The Werewolf Next Door | WangXian

Chapter 29 - Alongside You

Dropping to his knees and screaming in complete anguish, Xue Yang hauled along the strands of his hair until he could feel the root from his scalp pierced with blood. He felt numb, hallowed, and suddenly, the forest and everything else in Xue Yang's world had gotten devoid of its colors.

As tears spilled out of his eyes like a never-ending cascade. With trembling fingers, Xue Yang grasped the pale, lifeless body of Xiao Xingchen off the mud-curdled ground and into his arms. And as he continued to weep ugly tears, his hold became tighter, not wanting to let go - never wanting to let go.

Tears were often a stranger to Xue Yang, but the thought of no longer hearing Xiao Xingchen's laugher - a laugh that brought a little light to his darkened world, made him boiled from within, creating a raging flare that sought only revenge.

The madness overtook him, and soon his screams of anguish ended in bitter laughter, much like a maniac. Xue Yang blamed himself. Xiao Xingchen's stale blood upon his hands was his own doing, his fault, his responsibility.

Earlier, Xiao Xingchen advised him not to meddle in affairs that do not involve him. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying shouldn't have concerned him, but his greed for power melted the bit of sanity he had left.

In the beginning, when he found out about the two werewolves being soulmates, Xue Yang thought little of it, for his mind had focused mainly upon killing off Xichen and that worthless Mingjue. But as the days progressed - in his own twisted mind, Xue Yang believed that there could be a possibility of gaining Lan Zhan's and that imbecile Wei Ying's strengths, that is, if they merged as one.

It could easily be done when killing an alpha, so why not a pair of soulmates? Xue Yang's only problem was, Wei Ying hadn't bitten Lan Zhan as yet. A tragic part on Xue Yang really, but a part that could be fixed nonetheless.

Xiao Xingchen didn't like his idea when Xue Yang urged him to attack the two werewolves and let it slip that they were well aware of the two being soulmates, then again, in the past, Xiao Xingchen liked none of his so-called genius ideas.

"Make it slide like an accident," Xue Yang said. "They would never guess what we have in store for them after they mark each other." And when Xiao Xingchen begged him to lie low until they knew enough about Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, "We could take them, we always did," Xue Yang beckoned. Oh, how he regretted those words.

Soon, the night skies opened, revealing an orange glow, and the birds sang, awakening the forest, casting a dull shadow upon Xue Yang's swollen face from where he'd knelt throughout the night. The phone inside his pocket had been vibrating all night, though he didn't bother answering. He knew it had to be a worried Song Lan.

Song Lan would find him, no matter where he may be. He always does. So Xue Yang waited, and he waited until a gust of breeze drifted by. Xue Yang calmed himself down from feeling that oh-so-familiar touch of Song Lan's chilly fingers caressing against his shoulder from behind. "He's gone," Song Lan said. And despite his face shedding no sort of emotion, he sounded rather sour while staring down at the bloodied corpse of his once dearest friend.

It surprised Xue Yang how calmly Song Lan kept his composure when seeing Xiao Xingchen in such a miserable state. Except for a few drops of aching tears, Song Lan didn't scream, or withered away like a dying rose. He didn't reduce himself to a mess that Xue Yang found himself in. Nor did he blame Xue Yang for Xiao Xingchen's untimely demise, despite it being Xue Yang's fault. Instead, he just, stood there.

Face pale, "And it's all my fault," Came Xue Yang's empty reply as he unwrapped his arms from Xiao Xingchen and stood up. "I shouldn't have sent him to get slaughtered like some wild animal. Why aren't you blaming me? You always do whenever something goes wrong." Pointing at the dead body, "This tops the cake," He said, unable to resist a small chuckle from slipping past his quaking lips.