Solstice Souls: Solstice Sons (Book 3)

A Couple's Confidence

Wei Ying's POV

Everything is so perfect.

And then, it's not.

Lan Zhan moves with the speed of a striking scorpion to stand in front of him. Before Wei Ying can react to the threat flying towards his heart, his protective jade puts himself directly in harm's way. The dagger doesn't hit Wei Ying, but he can feel the moment the small blade embeds itself into his soulmate's shoulder. He sees the combined looks of pain, shock, and relief flash across his husband's smooth facial features.

Lan Zhan's warm blood slowly coats Wei Ying's hand as he frantically applies pressure around the wound.

'No. No. No! Lan Zhan! Look at me!"

Wei Ying's voice is steeped in a devouring panic. He watches in horror as his beloved's blood begins soaking through the red robes meant to signify a new beginning, not an ending. Golden eyes, once bright and full of life, tarnish as Lan Zhan's gaze shifts from his family screaming at each other to Wei Ying's face that alternates between disbelief, worry, and anger.

Without realizing what he's doing, Wei Ying's dark energy forms two thick tendrils that quickly remove the dagger from his jade's shoulder. A wince of pain tightens Lan Zhan's face and Wei Ying hates that he is the reason for it. The need to stop the bleeding and ease his husband's suffering is all-consuming and Wei Ying acts without thinking.

His resentful energy wraps around Lan Zhan's arm and shoulder, cooling the skin to numb the pain. Wisps of dark smoke move efficiently to pull the torn fabric out of the way so tiny threads of dark energy can attend to the wound. They begin stitching it back together with precision when Wei Ying suddenly realizes what's happening.

No no no! Stop! I'll kill him! Just like I did all those animals!

You can do this, baobei. You're stronger than before. You're stronger together, he hears his family say.

I trust you, Lan Zhan's voice whispers in his soul.

They're right. I have to do this. I CAN do this!

Drawing on his past experiences of healing his own wounds, Wei Ying imagines the torn skin as if it was his shoulder that was stabbed. Memories of all the times he succeeded in mending his own wounds from the reckless adventures of his youth to the sting of Zidian on his back guides his dark energy.

His hands hover over the now partially closed laceration. His eyes are closed in a deep, meditative concentration. Sweat beads along his hairline as his body begins to shake from the intense focus required to bend the dark energy to his will. However, the power within him gradually nurtures the resentful energy, instructs it what to do, and reminds it who is truly in control.

Wei Ying ignores his demonic energy's demand for revenge. He shuts out its call for blood. The voices that tempt him to end the man's life who hurt his beloved are drowned out by the promises he made to his husband just moments ago. The darkness that circles his heart is kept at bay by his eternal love for his soulmate.

Sensing that Lan Zhan's wound is no longer bleeding, Wei Ying summons his power back into his core. It retreats willingly, an obedient servant to its master. The knowledge of what he just accomplished gives him a new sense of strength. His left arm drops down to Lan Zhan's waist while the other slides around his jade's unwounded shoulder.

Eventually, the whispering voices in his mind evaporate into silence like fading echoes off the mountains.

Wei Ying reluctantly opens his eyes and looks behind his jade in time to see his grandmother approaching cautiously. There's a heartbeat of protectiveness that has him cocooning Lan Zhan even closer to his chest, unwilling to let anyone come close to his husband lest they hurt him again.