[Backstory] The Pup

A young Theo pushed through the lumps of snoozing fur as he searched for one particular Wolf.

The boy had only spent a few months in the Pits so far and in that time he had only made two friends; the mother of the pack and an older Wolf called Zephyros.

A blinding smile curled the eight year old's lips when he caught sight of that midnight black fur. He bounced towards the hulking mound of sleeping Wolf and launched himself onto it's back, arms wrapping around the thick muscles of it's neck.

"Wake up, Zeph," he said, directly in the Wolf's ear none-too-quietly as he grasped at clumps of fur, tugging it to wake the Wolf up.

It was still dark out; early enough that the guards hadn't even decided to wake the slaves up yet.

"Zeph, wake up," the child whined.

Zephyros jolted awake with a low growl, he had been jumped on enough times like this in the past few months that he didn't get overly hostile.

The first time young Theo had done it, the wolf had almost attacked him.

Luckily that had been avoided, the boy was still human and turning him at such a young age would be disastrous for his development, both physical and mental.

Theo, why are you awake and what are you doing in the wolf den?

He growled, as he glared up at the boy through his haze of sleep, the human children weren't meant to come in here and none of them ever did, for fear of losing limbs.

The boy's wide hazel eyes looked up at Zeph and he gave a surprisingly Wolf-like whine.

"I had a bad dream about my mother."

He curled up against the large Wolf's side, looking for comfort.

Since being taken to the pits, he had had a lot of bad dreams about his mother that left him screaming and crying some nights.

Zephyros was usually a very gruff man but looking up at the eyes of this child in need always made him softer.

The large wolf uncurled, leaving a large place between his large front legs for the boy to crawl into, they had done this quite a few times now when the boy got cold.

Come on, pup, crawl in and get warm.

He replied, lifting his head so he gave him enough space.

What to tell me about it?

Theo curled up against Zephyros when he lifted his head.

His arms wrapped around the Wolf's thick neck and he buried his face in his soft fur.

"She was here," Theo whispered softly.

"They bit her like they do the others. She was screaming." Theo sniffled softly. "She was hurt bad."

Zephyr lowered his head into the boy's lap, his fur acting like a thick blanket for the small child.

Nights could be harshly cold for the poor humans.

It's alright Theo, she isn't here, she is safe and warm. No one is going to hurt her.

He promised, nuzzling the small boy.

And I wont let anyone hurt you, understand?

Safe and warm. That was something she never was.

But maybe... maybe over these past few months she'd been able to get safe and warm with the money she had gotten from selling him.

Theo cuddled against the Wolf, staying silent.

Zephyr couldn't promise that. Already he had been hurt. Been whipped for not knowing what to do. Under the tunic that he wore, his skin was hot and red with whip marks that he had kept hidden well enough.

A few whip marks weren't what he was talking about, he couldn't promise safety in the physical sense, but he could do all in his power to keep the boy's mind safe.

He wouldn't let Theo break, they could hurt his body, but not his spirit.

He wouldn't let them near the boy's soul.

Zephyr leaned up and licked the boy's cheek affectionately as he cuddle in against him.

Theo nuzzled closer when his cheek was licked.

His fingers gripped the Wolf's thick back fur tightly.

"Will I get bitten like mother did in the dream?" he asked in a soft, fearful voice.

He'd seen people get bitten and it looked like torture. Theo was scared of it.

Zeph let a steady breath flow through his nose at that question, he wouldn't lie to the child.

One day, one day a long way away from now, if you are chosen by the Master, yes.

He replied, curling closer to the boy.

Mother will be made to do it, she turns all of us, you don't have to fear it.

He knew the terror of being turned, he had been made to go through it, and like all others he couldn't bring himself to hate Ana for what had happened.

Theo gave a little whimper.

"But it hurt her. They all bit her and she screamed."

What the young boy had seen in the dream hadn't been a turning. It had been an example. If someone displeased their Master they were literally thrown to the Wolves and torn apart brutally.

Theo had witnessed that in his short time here and it scared him to think that he could be put through that.

No one is going to bite you.

More promises that he might not be able to keep, though the humans were kept safe until they came to the age that they were to be turned, then the real violence began.

While they were human they were mild mannered and rarely got into too much trouble.

"Really, Zeph?"

The boy looked up at the Wolf with hopeful, trusting hazel eyes.

He trusted Zephyros to keep him safe and not let him get hurt. The man had become his rock and safe haven here in the short months since he had arrived.

Zephyr slowly shifted back until he was a man again, his arms wrapping around the boy and pulling him into his lap, holding him close.

"I'll always protect you Theo, as best I can."

That was a promise he could give the boy, he would fail at times, but he would always try his hardest to save him.

The boy curled against the man's muscular chest, a small smile curling his lips.

His arms wrapped around the man, little nails digging into Zephyr's skin as if to anchor himself in place.

Theo gave a little yawn, nuzzling closer to him.

"Sleep Theo, I will guard you."

He replied, stroking the boy's hair gently as he lay back on the ground, curling around the boy protectively.

"In the morning I will take you out into the yard, I'll even let you ride on my back."

Theo curled up into a little ball as Zephyros curled around him protectively.

"You promise?" he asked softly, reaching up to grasp a lock of the man's curly hair.

Since the older men rarely wore clothes, the only thing Theo could grip to make sure Zephyr didn't leave him was his hair.

"I promise."

He replied with a small nod, a smile gracing his lips as Theo gripped onto his hair.

The boy did this more often than not in the last few months.

"Now sleep, tomorrow we will have some fun."

The boy nodded a little as his body began to relax.

His grip flexed around Zephyros' hair to make sure it was still there before he allowed himself to drift to sleep.

Zephyr cuddled in against the boy and held him closer as he fell to sleep.

It was always odd laying in here without being in wolf-form.

Still, this little boy had touched his heart from the moment that Ana insisted that he meet him.

His Mother had paired the two of them purposely, she knew well enough that Zephyr had a protective nature and Theo needed that right now.