Chapter 116 - The Wolf Is Deadly

Being in his full wolf form felt like Xiao Zai like returning home after a long absence. But not like any home he'd ever had, instead it was like the ingrained concept of 'home' that existed in everyone and said there was somewhere they belonged -- someplace they came from, and could return to at anytime.

He dug his claws into the soft snow beneath his paws and looked up at the towers. His wolf eyes had better sight than his human eyes, and he could see Chu Yun looking down at him in admiration and approval. 

It made him want to howl.

He was faintly aware of Fan Jiang to his left, and his brother and his group to his right, but all his attention was focused on Chu Yun.

It would likely remain that way if his father hadn't spoken. "It's time."

A tray with a large incense burner was brought before the King. Xiao Zai knew that inside was an incense stick with several coils, which would burn until dawn, signalling the end of the hunt.

The King lit it with the candle a servant gave him. "Begin," he said, as soon as the incense started smoking.

Xiao Zai rushed into the pine forest, hearing the snow crunch under his paws, and the rush of the bodies behind him approaching at speed.

The forest swallowed them all into its depths like an hungry maw. The snow on the ground, and clinging to the pine needles, muffled the sounds of nature, and made each step rumble like thunder.

From the corner of his eyes, Xiao Zai thought he could see Xiao Yuan leading his group. He came to a stop when he saw Xiao Zai looking at him. 

Xiao Zai tensed, preparing for a confrontation, the dark fur over his ruff standing on end.

Instead Xiao Yuan nodded once, and turned in the opposite direction, leading his group deeper into the forest.

When Xiao Zai turned, he saw Fan Jiang, a medium-sized white wolf with black eyes gazing in the direction Xiao Yuan had disappeared to.

No doubt he would much rather have gone with him, but he was stuck with Xiao Zai.

With a growl, Xiao Zai snapped him out of his trance and nudged him towards a path between the trees.

Fan Jiang lowered his head and ran in that direction. In their wolf form, betas still couldn't pick up the unique pheromones of alphas and omegas, but they still had a wolf's superior sense of smell. 

Even if Fan Jiang couldn't pick up Chu Hean's omega pheromones, he could still pick out the scent of a fox.

Chu Hean's pheromones should have been disguised with a mixture of herbs, in order to make the hunt harder. As an alpha, Xiao Zai's senses were attuned to pheromones, making it harder for him to tune them out. For instance, he could still smell Xiao Yuan, even though he was already about three li away. 

As a beta, Fan Jiang was going to pick up different scents much quicker than him, which was why Xiao Zai wanted him to go out in front and lead the way.

Even if he purposefully tried to mislead Xiao Zai, he wouldn't be able to control his body's natural tells. His ears would twitch, or his tail quirk up, if he picked up a different scent, giving him away.

On the other hand, if they suffered an ambush, or were attacked by a mindless animal, it would certainly happen from the rear. And since Xiao Zai was the stronger of the two, it was up to him to defend them both.

The two of them slowed their pace and threaded softly through the forest, snow crushing under their paws, sending a few skittish critters running.

Fan Jiang was more skittish than any squirrel, stopping every tenth step and scenting the air. Xiao Zai was about to growl at him to cut it out when he heard a noise. He stopped, trying to make sense of it, it was faint, but growing closer -- and fast.

He howled to draw Fan Jiang's attention, and turned to face whatever was pursuing them.

And it was pursuit, he was sure of it now.

Fan Jiang held back a few paces, almost cowering behind Xiao Zai. The smell of his fear was almost palpable.

The vegetation rustled with the heavy gait of whatever was coming for them, but the darkness of the forest didn't reveal anything.

Finally, Xiao Zai caught a flash of white, almost vanishing into the shadows around it -- a tiger.

Xiao Zai dug in his hind legs and prepared to leap as soon as the tiger got closer. 

The tiger emerged from the darkness like a bolt of lightening, his nose wrinkled in a vicious growl, his fangs on display and all his claws extended, ready to pounce.

Xiao Zai kicked up against the snow and leapt into the tiger's surge, their bodies colliding in midair with a sickening, muscular thud. They fell to the ground in a heap of furry limbs, Xiao Zai yelped when one of the tiger's claw dug into his flank. But the tiger was disoriented from the fall, and didn't have the advantage of a human brain.

He stayed down while the tiger got up. Thinking he was no longer a threat, the tiger now focused his attention on Fan Jiang, standing perfectly still a few paces away.

While the tiger prepared for another attack, Xiao Zai launched himself at his neck, biting down until his mouth flooded with blood.

The tiger's pained yowls were drowned by the gurgle of blood gushing around Xiao Zai's muzzle. The best Xiao Zai could do for him now was give him a quick death.

In seconds, the white tiger was dead.

He closed his jaw over the tiger's ruff and dragged it towards the quietly whimpering Fan Jiang. He nodded from the tiger to Fan Jiang.

Eventually Fan Jiang understood that Xiao Zai meant for him to carry the tiger.

Maybe it was the adrenaline of the kill filling him with impudence, but he didn't even care that carrying the dead tiger would slow them down.

He was going to have its pelt made into a lovely new cloak for Chu Yun.. A cloak fit for a king.