Little Broken Wolf

Tending to Seth - Part 2

Seth's perspective

It was weird. Here I was, injured, broken and filthy. Blood and worse (ewww!) matted in my fur. Stuck in my wolf form without the energy to shift. Hungry, oh so hungry. My stomach was trying to crawl out the back of my ribs. More, I was locked in a cage below ground. In the cell next to me a grey haired rogue had soiled himself when Alpha had visited earlier, and stank to high heaven.

I couldn't shift. Even if I could shift, I had no clothes. I'd be nude but surrounded by larger wolves able to do to me whatever they wanted.

I should have been scared, terrified even. I wasn't.

I didn't know how long it had been since my visit from Bea's Mate, not sure whether I had slept or simply passed out for a while

Alpha had said, he PROMISED I was going to get food! Oh bliss, I was even going to be cleaned. All this, with no need to scavenge or hide from pack wolves. If it wasn't the height of Summer I would call this a Christmas miracle. Humph. Christmas. Hadn't believed in that for years. Why should I.

A clunk. A door banging against a stone wall. Heavy boots coming down stone steps. Ummm, I don't recognise those steps. It isn't the Alpha. Shit, I hope he didn't change his mind and decide to have me ended......or worse.

I looked up and to my left, waiting for whoever it was to come into sight.

Damn, they looked big from where I was sprawled on the stone floor. Two men, bearded and clearly wolves. Both dressed in jeans and flannel shirts, and both with arms filled. The first carried folded material with a smallish basin on top. His companion had a larger basin in his arms, steaming, and sloshing.

Juggling the items in his arms, the first guy eyed me warily as he put a key in the lock of my cage.

"Boy, don't do anything silly. We are here to feed and clean you", he humphed.

Looking at him, I nodded my snout.

After they entered, and re-closed the gate to my cage, they loomed over me. I whimpered. It doesn't matter how much they said they were going to do something nice for me, or even that Alpha said he would have this done, the very thought of being defenseless and surrounded by pack wolves was terrifying. Not wanting to snap at them, I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing.

I could hear his breathing getting closer, like he was getting down to my level. A hand touched my ribs, and I flinched.

"Sssh, boy. It's ok. Damn, you are skittish," he whispered. "So, I'm Angus and this here's Max. We've got the job of cleaning you and feeding you up. All you have to do is what you are told, and we'll see how long it takes to get you out of here."

I opened my eyes to see what they had brought. The large basin was full of steaming water, and the second hulk (apparently Max) also had cloths draped over his arm. I was more interested in what Angus had. There were blankets, but I could smell that bowl. It had meat, vegetables, it had food! I turned my head towards the bowl. Shit this was scary. I didn't want to do anything stupid and get into trouble, but I couldn't have them take it away from me.

Angus laughed. It was booming. "You know, we can tell you are hungry. If you drool much more this floor will get slippery. How about I put this bowl under your snout. You eat, and put something on those bones of yours while we start cleaning you from the other end."

"But," he growled, "you even think about turning and snapping at either of us and we'll just leave you dirty. No need for us to get a bite if you decide to be a brat."

Closing my eyes, I nodded my snout again. I almost wished the Alpha was here so someone could hear my thoughts. I was so grateful, and yet this was terrifying.