Kota could not believe this is happening to him. After he got kicked out of the pack, he has no one he could ask for help let alone his relatives. None of his relatives were willing to help him after being branded as a bad person.
He has been starving for days looking for food in the woods. Some folks even throw stones at him whenever he got close to their farm. They suspect he will steal their crops. As a city person, he does not know how to hunt on his own. He has been watching his peers hunting animals but he never tried it himself.
For 8 years. He went through so many hardships and obstacles to stay alive. He kept moving from one place to another looking for a place to stay to start a new life but he never stay for long. Only for a few weeks at most and it kept decreasing to a few days until he could not stay there for a day. He wonders how but the news of him quickly reached the neighboring country.
He rocks the chair, staring at the ceiling. There's only one lamp above him making the room dim and a bit creepy the deeper he's in thought. He's been alone in this room and there is no sound from the outside. The room is invulnerable and soundproof. Suitable to contain a dangerous person in here.
The door creaks open suddenly when he did not expect it causing him to fall from his chair and hit the surface first before he could protect his head.
"Ow..." He rubs the back of his head and looks at the door.
There, standing tall at the doorway is Kenji with a pile of cloth in his hand.
"Here. Go wash and clean yourself. Then, wear these clothes. The night will fall soon. You might catch a cold if you don't wear a cloth."
"It's okay. I can sleep in my wolf form. My fur will keep me warmer at night." Kota wants to reject but Kenji pushes the clothes to him.
"No. You are not allowed to transform while you are still in our custody. Follow me." Kenji turns around.
"What... I thought you guys were going to let me go." Kota whines. He is older than Kenji but he is behaving like a child.
"Not until Alpha said so." Kenji nods to the person who guards outside the room and walks somewhere. Kota follows him.
"Speaking of Alpha, is he... Takahashi Touma?"
"Yeah, why?" Kenji asks him back.
"Eh? Seriously? That Alpha Touma? Wow! I never imagine I will meet him face to face. In my former pack, your Alpha is very well-known around the folk. He is the most generous person even with wealth!"
"Well... That's true. Which pack are you from again? Is it Dark Stone Pack?" Kenji and Akio have interrogated Kota about his background but he still asks for confirmation.
"Yeah. You guys surely have heard about me from my former pack. Are you going to torment me and kick me after? If so, do it earlier. The sooner the better." He looks down in dismay.
He was free from the ill-treatment caused by the people he met recently. To face it again after so long, he wonders if he can endure it again and keep his sanity. He's at fault too, why didn't he run away when they found him at the lake. If he did, he won't be here worrying about what will happen to him.
"What are you talking about? Who said we will torment you for no reason? If we found you guilty, you won't be walking on your two legs you know." Kenji's words make him relieved.
"But... I stole some food." Kota is not used to this treatment. He doesn't want to let his guard down yet until he's sure of it.
"Then, do you want to have your hand cut off? Why do you want to be punished so much? Just looking at the torturing tools is enough to make you faint. Are you sure you can handle the punishment?" Kenji looks at him in disbelief.
"No way, no way! There's no way I can handle that!" Kota waves his hands while shaking his head many times.
"Now stop talking nonsense and go inside for a shower. I will wait for you here. Don't ever think of running away. We will hunt you down in instant." Kenji gives him a warning before closing the door once Kota is inside.
-----
While Kenji is watching over Kota, Alpha Touma is commanding his men to stroll the area and report anything suspicious to him. He doesn't want the same incident to happen again to his pack.
Akio watches his father from behind. Worrying for your pack is normal but the person who got attacked was his father's childhood friend. They have gone through hardship together before his father became the Alpha.
Whenever his father needs advice, either about relationships or pack-related stuff or anything that worries him, he will look for his friend to discuss with him. He always listen to anything he suggested. After that, it's his choice to make a decision based on those suggestions.
There is no way Alpha Touma will forgive the person who did this to his friend. No one dares to come close to him because a dangerous aura is seen emitting from his body as he shouts at his men to be quick. He wants to find the culprit as soon as possible and avenge his friend. No one can leave his territory once he gets serious.
"Find him and bring him to me! Akio, watch the house and protect your family. I will be back at dawn. Can you do that for me?"
Touma looks at his son. He knows Akio wants to help him look for the culprit together with him but, his wife's safety and his children's are the top priority. He has deployed all his men. Now they are out searching on his command. That is why he can only depend on Akio right now. He knew Akio has trained his body to become stronger. His son will inherit his title once he has reached 18.
"Yes, father. I hope you catch him soon. Be safe and take care." Akio nods at his father in understanding.