WARNING! If you don't like yaoi (boy x boy) then please don't read this.

Kuroko no Basuke as well as the cover image used for this story both belong to their respective owners.

This is a roleplay story done by KurokoTetsuya101 and The Lucky Bell.

Chapter 1 - The Imprisonment

Life is hard. It's a fact everyone knows. People are complicated and days are so unpredictable, anything can happen.

Some days are good. Others are bad. But all in all, we learn to deal with it as people. Glass half empty, glass half full, it doesn't matter at the end of the day because what matters is that you won't be thirsty.

Although there are some problems some don't have to worry about while others do. Werewolves always running, hunters always hunting, and those that capture... well, capture. But that's alright. Why?

Because Kuroko was a free wolf.

He was free, and his mother was free. They were both free wolves and nothing could change that. As long as they kept moving and stayed away from hunting or capture zones, they would continue to stay free.

Of course the laws against their kind was always rigged and unfair, but that's also okay. That's why Kuroko kept them on the move. Ever since his father was killed in a "no wolf hunting" zone, Kuroko realized this was the only way to keep him and his mother safe.

They hardly ran into any trouble though. They knew how to avoid people and being seen. Even if they should be easy to spot with their white fur. As much as he doesn't like it, Kuroko makes them cover up in dirt or even sometimes mud to blend in to the forest.

Right now they were once again on the move. They usually moved around to places they've never been to before, but the place they were going to, they've been there before. They go every summer.

It was a nice valley that was void of people since it was too far away from any civilization. The deer and rabbit there were plentiful, and the streams and rivers were clean and delicious. The only reason why it wasn't available as a permanent home was because of all of the hunters. The area wasn't a "no wolf hunting" zone so they had to be careful.

"Don't worry mother, we're almost there." Kuroko assured his mother, Kiyomi. He gently rubbed his head against hers before helping her up the hill that would lead them to the valley. In no way was his mother old or weak, for she was still young and beautiful. But that didn't stop Kuroko from wanting to help her as best as he could.

She deserved the very best. He was sure he sounded like any other child, but his mother deserved the very best because she /was/ the best. She was always kind so him and protected him when he was young. Now he was a strong wolf and it was time to repay the favor. He promised to protect his mother ever since his father died.

"You don't have to help me up every small hill, Tetsuya." He heard his mother say with a sigh. Then she looked over at him with a happy look. "But thank you."

"I don't I don't need to help. I just want to. You deserve everything you want." Kuroko responded, gently nipping his mother's ear, covered in a little dirt due to their disguise, as a sign of affection. How he hated seeing his mother's beautiful white fur covered in dirt... But it was for survival.

One day... one day they were going to live a life of peace. They will find a way to get their dream house and live without fear. No more running, no more fear of capture. They'd live together in a house in the forest, and no one could bother them.

The female wolf moved to softly bite her son's ear, scolding him in her own way, "If you busy yourself with your mother like this, then how will you manage to catch the eyes of other mateless wolves? You're a gentle and loving wolf Tetsuya but if they see you like this, they might get the wrong impression." In the past Kiyomi didn't mind her son's affection, on contrary, they both needed to be strong after her husband had passed away. Their bond grew stronger, knowing they only had each other to protect.

However, as time passes by and her son continues to grow, she had accepted the fact that one day Tetsuya might leave her to be with his mate. That is the fate of all wolves that reach the adult age after all, leaving their parents behind to be with the one they love. With their circumstances though, Kiyomi can't help but worry. Her son didn't meet a potential mate just yet and he is already of that age...

"Wrong impression? What, that I care for my mother?" Kuroko let out a little huff. His mother has been talking a lot about mates recently. He just wasn't sure about them. She expected him to leave once he found his mate but... Kuroko didn't want to leave his mother behind. What if something happened when he wasn't around?

"I don't even know if I even want a mate now..." He continued as he quickly scanned the area for any danger. It was a habit he picked up long ago. "I just don't see why I'd need one now. My only goal right now is to keep you safe."

Kiyomi followed her son as they slowly made their way through the beautiful woods, "I understand that and I know that you love your mother dearly. You've been protecting me for so long over the years and I know that your father would have been proud but... I'm sure that he would agree with me on this. We both wish the best for you my child and that's why we want a bright future for you. You may not understand it now but having a mate is a blessing. Once you meet them, I'm sure that you'll experience true happiness."

Kuroko glanced over at his mother before looking away. He didn't see why he needed a mate. It's not like he wanted kids any time soon. He was living for his mother and that's all. "...Fine. I'll try." He decided to just agree with her. He won't just find his mate easily after all so it's fine.

The female wolf smiled, knowing what her son was thinking about very well, "What will I do with you?" But even though Kuroko may be like this right now, she knew that the day would come when he would understand. Love... That's the one thing that werewolves value the most. It connects them all and gives them a reason to live. It's a beautiful and fragile bond that gives them immense happiness.

Kuroko was about to reply but a peculiar smell that reached his nose caught his attention. That didn't smell like fresh grass or a herd of deer... It smelled like... "Come on." Kuroko urged with a small growl. He hoped his nose was wrong for once.

The two rushed by Kuroko's command until they reached a hill to look over the valley. The once beautiful field of tall grass was now just houses and small farms. People were down there working in the fields or walking through town.

"A whole valley... They took over the whole valley!" Kuroko couldn't believe this. Just how much more will humans take?! They don't even know if the zone laws changed for this area!

"Calm down Tetsuya." His mother tried to comfort him even though she was shocked as well. The humans are slowly spreading through the forest. Soon enough they'll be able to expand further as well. This leaves them with no other option but to leave, "We have many other places we could go to. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"But we always came here for the summer. Where will we go now? Who knows where else the humans spread to?" Kuroko continued to growl. Was anywhere safe for them? He was so tired of running and hiding!

"Don't worry Tetsuya, I'm sure that we'll find a much better place. One where there are many flowers and the river stream is clean. I know that we'll be able to find it if we look hard enough." She brushed her head against her son, licking his face in an attempt to calm him down. "Let's go child. We don't want them to see us here."

It wasn't fair... They shouldn't have to find someplace else. No matter where they went, they always had to leave. With a deep sigh, Kuroko managed to calm some of his rage. "Alright... You're right." He had to stay calm and collected. They wouldn't survive long otherwise.

Kuroko's ears flicked as he picked up the sound of something close by. Very close by. "Mother, go!" He suddenly ordered. But before either of them could move, the humans Kuroko heard too late finally shown themselves. Each were carrying guns but by the lack of gunpowder smell, Kuroko knew they weren't hunters. They were the kind that captured wolves.

He took a defensive stance, knowing he had to stall until he found a way out for both of them. He knew his mother was capable of fighting, but he wasn't taking any risks.

"Ohh! Look at that! Two wolves with white fur!"

"White fur? Isn't it brown? Oww!" One of the men hit another.

"Idiot! Look closely! They're obviously covered in dirt! Nice trick little pups but that won't work on us~"

"It's our lucky day then! White fur is super rare!"

"Haha! We'll get a fortune for them! You pups are lucky the true killers didn't get ya! We capture your kind so we won't kill you~" The men, who appeared to be hunters that specialised in taking the wolves alive, held their guns tightly. Yes, they were roaming around until they spotted the two lovely wolves. Lady luck was looking down on them!

Kiyomi growled, standing beside her son warily. Even though werewolves are known for being dangerous beasts, their reputation has changed over the years. As humans grew stronger in power, so did the wolves become weaker, "Please don't fight them Tetsuya. I can't bear to watch you fight." She told her son, afraid that he might do something reckless in order to protect her. Since he had lost his father, Kuroko was unpredictable at times like these.

He couldn't fight so... What was there left to do? If he couldn't fight, all that was left was run and hide. These seemed like experienced hunters but right now it was their only shot.

Kuroko growled and got ready to pounce. They had to clear an opening first to run. "Alright, follow me, quickly!" Kuroko told his mother as he jumped at a hunter. With his size, he managed to knock it down. But instead of continuing to fight, he took off fast with his mother behind him. "We have to get away as far as we can!"

"Get them! An opportunity like this comes only once in a lifetime!" One of the hunters raised his voice before they all began to run after them. Surprisingly the hunters were not as fast and so the two wolves managed to create a huge gap between them in an instant. Something didn't feel right... "Careful Tetsuya, they're still behind us!"

Kuroko didn't like this. His instincts were all telling him this was bad. But then again, just mentioning the word 'hunter' made him feel awful. But this... This was different... Something was telling him danger was still around the corner.

He turned his head to look behind them as they ran. He couldn't see the hunters but he could still hear their running footsteps. Strange... Usually hunters were right on their tails... "Tetsuya!" Before Kuroko could turn his head back around, he was suddenly in the air. He whined a little as he felt his body weight fall on his head. Oh no... He was in a net trap! The trap was suspended in a tree so now Kuroko was hanging in a net, a few feet above the ground.

How idiotic of him. Getting stuck in such a simple trap! "I should have watched where I was going." He growled at himself before realizing why the hunters weren't running as fast. Oh no! "Mother! They planned this. There must be more traps!" This forest wasn't safe. "You need to go!"

"No! I'm not leaving you!" The female wolf quickly jumped but even with her great jumping ability, she still couldn't reach up to her son. The hunters must have set it up this way on purpose! It was so high that she couldn't reach him at all!

"They fell for it! We caught one!"

"The other one is still loose! Catch it!"

Kiyomi growled but knew that her attempts would be futile. She couldn't even touch Kuroko much less save him!

"I'll escape, trust me!" He can probably bite through the net. And if they aren't smart enough to tranq him, he can't escape when they cut him down. "Go, I'll meet up with you later!"

Kuroko's mother looked up at him with worried teal blue eyes, whining loudly as the footsteps of the hunters neared. She couldn't leave her son behind! Who knows what they could do to him! Cut out his fur and leave only his skin, torture him or worse, kill him. How could she leave her child to such a fate!?

"Ready your guns men!"

Her whines grew louder, looking up at her son. More than anything she wanted to tear that net up and escape with her child but... it was an impossible feat. If she gets captured then there would be nobody who would be able to free them. However, if she escapes, then she could come back to free her baby.

It was a heartbreaking decision for a mother but... Kiyomi knew she had to do it. She looked up at her child, tears running down her eyes. To be forced to do such a thing... If she could, she would change places with her baby.

Fearing that she would decide to stay if she remained here any longer, Kiyomi took off running. She ran, not daring to look back, "I'll be waiting for you Tetsuya. You'll definitely come! I know it! I swear that I'll see you again!"

"I will! I'll find you, I promise!" Kuroko called after her. Once she was out of sight, Kuroko wasted no time with biting into the ropes. They were strong, even for his large fangs. They must've laced it with something... That didn't stop Kuroko from trying.

He knew the hunters were surrounding him again now, but he still didn't stop his attempt to escape. He felt a dart hit his flank, but he still fought against the ropes. Even as exhaustion began to over take him, he still... Kuroko slowed his escape attempts, now just struggling to keep his eyes open. He couldn't let it take over; he had to get back to his mother...!

"Pull him down now. He's about to fall unconscious." The hunter who seemed to be the leader commanded as the rest did what they were told. They began to lower Kuroko down but even though they did, the white wolf didn't have the strength to fight anymore. Those darts contained a very strong sleeping liquid, one that would kill a normal human just by the sheer strength of it. However, since werewolves are powerful beasts, a quantity like that is required.

"Should we chase after the other one?"

"Nah~ We'll catch it sooner or later. For now we should call back up so that we can transport this pup."

"Understood!"

The leader kneeled down, placing his hand down on Kuroko's fur to pet him, provoking him, "What a good pup you are~ You don't have to worry at all~ At your new home, you'll have so much fun that you won't even have the time to think about your friend~"

Kuroko tried to move his head to try and snap at the hunter, but he could hardly lift his head. He barely managed to let out a growl before his eyes closed and the darkness came over.

Before he even opened his eyes, Kuroko knew he was in a bad spot. The smells around him were so man-made and awful. No nature anywhere... He had to have been captured... The voices close by confirmed it.

"He's pretty lithe... I doubt he'd be useful for fighting."

"He must be pretty quick though! And perhaps stealthy?"

"With that white fur? Speaking of which, that should be put to use! He should be placed with another wolf immediately to bre-"

No, he refused! In a flash, Kuroko was on his feet and charging at the voices. If those bars weren't there, he would have torn those three guy's faces off! Suggesting such disgusting acts... Thinking he'd mate with just any wolf! For pups! For them!

Now that he was completely awake, he took in his surroundings quickly. He was in a cell like room, locked in by strong looking bars. It looks like there were similar rooms across the way. Everything was obviously man made and busy.

Kuroko snarled when he noticed more people were observing him other than the three who were talking about him. He still couldn't believe they talked about such things like he was an object! That's just how humans were.

He knew about places like this. Wolves like himself were captured and taken here to be used. That's it. Used. As if they were just mere objects. Wolves were used to fight, to guard, to protect. To breed... Kuroko felt disgusted just thinking about it.

"Ohh! You're awake. Did we wake you up?"

"We apologize little pup~"

The people who surrounded the cage all seemed to be hunters. Kuroko's eyes surveyed the area and he guessed that if some of them were not hunting or killing wolves then they were assigned to other positions such as managing the fighting, breeding and the use of wolves within the facility.

"He may have the passion to fight but inevitably his white coat is very rare. Breeding is the only option for a wolf like him."

No matter where he placed him, he wasn't going to do anything! Especially breeding!

He barked and snarled angrily at the people. If they wanted to take him anywhere, they had to fight him first. He wasn't going anywhere without a fight! "Fight me fair! Cowards!" He wished the people could understand him but since he was a wolf, they couldn't. And there was no way he was going to show his human side to these people. No way.

"Haha! Look at him go! He seems really excited to breed~" One of the men laughed as others did as well. Some where looking at Kuroko with wide smirks while others were grinning. The achievement of catching a white wolf was humongous and so they couldn't shake off the excitement.

"Now we just need to tame him a bit. If he resists it will be troublesome for us."

"Ehh~ I'm sure that taming him will be easy. Look how cute he is! Snarling and growling like that~"

They're going to regret saying that. Once he gets the chance, he's going to rip them to shreds. They won't even be able to get anywhere near him without being torn apart by his fangs or claws. He was going to make sure of it.

"Now then, we better get a tamer soon. I can't wait to see small white pups~"

"I'm still against this. Fighting would definitely suit him better."

"We'll talk about this later. Right now, he needs to be tamed."

The hunters were still undecided but knew what first step to take. Without taming the beast, nothing of the above could happen. Their first task was to get a hunter competent enough to get the wolf under control.

Some of the people walked away but a few were still there to examine him. Kuroko gave a warning growl to them before looking around again. There had to be a way to escape, right? But all around him were walls and then the bars. No windows. It seems like the only way out is through the cage door. He felt like he was in jail... But jail would be better than this.

Looking past the people and across the way at the other rooms, he noticed they weren't actually empty. There were other wolves in them! More captured wolves... The sight of other trapped wolves made Kuroko grumble. How dare they hold wolves in cages against their wills? They were people too...

Someone suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his view. He growled lowly as he looked up at whomever was blocking his way. Ah... It was the hunter from before! The one who kept calling him pup!

"Happy to see me?" A man with ash silver hair smirked as he looked up at the large wolf. He couldn't deny that wolves were majestic creatures with such a strong body and embodied natural instincts of survival. However, their time had long passed as the humans surpassed them in the food chain of dominance. The once majestic beasts now became nothing more than stock for humans to use. Their fate will be decided by humans alone and even though one would think that the humans would kill all wolves, they're still keeping them around for their mystical powers.

If they could somehow use the power of wolves for their advantage, they would be unstoppable! "Let me introduce myself pup~ My name is Haizaki Shougo and I will be your tamer. A pleasure to meet you."

His tamer. Hah. He wished! Kuroko was never going to have a tamer! He was going to get out of here soon enough anyway.

He lowered his head and put his snout through the bars so he could get as close to Haizaki's face as he could. Then to show his displeasure with their meeting, he gave a little huff in his face before growling.

"Haha! They were really right! You're full of energy! If it wasn't for your white fur, I would put you to fight as well! However, first thing is first... We have to calm you down a bit." Haziaki didn't dare touch the wolf and so he turned, taking a stick before harshly hitting Kuroko with it. It made the werewolf step back a bit since the stick had a very sharp end. If Kuroko would have to guess, he would say that it's one of the 'equipment tools' used for taming.

Kuroko stared at the stick, wondering if he should try to just tug it away or leave Haizaki be. Would doing nothing count as giving in? Guess he had to do the other option.

He quickly moved forward and managed to snap his jaws around the stick, avoiding the sharp end. He growled as he started tugging, pulling Haizaki's body towards the bars. Then he gave a hard tug, making Haizak's head hit the bars. It wasn't as hard as Kuroko would've liked, but he enjoyed seeing Haizaki wince from pain.

"Waaa!" The hunter screamed, moving away from the bars unconsciously because he knew that the wolf would try to bite him. Only then did he try to calm himself, touching his head to see that there was blood on his forehead. His head did hurt as well and he was a bit dizzy.

"Y-You..." His voice was venomous as he looked up at Kuroko in irritation, "Two can play at this game. I'll show you that this is not a game. At the end of the day, you'll be begging for me to stop, mark my words."

Kuroko gave a little satisfied growl upon seeing the blood and his irritation. That should teach him not to poke him with a freaking stick! He didn't understand how Haizaki could make him beg for him to stop when he's hardly doing anything. Just to make Haizaki angrier, he faked a yawn and lay down as if he was bored.

"That's it!" Haizaki stomped back towards his equipment, grabbing the muzzle and a weapon to fight with. He then went over to the cage, opening the doors before coming in. Kuroko was surprised and so he stood up just in case the hunter tries to do something. He seemed irritated enough to try something stupid, although Kuroko wasn't going to let him.

"The key to taming a wolf is to show them who the dominant one is. I ain't playing around. I'll be sure to cover that lovely fur of yours with red blood." Haizaki said before marching towards the wolf, his large sword that had many spikes on the sides aiming for Kuroko.

Kuroko stepped back a little when he saw the weapon. Was Haizaki serious? He thinks threats like this will tame him? Then again... It might not be a threat. By the look of frustration on his face, he might be serious!

Ugh, he didn't want to kill him... Kuroko actually hated killing and avoided it any chance he got. He huffed a little as he took a step forward again. He can't seem afraid. If Haizaki attacked, he was going to defend himself! But he'd try not to kill him in the process. As much as he deserved it for capturing him and trying to get him to breed!

"Come on! Come at me already!" The hunter raised his weapon up in the air, ready to hit Kuroko dead on until the wolf dodged. The wolf was quick and agile! Haizaki had to give him that! "Che! You sneaky pest!" He raised his weapon again, going in for another attack. If the wolf was going to run away like this instead of attacking, then Haizaki's chances of success were big! What a stupid wolf! He should be attacking instead of evading like this!

What did Haizaki want from him? Did he want him to fight or run? He wanted to do the opposite of what he wanted after all. But if he wanted to subdue him, he assumed Haizaki wanted him to do nothing...

Kuroko watched the weapon Haizaki carried. It was mostly for damage, not speed, so he could surely best it in a matter of speed. When Haizaki swung the weapon again, kuroko dodged like before but unlike last time, he pounced at Haizaki. He used all of his body weight to push against Haizaki, knocking him over as he jumped back away. He gave a sharp bark as if he was laughing at Haizaki. Which he was.

"I'll kill you!" The hunter panted, looking at the wolf with malicious intent in his eyes. While Haizaki was glaring at him, Kuroko was looking back with proud eyes. He would take on everything Haizaki throws at him!

Kuroko watched as Haizaki reached into his pocket, taking out a small dart filled with sleeping liquid inside. If he were to shoot this, he would have no problems placing the muzzle on Kuroko at all. There was no way Kuroko would be able to dodge something this small as well, it was a guaranteed defeat for the white wolf.

Kuroko readied himself but instead of shooting at him, Haizaki threw the dart out of the cage, more than surprising Kuroko who watched in confusion. The hunter smirked as he turned to face Kuroko, "I don't need such a petty thing to control you. Never in my career did I use that and I don't intend to change it now. I'll make you listen with my own hands." He declared his resolve to the wolf, standing his ground.

Wow... He couldn't believe how idiotic this tamer was. Any other person would've probably just shot him and get it over with. Then again, that still wouldn't get him to listen.

Still, Kuroko was wary. He said he never had to use it before and unless that was a bluff, Kuroko had to be careful. He couldn't let anyone bring him down! He wouldn't let anyone do that to him. He was a free wolf, even if he was confined like so. Soon he'll escape and find his mother, and then they'd leave to somewhere far away. Somewhere they've never been before.

"Come on then." Kuroko urged, although it just sounded like barks to Haizaki. He may be smaller than some other wolves but that doesn't mean his fighting was any worse.

"Hah! You're such a cute pup you know~" Haizaki grinned as he raised his weapon up. This time instead of running like a maniac, he would attack slowly to take the werewolf by surprise. Heck! The werewolf won't even know an attack was coming! And so he began to slowly make his way to the wolf, waiting for a moment to strike.

Kuroko's ears pinned back as he watched Haizaki approach him. He wasn't just swinging and hoping for the best. Was he serious now? Then... He really had to watch him.

No matter how close he got, Kuroko resisted turning his attention to the weapon. If he watched Haizaki's body, he could predict his moves. That was the most important part on fighting.

This wolf has guts, Haizaki gave him that. However, even if he's the type that thinks with his head rather then teeth, Haizaki would win either way. Why? Because he's done this with many wolves before. Just because this wolf has white fur it doesn't mean that it will make any difference. He was going to tame him.

As Haizaki took a step forward, so did Kuroko take a step back. The cage was small so it wasn't like Kuroko had that much room to run around either. Haizaki knew this and that's why when he cornered Kuroko into a corner, he knew it was time to strike! He swung his weapon as fast as he could, aiming directly at Kuroko.

Kuroko's heart raced in his chest as he watched the weapon come down. How could he avoid this? There was no where to go accept at Haizaki, but he was probably expecting an attack! Unless...

There was no time to decide. The weapon was moving closer so without a second to waste, Kuroko dove towards Haizaki's feet instead of pouncing towards his body. He managed to knock Haizaki's feet away, getting away from the weapon while also tripping the hunter again.

When he landed, kuroko quickly shot back up onto his paws in case Haizaki was ready to attack. However as Haizaki was getting back up, kuroko realized there were people watching. He could tell because he heard their quiet laughter or snickers. Ha! Everyone was watching Haizaki fail! Kuroko let out another bark just to rub in Haizaki's failure.

Haizaki grumbled, unable to look up. He was turning out to be the laughing stock of everyone! His reputation degrading by the minute! This wolf... Even though Haizaki was a good tamer, he still had trouble with the wolf! Although deep down Haizaki knew that he wasn't the best in his line of work... It wasn't that long since he joined the association but ever since he did, he began to build his reputation. It was going so well, until now that is...

He had to get himself out of this situation and so he stood up, patting down his pants. Then he looked up at the wolf, "You didn't lose hope did you? You're still so naive to think that you can somehow get away. Hah! You were just caught after all~ new wolves always come in with this fantasy in their minds~" He teased, holding his weapon in hand. He was going to turn this around!

"Tell you what. I'm a fair tamer so I'll give you some time to settle in. This is your new home so I want you to get cozy in here~ No need to rush, am I right?" The hunter made his way to the cage door, opening it before making his way out. He locked the door behind him, glaring at Kuroko, "I will leave you with a gift though." Suddenly he reached out into his pocked, taking out a gun before shooting Kuroko's paw.

The wolf whined in pain as Haizaki smirked, "I said I wouldn't use the dart but I didn't say anything about guns. This time I went easy on you just to see what kind of a wolf you are. Don't expect the same kindness next time pup~" He put the gun back in his pouch before taking his leave, "You better throw away that naivety of yours~ You won't survive long in here if you don't. Take it as a warning gift from yours truly~"

Once Haizaki was out of sight, only then did Kuroko lay down to lick his wound. What a petty coward! Shooting him after he lost! That wasn't very fair or noble in a fight. He only did that because he lost.

Kuroko huffed with a bit of irritation. He could taste silver. This wound was going to take longer to heal... He growled angrily to himself. Haizaki was the naive one! Thinking he'll accept this as his home... No way. He was going to show him. He wasn't going to listen to anyone and he wasn't going to stay here, that's for sure!

Soon the other people that were in the room left as well, leaving Kuroko alone for the first time he came here. It was dead quiet, that is apart from the sounds of paws walking inside cages. Kuroko guessed that those must belong to other wolves that were trapped as well. Since it was so dark and cold, he didn't know what time of the day it was as well. Was the sun up? Or was it night? The humans did leave so Kuroko supposed that it was night.

Even if it was daytime, there was nothing for him to do but rest. His injury was slowly healing but it was very slow. Kuroko laid down, resting until a sound interrupted him.

"Oi... Oi... So can you really fight?" Kuroko's ears perked up when he heard the unfamiliar voice. Was it one of the guards? No... He didn't hear anything outside which could only mean that the voice was communicating with him though his mind.

Kuroko looked around to see if any other wolf was looking right at him but none across the way were. It must be someone next to him. "Depends on who's asking and why I guess..." If it was a wolf who loved fighting, Kuroko would rather not involve himself in a meaningless fight.

"Huh? What kind of an answer is that?" The wolf grumbled but then yawned, "I guess I should introduce myself first. The name's Aomine Daiki, a wolf just like you."

"...My name's Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko told the other wolf, Aomine. "Why were you asking if I could fight? I mean, you don't... Wanna fight, right?"

The other wolf grumbled once again, "Man... The newbies are annoying..." He spoke under his breath before speaking to Kuroko again, "I'm a wolf that's fighting in the ring. I fight in order to entertain the wealthy humans, and before you say anything, no, I have no interest in fighting against you. That is... If you don't appear before me in the ring."

"Well you're not going to see me because I'm not staying." Kuroko growled. There was no way he was going to stay here long. "I have a family to get back to. I can't stay here, and I don't plan to." Now that he thought about it... "How long have you been here then?"

"Heh! You think you can escape that easily? If it was easy then I would have been long gone!" Aomine sat up, looking at the wall beside his cage. He could feel that the newbie was behind it, "I've been here for a year now, forced to fight against my will. I like your spirit but sorry to break it to you, there's no way you can escape by yourself. If you were to somehow get out, it would be a miracle."

"I have to! I have to get back to my mother. I promised her." He stood up to test his paw. Still sore and a little painful, but it was better than before. He slowly paced around his cell, growling to himself. "Humans aren't going to stop me. I only got caught because I didn't watch where I was going. I'm not gonna become some lap dog... breeding pups for them... Makes me sick just thinking of it."

"So they wanna make you breed? Man, you're really unlucky." The wolf said before standing up to sit a bit closer to the wall, "Breeding is the worst sector you could be assigned to. I've seen some wolves that went to breed but as soon as their pups were born, they've lost their minds. The humans took their pups away, leaving the two parents in anguish. Then they would make them breed again, taking the children again and again. Trust me, breeding is the true heart of this hell."

"And it's only because of my fur." Kuroko told Aomine. He limped over to the wall where he just knew Aomine was on the other side of and laid down. "Thinking just because I have pretty fur, all I'm useful for is breeding... Can't wait to see their faces when I run far away from here, leaving them in the dust." He muttered, laying his head down. "That guy actually thinks fear and violence will make me listen." He'd rather die than listen to him, but he can't die yet. He had to get back to his mother.

"You have white fur? That's rare! I never saw a fellow wolf with white fur! Your name was Kuro... Kuro... Kuroko Tetsushi? Mind if I call you Tetsu for short? This way it's easier." Aomine smiled to himself, "I like your spirit Tetsu but as I said, you can't escape by yourself. You think I didn't try? I'm the champion of the ring! If anyone had the biggest chance of escape then it would be me! But since I'm still here, you can see that there is no escape."

"It's Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko corrected him then sighed. Aomine, if he was telling the truth, was the strongest wolf and yet he's been here for a year... "I'm not trying to sound rude, but it doesn't take just strength to get out... I need a plan." He was good at strategizing. He should be able to think of some way out.

He hesitated as he glanced to the wall next to him. A year is a long time... "Do you have someone to return to? If you ever get out... is there anyone who's waiting for you?"

"Someone to return to..." The other wolf was silent for a bit, lowering his head in thought before looking up again, "I was captured because I was trying to protect someone. We were both ambushed but then I tried to fight them all, managing to take more than half of the hunters down. The tranquilizers took me down but I still had to protect my precious someone and so I ran as fast as I could with them to make sure they escape. We managed to run quite a distance before I fell unconscious but I know that the person I wanted to protect had escaped." Thinking about it now, a year had passed since then...

"The one I was trying to protect... Was my mate... Up to this day, I don't know if he's safe and it makes me furious." Aomine growled so loudly that even Kuroko could hear it from his cage.

A precious person... of course it was a mate. Kuroko looked down in thought. Did Aomine really miss his mate? As much as Kuroko missed his mother? Or did he... long to see his mate even more? Mates were very important to wolves yet... Kuroko never experienced it before... It's only ever been him and his mother.

"If I escape... I'll try to break you out too." Kuroko told Aomine. "I don't know what it's like to miss a mate, but if you miss them as much as Ai miss my mother, it must be awful. So I'll try to bust you out too. I promise."

Aomine's growls lessened but only when he heard Kuroko's voice again, "Huh? You don't have a mate?" He asked in surprise, "Are you a young pup then? Or maybe you didn't reach the age yet?" Oh how he wished to see this new wolf. Aomine wanted to see his white fur and his appearance as well because appearance does say a lot about someone, "How old are you anyway?"

"...I'm an adult." Kuroko gave a straight face even though Aomine couldn't see him. Did he sound young or something?! "I'm just not in a rush! That's all..." He pouted, at least as much as a wolf could. "More important stuff to focus on, like surviving."

"Huh... That's fine if you think this way. I ain't gonna stop you, just know that you're missing out." He told the other as he stretched. He couldn't remember the last time he ran through the forest freely... No, actually he could. The sweet memories of his mate were still there. He held onto them like nothing ever before, trying his hardest not to forget because it was the image of his mate that brought him happiness in this dark place.

"I might be wrong but you really do sound young. You say that you're an adult but could it be that you became one not long ago?" Aomine just couldn't shake off this gut feeling, plus when he gets a feeling like this, it's usually spot on.

"...N-No..." Kuroko didn't want Aomine to think he really was just some pup! "I've been an adult for... a couple of months..." Almost half a year since his birthday is in January. "But its really felt longer than that... since my father got killed, I felt like I had to grow up quickly to protect my mother..."

So he was a youngster! His instincts were spot on! Although when he heard about Kuroko's father, Aomine looked towards the wall, "Sorry about your loss Tetsu." Even though he had to admit that he wasn't as surprised. In the world they live in, situations like these were common, "So then you got caught and your mother escaped? Kind of reminds me of my situation but instead of my mother, I had my mate."

"Yeah... I just want to get back to her. I know she can handle herself but... I just want to know she's safe, you know?" Kuroko lifted his head again. He wished they could talk face to face... "What's your mate like?" He decided to ask.

"He whines and talks constantly. He's clumsy too so I tell him off a lot." But Kuroko was confused by the other's description. Why would he talk like that about his mate? "But even though he's like that I still love him. I love all of him, to the way he cooks and even the way he scolds me when I eat his share of the meat. Hah! Just thinking about him makes me nostalgic! I wish I could see him."

"Well, soon you will. Because I will get out of here, and I'm taking you with me." Determination was evident in his voice. "I'm not going to let these people walk over me. They wont get the best of me, and nor will they to you anymore."

"I like your spirit but I won't believe it until I see it. I tried to make a run for it a couple of times but they've stopped me each and every time. Tetsu, you didn't come out of your cage yet so you don't know what tight security they got here." It's like a prison no one can escape; "Newbies are always like this, that is until they experience this place for themselves."

"I don't care how tight the security is! Don't you want to get back to your mate? That should be enough motivation to get you to always plan an escape." Kuroko pointed out. "I'm never going to give up trying to escape, even if it's hard or seems impossible. I have someone waiting for me and I'm not going to leave them behind for a year or longer."

But as Kuroko said those words, he heard another angry growl coming from the other wolf, "And you think I wanted to!? You don't know anything so shut up!" Aomine stood up, stomping in place before making his way to the other side of his cage. Right now he was more than pissed, "You're lucky I can't see you." He said under his breath before laying down again. He wasn't willing to talk to the newbie any longer.

Well, Kuroko can't say he expected that kind of reaction... He slowly stood up and moved away from the wall as well, making his way to the other side of his prison. He sighed as he laid down. He had the opportunity to make an ally, but it looks like he ruined it.

Kuroko felt that an opportunity had slipped him by but even if he wanted, he couldn't go back. Hopefully as time goes by, he will be able to figure out how to escape from this place.

All Kuroko did was lay down, looking at the door to see if anyone would come in. He did see a couple of humans come by but that was just so that they could look at his fur as if he was some kind of an attraction. Some admired his fur while others teased him in pity. Hah! Soon enough he would escape this place so he wouldn't have to listen to this trash talk.

Apart from that, Haizaki came back as well but Kuroko expected that. The tamer tried to make him succumb but the wolf wouldn't have it. He evaded all of Haizaki's attacks, not giving in a single bit. The silver head did grow more and more irritated by the minute so as punishment he told the white wolf that he wouldn't eat anything at all. It wasn't as if he ate since he came here but apparently it was suppose to make Kuroko weaker until in the end he gives in.

Luckily he did receive water, although with the constant running around with Haizaki, Kuroko did get hungry. He was craving meat to the point that it hurt, laying down in his cage night after night, dreaming of deer that were running around in the woods. Oh... How he wished to chase them and eat them.

"Yo! How're you doing pup? Did you miss me?" Haizaki greeted as he came in the next morning, a huge smirk on his face.

The white wolf glanced up at Haizaki with a small glare. He honestly didn't feel like dealing with him. He actually did feel a little weak without food and honestly didn't want to fight any time soon on an empty stomach.

He held in a sigh as he slowly stood up and faced Haizaki. He still couldn't give in though, no matter how tired or hungry he was. His freedom was on the line.

"So you did miss me? I'm glad~" The tamer teased, placing down his equipment before picking up a sword and going over to open the door of the cage. Kuroko's eyes were on the silver head, glued onto him should he try to do something. The tamer got into the cage, closing the door behind him, "Now then, how should I play with you today?"

Kuroko growled in response but soon after he did he heard a new voice near the cage, "Is this a part of your tactic Shougo?" The voice surprised both Kuroko and Haizaki who turned to look at the new figure. The person was standing in the shadows until he stepped forward to reveal himself.

"What're you doing here!? This is my prey!" Haizaki raised his voice with a grumble, clearly not liking the presence of the other person. Meanwhile the mysterious man's eyes moved onto Kuroko, their orbs meeting, "The higher-ups are not content with your progress at all. They wish for the white wolf to be tamed as soon as possible, not within a year."

"Shut it! A true tamer needs his sweet time!" Haizaki hit the cage with his sword as if to prove a point, "Just you watch! I'll tame the wolf right here and now! You'll bear witness to that!" Haizaki claimed while unknown person smirked.

Who was this person Haizaki seemed to dislike? It's like they know each other... And how did he even get in unnoticed? It must be because Kuroko was exhausted... This wasn't good at all. He had to get his strength back somehow!

Haizaki pulled up his sword, facing Kuroko once again, "Come here pup! Today is the day I tame you!" He claimed as he slowly made his way towards Kuroko. All the while the two were in the cage, two sharp eyes were watching their every move.

Kuroko warily looked at Haizaki but his attention kept going back to the mysterious figure. How he managed to get in without him noticing amazed him. Even with a weakened body, he should have noticed... Then again, a lot of people came to watch Haizaki try to tame him nearly every day.

He noticed they were wearing a long coat in doors. A trenchcoat perhaps. But still, why indoors? That's odd...

Before he could focus on the man more; he noticed Haizaki was getting closer. Now was not the time for distraction! He had to focus on Haizaki now!

"You're mine!" Haizaki used the chance now that Kuroko was distracted to attack, swinging his sword up and down. Kuroko quickly moved to evade but unfortunately he wasn't fast enough as the sword lightly scraped him from the side. He panted, looking down at his small cut. The sword seemed to be made out of silver so the cut would take a while to heal as well.

"Hah! Got ya! Looks like you're out of energy." Haizaki grinned, finally glad to see a bit of progress. However, this won't be everything he does. He had a goal to tame the wolf today after all.

Feeling a bit aggravated by the cut, Kuroko growled at Haizaki. Only managing to hurt him when he's weak! How could Haizaki feel accomplishment from that?

With a bark, he flung his body at Haizaki. However he didn't have as much strength anymore so he didn't knock him over like planned. All Haizaki did was stumble a little. With a snarl, Kuroko stepped back again to take the defensive position. How he wished he could just get rid of Haizaki but he absolutely hated senseless killing...

"Aww~ Did I hurt your feelings? Come on, we're pals aren't we?" Haizaki provoked, playing tough now that a certain someone was watching. He swung his sword up on his shoulder, looking at Kuroko proudly. He said he would get the job done today and so he didn't waste time to run towards the wolf, this time trying to attack him from the side.

Whoever the mystery person was, Kuroko was a little thankful they were there. Usually Haizaki would be more focused but now that the mystery man showed up, he seemed more confident. That means Haizaki was less observant. That gave Kuroko his opportunity to strike.

As Haizaki moved for his side, Kuroko suddenly ducked under the sword. Now that all of Haizaki's weight was off balance with the swing, Kuroko pushed back up and bit into the arm holding the sword. Using your opponent's weight against them was a tactic anyone who fought should know. It was easy to bring Haizaki down that way.

"Waaa!" The tamer screamed in pain, trying to shove Kuroko off him. Since he was just a weak human though, Haizaki had no chance of moving the wolf at all, even if he was weakened. Luckily Kuroko was a gentle wolf and so he let Haizaki go, opening his jaws up before stepping away.

He watched as the hunter grumbled in pain, blood pouring down from his arm. Although while Haizaki was in pain, the mysterious person seemed to be delighted, "Ohh~" He watched in amusement as the silver head tamer looked up at Kuroko. This wolf... This was the one wolf he hated more than any other. If he could, he would have his head! Rather than playing with him like this, he would shoot him with thousand silver bullets directly into his heart!

With a glare, more venomous and hateful than any other, Haizaki slowly stood up to walk towards the cage door. With his weak body, he managed to open the door and leave the cage, getting out of the wolf's territory. What humiliation! To be taken down like this... But even so, Haizaki would never use a gun or a sleeping dart. He had his pride on the line here!

"That was quite the spectacle Shougo, congratulations."

"Shut up!" Haizaki turned towards the other man, more than irritated, "You think it's that easy? This dumb mutt is agile as shit! You wouldn't be able to hit him either!" He challenged, panting from exhaustion while the other man folded his arms, "Is that a challenge? If so then allow me to accept it." He stepped forward, revealing himself in the light completely for Kuroko to see.

Wow... This guy was pretty eccentric looking. Blood red hair, different colored eyes of red and gold. His smirk was pretty unsettling too. If he wasn't afraid of Kuroko after witnessing that fight, he was either stupid, over confident, or... Pretty smart.

Kuroko watched the redhead closely as he stood in his cell, still in defensive mode. He didn't like the looks of him. He sounded so confident despite seeing Haizaki's attempts. Well, whatever. He wasn't going to give in to anyone, and that includes this weird redhead.

The said hunter approached the cage, taking off his trench coat to reveal an elegant black jumper he had under it. However, what Kuroko noticed right away was his belt which was decorated with all kinds of different knives. Looking at them all made Kuroko shiver.

What the hunter did next surprised Kuroko even more as he began taking off his belt as well. Haizaki watched in confusion, "Oi! What do you think you're doing?" He asked the other who didn't reply. Instead he proceeded to take off his other weapons, which were hidden in different places of his clothing.

When he took off all of his weapons, the redhead reached out into his trench coat, taking out a bag that was hidden under it. When he picked it up, Kuroko's nose twitched. It was inevitable that a wolf's nose would pick up the smell of meat, especially the nose of a starving wolf.

"Do you wanna die!?" Haizaki asked while the redhead began opening the door of the cage. He walked in, looking right ahead at Kuroko, "There's no need to use violence on such a gentle wolf. I know that you haven't been fed since you came here and so I came here to relieve you of your misery."

Relieve him of his misery... Or try to tame him.

Kuroko growled lowly. He didn't trust this hunter. He did say he'd accept Haizaki's challenge to tame him after all. This had to be some trick.

However it appears he wasn't the only one growling. He thought it was another wolf at first but then was shocked when he noticed it was his own stomach. How could his own stomach betray him? Just the smell of the meat made his stomach hurt. He was so hungry... But he had to resist! It had to be a trick!

The white wolf backed up a little, continuing to growl. Would it be worth it to starve? No, surely they wouldn't let him die. They wanted his fur after all. So no matter how hungry he was... He had to resist...

"I apologise for my rudeness. Let me introduce myself first." The man slightly bowed as one would when introducing themselves to a person, "My name is Akashi Seijuro and I'm a tamer. I'm well known among my ranks and so I tend to observe others to see if they're performing their task as efficiently as they can." He straightened up to look into Kuroko's eyes, "I know that my position as a tamer may intimidate you but I hope that despite that we will be able to get along. Instead of chasing you like an animal, I'd prefer if I could give you this meat."

Akashi extended his hand with which he was holding the meat towards Kuroko, "I respect your kind greatly. I know you're not an animal and so I won't treat you as one."

Respect?! How could he respect them if he locked them in cages to make them do what he wanted?! He knows they're not animals either? He won't treat them as one? What was locking him up showing then? That they thought of them as nothing more than animals!

If he really didn't want to treat him as an animal, he would have served the meat on a plate. And had it cooked! Although Kuroko wasn't picky. He actually preferred it raw. It was juicy that way. And that meat in Akashi's hands did look juicy and delicious...

Kuroko shook his head and took another step back. No, he couldn't give in! No! He wouldn't give in!

Akashi noticed the white wolf take another step back but he didn't mind. Unlike the wolf though, he stood his ground, not willing to intimidate the wolf if he does move, "It seems that as a new wolf, you're still unfamiliar with the role of tamers within this facility. Let me explain." He lowered the meat for a bit, "The task that we are given is to help your kind adjust to this facility. I know it may sound ridiculous since your kind is imprisoned here but if you look at it from our point of you, all we're trying to do it help you."

Kuroko growled at those words but Akashi continued, "I didn't imprison you nor was I the one who caught you in the wild. It is the hunter association that wishes you harm. It's one of the most powerful organisations in the world, profiting by capturing and using your kind. Now as a way to ease your pain, I'm here to help you survive in this predicament you're in."

Akashi's eyes didn't waver as he raised up the meat again. "If possible, I would like you to see me as an ally rather than a foe. All I'd like to do is help you. If you believe me or not is entirely up to you."

It is entirely up to Kuroko, and he still didn't believe Akashi. All for their own good... Hah. Yeah right. Forced labor and breeding was for their own good. If he bred pups, having his pups taken away would be for his own good. Dying in battles that weren't his was for his own good too. Yeah, he totally believed that.

He winced a little as his stomach sent another sharp hunger pain through him. He was so starved. He needed food...

Kuroko looked at Akashi suspiciously. He didn't want to get anywhere close to him. He looked directly at the bag then tilted his head down, signalling for Akashi to put the meat down. That way if Akashi suddenly lunged at him, he'd have enough time to move away.

The tamer smirked, taking a step forward before taking the meat out of the bag. He placed it down on the ground in a pile before taking a couple of steps away from the meat. He looked up at Kuroko again, "Please, help yourself."

That smirk definitely did not help Kuroko trust Akashi. But he was super hungry so he'd play along for now. He cautiously moved closer until he was close enough to get the meat. He leaned down and bit into the meat. Before he ate though, he backed up a few steps while dragging the food. Only then did he begin to eat the food. Oh it's been so long since he ate... It felt good to have food in his stomach again!

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. I'm glad." Akashi observed as the wolf ate, although he didn't move or show any signs of attacking. How strange... "Hopefully with this you'll understand that I mean no harm."

Then why was he still in the cage? Kuroko didn't like that at all. He growled again and moved even further away to continue eating. There was no way Akashi wasn't in here without a reason.

Once he finished up the meat, Kuroko gave a slight yawn. He must be tired... He didn't get any good sleep with his empty stomach after all. However when he felt like he didn't even have the strength to stand anymore, forcing him to lay down, he knew this wasn't normal sleepiness. Why could he hardly move? Why was he...

Kuroko quickly looked up at Akashi and tried to growl. He knew it. It had been a trick! Did he put something in the food? But Kuroko thought he didn't smell anything... Then again, he was so hungry; all he could smell was the meat.

Fully content, Akashi finally made his way towards Kuroko, kneeling down beside him even though Kuroko was growling under his breath. It seems that the effects of the drugs have kicked in. Akashi moved his hand to touch the wolf, softly stroking his fur, "You're such a shy and withdrawn wolf. I apologise but I had no other choice than to approach you this way. This was the only option as to not harm you."

Not harm him? He can do anything to him now! And Kuroko... Would be too weak to do anything... Kuroko struggled to move his legs, trying to get up but he could hardly move. His head laid down, too heavy to keep up. Ugh... He didn't like this one bit...

"Che!" Haizaki who was watching grumbled, not liking that someone else had taken down his prey. Placing sleeping drugs into the meat? Why didn't he think of it before? Now he just seemed dumb while this bastard will take all the credit!

"Shougo, give me the muzzle and the collar." Akashi stood up, walking to the edge of the cage where Haizaki was. The other tamer narrowed his eyes but never the less complied, grabbing the two items before throwing them to the other. Akashi caught them before walking back to Kuroko again.

"This is for your own good." First he gently picked up Kuroko's head to place the collar around his neck. Once that was in place he took the muzzle, placing it on Kuroko's snout. Finally the two things Kuroko was suppose to have since day one were on him.

The wolf was powerless to defend himself again it, Akashi stroking his fur once again, "To cover such beautiful fur with dirt, what a waste."

Again with his fur! All they cared about was his white fur. That's all anyone cared about!

Why did he have to give in to his stomach? He should have known the meat would've been tampered with. But still, Akashi lied. And he continued to lie. He kept saying it's for his own good while he made it harder for him to escape!

His body squirmed just a tiny bit, his attempt at trying to get away from Akashi. The muzzle was uncomfortable and the collar made him feel sick. Collars meant something owned you... He hated that.

So this was it? The white wolf finally had a collar on... Good for him! Haizaki couldn't stand to watch anymore and so he made his leave. Akashi may have placed a collar on the mutt but he would be the one to tame him fully! He made that promise to the mutt when he first came in and he would keep it!

Akashi glanced at the exit, noticing Haizaki leave. His lips curved, turning back to look down at Kuroko. The poor werewolf was so weak... How innocent~ "If I hadn't placed the muzzle and the collar on you now, then you would have faced much more hardship in the future. Who knows what kind of a tamer would get their hands on you."

Yeah, but at least some other tamer probably wouldn't have lied. Or used such cheap tactics to get him to stay still for the collar and muzzle. Did they not understand that they weren't just livestock? That they had feelings and family too? They weren't just animals, yet they were treated as such.

Kuroko didn't even growl anymore. He was too tired. However that didn't stop him from giving Akashi a death glare. He'd never trust a tamer like Akashi. Never.

"Hoo~" The redhead looked down at Kuroko's glare, more than satisfied with it. Such hatred and fury... It was amusing! But before he would leave the wolf alone, there was something he had to check, "While you're like this, let me see a bit more of your fur." He placed both of his hands on Kuroko's body, stroking his fur around his body as if searching for something.

It's not like Kuroko had much of a choice anymore. He couldn't even growl any longer. He could barely move any of his limbs. Not even his tail. All he could do was glare at Akashi as if he was the scum of the earth. If looks could kill, Akashi would surely be dead.

How strange... No matter how much he looked, Akashi couldn't find what he was looking for. He brushed the fur of Kuroko's chest, stomach, back and even legs but it was nowhere to be seen. Could it be that this white wolf is... "I see, so you're a young wolf. Could it be that you didn't reach adulthood yet?" The tamer wondered but then shook his head, "That can't be the case. You do have a body of a fully grown adult which could only mean that you've reached adulthood not long ago." That was the only answer he thought of.

"Interesting." If that was the case then it was no wonder that the wolf didn't have what he was searching for. The redhead stood up, knowing the wolf didn't have it, "I don't think you're the one but that doesn't mean that I won't keep an eye on you." He looked down at Kuroko once more, his smirk on his face as he turned around, "I'll be sure to praise you in front of the higher-ups. However, until I confirm that you're not the one, I can guarantee that you won't be placed into breeding. Of course, I suppose you won't believe my words at all. Suit yourself." The redhead made his way out of the cage, picking up his things before putting them back on.

"I'll see you again. Until we meet again." And as mysteriously as he appeared, so did he disappear.

He was right, he doesn't believe him. He just examined his fur after all! And he even said he didn't have something because he just went into adult hood. That could mean a lot of things! What could he mean?

Great... Now he had one of his weapons taken away as well as some of his pride. All because his stupid stomach got in the way of his judgment. He wished he never ate that stupid food...

Kuroko remained still for quite some time and only when about an hour had passed did he begin to feel some parts of his body again. The drug's effects must be wearing down... But for now he still had to lay down in defeat. If only he could change just that one moment of eating the meat, everything would have been different.

"Got the muzzle and collar huh?" Kuroko's ears perked up when he heard Aomine's voice from the other side of the wall.

Huh, he thought Aomine was supposed to be ignoring him. "I was an idiot... I couldn't believe I ate the food..." Kuroko grumbled. "Yeah, I did though. It sucks..." It's humiliating.

"You would've got it anyway." The other wolf sighed, "There was no escape. If it was that guy, then there was no escape for you." He said, his voice sounding tired.

"That guy... Do you know that tamer? Is he the one who tamed you?" Kuroko asked. Was he some kind of big time tamer or something? What luck.

"Well yeah, he-" Aomine began but then stopped mid-sentence. There was silence until he spoke up again, "Apologise first." He said suddenly.

A-Apologize? For what? Letting Akashi put the collar on him or something? There was no way he could stop that! "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." The wolf's tired voice gained a bit of strength, "Apologise for what you said yesterday."

"For what I said..." He had just been trying to urge Aomine to keep trying! Did he really take it to offense? "I'm sorry? I was just trying to help... I thought you gave up escaping or something so I was trying to..."

"You're really dumb." The other didn't hold back on his words, "How could I ever give up going back to my mate? You really have a few screws loose." To even think about it... This newbie has no idea how precious of a bond he has with his mate!

"The way you spoke about how impossible it was to escape, I thought you gave up, that's all..." Kuroko sighed. It's not like he knew how it felt to be apart from your mate. All he had was his mother after all.

"I said it was impossible if you do it alone!" The wolf grumbled, "Idiot." He knew there was no way of escaping but he still had hope of seeing his mate! Of course he would! "Look, it's boring in here okay? Rather than getting on each other's bad side, how about you just apologise so that we can at least talk. I'm dying of boredom here." Plus they could exchange valuable information if they talk.

Kuroko looked over to the wall, knowing Aomine was just on the other side. It wouldn't be good to be alone in a place like this... Having allies and friends would be helpful. And pretty nice. He won't feel lonely... "Alright, I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"You're forgiven." And that was that, now they could finally be proactive and do something useful rather than laying around all day, "But man, I do feel like I'm talking to a kid. Takes me back~"

"I'm not a kid!" Kuroko insisted with a tiny pout. Well, he probably looked like one now with the way he was pouting... "And what do you mean it takes you back? Did you talk to pups often? That sounds weird." He joked.

"I did have pups in my pack! There's nothing wrong with that!" Aomine defended, "But what I mean by that is that you remind me of myself. Back when I was younger, I was also like you, not knowing much about the world. Now that I'm grown up though, I learned many things."

"...You had pups in your pack?" Kuroko asked, now curious. "Were they yours? Or someone else's?" He asked then paused. "Wait, you were in a pack?"

"Of course!" The other wolf could already feel a new stream of questions coming in, "I was a lone wolf but when I found my mate it all changed. My mate was a part of a pack and so I joined them. There were many wolves there but none had pups yet. I don't have any as well since my mate and I aren't ready for them yet. We wanna enjoy life a bit more you know?" But it wasn't like they were enjoying life now... Not while Aomine was in a cage and his mate being who knows where...

He had a mate and also a pack? Another thing Kuroko didn't have. He was really curious... "What's it like being in a pack? What's your pack like? How do packs work?"

"Huh? You don't know? Don't tell me you're a lone wolf?" He did say he had his mother but that was strange. Since wolves are becoming endangered, they usually stuck together in packs, "W-Well... It's pretty cool. You're never alone and there is always someone to help you out. Sometimes the pack can be troublesome though, bothering me when I wanna sleep and take a nap." That happened a lot...

"We go hunting together and do all sorts of things. We also watch out for one another, looking out for hunters. It's much easier when you're in a pack because you don't have to be on guard all the time." The responsibility is shared.

They didn't have to be on guard all the time? "B-But... how did you get captured then? You said you were with your mate at the time, right? What happened to your pack?" Kuroko asked. Where was his pack? They were supposed to help right?

Aomine sighed, lowering his head, "My mate and I separated from the pack for a bit. We wanted to have some alone time because when you're in a pack, you rarely get that." That was their biggest mistake, one Aomine still regrets, "That's when they attacked us." At their weakest, "I don't know what happened to the pack or my mate, but I know he escaped."

So even for a moment of separation, they got caught... It seemed unfair. And no privacy? Well, maybe that's not so bad since in return, you get safety. "I've never been apart of a pack before... it's always just been me and my mother. Before that, when my father was still around, that was it. We were never in a pack since we've avoided everything... Wolves and humans. It was always just us so... we could never let our guard down. And yet I still got caught."

No pack at all? Never? Well... Aomine was alone as well but he was with his parents in a pack. They weren't alone, "Why? Is there a reason for it?"

Kuroko was silent as he thought about the question. Why? He could ask himself the same thing. He understood avoiding humans, but why did he ignore wolves too? "...I guess it was my fault. I was too protective of mother and... I didn't want anything to happen to her. So I thought "nothing can happen if it's just us". I guess it's my fault I got captured since I didn't let us seek out a pack..."

"Heh! Are you serious!? No wonder you got caught then! How did you think that you could survive without a pack!? Don't you know that the humans have surpassed us?" The hunter became the hunted! "But I guess you're too young to make decisions like that."

"Well it's hard, okay? Being forced to grow up quickly to protect yourself and someone else... I didn't have the luxury to feel safe. It must've been so easy with a pack. It's not easy to make split second decisions when hunters are right on your tail." Kuroko growled. "I'm tired of this. This... surviving stuff. I don't want to survive, I want to live! I'm tired of looking over my shoulder every five seconds."

"I know how you feel." All werewolves are in the same predicament, being in a pack just makes it a bit easier, "All this talk is making me depressed." Thinking about his pack made him miss them more and more, "Let's talk about your 'plans' of getting out of here. So what did you come up with sherlock?"

"It's not easy when I haven't seen any where in this place other than this cell." The white wolf sighed. "You've been taken out of your cage to fight, right? What have you seen? Can you describe any place you've seen?"

"Well..." It won't be as hopeful as Kuroko expects it to be, "There are just dark corridors around. No light at all." He explained but then remembered something, "But you can ask that guy to take you out. He took me out a couple of times as well. The fresh air was really nice."

That guy... "You mean the redhead?" Kuroko asked with surprise. Ask him to go outside? A tamer? What, should he also scratch on a door like a dog wanting to go out? "Wait, do you mean... "Ask" ask? Did you turn human before him to ask?" Kuroko would never reveal his identity like that! What if he did escape and try to blend with the humans? He'd be spotted instantly.

"Ugh..." More questions, "If I tell you, don't freak out or anything like that, alright?" He knows that it will sound weird but that's what happened, "I... did turn... But only once! He treats me differently than others and so I thought I could trust him. I still think that way."

"Are you serious?" Kuroko slowly sat up in his cell. Ah, some of his strength returned... He looked at the wall again, unsure about what to say or even think. Wasn't Aomine telling him he should have been more cautious and now he's saying he turned in front of a tamer?! "And you say I can't make decisions? Even I know that's reckless."

"I-I know! I know it's reckless and idiotic but at the time I felt like it was the right choice. I've been here for a year so I got used to some things. I got to know a couple of tamers but Akashi was different. At the beginning he did the same thing to me, giving me food and then checking out my fur to see if he could find the mark. He does that with all the newbies." Aomine explained.

"But then as days passed by, I came to see him in another way. He actually did treat me like a human, unlike the rest. he gave me food behind the backs of others and even took me out to the yard! I didn't smell the breeze of fresh air in a while! I was really glad to finally get out, at least for a little bit." You can't blame him for that.

Fresh air... the breeze... How long has Kuroko been in the cell? With no Windows visible anywhere, it was hard to tell what time of day it was. How long will he stay in his prison? With hardly any food and water... no room to run... He couldn't live healthy like this.

But to give up his human identity just to ask for a few minutes of air? Was that a good trade when the price was his freedom to hide as a human?

"I don't... think I can do that. I never showed others my human side." Only his mother knows both his wolf and human identity. "It's too much of a risk. If... when I escape from here, it's best to have something to fall back on."

That was understandable, "You don't have to show him your human form. I made a deal with him so that when I do certain things, he would know what I want. For example, if I wanna go out, I raise my left paw." It did sound as if he was a dog but... Kuroko will understand in due time. Just how horrifying this place is...

Kuroko looked down at his left paw. So he really did have to act like an animal to get any "respect". Unbelievable. "And what other stuff do you do? Do you wag your tail whenever you want food too? Beg for water?" He muttered under his breath, laying his body back down.

"Don't make fun of me." Aomine growled, "Fine, I won't tell you anything else then. Just wanted to help and this is what I get." Kuroko really is the type that likes to argue.

He did it again. He keeps making Aomine mad... "I'm sorry again, I just... I don't like the thought of having to rely on them. I don't want to wag my tail like a dog to get any treatment around here. If we don't do what they want, they punish us. Like animals..."

"And you think I don't feel the same way?" Who does he think he is? A tamed pup? "I do everything in order to survive. I have someone waiting for me so I don't plan on dying here. If I have to wag my puny tail to get a chance of escaping, then I'll do it. I don't care about what you do or what you plan to do but I'll do it. I'll do anything to see my mate again." It's not like they had a choice at this point.

Well... that is true... Kuroko wouldn't want to die here before he got to see his mother again. He had to make sure she was safe. But to act like nothing more than a beast... "Maybe you're right... I'll... I'll remember what you've told me... Thank you for the information." If he could see how to get outside... it'll be a step closer to freedom.

"Don't let it go to waste. I'm giving you a chance to plan the escape." It's not like he believed in Kuroko but he would help the newbie out. If by some miracle he really does manage to escape, he wants to tag along.

Author notes

KurokoTetsuya101: Okay! So before anyone says anything, let me explain! ;3; We had A LOT of PROBLEMS writing this story so it may not be our best work. We began writing this sometime in April/May and we did well until summer began. Someone began to work *ehem* *coughs* So we didn't rp at all in June or July. We had huge time margins so we fell out of the game very often ;3; I can't even tell u how many times I forgot what I was writing about... :( But still! This story has it's own spirit and it's own tale to tell! We hope that you'll like it never the less! After this we plan to write something different so we hope you're ready for it~ XD

Thank you for your patience and we hope that we won't let you down :) As usual, this story will be updated weekly! :D See you next week!

The Lucky Bell: This story will also be a bit short... kinda. I don't think it's that long... but anyway, this one is definitely getting updated more than the other wolf one... so please be patient with us :3

This story is updated weekly.