He sat outside of his den for the better part of the morning, thinking about the events that transpired up to now. Some members had gone missing...one of them being his nephew. Which in turn, left some of his family and...Kai. He frowned as he thought about what to do with him. He had paid a lot to free the man, and he hadn't quite spoken to him since because he assumed Tyranis would take charge and see to it that the tusked man would at least help to hunt and pay back some of the debt or something. But now with Tyranis gone, he had to decide what to do. Perhaps speaking with the former captive should be a start. The alabaster titan got up and began his search for him. While it would have been easier to call for him, he didn't think that to be the best idea. Kai had a different mindset when it came to packs...he only hoped the pair could come to an understanding of sorts. "Speech"

The truth was that Kai wasn't quite sure what his next step was, though his meeting with Akna had only pushed him further toward what he suspected he needed to do. And yet still he hesitated - had love really woven itself around his heart so tightly? As the days passed he couldn't help but grow more and more agitated that he remained here. The Jarvela had no qualms about loving fully and completely, but changing who one was for the sake of love didn't sound like love at all. These thoughts danced through his mind as he wandered, and he made no effort to hide the annoyance that danced across his features. He huffed, a slight frown tugging at his lips as he wandered aimlessly through the pines. The sound of someone's approach captured his attention. His tusked head jerked upright, head swiveling until he found movement in the near distance. For a moment he trudged on, not entirely caring who it was or what they wanted, but as they drew closer it became apparently it was Winterfell's alpha. Great. Another sharp exhale sounded from his lips, the corners of his lips twitching slightly, though his expression mostly leveled out. "There something you need?" Kai yelled out lazily, his voice echoing the same kind of carelessness it so often did, far from confrontational.

He found him, and he sort of expected the response he got as he altered his course towards Kai and stopped a few feet from him. "There is, as a matter of fact." He cleared his throat and glanced up towards the trees for a moment, suppressing the sigh that threatened to escape. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that Tyranis has gone," Again. He thought bitterly. He sighed as he looked at the tusked Male. "And...I'd like to discuss some matters with you concerning your freedom from Hjarrandi." He knew he didn't need to comment about the price paid for his freedom. Kai knew very well how much had been put on the line, including the lives of two of his best. He knew he had paid a lot, but he'd tell himself again and again that a life was priceless and no amount of material was too much. He had done it for his nephew at first, knowing just how much Ty cared about this man. It was still a weird thought to him, but not the strangest thing, either. "I know you think I'm keeping you here as a...I don't know...a slave or something, or maybe a prisoner, but you're not. You've been allowed to freely roam and do the same as any other pack member, you have all the same freedoms. The only difference is you're not a rogue for the time being..." And there was a reason for that. But he'd wait to mention anything about that until later. "Speech"

His reaction, bubbling up from every aspect of his being, was to respond with snark. Why Kai was even here still, he wasn't even himself sure, but he certainly didn't want Acere to think he had him entirely by the balls. "I have," he grumbled back in response. "Coward couldn't even make eye contact with me once I came here." It was hard to come to terms with Ty's shame, if that's what it had been at all... Kai really wasn't sure. But it was obvious he hadn't wanted their relationship to be known and he hadn't had the strength to simply tell Kai to his face that it was over, and he wouldn't deny being angry over it. "How's it feel buying your nephew's boyfriend for him, anyway, only to have him run away? Do you feel cheated?" That same lazy tone echoed forth, a brow raising as he continued on. Surely Acere would follow, but he didn't really care either way if he did or didn't. His paws dragged carelessly over the earth as he moved, making long patterns in the dusted snow beneath him. Acere's next words earned a flick of his ears. "I have been doing as I please. I don't need your permission for that," he retorted, a bit more sharply than before. "But a life of debt and obligation isn't all that different than slavery, at least to me." Especially when I never asked for it. It was hard to say this situation was worse than what he'd dealt with in Valkyrie's grasp, but none of it felt right to him and it was hard to say either was objectively better or worse.

He listened quietly to Kai as he studied him. He knew the vagabond wasn't happy in his current situation, but would he have been better off as a captive under Valkyrie or even as a prize for Legion? He was curious to know what Kai thought about those situations. At least here, he was free to do what he wished and all the king asked of him was to help contribute in restoring the stocks. He glanced down at the ground when he called his nephew a coward, and unfortunately...he had to agree. Though he didn't say it out loud, it wasn't the first time his nephew had abandoned him. He thought he could trust him, but would he be able to give his nephew a third chance if he were to ever show his face again?

He doubted it.

"How's it feel buying your nephew's boyfriend for him, anyway, only to have him run away? Do you feel cheated?" His gaze rose to meet Kai's with a grim look on his face. "Yes and no." He cleared his throat and sighed. "At the time I knew Tyranis cared a great deal about you. I have no doubt about that. And I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to decide between you, and the family he chose to have. He struggled with a choice, and I know that whatever choice he made would have brought pain upon him. Love you, and abandon his mate and children...or love them, and abandon you. I don't know what it is like to endure such a decision, but I know that in some form he still loves you, even if he cannot be with you." He doubted Kai cared about anything he was saying, but Acere wholeheartedly believed that Ty did indeed love him enough to let him go.

"I know you didn't ask to be here, and I simply did what I thought was right at the time. So now I am giving you a choice." He kept his gaze on him, voice unwavering as he spoke. "You can help refill our resources and contribute for the time you've been here and until my two warriors return from Hjarrandi's service. Or, if you prefer...you can go back to being their captive and resold."

Kai's gaze fell away from Acere, focusing on the ground below his paws. Each step seemed even more begrudging then the last, like his body was fighting against itself to continue moving forward. A life as a slave wasn't any different than living here under an assumed debt - at least to him - regardless of what Acere thought. Briefly he was reminded of the other wolves that had offered things for him; he wondered if either Ash or Chaos would've also expected things from him as a condition of his release from Valkyrie's imprisonment. Not that it mattered now; no debt was a good one and trying to qualify them seemed a waste of time.

"Yes and no," Kai repeated carefully, musing over the words rather than mocking Acere. Betrayal was never a pleasant thing, regardless of how he felt about his own circumstances, and be wouldn't mock him for it. "And he chose neither," he replied, sounding vaguely annoyed at Tyranis's cowardice. "He loves nothing but himself. I know that now. Also - I don't give a damn." He didn't care how difficult his choices were. Choices were a part of life - not that Kai loved many things more than himself, but Tyranis had earned more of his heart than anyone yet, which was why his betrayal hurt so deeply. More deeply than he dared show, or even admit to himself.

He let out a snort at Acere's words. He slowed his pace, glancing over his shoulder at him. His words echoed in his head. He had a choice - he always had choices, Acere's "choices" be damned. "Perhaps I'll humor you for now. You're handsome enough," he drawled lazily, eyeing him for a moment before his head swung back around. "Not like I have anything better to do." And when he did? His presence wouldn't be guaranteed, but he wasn't about to warm Acere of that….