Zhao Xin woke up late on Monday. The house was empty. Typical. The others had likely gone to their duties. As he ate a bowl of rice and pickled vegetables, he looked out across the backyard.
The land behind the house stretched far, but it was unkempt. Weeds had taken over. The family had kept the front pristine—what the pack saw—but the back told the truth. Neglected. Forgotten.
The mower barely worked, but yesterday he'd managed to force it to start. Today, he was determined to clear the weeds. To feel useful. To escape his thoughts.
Music blared in his ears as he worked. His mother used to say music could transport the soul. She made him listen to old classics—Yao folk songs, and once, even Western jazz. When she was sick, music was the only thing that calmed her. Now it reminded him of her. Of the pain. Of what he'd lost.
After an hour, he was drenched in sweat. Grass clung to his skin. He stared at the shed where he'd first met Venus Lin Yue. The place was falling apart. He'd seen paint in there—maybe tomorrow he'd give it a fresh coat. Anything to distract his mind.
In the shower, thoughts of Venus flooded his head. Her dark eyes. The way she moved when she walked. Her defiance. He found himself reacting, touching himself with a groan, imagining her scent mixing with his, like a promise made in heat and shadow.
Afterward, Falkor barked at the door, eager for a run.
They jogged toward the pack's training field near the school. Practice was on. From a distance, Zhao Xin watched. Venus was doing sprint drills, others were playing football ball game, her body graceful and focused. When she didn't notice him at first, he was relieved. But when her eyes met his, he froze. She missed her next two shots.
She recovered quickly, landing six out of ten kicks through the stone-framed goalposts.
Zhao Xin's gaze shifted to the other warriors. Their ranks were marked by simple sashes—red for senior, yellow for junior. The coach, Zhao Wei, barked orders. He wore the gold-and-black sigil of their pack. The offensive line was good, but the current scout leader, a boy wearing the number three sash, was struggling. His nerves showed. Zhao Xin knew that pressure. He used to be in that spot before his mother died and he'd left the battlefield behind.
He studied the boy. Decent form, but not enough confidence. The boy didn't trust himself, and it showed.
"Zhao Xin!" Venus called from across the field. She threw a perfect spiral toward him.
Zhao Xin ducked, and the ball thudded against the bench behind him.
He hadn't touched a ball since the day his mother shifted for the last time and left her wolf behind. His fingers twitched with instinct—but he resisted.
Touching the past would only bring the pain back.
Venus Lin Yue nodded toward Zhao Xin. "Zhao Xin, this is my friend Lin Yue. You already know Chen Zixin."
Zhao Xin dipped his head slightly, giving a respectful nod. "Nice to meet you, Lin Yue." His voice held that calm, slightly teasing tone that made it hard to tell when he was serious.
He couldn't believe Venus was introducing Lin Yue again to him, they had just met yesterday.
Lin Yue twirled a strand of hair and smiled brightly. "You want to watch us practice the healing technique? I'm leading this year's medical team for the elders."
Zhao Xin gave her a curious look. "I don't know much about healing rituals."
Chen Zixin looked him over. "You look strong. Do you do combat training?"
"Not anymore."
"Really? With that build?" Bai Lan tilted her head and blatantly checked him out. "You must train hard."
He coughed a little, obviously trying not to laugh. "I jog. Lift some weights. Try to avoid morning dumplings and sweet buns." He sent Venus a teasing glance. "Unlike someone I know."
Venus raised an eyebrow. "Comfort food heals the soul. Everyone knows that."
"I bet it does."
"So, Zhao Xin," Bai Lan cut in, edging a bit closer. "How do you like Yunnan so far? Technically, we're near the edge of the forest region, but we still count it."
"It's… alright," Zhao Xin said. "Let's just say I'm planning to return to Sichuan as soon as I can. After the pack's rites are complete, I'll join the mountain scouts."
He gave one last glance at Venus, then turned away. "I should go check on the old field mower. It was acting up yesterday." He plugged in his earbuds and pulled the rickety tool out of the storage hut near the back of the house.
Lin Yue gave Venus a sharp look. "That boy's got something dangerous about him. Like, warrior wolf energy. You can see it in his shoulders."
Venus crossed her arms. "He's not exactly a catchy dream. He's trouble."
Lin Yue snorted again. "Maybe. But he's hot. Those arms? That jawline? And his eyes…"
"He needs a haircut and he knows he looks not so good," Venus said quickly.
"I'm not complaining any little bit," Lin Yue said. "I'm going to invite him to the moonlit run tomorrow night. Maybe I'll catch a glimpse of those abs in wolf form."
As Lin Yue hurried over to Zhao Xin, giggling at something he muttered, Chen Zixin leaned close to Venus.
"Looks like he's already getting popular."
Venus shrugged, trying not to show how much it bothered her. "He's not my type."
Her fingers toyed with a small charm hanging from her bracelet—something Gao Tianyu had given her. But he hadn't messaged her since the last gathering on Friday. She should miss him more. But something felt off. Maybe it was all the changes happening too fast. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't howled for him in days.
Chen Zixin looked concerned. "Are you and Gao Tianyu okay?"
Venus forced a small smile. "We're just going through a weird patch."
Chen Zixin tilted his head. "You sure there's nothing going on between you and Zhao Xin?"
Venus felt her cheeks warm. "No way. He's arrogant. He thinks he's better than everyone else."
Chen Zixin glanced at Lin Yue and Zhao Xin, where the flirtation was becoming more obvious. "Well, Lin Yue's wasting no time. Look how she keeps brushing his arm."
"She's like that with every guy," Venus said flatly. "And he's probably falling for her little game. He thinks no one can see through him, but I don't trust anything he says or does."
Just then, a car honked as it pulled into the stone-paved courtyard. Chen Zixin squealed when Liang Zhihao, and Sun Lei, and Gao tianyu cousin,Wang Yu, stepped out of a black SUV.
"Now this is something!" Chen Zixin said with a grin. "Did you see the photos?"
Venus raised an eyebrow. "What photos?"
"You didn't post them?" Wang Yu asked, clearly surprised.
"What are you talking about?" Venus asked.
Chen Zixin pulled out his phone. "Someone using the name Gray eyes posted photos of Li Tao and the other pack boys holding up signs."
Venus took his phone.
In one image, Bonk and his rogue group of his friends were holding up a banner that read "Mountain Pack Rules" with a license plate in the background that spelled DMBASS. In another, Bonk was outside a noodle shop in our nearby territory, holding a napkin that read "I Want To Be Kunming Clan's Pet. Signed By Bonk."
"Who did this?" Venus asked, stunned.
No one owned up to it. It was brutal. And effective. "Could it be Tianyu?" she asked softly.
"No chance," Chen Zixin said. "Your boyfriend's a ghost lately."
"Have you even spoken to him?" Liang Zhihao asked.
Venus shook her head. Her silence said the rest.