Without realizing when he had fallen into the trap of the she-wolf, he would end up among the other puppies after she caught him by the neck.
Now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move without pushing or moving one of the other puppies who accompanied him by his side.
He feared that if he accidentally hurt them, it would be his end at the fangs of that she-wolf.
Fortunately, everything seemed fine for the moment. He saw nothing dangerous around him, and compared to the danger before, at least now he could feel more accompanied.
And for a moment, the scent and barks of that den made him remember his first visit to this world when he was in Miss Rotenmeyer's pet shop with his siblings.
"I still wonder... what will become of them..."
The body heat of the puppies and the she-wolf's licking over his fur made him completely relax.
"Well... a short rest and that's it..."
Tenma would succumb to the temptations of his fatigue, feeling that he could sleep much more comfortably than he had been lately.
A bed, companionship, and the love of a "mother."
That place... maybe it had everything he would want to live peacefully.
"It wouldn't be bad to stay... if the angel... doesn't bother me again. Right...?"
***
"Woof"
"Woof"
"Woof"
A few small barks woke the young canine, who would stretch after a long sleep. He hadn't even opened any eyes yet and was already receiving licks from the other puppies and their mother.
Unknowingly, he was settling more than he expected into that bed, and without noticing, the scent of it was sticking to him more.
When he opened his eyes, he noticed how the outside of the cave was darker. As he recalled, the reason why it could still be lit even though it was underground was because of some holes in the ceilings and luminescent plants that decorated every corner. Apparently, these same plants rested and turned off at night. Perhaps they only worked with sunlight.
"What curious flora," Tenma thought, feeling one of the she-wolf's puppies biting his ear, so he turned to see it.
Behind him, all the puppies had approached to drink from their mother's milk, who still had enough space for her "new puppy" among the others.
Clearly, Tenma refused. But a sensation of his nature as a puppy made him want to approach even though it would be a totally different experience from what he would expect to do even in that body of his.
But, after all, he would succumb to hunger.
"Why... am I doing this...?" the young one would think, taking from one of the she-wolf's teats in order to feed like all the others, feeling embarrassed, but not so much...
This was his nature in that world.
The world assumed that's how he should act.
"Maybe that's why... they protect me so much..."
"Maybe I should just stay here after all..."
Tenma would shake his head for a moment, thinking more seriously again.
"For now... I must analyze this place well. I can't let myself be carried away so easily by these temptations and the comfortable life, I might even be in danger with all the beasts outside at some point."
Tenma would stare intently at the wolf that had brought him there, who would put a paw on his head as a sign of affection.
"I'm sorry, dad wolf... but I still think I want to go back home."
The puppies' barks sounded again as they were playing tag. There were 3 puppies, all from the same litter as he could see the similarity in size and appearance among them. And compared to him, Tenma was the oldest among them.
They called him and encouraged him to join and play, on the other hand, the wolf dad would let him go and push him with his snout towards his children.
And without realizing it, while he had one of the puppies' tails in front of him, he would already be chasing them in circles, over and over again.
His legs would make him stumble on the same bed full of herbs and some soft stones, but it wouldn't make him stop. A little mild adrenaline was possibly what he needed to release all his tension.
Because at the end of that game, and having his share of food in front of him, he felt all his sorrows vanish. And the food that had disgusted him a moment ago now seemed totally delicious.
"How comfortable I am... here."