Something was happening down there. Something bad. I felt like I'd never forgive myself if I didn't follow this instinct.
I murmured a quiet apology under my breath, then shifted.
My human body twisted and changed. It became streamlined and quick on four lightning-fast, diamond-hard hooves. A pair of spiralling antlers jutted out from my forehead, and a mane flowed along my back.
I bolted down the hill, running as fast as my legs would carry me. As I approached the city, the trees began to thin out and the air turned murkier. I snorted, trying not to gag. It smelled awful.
But among that stench of gas and sewage, there was another scent.
An amazing, mouthwatering scent.
I shuddered again. Whatwasthat? It smelled so familiar, yet I couldn't place it.
Soon the treeline would end. I couldn't risk being seen in this form, so I shifted. My clothes, which had absorbed into my qilin form as scales of armor, turned back to normal and cloaked my body. Humans were so odd about nudity.
The sounds, sights and smells of the city flooded my senses. It was all too much. If I wasn't so focused on my task, it would've overwhelmed me.
But I cut through the noise and found my target—that incredibly sweet scent. It was nearby, but smothered in the stench of gasoline fumes.
I ran towards the source. Then I saw it. A car, and a person caught in the middle of the crosswalk.
I didn't have time to look at the human. If I didn't act fast, the car was going to crush them.
My parents' voices echoed in the back of my mind:don't reveal your true self to the humans under any circumstances.
Well, this was different, wasn't it? I wasn't revealing my qilin form. I was only using its strength to stop a car from killing a person. It was worth it.
Just before the car crushed the poor human, I slammed my fist into the front bender. The car stopped dead where it stood, tires squealing. The horn blared and its alarm went off. Everyone was staring at me. I didn't care. I had to make sure the human was safe.
That smell... it was coming from him.
I faced the human below me, sprawled out against the asphalt with terror-filled eyes.
"Are you—"
But I didn't get the rest of my words out. Because the human whose life I'd just saved wasn't a stranger.
It was Nikolas.
3
Nikolas
The world spun.Lights flashed before my eyes, squealing tires and the gasps of onlookers filled my ears, and the scent of gasoline stank up the air.
But there was another scent too. Something sweeter, spicier. One that cut through the smell of gasoline like a sharpened blade.
As the immediate terror wore off and I knew I wasn't going to die, I realized someone was touching me. I groaned and shook my head to clear the daze I was in. It took a moment for my vision to stop sliding and come into focus.
And that's when I saw him.
I blinked a few times, not sure if I was really seeing him or not. It was possible I hit my head on the road and had a concussion. But there was no pain in my head or the rest of my body except a few scrapes from the asphalt. I was perfectly intact thanks to the person who rescued me.
The person... wasn't a stranger.
"Jian?"
My voice came out in a quiet rasp. I was almost afraid to say his name, like he might disappear if I spoke.
