Back then when Bai Lan had just joined his family, Julian's father had sat him down. Before the announcement was made, Zhao Xin's father, the pack leader, had sat him down and explained that Bai Lan made him happy. That was the only reason Zhao Xin hadn't completely turned his back on her. And the fact that she never intervened in his life.
"Maybe," Bai Lan said, her voice unnaturally cheerful across the stone courtyard of the pack's main grounds, "this is actually the best thing for all of us."
Zhao Xin stopped walking and turned to her, his golden wolf eyes narrowing. "The best? What could possibly be good about this?"
"I've decided to return to Kunming to live with my family," Bai Lan said brightly. "Since your father will be away for six moons on pack council duties, I think it's best for the young one. You know Jerry Xin is almost ready to begin his training as a cub."
She beamed at him, expecting excitement. Zhao Xin, however, remained cold.
"Listen, Bai Lan," he said, his tone sharp as claws. "I'm not moving to your village Kunming."
"Don't be silly!" she chirped. "You'll love it there. In autumn, the leaves turn such rich colors, and in winter, the snow covers the mountains. It's the perfect place for wolves like us."
Zhao Xin cut her off before she could ramble further about Yunnan's wonders. "No disrespect, but we're hardly a real pack, Bai Lan. You and the kid can go if you want. I'm staying in Sichuan."
Bai Lan bit her lip nervously. "Yeah... about that..." she said. "I gave up our den. A new wolf family is moving in next week. I was going to tell you, but you had your exams, and since you planned to stay at Gao Wen Academy all summer, I thought it wasn't urgent."
A heavy weight settled in Zhao Xin's chest. "You're telling me... I have no den now, no home?"
"You do!" Bai Lan said quickly. "In Kunming, with me and Jerry, your family."
Zhao Xin's hands curled into fists at his sides. Kunming village. If she said that name one more time, he would lose control of his wolf form right there.
"Seriously, Bai Lan. You really think I'm going to start my final year away from the Sichuan Mountains?" He shook his head. "People move from Kunming to here, not the other way around."
"I promise you'll love it!" she said, desperate.
Zhao Xin clenched his jaw. Unfortunately, he had no relatives left in Sichuan. His father's parents had already returned to the spirit world, and his mother's family lived far south — with no love lost between them.
"I have no choice, do I?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Not really," Bai Lan said with a little shrug. "Your father left me in charge. If Gao Wen Academy refuses to let you stay, you'll come with me... to Kunming."
Zhao Xin gritted his teeth so hard he thought they might crack.
"There's one more thing," Bai Lan added, smiling nervously.
"What now?" he asked, rubbing the growing knot of tension at the back of his neck.
Bai Lan placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm carrying your father's pup," she said in a squeaky, excited voice.
No. Way.
It felt like all the air was sucked out of Zhao Xin's lungs. His wolf stirred restlessly within him, sensing his anger.
It had been bad enough when his father bonded with Bai Lan in a rushed Blood Ritual, marking her officially as mate. Zhao Xin had hoped it was a mistake that would correct itself. But now... a child meant permanence.
Bai Lan went on, oblivious. "I was going to wait until the Summer Moon Festival to tell you. Surprise! You're going to have a little brother or sister! Isn't it wonderful? It's like fate wants us to start a new life together in Kunming, as a true pack."
Zhao Xin said nothing. His world was crumbling faster than a landslide in spring rains.
Meanwhile...
Venus Lin Yue was the only female healer apprentice at Kunming Academy, and had been since she first shifted into her wolf form at fifteen winters. She padded confidently across the training field, ignoring the startled glances of some younger wolves as she headed toward the main den building where the senior healers gathered.
"Cover yourselves!" Zhao Wei, the old training master, barked at the male wolves. "A female is entering!"
Venus chuckled under her breath. Zhao Wei treated her no differently from the others — he always treated her just another wolf among the ranks, even if she was human-born and not pure-blooded like some of the others.
"You ready for your final year, Lin Yue?" Zhao Wei asked, clapping her on the back hard enough to jolt her forward.
"It's the first day of summer break, Master," she said dryly. "Let me breathe a little before I drown in herbs and salves again."
He laughed, a deep sound from his chest. "Enjoy it, but not too much. You have to be prepared. You'll be attending the Great Healing Festival in Kunming soon. And when winter comes, I expect you to stand among the best young healers our pack has seen."
"I'll bring honor to our den," Venus promised, her wolf heart swelling with pride.
There was a stir among the gathered apprentices. It was time to choose the Next Lead Healer, an honor that came with huge responsibility. Every healer in training would vote for the one they trusted most — the one they believed had the spirit of the wolf, the touch of the moon.
Venus glanced at her mate, Gao Tianyu. He was handsome, talented, and destined for great things. She was sure everyone would vote for him. They had started courting last autumn, a bond that seemed to deepen with every moon.
The old healer Zhao Wei passed out small parchment ballots.
Venus wrote "Gao Tianyu" with a firm hand and turned it in.
The ballots were counted swiftly. Zhao Wei stood before them all, holding the chosen name.
He smiled broadly, his fangs glinting. He turned and wrote on the slate wall:
NEXT LEAD HEALER: VENUS LIN YUE
Venus froze at her place.
For a moment, she thought she read it wrong. The world around her tilted.
The other apprentices began howling joyfully. Chen Zixin, one of her closest friends, let out a sharp bark of approval.
"Proud of you, Lin Yue!" he called.
Venus looked for Gao Tianyu, but he wasn't smiling. He stood stiffly, his arms crossed. He didn't meet her gaze. Her heart twisted.
"You're chosen by the pack," Zhao Wei said. "The wolves believe in you. Will you refuse them?"
Venus shook her head silently.
"Then step forward and accept your rank."
She did so, bowing her head in respect as Zhao Wei placed a silver-threaded sash over her shoulders, marking her as Next Lead Healer.
Later, as she stood by her battered old motorcycle, Liang Zhihao and Chen Zixin joined her.
Liang Zhihao, one of the strongest warriors of the young pack, leaned casually against the vehicle. He had a reputation —he was reckless, wild, almost too fearless in battle. But Venus trusted him. She trusted Chen Zixin, too, whose loyalty ran deeper than any river through Kunming's mountains.
The two boys talked quietly, waiting for her.
Gao Tianyu her boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.
Venus clutched her sash tighter. She was one of the pack now — not because of any male, but because she had proven herself worthy.
The wolves of Kunming Academy had chosen her.
And the mountain winds whispered: A new era is rising.