He didn’t know how long he ran, he just knew he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t rest, or else the monsters would catch him. Soon, his injured leg stopped having any feeling whatsoever, and it made it easier for him to continue running. He passed through territories of stranger packs, and avoided contact with anyone. He ran until he reached a river, only stopping until he crossed to the other side, when he collapsed in the small space within a hollow tree. He was delirious, and feverish. He didn’t know how far he had gone, and where he was now, but he couldn’t care less.

He rested in the hollow in the tree for a couple of days, until his bone finally healed a little and stopped sending jagged lightning bolts up through his body everytime he moved. He knew he probably needed to set his bones correctly before it sets even further, but between the fever and the hunger pangs, he couldn’t quite bring himself to. He needed to find food, and find it fast. But in his state, he wouldn’t even be able to run, much less bring down anything. For a moment, despair rose and pulled him down into its inky darkness, but he remembered what he promised himself. He would fight, and even if that meant risking other wolves’ capture, he would do it. Carefully, he stepped out of his hidey hole and placed his injured foot down. He hissed, but continued to put weight on it. It was better than two days ago, but he knew he would have problems with it in the future, especially since he didn’t even let the injury have a chance to heal properly, running as he did. But he didn’t have the luxury of letting it heal. Healing is for wolves that have a pack to take care of them, not a lone pup in the wilds trying to survive. Clenching his teeth tight, he slowly ventured out into the wilds once more, hoping he would live to see another day.

He woke up in an unfamiliar territory. He could smell other wolves in the vincity, and two of them are very, very close. Close enough for him to clamp his teeth into one if he was quick enough. But before he could act on that impulse, a slightly familiar voice spoke.

‘Woon? Is that you, Woon-baby?’ he flinched at the petname. The petname used by his pa-, no, his former pack. He don’t have one now, he reminded himself. He is alone, and these people needed to give him space. Right about now.

‘Dong Woon? It’s Uncle R-’ before he could finish his sentence, the small grey wolf launched himself up, and snapped his teeth perilously close to the throat of the speaker. The older wolf jumped back, surprise and hurt visible in his expression, but Dong Woon didn’t care. These wolves were too close, and he needed to get away. Right. Now.

He tensed himself for another attack but he halted when another voice rang out.

‘Stop that.’ Just simply two words, but coming from the Alpha, it was a command.

Dong Woon’s father told him he had the potential to lead his own pack when he grew up, that he had the dominance to rule a pack of his own. He didn’t care then, but now when he is so close to the wolf, too close, really, he couldn’t let go. He was a dominant, and he won’t bow down to anyone else. Not even to another Alpha in his prime, while he was half dead.

Looking the approaching Alpha in the eye, he refused to back down, like they all thought he would. Why would they, when he was just a ten year old pup? But he proved them wrong. Instead, he lifted his tail higher and met the alpha’s gaze. He locked down his haunches, when they threatened to buckle under him, and bit down on the whimpers of pain. But the presence of another alpha calmed him down, and he wasn’t as wild as before. His mind has detached a little away from the primal wolf and the logical human returned. That was when he realised he was in a load of trouble.

He was in another pack’s territory, most probably in the heart of it, the den, by the scents surrounding him. How he got there, he didn’t know, but now it doesn’t matter. He was here, and so is the Alpha. If the Alpha decides to take the trespass as a personal insult, he probably wouldn’t live to see the next sunrise.

‘Sit down before you collapse again, boy. I am not here to kill you for trespassing when we were the one who brought you in here in the first place.’ The Alpha’s deep, commanding voice released his legs from their locked position and he slumped to the ground, trying to breathe over the pain in his injured foreleg. He had stupidly fallen on it the day before while he was ambushing a wild rabbit. Short story was, he jumped, he missed, he landed. Badly.

He noticed the Alpha eyeing his foreleg and he knew the Alpha, and all the others can scent the injury. He tucked the foreleg inwards and narrowed his eyes at the foreign pack.

‘Relax, Dong Woon. That’s your name right? Your uncle there was the one who identified you when some of my pack went patrolling and found you near the border. What happened? Why are you so far from home?’ the Alpha searched his eyes, and he shied away.

Looking around, he finally realized the number of wolves currently surrounding him. Including the Alpha and his uncle, there were another three wolves standing behind his uncle. He had no chance even if he was at full strength. No way can a ten year old pup stand a chance against five wolves in their prime.

‘Dong Woon? Do you remember me? I’m Uncle Ronnie, your Mama’s brother, remember? I visited you when you were-’

‘Six. Yes I remember, Uncle.’ Dong Woon flinched when Ronnie mentioned his Mama. It has been a little more than a week since he left the old den, and he wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t know if he would ever be ready.

‘What happened, Woon? Where’s your Mama? Why’re you so far from home? Did you run away?’ he disliked the pity in his uncle’s voice. He forced himself to smoothen his hackles.

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Why? Woon-baby? What happened to your parents? Did they-’

‘Can I ask for temporary refuge in your pack, Alpha?’ Dong Woon dismissed his uncle and faced the Alpha. The Alpha looked surprised that a ten year old pup would ask that of him. But what he didn’t know was, Dong Woon would never be just another ten year old wolf. The past week taught him to grow up fast, and he might still be scrawny and weak, but he had both his father and mother in him. He would not lose to those human bas-. Don’t think about that, Woon.

The Alpha looked him dead in the eye, and Dong Woon let him. If the alpha said no, then he would leave and find shelter on his own.

‘Alright. But while you are here, you have to abide by my rules and though you aren’t a part of my pack, you still have to obey me and my Beta. Is that acceptable?’

‘Yes. I accept. Thank you for your generosity. I will not impose on you too much.’ He dipped his head to the alpha, before slowly padding out of the den with as much dignity as he can muster. He might be injured, but he was nowhere near down yet.

He didn’t look at his uncle as he passed him. The grief was still too new, too raw. Their pelts too identical not to be reminded of their bond. Ronnie was the brother closest in age to Mama, and the closest sibling she had. Though they eventually separated into different packs, nothing could change the way they look. One was almost the carbon copy of the other, other than the typical size difference between male and female. Seeing his uncle reminded him of his loss, and he didn’t want to be reminded. He didn’t need to. He couldn’t afford to.

He knew his uncle was following behind him, and he let him. He needed to find somewhere to rest, and the den wasn’t the place. He couldn’t stand so many eyes on him, pitying him and casting suspicious glance his way. He needed to be away and alone.

He sniffed at the grassy indent some ways away from the den and slowly, painfully let himself slump down. He at his foreleg almost casually, eyeing his uncle standing a respectful distance away. He could guess what his uncle felt from him; cold, detached, and older than he should be. He was no longer the ten year old pup he was two weeks ago. He no longer had the choice. He cannot afford to grow into his strength, his legacy. He needed that strength NOW. Gone was the carefree, cheeky pup and a survivor now in his place. He couldn’t trust anyone, didn’t dare to. Not even his Uncle Ronnie. When the older wolf finally approached, he let him. He did have the right to ask. After all, Ronnie had a sister in Dong Woon’s former pack.

‘Dong Woon? Do you need help for your leg? I can get someone to help-’

‘No thanks, Uncle Ronnie. I’ll deal with it on my own.’ Dong Woon felt a pang of guilt when he saw the hurt in his uncle’s eyes, but he pushed that away.

‘What happened, then? Your Mama and Daddy surely couldn’t have let you running about alone for so long. They would’ve tracked you down by now.’ the elder wolf frowned, he was sure his sister would never let her precious son get away from her for so long.

‘Yeah, they would have.’ Dong Woon answered almost breezily. He tried, but the squeeze in his heart reminded him it was all for show.

‘Is anything wrong back in your pack?’ Ronnie tried again.

Other than the fact that I don’t even have a pack anymore?

‘You could go see for yourself, I guess. There is no other way for you to explain to you.’ Dong Woon locked his jaw before a whimper could escape. He knew his uncle would want to know more but thankfully, the Alpha called him over. He knew letting Ronnie find out that way was harsh, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak of the incident. His mind wouldn’t be able to take that huge an impact. Saying it out meant that it was true. That it had happened. Call him an idiot, but he still held that tiny flicker of hope that his parent would find him and track him down and whatever he thought happened was just a nightmare. He knew it would only take the older wolf two days there and two days back. So he had four days to heal before he had to move again. He knew he couldn’t stay after his uncle came back. The pity, the repulse, the accusing eyes. He could not stand that.

He could see the Alpha glancing at him and speaking softly to his uncle and it was obvious they were talking about him. But right now, what is more important is sleep. Frankly, his stomach needed to be fed first but in his state, he could barely get up, much less hunt. So he’ll just settle for whatever he can get now. 

[a/n: hi guys! /gets punched/ im sorry i didnt update for sooo long. but this semester is horrible and its not easy for me to just sit down and type... im trying to fins time and mood to type out the chappies but right now i still have projects and stuff even in the holidays so i hope you guys understand! >< anyways, hope u guys enjoy this chapter. took me a while to type it out but yeah. ><]