Two days later Wei Ying arrived at the very important realization that Lan Zhan's bed was the most comfortable bed he had ever actually slept on. Not only did it feel like sleeping on a cloud, but it had Lan Zhan in it.
"Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said. "I need to leave."
Wei Ying groaned. "I don't want you to leave. I want you to hold me."
In retaliation, he rolled over even further, and draped his entire body on Lan Zhan. Then he tucked his face into the side of Lan Zhan's neck and breathed in his favourite scent, before he closed his eyes again, determined that the two of them should go back to sleep.
Lan Zhan was silent and still, which made Wei Ying smile. Like the previous morning when Wei Ying had woken up in his bed and insisted on the same thing, Lan Zhan seemed to take his time reaching a decision. When he did, he exhaled very softly.
Next thing Wei Ying knew he was pried off Lan Zhan's body, flipped over, and then gathered back into a tight hold with his back to Lan Zhan's chest as Lan Zhan curled around him.
Cocooned in a haze of soft pajamas and the hard body of a gorgeous man, Wei Ying began to reconsider his need for sleep.
"Are you going to stay?" he asked, just to be sure.
Lan Zhan kissed the space behind Wei Ying's ear before he responded, "I'll stay."
Wei Ying smiled in triumph.
As if sensing Wei Ying's mental victory lap, Lan Zhan's arms tightened around Wei Ying's body and instead of a kiss this time, he nipped at Wei Ying's ear. Which just made Wei Ying bark out a surprised laugh.
"You won't always win," Lan Zhan threatened in a low voice.
"Mhmm," Wei Ying teased. "Sure I won't."
He reached for the backs of Lan Zhan's hands and laced their fingers together so that he could control Lan Zhan's arms around his waist. He moved one hand across his chest to press Lan Zhan's palm against his heart. Then he slid the other hand under his pajama top so that he could feel the heat of Lan Zhan's fingers on his skin.
"I thought you wanted to sleep," Lan Zhan murmured into Wei Ying's ear.
His voice was deep and husky and it chased little shivers of need all through Wei Ying's body.
"Want, yes. Sleep, no," Wei Ying said softly. "Will you let me win on this?"
Lan Zhan's mouth found Wei Ying's neck again and he slowly kissed a path to Wei Ying's jaw, up one cheek, to his temple.
Wei Ying exhaled softly, already feeling his heartbeats increase from the touch of Lan Zhan's lips against his skin. He turned his head towards him, and Lan Zhan kissed the corner of his mouth, before sealing their lips together for a kiss.
"This you can have, whenever you want, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said against his lips.
His fingers made small little swirls and lines across Wei Ying's abdomen. Giving in, Wei Ying exhaled slowly and tilted his head back to rest on one of Lan Zhan's shoulders. He released Lan Zhan's fingers to allow him to touch wherever he wanted, and Lan Zhan immediately began working on opening the buttons on Wei Ying's shirt.
Once the shirt was open, he helped Wei Ying to slide it off. Then his hands moved to the drawstring of Wei Ying's pajama bottoms.
The feel of Lan Zhan's fingers fiddling so close to his crotch made Wei Ying squirm in anticipation.
Lan Zhan tugged the waist of the pants down until Wei Ying could slip out of it. No underwear. Wei Ying didn't believe in sleeping in them. So, when Lan Zhan's hands reached for him again it was to touch and stroke, smooth, warm, naked skin with his palms and his fingers.
Wei Ying inhaled as Lan Zhan pressed one palm back onto his chest to feel his heart beating, while the other hand was splayed at the edge of his ribs.
"Look at how you respond to me just taking your clothes off. I haven't even done half the things I want to do yet," Lan Zhan said softly.
Wei Ying squirmed in his arms again as Lan Zhan's lips found the side of Wei Ying's neck and began to tease the spot with his teeth and tongue.
His hands began to move then, all over Wei Ying's body.
The slow glide of palms up his torso, across his chest, his shoulders, to his arms, was erotic and sensual. And Wei Ying could barely breathe as he squeezed his eyes shut and just lived in the sensation of it.
Fingers found his cheek, and then traced the curves of his lips, as Wei Ying breathed in shallow breaths. They glided to his chin and then gently wrapped around his throat.
Lan Zhan rose from behind Wei Ying and leaned over him to kiss his cheek and the side of Wei Ying's chin that his fingers had just abandoned.
While he held Wei Ying's throat with one hand, his other hand hadn't stopped exploring.
Fingers traced along Wei Ying's skin leaving a trail of sparks that crackled like tiny fireworks. Wei Ying wondered if it was in his imagination or if even their spiritual energies liked when they touched each other. He loved the thought, but he kept his eyes closed as Lan Zhan's palm slid across his waist and down to one thigh.
"Lan Zhan, what are you doing to me?" he groaned.
Lan Zhan's mouth dragged along Wei Ying's jaw and kissed a line up the shell of one ear before he responded, low and sexy and full of heat.
"Putting my hands all over your gorgeous body, Your Highness."
Wei Ying's brain short-circuited on that. He couldn't deal with words like that while lying naked in bed with a still fully dressed, unclaimed mate. Not if Lan Zhan only wanted to keep touching his body.
"Lan Zhan," he growled as he opened his eyes. "I'm about three seconds away from spontaneous orgasm. Behave."
Lan Zhan huffed out a whisper of a laugh. Probably because he had never had to be told before to behave in his life. Wei Ying smiled at that thought, and then turned his head to find Lan Zhan's lips for kisses.
Lan Zhan indulged him by covering Wei Ying's lips with his own. His mouth moved against Wei Ying's, sucking and kissing and licking and biting, in a kiss that left Wei Ying panting for air.
He moved the hand on Wei Ying's thigh and slid it towards Wei Ying's semi-hard erection. When he got close enough to touch, he stopped.
"I can feel your heart racing in your pulse, Qíngrén. Do you want my hand down there that badly?" he asked.
Wei Ying groaned, but he shook his head honestly and said, "I want your mouth. I love the sounds you make when you're sucking me off."
Lan Zhan captured Wei Ying's mouth into another heated kiss while he moved his hands away from Wei Ying's body and allowed him to lie back on the bed.
He trailed his lips down Wei Ying's collarbone, to the center of his chest, and down his stomach before he moved to kneel between Wei Ying's legs.
With his arms hooked beneath Wei Ying's thighs, he held Wei Ying's legs open. Then he leaned over to coax the tip of Wei Ying's shaft between his lips while his tongue covertly played with the crown and tasted Wei Ying for the first time in hours.
Lan Zhan began to slide his mouth up and down, slowly and indulgently over and over, on Wei Ying's cock.
Wei Ying's fingers tangled in his hair and he arched into the warmth and the tightness around his shaft, as Lan Zhan's mouth, and tongue, and fingers drew him closer and closer to the height of pleasure. Until Wei Ying was gasping and moaning, and aching to hold on and to never let go of him.
— — —
"Good afternoon, Wuxian."
Wei Ying inclined his head politely as the Gamma of Gusu bowed to him.
When he'd woken up again after falling back asleep in Lan Zhan's arms it was to the scent of sandalwood surrounding him and Lan Zhan's fingers gently stroking through his hair.
But Lan Zhan hadn't stayed with him much longer. Instead, with a few apologetic kisses, he had reluctantly explained that he had received an order from the Alpha and the Gamma to meet them in the Hánshì, the Alpha's house.
Two days in a row reporting late for duty had made them very upset.
By the time Wei Ying made it to the Hanshi it was to be told by the pack's leading hunter that the Alpha and the Zeta would be in important meetings all day.
When he had told the Kappa that he would love to join the pack officials in their meetings, she had nodded. Then she directed him to the library where the Gamma, the Alpha, and the Zeta were in a private room viewing the Baling Xi's presentation on natural resources and trade possibilities between Baling and Gusu.
It had been simultaneously boring and full of information, and by the end of it, Wei Ying had clapped and whooped enthusiastically while the Gusu leaders frowned at him.
Lan Zhan had almost smiled though, and Lan Xichen had laughed. That had made it all worth it. Especially when he winked at Ouyang Xinyan and she ducked her head shyly, like her celebrity crush had just noticed her.
Lan Zhan asked most of the followup questions in a direct, succinct manner. Wei Ying stared at him the entire time that he was speaking.
When the group dispersed for a break while the next pack prepared for their meeting, Wei Ying tried to get closer to where Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen were at the front of the room, quietly conferring together.
That was when Lan Qiren intercepted Wei Ying.
Wei Ying smiled at him, and said, "Hello Qiren. I seem to have misplaced my guardian. I just need to borrow him for a few hours and then you can have him back."
Lan Qiren frowned.
"I did not agree to have Wangji appointed as your bodyguard while your extended visit continues in Gusu," he said in a tight voice. "Wangji's skills are better suited elsewhere. Case in point, he has been excellent at these meetings and has established some beneficial networks. The smaller packs consider him to be fair and just in his decisions. More importantly, he has managed to disobey a direct pack order from his Alpha for the past few days. That is extremely worrying, since it is a skill that only the Sena is rumored to grant. As a result, he will no longer be subjected to your presence, Tiānzî."
"Xichen appointed Wangji as my guardian. Are you disagreeing with your Alpha?" Wei Ying asked.
Lan Qiren's expression became even more pinched when he said, "As I mentioned, Wangji's disobedience is intolerable. The Alpha agrees. He has been requested to attend and facilitate these negotiations and discussions, as he considers his actions and reevaluates the importance of his pack to his well-being."
"He's a fully grown wolf warrior, not a pup yipping at a Phi's heels hoping to escape the nursery. Don't you think he should be able to decide if he wants to spend his mornings in bed?" Wei Ying asked.
Lan Qiren took a step back, and clenched his fingers into tight fists at his sides.
"Not much escapes my notice, Sena. Including where my nephew may or may not be spending his mornings. That is not for me to comment on," he hissed quietly. "I will warn though, that I hope he understands this game that you're playing with him, or the two of you might live to regret it."
Wei Ying's stomach twisted and he took a step forward to close the distance between himself and the Gamma.
"Lan Zhan is not an idiot. He knows that I'm not playing a game with him," he said.
They both turned to glance over at where the Alpha and the Zeta were still standing together. Lan Zhan's gaze flickered from his uncle to his lover, before he turned back to respond to his brother.
"Does he know?" Lan Qiren asked pointedly, before he carefully avoided brushing by Wei Ying, and walked away to call the meeting to order.
As soon as the next presentation began, Wei Ying slipped out of his seat and followed the pathways of the library to get lost in the stacks.
The Gusu library was breathtaking. It seemed bigger on the inside than it was from the outside. Rows and rows of books lined the shelves. All kept at a carefully preserved temperature just slightly below room temperature, even on the cold Gusu mountains and through freezing winters.
Wei Ying's fingers traced the spines of a few of the books as he passed by.
He began with the history of the wolves from the dawn of time. The first of their kind, rumored to have been an Ice Wolf. Then the first asena who was born as the ancestress of the Göktürks, her soulmate, and her sons. The legends of the werewolves were next in the history section, and how that trait diminished. Then harnessing spiritual powers, forming golden cores, and the rise of the cultivators and the two forms. Into the modern era of shapeshifters and technology and spiritual weapons.
Wei Ying found a nook to hide in, as he reached for the book on the only other known asena who ever lived.
He read through the pages very carefully.
Most of it was fluff and padded prose. The facts of what was recorded was literally one sentence which was expounded and dissected to oblivion. Basically, there was nothing known about her except that she was a she-wolf, powerful, and strong, who met her soulmate and bore him sons who became the first living werewolves. There was nothing about her personality or her weaknesses and nothing about the man who loved her despite their differences. There was nothing about her struggles or her secrets, or how used and misunderstood she must have felt.
Wei Ying closed his eyes and envisioned a cave, through dimensions and space and across eons, with a powerful, laughing, radiant being, and a teenage boy who fell in love there.
"Wei Ying."
Wei Ying opened his eyes and stared at Lan Zhan as the other man walked over to him.
As soon as Lan Zhan was close enough, he reached out to grab Wei Ying's arm. Then they were hurrying along together, deeper into the stacks of books, around convoluted corners, until Wei Ying was completely distracted. Just when he thought they were going to have to stop for food and water, Lan Zhan pulled him into a nook that was remarkably similar to the one that Lan Zhan had found him in the first place.
Wei Ying turned to face him with a raised eyebrow and small smile of amusement.
"What did my uncle say to you?" Lan Zhan asked.
The smile fell away from Wei Ying's face as he looked away and inhaled sharply.
"Oh. That. Well, he said to stay away from you, and that I'm bad for you. And he believes I'm only using you until I get bored of my game," he said.
He didn't see the look of outrage and anger on Lan Zhan's face, but he suspected that deep down, Lan Zhan was preparing to go to war. When Lan Zhan immediately turned sharply around, looking like he was winter personified, Wei Ying hurriedly stepped forward to close the distance between them.
He wrapped his arms tightly around Lan Zhan's waist from behind. And then he pressed his forehead against the back of Lan Zhan's head.
"Leave it," he said softly. "He's an old man, and he loves you like a son."
"That's not an excuse to be rude. He knows who you are. He shouldn't need to constantly be reminded to show you the respect that you deserve," Lan Zhan responded.
Wei Ying laughed. "Maybe I'm just happy that he only sees me as the annoying brat who keeps teasing his perfect little nephew."
Lan Zhan turned in Wei Ying's arms and they held each other tightly. Foreheads pressed against each other, eyes closed, breathing each other in. One dressed in black, and the other in white. Perfect balance.
"You're my entire world now. My universe," Lan Zhan whispered.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying immediately groaned. "You need to stop saying words like that. Every time you do, my heart stops beating and I forget how to breathe. It's fucking embarassing!"
Lan Zhan slipped his hands from Wei Ying's waist to cradle his cheeks between his palms. They stared at each other. Silver and gold in their gazes.
Then Lan Zhan leaned forward and captured Wei Ying's lips between his. He kissed him slowly and deeply as if he was making love to him with his mouth. As if he wanted to show him what he meant when he said those words. The kiss was gentle, and sweet, and full of unspoken emotions. It made Wei Ying's heart hurt and his body weak.
"Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying protested when he could speak again. "What you do to me. I can't even explain."
One corner of Lan Zhan's mouth lifted into a tiny smirk. Then his expression shifted from indulgent and soft to fire and heat. He pushed Wei Ying roughly against the nearest wall and trapped him there with the hard, solid weight of his body as he leaned in again to capture his mouth.
This kiss was very different. It was teeth and tongue. Hard and rough. Wei Ying felt like he was caught in a storm. Going from zero to a hundred, and still somehow surprised at just how efficient this man was at turning him on. Making him want him, even in the most innocent of places.
"Lan Zhan…" Wei Ying whined a little desperately.
Lan Zhan kissed the corner of Wei Ying's jaw and tilted his head back to suck and lick at the base of his throat. Until Wei Ying's fingers were clutching at the back of Lan Zhan's clothes, and he was breathing hard.
"This is what you do to me," Lan Zhan said in his deep, sexy voice. "I don't know how to walk away from you anymore."
Wei Ying moved one hand away from Lan Zhan's clothes so that he could slide his fingers into his hair, then lower, to the base of his neck. He scratched his blunt nails on that one particular spot in a deliberately blatant move that was meant to inspire a reaction. He heard the quiet gasp that escaped against his skin before Lan Zhan grabbed his shoulders and spun him around to face the wall.
Lan Zhan's mouth found the exact spot on Wei Ying's neck and he ruthlessly began to tease the sensitive area with his lips and tongue. The feel of his mouth there, at the back of his neck, had Wei Ying clawing at the wall, and covering his own mouth to hold back his loud moans.
Bite me, Wei Ying thought desperately. Let me feel your teeth on me, Lan Zhan.
Instead, Lan Zhan's frantic licking and sucking gradually slowed into kisses along the length of Wei Ying's neck and onto one shoulder. Once he was able to, he paused with his forehead lowered to rest against Wei Ying's skin, as he inhaled deep, silent breaths and went very still. Only after a few long seconds did he finally seem to regain his restraint. Then he pressed his nose against Wei Ying's cheek and hummed in frustration.
Wei Ying immediately began to laugh, still having to hold his hand against his mouth to stifle the sound. And Lan Zhan wrapped his arms around him to pull him close and to hold him tight.
They stood like that for a little while before Wei Ying turned in his arms, and then they were just hugging each other again. Existing in the same space. Feeling all the strong, deep emotions that radiated between them and couldn't be ignored.
"Libraries are going to be our thing. Write it down," Wei Ying said with a grin.
"Mn," Lan Zhan murmured. "The list is about to get very long, since we're like this."
Wei Ying chuckled and then moved away so that he could stare at Lan Zhan. He lightly ran his fingers along the most perfect bow of lips and a soft, warm cheek.
"Don't you have to get back? Won't they be waiting for you?" he asked.
Lan Zhan shook his head. "Xichen can manage on his own. And even if they were waiting, it wouldn't matter. As the Sena, you take precedence. You are my priority, Wei Ying."
Wei Ying leaned in to steal a lingering kiss from those perfect lips that he had been obsessively tracing. But one kiss just wasn't enough once he got his mouth on him, and it soon turned into another round of moaning and kissing.
He clutched at Lan Zhan's body trying to hold him as close as possible while Lan Zhan expertly drove him wild with animalistic passion.
"You said I could have you whenever I wanted," Wei Ying finally managed to rasp out. "Can I have you here? Now? Like this?"
"Yes," Lan Zhan breathed.
Then he began to unfasten Wei Ying's clothes to put his hands all over him.
Stroking him. Kissing him. Pulling deep, ragged, choked sounds from Wei Ying. Touching him. Holding him. Taking him all the way apart. And swallowing Wei Ying's groans of pleasure as Wei Ying moved against him, until he was coming against Lan Zhan's skin.
— — —
In the late evening, Wei Ying waited until the training ground was entirely empty of all warriors before he snuck out to it.
He watched as teams of competitors dragged themselves away towards the infirmary. Some looked victorious while others had injured packmates who struggled to carry each other on their backs. The spectators followed soon after. Most of them headed towards the dining hall for dinner while a few stood around quietly talking about the fights and the possibilities of the Alphas who were most suitable to become Xiandu.
"Who wouldn't want someone like him to become the leading Alpha? My bets are on the Twin Jades of Gusu winning their remaining battles so that Xichen can advance to the next round," a Tingshan Delta commented to a few friends, as Wei Ying observed in silence.
"Xichen is good, but have you seen Mingjue fight? He's all muscles and no mercy," one friend responded. "It's a pity that he admitted to being rejected by the Sena so long ago. Even if he becomes Xiandu now they wouldn't be zhiji. The only hope for the Stone Wolves is Huaisang. And he's really fast! But Mingjue forbade him to challenge to become Alpha if it's only to be Xiandu."
"Which is why my bet is on Xichen! Even without Wangji being in the circle with him, he's strong on his own."
Unsurprisingly, Xichen's name was mentioned the most and Wei Ying made a mental note to actually watch one of the Ice Wolves' fights that included the Alpha. To be honest, he had hesitated to even watch Lan Zhan's fights because of how much he knew his body language would give away. Sitting in the stands, watching Lan Zhan fight as a Zeta in the pack of another wolf when Wei Ying just wanted him to fight as his own leader, was difficult to endure.
Once the Alphas and the Etas all left, once dinner was called and then dismissed, once the packs all gathered for their night hunts, once it was just him and there was no one around to disturb him, he jumped the metal barriers and sent a burst of light to hover into the air.
Then he stood in the center of the field all alone and looked around at the empty stands.
After a few minutes of long, deep breaths, he lifted his hands and called his spiritual weapon into existence. The black motorcycle leather gloves shimmered around his fingers and solidified while he flexed them through a range of motion. As soon as they were comfortably adjusted, he closed his eyes and focussed on the sea of darkness inside of himself.
Opening glowing red eyes, he pulled tendrils of black energy into the air like ribbons of smoke and gathered them into a ball that obscured one palm. It undulated and swirled around his hand, as if it was the remains of a tormented spirit pulled from the ghost realm to do his bidding.
He admired it for a few seconds. Then he snapped his fingers and the ball of dark energy exploded like a bomb that sent reverberations through the entire field, leaving scorched earth and grass in its wake.
A single beautiful note of music pierced the air and the scorch marks immediately disappeared.
Wei Ying laughed softly.
He looked towards the stands again to watch as a lone figure approached him, wearing pristine, white spiritual gloves. Blue sparks crackled as a burst of light joined his own above the field. When the lights collided into each other they expanded to form battle wards that enclosed the field in glowing walls of shimmering light.
"Is that a challenge? Yes, Ice Wolf. I can kick your ass before bedtime, if you want," Wei Ying teased.
Lan Zhan stopped directly in front of Wei Ying and raised one perfect eyebrow.
"Silencing talisman first," he instructed. "Then you're welcome to kiss my ass before I hand you yours in defeat."
Wei Ying choked out another short laugh and shook his head. Nobody would ever believe just how much of a sense of humor Lan Zhan had, he realized.
He raised two fingers, carved a large sigil for silence into the air, and he pushed it towards one side of the wards. Once it activated he turned to the Ice warrior again.
"Do you really want to fight me, Lan Zhan?" he asked with a huge grin. "Is that really why you came out here to see me? So that we can have a secret one on one match without anyone watching?"
Lan Zhan calmly nodded and said, "Yes. That is exactly why I am standing here, and exactly why I activated the wards for you. Fight me, Sena."
Wei Ying stepped right into Lan Zhan's space and licked along the bridge of his nose with his tongue. Lan Zhan didn't even flinch. He just accepted the streak of saliva and the teasing gesture, in complete silence.
"You, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying said earnestly. "You're my favorite person, ever. But I'm about to pin you flat on your back until you beg for mercy."
Lan Zhan's eyes narrowed as he quickly leaned over and sharply bit the tip of Wei Ying's nose in retaliation.
Then in a flash of movement he pulled out his knife from his thigh sheath, and swiped it mercilessly towards Wei Ying's throat in a series of motions that were meant to leave very large, very deep wounds.
Wei Ying slid away from the slashes just in time as the sharp blade glinted each time only about two inches away from his flesh.
His fingers curled around the hilt of his own Gusu knife, and he snorted loudly and shook his head in disappointment, as he stopped backing away from the blade that was twisted to point at his throat.
"Lan Zhan, that was so slow! I'm almost insulted that you questioned whether or not I could dodge them!" he exclaimed while retreating even further.
Lan Zhan inclined his head in agreement. "That was a warning. The only one you'll receive out of courtesy."
Wei Ying grinned happily back at him.
"Good," he said. He pulled his knife and threw it directly at Lan Zhan's chest. "Dodge this then!"
Lan Zhan batted the knife out of its trajectory before it could embed itself in his body. It went spinning away at a seventy degree angle, and Wei Ying raised a hand and called it back to himself like a boomerang.
He was already moving as he caught the knife, but Lan Zhan grabbed his wrist to stop him from using it again. Wei Ying aimed a punch to his stomach as a distraction, but Lan Zhan blocked that too. He twisted Wei Ying around so that his back was pressed to Lan Zhan's chest and Lan Zhan's inner elbow squeezed his throat in a vice.
Lan Zhan kissed his cheek. Wei Ying turned his face to kiss him back.
Then he flipped them both into a somersault to get Lan Zhan to release his death grip. When they landed they attacked in hand to hand combat that got faster and faster as they anticipated their opponent's next strike. It lasted until they spun a short distance away, and they each landed on their feet, then turned to face each other.
"Are we finished warming up and testing each other's limits now?" Lan Zhan asked dryly. "Can we actually begin, or do you need more time?"
Wei Ying laughed again.
It would have to do. He had an idea of how fast Lan Zhan moved and how sharp his cultivation skills were in order to avoid serious injury. From what Wei Ying could tell, he wouldn't need to pull back much on his attacks.
He nodded with an indulgent smile and gestured with a wave of his hand that they could begin whenever Lan Zhan wanted.
Lan Zhan covered the distance between them in a few strides.
When he was close enough, he pulled Wei Ying into his arms and captured his mouth into a slow, hard kiss. Wei Ying leaned into him, wrapped his arms around his neck to pull him closer, and moaned softly as their lips and tongues moved against each other.
He was about four seconds away from sliding his knife between Lan Zhan's shoulder blades when Lan Zhan's palm wedged between their bodies, and slammed into Wei Ying's chest with the force and enough spiritual energy to send Wei Ying flying backwards, towards the other end of the field.
"Fuck!" Wei Ying cursed as he tried to regain his equilibrium.
Once he landed on his feet, he shifted into his wolf form and leaped at Lan Zhan's face with a loud snarl and his sharp teeth bared.
Lan Zhan blocked him with an arm across his throat to keep his jaws away. With his other gloved hand, he quickly twisted cords of blue energy together into a rope that yanked the wolf off his chest before the weight of the animal could topple him to the ground.
"Good effort, but not fast enough," Lan Zhan quipped.
Wuxian landed on four paws, skidded and twisted around, and launched himself with blinding speed at Lan Zhan again.
But Lan Zhan was prepared, and a wave of energy slammed into Wuxian and knocked him out of the air. Lan Zhan meanwhile had pulled his seven strings from between his fingers, and he strummed a melody that sprayed blades of daggers towards the wolf.
Unlike the first time they met, these blades did not bend and curve away from Wuxian. He found himself having to dodge them so fast that he was a blur even to himself. Even then, the only barrier he had was a wave of pure red spiritual energy that he used as a shield to dissolve Lan Zhan's attack.
"Lan Zhan, are you trying to kill me?" Wei Ying asked. "Will you still burn joss paper for me if you're the one who murders me? I'd rather die by your hands than anyone else's."
"No need, Wei Ying. If you concede you won't have to die," Lan Zhan said in his deep, melodious voice that perfectly matched his music.
Wei Ying laughed into their mental connection. "Fuck you, beautiful man. You should concede!"
Luckily, Wuxian was just as capable of tapping into a deep well of power. He raised his muzzle towards the moon, and howled a note of his own kind of music. It resonated like the hollow sound of wind warbling through a long dark passage. His red eyes flashed lightning sparks, and he switched to a higher pitched howl that pierced the air.
A whirlwind of dark smoke gathered around him, and quickly spread to cover most of the field in a thick fog of darkness. It obscured him from Lan Zhan's line of sight so that he could run at him to get the blades to stop. Once he was close enough, he launched himself to where he estimated Lan Zhan was still standing in the fog.
Wuxian collided with Wangji mid-air, with a loud crash.
They landed entangled together in a savage ball of loud growls and snarls and sharp teeth as they tried to rip past fur into each other's flesh to draw blood. Neither of them seemed to be able to get the upper hand though. They were too evenly matched. Their powers, their forms, their techniques, were in synchrony with each other, like being in a violent, choreographed dance.
When the weight of Wangji's large body settled firmly on him to pin him down, Wuxian twisted onto his stomach beneath the white wolf and dug his claws into the ground for leverage to try and move.
Wangji's teeth clamped down hard on Wuxian's shoulder and he felt them pierce his skin. The pain was sharp, but he ignored it as he continued in his effort to escape. He took a moment to retaliate by grabbing one of Wangji's legs between his jaws until he felt the bone start to creak. Only then did Wangji's teeth release him and they each took a moment to lick their wounds before healing energy washed through them.
"That just might leave a scar, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying complained. "Are you going to lick it better for me?"
"I will lick wherever you hurt most, and make it all better if you'd like," Lan Zhan promised solemnly.
Giving up in his efforts to escape, Wei Ying shifted into his human form and rested his chin on the ground. He struggled to get breath into his lungs as Wangji adjusted to the shift by sitting on top of him.
The wolf nuzzled into the back of Wei Ying's hair and then snorted against the tickle at his nose. He moved his muzzle to the side of Wei Ying's head to gnaw at one ear until Wei Ying smiled and firmly nudged him away.
Wangji stretched his body along Wei Ying's entire back and down both his legs. He rested one paw close to Wei Ying's cheek and Wei Ying turned his head to look at it. As Lan Zhan began to shift while still lying on his back, Wei Ying felt the change ripple along his body and he watched it happen before his eyes. The paw slowly elongated and expanded as bones shifted and realigned beneath muscles and sinew. Fur faded leaving smooth skin. Claws retracted in place of nails. Fingers emerged, and gently stroked across Wei Ying's cheek.
He turned his face and pressed soft kisses to every inch of warm, caressing, flesh that his lips could find.
Lan Zhan's weight was dispersed differently along his back now that he was again in his human form. He was no longer preventing Wei Ying from breathing, but he was still large and heavy and making it hard for Wei Ying to move.
He leaned down and kissed along the back of Wei Ying's neck and he nuzzled into the skin there before Wei Ying felt the tip of Lan Zhan's tongue glide smooth and wet across his jaw, to taste him.
"You smell so good like this. Trapped under me. Pinned down for me to hold. Unable to escape," Lan Zhan murmured against his skin.
Wei Ying groaned and pressed his forehead to the cold, hard ground. He briefly had to squeeze his eyes shut to get his brain to think past the scent of the Alpha, seducing him into submission. It was what he ached for, more than anything. But even as he gave in to the instinct to lie still and bare his neck in anticipation of Lan Zhan's wolf re-emerging, the Alpha rose from off him.
Wei Ying groaned softly as the air cleared of their combined, heady scents. He rolled onto his back to inhale deeply, before gazing up at the late-evening sky and the moon that was still half obscured by the fading, dark fog.
Lan Zhan stood over him and offered an outstretched arm for Wei Ying to take. Wei Ying clasped it tightly, and was easily pulled to his feet to stand before him.
Wei Ying wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan's neck and Lan Zhan held him close as if he also needed to feel the weight of him in his arms. They were both shivering, either from emotions, or the cold mountain air, or the adrenaline from the fight. Whatever the reason, neither of them wanted to be the first to let go. So they stood like that for a moment, like two gods of war intertwined together.
"I don't like fighting you," Wei Ying admitted. "It makes me feel uneasy when I attack you."
"I don't like attacking you either. I want to protect you, even from myself if I need to," Lan Zhan responded.
He kissed Wei Ying's temple and sharply inhaled the asena's scent deep into his lungs. The action caused Wei Ying's arms to tighten so that Lan Zhan could continue to sniff him, even while Lan Zhan spoke against his skin.
"Was that the only reason why you so easily conceded the match?"
"Of course!" Wei Ying huffed. "I was just catching my breath. Lulling you into a sense of victory before I struck again."
"Mn. It was definitely not because I had you pinned down with no way to escape," Lan Zhan said before he tugged the lobe of Wei Ying's ear between his lips.
"I was seriously contemplating how to shove you off."
Lan Zhan nibbled along the edge of the ear until his tongue could find the outer hole for the daith piercing that Wei Ying had eventually left to close up, since he didn't need to wear his Mo Xuanyu disguise anymore. The tip of Lan Zhan's tongue circled and prodded at the tiny hole.
Wei Ying groaned, and surrendered to him.
He moved his head so that he could find Lan Zhan's mouth with his own. As soon as their lips connected the kiss became heated and desperate. Wei Ying sucked on Lan Zhan's bottom lip and then moaned when Lan Zhan teeth found his lip to tug on. Wei Ying licked at those teeth until they parted, and he pressed their mouths together, licking and sucking against Lan Zhan's tongue.
Lan Zhan pulled away and stared at Wei Ying with molten gold eyes and red, darkened lips, panting just slightly in hot breaths that curled against Wei Ying's mouth and made him want to taste him again.
"Come with me," Lan Zhan said, deep and sexy, and his voice made Wei Ying want to lick his throat to feel the rumble of the words on his tongue.
When he turned and ran towards the outer edge of the field and away from Cloud Recesses, Wei Ying followed him, willing to go wherever Lan Zhan wanted him to be.
— — —
They stayed in their preferred forms as they ran.
Wei Ying shifted into his wolf and Lan Zhan stayed human. Ever so often they had to adjust their speed and path to accommodate the other, but it was interesting for Wei Ying to realize that it wasn't extremely difficult to keep pace with each other.
The run was exhilarating and Wei Ying loved every minute of the freedom he felt.
"Where are you kidnapping me to, this time?" he eventually asked though, after they'd been running for some time.
"Here," Lan Zhan responded.
They were standing in the middle of a forest with thick trees and shrubbery all around. As beautiful as it was with the day fading gently into night, there didn't seem to be anything notable about the location. Wuxian sniffed around to get familiar with the moss and each leaf and blade of grass that he could find, while Lan Zhan patiently observed him.
When he was satisfied, Wei Ying shifted into his human form and walked over to Lan Zhan, who pulled him tight against his body, making Wei Ying feel soft with emotions.
"I can tell when you're restless. I can feel you needing to run every day. To get away from the noise. To escape all the eyes on you," Lan Zhan said quietly. "My mother was like that too. And when she needed to hide, she would take me with her to these mountain ranges. Outside of my father's territory. Away from the pack."
Wei Ying cradled Lan Zhan's cheeks between his palms and said, "I'm sorry that your mother was so unhappy, Lan Zhan."
Lan Zhan leaned their foreheads together as Wei Ying's fingers continued to lightly stroke his lips and cheeks.
"Don't hide, Wei Ying," he said gruffly. "If this gets too difficult and you want it to stop, I will make it stop. I'd rather hurt more, than watch you be hurt. I'll let you leave if —"
Wei Ying pressed his thumbs to Lan Zhan's lips to stop the flow of words.
His heart had tripped over each syllable as Lan Zhan spoke, and his mind raced to pick out the subtext. It wasn't what he wanted to hear. Lan Zhan should never be worried about his mate leaving because Wei Ying would never wish to be away from him, no matter the reason.
"None of that now! Kiss me, Lan Zhan. Kiss me hard," Wei Ying demanded. "And I don't want you to even think about letting me go unless I ask first."
Lan Zhan kissed him. Hard.
Lips crashing against each other, almost bruising, their mouths met and danced and challenged each other. Lan Zhan sucked on Wei Ying's lips and slid his tongue inside Wei Ying's mouth to tease Wei Ying's tongue. Until Wei Ying groaned and gasped and felt like he was drowning in the intensity of it, as heat flooded his body. Zero to a hundred. From wanting him to craving him in seconds.
Wei Ying's fingers slid to Lan Zhan's back to hold on to him. He grabbed a handful of Lan Zhan's shirt into a tight fist as Lan Zhan's tongue licked against his teeth and then tickled his tongue playfully, until Wei Ying captured it between his lips to suck on it.
Lan Zhan growled soft, and low, and very sexy. He moved Wei Ying backwards until Wei Ying's ass hit the trunk of the nearest tree, while Wei Ying leaned into the kiss to bite and tug at his lips.
Wei Ying reached for the front of Lan Zhan's pants and began to unfasten it.
As soon as he got the button and zipper open he slid his fingers down the front of Lan Zhan's boxer-briefs and pressed his palm to the hard bulge that he found there. He rubbed and squeezed Lan Zhan's erection, and listened to the catch in his breath as he stroked the length of Lan Zhan's shaft through the cloth.
Lan Zhan pulled away from the kiss to meet Wei Ying's eyes. Keeping his gaze locked on Wei Ying, he reached into his own underwear, slid his fingers under Wei Ying's fingers with only the thin fabric separating their touch, and pulled out his rigid cock.
Wei Ying's gaze immediately fell to the sight of Lan Zhan's large fingers wrapped around his own hard shaft. He tugged on it and Wei Ying fell the pull as Lan Zhan's fist bumped against Wei Ying's crotch.
"Fuck, Lan Zhan. I should have known that you'd be beautiful everywhere," he moaned.
One corner of Lan Zhan's mouth lifted into a tiny little smirk before he reached for the fastenings of Wei Ying's pants. In seconds he had Wei Ying's pants open and his underwear tucked under his balls. And his fingers stroked and squeezed Wei Ying's cock instead of his own.
Wei Ying's eyes felt glued to those fingers as they tugged and twisted. Each stroke pulled moisture from the tip of Wei Ying's cock and Lan Zhan carefully gathered the precome with the pads of his fingers. When Wei Ying couldn't hold his head up anymore, he leaned his forehead against Lan Zhan's shoulder. Lan Zhan's fingers slid into the back of his hair as his other hand continued to work Wei Ying's cock.
"Lan Zhan, you're so good at this. Do you have a stash of erotic magazines hidden somewhere?"
Lan Zhan turned his face into the side of Wei Ying's cheek and whispered, "I always want it to be good for you, Wei Ying. You deserve the best of everything."
He moved his hands to tug down Wei Ying's pants and his boxer-briefs and waited for Wei Ying to step out of them. Then he wrapped his arms firmly around Wei Ying's waist and lifted him. Knowing what Lan Zhan wanted, Wei Ying immediately wrapped his legs around Lan Zhan's hips so that their cocks were lined up and slid, silky and warm against each other.
Wei Ying nearly whimpered at the sensation. Lan Zhan felt so good in his arms. So strong, just effortlessly holding him up against the bark of a tree. So hot, with his pretty golden eyes drinking in all of Wei Ying's secret reactions in moments like these. So perfect, like he was incomplete until the moment he met him.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying gasped. "You've spoiled me for anyone else."
Lan Zhan pressed them even harder against the closest branch so that Wei Ying's bare ass could use it for support. Then he gathered both their shafts together into a tight fist and began to pump them.
Wei Ying squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his head further into the side of Lan Zhan's neck so that all he was breathing was his Alpha's scent. He started making little broken, guttural sobs that surprised and embarrassed him a little. He couldn't understand when his body had ever learned to react like this to anything.
Lan Zhan's fingers were slick with moisture as they stroked. Combined, they were producing just enough fluid to make their cocks feel good against each other. But, Wei Ying couldn't look. He couldn't open his eyes to the sight of Lan Zhan's fingers furiously driving them closer and closer to the peak of bliss.
All he felt, all he knew, was that it was devastatingly amazing to be touched by this man.
Until Lan Zhan said in a hoarse whisper, "Wei Ying. You're mine, Wei Ying. I don't know if I can let you go anymore."
"Yes!" Wei Ying shouted. Not wanting to allow him to even rethink the words. "Don't let me go, Lan Zhan. Hold on to me."
He moved his head so that he was facing Lan Zhan again and he crooked his fingers beneath Lan Zhan's chin to get his attention.
"Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan. Look at me!" he demanded.
Lan Zhan's eyes were almost iridescent in the moonlight now. Like a fresh oil spill. Almost glowing with unforeseen colors. All the emotions that he locked away so well were reflecting in those windows to his beautiful soul. The soul that the Sena wanted to wrap himself around and become one.
Lan Zhan captured Wei Ying's lips into a soft, gentle kiss, even as the pace of his fingers sped up around their shafts.
When he couldn't endure anymore, Wei Ying leaned his head backwards against the tree as the pleasure intensified. His body jerked against Lan Zhan and he began to come between Lan Zhan's fingers.
He heard a quiet grunt from Lan Zhan, and he rocked helplessly against him as his body spasmed and trembled. Then just when he was coming down from the high of it, Lan Zhan growled and clenched his teeth into the side of Wei Ying's neck. Wei Ying's fingers slid into his hair to hold him tightly there, as sparks of pleasure tugged at his navel all the way into his cock while Lan Zhan continued to stroke them.
Thick, hot fluid hit Wei Ying's stomach and against his crotch, and Wei Ying moaned when he felt it. Lan Zhan was coming all over him. All over his own fingers. All over Wei Ying's cock. On Wei Ying's body. It wasn't like being marked as a mate, or bonded as a pair, but it was proof that they were lovers, and that was something Wei Ying could hold on to.
They stood breathing hard and rough together as they tried to catch their breaths. They pressed little kisses all over each other's face and neck, and they held each other until they could finally bear to move away to clean up and adjust their clothes.
"Did I hurt you?" Lan Zhan asked as he slid his arms under Wei Ying's legs to help him back to his feet.
Wei Ying shook his head. His body still felt tingly and tired from both the fight and the sex so it took him a second to snap back into his usual confidence.
"Lan Zhan, I told you. You could never really hurt me. I can handle your strength. I want to feel it. I like it. I like everything you do to me," he finally managed.
Lan Zhan searched his gaze and nodded with a quiet exhale.
"I can carry you on my back," he said before pressing his lips against Wei Ying's mouth in a soft kiss. "If you're too tired to run, I can always carry you."
Wei Ying laughed and teased, "Carry me on your back? Is that before or after I burst into tears and beg you with my big, round eyes to not let your Omega fall?"
"Don't kink shame. Some wolves prefer to mate with Omegas for the very reason that they are the weakest in the pack," Lan Zhan immediately responded.
He brushed his fingers along Wei Ying's cheek, and Wei Ying ducked his head and laughed again.
"That you even know it's a kink," Wei Ying huffed. "You're all kinds of amazing, Lan Wangji. I learn something new about you all the time."
"You're the one who is amazing, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan said quietly.
Wei Ying stepped into Lan Zhan's arms, tight against his body, and wrapped his arms around his neck. Then they both leaned in to press their foreheads together. Silver eyes and gold eyes, locked on each other and their breathing became synchronized.
"Take me back to your bed, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying breathed after a moment. "I still didn't say you could let go of me yet, and I want to wake up beside you again."
— — —
When the Sena opened his eyes, it was dark in the room. Still night time. In the distance a wolf howled, too far away to discern if it was a shifter or an animal. The bedroom curtains were drawn so that the only sliver of light peeked in from the moon. Probably closer to midnight than morning then.
Wei Ying woke and inhaled a series of slow, deep, steadying breaths. They didn't really help, as his heart rate increased with each passing second.
He held very, very still.
Behind him Lan Zhan's mouth was at the back of his neck. Slowly, achingly slowly, Lan Zhan licked and kissed, and sucked him there. Up and down. Back and forth. Tantalizing, and sensual, and so erotic that Wei Ying could barely breathe through the pleasure of it.
Just when he thought he was going to go crazy from trying to pretend to still be asleep, Lan Zhan slid his arms around Wei Ying's waist and pulled him even closer, against his firm body.
Wei Ying barely stifled a groan just in time and he tasted a tang of blood on his lower lip as he bit down hard on it. He risked the tiniest amount of spiritual energy to heal the wound, but otherwise went back to pretending.
Lan Zhan's mouth found the back of Wei Ying's neck again.
This time he wasn't trying to be subtle. He moved one hand to the front of Wei Ying's throat and held him there. He used his other hand as a guide to keep his mouth away from the base of Wei Ying's hair.
Then he began his slow, sensual rhythm again. With tongue and lips, kissing and sucking. Hungry for him. Desperate and aching, driven to the edge of his primal urges. Running on pure instinct. Pressing Wei Ying's head forward, until they were curved against each other on their sides, in his need to hold him close. Sucking and licking. Kissing. Tasting him with increasing desperation and urgency in his rhythm. As if he was barely, on the edge, of losing all control. Needing him so much that Wei Ying could almost physically feel his ache.
When Lan Zhan opened his mouth again, Wei Ying felt the catch of sharp, pointed teeth against his skin, as they scraped the place on his neck that was meant to be bitten.
But Lan Zhan didn't bite. He just slid his teeth over, and over, and over, on that one spot. A gut-wrenching, teasing motion that pulled at the pit of Wei Ying's stomach and made him burn as each pass and snag sent his heart into a stutter.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying gasped in a voice that was strained with want. He couldn't lie still anymore. Couldn't keep pretending, as he said, "Lan Zhan. Fuck. You have to…"
But before he could get his thoughts out, Lan Zhan went very still. And then he was backing away, retreating to the far end of the bed, away from Wei Ying's space.
The Sena snarled.
It was a sound that was low and deep, as if it was pulled from the core of his soul. It was filled with pure need and frustration and bordered on savagery.
Eyes gone red. Claws extended. He turned in the bed towards Lan Zhan and shuffled over to him. Lan Zhan wasn't even looking at Wei Ying. He was staring unwaveringly at the ceiling, deceptively calm.
Panting, almost in whimpers, Wei Ying reached out with long nails, careful not to draw blood as he grabbed Lan Zhan by the jaw and turned his face. Lan Zhan's eyes were almost glowing in the moonlight, but Wei Ying focussed on his mouth.
He pulled Lan Zhan's lower lip down until Lan Zhan complied by parting his teeth. Wei Ying slid his thumb over one of Lan Zhan's canines, to check if there was anything unusual about it. There wasn't. It felt entirely human. Even as Wei Ying massaged it to try and trigger a change, the tooth remained the same.
Wei Ying released Lan Zhan's face and shifted his claws back into hands before Lan Zhan reached out to grab his wrist, and then tugged Wei Ying's fingers back for kisses.
"I'm sorry I woke you," he apologized.
Wei Ying shifted his eyes back to grey, then shook his head and said dryly, "I don't think even I could sleep through something like that."
Lan Zhan's fingers twitched in a tiny flinch and he released Wei Ying's wrist so that he could turn onto his back again and stare at the ceiling.
"That has never happened before," he said, very softly. "I should have stopped sooner."
There was a tight strain in his voice, as if he was upset about how close he had gotten to giving in to his wolf's instinct. As if he hated that it was something that he hadn't been able to control until it had been almost too late.
Wei Ying just stared at him in silence.
After a few seconds passed with Lan Zhan laying perfectly still with his hands clasped at his ribs and his eyes drifted close, Wei Ying sighed in frustration.
He reached out to Lan Zhan's beautiful face and slowly traced a finger from the center of his forehead, down the bridge, to the tip of his nose. When he didn't react, Wei Ying did it all over again.
He shuffled even closer on the bed and leaned over to brush his lips lightly back and forth across Lan Zhan's lips until his mouth opened on a slow inhale.
Wei Ying began to steal kisses from him then.
His lips closed around Lan Zhan's lower lip and he gently sucked on it before doing the same to the upper lip. Then he flicked his tongue between the slight part of those lips before he kissed them again and again. Each kiss coaxed Lan Zhan to turn his head towards Wei Ying for more and more.
Wei Ying cupped one side of his jaw and slid his thumb between their interlocked mouths. Lan Zhan opened his mouth wider to feel the thumb against his tongue and Wei Ying moved his head away so that he could watch as Lan Zhan sucked and gnawed at it.
"God, you're so sexy," Wei Ying said.
Lan Zhan slid his mouth off Wei Ying's finger and leaned towards Wei Ying so that he could press their foreheads together.
"Mn," he rumbled, deep and husky. "You are."
Wei Ying tilted his head until their lips met again. And he moaned softly when Lan Zhan took charge of the kiss by sliding fingers at the back of his head to pull him down.
Wei Ying played with the buttons on Lan Zhan's shirt and regretted that they hadn't both decided to sleep naked. Lan Zhan had given Wei Ying an extra pair of silk pajamas to wear, and at the time it had felt like a dream to put on. But now, there were buttons, and Wei Ying wanted to feel Lan Zhan's skin under his fingertips.
As if he was also thinking frustrated thoughts about buttons, Lan Zhan began to undo the buttons one by one on Wei Ying's shirt.
Wei Ying decided to help, by sliding one leg across his hips and then climbing on top of him.
Their bodies fit perfectly against each other as if they were made to be in each other's arms. Wei Ying smiled at that thought, just before Lan Zhan wrapped one arm tightly around Wei Ying's upper back and the other across his ass.
Wei Ying could feel the outline of Lan Zhan's hard cock between them. It was big and thick, and he slid his own clothed erection against it. The sensation was divine. The silk and the heat, the taste of Lan Zhan on his tongue, and their mingled scent of sandalwood on fire were more than enough to have Wei Ying breathing heavily again.
He rose to his knees and sat on Lan Zhan's legs, forcing him to rise with him or risk letting him go.
Sitting up in the bed, Lan Zhan was a silhouette of shadows in the weak moonlight, but Wei Ying could see him well enough. He pressed his fingers to Lan Zhan's mouth again. Obsessed. Fixated. Wei Ying wrapped his arms around Lan Zhan's neck and just stared at his gorgeous man for a second.
He wanted him. Wanted this man between his legs. Wanted to hold him close until there was nothing separating them. Not status or duties, not obligations or censure. Not visiting packs of warriors or Alphas who wanted more than this from the Sena.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying said softly, and in the name was an unspoken question.
"Anything, Wei Ying," Lan Zhan responded as he cupped Wei Ying's face between his palms. "What do you need?"
Wei Ying leaned his forehead against the bridge of Lan Zhan's nose and whispered, "Fuck me. I need you to fuck me. Like I'm your mate. Like you believe it. I need you. Just you. Right now."
Lan Zhan's hands slid to Wei Ying's shoulders and he moved Wei Ying away, until they were looking at each other again. His eyes were wide with surprise and his breathing was all ragged, as if he hadn't expected the request, despite the fact that Wei Ying's ass was still balanced on the thick shaft of his erection.
Just when Wei Ying thought that it might have been too much to ask, Lan Zhan ran his fingers down Wei Ying's cheek to his neck, and rested his palm against Wei Ying's chest to feel his heartbeats.
"I am shattered by you. And every piece of me is yours," Lan Zhan said. "If you want me."
Wei Ying stroked his fingers lightly against Lan Zhan's chin and murmured, "I want you, Lan Zhan. So fucking much."
There could have been more to say, but instead of waiting for Wei Ying to catch his breath, Lan Zhan leaned in and captured Wei Ying's mouth in another passionate kiss. Wei Ying gasped, and wrapped his arms tightly around Lan Zhan's neck to hold him close.
Lan Zhan's hands slid to Wei Ying's hips. Holding him firmly he began to rock him back and forth so that Wei Ying's ass was riding against his shaft and Wei Ying's cock was pressed against the hard muscles of his stomach. The movement sent sparks of pleasure igniting through Wei Ying's body, until he was the one moving on his own, rubbing their bodies together.
Lan Zhan lifted one hand away from Wei Ying's hip to the open collar of Wei Ying's shirt. He slid the silk off one shoulder, leaving it bare to his fingertips as he traced the curve of pectoral muscles below Wei Ying's collar bone and then across to the top of his arm.
When he pulled his mouth away from Wei Ying's lips he immediately pressed his nose to the side of Wei Ying's neck and inhaled deeply. Like Wei Ying was the air he needed to breathe and he had been suffocating. His tongue flicked out to lick underneath Wei Ying's chin as his fingers began to quickly undo the rest of the button's on Wei Ying's shirt.
When the shirt hung open, Lan Zhan tugged Wei Ying's arms from around his neck so that he could pull the shirt off. Then his mouth was on Wei Ying again. On his neck, and his shoulder, down to his chest. He tugged one nipple gently between his teeth and licked and sucked, until Wei Ying's breathing became ragged sobs and deep moans.
"Lan Zhan, I love your mouth," Wei Ying gasped as he buried his fingers in Lan Zhan's hair to hold him even closer.
Lan Zhan released one nipple for the next, tugging and sucking at it too, before he began to trail a line of kisses down the center of Wei Ying's chest. Moving his hand to each side of Wei Ying's body, his strong fingers closed against Wei Ying's waist and he pulled him up so that Wei Ying had to rise to his knees. Then Lan Zhan's mouth continued its path down Wei Ying's abdomen and stopped only when his chin bumped the elastic of Wei Ying's silk pajama pants.
His tongue and teeth played with a spot just above Wei Ying's navel, relentlessly as Wei Ying writhed in his arms. And only when fingers tightened in his hair, did Lan Zhan finally tug the pants down to reveal Wei Ying's beautiful cock, proud and erect, as it bobbed between them. Then Lan Zhan made one of his sexy sounds again, and licked his lips. And then he leaned down and licked a bead of precome off the tip.
Wei Ying arched away from him with a needy, desperate moan. Too turned on to hold it in. Wanting this too much to care about shame or decency.
Lan Zhan slumped back against the head of the bed and slid all the way down between Wei Ying's open legs until his face was in line with Wei Ying's erection. Once situated, his hands found Wei Ying's hips again to hold on tight.
"I can't resist the sounds you make when you're like this," he said. "It's my favorite symphony."
He leaned forward again and lightly brushed his lower lip back and forth against the moisture on the crown of Wei Ying's cock. Wei Ying shivered, and Lan Zhan took that as an invitation to lightly lick and suck on it. The sucking became stronger and then deeper as Lan Zhan accepted it all the way into his mouth, pulling Wei Ying's hips forward until Wei Ying's cock hit the back of his throat and he swallowed around it.
The sounds that Wei Ying started making then were strangled, filthy, keening cries.
He tilted his hips towards Lan Zhan's face, pulled back, then did it again. Slow and controlled, as Lan Zhan guided the movement. Like fucking into a tight, wet hole, with the gentlest care. It was maddeningly good and every moment had Wei Ying almost sobbing.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Ying whispered through a haze. "I want more. Give me more."
Lan Zhan's mouth slid off Wei Ying's cock and he pulled him back down onto his lap. Wei Ying curled against him, arms around his neck, face buried against his shoulder, legs pressed on either side, he rocked against the hard shaft that teased him.
Stupid with want and need, naked and aching all over.
Lan Zhan stroked soothing fingers along his back as he asked softly, "Have you ever done this with another man before?"
Wei Ying groaned. "Who would I trust to do this with, more than you? I haven't wanted anyone else so much before. Have you?"
"You're all I've ever wanted. Even when I didn't think I could have you, I still waited for only you," Lan Zhan admitted quietly.
Wei Ying's arms tightened around his neck as Lan Zhan's fingers chased down the length of his spine and cupped both his ass cheeks, pulling Wei Ying even harder against his body as he pushed against him. Making Wei Ying groan and rock even more desperately.
"Can you get on your hands and knees for me?" Lan Zhan requested in a soft murmur against Wei Ying's ear. "I don't have a starter cock. You're going to need leverage."
Wei Ying laughed softly. He loved everything about this man. Trusted him. Needed him. Didn't want to spend another second without him.
Wei Ying obeyed by leaving Lan Zhan's arms to lie on the other side of the bed. His pajama bottoms were nearly at his ankles so he kicked them off, and then turned onto his stomach, and looked over at Lan Zhan.
In the shadowy darkness, Lan Zhan reached into the drawer of his bedside table to pull something out. Once he was holding the bottle in his hand he rolled over to Wei Ying. Then he reached gentle fingers down to stroke Wei Ying's cheek and across his lips, as if mesmerized by him.
"You have lube," Wei Ying teased in awe. "Just within arms reach of your bed. Lan. Wangji. Tiān na! Pulling out a bottle of lube might be the sexiest secret I just learned about you tonight."
Lan Zhan hummed softly.
He was still fully dressed in silk pajamas so when he stretched out along Wei Ying's side to nuzzle against his cheek and to nip at the side of his jaw and the point of his chin, Lan Zhan was all warmth, and smooth, soft fabric against Wei Ying's skin.
"When I was sixteen, I met another teenage boy who was hiding in a cave, in the dark. Everything about him drew me in," Lan Zhan explained. "I was so confused by him. Terrified of him. Of who I knew he was. I wanted us to be friends. I hoped we were at least that. But at night when I was alone, I wanted to touch him so much that I could barely resist hunting him. And since I couldn't hold him down and stroke him…"
Wei Ying sucked in a sharp breath and groaned, "Fuck! You destroy me."
Lan Zhan huffed a quiet laugh in the dark. Then he moved away to sit up on the bed beside Wei Ying's naked body. He reached again for the soft, stretch of skin on Wei Ying's back and slowly traced his fingers from the base of Wei Ying's skull, down the bumps of his spine until he got to Wei Ying's ass and he splayed his fingers on one cheek and kneaded it.
"You, Wei Ying, you destroy me," he said. "You are so alluring to me. Being able to kiss you, to hold you, when no one else can. And having you here. In my bed. You can't imagine how I feel just looking at you like this."
While he spoke, Lan Zhan moved his hands so that he could work at removing his own clothes. Wei Ying watched from the side as the buttons on his shirt came undone and the shirt was dropped over the edge of the bed. It was soon quickly followed by silk pants and a pair of underwear. Then his gorgeous, sexy, body was on display.
Wei Ying's mouth watered to look at him. He wanted to taste him on his tongue.
Lan Zhan moved again on the bed so that he could straddle Wei Ying's legs. But instead of staying there, he raised himself to his hands and knees and held his body over Wei Ying. Then he leaned down and began to kiss the path that his fingers had travelled, all the way to the base of Wei Ying's spine.
The sound of the bottle being uncapped in the dark, and the feel of the cold liquid as Lan Zhan drizzled lube into the crack of his ass, had Wei Ying moaning into the pillow, while he ground his aching cock into the sheets.
Lan Zhan slid one finger through the wetness until he found his opening and began to massage it. His finger felt thick and foreign there to Wei Ying, but he knew he wanted more. Lan Zhan coaxed the finger past the tight ring of muscles and began to slide it back and forth inside.
Wei Ying arched into the press and the burn of it, as his body opened up little by little to the intrusion. He was lost in a haze of sensations with each minute that ticked by.
When one finger became two, he writhed into the feeling. Drawing his knees up, he raised his ass in the air as Lan Zhan relentlessly followed the movement to stroke and scissor his fingers inside Wei Ying's body.
A few minutes into the third finger, Wei Ying made a desperate, broken sound that ripped from his throat and left him shaking.
"Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan. Fuck. I can't. Fuck. Please," he panted from low in his chest.
Lan Zhan removed the fingers, then he gripped Wei Ying's hips and pulled Wei Ying's body into position so that he was balancing on his elbows and knees.
The heat of him as he carefully moved to cover Wei Ying's body with his, was nearly too much for Wei Ying to endure. Wei Ying lowered his head so that the back of his neck was exposed, and Lan Zhan's lips found the sensitive spot there to suck on.
Wei Ying felt as Lan Zhan lined up the head of his cock, and then he pushed into Wei Ying's body with one firm, deep thrust.
Wei Ying cried out from how fucking good it felt, as Lan Zhan pulled out just enough to push back in. His fingers curled into the sheets and he was nearly sobbing when the next deep thrust came.
Lan Zhan rocked back in and out, and then back in again. Harder and deeper each time. His lips were still at Wei Ying's neck as their bodies curled against each other.
Each snap of Lan Zhan's hips sent shards of pleasure up Wei Ying's body, and he wantonly pushed back into it as their rhythm began to get faster.
"So good. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh fuck. God, you feel so good," Wei Ying keened, breathlessly, almost like a chant. "Fuck me harder. Want to feel you. Ah. Yes. Yes."
Lan Zhan's fingers clutched at Wei Ying's hips as he repositioned so that he was no longer lying across Wei Ying's arched back. Instead he kneeled behind Wei Ying and then pulled Wei Ying's ass firmly back onto his cock.
Wei Ying's body opened up greedily for him and he felt every inch of the slide as Lan Zhan guided him forward and then pulled him back. When Lan Zhan's hips slammed into him, Wei Ying almost lost his balance. He hung his head low and raised one hand between his legs to grasp his own hard shaft.
As Lan Zhan fucked him hard and fast, Wei Ying, fucked into his hand. Pulling and twisting. The dual sensation was just enough to have him almost choking on another moan.
He couldn't even stop the hoarse, guttural cries that filled the room as Lan Zhan's cock found his prostate and began to pound against it. Rough and hard, and so very good.
Until Lan Zhan pulled out again and flipped him over on the bed, onto his back. And Wei Ying stared up at him, at the way his eyes seemed to hungrily trace every line of Wei Ying's body in the dark.
Lan Zhan stalked him like a predator.
He stretched his body over Wei Ying to position his hands on either side of Wei Ying's head. Wei Ying opened his legs for him and reached for his hips, pulling him down so that he could feel the solid weight of his man against his skin.
"In me," Wei Ying demanded. "Where you belong. I want to come with your sexy cock inside me. Make me come for you, Lan Zhan. Make me feel you."
Lan Zhan growled into his ear as he lined his cock up and pushed back into Wei Ying's slick hole. And Wei Ying groaned and rocked his hips and clutched at Lan Zhan's thigh to pull him deeper.
"The way you take me into you, like you need me. It gives me all sorts of ideas about what you want," Lan Zhan said.
Wei Ying had to bite his tongue to hide his thoughts as his mind filled with the words he ached to say.
"I want…" he gasped, as Lan Zhan's mouth sucked on the side of his neck, and Lan Zhan began to thrust inside of him again. "All of it, Lan Zhan. I want everything. Give me everything you have."
Lan Zhan raised his head to capture Wei Ying's lips in a brutal kiss that left Wei Ying panting. Then his hips began to set a punishing pace as he pounded into Wei Ying's body, as if Wei Ying had triggered a frenzy in him.
Wei Ying wrapped his legs around him and held on tight. It felt amazing. Hard and fast, as Lan Zhan fucked into him. The muscles in their bodies were held taut from the exertion, and their combined sweat just seemed to intensify their scents in the air. Like an aphrodisiac, they were drawn to each other. Pulled into each other's space. Wanting to touch, to always be connected.
I want you on my skin, Wei Ying thought. I want you in my blood, running through my veins. I want you as part of me again. My twin flame. My zhiji. I want everything.
Wei Ying wrapped his arms tighter around Lan Zhan's body and his legs around his hips, as Lan Zhan slid his hands between their bodies and wrapped his fingers around Wei Ying's cock.
It only took a few strokes this time as Wei Ying arched into it and rode the wave of pleasure, before his orgasm tore through him. He bit down on Lan Zhan's shoulder to stop himself from actually wailing or shouting from the intensity of it as his cock pulsed between Lan Zhan's fingers, and Lan Zhan milked it to sensitivity.
That was all that Lan Zhan needed to come with him. But, instead of biting down on Wei Ying's neck, he raised his arm and bit down on his own wrist with a low, strangled, groan. His body jerked and trembled as he came deep inside Wei Ying's body, and his fingers squeezed Wei Ying's hip, holding Wei Ying tightly against him as if he didn't want even a drop of it to escape.
They had to take a minute then to catch their breaths as they rode out the aftershocks and curled against each other on the bed.
Lan Zhan pressed kisses onto Wei Ying's forehead, his cheek, his jaw, and his neck. He licked the sweat off Wei Ying's upper lip, and then tilted Wei Ying's head back and laved the base of Wei Ying's throat with his tongue. Only then did he raise his head to gently kiss Wei Ying's lips, over and over.
He smelled amazing. Sandalwood and falling snow, and pure blooded, sexy, Alpha male.
Wei Ying nuzzled into him, wanting Lan Zhan's scent all over his skin. It wasn't enough to be near him. The Sena wanted to smell like him, to warn everyone that this was his soulmate, and that they had an unbreakable bond. The fact that he couldn't make that claim yet, even after what they had just shared, made Wei Ying begin to physically shake.
Lan Zhan pulled him even tighter against his body and stroked soothing fingers down his face.
And that was when Wei Ying caught a glimpse of his wrist. His spiritual energy was dancing across the fresh wound like a lightning storm, but Wei Ying stared at it long enough to see the clear outlines.
There was a deep, angry bite mark embedded there from unmistakably sharp wolf fangs, just before it faded and was erased.
So he hadn't been wrong earlier, Wei Ying silently realized. Being around his zhiji so much had unlocked Lan Zhan's were-form. And with it, Lan Zhan now had access to his fangs without having to fully shift anymore.