Caden's Prison

[Paint]

OOC. Needing wolves to guard Caden, please! (Oh and Caden himself, of course...)

In the depths of the Moons mountains Duke approached one of the smallest den entrances. By some stroke of luck Caden had played right into his paws, an innocent stroll in No Man's Land had led to his being dragged back into the Moons land and hidden in one of their smallest dens. No howl would escape through those walls, and died before it reached far enough out of the entrance to be heard in the Stars land. Duke was proud of his pack for completing the kidnapping so quietly, but had yet to know who exactly he needed to thank. It certainly hadn't been his idea, although he was now obsessed with the idea that the Stars alpha was writhing around within a dark hole in the mountain. A smirk crept onto Duke's features.

He made his way through the network of dens, passing his own large, luxurious den and ignoring the lingering scent of Myu and their pups. He hadn't slept in there in weeks. It darkened his mood to think that the last time he had been in there had been with Myu. The smirk slipped from his features and he became expressionless, lumbering hellishly into the depths of the mountain. Two wolves should supposedly be stationed at the entrance of Caden's prison, stopping him from escaping. We should keep him weak, Duke thought. Little food and regular fights.

The notorious Alpha rounded the corner and found the den at last, raising his head and almost filling the small space before the entrance with his mass. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness. Who was guarding Caden at the moment, he wondered, blinking to see. A low growl emitted from his thick throat as he asked for a return greeting. His eyes were not so good these days, but his ears were fine.

[Malo]

A set of large ears perked in the darkness and hazel-green eyes turned to greet her alpha. The young female could see fine in the dark and she recognized the dark and hulking figure of her alpha. A whine of acknowledgement and submission was emitted from her throat, though she didn't dare run to greet him by rubbing her head under his chin, as normal packs did. No, Duke did not appreciate such actions, as they were almost embarrassingly weak. The Delta knew that Duke wanted two things in particular out of his pack: submission and strength. Without the latter, they wouldn't have been able to pull off such an incredible stunt.

Turning back to look at their captive, Fallon grunted to her great leader. "He's in the back, if you want to have a chat. I'm sure he's exhausted though; he didn't come without a fight." She looked down at her left forepaw, emitting a low growl as she spat her last words out. Another reason why she did not get up to greet Duke. The puncture wounds were deep, and she'd spent most of her guard duty cleaning her wounds. Another cut across her shoulder was evidence of the events that had taken place on the outskirts of the Dancing Stars border.

Their captive, last time she had checked, had been laying in a corner in the back of the cave, breathing heavily with his eyes shut. She assumed he was still asleep, or at least pretending to be. Turning back towards Duke, she moved to the side so there was room for him to pass in the small entrance, then laid down and rested her head on her paws.

[[Midnight]]

Summer was far along, but there was a chill in Caden's bones that made him shiver.

Against his better judgement the Dancing Stars Alpha had closed his eyes and accidently fell into a restless doze. His perked ears did not betray him, but the occaisional twitch or whimper proved that he had lost conciousness. For Caden had not once groveled and whined on his belly throughout the events of his capture, keeping his eyes ablaze with indifference and anger and his head and tail held high whenever possible. The fight was unexpected, and he was outnumbered. It didn't last long. He had lost a lot of blood and stamina, and the journey over No Man's Land boundary into the heart of the Moons territory had been little more than a blur; a fight for his life and his pride.

Inadvertently, Caden had stepped into the nightmare that he had oftened contemplated. He had been kidnapped by his most feared enemy. The chances of him staying alive for long, he knew, were slim. Caden realized that the only reason he'd be kept alive was to be used. His power as alpha would somehow be molested; stripped from him and flaunted over his pack as a ransom. His other theory - torture.

The walls of the den were unfamiliar and poorly dug. The smell of coppery blood stung his senses. In his sleep, he did not dream. He could only focus on the searing wounds on his flanks and shoulder, and the faces of those who had inflicted them. Already he was homesick, and he was frightened. Duke must have plans in store. Caden's heart was aching at the thought of his friends.

His eyes fluttered open at the sound of voices. For a moment he felt groggy, but as the sounds and words of the two registered in his brain, he was instantly alert, though he made no efforts to move. At this point, preserving his energy was the important task. His lips curled in a silent snarl, however, as his ego was still yet unbroken.

The female across from him was one he had fought. He felt no pity when he saw that she was still feeling her own injuries as well. He felt a surge of self-importance when he knew that he had been a costly catch. His heart skipped a beat when he next flicked his eyes toward the large, lumbering male. Duke was his name. The last time they had met, Caden had run away from the idea of war. Now, he was wishing that he and Bandit had shared the honor of killing him together. He understood now how stupid he had been back then, to think that Duke would actually let things go on as they were as long as they were on peaceful grounds.

Everyone else from Empyrean Valley had been right.

Falling Moon was pure evil.

And now, Dancing Stars was without an Alpha.

[Paint]

Duke exerted a gruff acknowledgement of Fallon's words. He moved past her, glancing to see her wounds as she nursed them. They all had to pay the price somehow. Duke was sure that Caden would not be kept here for long, he only hoped that his own pack did not get too hurt in the process. He needed them strong.

"I'll get another wolf up to guard as well. Just in case," he gestured to the dim cave beyond. His eyes were beginning to adjust a little. "Good job, Fallon," he finished, leaving his praise monotone but not insincere. Then he approached Caden.

Once he was fully inside the den, Duke stopped to see. Caden was indeed lying far in the back, wounded, perhaps having just woken from exhausted rest. Duke remained still for a moment, assessing the other wolf. He didn't care for how he thought or felt, Duke just let the power sink into his skin. How best could he use the fallen Alpha to his advantage? Take over the Stars? Drive them away? Send fear deep into their bones by throwing their own Alpha dead at their feet?

For a brief moment, Duke considered blackmailing Caden's pack. Join and serve under me, or see your Alpha slaughtered.

All throughout these thoughts Duke's face did not stir. There was no smile, no smug gloating. Not an ounce of his body language suggested that this was some sort of game that he was winning. Duke was deadly serious.

"You've made a grave mistake," he said, dark voice matching the dim of the cave as it travelled across to the other male. "I wouldn't suggest you try and escape. I've given my pack orders to kill you before you reach the border, unless you're in this cave."

[Fire]

The news of the mighty alpha Caden's capture had spread through the pack like wildfire, catching the attention and excitement of everyone. From what he'd heard it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. They'd caught the Dancing Star alpha unaware and seized their opportunity. Keanu thought it sounded more like reckless stupidity and rashness, rather than a demonstration of power and strength. What if it had gone wrong? Then again, Keanu had noticed that hot-headedness and arrogance seemed to be a common trait amongst the Falling Moons.

From his point of view, the capture was pointless. He could understand, to a degree, the advantage of having the rival alpha weak and malleable, to be used as an object for blackmail or intimidation, but even that seemed unnecessary to Keanu. Perhaps that's why he wasn't the alpha and Duke was, but in any case it made him feel uncomfortable.

The reason he had decided to lend a helping hand when he caught wind of Caden's capture had nothing to do with wickedness or being eager to please Duke. Not in the slightest. Keanu was bored, and a bored Keanu was a mischievous Keanu. This was exciting, and certainly better than lying around all day. Morality was never an issue when his judgement was clouded by his natural trouble making nature.

As he drew near to the den entence, Keanu's ears swivelled instinctively at the sound of conversation from deep within. He recognised Duke's gruff, emotionless intonation instantly, then the stench of raw wounds and blood filling his nostrils. For a second he considered turning back, as he attempted to avoid Duke when he was in the best of moods, but it didn't seem like a day for cowardice so he approached the den entrance and ducked inside, following the scent of the three wolves. The tunnel was dank and the air was stale and hot. Keanu had never found much comfort in these characteristics when he was younger, preferring the fresh air and freedom of sleeping under the night sky. He saw now the foolishness and stupidity of his juvenile self, and the close, musty air felt like a blessing.

Finally he reached the female, though there was no sign of either alpha. His eyes flickered from the den she was guarding, concluding that both Caden and Duke were inside, then back to her. Keanu regarded her with a swift, absorbent gaze and a nod.
"I can take over if you like," he said pleasantly, giving her the option to stay, if she wanted to enjoy the excitement as he did.

[[Midnight]]

Caden returned Duke's gaze with intensity. His snarl disappeared almost completely, replaced with a look of silent contempt that was also busy studying. This was the closest he had ever been to the Alpha, and he now had plenty of time to really look at him. What a haggard wolf he was. He was large, in almost an awkwardly built frame of a grizzly bear. Caden was not considered a large wolf at all. In a one on one fight, Caden predicited his chance of winning relied heavily on his stamina alone. He'd have to outlast the older wolf and dodge as many blows as he could.

Then he figured out that thinking that far ahead was pointless anyhow. Duke didn't need to face him alone. He had his entire pack to use before that came about. Caden could be c0cky, but he knew that fighting all of the Moons was out of his league. It was in that moment, right before Duke spoke, that he accepted he was destined to die. A little of his fighting spirit died with that thought as well.

A grave mistake, indeed. Dancing Stars was doomed if one wrong move was made. His biggest fear had been the results of what would happen if he were to die. He feared the pack would disband or be thrown into enough confusion for the Moons to strike. And that was exactly why Bandit had been a miracle for him.

He pictured her now, what she was doing. He knew she was smart enough to have figured it out. He was confident in her ability to lead the pack and keep things organized. In that aspect the pack was perfectly fine. His confidence ended there, though. What he was really frightened of was Bandit's retaliation. He prayed that she didn't let her personal history with Duke get into the way of her judgement. He pictured the pups, at the mercy of war.

Caden prayed that Bandit and the pack would just leave him to die.

Caden snickered at Duke, quietly. With an arrogant smile, he nodded his head.

"Good to know. I might volunteer for that right now," he suggested, thinking of how he was going to be used before he was killed. He might as well just die now before he could be taken advantage of by flithy cheaters. He wondered on Duke's reply to this when he heard another voice, a male's in the background. His hackles rose slightly. He was feeling irritable now that he was fully awake, and he though he was wounded, he longed to die while fighting valiantly with the last of his pride and strength. It was probably obvious in his expression what he was thinking.

[Malo]

Though said in a bland voice, Fallon couldn't help feeling elated at Duke's approval. There were a couple of reasons for this. The first, was that he had actually remembered her name. Duke had a large pack, and with everyone being so volatile and nasty, it was hard to tell one wolf from another. The second was because praise from Duke did not come often, not even to his own offspring. When you got it, you held onto it. Fallon nodded, keeping her face blank to conceal the bubbling excitement that was burning in the pit of her stomach, as she watched Duke stroll to the back of the cave. She heard a few words exchanged, but could not make them out. Then she had company.

I can take over if you like. She turned her head nonchalantly as an unfamiliar voice spoke to her. Looking up at the figure that had spoken, she recognized that she did not know this male. His scent was completely covered by the stench of Falling Moon, so she knew he was no threat. That, and his overly pleasant voice gave away that he meant no ill will to her or her duties. She took a moment to mull over the idea of a break, then decided against it. Shaking her head, she pointed her nose to a spot of the cave opposite her, letting him know to take his post.

"I'm fine for now, but you can join if you want. At the moment, Duke is speaking to our...guest. He said he would add another guard; I guess you're it." She obsereved the male curiously, taking in his peculiar coloration. His face was black, but his body was mostly gray. She hadn't seen anyone like him before. She could sense his eagerness, and she suspected that he had not been entirely certain about who was in the back of the den. News spread quickly among packs; Fallon assumed that this new face would not be the first to come and take a look at the spectacle that was Caden.

[Paint]

"Come now, Caden," Duke replied, briefly lifting a brow and breaking his mask. "There's fight in you yet."

Duke wasn't sure what exactly was going though Caden's mind. But from the look on his face he most definitely did have fight left in him. He wanted to martyr himself. Duke wasn't an idiot, he knew that Caden would have a strong Beta wolf, maybe two, back in the Stars land. Whether or not the rest of the pack were as strong would have to wait and see. Duke did not return Caden's arrogant chuckle. He remained silent for a moment or two longer.

"I'm not going to kill you now," the great lumbering black wolf moved about a little, taking in the rest of the den. He kept his throat covered at all times, and ensured that his belly was not in a vulnerable position. He didn't think that Caden would be stupid enough to attack him when he had two other pack members nearby, but he'd been stupid enough to wander alone in No Man's Land. Duke turned his blackened eyes upon Caden again.

"Perhaps you would care to surrender your pack to me. Right now, you could make that decision," there was no hint of laughter in Duke's voice. He wasn't making fun of Caden. He was genuinely making him an offer. "If you hand your pack and lands over to me then you can go. You can run away."

[[Midnight]]

Caden's eyes twitched. Duke's words were highly offensive. But he considered them carefully. His eyes roved over a dried puddle of blood near his paws while he mulled over the consequences of Duke's offer. A hundred ideas were scattering through his thoughts, and he tried to catch a few and hang on to them. How could it even be possible to surrender the pack? Though he was Alpha, he had no control over their individual personalities. He knew that there were several who would run or fight before joining Falling Moon. Duke probably knew that too, but there would still be that one or two who would join out of fear. The rest he would kill or just kidnap.

And how would Duke set Caden free? Drop him off at the edge of the territory? Follow him to the pack? Caden wondered if was worth taking that risk. If there was a chance he could see a packmate again, he could tell them to prepare for war; or those who wanted to flee, could flee.

Caden wanted war, if it would come to it. Duke may be strong, but there were plenty of strong Stars wolves, too. It a shame it all had to be this way, unecessary bloodshed for the sake of greed. Caden was kind-hearted, but he was also proud.

"I'm no Omega. I'm a leader."
His answer was subtle, but clear enough. No way. Running away was not an option for him. There was family back there, waiting for him. Depending on him.

"What do you plan on doing with my pack? What do you need me for?"

His voice was calm, steady, and also blazing with anger. This whole situation was unclear to him just yet. Duke had not shown any of his intentions the many seasons they had been neighbors. He had never even asked for a piece of territory. If his pack had been starving, Caden would probably have given it to him freely. The injustice of his situation kept his sickening fear drowned out. For now.

---

Outside of Caden's prison hole, a coal black shape was lumbering curiously towards the opening. The scent of blood was thick in the air; his eyes and nostrils dilated. He had heard the rumors, but came to check it out himself. When his wide shoulders squeeze through the entrance, he was met with the faces of Fallon and Keanu. Normally, he'd greet his denmate warmly, but there were others around, and from Justyn's understanding, Caden was here, too. There was no heartwarming feelings in him. Instead he brushed passed the two guards, his tail curled, his eyes searching the darkness intently. He stopped when he heard the voices at the back of the darkness in the den.

He had never seen the Dancing Stars Alpha. His heart fluttered. Strange emotion made his heart heavy. The last Alpha of Dancing Stars was his mother. What kind of wolf had replaced her? More importantly, what were Duke's plans? This whole kindapping was unexpected. Duke had never said a word to him about it. He waited silently, eager to hear more.

[Paint]

Duke heard Justyn approach behind him and he glanced back to see his Beta. He did not need to acknowledge his presence, so he did not, only turning back to Caden with the thought in his head of what it must be like to see the two great black wolves standing in the way of his escape route.

"I would expect nothing less," Duke replied. He stared at Caden. "And I know that you're not really expecting an answer to your question. You had your chance to give up in peace. You will remain here until we need you again."

Duke wasn't one for talking much, and he felt as if he had been going on. He wasn't the kind to start monologue-ing in the face of his victim. Perhaps once he would've been, but not now. Not now that he was hollow, filled up with a lifetime of disappointment. He almost regretted bringing pups into this world now, which would explain why he would barely talk to them.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Duke directed his question over his shoulder at Justyn. He wondered what his Beta thought of the whole situation, and when the news had reached him. Duke didn't plan on sticking around in this dingy dungeon any longer than he needed to.