After a lazy Christmas morning lie-in with his mate and a hearty breakfast, Hu Yetao, along with Oscar and Xiaocheng, journeyed outside into the snow blanketing the Manor grounds.
For the first time in a long while, Hu Yetao was feeling energized and cheerful. A night of not having to remember to keep his secret or pretending that he wasn't worn out and exhausted had done wonders for his mental and physical well-being.
Now he was planning to practice his Animagus transformation to see how he felt with his mate in Nundu form. Xiaocheng was there as a backup in case there were any problems.
Hu Yetao walked down the front entrance steps, careful of the ice, and then moved forward to put some space between him and the other two.
He stopped and closed his eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. He could only successfully transform when he was calm and focused.
He concentrated on the image of his snow leopard appearance and how it felt to be in that feline form; with four large paws, long fuzzy tail, short rounded ears, whiskers, twitchy nostrils, and large all-seeing eyes…
Hu Yetao felt his body beginning to shift and transform. No incantation, or even a wand, was required to transform, it was more a learned skill than a spell.
When Hu Yetao opened his eyes once more, he was lower to the ground and suddenly the world around him was full of innumerable smells and sharp sounds, even the vibrations under his paws from the hundreds of creatures walking and burrowing into the earth miles away suddenly became a part of his awareness.
Hu Yetao blinked and shifted his tightly coiled muscles, instantly on the alert. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see a very large black cat. Standing next to the cat was a tall human with pale hair, the smell of magic thick about them both.
Hu Yetao started to growl low in his throat but then stopped as the scent of the cat drifted into his nostrils. He knew that scent and it cleared some of the fog from his mind. This was his mate. His Alpha.
Hu Yetao instantly dropped his chest to the snowy ground, bum in the air and tail swishing, ready to pounce; ready to play.
Oscar's eyes gleamed knowingly back at him from the face of the blonde cat as he leaned back on his haunches, front legs shifting the weight back and forth between them in a well-known dance, deciding on just the perfect moment to make his move.
Hu Yetao could feel his whole body vibrating with anticipation. And then he suddenly couldn't wait any longer; he attempted a funny sort of leap, with all four legs pushing him into the air at once, took a useless swipe through the air with one paw towards his mate, and then turned and ran. He felt distinctly uncoordinated and awkward for the first few strides, as he'd never attempted a sprint before, but he soon got the hang of it and dug in with a growl of satisfaction.
Oscar leaped forward, swiftly taking chase. He held back, just off Hu Yetao's pace, to not end the game too quickly. He was much larger and had much longer legs than his mate's snow leopard.
Hu Yetao pounded through the snow, paws throwing up snow in his wake, dark eyes bright and sparkling with delight as Oscar took pursuit. This was thrilling, almost like being on a broom, locked in a battle of Seeker against Seeker.
Hu Yetao veered sharply to the right but didn't make it very far before Oscar reached out with one paw and knocked his back feet out from under him.
Hu Yetao fell onto his side in the soft snow and then rolled onto his back with an unhappy hiss. He glared up at his mate as he stood over him, Oscar's blond tail slashing the air and a smug expression on his face.
Oscar slowly lowered his massive head and swiped his tongue up the side of Hu Yetao's furry cheek in what was a tender show of affection.
Hu Yetao felt his ire melt but his cat-like mischievousness kicked back in and he immediately used his mate's unguarded moment to flip over and make a dash for it between his legs and back towards the house.
He could hear Oscar pounding along behind him and he emitted an involuntary little chirrup of glee at the thrill of the chase. Oscar jokingly called him his kitten and he felt like it at that moment. He also felt a bit more clear-headed this time around, like he was able to retain his more human thoughts and memories rather than being reduced to his animal counterpart's simple emotions and primal needs.
Hu Yetao halted before the steps, where Xiaocheng was still standing in his human form, watching them closely. Hu Yetao sat down, breathing heavily. It was the most activity he'd done in his Animagus form thus far and it had certainly taken its toll; both magically and physically.
Oscar walked up beside him on silent paws and stood watching with a sharp, assessing gaze.
Hu Yetao waited until he had his breath back under control and then transformed into his human self. He made sure to concentrate on appearing with his clothing on; a rather embarrassing mistake he'd made on more than one occasion in the Shrieking Shack with Professor Mika. Oscar was not best pleased with his mate appearing naked in front of another Alpha.
Hu Yetao opened his eyes and blinked down at himself, relieved to see that he was fully clothed, including his thick winter cloak.
He smiled faintly up at Oscar, who was still in his Nundu form. "I'm all right," he reassured a little breathlessly, knowing that his mate would want to hear it from him. "Just a bit tired, that was a lot of running."
Oscar seemed to relax a little at his smiling mate and nodded in acknowledgment.
Hu Yetao pushed his damp fringe out of his eyes with a shaky hand. They were meant to return to the parlor soon to open presents and Hu Yetao was more than ready to sit down for a while, even after such a short bout of transformation he was completely knackered. He didn't think he would be attempting it for much longer before yielding to his mate's wishes and taking a break until after the baby was born.
He remained sitting in the snow for another moment to recover before attempting to stand. A secret - slightly horrified - part of him rather hoped that Oscar would carry him back into the house.
Hu Yetao glanced up when he suddenly noticed Oscar stiffening beside him, his dark nose pointed into the air and sniffing.
Xiaocheng straightened from where he was leaning against one of the entrance pillars, uncrossing his arms and peering down the long drive towards the black, wrought-iron gates.
Hu Yetao turned to look and his heart leaped into his throat when he recognized the man standing on the other side. The end of the drive was a fair distance but he would recognize that tall, burly form anywhere; it was one of his attackers.
"That's him…" Hu Yetao said faintly, staring. "That's one of the men who tried to kill me."
A loud snarl next to Hu Yetao made him flinch and then Oscar was off, sprinting down the snow-covered drive without a moment's hesitation.
"Oscar!" Hu Yetao shouted, pushing to his feet, terrified. He began to stagger after his mate but Xiaocheng was suddenly in front of him, a hand to his chest.
"Stay here Yetao," he ordered sharply.
Hu Yetao looked up at his father-in-law with urgent eyes. "Help him! The other man's probably there too."
Xiaocheng nodded and immediately transformed into his Nundu form before dashing off after his son.
Hu Yetao withdrew his wand and began to stumble after them through the snow. His muscles felt like rubber and his magical levels were dangerously low, but he knew if he remained on the grounds he would be protected by the wards, and there was no way he was going to just sit idly by and watch.
He kept moving, as he watched Oscar finally reach his attacker. The man had by now transformed into his Nundu form and was standing with head lowered and teeth bared.
Oscar leaped into the air and the other cat rose on his hind legs, front paws out with claws extended, ready to meet him.
Hu Yetao's hand clenched around his wand as the two huge cats fell to the ground; snarling and clawing.
Hu Yetao hadn't been sure what to expect when Oscar galloped off to hurl himself into battle, he'd never seen Oscar fight before, and while the other cat was slightly larger, they seemed to be fairly evenly matched in skill.
Xiaocheng had finally reached his son and, just as Hu Yetao suspected, his other attacker suddenly emerged out of the surrounding garden in his Nundu form.
Xiaocheng leaped through the gates, passing through the black bars which dissipated like mist at the touch of a Wang. He latched his jaws onto the neck of the other cat and dug in his front paws, violently wrenching his victim over into the snow.
Hu Yetao kept moving, ignoring the stitch in his side and the slightly faint feeling pulling at him.
The four cats were locked in a heated battle as Hu Yetao approached the gates, the white snow under their feet quickly becoming spattered with droplets of blood.
Hu Yetao didn't move any closer and kept his eyes glued to Oscar; he was now familiar enough with his mate's Nundu form that he could recognize him from a distance, and he wanted to be ready in case Oscar needed him.
He didn't think he'd ever been this worried about someone he loved before, and the possibility - however small - that Oscar could be killed was at the back of his mind, no matter how hard he tried not to think about it.
Hu Yetao raised his wand when Oscar was suddenly flipped onto his back and pinned down. He was trying to aim a Stupefy at the large Nundu on top of his Alpha when Oscar suddenly used his back legs to push into the angry cat's stomach and successfully shoved him off.
Hu Yetao breathed out in relief but didn't lower his wand.
He jerked his head to the right at the loud yowl of pain that suddenly rent the cold morning air. Xiaocheng had received a rather large gouge across his shoulder as he'd been thrown to the ground. He remained to lie in the snow, breath coming out in pained huffs and back legs trying valiantly to gain purchase in the snow to get back on his feet.
Hu Yetao watched with a frown as the other Nundu grabbed ahold of the thick scruff on the back of Xiaocheng's neck and then threw Xiaocheng's injured body over his back, as though to carry him off somewhere.
Hu Yetao's eyes widened as he realized the other Nundu was going to attempt to cross the boundary into Manor grounds. Hu Yetao took a step back, wand at the ready, as he realized that the man would be able to breach the wards simply because he was touching a Wang.
The Nundu narrowed its dark eyes at Hu Yetao, zeroing in on its prey with an intensity that chilled Hu Yetao to the bone.
"Stupefy!" Hu Yetao cast as soon as the beast crossed through the misty black gates.
His spell hit its intended target but Hu Yetao didn't have the strength to make it stick, the cat's stride merely faltered for a moment and he quickly shook it off.
Hu Yetao took a few panicked steps backward and nearly stumbled to his knees, the attempted stunner having taken the last of his energy. He glanced past the Nundu to where Oscar was still fighting and knew that his Alpha was too preoccupied to help him.
The Nundu tipped Xiaocheng off of his back and then continued to stalk forward, as though toying with Hu Yetao.
Hu Yetao raised his wand, his hand shaking with the effort. "Protego!" he cast, vainly attempting to erect a shield around himself.
The shield swept around him in a bright white glow but quickly flickered out.
The Nundu suddenly sprang into the air and Hu Yetao ducked to one side to avoid the long claws headed for his chest and throat.
The Nundu's claws caught Hu Yetao's cloak instead and the cat didn't waste time in jerking Hu Yetao over into the snow onto his back, knocking the wind out of him.
Hu Yetao let out a groan and then instinctively tried to curl onto his side, one arm wrapping around his stomach in a valiant effort to protect the baby.
The Nundu sank one set of claws into Hu Yetao's thigh to hold him still, the nails sinking deeply into the flesh of Hu Yetao's leg.
Hu Yetao cried out and knew he was dead as the cat's oval eyes targeted his exposed throat.
Suddenly Xiaocheng was there, leaping into the side of the Nundu with a loud thud that seemed to echo across the grounds.
The large cat has knocked away from Hu Yetao's prone body and Hu Yetao couldn't stifle the involuntary scream as the claws embedded in his leg were suddenly dragged through his flesh before detaching as the cat was sent sprawling into the snow.
He forced himself into a sitting position and quickly pressed both hands to the wound, which was now bleeding copiously.
He thought was going to be sick when he caught a glimpse of bone within the jagged wound.
Hu Yetao dizzily looked to where Xiaocheng seemed to be beating the life out of the other Nundu with renewed ferocity. Xiaocheng had the other Nundu on his back and had managed to claw deeply into his soft underbelly. The wound across Xiaocheng's shoulder didn't look quite as bad now, the flow of blood had slowed to a trickle.
Hu Yetao glanced over at Oscar with a whimper as the pain in his leg became almost unbearable.
Like his father, Oscar also seemed to have the upper hand now as he snarled down at the Nundu laid out beneath him. There was a large gash across the Nundu's eye and cheek, effectively blinding him in one eye.
The Nundu screeched in pain and, surprisingly, Oscar suddenly moved away from him.
Hu Yetao grits his teeth and watched through a haze of pain as Oscar suddenly transformed back into his human self. His mate withdrew his wand and then deftly Stupefied the cat.
As soon as the cat was immobilized, Oscar turned and ran to Harry's side, dropping to his knees in the snow, expression writ with fear as he looked at Hu Yetao's mangled thigh.
"Hu Yetao…" he choked out brokenly, hands hovering uncertainly near the wound.
"Help your dad first," Hu Yetao bit out through the agony. "I'm okay."
Oscar looked as though he didn't believe him for a second but nodded jerkily and then quickly transformed and rushed off to assist his father.
Hu Yetao exhaled shakily, forcing himself to remain conscious; he needed to know that his mate and father-in-law were out of harm's way before he did anything else.
Oscar easily assisted his father in subduing the remaining Nundu; holding him down while Xiaocheng transformed into human form and Stupefied him. Xiaocheng was bent over and in some obvious discomfort from his shoulder wound when he stepped back, breathless but keeping a vigilant watch on the two motionless Nundu.
Hu Yetao was surprised that they were taking the time to stun the men instead of killing them outright. Hu Yetao had thought a Nundu's reputation for bloodlust would know no bounds when it came to matters such as this.
Oscar instantly transformed and ran back to Hu Yetao, who was by now surrounded by a frighteningly large pool of deep red blood.
"Prohibere sanguis," his Alpha cast softly as he kneeled next to him and held his wand above the wound, his hand trembling. Whether from fear or adrenaline, Hu Yetao wasn't sure.
Hu Yetao inhaled sharply when the lacerations in his leg suddenly felt as though they were on fire. Oscar quickly took his hand and gripped it hard.
Hu Yetao glanced down to see that he was no longer bleeding profusely.
"I'm taking Hu Yetao back to the house," Oscar said as his father limped up beside them. "I don't think Niào will be able to heal this, and… and we'll need someone to check if the baby is all right."
"I'll have your mother call the Healer," Xiaocheng replied, sounding drained. "We'll have to contact the Board as well, to deal with… other matters."
Oscar nodded without looking up. He used his wand to carefully levitate Hu Yetao from the damp snow-covered ground and into his arms, holding him as gently as possible.
Hu Yetao lifted his head and caught Xiaocheng's gaze. He could see the concern there; a concern for his son's mate that ran deep enough for Xiaocheng to have risked his own life to save him.
"Thank you," Hu Yetao said to him with unreserved feeling, "for saving my life."
Xiaocheng appeared slightly astonished but nodded in acknowledgment. He quickly turned away and refocussed his attention on the prisoners, preparing to move them to the Manor dungeons, Hu Yetao supposed.
Hu Yetao tried to breathe through the pain as Oscar began to walk with him back to the Manor.
He looked up at his mate's face, his heart swelling with love even under all the distress and suffering. "The baby's okay," he whispered reassuringly.
Oscar's eyes dropped to meet his gaze and Hu Yetao hated seeing the expression of anguish and vulnerability on his love's face.
"The baby's okay," Hu Yetao repeated confidently before finally drifting into unconsciousness.