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Chapter Forty-Six: Sweet Little Lies

"This won't do." Xavier muttered. The white and grey wolf pulled uneasily at the trappings of his rather sharp looking dark grey tuxedo. "This fabric is so abrasive." Xavier huffed. "And I look terrible."

"Oh Pshaw." Malcolm tutted, swatting the wolf's paws away from fiddling at his own pale purple tie. "Y'all look more than fine."

Xavier shook his head. " I tried to pick something that looked the most like my proper tuxedo." The wolf pulled at the lapel of his jacket to reveal the matching pale purple vest underneath, gesturing with it with a paw. "But the materials are so...ugh" Xavier adjusted his glasses. "They honestly just don't make them anywhere like San Francisgoat."

Malcolm gave the wolf a playful pat on the chest as he rolled his eyes. "You are such a spoilt' pup." The russet wolf said with a laugh.

Xavier crossed his arms defensively, turning from his mate as it the comment had left the wolf feeling slightly offended. "Just because I demand quality when it comes to what I'm willing to be seen wearing?"

"Y'all look fine!" Malcolm laughed. " It's only fer one night, and side's this whole affair ain't exactly for you now is it?" Malcolm averted his eyes slightly, his gaze momentarily falling on the other wolf seated in the room before quickly darting back to his mate. The russet wolf pulled at his own, considerably simpler tux and gestured toward it. The suit was largely similar to Xavier's, aside from the wolf opting for a baby blue tie, and forgoing the vest in favor of sticking with the simple dress shirt. The russet wolf pulled at one of his suspender straps that had been hidden underneath the jacket with a paw, releasing it with a dull 'thwip' as he eyed his mate. "My suit ain't perfect, but it's good enough to get the job done."

Xavier sighed. " I know...I just..." The wolf ran a paw through his hair nervously. "I just wish I had my proper suit." Xavier looked toward the ceiling. " I want to be looking my best for something as important as this, ans-"

Malcolm held up a paw, averting his eyes to the wolf that had been watching the pair before glancing back to his mate. "Stop yerself before y'all accidentally...er...say the wrong thing." Malcolm chided. "And asides', unless y'all can are fixin' to sprout wings and can fly as fast as a jet y'all would never make it in time."

"Hey fellas?" Wade popped his head in from between a nearby curtain, drawing the two wolves attention.

"Is he ready for him?" Xavier asked, lowering his glasses as he eyed the dusky grey wolf.

"Just about." Wade muttered, pushing the curtains aside and dusting off his tux as he entered. The wolf's tux was comparably simplier to the other two mammals. Nothing more than a black suit, punctuated with a pale blue tie. For a moment, his gaze met the same quiet wolf that Malcolm's eyes had, only to just as quickly divert back to the couple. "He's just finishin' up Ully's tux." Wade shook his head. "Ya'll know how hard it is for Ully to keep still."

"Maybe y'all should have used the zip ties on ol' Ully instead." Malcolm chuckled.

"Speaking of..." Xavier's gaze traveled to the seated wolf briefly. "Do you think it is safe to untie him?"

"I dunno if we should risk it." Wade muttered quietly. "M-maybe the tailor can work around the ties?"

"Don't be silly!" Malcolm laughed. "He ain't gonna run out now!"

"I don't know..." Wade muttered, exchanging a glance with the wolf across the way. "He still has a bit of a squirrely look in his eyes, maybe we sh-"

"Hey boys." Vernon finally spoke, drawing the groups attention back to him all at once. The wolf looked exceedingly tired, the bruise under his eye only adding to the pre-existing bags that had come from a short and tumultuous nights sleep. "Could y'all do me a solid and-" The wolf furrowed his brow, flashing his fangs at the mammals as he began to thrash in his seat.

"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I AIN'T HERE!?" Vernon snarled.

"Easy Vernon, easy." Xavier held his paws out, gesturing for the wolf to settle. But Vernon was beyond settling. He had been seated in one of the back rooms of the local tailor's place for what, from his perspective, had to have been at least two hours. His paws restrained not only with the initial zip ties they had used to restrain him at the ranch, but another two sets connecting the first one around his wrists to the spokes of the wooden chair he now sat in. The whole time, his brothers had continually tip-toed around divulging just what was going on. Whether it was Trenton electing to make small talk about anything but the current predicament Vernon found himself in, Zach remaining silent while it was his turn to keep watch, refusing to even acknowledge the wolf's presence, or worst of all, the current situation with his brothers simply talking around him, the lack of transparency had grown completely maddening.

The more the topic at paw was avoided, the more it left Vernon to stew in his own thoughts. To review the situation and everything that lead up to it in his head over and over again in order to find his own clues as to just what was going on. And from what Vernon had managed to piece together during his time strapped to the wooden chair, the vibe around it certainly didn't tell him anything good.

At first, Vernon hadn't been sure what to make of the silent treatment. Back at the ranch, he hadn't really noticed it. After all, the wolf was to busy attempting to dole out a silent treatment of his own when it came to the other wolves. They had tackled and trussed him up after all, in front of his mate no-less. Treating him with the same care and finesse that an officer would employ when taking down some violent criminal. The kind you'd see on late night television with his face blurred out, screaming obscenities at the mammals restraining him. Of course, the tearful goodbye he had given his mate probably didn't help the situation in that regard, if anything it probably made the scene that much more uncomfortable for the rest of the Hunter pack to witness. To any outsider, the scene must of looked like something out of a domestic dispute case. Between Vernon's own injuries, the tears he and Dawn shared, and the zip tie cuffs, all that was really missing was the wolf being loaded into a squad car and hauled off to the North Meadowland's County Jail. And Vernon was certain that image hadn't just resonated with him alone judging by the uncomfortable expressions worn by most of his siblings during the wolf's final goodbyes to his mate.

It was only when the Hunter girls left ahead of them, did Vernon pick up on just how awkwardly silent kitchen had grown. His brothers had grown deathly quiet, save for a stray cough here and there. Glancing around, Vernon could see various eyes darting at one another, as if each member of the pack was looking to the other to say something. To break the stifling and uncomfortable atmosphere that had formed with the absence of Audrey and the girls. In that moment, Vernon thought that maybe his brothers were just as bewildered and baffled by the sudden turn of events as he was. As if all they had been told was to restrain the wolf and wait there for further instructions. And with nothing left to do or say, they seemed to be at a collective loss as to how to move forward.

The familiar puttering of Audrey's pie van came and went, signifying that the girls had left the ranch, presumably with Dawn in tow. The staccato sound of backfiring exhaust slowly fading away as the sound of the early morning birds once again filled the quiet kitchen. It was only then, when the van appeared to be long gone, did one of his brothers mustered to courage to speak.

"S-So..." Wade muttered. "How we doing this?"

"We already know what we're doin' here, dummy." Yuri rolled his eyes.

"Good." Vernon muttered. "Because I'd like to know." The wolf growled softly. He tried to meet Trenton's gaze, but the wolf looked away. His muzzle twisted-up in an uneasy grimace.

"I know that!" Wade protested, failing to acknowledge the wolf's comment. "I-I mean how we dollin' out who's ridin' front and whos ridin' bed?" The wolf met Vernon's gaze briefly before looking away. "I mean who's ridin' with...y'know...?"

The silence returned momentarily, the wolves once again exchanging uncertain glances.

"Let's just walk him outside, and we'll figure it out as we go." Trenton mumbled. "Sound fair?"

There was a mixture of nods and murmurs of agreement as the room slipped back into that same uneasy silence. A silence that only grew that much more uncomfortable as Vernon was guided outside without so much of a peep from his brothers. Trenton and Zach's grip on his shoulders remained firm as they led the wolf out to the driveway, their claws digging into his shirt as they pushed him onward while the other Hunters dutifully followed behind. The whole time, the unnatural, pervading silence grew more and more unnerving to Vernon. The wolf had seen his brothers act in many different ways, but generally, when they were together there was always an air of joviality and playfulness about them. Even when the mood was somber, you could always count on one of them to try to lighten it. At least, aside from Yuri. After all, the wolf had quite the knack for dancing on the grave of good spirit whenever the opportunity arose. Yet now, the palpable discomfort and unease that exuded from around Vernon made him feel as though the walk to the old, beat up, pick-up truck had the weight of being led out to a firing squad.

Coming to a stop along the side of the car, the wolves once again traded uncertain glances, each looking to the other to once again bring up the topic of presumably, who was riding next to Vernon in the front seat.

"Well, I ain't gonna do it." Malcolm was the first to cut the thick, stifling atmosphere with his objection. "I mean yer his brothers here. So obviously it should be one of y'all sitting next to Vern."

"Nice way to pass the buck." Zach mumbled.

"Passin' the buck?" Malcolm laughed awkwardly. "Yer supposed to be trained in handlin' this stuff! I'm just a chef! I'm the least qualified mammal here!"

"He's right." Xavier interjected. "He'd most likely crack if Vernon started asking too many questions."

Malcolm laughed uneasily. "Any other time I'd take that as an insult, but it's true." Malcolm replied. "I ain't never been a good liar."

"Liar?" Vernon spoke again. The wolf couldn't be sure what they were lying about, but it suddenly made him a bit more dubious about the seemingly earnest act his mother had put on for him in the kitchen. The fact that language like that was being thrown around at all made the wolf that much more wary of the lot of them.

"Damnit Malcolm!" Zach snapped, throwing the wolf a glare. "He's already lookin' cagey enough! I don't want him makin' a break for it cause yer mouth spoke before yer brain!"

Vernon furrowed his brow. "I ain't gonna-"

"Hey, It was just an accident!" Xavier replied, cutting Vernon off."No need to jump down Malcolm's throat."

The general unease and anxiety seemed to be rising rapidly as the wolves continued to bicker, especially whenever Vernon tried to interject, in which case he was quickly talked over by another brother. It was annoying, sure, but everyone around him seemed so jumpy it was to be expected. Vernon was certain a part of that revolved around the fear that they still expected him to try to get away, and that hearing him out would only result in him attempting to talk his way out of the cuffs and making run for it. Then again, once the wolf was in the passenger seat, it wasn't like he was in a great position to try and flee anyway, and that was more or less what Vernon had been trying to tell them only to be cut off each time by another round of arguing between the Hunter males. But there was clearly more to the spats of aggressive and defensive posturing between them as the arguing went on. And it only furthered the wolves suspicions that whatever his brothers were sitting on, was controversial. At least where Vernon was concerned.

The argument probably went on for a good five minutes before something happened that took Vernon completely by surprise. Yuri, who had largely kept silent while the other brothers argued over who should drive let out a loud, irritated huff as he began to tromp toward the group of mammals. Vernon barely had time to register what was going on before Yuri had pulled him free of the other wolves, taking it upon himself to restrain Vernon and lead him over to the passenger side of the truck. For the first time since the wolf had been restrained by his brothers, the wolf felt a renewed surge of panic run through him. Although previously, the sudden wash of fear and urge to flee had been extinguished as soon as Vernon realized it was simply his brothers restraining him. Was he angry and confused? Most definitely. But he trusted the bulk of his brothers to not take advantage of the situation, both as officers of the law, and having little to no axe to actually grind with Vernon. But Yuri on the other paw, well, if he had been looking to get his revenge for the night before, he had certainly positioned himself in the perfect place to get it. And with Vernon unable to defend himself, who knew how long it would take to pry the jet black wolf off of him should he decided to give Vernon another beating.

Vernon desperately tried to squirm free, but it did little to break the painfully tight grip of the dark-furred wolf as he roughly pushed him along the passenger side of the vehicle.

"HEY!" Vernon heard Zach yelp.

"YURI, WHAT ARE YO-!?"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Yuri spat, as he yanked the passenger side door open. With a hard shove, Vernon spilled into the passenger seat face first. Now free of Yuri's grip, the wolf desperately tried to right himself, squirming against the fabric in a desperate attempt to get his paws over his head and around his front to block whatever flurry of blows was coming. But the wolf's struggle came to an abrupt stop as he heard the unmistakable sound of the car door slam behind him. Shifting his body around, Vernon managed to pop his head up just in time to catch Yuri tromping around the hood of his truck, his eyes locked on the Hunters across from him. Out of the drivers side window, Vernon could see his other brothers watching Yuri, a mixture of confusion and anger on their faces as they called out to him. But whatever they were saying to the wolf, Vernon couldn't quite make out. Between the rabble of Hunters arguing over one another and the sealed cab of the truck, their voices were partially muffled and hard to distinguish aside from a few choice words. Mostly ones that sounded suspiciously like_'no'_ and 'stop'. Vernon winced as he tried to swallow the lump that was rapidly forming in his throat.

It was only as Yuri tore the passenger side door wide open, did the cab fill up with the clamoring voices of his brothers.

"I"M GONNA DRIVE ALRIGHT!?" Yuri snarled, flashing his fangs at the other hunters before his angry expression softened into more of a resentful glare. The wolf let out a derisive snort as he turned back toward the open cab, and leaned a knee up onto the drives seat. "Bunch a damn sissies."

"Oh cause that's a great idea." Zach said with a laugh. " Y'all want to take a good look in one of Ma's side mirrors and tell me with a straight face why puttin' you both alone together isn't gonna just lead to trouble?"

Vernon watched his brother glance at the mirror for a moment, the wolf letting out a soft scoff before turning back to the other Hunters as placing his paws on his hips.

"He does have a point." Xavier muttered, pressing his glasses up slightly.

The black-furred wolf crossed his arms defensively "I gotta drive don't I?" Yuri hissed. "Asides, Vern's restrained." The wolf cocked a brow. " Wouldn't exactly be fair to beat on a mammal who can't defend himself."

It was a strange sentiment coming from Yuri, at least to Vernon. The mammal had never seemed to be on to really give a damn when it came to playing fair.

"Oh, now suddenly y'all care about that kinda stuff?" The errant comment earned a particularly nasty glare from the black-furred wolf. It was, at the very least, a brief moment of recognition that Vernon was more than a an object being moved around at his brother's leisure. But it was short-lived, and soon the wolf's focus was back on the apparent task at paw.

"We're gonna be LATE if we keep up this DAMN SQUABBLIN'!" Yuri spat. "So either pick someone else or let me do the drivin', cause we're runnin' out of TIME!"

The other brothers shared an uncertain glance, the wolves looking to one another to say something before grouping into a rather sloppy looking huddle. With their backs turned away, and deliberately speaking in low tones Vernon could barely make out anything that was being said during the brief huddle. He desperately tried to crane his head, tilting his ears in the direction of the mob in his best effort to decipher the quiet mumbling and musings, but the only thing he managed to make out was when he heard Ulric bark out what sounded like 'why me'? But just as soon as the Hunters began their silent deliberation, it just as quickly came to an end. And once it broke up, it was Xavier who took the lead, the well-dressed wolf taking a step forward before speaking.

"We'll let you drive Yuri." Xavier muttered. "Provided Ulric is seated between the both of you."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Seriously!?"

Zach crossed his arms, glowering at the dark-furred wolf.

"It's either that, or were lettin' Ully drive and you'll be in back with us." Zach grumbled. "Take yer pick."

Vernon watched as the rest of the Hunters slowly joined in Zach's defensive and defiant posture, the wolves all crossing their arms and glowering at the wolf standing between Vernon and the others.

Yuri let out a snarl, placing a paw on the driver's side door and slamming it shut so hard Vernon could hear the glass rattling in the frame. Again, the wolf found himself cut off from the conversation as Yuri began to argue loudly with the others. But at the very least the wolf had picked up another clue. Like his mother, Yuri had also emphasized that whatever was going to happen had some degree of time constraints regarding it. There was clearly some sort of deadline at stake, and the longer they drew out getting fitted for tux's, the higher the chance of missing or screwing up whatever plan had been put together.

Yuri was gesturing wildly, but the rest of the Hunter pack remained unmoved by his efforts. Their unflinching glares remaining fixed on the wolf regardless of how loudly he seemed to protest. It was clear whatever argument the wolf was making for himself was doing little to sway the consensus. Eventually, Vernon saw Yuri throw his arms up in the air in a defeated gesture, turning to lean against the door as Ulric began to walk toward the car. The wolf couldn't hear Yuri sigh, but the sudden flush of fog on the window was enough to tell him as much.

Once Ulric had reached the wolf's side, Yuri listlessly opened it once again, stepping aside as he gestured the dusky grey inside.

"Just keep yer damn mouth shut Ully." Yuri muttered, gesturing Ulric inside with a paw. "And if you twitch too much I'm gonna swat you."

Ulric let out an indignant huff as he keeled into the seat.

"I might be an expert at uncovering secrets." Ulric grumbled, sliding over onto the middle of the seat and uncomfortably close to Vernon. "But I'm pretty good at keeping them too!"

Yuri let out an irritated sigh as he leaned into the driver's seat, gesturing a paw to the other Hunters as they began to round the truck bed. Once again, the dark wolf slammed the door shut so hard it made the whole car rattle.

"What's wrong with you anyway?" Ulric asked Yuri. "Ain't it a little early fer yer hackles to be raised this high?"

The black wolf flashed him a hateful sneer, causing the wolf to cow slightly before turning back to jam the keys into the ignition.

"Geeze..." Ulric muttered. "Sorry I asked."

From there, the silent treatment began in earnest. Well, at least for the most part. Ulric did surprisingly well when it came to keeping his word in regards to whatever secret they were keeping. But Yuri's behavior was growing increasingly hard to read, which was somewhat uncharted territory for Vernon. The Yuri Vernon knew generally came in two flavors, irritable, and cruel. Yet during a majority of the drive Vernon found that Yuri kept glancing over at him. The wolf's generally annoyed expression faltering each time, giving way to something looking a bit more troubled. It was a look of discomfort that hadn't quite matched the one the rest of his brothers seemed to consistently wear throughout this whole little kit-napping stint. There was clearly something on the wolf's mind, but he seemed unable to bring himself to say it.

Of the few times he attempted to open his mouth, he said nothing. His muzzle simply hung open for a moment before he snapped it shut again, turning away from Vernon and Ulric and letting out another irritated huff as he slammed a paw against the ridge of the steering wheel. Vernon couldn't be sure what to make of it, but considering who it was coming from, he assumed whatever he had to say probably wasn't worth listening to anyway. Thankfully Vernon had Ulric to act as a shield should Yuri decide to try anything, even if listening to the rather banal banter about 'the underwater Kingdom of Cetacea' from the dusky grey wolf was hard to endure without dozing off.

Arriving at the local tailor's, Yuri was quick to bail out of the vehicle. The dark wolf letting off another annoyed huff as he left Vernon to be dealt with by the other Hunters. It was the last the wolf would see of that particular brother for the rest of the morning as he was taken back into custody by Trenton and Zach. The same quiet procession from the farm replaying itself as they led the wolf into the local tailor's shop. Coming to a stop at the front desk, an older looking female armadillo adjusted her half-moon glasses as she appraised the group of mammals with a curious eye. For a moment Vernon expected her to panic when she fully registered what she was seeing. To pick up her phone and dial for the local police. Provided Dorian wasn't somehow behind whatever was going on, there was a good chance Vernon could have seen his freedom right then and there. But instead, the old mammal let out a soft chuckle.

"Ah...Dorian's boys." The older mammal tutted. "I'd expect nothing less."

"Great..." The wolf thought to himself. He should have known that the size of the population in the North Meadowlands would ensure that everyone knew the Hunters and by extension the Hunter sons. With this sort of behavior being largely considered a norm for the family of wolves, Vernon knew at that moment he probably wasn't going to find any help in this place.

"Ma wanted us to thank y'all again fer bein' able to help us pull this together on such short notice Misses Dasy". Zach said with an uncomfortable grin.

"I don't suppose y'all would be willin' to tell me what this is all about ma'am?" Vernon asked. The wolf winced as he felt Zach's elbow dig into his rib, which caused the wolf to let out a whine before flashing his brother a sharp glare. However, Zach continued to ignore him.

"Now, now boys, no rough housin' in my establishment." The old armadillo giggled, hopping off her stool and dusting off her tan colored skirt with a paw. "Same rules apply, just like the ol' days." Glancing up at Vernon, the little mammal cracked the wolf a wry grin.

"And as fer you young man, I'm under strict orders not to whisper so much as a peep to you." The armadillo waggled a finger at the wolf

'Old days?' Vernon thought to himself. It was a strange little reply, and it began to tug at the rusted old gears in the back of the wolfs mind. Faint images from something long ago, another forgotten memory that he couldn't quite recall. All it left him with was the impression that the rodent was oddly more familiar than she had appeared at first glance.

"We got a place to keep him fer the time bein'?" Trenton asked the little mammal.

The armadillo giggled softly before turning and walking into the boutique, gesturing the larger mammals to follow her.

"Probably one of the dressing rooms would be the best fit." Misses Dasy chuckled.

"Well, we kinda need a place with somethin' to tie him to." Zach said. "We ain't too sure if he's fixin' to run still or not."

Vernon glared at his brother again, but Zach's only response was to give him a light shove as they began to dutifully follow the little armadillo through the store.

Misses Dasy shook her head as she walked, letting out another quiet chuckle.

"I swear, you boys haven't changed at all since you were pups have you?" The armadillo replied. "I still don't know how ol' Auddey kept up with you, because I know I barely could."

It was then recognition hit the wolf like a sack of bricks, so much so that Vernon stumbled slightly as he registered just who the mammal was.

"Wait, Mrs Dasy?" Vernon murmured. "Auntie Abby?"

That got the mammal to turn her head and regard the wolf, flashing him a smirk as

came to a stop.

"And here I thought y'all had forgotten about yer ol' honorary auntie." The armadillo said, cocking a brow.

In truth, Vernon had, almost entirely. Abigail Dasy, the mammal that used to pupsit the Hunter brood was quite the distant memory at this point in his life. Buried behind the portion of his past he had tried so desperately to forget, woven up among all the baggage tied to everything that had led up to his more difficult years in life. However, the recognition only served to further clue the wolf in on just how much of a conspiracy was at paw. If there was little chance she would help him as a mammal he thought was outside of whatever was going on, there was no hope of convincing her knowing she was somewhat tight-knit with his parents.

"I-I-I-..." Vernon stammered.

The mammal smirked.

"Oh, Vernon." The mammal's expression turned to worry as she leaned up on her toes in an effort to better inspect him. Abigal adjusted her glasses, squinting her eyes softly in a clear effort to focus her sight. " Don't tell me your brothers went so far as to rough you up to get you here?"

"Huh?" Vernon quirked an eyebrow, only to swiftly realize that the tiny mammal was referencing his wounded face.

"Those bruises..." Misses Dasy tutted. "You poor thing. Who did that?"

"Take a guess." Zach replied.

Vernon heard a scoff come from somewhere behind him.

"Ain't like I did it to get him here!" The wolf hissed. "It was yesterday!"

The small mammal shook her head dismissively.

"Some things never change I suppose..." The armadillo said with a sigh. "I hope y'all got a plan to cover that up?"

"Ma 'ill handle it." Zach shrugged. "She's good at coverin' that kinda stuff up."

Abby chuckled. "Well she has been doin' that fer long enough, hasn't she." The tiny mammal let out a warm sigh.

"Anywho, the reminiscin' can wait. Let's get movin' shall we?" The armadillo once again gestured to the mammals to follow her as she began to walk deeper into the store.

"The materials room has an old wooden chair with spokes that's about his size." The armadillo mused. "O' course, he could probably just run out with the chair strapped to 'im iffin' he's really desperate.

"Don't worry Misses D." Wade replied. "We'll er....we'll take turns watchin' him till he's ready to go."

"Please boys." Abigail tutted. "I know it's been a long time, but y'all can still call me Auntie Abby."

From there Vernon was led into the room he now found himself in, strapped to the dingy old chair with the faded floral padding with a few additional zip-ties. They had simply sat him down and left him, the brothers entering and exiting quietly as they 'switched shifts', and leaving Vernon mostly to his own thoughts. Unlike before, the silence and small talk seemed to be something more calculated, with a definitive goal or aim. The uneasiness was still there, certainly. But it was more subdued as the Hunters shuffled in and out of the quiet little chamber. The occasional small talk from Trenton giving the wolf little to no actual stimulation to distract him from the figurative stink in the air. And the more Vernon ruminated on that particular scent, his conclusions about whatever secret event began to narrow into something more focused and easy to read.

In his head, the wolf replayed the scene from the kitchen over again and again, trying to recall his mother's expression when she assured him that his father wasn't involved with whatever hare-brained scheme they were enacting involving himself and Dawn. At the time, she had been able to convince him that she was speaking to him in earnest. But the more he continued to reflect on the memory, the more refined and detailed the scene became. And as it sharpened in his thoughts, the wolf slowly became aware of the more minute nuances in the way his mother had spoken. The way her muscles twitched, and the brief, albeit slight change in expression he had failed to notice earlier during the frenzy of the morning ambush.

It was only there for a moment, when the wolf reluctantly agreed to trust her, but he could see it now. It was something that was tickling at the old Hunter intuition, gingerly plying at the red flags in his head as he reviewed it again and again. Vernon was growing increasingly certain that while his mother might be lying to him completely, there was at the very least, a half-truth in play. There was something important she was keeping from him, and that seemed to be something to do with just how much his father may actually be involved with whatever all this was.

This line of thought made the wolf all the more aware of every little thing his brothers were doing, albeit it a limited capacity. It was as if he was being treated like a suspect that the wolves were trying to get to talk. To confess or agree to anything in order to get out of the zip ties that currently kept him trapped there. Trenton's small talks and Zach's damnable silence had to be some strange form of the old _'good cop, bad cop'_routine. The two taking turns plying at the wolves patience in order to get him to do something. Although Zach choosing to remain silent probably had more to do with the fact that the wolf would have most likely had a hard time being aggressive toward Vernon. As for the others, well, they were more than likely aware that one of Vernon's biggest pet peeves was when those around him talked about him without addressing him. To Vernon, it was even more insulting than talking behind his back.

On top of that, regardless of which brother was in charge of watching him at the time, or what tactic was in play, they continually passed around a pair of pruning shears as they waited presumably for Vernon's fitting. Leaving the wolf to watch the key to his freedom being continually dangled just out of reach. It was all calculated, it had to be. But to what end? What exactly were they hiding from the wolf, and what did they want out of him?

Either way, whatever this game was, he was done playing along, he had been far too patient all in an effort to see where everything was going. But now he wanted answers, and he was leaving if he didn't get them, even if that meant sprinting off with the entire chair strapped to him as Auntie Abby had joked about, and waiting for his mate to return back at the ranch.

"I don't know..." Xavier mused. "He still seems ready to bolt to me." The wolf glanced at his mate nervously. "Maybe we should just tell him."

"We made a promise Xavier!" Malcolm tapped his mate on the snout.

"I don't know what game yer all playin' at but I want some damn answers!" Vernon hissed.

"And you'll get 'em Vern, you'll get 'em soo-"

"Now!" Vernon snapped. "I want answers now dammit!" The wolf stomped a foot.

With that, Trenton poked his head between the curtains, eyeing the other wolves curiously.

"Is everything all right back here?" The white wolf asked.

"No!" Vernon snarled. "Everthin' ain't alright!"

"Well, I can see that." Trenton replied, easing through the curtains. The wolf was already fitted in a tux of his own. The black material and matching black tie creating a sharp contrast to his own bristling white fur. "What's wrong Vernon?"

Vernon stared at the wolf for a moment, dumbfounded. The grey wolf blinking his eyes a few times as he stared at his brother in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Vernon muttered, letting out a soft laugh. "WHAT'S WRONG!?" The wolf spat.

"Easy Ver-."

"You fella's tackled me!" The wolf trashed in his seat. "Tied me up like some criminal! Split me and Dawn up, and dragged me off without tellin' me WHY!"

The wolves collectively winced as Vernon emphasized the word 'why' with a gnash of his teeth.

"Y'all keep tellin' me everythin's fine!" Vernon gasped. "That you'll tell me soon! Just hold on!" The wolf shook in his chair again. "But meanwhile I'm sittin' here trussed to a chair like I'm bein' held ransom!"

"Vern-!"

"And don't think I can't tell when y'all are tryin' to play me like I'm bein' interrogated!" The wolf spat.

The wolves winced again, glancing at one another uncomfortably at the accusation. There was a clear sense of shame exuding from the mammals, letting Vernon know he had clearly hit the mark.

"In-Interrogation?" Trenton queried.

"Teeth to tails, whether I got you talkin' to me about the weather or Zach shuttin' me out it ain't exactly hard to tell you guys are treatin' me like I'm a suspect!" The wolf snarled. "So what is it!? HUH!? WHAT ARE YOU TRYIN' TO DO HERE EXACTLY!? WHAT ARE YOU TRYIN' TO GET OUT OF ME!?"

The unsettling silence returned to the room as the wolves glanced at one another with uncertainty. By now Zach had entered the room, joining the other wolves in the uncomfortable silence as he had clearly heard most of the shouting from outside. The russet wolf adjusted his pale orange tie, pulling at the neck of his dress shirt uneasily. Zach opened his muzzle for a moment before snapping it shut again and looking toward the floor.

"Look..." Vernon finally spoke again. "I've put up with this game long enough." The wolf continued. "I think I deserve some answers." The wolf shook his head. "At the very least I'd like to go back to bein' treated like one of yer brothers."

That had the rest of the pack glancing at the floor, the sense of shame among them that much stronger as they failed to make eye contact with Vernon. Despite Vernon's pleading they all remained silent, occasionally catching the glance of one another as the wolf's patience continued to wear thin.

"Well...?" Vernon asked.

"Well, I mean that's not exactly how an interoogation works bu-."

Vernon cut the white wolf off as he started to growl.

"L-look Vern." Zach finally spoke, raising his head slightly as he rubbed at the back of his head. "We, I mean. We a-ain't."

"Look, it ain't like we're doin' this to get some sorta rise outta ya." Trenton seemingly picked up where Zach had left off. "I-I mean it ain't purposeful...it's just."

Xavier stepped forward, adjusting his glasses as he let out an uncomfortable cough. "It's just this whole situation is...rather unique..." The wolf glanced at his paw, idly tapping his forefingers together in a nervous manner.

"We all love you!" Zach interjected, only to seemingly awkwardly balk at his own declaration. "I mean were brothers, y'know?" The wolf scratched the back of his neck uneasily. "S-So its hard fer us to..fer us to..."

"To hold back on telling you certain things, because it feels like lying." Xavier continued in Wade's absence. "It's an uncomfortable situation."

"Yer tellin' me..." Vernon muttered, glancing back at his retrained paws.

"It's hard on all of us Vern." Zach spoke up, wringing his paws together.

"So...in order to cope we've sort of...er..." Wade murmured, his eyes downcast as he studied the rug at his feet in an effort to avoid Vernon's gaze. "Been tryin' to distance' ourselves... in order to keep from sayin' somethin' dumb."

Zach shrugged. "I guess that made most of us slip into cop mode without fully realisin' it..." The wolf murmured. "Looks like we leaned into the skid a little too hard though."

Vernon was utterly confused. On the one paw it explained the weird, pseudo-interrogation like situation he found himself in. But the amount of effort undertaken to keep whatever this secret was hidden seemed excessively extreme.

"A-Alright...I get that." Vernon replied, shifting slightly against his seat. "I mean it's purty over-the-top if y'all ask me, but I get it." The wolf sighed.

"But can't y'all tell me at least somethin'?" Vernon continued, the wolf looking to the others with pleading eyes as he spoke. "Anythin' to put me more at ease about this whole thing?" The wolf whimpered. "At the very least try to convince me o' somethin' that makes some sorta sense!"

The wolves looked at one another with nervous expressions, eyes darting from each mammals as they seemed to scan each other for a response.

"W-well....er...." Xavier muttered, rubbing his neck in clear discomfort. "I mean...we are going to er...attend something."

Vernon nodded. "Okay." The wolf replied. "A little bit more maybe?"

"A..." Wade glanced at Trenton with a quirked eyebrow. "Ceremony?" Wade waited, studying the white wolf in an apparent search for approval. Slowly, Trenton offered an nod.

"And what kind o' ceremony?" Vernon replied.

"We...er..." Trenton murmured. "Cant' say."

Vernon let out an irritated sigh. His eyes felt dry and scratchy, but with his paws still tied behind his back, there was little he could do to fix the discomfort.

"Alright....fine..." Vernon muttered. "But why is it important fer me and Dawn to be there?"

"W-well, ya see..." Malcolm murmured, wringing his paws nervously. "Uh...it's...family related?"

Malcolm glanced to his mate with an uneasy expression, but like Trenton, Xavier gave a reassuring nod that seemed to put him at least a little more at ease.

Vernon squinted at the mammals, studying their features carefully. So far, they seemed to be telling the truth, at least as far as his gut told him. But the evidence that was gathering only grew increasingly stranger as he tried to piece together what he was being dragged into. A celebration, involving family, with tuxes for the males and dresses for the females. All of that seemed to add up to only one thing, but it just didn't make any sense. After everything that had happened at the ranch involving Dorian there was no way it could be...

Vernon let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief at his own conclusion.

"You ain't tellin' me it's some kinda tithe is it?" The wolf's remark was offhanded, nothing more than a joke that had inadvertently slipped from his muzzle. But as deathly silence filled the room, the wolf's ears pricked up. Glancing at his brothers, there was a mixture of horror and shock on their faces, Xavier and Malcolm going so far as to cover their muzzles with their paws to presumably muffle their collective gasps.

It only lasted for a moment before they had all diverted their eyes from Vernon, but the look of terror hadn't left their faces as they looked to one another in a quiet sort of panic.

"No." Vernon chuckled uneasily. "Yer, yer kiddin' right?"

The increasingly pallid wolves were visibly sweating now. Vernon could see it glimmering on their fur as their eyes continued to dart to one another. It was a tithe. But for who? Dorian had already made his feelings on Vernon and Dawn very clear, and there was no way in hell that changed. Not after what the wolf had made oh so very clear in the dimly lit study the night before.

"Wait....so...?"

"Hey, we should probably get back to the ranch huh Fluffybuns?" Malcolm squeaked, stabbing a thumb toward the curtain. His motions were somewhat jerky, almost as if the pudgy wolf was shaking slightly as he gave the signal to his mate.

"O-Oh yes!" Xavier spoke up, the wolf flashing his mate an nervous smile. "The ceremony does need it's catering director, doesn't it?"

"Yep, yep!" Malcolm chirped, his delivery stiff and awkward as he sidled up next to his mate, wrapping an arm around his. "Now that my suits fitted and done fer, I need to get back and start barkin' orders and testin' food." Malcolm batted his eyes at Xavier. "You'll drive me back o'course?"

"Gladly my little Gingersnap." The wolf smiled back at his mate.

Turning to Vernon, Xavier adjusted his glasses nervously before offering the wolf a slight bow.

"I'll see you when I get back Vern." Xavier laughed uneasily. "Hopefully this...er..." The wolf bit his lip nervously " ' Situation' will all be settled by then."

With that, the two wolfs dashed out of the room so fast the breeze they created had the curtain separating the back room flapping like a flag in their wake. Zach had turned to follow them, reaching out a weak paw as the two disappeared before warily retracting it.

"Cowards..." Vernon could hear Zach mutter.

Vernon stared blankly at the curtain for a moment, watching the fluttering fabric slow to a stop. Again, the wolf found himself blinking dumbly in shock as he struggled to take everything in. There was a part of him still waiting to hear the punch-line, the end of the 'hilarious' facade his brothers were putting up for him. But after Xavier and Malcolm's speedy exit, the remaining Hunter's expressions looked just as troubled and uncomfortable as they had before, if not more so. There wasn't even the hint of a creeping smile trying to force it's way to the surface of their muzzles, or a twinkle behind the eye to tell Vernon it was all just a very elaborate joke.

That was, of course, when the wolf could hold their guilty gaze for more than a minute before the turned away shamefully. Slowly but surely, Vernon was growing to realize that there was no punch-line. There was no joke at play. Someone in the family was getting tithed today, and he was going to be forced to witness it. And that, was when the anger began to set in. The wolf could feel the heat growing inside as he began to understand just what was going on.

"Who...?' Vernon muttered.

"What?" Zach asked nervously.

"Who's bein' tithed?" Vernon hissed, he could feel the fire in his belly starting to rise into his chest as he took a shuddering breath.

Everything was starting to make so much more sense now. The restraints, the fitting, all of it. If the wolf knew he was going to have to witness someone in his family get tithed, he would have at the very least been reluctant to actually stick around for it. After what he and Dawn had been through, after how decisively his father had denied their right to a tithe. To be forced to witness someone else in his family would be like having the knife Dorian had already firmly jabbed into his chest be given an additional twist by his brothers inadvertently. And that was just in regard to himself. The wolf could barely begin to fathom how much more it would hurt his mate. But for the sake of whatever brother it was, he was sure he could endure. After all, as far as the rest of the Hunter Pack was concerned, as much as it would pain him to stand by and watch, Vernon owed it to his brothers to be there for them. After all, if the circumstances were reversed, he was certain most of them would do the same for him.

"Vern-." Zach pleaded, his ears splaying against his head as he winced.

"I-It's all right..." Vernon said, letting out another shuddering breath as he tried to temper the building anger that was squeezing on his chest like a vice. The wolf took a shallow breath, letting it out slowly as he focused his gaze on the rust colored wolf. "I-I ain't mad....j-just tell me who's gettin' hitched."

The wolves exchanged uncertain glances, clearly searching for one another as to exactly how to say whatever was on their mind, at least as far as Vernon could tell. But with his patience already worn thin, and the fire that was lapping at his insides only seemed to swell that much more as the evasive treatment continued.

"TELL ME ALREADY!" Vernon snapped.

"MA AND PA!" Wade blurted out, a clear look of panic in his eyes. "THEY'RE RENEWIN' THEIR TITHE!"

As soon as the word slipped from his muzzle, the wolf quickly clasped his paws over it as if just how loud he had blurted out the reply had startled him. Zach and Trenton slowly turned their heads, glancing at the wolf with wide eyes. Their muzzles twisted up in an expression of pure horror. A look that, even without the actual words, seemed to say 'how could you say that?' reflected in the other wolves gazes.

"I me- I mean no-not..." Wade's voice was small. The timid, weak sentence dying in his throat as the other Hunters glares took on more of an irritated look to them. Wade slunk into his shoulders, his eyes darting between the two nervously.

Vernon however, had barely noticed much of his how his brothers were reacting to what Wade said, as the wolf was still fixed on the words themselves. Again the wolf found himself trying to make sense of just what he had heard. The initial delivery had snuffed out the fire inside of him instantaneously, like a frigid wind blustering through his frame as the shocking blow of the statement resonated through him.

The news was so impossible to wrap his head around, that it had temporarily shut down the wolf's ability to feel. The words were hollow as his mind studied each of them individually, his brain struggling to come to grips to just what Wade had admitted to. But slowly, the fire that had been so suddenly doused by the shock and disbelief began to smolder again. From just dull, weakened embers, to a steady crackling flame, growing and growing until the wolf felt himself reach the breaking point.

Watching one of his brothers tithe was one thing. It would have been painful sure, but aside from Yuri, the wolf felt his brothers deserved to have a tithe with all of the Hunter brood present. But being forced to sit there quietly and watch his smug father renew his vows just a day after he had denied Vernon and Dawn the same right. To cast them from his house, and willingly denounce him as part of the family, it was insult to injury. The wolf didn't care if it was more for his mother than anything. Hell, Vernon couldn't even begin to fathom how his mother could even consider renewing their vows after how Dorian had acted toward himself and Dawn. It added another layer of hurt to the whole twisted web of lies that had been employed to trap the couple there long enough to see it happen. For his mother to stand in that kitchen and lie to his face about just what this all was, looking at him with a nearly straight face as she protested his father's involvement, it was a trick so cruel it should have been reserved for Yuri's playbook. The wolf could feel his heart sinking fast as the feeling of betrayal weighed heavily atop it. His muscles squeezing tightly around it as the fires of his rage rose around the void his wounded heart had left behind. Vernon had been betrayed, not just by his father, but by all of them.

"Y-you dragged me here..." Vernon growled, drawing the attention of the other wolves back on him. The wolf's head had sank slightly as he had lost himself within his own thoughts. But like the inferno inside, it slowly rose to meet the other wolves nervous gazes. "Trussed me up and took Dawn..."

"V-Vern listen-" Trenton muttered softly.

"All this effort..." Vernon spat, his brow furrowing as he eyed the wolves hatefully. "Just to force me and Dawn to watch that smug..." The wolf could feel one of his eyes twitching a bile rose in his throat. "Stubborn..." The wolf's growl grew louder, his lips curling to reveal his fangs. "Hypocritical..." His teeth were on full display as he watched his brother collectively cow into their shoulders. "OLD LAW WOLF GET A TITHE!?"

"Vernon, it ain't like th-"

"AFTER WHAT HE SAID TO ME!?" Vernon was chomping at the air as he began to thrash in his seat once more. "TO DAWN!?"

Zach pulled at his collar uneasily. "Vern, please, don't-!"

"Y'ALL EXPECT US TO JUST SIT THERE AND SMILE AS HE MOCKS US IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE PACK!?" The wolf spat.

Vernon grunted softly as he rose to his feet, the chair still strapped to his back as he stood. It was heavy, the old wooden bottom thoroughly weighted with old world craftmammalship. But Vernon's nearly blinding rage made the heft of the old object feel inconsequential in the face of that blatant hypocrisy and injustice that was fueling his ire.

Zach placed his paws up defensively, gingerly gesturing to the wolf to sit back down.

"Vern, Listen-!"

"TO HAVE HIM STAND THERE AND SHOW OFF TO ME AND MY MATE WHAT HE DENIED US! TO JAM SALT IN OUR WOUNDS!?" The wolf's sharp stare darted from brother to brother as he scanned each of them. He needed to get out of there. Out of the shop and back to the ranch to wait for Dawn. Even if he had to run it all out on foot. But that required finding the weakest point of entry in the barrier his brothers had formed, as well as hopefully snagging the shears from whoever was holding them.

"AND FER MA TO LIE TO ME!"

"SHE DIDN'T LIE!" Trenton protested.

"OH BULL!" The wolf spat, shaking the chair strapped to him wildly, hoping to maybe snap the zip ties free. "HOW IS IT THE OLD MAM' AIN'T INVOLVED IN RENEWIN' THEIR TITHE!"

"DAMNIT WADE!" Zach sneered at the dusky grey wolf.

Wade held up his paws defensively. In the left one, Vernon spotted the pruning shears as he waved them in the direction of Zach.

"WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY!?" Wade spat.

"ANYTHING ELSE!" Trenton barked back, but his eyes remained fixed on Vernon. The white wolf spreading his arms out in an effort to extend the blockade.

"Look Vern, Wade didn't me-"

"THEN WHAT DID HE MEAN!?" HUH!?" Vernon hissed.

"CAN WE PLEASE JUST TELL HIM!?" Wade pleaded, the dusky wolfs eyes darting between Vernon and the others. "THIS IS GETTING REALLY BA-"

"ALL OF Y'ALL SHUT YER DAMN TRAPS!"

The sudden booming voice had collectively silenced the the bickering Hunters, even Vernon falling silent as his attention turned to entrance of the room. Now standing in the doorway stood Yuri, the jet black wolf in an equally dark tux with a blood red tie fastened neatly at his collar. The wolf's irritated yellow eyes scanned the other Hunters, squinting softly as he seemed to be assessing the scene taking place.

"Goodness, what is going on back here?" Standing near the wolf's knee was Miss Dasy, the petite armadillo peeking around him as she eyed the other wolves warily.

"I've never heard bickering so bad in all my years!" The mammal tutted.

"That's cause this fluffhead said Ma and Pa were gettin' tithed again!" Zach sneered, stabbing a claw at Wade accusingly.

The dusky grey wolf drew back, crossing his arms defensively.

"Oh, so what should I have told him?" Wade scoffed. "That me and Giselle were getting tithed?" The grey wolf shook his head dismissively. "He would have taken that just as bad!"

Vernon had opened his mouth to fire off another string of heavy accusations leveled at his brothers, but Wade's confusing admission had caused the words to die in the wolfs throat. His muzzle slowly closed as he quirked a brow in confusion.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP, YER MAKIN' IT WORSE!" Zach snapped, swatting Wade's snout with a paw. The dusky grey wolf let out a sharp whine as he withdrew from Zach's reach, clasping his paws on his muzzle protectively.

"Ain't no need to get pawsy Zach!" Trent growled at his brother.

"Boys, please..." Dasy tutted, placing her own claws up and gesturing for the wolves to calm themselves.

"Oh I barely even touched 'im!" Zach snapped back. "Besides, the big mouth deserves it after-"

"Because you would have done so much better right?" Wade retorted.

"Staying silent was an option Wade." Trenton lamented.

Vernon slowly eased back down, allowing the weight of the chair to pull him back into a seated position as he watched the baffling argument continue.

"Boys..." Abigail fretted. "Ulric's is twitching enough without yer arguing echoing through the whole store, pleas-"

"Vernon was ready to bolt!" Wade replied, pointing the cutters toward Trenton. "Someone had to say something!"

"So say it was Trent and Qails, or hell, Ada and Yuri!" Zach spat.

"Yeah, cause Vern wants to be at Yuri and Ada's ti-"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" Yuri barked, silencing the wolves once more. His muzzle tensed to reveal his teeth as he glared back at the other Hunters. "Wade, why don't you shut that muzzle of yers before you say somethin' else yer gonna regret."

The grey wolf frowned, crossing his arms again as he let out a scoff.

Yuri simply rolled his eyes as he strolled further into the room, coming up along side the other wolves. Keeping his back turned to Vernon, the black-furred wolf seemed to sweep his glare across the remaining wolves. Vernon didn't need to see those peircing yellow eyes of his to know what was going on as he saw each of the Hunters shrink slightly as the dark wolf's line of sight passed over each one.

"Look at y'all..." Yuri shook his head dismissively. "Y'all are suppose ta be police officers. And yet here y'are crackin' up like a bunch of perps lookin' fer a plea deal."

The wolf glanced back at Vernon over his shoulder, frowning softly as he eyed the confused wolf.

"Quite a feat considerin' Vern's the one trussed up here." Yuri spat.

"This is different Yuri." Zach protested. "I mean it's hard to-."

"Should I have wrapped Vern's muzzle up with duct-tape?" The wolf snickered. "Would that have made it easier on y'all to keep yer heads cool?"

Vernon rolled his eyes. He could feel the the return of that seething feeling in his gut at Yuri's suggestion.

"No." Trenton scoffed.

"Then what's yer damn problem!?" Yuri spat, flashing the wolf an accusatory glare.

"Unlike you, we got hearts in our chest." Wade snapped back. "So tryin' to keep a secret, even if its fer a good reason, is hard fer us brothers who actually care about each other."

Yuri lunged forward, causing Wade to recoil as Yuri's muzzle pointed down at his own, the dark wolf's fangs on full display as he let out a loud growl.

"You better bite yer tongue mutt!" Yuri hissed. "I'm already burnin' a short fuse today, and the last thing we both need is to have to pay out fer two extra suits!"

"Oh good, more threats..." Trenton sighed. "Because that never gets old."

Reaching a paw out, Yuri snatched the pruning shears from Wades trembling paw before turning his attention to Trenton. With a glare, the wolf pointed the shears at the white wolf for emphasis.

"I mean, y'all can't separate yer feelin's from doin' yer job!" Yuri spat. "And y'all need to treat this like a job, for Vermin's sake.

Vernon let out a tired sigh. On top of everything else the wolf had to endure, Yuri had to chime in with his usual childish nicknames.

"What would y'all do if you had to interrogate someone you loved because they actually did somethin' serious!? Would y'all balk then?" Yuri snorted, pointing the shears repeatedly at Trenton's snout. "Would y'all panic and dig yerselves deeper in the rut? Scare them? Scare yerselves? Real professional."

The dark-furred wolf turned his attention back to Vernon, the same look of discomfort crossing his muzzle as he flipped the shears in his paw.

"Usually officers aren't allowed to work on cases that involve family members for that reason Yuri." Zach snapped. "But it ain't like we got options here!"

Yuri flashed the other wolves a smirk before walking toward Vernon. The dark-furred wolf looming over him for a few seconds before scanning around him. Vernon winced momentarily, expecting the wolf to pull a fast one. The same way he had felt when the wolf had suddenly gripped him and dragged him over to the pick-up. But once again, Yuri surprised him. The well dressed wolf instead sidling off to Vernon's side before easing himself down on a large pile of fabric spools. The wolf eased into the material as if it were a crude bean bag chair, grunting softly as he shimmied himself into a more comfortable position. Seemingly satisfied, the wolf let out a sigh before returning to flicking the shears in his paw. Yuri flashed the other Hunters a confident grin as he flipped the clippers end over end.

"Then let me handle it." Yuri grinned. "After all, I ain't got no heart, right Wade?"

"What?" Vernon spat in disbelief.

Wade frowned softly, the wolf slinking into his shoulders and averting his gaze from the black-furred wolf. However Trenton and Zach were simply not having Yuri's proposal.

"Oh that's not happening!" Zach fired back with.

"We're just supposed to let you watch over Vernon!?" Trenton added. "After yesterday!?"

Yuri spread his arms out, gesturing to his body with his paws. "I'm here ain't I?" The wolf scoffed. "If I wasn't over it, me and Ada would have been on the first flight back to Redmound this morning."

"Yuri-!"

The jet-black wolf leaned up in his seat, throwing the wolves a fierce glare as he bared his fangs again.

"Teeth to tails, would you give me a gods be damned chance fer once!?" The wolf sneered, running a paw through his mo-hawk like coif roughly. "Yer all so quick to think the worst of me. To call me heartless or whatever things y'all think about me before even given' me a chance to actually insult y'all!"

Zach rolled his eyes. "Can you blame us!?"

"It's not like you've done much to prove the contrary during this reunion Yuri." Trenton muttered. "Yesterday's little stint alone doesn't exactly bolster my confidence in y'all behaving like a civilized mammal." The white wolf briefly glanced to the wolf strapped to the wooden chair. "Especially around Vernon."

Yuri scoffed, lolling his head back as he leaned deeper into the mound of spools. "Like y'all ain't just waitin' to spring on me the moment I say somethin' you think is off-color." The wolf sneered. "Y'all are always ready to punish me even before I even think of sayin' somethin'." The wolf shook his head. "Like I'm some sort of thought criminal."

"Again..." Zach scoffed. "Can you blame us?" The wolf retorted.

"You've been a jerk to all of us since we were pups!" Wade interjected. "Why shouldn't we expect you to be a jerk now?"

"Well an attitude like that certainly don't give me any incentive to act any other way." Yuri scoffed. "After all, if yer gonna treat me like a criminal, I might as well give ya a reason to justify it."

"Oh, don't act like your behavior is on us, be-"

"Look..."Yuri leaned forward, cutting Trenton off mid-sentence. "I got enough shit to deal with back home without bein' forced to come out to this backwater hole and deal with even more of it." Yuri idly passed the shears from paw to paw as he spoke. "I don't expect any of y'all to understand, and frankly, I don't give a shit."

Vernon watched his brothers brows collectively furrow at Yuri's statement.

"But fer just once, could y'all give me just a lick of trust." The wolf continued. While his expression remained tense, the was an undercurrent of something Vernon couldn't place. Then again, Vernon had never been good at reading Yuri. The wolf defied the use of Hunter intuition when it came to those trying to use it against him.

"I swear on Ma's good name that my intentions ain't bad." The wolf stopped fiddling with the shears for a moment, his ears sagging slightly as he looked to the other Hunters. "Asides, y'all had yer shots at keepin' the peace and y'all wasted 'em."

"I wouldn't sa-"

"Y'all already talked yerselves into enough of a corner." Yuri cut him off, pointing the shears at Vernon. The wolf drew back slightly at the sight of the blades, wincing in discomfort. The last mammal he trusted to handle those things safely was Yuri. "Knowin' Vern, the only thing he's gonna accept from y'all is truth goin' forward. And knowin' y'all, you'll just crumble and spoil all Ma's hard work."

The dark-wolf's confident smile returned. "But I ain't emotionally compromised like the rest of y'all." Yuri chuckled. "I can keep a cool head while I keep him company."

"Cool hea-!?" That protest had come from Vernon, but almost as soon as he spoke Yuri held up his paw to cut him off. Glancing over to his brother, he met his familiar piercing yellow gaze. Vernon had expected hate, or ire in those eyes, the emotions he was more than familiar with when it came to Yuri. But again, he was met with that same uneasy look. It was as if he was attempting to look pleading, but the expression looked unnatural on him.

"I need some time to talk to you anyway." Yuri sighed. "Brother to brother, y'all get me?"

Vernon quirked an eyebrow at just how preposterous Yuri's request sounded. The very fact that the wolf had asked it almost felt as though it was some sort of hallucination that Vernon was suffering from. The stress and tension of the whole trip finally pushing him to his mental limits and utterly breaking his grasp on reality.

"I promise y'all I'll tell you what you need to know." Yuri continued, pointing the shears at Vernon once before cocking his head at the remaining Hunters. "And I promise, it ain't a trick....just...hear me out alright...?"

Vernon stared at his brother for what felt like ages, his eyes frantically searching for any form of a tell that gave away Yuri's true intention. But the wolf's face remained solemn and still, frozen in that hideous attempt at a pleading look. It was an expression that just didn't fit him. A face he found to be almost entirely unrecognizable as belonging to Yuri.

Vernon wanted whatever the truth was, or at least as much of it that could be told to make for a satisfying explanation as to the level of effort required to keep him here. And if Yuri was to be believed, the other Hunters had done a terrible job of explaining it to him. But Yuri was a master deceiver, at least in Vernon's own experience growing up along side him. And while pretending to come bearing an olive branch was not in his usual wheelhouse, it wasn't out of the question that Yuri would use such a tactic. But then there was the logical question of the wolf's motives. If it was indeed a trick, then what was Yuri ultimately aiming to do? To upset Vernon further? To beat him senseless for revenge before the rest of their brothers could stop him? Or maybe just to force him and Dawn to sit through a ceremony that only stood to mock their own trials and tribulations. All of the answers seemed like a lot of effort to go through for very petty aims, but Yuri had a tendency to be petty when it came to Vernon.

"Y'all know Ma would skin me alive at best if I even touched a hair on Vern before tonight." The wolf added, waving the clippers idly at the rest of the Hunters. "C'mon. Give me a shot."

The other three Hunters exchanged uneasy glances, looking to one another in brief silence as Vernon could only assume they were quietly deliberating Yuri's plea. Wade looked particularly uncomfortable, offering a very weak dismissive nod to the other two wolves. The motion behind the gesture being just great enough to be perceived as a quiet 'no', but not so terse as to perhaps draw Yuri's attention to him specifically. Still, despite Wade's clear disapproval, he seemed unwilling to say it out loud, which left the room open for Trenton to take the lead.

"O...k..." Trenton mumbled, drawing the two wolves attention back on him. The uncomfortable looking white wolf scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his eyes shifting away from the seated wolves.

"I...We'll give you a shot at fixin' this..." Trenton continued.

"What!?" Wade spat. "You can't be serious!"

Vernon's jaw dropped, But Yuri's smile grew large enough to show off his fangs. The wolf wanted to speak, wanted to protest. But Yuri's confusing words coupled with the sudden shock had left him grasping for any semblance of a rebuttal.

Trenton quickly held up a paw, gesturing to the dusky grey wolf to settle down.

"I hate to say it, but fer once I feel like he's actually bein' reasonable..." Trenton sighed. "Considerin' the rest of us are far too busy trippin' over our tongues over here to make any real progress on calmin' Vern down."

Zach gave the white wolf a gentle shove, drawing his attention.

"Trenny, you sure about this?" Zach muttered. "We're just gonna leave 'em alone together? After yesterday?"

Trenton held his paw up to Zach.

"But." Trenton continued. "We will be right outside, with our ears on the room to make sure nothing funny goes on in here."

Vernon watched Yuri's grin falter almost immediately. But Trenton's declaration was enough to relieve Vernon to some degree, at least enough to shut his muzzle again.

"AW COME ON NOW!" Yuri protested.

Trenton shook his head, crossing his arms defiantly.

"That's all were gonna offer, take it or leave it." The wolf replied.

Yuri leaned up in his ad-hoc chair, glaring back at Trenton with disdain, but the white wolf didn't flinch. His icy blue eyes remaining fixed on Yuri's sharp yellow irises as they entered into a stare down. The room fell silent as the two wolves faced one another, the air growing thicker and thicker as the wolves tried to intimidate one another. To Vern, it was almost like a scene out of an old western movie. The classic shoot-out, with both wolves waiting on the clock to strike noon to see who was fastest on the draw. But there were no guns here, no waiting for the chime. It was just a battle of will, the victor the one with the sharpest glare. And someone would inevitably cave.

And this time, Yuri was the one to balk in the face of Trenton's glare. The wolf letting out an annoyed huff as he slung himself backwards into the mound of spools.

"UGGGHHH!" Yuri groaned. "Alright, alright...FINE!"

Shaking his head, the wolf leaned back up into a sitting position, running a paw though his mo-hawk in order to neaten it up. The wolf titled his head slightly to regard the other Hunters.

"Just don't listen in more than y'all need to..." Yuri muttered. "I was aimin' fer the conversation to be mostly between the two of us..."

The other Hunters exchanged confused looks, the wolves raising a brow at one another as they seemed to mull over the concept of 'Yuri' and a 'private conversation'. Of course Vernon was just as baffled. After all, Yuri only had two conversational tones, whispered threats and loud insults. Thus any attempt at being discreet and civil was usually something the wolf seemed to be incapable of.

"A-Alright...We-..." Zach scratched his head awkwardly. "We'll try?" The russet wolf glanced to Trenton, seeming looking to the wolf for acknowledgment. Trenton gave a meek nod before turning his attention back to Yuri.

"We'll try to keep our ears up fer just the sound of fightin'." Trenton muttered, turning toward the curtain. The wolf began to walk toward it as the other two Hunters watched warily. For a moment it seemed like they weren't sure whether they should follow along. It was clear they were reluctantly to leave Vernon behind. But slowly they too began to trudge toward the exit. The white wolf parted the curtain, passing half-way through before glancing back over his shoulder at the two wolves.

"Just tell ol' Ully to spy on us." Yuri called out, letting out a soft chuckle. "He don't want us fightin' either, and anything he hears and repeats can be considered dubious at best."

The white wolf let out a snort. "Don't make us regret this." Trenton muttered, before finally slipping out of the back room. Zach followed shortly after, giving Vernon a final uneasy glance before slipping away behind the thick, pale green curtains.

Wade was the last to leave, stopping for a moment to appraise the two seated wolves. Wade offered them a meek smile.

"I-I'm sorry Vern." Wade shook his head. "I really hackled things up."

Yuri chuckled. "Just like always, huh Wade?"

Wade flashed the wolf a glare, lunging forward and baring his teeth. But the wolf barely managed to take a step back into the room before a white paw clasped onto his shoulder, stopping him from going any further. Wade glanced out through the curtains, wincing slightly as his ears flattened against his head.

"Let it go Wade." Vernon could hear Trenton say. "Hold it back unless y'all need to put it to use."

With a snort, Wade flashed the black-furred wolf a hateful glare before reluctantly slipping out of the room, the curtains slowing winding down to a close behind him.

Vernon and Yuri were alone now. And the realization was enough to make the wolf immediately tense up. He was at Yuri's mercy now. After all, he was bound tightly to the chair, and with no Ulric to act as a meat shield there would be no one to block whatever flurry of blows Yuri could get in before the others could scramble back in to save him. Glancing back at the yellow wolf seated next to him, Vernon could see that same uncertain look in his eye. That strange, thoughtful look about him that told the wolf that the gears in Yuri's head were probably spinning off wildly. Most likely with hundred of different thoughts on how best to make Vernon pay for the stitches on the bridge of his snout.

"Relax Vermi-." The wolf stopped himself, shaking his head briskly before choosing to correct himself. "Vernon. I asked y'all to hear me out. I ain't gonna try anything..." It was strange to have Yuri go out of his way to correct himself without their mother looming over him.

Vernon tried to swallow, but the lump that had formed in his throat refused to budge as he began to weigh his emergency options. His eyes darted to the curtain again. If he put all of his force and energy into it, he was sure he could make a break for it before Yuri had time to react. He'd still be strapped to the chair, but at the very least he'd have a chance at getting away from the more imminent threat.

"W-why...?" Vernon stammered as his eyes returned to Yuri. The wolf had gone back to idly playing with the pruning shears. Passing them from one paw to the other. "W-why should I t-trust you?"

Yuri let out a tired sigh. With a soft groan, the wolf rose to his feet, taking a moment to dust of his tux with a paw before turning to face the wolf. Brandishing the clippers in his paw and opening the safety lock, the wolf began to clip at the air in-front of him. Vernon felt a surge of adrenaline rush though him at the horrifying sight. The time had come to flee, it was now or never. But as Vernon attempted to pull his chair off the ground, he felt it suddenly forced back down by the weight of Yuri's foot. The jet-black wolf had braced the base with one paw in an effort to keep him from running, effectively trapping him there.

Vernon forced his eyes shut, leaning as far back in his chair as he could in order to try to get away from him. He was boxed in now. Short of pulling out of his restraints to defend himself, there was little he could do to stave off the wolf's advance.

'This is it.' The wolf thought.'He's gonna gouge up my face to get back at me!'

Vernon writhed and strained, pulling at the ties in an desperate final attempt at escape. But to no avail. The zip ties remained tightly fixed. All the continued pulling did was gnaw at his flesh and burn his fur. There was no escape

"TRE-!"

The wolf fell silent amidst his sudden cry for help as he felt the pressure around his wrists suddenly release. The restrictive plastic ties had suddenly given way, the hard material slipping limply down against the cushion of the chair as Vernon brought his arms around to inspect them.

The zip cuffs had left a slight depression in the fur, and if Vernon looked close enough he could see the outline of the plastic teeth in his flesh just beyond it. Although the wolf couldn't be sure if Yuri had initially tied them too tightly, or if the damage had been done mostly by his own straining. Still it was a confusing sight, and as Vernon rubbed at his wrist to chase away the lingering brace, his eyes darted around to find Yuri. The wolf had already made his way around the front of the wolf, and was in the middle of easing back into the pile of fabric spools as he lamely tossed the shears off into another pile of material.

"Y-Yuri?" Vernon muttered.

"There." The wolf muttered. "Ain't nothin' keepin' you here now." The wolf glanced back at Vernon with a furrowed brow. "So if you want out, there's the door." The jet-black wolf lamely gestured to the curtain before listlessly dropping his arm to his side. "Hell, I won't even try to stop you."

"B-But...Wha...?" Vernon stammered as he struggled to make sense of Yuri's seemingly altruistic gesture. He was sure he had to be hallucinating now.

"You can thank me later..." Yuri shrugged. "Or preferably now." The wolf chuckled. "I mean, I could have forced you to listen to me." The wolf grinned his more familiar mischievous smile. "It was real temptin'."

Vernon scoffed at the wolf's comment.

"Yeah, a real fair fight..." The wolf scoffed.

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Oh fer cryin' out loud, I ain't lookin' fer a fight."

"Then what are you lookin' fer?" Vernon snapped back. "What is this all about?"

"I told y'all..." Yuri grumbled. "I just wanted y'all to listen to me. I'm just lookin' to talk."

Placing his paws on his knees, Vernon let out a long drawn out sigh. It was already hard enough to read Yuri's poker face without him talking in circles. Whatever the motivation was behind this little 'talk', for once it seemed more complicated than his usual aims. The fact that he had gone as far as to free the wolf without explaining anything, running the risk of letting him flee in order to get him to hear him out, was a grand gesture for a mammal like Yuri. The wolf wasn't the type to take big risks, and always exploited situations where he had the upper paw. But now, he had chosen to place the ball entirely in Vernon's court, under the premise that he wanted to talk. That Yuri, of all mammals, had more than two word to say to Vernon. It seemed completely insane, but up to this point so had everything else that had happened in the past few hours.

"You wanna talk..." Vernon muttered, gesturing a paw to nothing in particular. "Fine, then talk."