Wild Creatures

Chapter 52

There is no way this has happened.

For a few seconds, Lan Zhan's senses are mute to everything except the overwhelming grief crashing through him. He's helpless with it.

He's failed.

Someone has taken Wei Ying.

And not willingly, either.

Wei Ying must have been surprised, in order to drop the trash bag just like that. Lan Zhan forces himself to go closer, and check. Dirty cups and leftover bread, a half eaten muffin and the pungent aroma of strong coffee greets him as he bends down.

He tells himself to think now, and not focus on how he feels, because this is not the time to drown in useless emotions. Not when he could be thinking about fixing this mess.

As they found out from his own crime scene, the clues are there if you look hard enough.

He pulls out a white handkerchief and gingerly picks up Wei Ying's phone. The glass cover has been shattered beyond saving, and it doesn't switch on when Lan Zhan presses the button.

So, no help there, and as he wraps the spotless fabric carefully around the phone and puts it in his pocket, he gets another idea.

But all of his attention is stolen by what's on the ground, right next to the phone.

There are drops of blood.

For a second, he's paralysed with fear.

What exactly happened here?

If anyone had harmed a single hair on Wei Ying's body, Lan Zhan was going to make sure they would never see the light of day again.

There's a noise.

It's deep and reverberating, rumbling and echoing inside him, getting louder and louder.

With a gasp, Lan Zhan realises that it's him. He's making that sound. It's like the deepest growl, like a rabid dog readying itself to attack.

He knows he's dangerous.

It is simply the truth, and his new brain is disturbingly alright with this. It's even supporting him, by thinking how much satisfaction he would gain by destroying whoever took his Wei Ying. His canines have come out in full force, and Lan Zhan has never felt like this.

All powerful and ready to annihilate.

It's an exhilaration, a celebration of the killing machine he can be, in no time at all.

This is his predatory side.

He's not scared any more.

No.

He's angry.

This rage easily overpowers his grief.

With a start, he sees that the blood is actually a trail that leads meanderingly to the dumpster, where a clumsy attempt has been made to hide it. Dirt and rubbish has been spilled on top of it, trying to mask what it really is. The smell is quite strong and Lan Zhan lets his brain process the information he's understanding.

The first thing he notes with no small amount of relief, is that it is not Wei Ying's blood.

That's immediately calming.

Lan Zhan discovers that his mind has become analytical as a way to protect itself from the devastating pain threatening to engulf him, were he to give in to it. His brain is allowing him to think, to detect which of his thoughts are helpful in this moment, and then analyse which ones should be used, and which of them can be examined later.