YOU'VE BEEN CAUGHT

"Alpha Ethan wants to discuss.... your punishment prince Ryder". He answered to the dread of the young prince.

Prince Ryder's face immediately went pale as he stared dumbstruck.

Asher stared at Prince Ryder with amusement. He really was falling for his little joke, he was just trying to be sarcastic, but the little prince was just to naive.

"Relax young prince, I was only joking, well not so much. There's this tradition we have here at the night howlers pack, it's quite annoying but you'll survive". 

He paused as he watched the little prince calm down, he had really piqued his interest now.

"We usually have a wolf's baptism ceremony were you'd be made a full member of the pack. After that, we'll go for a quick hunt and that's that".

At this rate prince Ryder had started breathing again. For a moment there he saw himself walking down the gallows. All he could do was nod in acknowledgement.

"Although you wouldn't want to keep the pack members waiting, they can get really sensitive when they're made to wait for long. And when I say sensitive, I mean not in a good way" 

Prince Ryder picked up his court garments as he dashed to the bathroom. Rule two of living in a pack house, never let your co-workers hate you. They could make things get really nasty and frustrating if they mark you hostile.

A few moments later, Prince Ryder stepped out of the bathroom. He was all dressed up and ready to go. Luckily, he took his garments with him. It would have been a whole new matter if he came out to dress in front of Asher.

They both walked side by side as they got to gigantic grand doors that looked more like gates. Asher pushed one open and stood aside.

"After you young prince". He gestured with a bright toothed smile.

"Thanks Asher" he answered gratefully as he walked in. He was as sure as hell that he couldn't push that door single handedly.

"Don't mention it". Asher replied with a wider grin and Prince Ryder smiled back. Asher's easy going personality was rubbing off. 

As soon as prince Ryder walked in, he immediately wished to be outside again. 

The room was filled with sassy looking females and males who were intimidatinly muscular.

Prince Ryder would easily pass of as a teen-ager here, so embarrassing. Not to talk of the disappointed looks the females were sending his way.

They were probably expecting an athletic built hunk, with tattoos and piercings. They must really be disappointed.

But that wasn't really an issue. The issue was that they were glaring what they held in their hands, daggers.

Prince Ryder looked up at Asher in panic, and he gave him a reassuring smile. Only this time, there was nothing rub off about it.

 Were they possibly upset about what happened yesterday, they might also think that he had a hand in alpha Ethan's condition. So much for the 'never let your co-workers hate you' rule.

"What took you so long young prince". It was a tough looking guy with a cobra tattoo on his neck.

  "Did our little prince need his beauty sleep?". He questioned, earning mocking giggles from the rest of the crew.

"Back off venom, it was me who delayed our arrival. I had a meeting with the alpha. And secondly, don't use that tune with him, he is royalty and deserves some respect". Asher firmly defended to the surprise of both prince Ryder and himself.

'What the hell are you doing ash' he scolded himself inwardly. While prince Ryder was shocked at Asher's sudden domineering mood shifts. Was he bipolar?.

'Oh, my bad' the scary looking hunk apologised as he stepped back.

Asher stepped forward as he cleared his throat. 

"So" he began "where do we begin?". He asked.

"We should be asking you that" came the voice of Jace, as he glared daggers at Prince Ryder. Now that, was where all the hate in the air was coming from. 

"Okay then. First to the pool, and then we hunt. Understood?" he asked authoritatively. 

Yep, easy going Asher was definitely gone prince Ryder thought as the hall erupted in cheers, and everyone filed through the door.

They all walked past prince Ryder without sparing him as much as a glance. Okay hostility in the air.

They got to the prettiest forest prince Ryder had ever seen, the rich scent of earth and vegetation invading his nostrils. The trees stood in full glory as they gave canopy from the sun. And there was a very pretty lake inbetween and Prince Ryder noticed that they were all headed towards it. So the baptism stuff wasn't a joke?

They got to the clean looking lake and sat around it. Prince Ryder was about to sit also when he was pushed into it, hard. 

He looked up and saw a guy who went by the name kai. He seemed nice and friendly as he had a huge grin plastered on his face.

Prince Ryder tried to swim back to shore, but the other pack members started pushing each other into the lake. All of them were in the lake as they wiggled and splashed like crazy.

They all kept laughing and giggling as they had fun, smiling  at Prince Ryder as they swam side by side. 

Prince Ryder felt so free and relieved, for the first time in a while he felt at peace and without trouble, but not for long.

He felt his chest bindings fall off, leaving him bare and vulnerable. 

He immediately began his heated swim to the shore as he ignored the calls of his fellow pack members. 

He got to dry land and made a run for it. running as far as his tiny feet could take him. 

He wasn't far gone when he was pulled to a corner by a set of strong arms. 

His strong sent of ripe  berries invading prince Ryder's nostrils as he was pinned to the wall. Seems like the scent suppressants had totally lost their effect.

"What the fûck are you doing?". He asked as his green eyes widened in shock as they landed on prince Ryder's nipples which were poking at his garments.

"Fuck"