Wolf King And His Fox Consort [BL]

Xiao Zai woke up the next day feeling more clear-headed. 

He doubted that Xiao Ziyi would be able to shed much light on their uncle's alleged treason, and on whether or not he'd had had a child. 

But, if she could point them in the right direction regarding Su's plans in Zui, and Chu Hean's involvement in the whole thing maybe they could use it to their advantage. Or at least avoid being blindsided in the future.

Chu Yun wanted them to go find Xiao Ziyi right away, and put up a fierce resistance to Xiao Zai's efforts to keep him in bed a little while longer.

Unlike Xiao Zai he was in a terrible mood because he'd spent all of yesterday eating bland food personally prepared by Hua Nanyi. Which according to him was 'awful', 'unfit even for animal consumption', and a 'punishment worse than death by a thousand cuts'. 

She didn't pay him any attention because she insisted on trying the food before giving it to him, and described it in such glowing terms such as, 'not even that bad', and 'something a pack of hungry dogs would totally eat'.

Xiao Zai was a little moved by Chu Yun's dramatics on account of nurturing deep feelings for him, and so got up early to go into Haolin's market district to buy him fresh breakfast from a stall.

His mood was greatly improved after he ate.

"Thank you, the food was very good," he said, dropping a sticky salty kiss on Xiao Zai's lips.

"I can keep buying you food from the market, if you want," Xiao Zai suggested, following the salty taste back to Chu Yun's lips.

Chu Yun pushed him away with an amused expression. "That won't work, eventually you'll be followed and your father will just bribe the vendor into poisoning your portion."

"So I'll cook for you," Xiao Zai said, toppling Chu Yun back onto the mussed sheets. "I'm sure I'll do better than Hua Nanyi."

Chu Yun scoffed. "You don't know how to cook."

"Does she?"

"Fair point," Chu Yun conceded with a laugh. "Fine, you can cook my meals from now on."

Xiao Zai grinned down at him, nuzzling into his neck and flooding his nose with his crisp scent. "If I do well will you let me mark you?"

Chu Yun gave him one of those arresting, petulant looks from beneath the curl of his lashes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he lounged back on his elbow and bumped his knee between Xiao Zai's legs, rubbing it upwards suggestively. "You have to become King first."

Xiao Zai gave him a heated look, trying to keep himself from grinding down against the delicious pressure. 

Chu Yun smirked, delighted in the effect he was having on Xiao Zai. "I'll even let you fuck me on the throne, how about that?"

Against his best efforts a groan escaped Xiao Zai's throat. The mental image alone was enough to make him lose his breath. He could just picture Chu Yun, debauched and wanting, dripping Xiao Zai's cum onto the throne. He wanted it so much it made him hurt.

"Mark your words," he groaned, finally giving in into his urge and grinding against the knee between his legs. "That's the second thing you're promising to let me do to you when I become King."

His eyes humid with arousal, Chu Yun held onto Xiao Zai's wrist by his waist and teased, "You'd better start working on it then."

---

After a liberal application of positive encouragement, Xiao Zai finally let Chu Yun get out of bed and get ready for the day.

Xiao Zai found that Xiao Ziyi was training with the army in a training facility in the woods, a two-hour horse ride away from Haolin. That particular facility wasn't secret, and there was even a little village nearby that enjoyed some uptick in commerce from the soldier's presence, so it wouldn't be hard to find them.

Chu Yun wanted to take the horses because it would be faster. Xiao Zai was determined to convince him to ride in the carriage because of his 'condition'.

He changed his mind after Chu Yun threatened to walk there instead.

They were about ready to leave when Hua Nanyi ran towards them, her face flushed.

"Can I go as well?"

"Why? No one knows we're going so I'll be fine eating the soldier's food," Chu Yun said, incredibly relieved for that fact.

"No, I just want to go," she looked down at her feet. "I get bored here."

That was a very thin excuse but Chu Yun was in some hurry so he just sighed and said, "Fine, hurry up."

Xiao Zai watched her run towards the stables for a moment before turning to Chu Yun with a smirk. "You think she likes Ziyi?"

Chu Yun gave it some thought, before concluding, "it's possible. She has terrible taste. She has to, to think that slop she makes is edible."

---

The journey towards the training grounds was uneventful. Just as Chu Yun said, being a pregnant alpha hadn't turned him into an invalid and he was still perfectly capable of riding a horse.

The soldiers guarding the gates were very surprised to see them, and terrible at hiding their shock.

"The General? Uh, yes she's here, but... we're in the middle of training exercises. The General isn't seeing guests, now." The 'or ever' was implied.

Chu Yun dismounted from his horse, and walked towards the guard, his white rabbit fur cloak fanning behind him like a tail.

"Tell her Highness, that her brother, and brother-in-law have some urgent matters to discuss with her," he said, giving the soldier a pointed look. "Matters that involve both family and Zui's internal security."

The man had some misgivings about passing Chu Yun's message along, but in the end he walked inside the facility, returning moments later with a triumphant smile.

"The General says that that can be discussed upon her return to Haolin. She apologises that his Grace had to travel all this way, but military duties take precedence over family."

Chu Yun was about to give the smug soldier a piece of his mind when Hua Nanyi said, "tell her that Hua Nanyi is here too, and that it really is urgent this time, no party invitations."

Refusal was on the tip of the soldier's tongue, but a thunderous look from Xiao Zai made him change his mind.

Upon his return he grit out, "The General welcomes you into the Howling Wolf training camp," and opened the gates wide to let them in.