Charles has taking Max's hand on one side and the other side is Dakota walking protectively next to him. Max hadn't really explained anything yet about how this works or what to expect apart from that it could get really dangerous.

After Max had given Lorenzo and Arthur both a weapon. Not that Charles would even come near any weapons. He had Dakota as a weapon according to Max. And Dakota was happy to stick with Charles.

They were just about five minutes into the woods, it was getting thicker with each step they were taking. Charles is getting the chills from this and is glad that Max is willing to hold onto him like that.

"How far is it?" Arthur asks.

"A couple of minutes." Max tells them. "You'll know when you see it."

Charles whimpers softly, he doesn't like the fact that they are going to look for wild wolves. It makes him scared and uneasy. He comes from a lifestyle where he never went outside without a guard.

He jumps when a howl of a wolf fills the silent forest. Max chuckles at Charles, not in a making fun of him way but trying to reassure him that everything will be okay.

Dakota nudges his head gently against the free hand of Charles. Charles still is scared of the dire wolf sometimes. But he knows that the wolf won't hurt him. He's seen how Dakota sleeps with Max, like a puppy needing his cuddles.

Birds chirp happily in the blue sky, not a cloud to be seen anywhere Charles can look. The cold and icy breeze makes Charles shiver in his three layered furs as his body isn't used to the cold like this.

Heck, Monaque had never had any snow and here is was almost a permanent thing. According to Max it would snow nine months a year. Three months which is summer would be warm enough to not have any snow but that didn't mean that it wouldn't snow.

It was snowing at the moment too, it's sticking to the fur and his hair. Max had wrapped Charles his head in some fur as he told that it would get a lot colder where they were going.

Arthur and Lorenzo had watched with amusement in their eyes, the big strong and scary viking was being very gentle with the lean and fragile prince. A gentle giant is what they could call Max.

Another howl fills the forest, birds flying hurriedly away from their spot. Max holds his free hand up. So the two boys behind him know what he is doing. They stop for a moment, keeping quiet.

Well Max stays quiet for some reason, Charles watches how Max looks around. Almost like he is trying to figure put where the sound had come from. Another howl echoes through the forest, followed by more howls.

"That way." Max tells them.

He tugs Charles behind him, the lean prince looking with fear in his eyes at the viking who walks like it's the most normal thing to go to the wild wolves.

Arthur follows with a spring in his step, excited for getting a wolf as companion. Lorenzo didn't really think much about it only that he likes to have a companion like Max.

"I'm scared." Charles pulls on Max's hand.

Max turns to Charles, he gives him and small smile. He nods his head, he knows what that is like. Seeing a wild wolf for the first time.

"It's alright, I'll protect you." Max reassures the prince.

Charles nods his head, watching how Max turns back and leads them through a couple of trees into a huge open field, covered in snow. Wolf pups running around happily.

As much as it gives Charles the chills, it makes his heart melt out of cuteness looking at the pups running around. It makes him want to raise a pup himself and be able to play with these cute wolves.

"So how does this work?" Arthur asks.

Max turns to Arthur, a grin on his face and he let go of Charles. The scared prince looks at the viking with fright. He doesn't want the viking to leave his side, what if one of those wolves decides to attack him?

"Simple. You sit and wait." Max grins, dropping himself onto the grass.

Charles doesn't question him, he just does what Max does and sits next to him. He looks around but doesn't see the black dire wolf of Max.

"That's all?" Arthur asks, groaning as he hates waiting.

Charles chuckles at his younger brother, the boy is the most impatient boy in the world. It would make him bored out of his mind. Just to sir there and wait for the wolf to come to him.

"You don't choose the wolf, the wolf chooses you." Max explains. "The wolf picks you because of a connection. An emotional connection, it's a soulmate connection."

Max says, wrapping an arm around the shivering Monaque prince next to him. Charles gladly takes the warmth of the viking, who seems to be fine in his one layer of fur.

The two others sit with them in the snow, watching the wolves run around for a while. While they do so Max explains how to look after a young wolves pup.

What they're diet is and how to make sure they always listen. A wolves pup is harder raising then a baby. If you ask him, not that Max has any idea how to raise a baby for that matter. But that doesn't mean he hasn't looked after a baby for a day.

A wolves pup is mischievous and loves to play. They are fully conscious about things and know more then Max wants to give them credit for.

"Where is Dakota?" Charles asks when he has enough of looking around and wondering where the wolf is.

"Probably sniffing around or marking his territory." Max shrugs his shoulders.

Charles nods his head as this has to be a wolf thing. Max turns to the three princes, Arthur keeps his eyes glued on the wolves in front of them.

"So..." Max starts. "What is Monaque like?"

Charles looks at Max, surprised that Max wants to know something about their country. It is the first time that Max even asked about it.

The cold breeze blows passed Charles his rosy cheeks, having turned pink in colour by the cold. His entire body is shivering of the cold, his eyes burn from the cold that he hopes will stop effecting him like this. He's not made for it.

The hand on his waist gives him a warm and calming sensation. For some reason it's all he needs to stay warm enough not to get too cold.

"It's beautiful, the sun always shines and you never have to wear more then a long sleeved shirt. You got see through seas and seashells everywhere. Lots of tall white buildings and palm trees." Charles tells him dreamily.

Charles gets pulled out of his daydream of his home town by a howl of a wolf. A couple of wolves scatter around and the adults head into trees, sitting at the edge of the open field.

Charles can't believe how the wolves just sit like guard dogs on the edge of the woods. Like it's some kind of ritual. He loves rituals, it gives him joy, it brings people together. Rituals are always fun and people are always happy.

The pups keep running around the middle of the field. Not seeming to notice the four men that are sitting in the snow.

"Don't get upset if a pup doesn't pick you, it's a soulmate bond." Max explains to them.

The three boys nod their heads, Charles looks at the five running pups. Charles feels his heart hammering in his chest.

On one side he wants to have a bond that Max has with Dakota, but on the other side he is scared. How is he suppose to look after a wolf pup if he can barely take care of himself.

He never learned how to take care of anything, it had all been done for him. His food would get served for him, his clothes washed for him, his clothes got picked out for him and so on.

One of the wolves howls, the pups stop running and look at the howling wolf. Charles tenses up, looking up at Max. The viking squeezes his side, pulling him closer. (Not that that is possible.)

The wolf barks, making the pups look at the three boys. Two of them have their heads tilted up like they are sniffing the air.

The other three rush to their older wolf, sitting with their mother while the two other pups, a grey and a beige one. They carefully totter over to Arthur and Lorenzo. Sniffing them before they jump onto them.

Waggling their tails and licking their faces. Showing their love and their bond with the two princes.

A part of Charles feels a little upset over the fact that he didn't get picked but also a relief that he didn't have to look after a some what helpless and young wolf pup.

He feels Max squeeze his waist a little, looking up at the viking. A sad smile on his face as Charles shrugs his shoulders softly. Not wanting to show Max that it had hurt him. Not that he is going to tell that it hurts him that he didn't get picked.

"Don't worry, you-" Max gets interrupted by a roar.

The pack of wolves pick up their pups and run off, Max quickly gets up on his feet. Grabbing Charles while doing so and put him on his feet too. Another roar from the forest but this time it's closer.

"Run!" Max tells Charles.

He nods his head but looks confused, Arthur and Lorenzo look the sane way but nod their heads, picking up their new companions and grab Charles by the hand.

"But what are you going to do?" Charles asks quickly.

"Hold him off!" Max says.

Turning just in time to come face to face with a big brown bear. Charles looks back for a second, watching it charge at Max. But he doesn't get to see what happens next as Arthur pulls him along with him.

Tears gather in his green eyes, he can't believe that Max is going to fight the bear. How can a human fight off such a big bear.

His legs start to burn in pain, he isn't made to go running. He isn't athletic at all, it's hard for him to get any air into his lungs. His eyes sting and carrying this amount of fur on him doesn't make it any easier.

His mind can do nothing but come up with a hundred different scenes of Max getting killed by the bear.

Charles jumps in fright as he hears the roar of the bear behind him. He looks back for a second, for a second he looks at the bear with blood on his snout. A gasp and a sob leave his lips at the same time.

It makes Charles wonder where Dakota is at the moment. Why isn't he here to protect Max or him. He looks back in front of him, he doesn't see his brothers anymore.

He shrieks when his foot get stuck in something. He falls face first into the cold snow, tears blur his vision as he closes his eyes. This is going to be it. He is going to die by a bear. This isn't the way he had thought he would go.

A sob leaves his lips as he hears the bear roar.