[C] Lone Wolf

He didn't listen, he simply kept trying, if he gave up he was going to be put back into that place, he would be made to work, punished for escaping for all these years.

Perhaps he should be grateful, he got time to be free, though freedom hadn't been as sweet as he had hoped.

Still, even his lonesome freedom was better than going back.

For hours he threw himself against the bars, he didn't stop until he was forced to lay down, his shoulders were bruised and aching, no doubt he had fractured them more than once today, but they healed fasted.

He lay on the ground in the far end of the cage, curled around himself defensively, refusing to show the wolf his back or stomach.

Alek laid silently as the Wolf attacked the bars over and over again.

He just laid silently and waited. Waited for him to calm enough to stop attacking things.

And when that time came, Alek's head tilted.

"Do you want food now?"

The wolf's ears flicked when the man mentioned food and he had to give a growl to avoid the sound of his stomach rumbling from being heard.

He did want food, but he wanted to be able to go out and hunt his own.

He didn't want to be stuck in here, he didn't understand why he was here, if the Alpha didn't want him on his territory then why lock him up, it would be better just to slaughter him now.

Though if he were working with Elves the he was going back into Slavery.

Alek gave a low amused chuckle when the Wolf growled to stop the sound of his stomach rumbling.

How often had he done that in his youth?

"I will return."

Alek stood and disappeared.

Half an hour later Alek returned with a large plate in hand. The plate was piled with a large serving of food.

He had made what was to him a great comfort food. A taste of home for him. Moussaka.

He slid the plate under the bars and moved to sit back.

The wolf didn't allow himself to sleep while the man walked off, he didn't want to be vulnerable if he returned.

A growl rumbled in his chest as the man came back and slid the food into the cage.

He inhaled a deep breath, taking in the scent of it, but made no move to eat it.

He didn't trust the food, nor did he understand the scent of it, he no longer remembered a time where he had eaten cooked food.

Plus, his enemy could have done something to it.

Alek merely sat back again when he'd put the meal in his cage.

He gave a soft hum; a song that his Mother used to sing to him when he was a child; when she wasn't scolding him for his escape attempts or riling others up.

Maybe hearing music would calm the Wolf?

Music was a powerful thing.

His large ears twitched at the sound of the humming, instead of being pinned to his head they were up and listening.

That song, it meant something to him, he knew it did, but he didn't know what.

Those memories were so far gone.

He gave a soft, barely audible whine, he remembered hand, not a person or even a face, just a hand.

It would stroke over his muzzle and down his neck, he remembered the touch of it in his fur.

Alek continued humming the song softly, even when the Wolf whined.

He turned his attention to the man when he did whine.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he appraised the Wolf.

Why would he get such a reaction from hearing a song that had only be sung a handful of times in the past three thousand years?

A thought flashed through his head but he shook it immediately. It was a ridiculous thought.

For the first time since Aleksandr had confronted him in the woods he let his gaze fall from the man.

He slid them shut and just listened.

Those hands were the only memory he could grasp onto, the touch felt real against his face.

His head rested on his paws as he tilted it, as if someone were petting down his neck and jaw.

He didn't growl or whine, he just lay there quietly.

After a moment of watching him, Alek's gaze turned from the Wolf.

That thought was stupid.

It would only made him miss the past.

When the song was over, he began humming it again.

He remembered that hand, and he remembered a time when it was no longer there.

It had left, it had left without him.

He gave another whine as his eyes slid open, the anger had faded from his piercing silver gaze making way for sadness and regret.

The wolf stood before turning around and giving the man his back as he lay back down.

He was insulting him by dismissing the man's presence, he wanted to be alone.

Alek was a little shocked that he was given the Wolf's back.

"Eat," he murmured softly as he pushed himself to his feet.

"It's clean and it'll make you feel better. I cooked it myself," he said as if that would sway the decision.

"I'll be back with dinner tonight."

He ignored the man's words, he wouldn't eat it he refused.

Once the man had left and he was alone he padded over to the plate of food.

The Wolf licked his muzzle as he sniffed it but shook his head, kicking the plate out of his cage, letting it fall to the ground outside.

He would catch his own food.

He was a dominant male, he could fend for himself, for now though he would rest until he was strong enough to attempt to break the bars again.

He curled up back against the wall of the cage, making sure the least amount of his body was open to threat if someone walked in.

Alek returned an hour later, though he wasn't as silent as he usually was.

He was grunting softly as he held fast to a kicking, crying fawn.

He had known that the Wolf wouldn't want to eat something he hadn't managed to catch himself. He didn't want to starve the Wolf.

So he had caught a fawn alive and was dragging it down here for the Wolf to kill and eat himself.

He was woken by the cries of the frightened creature, his eyes snapping open as he stared out at the man carrying it.

He gave a growl as he rose to his feet.

The Wolf was hungry, there was no doubt about that, he wanted to eat.

He eyed the fawn as he began to drool, his lips pulling back over his teeth as he gave a soft warning growl.

Alek slowed to a stop outside the cage door.

"I will unlock the door and give you the deer if you swear that you will not attempt an escape."

Alek's voice was firm as he continued to hold onto the deer.

"I wish to help you and this cage, though undesirable, is the only way I can ensure that I can help you."

The Wolf gave a louder growl as his hair stood on end, his body lowering as his gaze flickered from the man to the struggling fawn.

He was hungry and tired and neither of those things were going to get much better if he didn't eat.

He made no effort to move forward from his side of the cage as Aleksandr stood by the door.

His voice took on a fiercer tone.

"Swear to me."

He wouldn't move to open the cage until he was certain that the Wolf wouldn't try to break free.

The Wolf's eyes narrow, the man knew that he was going to try to run as soon as he opened that door.

He huffed, letting a steady stream of air exhale through his nose as he reluctantly moved to lay down on the ground, laying his head on his front paws as he looked up at the man.

He didn't like this, he didn't like laying down when another Alpha stood taller than him, he wanted to be taller than him at all times, show that he wasn't going to relent.

Alek watched the Wolf for a few long moments before moving to open the door.

He shoved the fawn in and closed the door behind him again.

He watched the deer skitter away from the large Wolf, giving a fearful noise as it tried, unsuccessfully, to escape.

Despite being on the ground as soon as Aleksandr opened that door he flew forward, slamming his body against the door as it shut, bowling over the fawn as it got in his way.

He gave a wild snarl as he was only moments too late from hitting the door before the latch caught and locked him back inside.

If he had been standing he would have made it out.

He growled and he walked a lap of the cage before swatting at the fawn and knocking it over, toying with the small animal to work out his frustration before finally ending it suffering by crushing it's wind pipe.

"It will take more than a surprise leap to overpower me," Alek chuckled as he watched the Wolf sulk for a moment.

The man watched the captured Wolf play with the deer with something akin to affection in his gaze.

Wolves seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing with their food.

It definitely said something about their personalities.

He couldnt stop himself from remembering the rabbits that an old friend used to play with before eating.

A soft sigh sounded.

The Wolf dropped the dead fawn before rolling it onto it's back and biting into it's soft underbelly.

His teeth tore into it eagerly as he ate, yanking the flesh off of the bones as his socked white feet held it down, the white fur quickly becoming tainted red.

He ate quickly as if afraid that his kill may be taken from him, nothing would be left of it when he was done, he would strip the bones then chew on those until nothing at all was wasted.

"Don't forget the marrow," he murmured, echoing a tip that he'd once been given when a friend had been toying with a rabbit.

Tastes good and helps with your strength.

He wondered if he could find out what happened to him from Lycus.

Why was he suddenly thinking about him now?

Alek gave a soft huff.

The Wolf's ears flicked as he listened to the man, of course he was going to eat the marrow, it was his favourite part.

He gave a soft snort before continuing to dig into his kill.

Well...it wasn't exactly his kill but it was better than the food he had tried to give him before.

He lay down and continued to eat, chewing the tougher flesh as he finished the tender parts.