composed again. Barely. It often surprised Zhan how the twenty-year-old managed to close off his emotions at will. No one knew what had happened to Liu Fang before he came to Hope. The man had always been tight-lipped about his past and the only time Zhan had seen Liu Fang's true self come out was when Zhan carried an unconscious Wei Wei in his arms a year ago. So many emotions had crossed the man's face from amazement to anger to hope, Zhan remembered the day as if it was yesterday.  It had been a rare occurrence. "She went back to her room last night after the fight. She wasn't injured but said that she was tired and needed to sleep. I went to check up on her this morning but Liu Fang said she was still sleeping. She hasn't talked to anyone, she masked her scent so we couldn't sense what she was feeling. A-Fang and Su tried to engage her in conversation. Guo Cheng tried as well but she didn't respond. I felt like she was blocking everything around her out. She blames herself. It's going to be hard to bring her back from that", supplied Lei and Yubin spat a harsh curse. "It's all because of her. That fucking bitch. I swear I am going to strangle her with my own hands." A dark look descended upon everyone's face at the mention of Chang Xia. The air in Lei's office shifted, getting thick with rage and many growled low in their throats, their animals making their anger known.

Chang Xia had done a lot of damage last night. A night of celebration had turned into a sorrowful one and no one was happy with that. Twenty-five people living in Hope had perished at the hands of Chang Xia's men. People who were innocent. People who had nothing to do with Chang Xia.The thoughts of last night had everyone's eyes brimming with fury and it was Wei Changze who spoke next.  "She has succumbed to her rage. From what Lei told us last night, I don't think she'll stop coming after Wei Wei despite the damage her side endured. In a strange way, Zhang Xuan was keeping her sanity intact. With him gone now, I don't think she will see reason. She will attack us again and she will attack soon."  "I am hoping she does. Nothing will bring me more satisfaction than ripping her throat out", growled Yichen his eyes turning amber. "I was hoping that Wei Wei joining my pack would bring the battle to my territory", Yibo began with a cold note in his tone and Zhan moved closer to his mate in an attempt to ease Yibo's anger. The action worked because Yibo's eyes lost their icy glare as soon as Zhan leaned into him. "If the battle occurred at Wang Territory, we could have kept the shelter safe. But, it's not just about Wei Wei anymore. Chang Xia wants to hurt everyone that's here. Everyone that is dear to Wei Wei, everyone who had accepted her here. She wants the entire shelter to suffer. Her father will help her every step of the way. The bastard is probably helping her plan another attack. The fight between us is inevitable."  "We don't have much time", said Shen Teng with a frown on his face, leveling the Alphas in the room with a stare.

"We need to prepare ourselves. We have to defend the shelter and make sure there are enough of us attacking Chang Xia at the same time."  "The others know the drill. The ones who can't fight will go to the vault and keep the children safe. The only way to the vault is through the basement. Yichen and Chen Yue agreed to help us guard the place. They know about the emergency exits. We'll make sure our side is prepared", stated Zhan with conviction and Lei backed him up with a nod. "The ones that manage to get to the panic room won't be alive for long. The Wang pack will make sure of that", Yibo said the words palming Zhan's lower back, his eyes flashing bright golden and several pairs of eyes gleamed with approval. "She has almost twenty packs assisting her. The jackals are on her side and almost two hundred shifters are at Chang Ming Jing's disposal. They aren't there just to seek favor from the Changs, Yibo. Every pack she approached had a problem with Hope. Lei's stepbrother has joined her too. We need to strengthen our defense. We could be outnumbered." "I've called my friends", began Wei Sanren turning everyone's gaze toward her. "Don't worry about the numbers, Shen Teng. Chang Xia can bring as many packs as she wants. I promise you, we won't be outnumbered." "I have heard the Wei family has a lot of alliances", remarked Zi Yi but her eyes held a bit of doubt. "Will they come? Chang Xia is after Wei Wei, someone they don't even know. Why will they protect Hope?" The words had Wei Sanren and her husband smiling a little wider which had some of the shifters in the room perplexed.