Things had not been easy for Keonhee once he had finally managed to escape.

He didn't stop running for almost two days after leaving the cave and he would constantly stop to try and cover up his scent as often as possible.

There wasn't any sign of him being followed, but he would rather be safe than sorry.

He never wanted to go back there. Dying would a better option.

Being on his own, though, was a lot harder at first than he thought it would be.

Keonhee had never had the opportunity to truly learn how to hunt. He was never given the chance...

So he had to teach himself.

It resulted in several desperate attempts at first, but after being able to scare some fish out of a small pond and onto dry land so he could get some food in his stomach, Keonhee was able to concentrate on making traps and snares for small animals.

The only way he could get away with this, though, was from stealing from anyone he came across. Guilt plagued him every time, but he had nothing, so he never took more than what he needed.

For now it was simply a t-shirt that was way too large, a pair of trousers that he had to tie around his waist with a rope, worn leather boots, and a long length of rope. The last one was the most valuable thing because he could used it for many things. He always took extra care to clean the rope after using it for his traps. He also used it to keep his clothes tied to his leg for whenever he shifted.

This all made it so he could travel light but continue to take care of himself.

Keonhee had also been proud of his problem solving skills, when he was given the chance to actually figure things out. So over the next few months, he took a lot of time to study nature.

Slowly, he was able to identify what plants were ok for him to eat or use in herbal mixtures. He had vague memories of his parents being good with medical remedies, so maybe it was a gift that ran in the family. It was hard to say, but it started to come naturally to him.

The beta had figured out how to find herbs to season his food, aid an upset stomach, keep cuts from getting infected, and many other things.

Three months and hundreds of miles later, Keonhee felt confident in his abilities to be a medic for a pack.

The only problem was finding a pack to call home.

Every time he had come across another wolf, they were usually out hunting or would do everything they could to guard their territory.

And really, that was three times. He came across three homes in three months.

Hardly any of the territory around here had been claimed. It gave the forest a peaceful feel. A lot of the deer herds were large and numerous.

It was getting to the point though, that Keonhee was thinking that maybe he needed to find his own territory to try and claim. He had no idea how that would work since he was a beta, but he was getting tired of wandering from without a place to attempt to call home.

One day, he noticed that the trees were starting to thin out and the air felt cleaner. Curious, he fell into an easy lope and continued forward.

He came across a sight he never thought he would get to see.

The ocean appeared in front of him. The vast, deep blue color stretched as far as he could see and even in his wolf form his jaw dropped a little.

He instantly fell in love with the sound the waves made when they crashed upon the shore.

It was remarkable.

Keonhee shifted back into his human form and put on everything except for his boots. He made sure to roll up his pant legs as well, but a wide smile crossed his face as soon as he set foot in the cool water.

Growing up, he had always heard stories of the ocean and it's mysterious ways. His parents had seen it only once and would do their best to describe it to him. Which made standing here now hurt just as much as it made him happy.

Tears came to his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. Now was not the time to be weak.

Being weak is what brought him here.

Keonhee took another moment to stare out at the water before he turned and walked along the beach. The sand was soft and comforting underneath his tired feet and it looked untouched for the most part.

He could see a few footprints here an there from other predators that may have tried to come fishing, but he knew that once he made his presence known, they would most likely vacate the area.

After a few hours of searching, he found a small cluster of boulders that would provide him with good protection just off the beach.

For now, this would be his home.

He spent several hours gathering firewood so he could have some warmth tonight and something to cook his food before going out to explore some more.

Now it was time to learn how to feed himself using the ocean.

At one point, he ended up stripping down and wading out into deeper waters. He didn't know how to swim, but Keonhee knew that's where the fish would be.

When he was able to confirm his suspicions, he let his mind work out how he could catch some fish while he dried off, dressed, and continued down the beach.

He ended up coming across some tidal pools that he instantly knew he would be frequenting. Several small fish had been trapped inside, but it also looked like there were many shelled creatures that he was easily able to harvest from the rocks that made up the walls of of the pools. He even came across something he believed was called a crab if he remembered the drawing his parents had showed him.

The strange thing kept trying to pinch him with its front legs, but Keonhee just smashed it with a rock.

Yet another thing he would have to learn how to hunt, but for now, he would have a full belly tonight.

Everything was easily roasted over the fire and he appreciated how hard it was to get at the crab meat and the meat inside the shelled creatures. It was sweet and luxurious.

A few weeks after he had decided to stay here, Keonhee had started to figure out the best way to fish in the deeper water of the ocean. He had found several long branches and would sharpen one end of them with a rock to make a spear. The rest of it was patience until a fish got close enough for him to kill, but it was a great way to pass the time, plus it made for a very rewarding meal.

He was starting to accept the fact that maybe he was supposed to be alone when one day he was startled from his afternoon nap by a pained cry and a snarl.

Keonhee instantly crouched down and made his way to the edge of the cave to look at what was going on.

Blood was splattered across the sand in front of him, and as his eyes drifted up, he saw a brown and white wolf pinning a deer to the ground. He could instantly detect that it was an alpha, someone like him, not just a wild wolf.

Mixed emotions ran through him after that discovery. He was feeling the pains of being alone and would love to have someone to even just talk to for a little bit.

But it was an alpha...

He could feel his wolf shying away from the alpha and he stayed in his cave to watch as the deer's neck was snapped.

The alpha huffed and let it drop to the ground so he could lick his lips.

Then he froze and straightened up.

Keonhee prepared himself, knowing he may need to attempt to defend himself, as the wolf slowly turned around to look at him.

Even in wolf form, the alpha had a kind face, especially when he tilted his head to the side. His nostrils flared and Keonhee knew he was picking up on his cinnamon scent.

What surprised him even more was the fact that the alpha shifted. After the other pulled on a pair of trousers, he started walking forward slowly. "Hello."

Keonhee flinched and started to retreat into his makeshift shelter.

"Wait, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Youngjo. Are you hurt? Where's your pack?" The tone of his voice indicated that he was cautious, but genuinely concerned.

The beta stayed crouched over and swallowed the lump in his throat. "K-Keonhee. And I don't have one."

Youngjo's mouth opened a little in shock. "You're... You're out here by yourself?"

Keonhee nodded.

He watched as Youngjo eyed the boulders he was hiding in and the area around him. "Are you ok? This isn't really a safe place for someone to be by themself. Storms come in occasionally and destroy anything that is on the beach." The alpha paused and looked into the trees. "I've been living nearby for a few months now. Would you like to come with me? You'd have a roof over your head and a warm place to sleep at night. We'd need to build you your own hut, but that wouldn't be a problem."

"Are... Really? You don't even know me..." Keonhee was shocked. This alpha seemed to be really trusting, which was something he wasn't used to at all.

"No, but I'm pretty good at reading people. Plus, I don't want anyone to be on their own. No one deserves that." The way Youngjo spoke told Keonhee that he too had something horrible happen to him. "So what do you say?"

The beta hesitated and looked back at his little cave-like area. His wolf was nervous. It didn't like the idea of being around an alpha again, but at the same time it wanted to be in a pack again.

So Keonhee grabbed his trusty rope and stepped out from the boulders.

Youngjo turned his back to the beta and they both striped and shifted.

Slowly, Keonhee walked forward so the two wolves could scent each other. He could see Youngjo giving him a curious look. Keonhee had always had a unique coat for a wolf, but after everything that happened, it made him feel self conscious now that he was around another wolf again.

But once they both were a little more comfortable, Keonhee dipped his head down to gingerly take one of the deer's legs in his mouth, offering to help take it back.

Youngjo's tail wagged in appreciation and the two of them started to pick their way through the trees.

Soon a small clearing appeared that made Keonhee drop the leg from his mouth and stare in wonder.

Two huts had been set up that were round in shape and made from the trees in the area. The roof was also made from logs and were angled up with a hole in the roof that had smoke coming out from it, indicating they had built a fire pit inside them to help keep the hut warm.

There was also a larger fire pit dug into the ground a good distance away from the huts that had to long poles coming up on either side of it that ended in a 'y' so they could roast deer over the fire. There was a tanning rack by the fire as well so they could dry out pelts.

It felt cozy.

A door to one of the huts opened and another alpha walked out. Even though he had a kind face, Keonhee found himself backing up instantly and whining.

Youngjo shifted next to him and held up his hands. "Hey, it's ok. This is Leedo. Neither of us are going to hurt you."

"What's going on?" The second alpha asked, pausing in place.

"Stay there Leedo, this is Keonhee, I found him on the beach." Youngjo never took his eyes off the beta as he spoke. "I promise, no one here will hurt you."

Keonhee's ears fell back against his head and he lowered himself to the ground. He could feel his anxiety spiking and he had half a mind to turn around and run.

But then the second hut opened and a smaller boy walked out with a sad look on his face. "Youngjo..." He said, looking around the clearing.

Youngjo immediately spun around and hurried to the other's side. After a moment Keonhee was able to identify that he was an omega, and he was guessing that he was mated to Youngjo with the way the alpha was cupping his cheeks and looking him over.

The omega looked... ill. Or just extremely tired. It tugged at Keonhee's heart and he let out one more whine and stepped forward.

Leedo studied him, but for an alpha he didn't give off a threatening aura at all, so Keonhee felt a little more comfortable walking into the clearing.

Youngjo turned to look at him and his forehead creased with concern when Keonhee lowered himself to the ground again. "Sorry. Hwanwoong, this is Keonhee. I offered for him to come stay with us. He doesn't have a pack right now. Is that ok?" He looked back at his omega.

Slowly, the omega turned to look at Keonhee and studied him with dead eyes.

Keonhee shivered. Something had happened to the omega and he wanted nothing more than to help him. So he slowly shifted and stayed bent over on his knees to show respect. He kept his head bowed as well to show respect.

He sensed the omega looking at him for a long moment, then heard, "Yes."

"Great! Welcome!" Leedo said, making Keonhee look up at him in surprise. The alpha had a kind smile that crinkled his eyes. "I'll start gathering some things and we can work on building you a home then."

Keonhee was stunned. It had been so long since he had been around someone so welcoming, he wasn't sure how to take it. But then Youngjo nodded at him before escorting Hwanwoong back inside. This allowed Keonhee to stand and dress, then he waited for Leedo to return.

He knew he had to be cautious and be sure to still take care of himself, but he couldn't help the small smile that appeared when his wolf churned at the idea of being in a pack again.

Almost four months now. Four months of being by himself.

He hoped that was all going to change for good, and he could finally try to call this place home.

~~Written by flamewhipper~~