OOC- Trigger warnings for mentions of slavery, abuse, sexual abuse, and violence

How the hell did he keep getting himself into these situations? Was he cursed? Or had he used up all the good parts of his life already, leaving nothing but bad? His childhood had been so clean and happy, so perfect, but the rest of it? It was like the Gods had carved out a perfect little hell on earth just for him. Family? Kill em. Friends? Let him watch the ones that survive get sold off to the highest bidder. And for Teneo himself? Shackle him so tight it'll leave scars on his leg. Burn his flesh with scraps of hot metal to brand him like property. Let his life be dictated by strangers who touch him as they please with no regard to how it makes him feel. Oh, and make sure he's covered in scars from those beatings, so nobody can ever tell him how pretty he is ever again.

And then, when he finally did manage to succeed in an escape after countless failed attempts and being washed up an a totally different continent where he might just be able to start over, he gets himself stuck in a deathtrap of a forest where none of the paths make sense and he's starving and there's a fucking bear chasing him!

Yeah, the Gods definitely hated him.

His paws beat against the ground as he raced blindly down another trail, trying to ignore the stinging of tears in his eyes . He isn't sad, or even scared really,. No, the tears are those of anger, springing forth from a well of resentment and frustration and sheer hatred over everything that he is and everything that he isn't. He was so tired of being on the losing end of things. So sick of having to yield to what another wanted just because they could force him to do it. His body and heart sung with a desire to fight and yet he was constantly made to flee instead, sparking a wildfire of shame and embaressment and indignity.

He could hear the bear behin him still, the beast unrelenting. He could only assume that it had been trapped in this hellhole just as long as he had- which had to have been almost a week by now- and was probably starving and desperate. Teneo knew he sure was. He'd never looked worse in his life; he was too thin, his fur was a mess, he was covered in scrapes and bruises- and yet his amber eyes still held a smoldering fire inside of them, unbroken and unbowed despite it all.

I can't run anymore.

The realisation that his burning muscles weren't going to hold out seemed to flip a switch in him. He was going to die, and for the first time in his life he really believed it. Instead of panic or adreniline or any other emotion flooding him, Teneo found himself quiet for the first time in a long while. Content. Assured.

He was okay with this.

His body seemed to work on autopilot, and all of a sudden his paws dug into the ground beneath him and he slid to a halt, spinning on his heels. He wouldn't hold back anymore. If he was going to die then he was going to go out being the real Teneo, not the thing they'd turned him into.

A snarl ripped it's way from his throat as pale lips pulled back to reveal glinting fangs, hooked ivory things that had turned a pretty face into a twisted smile and his slim figure shot foreward toward the beast. The action caught the creature off guard, and with a sickening sense of satisfaction Teneo felt his teeth sink into the flesh of it's face, and without a moents hesitation the wolf began to thrash his head back and forth, revelling in the sound of the bears pained bellow. His moment of victory was just that though- a moment. The bears reaction was instantanious, a violent stagger backwards on two legs as a powerful clawed back connected violently with Teneos side and wrenched him clean off. He felt claws rake his body as the impact sent him flying off his target, slamming him hard into the packed earth of the trail beneath them. His air was knocked clean out of his weak body, and had the bear not been pawing at the empty socket where his eye once was, the wolf would have probably been mauled to death already.

OOC- Feel free to have abbadon kill or drive the bear off. Teneos fine, just bruised, cut, and winded lol

Abaddon could hear the bear from a ways away and if curiosity hadn't gotten the better of him, he would have strayed from the trail the bear left through the woods. Since he wasn't running, he was some time behind the pair and wasn't in much of a hurry either. It was only the scent of the bear that intrigued him, he wasn't interested in pursuing such a threat to the point he was caught. Frankly, he was about to abandon the trail when the fresh scent of blood washed through the air, a mixture of bear and wolf.

Well, now he was really curious. Who pissed who off, exactly? A smirk settled on his face as he quickened his pace down the trail of the bear. He missed the struggle, however as he approached he could see the bear pawing at it's eye while a seemingly lifeless body laid motionless on the ground near by. Abaddon wondered if the bear had managed to kill the wolf, though it seemed that wolf didn't go down without a fight either way. With the thick scent of blood in the air, it was hard to tell how much of it was the wolf and how much was the bear. Realistically, however, Abaddon didn't believe the wolf to be alive.

He wasn't about to start a fight with this bear, alone, even if it was missing an eye. However, he wasn't given much of a choice. The bear spotted him with his only remaining eye and roared. Pain fueled the bear now and a moment later he was charging for the massive wolf. Although Abaddon was large, the bear hadn't much to lose. It knew it would probably die from blood loss anyway, may as well take out everything it can on the way.

Abaddon braced and readied himself as the bear approached at a barreling speed, just before dodging it and sending it past him. Thankfully, with only one eye, it's depth perception was non-existent and made this fight much easier than he originally expected. Quickly whipping himself around, Abaddon lunged at the bear on his rear legs, sinking his golden fangs into the neck of the massive animal. Had his own jaws not been so massive, sinking his teeth into anything but the thick hide of the animal would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, sharp fangs had severed too much and the blood loss from both its eye and now its neck was rapid.

Only a few moments passed before the bear fell limp and Abaddon released his grip. Licking the blood from his teeth, he looked up from the animal and over towards where he'd last seen the body of the other wolf.

For a few long moments he lay there stunned, jaws gaping in an attempt to drag air into his lungs with no success. He couldn't hear the bear anymore, his ears filed with the sound of his own rushing blood and heartbeat, and while his body was occupied with trying to stop itself from siezing like this his mind was acutely aware of the fact that he was probably going to be torn apart any moment now. Many gruelingly slow seconds past, until finally his body seemed to remember how to breath again.With a gasping cough that finally brought air into his burning lungs, Teneo seemed to regain his senses.

He staggered to his pws so quickly that he practically tripped over them, un-coordinated after the stunning blow and momentary lack of oxygen. Amber eyes landed on the bear in a daze and his hackles rose, a snarl that was far too savage for a wolf who was barely able to keep his own balance. His vision was blurry but clearing quickly, and after a second or two his voice crumpled in his throat and his eyes widened in surprise. That... That wasn't the bear.

It was a wolf, impossibly large with a coat unlike anything he had ever seen before. He was just standing there, blood still fresh on his lips, and Teneos gaze reluctantly slid over to the crumpled figure on the ground beside them. It was the bear, already dead at the paws of this stranger. He didn't know weather to be relieved at his death being post-poned, or angry and jealous that this monster of a wolf had been able to so easily dispatch what had almost killed Teneo.

"I hope you don't expect a thank you."

The words were not at all what someone in his position should have said in that sitution. He was half-strved, bleeding from open wounds along his left side, and had just been knocked into the dirt so hard that his shoulder and head were still pounding from where they'd hit the packed earth beneath them. And yet he still had the nerve to straighten his posture and glare defiantly in the other wolfs direction, the melodic tones of his accented voice- which was best described as reminiscent of the humans english back when they existed- were spoken sharply and with a confidence he had no business possessing. Maybe he still had a death wish, maybe he was just done cowering regardless of the consequences. Either way, Teneo wouldn't run anymore.

As he stood over the massive form of the ursine looking over to the defeated boy the bear had just tried to demolish, he was surprised to see him rising to his paws albeit shakily. He'd taken a hard blow from the bear and wasn't surprised to see him struggling to stand and regain his balance and composure. The other wolf stared at him for a moment, seemingly lost or in awe, and Abaddon couldn't help but smirk just a little bit. He was a large man and being so similarly colored to the grizzly, he wondered if they thought him to be the bear at first. Licking the last of the blood from his maw as the other wolf spoke, Abaddon couldn't help but chuckle.

The words were snide and unappreciative of the work he'd done saving his life. Of course, not that he actually intended on saving the other wolf's life, it had just been an added bonus when he'd picked up on the scent. The man raised his brow and the smirk from before remained on his dark face. It wasn't but a moment later that he slowly began to approach the other male, his eyes scanning the bloody and bruised body the bear had just tossed around like a play thing.

He stopped some steps before the wolf, looking down with emotionless golden eyes. "Then you better expect to work for me. I saved your life, you owe it to me now." His smirk never waned, flashing his sharp teeth as he spoke before letting his teeth snap together with a click!.

https://www.linkpicture.com/q/Polish_20211002_133602742.jpg -ref

Maybe it was all the adreniline coursing through his body like venom to cloud his mind, or maybe he just didn't care anymore, but Teneo refused to let himself waver under the empty, predatory gaze of the other male. And as they stepped closer, lips pulled into a grin that made his skin crawl beneath his fur, the dark chocolate and cream wolf felt the fur along his shoulders bristle in silent warning. Teneo was not a piece of prey. What was most unsettling though, was the strangers response. Anger or dismissal was something he could deal wiith, but that unwavering smirk was unexpected. And the words that followed- they were nothing short of triggering.

"I saved your life, you owe it to me now."

His ears pinned against his skull as unwanted memories flashed through his mind; the white-hot burn of a crude brand on his flank, the feeling of teeth on his throat as he was thrashed around like a ragdoll, hot breath on the back of his neck as a larger body held him down. Hatred and shame were a storm raging inside his heart, and with a clenched jaw he pushed them down before they could flood his senses. 'Your not there anymore. Your free. Your alive.' he told himself

"I don't owe you anything. I didn't ask for your help." the stubborn wolf replied, not letting his outward mask of poised confidence faulter. He was a prince, after all, even if he was no longer in his kingdom. "Besides, I don't even know what 'working for you' consists of. How can you expect someone to blindly agree to something so vague?" he added with a soft huff.