[C] Lone Wolf

"Will you turn back today?" he asked gently with a curious tilt of his head.

He wanted to see the Wolf as a human.

"Or tell me your name."

Turn back?

He couldn't, he hadn't been in that form for a very long time, he no longer remembered nor desired to be in it again.

As for his name, that was something he would keep to himself, they couldn't tell where he had escaped from if they didn't have a name for him.

He stayed quiet and ate, pretending his hadn't heard the man's questions.

Alek had expected to be ignored.

He just moved to take a seat on the floor again and leaned back to wait in silence.

Perhaps the more time he spent with the Wolf, the more comfortable he would become around him.

It didn't take long for him to devour the fawn and once he was done he sat down with a bone between his front paws and chewed it to pieces before going for another until nothing was left of the creature.

Even the blood stains on the floor were eagerly lapped up before he lay back on the ground.

He still hated being in here but at the very least he had a full stomach.

Alek tilted his head to the side as his nose wrinkled.

"Even the guts." He, like most, avoided eating the guts of an animal that he had caught. It was always something he thought gross when he watched his guardian hunt.

So many things about this Wolf reminded him of his old friend.

He didn't know when he would eat next, it wasn't the best tasting, when he was younger it use to make him gag and be sick but he had learned to simply eat it.

He wouldn't waste a fresh kill, none of it.

Years of ingesting every part of an animal had made his stomach strong and he didn't have to worry about growing ill from eating a kill that wasn't exactly fresh.

If he had the luxury of only eating the pleasant parts he would, but he didn't.

Alek began humming again.

He just couldn't fight it.

As he hummed, he let the onslaught of memories overtake him. All those memories from his youth.

The Lycan gave a soft sigh.

"Zeph..."

He lay down and relaxed slightly as the humming started, it was so familiar and calming that he couldn't help but drop his guard and little.

The Wolf's head shot up at the sighed name, he gave a confused whine and rose to his feet, stepping back until he was back up against the wall of the cage.

He didn't like that this man had said his name, he didn't trust it.

Alek gave an annoyed little grunt as he shifted a little.

Fuck.

His teeth grit together a little. He hated remembering things that he couldn't have again. Longing was painful for Aleksandr.

His immediate reaction when he was confused was to snarl, he didn't understand so he took it as a threat.

Not going back.

He growled as he reared back, slamming his body back against the already bent bars.

They found me.

His thoughts became more violent as fear seeped through him, his nightmares were catching up with him again but this time he was strong enough to do something about it.

Not going back!

He gave another feral snarl as he rammed into the bars again, this time a loud crack sounding as he hit it too hard and damaged his shoulder. Regardless of the injury he kept trying to break free.

"Found you?"

Alek's gaze turned to the Wolf as he tried to break free with a renewed effort.

His brows drew together in confusion as he watched him fight.

He threw himself violently against the bars, desperation taking over as it did little to damage them.

With each hit the sound echoed through the large dungeon, his howls becoming urgent and pained the harder he struggled to get out.

Run, always run.

He whined as he backed up from the bars, limping slightly, trying to conceal the wound as much as possible, he wouldn't look injured and weak in front of an Alpha.

He ran at the bars again, striking them with his other shoulder instead.

"You don't need to run," he murmured in a soft, soothing tone.

"You're safe here. It's a safe house. No one will hurt you." Not even him. Alek wasn't trying to hurt him. He wanted to make sure the Wolf was going to be okay.

He wanted to help him.

The wolf wasn't listening to him and his in panic he was projecting his thoughts without meaning to.

Fear was a powerful thing and it made smart people forgetful and stupid.

He knows who I am, he will give me back to them...

He snarled again and rammed his body as hard as he could against the bars regardless of how much it was hurting him to do so.

I'll die before I go back.

He was determined.

"You won't be given to anyone."

Alek didn't move. If he approached now, he was going to throw him into even more of a panic.

"You're not going to go anywhere. You're staying here. Where it's safe."

It was a long while before he finally collapsed to the ground, he had hurt both of his front legs in his efforts to escape and didn't have a choice but to lay down.

Once again he curled up in the most distant corner and curled up tightly.

Safe for who...

The man was right, he wasn't going anywhere and he was staying here.

That was what he feared most, he would be stuck in this cage forever, or at least, until someone came to hurt him.

"Safe for you when you stop panicking."

Now Alek stood, walking over slowly, holding his hand out, palm up.

He crouched down in front of the cage and held his hand out for the Wolf to sniff.

Alek wasn't threatening at all at the moment.

"When you're calmed, I can even take you out of this cage. I wont keep you locked up if you behave. This is for my pack's safety as much as your own."

He watched the man wearily, he didn't trust him at all but at the moment there was nothing he could do but just lay here, he wasn't getting through those bars.

Even the Wolf could figure out that much.

A dark growl rumbled through his chest as his hand was held out, he didn't want to sniff it, he didn't want to go near this man.

Wolves were proud creatures and he had been dishonored, he had failed in combat and instead of having his life ended he had been dragged here and locked up like a rabid dog, this wasn't the way of the wolf and he hated it.

Alek wanted to help this Wolf. He didn't want to see him go mad and end up getting himself killed.

He didn't move, just continued to hold his hand out.

"You'll be safe here," he assured.

Traitor.

He wouldn't say anything else as he curled up in the corner, this cage took away everything that it meant to be a wolf.

He might have been wild but he was free, each day he traveled where he pleased and he had seen so much of the world.

The Wolf didn't understand what he wanted, he kept saying he was safe here but he couldn't be more vulnerable at the moment, he was anything but safe, he couldn't protect himself.

"Perhaps," he murmured softly.

Traitor. He supposed he was in some ways.

Alek stood after another few long moments.

"I'll return tomorrow."

The wolf curled up tighter, resting his head on his paws with a huff.

He was sulking, but he had every rite to at the moment.

He waited until he couldn't head the man's footsteps outside before he let his eyes slide shut.

Today had been tiring, he needed sleep while he could get it, tomorrow he was leaving this place, he would focus his efforts on breaking the door down, it was the weakest point of the cage.

In the morning Alek returned before the sun had even risen.

He hadn't even bothered with breakfast this morning.

There was something about the Wolf that had him on edge. Made him feel something that he wasn't used to and he just couldn't figure out what it was.

The Wolf was still asleep when Aleksandr walked in, he hadn't been able to settle until the late hours and even then he struggled to sleep.

He kept waking and snarling into the darkness before forcing himself to rest again.

The Dungeon was cold during the night but with his fur he barely felt it, he was accustomed to sleeping in far worse.

Still, despite being asleep he was still curled up tightly, protecting all his vulnerable body parts.

Alek stepped forwards as he descended the stairs into the dungeon.

He padded forwards and folded himself neatly into a seated position in front of the cage, waiting for the Wolf inside to wake up.

Once again he began humming that soft song.