“I’m a war prisoner, broken out of captivity.” Topan threw a branch into the crackling fire, “My homeland, the Kingdom of Lekasi, was invaded by the Kingdom of Cahayaranga, but it was the hudoqs that destroyed everything. They appeared out of nowhere and I was stuck too deep in my Bloodrush state. If you let your Bloodline take control of you for too long, you will lose yourself.

“So I fought as a monster for ten years, desperately killing anything that moved. The memories of that time are just a blur but then I was captured and imprisoned…by Cahayaranga.” His voice trailed into irritation. “Regardless of that, I escaped. And I’m going home no matter what.”

“Back to Lekasi?” Fuxiao asked.

“The last thing I can remember is fighting the hudoqs that overran Lekasi. If the stories are true, then the damage may be worse than I thought.”

What if everything is already lost?

Fuxiao couldn’t voice his thoughts. If normal soldiers perished under the hudoqs like twigs and dirt, what were the chances of a kingdom at war surviving a sudden onslaught of hudoqs? And if Topan, in his Bloodrush state, had been fighting for ten years, clearly, nothing was resolved. It was all too obvious but seeing the hardened look of the man before him, Fuxiao kept his mouth shut.

***

The night gradually turned colder. As the darkness closed in, only the small flame was the source of warmth and comfort. Fuxiao pulled up his knees to his chin and wrapped the robe tighter around his trembling body.

Sitting on the cold hard ground, he tried to jog his memories from before the battle in the cave but the more he thought about it, the more he drew a blank. All he could come up with was the feeling of fear and panic as he looked up at the hudoqs. Nothing else.

“What are you thinking about?”

Fuxiao glanced at Topan. “Do you know how it feels not to know yourself? Being alive, struggling to survive out here, and yet not knowing where you came from or who you truly are? How do I even get my memories back? How did I lose them in the first place? What am I missing? What if I never get them back?”

The silver metal tag now hung on a thread that he double-wrapped around his neck. The only piece of his identity he could hold onto. Nothing more, nothing less.

A blanket of silence settled in. The moon; a companion to broken and lost souls out in the wilds.

Speaking the questions out loud, it all made sense to Fuxiao. He was looking at himself from an outsider’s perspective, at this empty shell running around in the desert, as if he was reading a book that evoked no emotions.

“I don’t have your answers.” Topan said curtly.

“I don’t expect you to.” Fuxiao shook his head. “Just talking to myself.”

They were similar. Neither of them had full memories of themselves and were simply running blind. Having someone who was in a similar situation somehow eased the confusion inside him. No, having Topan eased his mind.

This world Fuxiao woke up to was a hellscape of death and survival, but having Topan next to him made him feel alive. The sheer strength that dominated the monsters. Raw power that came from within and manifested as a beast. The thought made him shiver.

Fuxiao grabbed a piece of wood to throw into the fire when the branch scraped his wrist.

The sudden smell of blood hit Topan’s senses and he directed his gaze at the red droplet on Fuxiao’s wrist. He reached out for the thin wrist, bringing it up to his lips.

“It’s just a scratch,” Fuxiao said.

The place where their skins touched heated up.

Slowly, Topan pressed his tongue against the cut, savoring the taste of blood. A sweet nectar that he had never tasted before. Every drop rushed into his body like the water of life, revitalizing his entire being.

A burning sensation coursed through him.

Awakening an innate urge and desire.

Topan stared at the cut as though it was something extraordinary. His body shuddered, riled up, like an animal who found its prey. It was a sensation he was familiar and unfamiliar with at the same time; a resemblance to the Bloodrush state he was trapped in but also something more. Something more…primordial.

Fuxiao studied the man pressed against his wrist, unable to fathom why he would do such a thing. Such a powerful beast suddenly quiet and docile in his hand. The wet tongue against his skin sent shivers down his spine and his heart thumped. An excitement took over his entire being.

Sharp fangs bit onto skin, nipping their way up his arm. The beast had grown quiet, entirely focused on exploring his skin and when hungry lips reached his neck, Fuxiao flinched at the sudden puncture. Suckles and gulps filled the dark cavern.

Although his blood was being drained by Topan, his entire being resonated with each blood cell as they flowed into the man’s body. A swirl of white energy, intertwining with Topan’s Bloodline, becoming one with the Tiger.

Topan’s grip tightened around Fuxiao’s waist, trapping him in his strong arms. The bite sunk deeper, breaking skin and tearing flesh, like an animal ripping through the prey he had caught.

“Stop,” Fuxiao muttered. He tried to push but the Tiger didn’t budge. “It hurts.”

In a swift motion, Fuxiao’s back hit the ground, a dull throb shooting into his body. He hurried to sit up but was shoved down again by the larger man. Staring up at the bloodstained lips, Fuxiao was acutely aware of how close they were.

Topan’s golden eyes were hazy. Black stripes painted his face and a low growl rumbled in his throat. His large hands grabbed Fuxiao by the arms and he dove in to forcefully capture Fuxiao’s delicate neck in his jaw, so violently with the full intention of killing and devouring. The sweet taste and nectarine scent drove his mind wild, awakening his Tiger Bloodline in an ecstatic eruption.

“What are you doing?” Fuxiao gasped.

Pain seared from his neck. Topan wasn’t drinking his blood. Topan was eating him.

And it was because of Fuxiao’s Bloodline.

The man who saved him was now an uncontrollable animal who continued to bite and feast on him. Blood splattered all over his white robe, staining the man’s lips and face. The fangs found untouched skin and immediately marked them with fervent desires.

Like an oasis in the desert, Topan gulped down Fuxiao’s blood to quench an unfound thirst.

Even a dog had more control than this.

Fuxiao pushed at the broad shoulders to no avail. He was shorter and thinner compared to Topan but he had hoped that he would at least be able to push him. But all he did was aggravate the Tiger more because the next thing he knew, Topan flipped him around and clamped his fangs on the back of his exposed neck.

Neither of them moved.

Fuxiao held his breath. Flat on his stomach, he was in such a vulnerable position. The bite on his neck didn’t hold any heavy weight but it was an obvious warning gesture to assert the Tiger’s dominance. If Topan wanted to, he could bite down and rip him apart.

This was how strong Topan was.

And how weak Fuxiao was.

After a few moments, Topan released his bite and pulled at Fuxiao’s robe to expose his naked back. With a threatening growl, he sunk his fangs in again.

Fuxiao’s voice hitched. This time, it wasn’t just blood. Topan was tearing and ripping his flesh. Really eating him.

“Get off!” Fuxiao threw his arm around but Topan caught his wrist easily.

Where was the voice in his head? Where was his instinct telling him to run? What about to fight? Why wasn’t his Bloodline awakening so that he could fend himself off?

Fuxiao stared up at the domineering him and it was then that he realized why his instincts didn’t answer. Because he wasn’t in danger. Because there was nothing to be afraid of.

The black energy radiating from the Tiger wrapped around him in a protective embrace, whispering to him in silence that he wasn’t being preyed on. He was being marked as the Tiger’s mate.

Fuxiao slowly relaxed and Topan released his grip. The small fire crackled in the dark cave but Fuxiao found comfort in the cold blanket of their twisted energies.

Large hands caressed his slim waist, sliding down to his bottom and spreading them apart.

Fuxiao shuddered when rough fingers fumbled between his legs. He closed his eyes and eased the tension of his body, allowing the heat to bloom in his belly, the wetness to slide down his thighs, and when he felt the hard bulge pressed against him, Fuxiao snapped his eyes open.

As if sensing his surprise and anxiety, Topan leaned down and nuzzled against Fuxiao’s cheek. A rough tongue licked the blood stains from his neck.

This powerful beast wanted to mark him. Wanted him as his mate.

Topan might be currently intoxicated by Fuxiao’s Bloodline and that was why he could act based on his primal instincts, but if this was what it took to have this beast by his side, Fuxiao was willing to give him everything.