Lan Wangji rode into the Wen prison camp, controlled anticipation thrumming through his veins. A camp not far from there had been liberated less than a week ago. Wei Ying--if it really was Wei Ying--could still be in the area. Lan Wangji had studied the patterns of his movements. The huli jing was methodical in sweeping an area, though he was careful to avoid doing so in a predictable pattern.
The sight of the sleeping guards put Lan Wangji's dragon instincts on high alert. He could sense an unfamiliar magic at play in the camp. He narrowed his eyes, looking for signs of the man he had been searching for since rumors first arose of someone freeing the Wen and Jin prisoners through deception and illusion.
Fox magic.
Unfortunately, the camp was too large for him to be able to search it himself. He did not like to rely on others for matters of such importance, but he would have no choice. Since Wei Ying almost always freed the prisoners first, Lan Wangji started with the prisoner tents.
"Secure the prisoners. Bring everyone in this camp to me. Do not let anyone leave the camp."
"Yes, Hanguang-Jun!"
It would have been easier if he could tell his soldiers what to look for. But the descriptions of the person who was responsible for freeing the Wen and Jin prisoners (as well as taking out a good number of their guards) varied widely, when there were any witnesses at all. It was this fact that had made Lan Wangji hope it was Wei Ying. There were few huli jing left, but the stories all said they were masters of illusions. Some even called them shape-shifters, though Lan Wangji's own experience with Wei Ying back in Yiling all those years ago made him think it was more illusion and mind influence. Sending out a physical description would be useless.
It was why Lan Wangji always personally met with each prisoner before they were either released or executed. As far as he knew, Wei Ying was the only huli jing left in the region. The other clans had always viewed them as a threat, due to their ability to influence others. They were convenient scapegoats for whenever things went wrong or a bad decision was made.
Of course, there could be other huli jing that were in hiding, just as Wei Ying had been. Everyone had told him that it was unlikely the boy had survived the fire thirteen years ago. It had not been a natural fire, and the temperature was high enough it would have turned even his bones to ash, leaving nothing behind for him to find.
But somehow, Lan Wangji was sure that the mysterious figure who was freeing the civilians from the battling warlords was Wei Ying. Recklessly but skillfully putting himself at risk for strangers, just as he had as a child. It made Lan Wangji furious even though he recognized it was a part of what he had admired about Wei Ying in the first place.
He would find him, and repay the life debt that he owed. A life debt was sacred to a dragon. Even his elders had understood. It had been a major factor in their support of his decision to lead their army down the mountain, along with the corruption from the Wen and Jin poisoning their waters. The heir to the Nie empire had also sent them proof that the two sects had been aligned in trying to assassinate Lan Wangji thirteen years ago, before he came into his powers, and had attempted to pin it on the boy who had saved him.
White dragons believed in righteousness. To leave a blood debt unpaid was a stain on the entire clan's consciousness. When Lan Wangji began to build and train an army, he followed Wei Ying's advice on learning from those already engaged in battles.
The Nie proved to be an ally to him in this as well, sending intelligence on fighting style and battle tactics employed by the Wen and the Jin. Their clan leader, Nie Mingjue, had even come himself to advise them. And while they had their own agenda for doing so, the evidence they presented of the corruption and cruelty of the Jin and Wen had further reinforced Lan Wangji's decision to crush their armies and ensure they could not rise again. It would repay his life debt to Wei Ying, as well as protect the Lan.
It had been Nie Huaisang who had first brought the rumors of someone freeing the prisoners and spiriting them away. Someone that no one could remember or describe accurately, no matter how many guards were in the camp, or how close they were to the armies fighting around them.
Hope had rose in Lan Wangji that Wei Ying was still alive. Lan Wangji would still lead his armies to war, but now his purpose was not just to conquer, but to find Wei Ying. The huli jing was once again behaving with reckless disregard for his own safety. But Lan Wangji would protect him and keep him safe.
He would keep him .
The thought echoed up from his past, the same irrefutable desire. If Wei Ying was alive, he would find him, and no one would ever be able to take him away again.
But something was shielding Wei Ying from his search. Dragons were not the only creatures with sharp senses of smell, yet no one was able to detect if the mysterious person who was freeing the prisoners was a human or immortal-blooded, or even whether he was alpha or omega.
When Lan Wangji entered the camp, he breathed in deeply, letting his dragon senses roam. Even though he had met Wei Ying before either of them had presented, Lan Wangji was sure he would recognize at least the base notes of the other's scent. And his eyes. He would know Wei Ying's eyes, if he saw him again, no matter what else about him might have changed through the years.
He could smell the fear of the Jin and Wen soldiers and guards, the mix of alpha scents of the soldiers, and some omega and beta from the prisoners. But he could not scent Wei Ying, and could not sense any of his magic.
Was he too late? He tried not to let frustration set in. He would be patient. He would not rest until he found him.
Lan Wangji was sharpening his blade, removing all traces of blood from the battle they had just won as he waited for his soldiers to bring the prisoners to him. Since it appeared that Wei Ying had already left the camp, he would push his troops to quickly move on to the next battle, in the hopes of catching up to the huli jing there. But he would first ask if anyone had noticed anything. It was unlikely, given Wei Ying's track record, but Lan Wangji was nothing if not methodical in his pursuit.
He frowned as he heard voices outside, breaking the usual orderly procession. He narrowed his eyes slightly in irritation as he resheathed Bichen and stood to go find out what was happening. Before he could do so, a young man was shoved through the entrance flaps of the tent. The man just barely managed to keep his footing, encumbered as he was by heavy-gauge shackles around his ankles. His slender wrists were dwarfed by large, thick manacles, the ones used for only the most dangerous prisoners.
Before Lan Wangji was able to ask who the man was, the prisoner lifted his face, wide silver eyes locking instantly on him. No matter how much time has passed, he would never forget the eyes of the one who had saved him.
Wei Ying.
How was it possible? How was he able to hide both his scent and his magic from Lan Wangji? Oddly, that was not the fact that had him most unsettled.
In the logical part of his mind, Lan Wangji had known that Wei Ying would have grown up, just as he himself had. It had been more than a decade, and the boy had already been in his early teens when they met. But somehow, Lan Wangji had still been searching for that missing boy from his memories.
The eyes locked with his were no longer those of a child. They were in equal parts mocking and wary, as though the prisoner was the one weighing Lan Wangji's worth, not the other way around. His face had a large, fresh bruise blooming on his cheek, the sight of which made a dark, dangerous anger pulse in Lan Wangji's stomach.
The insolent smirk the huli jing wore as he was roughly shoved to his knees by Lan Wangji's men had the anger twisting into something else that Lan Wangji had never felt before, coiling low in his belly.
There was no recognition in Wei Ying's eyes when he looked at Lan Wangji. It cut, somewhat. But perhaps he was being unfair. He had changed significantly after their last meeting. Wei Ying was likely not aware of the way dragons' powers emerged or the effect that coming into his powers early had on his physical form.
"Show some respect! Kneel, you dog!" One of Lan Wangji's soldiers snarled as he shoved Wei Ying forward.
Fury surged through Lan Wangji at the sight of anyone else touching Wei Ying, and he did nothing to disguise it in his tone.
" Enough ," he bit out.
He would not have tolerated this behavior even with an anonymous prisoner. But he would cut the hands off anyone who dared touch the huli jing again.
All eyes shifted to Lan Wangji as he walked towards Wei Ying, taking in every detail of him as he did. Even standing right next to him, Lan Wangji could not catch his scent. He couldn't even tell if the man was alpha or omega. Wei Ying had grown, though not as much as Lan Wangji himself. He would be tall for an omega, but he was also slender, the belt on his robes showing a very narrow waist above flared hips.
It didn't matter. Alpha or omega, he had saved Lan Wangji thirteen years ago, and Hanguang-Jun was a man who always paid his debts. And if a voice inside him whispered that it was not the repayment of a debt that had caused him to search for Wei Ying for so long, he ignored it. After all, what else could it be?
Now that he had finally found Wei Ying, he would be able to keep him safe. His gaze returned to the bruising on Wei Ying's face. Based on the purple of the bruise, it had been inflicted very recently. Unable to stop himself, he brushed his hand along the delicate curve of Wei Ying's jaw, tracing the injuries with his fingertips.
"Who struck you?" Lan Wangji asked, his voice carefully devoid of emotion.
"Hanguang-Jun! This spy was captured posing as a prisoner," Su She jumped in before Wei Ying had the chance to respond. "I captured him and had him brought to you!"
He was a distant relative, one of the Lan clan members who had blood so diluted as to nearly not be detectable, aside from slightly better-than-human strength. He was not worthy to be in Wei Ying's presence, much less to have touched him.
"I did not direct my question to you, Su Minshan," Lan Wangji replied, barely able to keep his snarl in check. The only person he wanted to hear from was Wei Ying. "Speak."
Wei Ying appeared to consider whether or not to answer.
"I was freeing the prisoners," Wei Ying began after a moment, but was cut off again by Su She.
"Lies! He was dressed in Jin robes. I have them here! The prisoners waiting outside can bear witness to the fact that -"
Lan Wangji would not tolerate disobedience.
"I said I was not speaking to you." He silenced Su She with a spell, hoping Wei Ying would finish explaining his story. Lan Wangji already knew Wei Ying was innocent, but it would be easier if the clan also understood this. He prompted Wei Ying. "Continue."
Wei Ying's gaze flickered to Su She, but he gave a small nod and continued.
"I took the robes from a Jin guard when I entered the camp. I wanted to avoid detection. If you ask your men, you'll be told that most of the prisoner tents are empty. I was the one who freed them."
Lan Wangji drew a breath, and could scent another alpha on him. Based on the scent, the other alpha was weak, utterly unworthy of Wei Ying. He felt a growl form deep in his chest at thought of another alpha's robes on Wei Ying, and he only barely managed to hold it back.
"You smell of Jin and a weak alpha."
"I wore the robes for over an hour. Makes sense that I would smell like the previous owner, I guess?"
Lan Wangji did not like the casual way Wei Ying mentioned wearing another alpha's clothing. He wasn't sure why the thought made him angry, but there was no denying the visceral flood of it through his veins. Perhaps the heat of so many battles was beginning to upset his emotional balance. He would need to meditate later to correct it.
"Was it the Jin guard who struck you?" If it was, Lan Wangji would ensure the man died by his blade if Wei Ying had not killed him already.
"No. It was one of your men." Wei Ying looked like he was daring Lan Wangji to accuse him of lying. As though Lan Wangji would take anyone's word over Wei Ying's.
"Who?" Lan Wangji asked, though he already knew the answer based on the scent of anger and fear coming from Su She.
"That one. Su She."
"He's lying! He's just a Jin deserter. He could easily have gotten his injuries in battle fighting our clan!"
Lan Wangji could smell the lie on the man. He glanced behind him, where the elder who had chosen to accompany him on his quest sat. Lan Hui frowned. She was nearly blind, but she was the wisest of their clan.
"When I entered the tent, Su She had raised his sword to the prisoner. The prisoner was unarmed," another soldier, an older Lan alpha, said
"He attacked me first! I was only defending myself!"
Su She was aware of the penalties of insubordination and lying to a superior. The fact that he was still breathing was only because Lan Wangji's sword hadn't reached him yet, but he was dead and everyone in the room knew it.
A slight motion caught Lan Wangji's attention as he saw Wei Ying bend his wrist down at an awkward angle, subtly trying to reach inside his wristguard. Without taking time to think, he grabbed Wei Ying by his wrist, feeling the slender bones beneath his fingers as he forced the huli jing's wrist straight and prevented him from accessing whatever was hidden in his arm guard.
"Look! I told you!" Su She approached, daring to draw his own sword. "He attacked me and now he has tried to attack Hanguang-Jun right in front of-"
Lan Wangji did not even need to look to separate Su She's head from his body. The man had been about to strike down Wei Ying right in front of Lan Wangji. He was lucky to be killed so quickly.
"Lying is forbidden."
He did not need to remind his soldiers what the penalty was for treason. He wondered what it was Wei Ying had been reaching for. Careful to avoid getting Su She's filthy blood on Wei Ying, he reached inside his arm guard and pulled out a talisman that had been concealed there. A quick glance showed him it was a teleportation talisman. A very good one. If it weren't for his dragon speed, he would have been too late and Wei Ying would have slipped through his fingers again, just like thirteen years ago.
The brief panic he felt was quickly quashed. He had planned for this. He tucked the talisman into his own sleeve, then pulled out a silver necklace. The necklace had been worn by the consort of the leader of the Lan Clan at various times in their history. In the past, enemies had been too cowardly to attack one of the bloodline Lan directly, but their mates were often targeted as they did not have the blood of a dragon in them to protect them. The necklace had been created so they would be notified if their mate were injured or attacked. It would also enable them to track them if they were kidnapped, and their enemies could not remove it. It could only be removed by the one who placed it on them.
The elders had asked if Lan Wangji had chosen a mate when he asked for the necklace, but he had simply said he wanted to be able to keep Wei Ying safe. As Lan Wangji had never had a particular interest in the idea of a mate, it was unlikely he would need it for anyone else. Lan Hui, one of the oldest members of his clan, had turned her sightless eyes on him, studying him.
"If you wish to use the necklace, then I will go with you to meet this Wei Ying," she had said.
Wei Ying did not fight Lan Wangji's hold, and he felt a curl of possessive satisfaction as he placed the necklace against Wei Ying's bare skin at the base of his neck, watching as the artifact activated and coiled around the slender span of the huli jing's throat, then sealed.
The Lan necklace had accepted Wei Ying as worthy of its protection. By their laws and customs, Wei Ying now belonged to Hanguang-Jun and any action against him was an act against Lan Wangji, punishable by death. Anyone who tried to harm him would be marked by dragon magic. If they survived it, they would be easily identifiable for Lan Wangji to hunt down and kill.
He glanced over to Lan Hui and saw her give a slight nod in acknowledgement.
"It is sealed. No one else can remove it. No matter where you go, I will be able to find you."
The room had gone silent at the sight of the dragon amulet closing around Wei Ying's neck, the pulse of its magic unmistakable to those of his clan. He could feel the eyes of his soldiers fixed upon him and Wei Ying. Murmurs broke out, but Lan Wangji ignored them.
The sight of his mark of ownership around Wei Ying's throat was causing an unfamiliar heat to grow in his blood. It made him want to bare his teeth and keep everyone else from even looking at the huli jing. It was not a reaction he had ever felt before, and it was all he could do not to draw his sword on the alphas in the room who were looking at his Wei Ying.
The vague, innocent sense that Wei Ying belonged to him that he had felt as a child sharpened and deepened, becoming almost unrecognizable in its power and ferocity. It had settled deep into Lan Wangji's dragon blood, and he found he could not deny it.
Did not want to deny it
Wei Ying looked beautiful with Lan Wangji's collar around his throat, his wrists shackled and ankles bound. He had thought that seeing Wei Ying in his collar would settle the restlessness under his skin, but somehow, it only made it burn hotter and deeper.
He rationalized his instincts by telling himself that--even with the amulet around his neck--he had no idea what other talismans or artifacts Wei Ying might have on his person, hidden in the sleeves of his robe or inside a secret pocket. Lan Wangji's fingers itched to strip the robes from him to ensure Wei Ying did not have the means to disappear from him again.
"Hanguang-Jun," one of the Lan soldiers said hesitantly. "Should we… put the other prisoners back into their tents for now? We can… give you some privacy with your prisoner. Please allow me to remove Su She, first."
Lan Wangji glared down at the Jin robes that Su She had brought as 'proof' of Wei Ying's deception. He could smell the stench of the Jin alpha on them, and also on Wei Ying's skin.
And he still could not detect any of Wei Ying's own scent. The desire to breathe in the huli jing's fully matured scent grew in its urgency. It had never mattered to Lan Wangji before if someone was alpha or omega, and surely the need to satisfy a life debt had nothing to do with someone's scent. But the dragon inside him was fixated on it now, and Lan Wangji saw no reason to deny himself this.
"Your scent is masked. You smell of Jin." He glanced over to Lan Hui, who he suspected had been waiting for his order. "Have him stripped, bathed and brought to my tent."
Wei Ying's eyes widened in shock, but he did not object to the order nor did he try to pull away from Lan Wangji's grasp. The guards approached to see his orders carried out, and Lan Wangji had to fight back a growl at the thought of their hands on Wei Ying.
"No one touches his skin but me. Lan Hui will supervise."
Lan Hui nodded, her expression amused. Lan Wangji guessed he would be getting an earful from her later, but--for the moment--all he cared about was that no other alpha touched Wei Ying, and that the scent of the others who had was removed from his skin immediately.
He did not examine the deep, visceral need for those things to occur. He was the head of the Lan dragons, a warlord before which even the strongest armies fell. No one would question his orders.
He looked down at the Jin robe.
"Burn it. And send in the next prisoner."
He would trust Lan Hui to see Wei Ying cared for. Now that he had found him, he would not need to be as careful examining each prisoner. He would complete his duty quickly, then return to his private tent where he was sure Lan Hui would have Wei Ying waiting.
Then they could talk, and he would finally learn why Wei Ying had been avoiding him for all this time, why he had left Lan Wangji in the alley thirteen years ago.