As the first light of dawn slowly spread over the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of warm, golden hues, bathing the tranquil valley in a luminous glow. In this peaceful setting, the inhabitants of a small settlement began to stir from their slumber. The gentle rustling of leaves in the towering trees signaled the awakening of the pack members who had sought refuge in the branches during the night. Akoi welcomed the morning sun with a quiet sense of joy among them. He rubbed his pale, blue eyes and slung his bag over his shoulder, preparing to descend from the sturdy oak tree carefully.

In the dim light, he stole a glance at his older brother, Haru, who was still deep in slumber, before refocusing on his task. Just as he was about to descend, a stern voice called out, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

"Akoi! What do you think you’re doing?"

Akoi swiftly climbed back up to face his brother, his expression already resigned to the inevitable scolding. "I’m sorry, Haru…" he mumbled, feeling the weight of his brother's disapproving gaze.

Haru's stern countenance softened slightly as he approached his younger sibling. "What have I told you countless times?"

Akoi lowered his gaze, fully aware of what was expected of him. "Not to climb down before the morning patrol gives the all-clear."

"And what did you do?"

"I tried to climb down before the morning patrol gave the all-clear," Akoi admitted reluctantly.

The beta let out a heavy sigh, his frustration giving way to concern as he gazed at his brother. "Akoi, you know it’s unsafe for you to go down alone. As the only omega in the pack and the Alpha’s chosen mate, it’s my responsibility to ensure your safety until you are old enough to be marked."

Akoi crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. He was tired of being treated like a fragile being by everyone in the pack just because he was an omega. Suddenly, a conch shell echoed through the forest, signaling that the patrol was completed and that it was safe for the pack to descend from their trees and start their day. A grin spread across Akoi’s face as he reached for the nearest branch, skillfully climbing down the large oak and sprinting across the forest floor to the nearby field. 

As his bare feet hit the forest floor with each step, he could feel an oddly cold breeze ruffle his cloudy white locks. He could hear the sounds of birds nearby and other small creatures rustling through the underbrush. Rodents like squirrels and chipmunks, among other things, were gathering food to store for winter, quite similar to him.

Akoi could see the field just ahead, with stray sunbeams peeking through the forest canopy. Bursting through the trees, he raced happily into the warm morning rays. As his adrenaline began to wear off, he surveyed the field to see what he could snag as a quick breakfast. 

A faint rustling was heard from behind Akoi as he slowly spun around. A small field mouse was holding onto what looked to be a small red berry. Akoi eyed the little creature as his stomach let out a growl. However, Akoi could not hunt like other pack members his age. He was only allowed to forage. So that’s what he did. He slowly crept closer to the mouse before it scurried away. Quickly, Akoi grabbed his bag and followed the mouse through the trees and greenery of the forest, only slowing to a stop when the smell of wild raspberries hit his nose. 

His eyes widened before a grin broke out across his face. At least twenty different bushes had to be full of the sweet fruit. Akoi let out a small cry of joy as he reached forward to gather them from the patch and stuff the berries into his bag. 

He had barely finished gathering half of the second bush before he heard something snap. Akoi froze in place. The snap had been too loud to have been any forest animal Akoi had known of. Fearful pheromones filled the air as Akoi trembled, moving farther away from where the sound originated and closer to the path he took from the field. Standing up with his arms wrapped around his bag, he quickly backed away from the bushes.

Just as he was about to make a mad dash for the field, a pair of strong arms grabbed him from behind, panicking, Akoi mustered up all the strength he had as he bit into his attacker’s hand, running on pure adrenaline as the grip around him loosened. Breaking free, Akoi spun around to face his opponent.

“Ow! What the hell was that for, Akoi?” 

Akoi’s eyes widened as he realized who his ‘attacker’ was. Kenji, the alpha’s best friend and second in command, stood before him, holding his bloodied hand.

“Kenji! Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I was looking around for food when I came across this huge raspberry patch but then I heard a crack and I thought you might be a demon–”

“Akoi,” Kenji said, interrupting the omega’s ramble, “The alpha wants to see you.”

Akoi’s eyebrows raised, “Why would he need me right now? I thought he told me yesterday to scavenge for plants in the morning.”

Kenji only offered him a shrug. “I don’t know, however, he isn’t being very patient, so we better get moving unless we want to face his wrath.”

Akoi giggled, “You mean unless you want to face his wrath.”

The beta rolled his eyes in response as he led Akoi back to the pack grounds. The omega glanced over his shoulder before deciding the earlier sound must have just been Kenji.

The two began making their way through the bushes and foliage of the forest floor. Their bare feet crunching on the newly fallen leaves filled the odd silence as the wind rustled through the trees. Akoi looked around, not recognizing his surroundings. Akoi could feel the silence crawling across his skin, making him shiver. 

Akoi looked at the beta walking ahead of him with confident strides before asking, “Are you sure we’re going the right way, Kenji?”

“Of course. I am a master at navigation,” Kenji said as he tossed a grin over his shoulder.

“But this is the third time we’ve passed that boulder,” Akoi sighed, glaring at the back of the blonde’s head.

Kenji slowed to a halt, looking around before commenting, “The trees do look a little different from the ones I saw on my way to fetch you… We probably took a wrong turn somewhere while you distracted me with your blabbering.”

Akoi let out a small growl in his best attempt to be threatening toward the beta. However, his efforts seemed vain as Kenji chuckled and ruffled the omega’s snowy hair.

“It’s alright, pup. I’ll protect you from any scary demons.” he teased, holding up a finger on each hand while pressing the backs against his head in his best imitation of the creatures.

Akoi huffed and dropped to the ground while waiting for another pack member to come and find them. The omega reached into his bag, retrieving a handful of raspberries. Plopping one into his mouth, Akoi moaned at the taste as the burst of flavor filled his senses. Kenji glanced at Akoi before sitting on the forest floor beside him and holding his hand out. Reluctantly, the omega placed a few of the sweet fruits into his open palm. 

The rustling of leaves in the early autumn breeze had stopped completely, along with the calls of songbirds flying over their heads. There was no rustling of leaves from animals exploring the forest floor. Everything had become oddly quiet. Akoi could feel goosebumps rising across his skin. Shivering, he glanced around, the feeling of being watched returning to him. He couldn’t see a single creature aside from Kenji, who was obliviously eating the food offered to him.

Trying to close his eyes and relax, Akoi leaned against a tree when he heard a whistle. He and Kenji went rigid, knowing that the sound was not a bird call. The beta stood up, dropping the raspberries to the floor as he moved into a defensive position. Akoi rose, slinging his bag over his shoulder and moving behind Kenji. Suddenly, slow clapping echoed through the forest as a figure draped in a black cloak stepped out from the shadows.

“I’ll admit I’m impressed. I didn’t think an omega could have such a good sense of hearing,” said the figure, while Kenji’s eyes widened and Akoi whimpered, “I thought we would have at least a few more days before our discovery.”

“And I didn’t think a devil would be so stupid to show himself alone, so I guess we’re even,” Kenji snarled at the man, baring his teeth as he moved his body to shield Akoi.

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, darling. I would never come here without backup.”

Shadows suddenly dropped from the trees above the two males, surrounding them before pouncing onto the duo. Rendering them defenseless, they were forced to their knees with their arms restricted behind them. Akoi squirmed in his captor’s grasp, wincing as their grip became tighter. On the other hand, Kenji was completely feral, nearly biting off a chunk of flesh from one of the men around him before screaming at him, “Let us go, bastard!”

A chorus of laughter echoed through the surrounding woods as the leader of the group crouched down in front of Kenji, smirking before speaking again.

“Let’s make a deal, pup.”