Chapter Text
Sunoo holds his breath as he hides behind a bush, reddish cloak blending flawlessly to the bush's dry and brittle folliage. Finally, after months of borrowing himself underneath Dango-San, he's about to take his first kill for Spring.
His mouth waters at the thought of tasting fresh sweet blood and juicy flesh. Hear the squeaks of mercy from his prey as he sunks his sharp fangs on their neck. And watch as life drain from their pleading eyes.
His eyes immediately sparkles when he sees a grey bunny. The little thing scrunches its nose, paws up in the air trying to smell the potential dangers lurking nearby, as it hesitantly approaches those few juicy berries laid on the straw covered ground.
Sunoo could've eaten those mouthfull of berries for himself. But how could those few sweet calories suffice his hunger, when he can use them as bait instead? A meal that's surely more satisfying to replenish months of famish in his body.
He thought of rodents and birds as he laid those straw covering to the mouth of the pit that he dug himself this morning. And who would've thought a rabbit would present itself right to his platter. A rabbit's fat is enough to last him for a week so he's really grateful when the little fluffball brought itself to it's doom. It seems like luck is on his side today that not even an ounce of guilt can stop the saliva from dripping out of his mouth.
He's so hungry that he had to stop himself from pouncing at the rabbit right away. It could either be a meal or nothing at all. Patience, he thought himself.
Sunoo is still young, but he sure was smart as hell. He lived far from his relatives but he could outsmart those predators and fend himself from viscious hunters.
He was born with human-like features despite having a fox's ears, a red bushy tail, fangs and claws with the wild instincts of a red fox. People call them hybrids, but because he was the runt of his litter, the only Omega male among the kits. His own bloodline cast him off their home when he was deemed old enough to hunt for his own food.
The world was cruel for young Sunoo but it thought him things beyond the comfort of his family's home. The world can be harsh sometimes, but the freedom he has made him witness the beauty and wonders of the world even in solitude. Growing up all alone taught him to be strong and sly.
If you belong at the bottom part of the food chain, you have to atleast give a fight before giving up.
His ears twitched in excitement when the rabbit finally munches on the first berry. It's only a matter of time until the little creature finish the whole fruit before moving to the other one placed closer to the center of the pit.
Closer, a little bit closer.
When the rabbit was almost near the center, Sunoo silently crouched his way amongst the bushes, careful not to touch the brittle twigs that may make noises. Rabbits are easily startled. They might be small but they can easily spring away from their predators trap in one wrong move.
Lucky enough, the still clueless little prey's back was facing Sunoo. The hybrid's nose was just a few inches shy from touching its grey fur.
So when the rabbit sensed something from its back it squeaked a startled cry. It springs up in surprise making the thin piles of hay underneath its paws part upon the impact of its weight.
Sunoo chuckles as he watch his meal finally fall into the pit. The depth of the pit trap only reaches Sunoo's waist. It was not too deep but it was still high enough for the prey's height to prevent it from escaping.
The hybrid then jumps at the pit he made. He grabs the bunny's ears as its hind legs kicks in the air, struggling and squeaking in fear. His meal squeaks in his claws and faints right on his hold, its eyes still wide open in terror. Poor rabbits, they have weak hearts.
Sunoo puts the bunny on his hunting bag and was about to leave the scene when he heard a low growl behind him.
Oh good lord, not today.
He slowly turns his body around. He tried to stop his limbs from trembling, but to no avail. His eyes cautiously peeks on the side, thinking of ways to outsmart whatever beast awaits him from behind.
He freezes and grins nervously when he's meet with a large grey snout. The said Beast snarling before him, it's gums and fangs sticking out as saliva run down its grey chin.
His eyes sways in dizziness as he meets a pair of yellow orbs. Its gaze peircing and determined. But his eyes stops to the beast's other eye. There's a potruding trace of an old but deep scar running from it's upper eyelid down to it's cheek. It's so long that it almost reached it's neck.
Wolve's usually hunt in packs, but this huge one's all by himself. He couldn't sense any other wolves in this area either.
This one's a Rogue Wolf!
At that very moment Sunoo felt his legs give out. He releases a shaky breath as he slumps down on the pit he dug himself.
He never felt this scared and hopeless all his life. Sure he had countless times of near-death experiences with hunters and few encounters with packs of wolves in the woods. But today feels like he needs to bade a final goodbye to this forest. And worst, in an empty stomach.
Great, Iooks like I won't be able to eat my last meal either.
He doesn't have enough time to be emotional for his missed meal when he'll also soon become one. Filling this wolf's unsatiable hunger.
Of all wolves Sunoo has encountered, this grey one was sure the biggest. He trembles as the said wolf growls. It's massive for it's breed that the ground shakes beneath them upon the vibrations of it's sound.
Undoubtedly this wolf can tear Sunoo into pieces in a nick of time. Warm tears start to run down his cheeks as the Wolf slowly approaches him.
He has fooled more than a dozen of Hunters he has encountered in the forest. There were countless of times where he escaped from the perils and fangs of Death, by climbing trees and hiding on the deepest burrows. But right now he can't find words or actions to convince this Beast.
Think Sunoo, think!
Before the Wolf could even pounce at him Sunoo drops dead in the ground.
He fainted.
Sunoo wakes up on a pile of furs and calf-skins. The sound of crackles coming from the glowing embers echoes inside the den. The fox hybrid could also see the shadows of smoke dancing along the damp walls.
Despite the grogginess he feels he still raises his head, scanning the unfamiliar surrounding. If not for the hunt earlier he would've thought he was brought back home. To his family.
Wait. What in the world happened?
Sunoo rose from the nest of furs and breathes a deep sigh of relief after he finds himself unscathed.
Oh thank heavens I'm still in one piece.
The Rogue Wolf didn't kill him, but he will soon for sure. How did Sunoo knew?
There was a heavy metal chain clamped on his ankles to which the other end was attached on a wooden post.
How in the world could a Wolf be able to chain him? Unless he got hands, ofcourse. Oh, he could've negotiated with the hunters and sold him for another meal? Unless he's got a mouth like him to talk, no? But how did he got here unscathed if the Wolf didn't dragged him here? Unless someone with strong arms picked him up and brought him here.
Sunoo thunks his head to the post after a long series of questions and scenarios run inside his head.
He looks around the Den looking for an entryway. There were no windows on sight, only a single small entrance that was shut tight from the outside. Aside from the nest, he also finds a small table, some knives in various sizes that are all hanging by the wall, and two big jars of what he assumes are stored water. The place looks more of a dungeon rather than a home fit for a human.
Near the fire was Sunoo's hunting bag, it's contents clearly untouched. Great, at least his meal was still intact. His stomach growls as he walks near it, but he was just a few steps away when he nearly tripped on his own feet.
The chain stopped him from getting further closer to his meal.
"Aaaargghh!" He pulls his hair from frustration, knees giving out again but this time it was purely out of hunger.
He cries, body curled on his knees as the pain of his gnawing stomach grows. That Rogue Wolf could've just killed him instantly instead of tormenting him like this. This place must be really a dungeon meant to keep fresh meals like him, alive and tormented.
Sunoo stops on his sobbing when he feels a light shook on the ground. The cover of the den was moving! He immediately runs on the pile of furs and shuts his eyes close. Afraid of meeting the predators who kept him here.
He surely can't escape for the meantime but maybe if he pretends to be asleep he might be able to figure out things to give him a chance to escape from the perils of death. Again.
He squeezes his eyes shut trying to calm his beating heart. He must overcome and use all of his wits if he wants to stay alive.
He then hears a deep sigh as heavy footsteps walked towards his way. He felt fingers swept his unkept red hair from his sweating forehead. So that Rogue Wolf did really sold him to a human and now he's held hostage for some unknown reasons.
Oh, oh! An idea suddenly appeared. Sunoo should keep pretending to be knocked out so he can get more ideas on how to get away from this human.
Sunoo hears a snicker before he hears a deep voice speak. "You're quite smart, but you tend to forgot your ears have a life of their own... even if you pretend."
Sunoo felt his blood run cold as he springs away from the nest, like he doused himself in hot water.
There a man stands across him. He's got a broad and tall build for a hunter. The tan skin on his legs are adorned with scars, his lower torso is covered in grey furs. Sunoo's eyes raked up to stare and unconsciously admire the man's bare stomach and chest. They were littered with various scars yet the hybrid could not take his eyes off at the toned muscle in his stomach and oustragiously broad chest.
This man looked like he's got enemies all around him. One quick look at all of those scars litered all over his body and you can tell that all his life, all he ever did was to fight for survival.
He then meets the man's face. His forehead is covered in a mess of ebony black strands that reaches past his cheeks. A sharp jawline that highlights the masculine features of his face. A sharp nose surrounded with freckles, and plump lips that are shaped like a hunter's bow.
Sunoo can't help but release a gasp when he finally notice the scar on the man's right cheek. It was so strikingly similar to the Rogue Wolf that caught him earlier.
Sunoo gasps again. He just lost his hopes to survive.
"What? First time to meet a handsome Shape-shifter?" The Wolf chuckles with a smug look on his face as he walks towards the fox hybrid.
Sunoo shakes as he lowers his head to the ground. He wriggles his bottom backwards as the man, as the Shape-Shifter, continues to pace towards his shaking figure.
The hybrid chokes on his tears when he tugs the last length of the chain that immediately stopped him from inching away. The Shape-shifter only chuckles in amusement as he reads Sunoo's distress.
Great, I'm really gonna die today.
The fox hybrid began to tremble and then sobs. His thoughts are so clouded with fear he momentarily lost his instincts of finding ways to escape.
"Ple-Please spare me! I-I beg you, please dont...Don't eat me!"
"Who said I'll eat you?" The Shape-shifter stopped on his tracks, palms on his own bare stomach as he laughs heartily at younger's plead for mercy.
Sunoo couldn't see well because of his tears but he still flinches when the Wolf's breath hits his ears.
"Hmm, maybe in another way? Right...I think I might devour you." He made sure to whisper the last part on Sunoo's ears. His fangs on full display out of amusement.
Sunoo sobbed even harder.
"Please...please, just this once, please? I- I'm not even worth it, I'm not that tasty, I swear. I'm just small. I- I don't have lots of ...of meat in me?! "
The Shape-shifter laughed even harder this time. His breath's hitting Sunoo's tear-stained cheeks every time he releases a laughter. The hybrid then whines when the older grabs the boy's chin to pull him closer.
"You're not what?" He chuckles in amusement. His eyes locked on Sunoo's red ones.
"I'm-I'm..." Words got stucked on Sunoo's throat as he cries for mercy at the pair of grey orbs which is now cornering him.
"Save it, there's no use in begging...unless you're in my bed, Sunoo-ya." Right upon hearing his own name, the hybrid freezes.
The Shape-shifter only bites back his lips to hold his laughter when he sees the fox widened eyes.
How does this beast know my name?
Before he could even ask, the man grabs his hair. Now that he's even more closer to Sunoo, the size of his rough hand almost engulfs the entirety of the hybrids head. He could crush him dead in an instant.
The hybrid now cries in pain as his hands claws to the arm that's slowly pulling him up from the ground. His nails dugs through the tanned skin, but the Shape-shifter seems unfazed at his futile attempts of defense.
"If I kill you right now, where's the fun in that?" He smirks before he ruthlessly throws Sunoo on top of the furs.
Sunoo whimpers in fear. Tail tucked between his legs as a sign of distress. He feels so small and helpess against this Wolf-Man so he began to cry in frustration.
"Please..ju-just please! Let me go!" The hybrid's now on his knees, begging. His ears are curled in submission as he hopes for the last bits of mercy that'll befall him.
"Are you taking me for a fool?!" The Shape-shifter releases a growl that made Sunoo yelp in surprise.
The Man's eyes glowed yellow before it harshly grabs the hybrid's pale neck to shake him. Sunoo coughs as the air flow on his throat gets cut off by force. His hazel eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. And he's sure those claws will leave an ugly bruise until the next few days.
When the Shape-shifter saw the hybrid having a difficult time to breathe, he suddenly loosen his hold.
"I've waited for many Moons to get you walking near my trap, and you fucking think I'll let you run away?" The Shape-shifter tears the red cloak off the hybrid's body.
He's now left with his hemp shirt dress. The garmet looking so thin it's almost transparent from years of wearing off from the harsh weather. The hybrid's gonna need to weave a new one, but now he doesn't have to. Not when his life is at the mercy of this Man-Wolf sniffing the side of his neck down to his collarbones.
"Fuck, you smell so good....Oh so fresh and sweet like a glass of nectar". The Shape-shifter muses on his skin.
Sunoo shivers when he feels a rough tongue leaving a wet trail from his exposed shoulders up to the back of his ear.
"Please, please Sir, I'mㅡI'm not even of your own kind" The hybrid chokes in between his words making the Man chuckle again.
"So what? You're an Omega yourself. You know how it get's so difficult when you're in your Heat all alone...and without your Alpha to sate you."
"B-but I'm not even your Mate!" Sunoo shouts the last word trying make his solid point.
"If you are not my Mate, then why the fuck I've been smelling you on your Heat, even from miles away?!" The Wolf snaps back, tightening his hold on Sunoo's neck.
The hybrid clutches his arms, trying to break free from his hold, he coughs and wheezes as he taps on him.
When the Wolf felt the warmth of tears trailing on his fingers, he let's go of the poor fox. The older sighs, pinching the bridge between his eyes before storming out. He moves the rock to seal the mouth of the den, leaving the hybrid all alone.
Sunoo sobs hysterically. He can't even hear the gurgling of his stomach even as he curls into a ball.
He hates his pathetic life.