Wild Creatures

Chapter 46

Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan, panic in his beautiful eyes.

"Please, don't do that." Lan Zhan says, wrinkling up his nose.

Wei Ying tried to calm down, but it was really hard for him to do. He understood that it made his blood smell differently to Lan Zhan, but he was really scared.

"What if they're looking for you?" He said, fearfully. "Lan Zhan...what if-"

"Wait!" Lan Zhan told him firmly, hugging him close. He wasn't used to talking much, only the odd meeting with a client, and most of the time, XiChen would be his usual charming self and Lan Zhan attended in case a question arose regarding his design.

So it took a while for him to gather his thoughts, and this also helped because he could tell exactly when Wei Ying began to relax.

"I know, I can feel how worried you are for me. For us." Lan Zhan took hold of his hand and brought it to his lips. "But I want you to know that I can protect myself, and I can protect you and our family. If it comes down to it, I want to reassure you that in a fight, I can win. I'll be able to take everyone out, especially if the choice was between keeping my family safe and them. And what if it's not me?"

"But Lan Zhan, how?" Wei Ying's eyes filled with tears. "It's not that I'm doubting you."

Lan Zhan begins to protest, because that's exactly what he was doing. But Wei Ying interrupts him, trying to clarify what he meant.

"It's just that, well, what are you going to do, say if they did attack you? It's not like you've ever had to kill anyone before, right? And maybe this is going to be hard to think about, but I don't think you'll be able to just injure them. And if you bite them, aren't you just doing what those people have done already? I just don't see how any of this can be good. That's all." His bright, beautiful silver eyes are all at once apologetic and anxious.
"We don't even know how many of them there are."

"True." Lan Zhan huffs out a laugh. "Every single point Wei Ying is making is perfectly valid," he admitted.

"Then? Why are you laughing?" Wei Ying harrows his eyes at him.

"Not at Wei Ying." Lan Zhan clarifies. "It's hard for me to explain."

"Try." Wei Ying crosses his arms over his chest, scowling now.

"I don't want to frighten Wei Ying."

His honesty was refreshing.

"What do you mean? And for the record, I'm already terrified."

"When the children are at school, I will show you then. And preferably not indoors. We do not want to scare civilians, either." Lan Zhan promises him.

Just his casual, amused attitude is enough by itself, to make Wei Ying feel a whole lot better, and Lan Zhan can tell as his nose takes a good long whiff of Wei Ying's unique scent. He could want to smell this fragrance forever.

"Can't we ask F4keSt0ries for more information? While we have him online?" Wei Ying turns to face the screen, but there's nothing extra from their source, except the chilling previous message.

What can you tell us about that? Who are they looking for?

Wei Ying types his questions in, hoping F4keSt0ries is still there.

They're in luck and Wei Ying is smiling at the screen in anticipation, as the three dots pulse repetitively.

NO IDEA? THEY REFER TO THE PERSON AS 'N', AND BEFORE YOU ASK, NO, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I'M THINKING IT'S HIS NAME.

Lan Zhan single-finger types his next question.

What can you tell us about specific results? As in, does venom kill off dangerous diseases?