She knew exactly when they had crossed the invisible border that separated the Infierno Pack's lands from the unclaimed territory. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she couldn't help but grow fearful as she stared at the dark trees that surrounded her.

The woods in the territory was terrifying, lurking with a creeping darkness that she knew could swallow her up easily. And she saw those glowing, glaring eyes that stared at her from the dark, following the train of cages as they ventured deeper and deeper into the vicious pack's territory.

In all her years under the brutal hand of the Claws, not once had they even dared go near The Infierno Pack's territory. She has heard of many stories and to have enough guts to even come close to their land was unheard of, and would immediately be punishable by unmerciful death brought by the hands of the pack themselves, so it had never even crossed her mind that they would come to visit this pack anytime soon or ever.

But she was wrong...

The Alpha, who had been none too pleased with the idea, agreed to the Claws entrance into his land only for the reason that the Claws could provide suitable women who would be able to manage to be under his rule. It had been rumored that, though their strength had not waned in the slightest, their numbers were slowly dwindling. It was a sign for the Alpha to step up and finally supply the men (the majority of his pack) a means to supply children.

She had heard from Ron that the Alpha had threatened their lives if his protocols would not be met.

It made her shiver just at the thought of it how this one Alpha would be cruel enough to do so.

But this was the pack no one dared to speak of.

She realized that all too well.

She had heard countless stories about them from past packs they had visited and even the Claws themselves. The Infierno Pack was a pack that no one dared cross. They were ruthless, they were harsh, and despite their lack in numbers, they manage to completely and bloodily obliterate any pack that stands in their way. And how they did it made the other packs fear them all the more. They were swift, silent, and controlled, making sure that you wouldn't realize they were there until they had nearly finished killing the rest of your pack off.

Once they attack, there was no mercy.

And their Alpha was the scariest and strongest of them all.

Alpha Titus Infierno.

Or better known as the Devil himself.

The Prince of Shadows and Flames.

With the blood of an ancient werewolf and the strongest of demons, it was no surprise how much of a monster he is said and has proven to be.

No one knew exactly what he looked like besides those in his pack. No one lived to tell the tale. But there were rumors of him slaughtering packs off single-handedly, and of him having unnatural strength and brains even compared to that of a werewolf or that of any demon. Others even called him a child of the most darkest of evils himself, bringing fear and terror wherever he went.

And there she was...

Right in that pack's territory.

Right where Alpha Titus could easily hurt her.

She was absolutely terrified, and she knew that if she made one wrong move, her head would be sent rolling to the forest floor in minutes. She wanted to wrap herself up in her dress, and then disappear.

She didn't want to see them.

She didn't want them to hurt her.

She knew she was trembling, and that she was trying not to cry as she backed up into the farthest corner of her cage, ignoring the way her body protested in pain from the bruises and aches she had received last night. Jan had not left and even tended to her bruises with salves and ointments while she slept, but the aching within her still remained, the emptiness of her soul.

Why wouldn’t he stop?

She looked through the bars tentatively, noticing the way her captors seemed on edge as they walked alongside the train of cages. They had not shifted, as per the instruction of the Alpha so as to leave them as vulnerable as possible. The Claws knew of the importance of this exchange, and Bruce would have had them bend backward and over just to make sure this happened. By having the status of being approved by Infierno, the other packs would seek out the Claws, or so they think.

They constantly looked around, postures tense as if anticipating a surprise attack from the Infierno Pack. But the wolves of the Infierno pack remained in the confines of the shadows, and they remained unharmed.

She had stiffened when Jan fell into a trot beside her cage, trying to dispel her memories of the night before. She had to toughen herself, at least for the moment, even if it left her empty inside.

He held onto the bars of her cage, his grip unnaturally tight and tense. She was willing to chalk it off as his apprehension towards this pack, but there was this somewhat crazed look in his eyes telling her there was much more to his fear than she understood.

“Robin,” his voice was serious, but he was more fearful than angry. Robin couldn’t help but feel even more agitated and worried. “No matter what, Robin, you do not raise your eyes and look at anyone. Remember what I told you. You are mine, songbird. You understand that right?”

She could only nod in dumbfounded shock as she watched the man before her start to crumble, as if he had realized something oh so very wrong. In the distance, between the trees, she could see the top of a structure that poked into the sky. It was most likely the Infierno packhouse.

“This is not right, I have made a mistake. I didn’t know it would be him.” Robin was starting to fear the situation, not understanding why Jan was becoming so agitated, as if a mistake had occurred. She did not understand, nor did she even want to.

It was as if something had snapped within him when the chain of cages had finally entered into a large clearing; Jan dashed from the side of her cage and to the front of the “train” where she saw him enter into Bruce’s den. Whether he had gone to try and stop Bruce or not, she did not know, but what she did know was that it was too late.

The cages jerked to a stop, the big vehicle that towed a total of 10 cages screeching to halt. She decided to scoot over to the wall and peered into Blue’s cage. She found Blue had been crying and huddled in the corner, face pressed into her knees. Robin could just sense it, the fear of the other girls mixed with her own, clogging up the air like a thick fog of smoke. She could almost choke on it.

She directed her attention back outside, staring straight at the front of what seemed to be a pack house. It was definitely old, and it blended into the surroundings well with its wooden walls and creepy vibe, but it was surprisingly well-cared for. It was clean, and if it weren't for the dark aura that surrounded the place, it would have been homey.

She stiffened, watching as the wolves that had been tailing them jumped out of the forest, glaring at the Claws and the girls in the cage as if they were threatening everything the Infierno Pack stood for. They circled around the cages, eyeing the women and the Claw members with hostility. These wolves were big, intimidating, and so full of power, her body threatened to collapse onto the floor with the intensity radiating off of each and every one of them. Kira and Kage had their hackles raised, but they were physically resisting the urge to shift. Ron had opted to take his place between two cages at the front, most likely avoiding the most confrontation he could.

Bruce finally exited the main vehicle, looking genuinely agitated with Jan following after him, trying to tell Bruce of something. Bruce didn’t appear to be listening, and she saw Jan hold himself steady at the side of the vehicle, looking hopeless and lost.

She curled herself up inside the cage, trying to comfort herself silently.

She had to do this.

She could get through this.

Bruce, the leader of the Claws, hesitantly stepped closer to the wolves, the determined look on his face wavering with each and every glare that the dangerous wolves sent him. She could just imagine how they'd easily kill Bruce, despite how Bruce was heavily built and very strong. It was undeniable. Even without thinking about it too much, any one of the Infierno Pack's members could easily bring him down.

Bruce cleared his throat, raising his shaky hands as a sign of obvious surrender. The wolves seemed to relax a bit at the gesture, though not too much. "My name is Bruce of the Claws, and I have come with the girls. We have notified the pack earlier about our visit, and would like to be able to speak with the Alpha." Bruce's voice trembled quite a bit, but he retained a somewhat calm look as he ended.

She pressed herself against the wall when the word Alpha reached her ears. The...Alpha? They were meeting the ALPHA? They’d never had to speak with the Alpha of any pack before, why was today turning out like this? Robin could only feel the bile in her throat as she speculated.

Would he kill them? Was all this an ambush?

One of the wolves, significantly bigger than the others with dark red fur, nodded his head before turning to face the front door of the pack house. His face showed his concentration as he, she assumed, mind-linked the Alpha to come out.

The tension seemed to thicken, and she peered through the bars silently, only to see one of the girls, one who had been captured recently with the number 78, finally break as she started to rattle the bars, letting out a soft cry for help. Her auburn hair was scattered and her green eyes were as wide as they could be. She cried out over and over again, asking for help again and again. Finally fed up, Ron had angrily stomped towards her cage, grabbing her wrists painfully in a way that would obviously leave a bruise. He was whispering vehemently to her when the front door slammed open, revealing the man... the wolf that everyone had been dreading to meet.

The one and only Alpha Titus.

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As instructed, she kept her head down and her gaze on the floor, only being able to catch a glimpse of the Alpha's huge frame before turning away. She knew what consequences she would face if ever she looked at an Alpha. And to make things worse, this Alpha was none other than Alpha Titus. Who knows how he would react to a mere human gazing at him?

But she felt his presence even without looking at him. It coated the air around her, settling over her comfortably as if it as normal for it to scare the wits out of everyone close to him. His presence was demanding, rough, and... nice. She stiffened at that, her eyes growing wide.

Nice? How could she think of that? She should be breaking down with fear at the thought of being near him. Sure, she was scared... Very scared. But here she was, a small part of her liking the way he seemed to be getting closer to her, his heavy footsteps becoming louder and louder.

The woods had gone frighteningly quiet as if everyone and everything in the forest knew exactly of the power that this werewolf held. Number 78 had gone quiet even, her sobs silencing. She held her breath, feeling conscious about the way she was breathing. Could he hear her heavy breaths? Could he feel her fear?

His footsteps came to a halt, his domineering presence now undeniably closer.

"A-Alpha Titus." Bruce's low voice was an octave higher as he stammered out the Alpha's name, and she could just imagine how terrified Bruce must be. She was farther away, and she was even trembling.

"Bruce." His deep, baritone voice was curt, and he was obviously impatient but somehow, the sound of his voice send pleasant shivers crawling down her spine and she wanted... craved to hear it again. She wanted him to say her name in that deep voice of his. Again, she caught herself and gasped at where her thoughts were heading. What was he doing to her?

"W-well, Alpha. Here are the girls I was talking about, all 10 of them. I made sure that-“

“Stop talking." Alpha Titus cut him off, his voice remaining eerily calm, but something told her that he was far from it.

Bruce paled considerably, his usually tan skin fading into something much more lighter than what could be considered normal. He choked on his words, managing to stammer out a few desperate excuses before he was cut off by the infamous alpha yet again, this time in a voice more fierce than before.

"Do you think, Bruce, that this pleases me?”

By the rough tone in his voice, she had a feeling that he didn’t like being lied to.

Bruce swallowed nervously, meaty palms sweating with nervousness as he stared back and forth between the domineering Alpha and his slowly advancing Beta. He had to think of something to say fast. He coughed nervously.

"N-no, Alpha. B-but I promise you these beauties are more than what you expect. All of them are unique, each from a different land. And-"

"Are you done?" Alpha Titus harshly cut in, his impatience leaking into his words easily, and she heard Bruce back off, shuffling closer to the cages. She stiffened at the tone, and involuntarily let out a small whimper from the back of her throat at the impatience that was rolling out of the Alpha in waves.

It was silent for a while, too silent, and it scared her to death. But as much as she wanted to look up and see what was happening, she knew she shouldn't unless she wanted to be hanged upside down from a tree like the last time she did. It was a horrible experience, feeling the blood rush to her head as she flailed around in an effort to get down but they only hung her longer the harder she fought. She recalled how she fainted after they cut her down, letting her fall like a limp doll to the floor without a care. She still had the scar on the back of her neck where it hit a jutting rock as she fell.

It was a reminder of how she was inferior to them...

To anyone...

"Grey." The Alpha's voice suddenly bit out, and she cringed when she heard the snapping of bones as they shifted from a wolf's to a man. She still hated the sound no matter how many times she's heard it. It sounded painful and she wondered how it felt.

"Yes, Alpha?" A new voice, this one lighter than the Alpha's but still deep and intimidating as it should be, replied.

She heard the Alpha advance, feeling his powerful gaze sweep over her momentarily before it disappeared. She shivered, wrapping her frail arms around herself as she hid further behind the messy tangles of her dark chocolate hair. "Are all warriors present?"

She swallowed at the question, and she could feel the tension from the Claw members spike at his words. She could hear the twins’ audible growls as they were ready to pounce. Something told her that this wasn't going to end well, but she prayed anyways that she might be able to make it out alive.

"Yes, Alpha.” The beta, named Grey, turned to the Claws. “You may begin.”

The Alpha let out a deep 'hmm' as a sign of agreement, though he did not sound happy. And again, she felt those tingles run up her arms and down her spine. She wondered what they meant, but didn't get to ponder on it for too long before she heard one of the cages being unlocked. She tried to focus on her lap, forcing down the fear that was bubbling up inside of her, but her hands were shaking with the useless effort and she let herself silently cry.

No matter how many times she had gone through this, she always cried. She couldn't help but feel helpless as she sat in her cage, knowing that the other girls were being dragged off by a stranger. And for each person that was taken away, she prayed that they would at least be treated right by their owners. That at least they'd find happiness out of this hell.

It may sound stupid for her to pray for their happiness when she didn't have any of her own, but she was content with knowing that a girl who had gone through the same things that she had, would finally be able to smile.

Focusing back to the present, she quickly wiped her tears away and listened in to the presentation. It was always the same thing. They present the girl in the cage #1 first, allow the potential buyers to look but never touch, and the bidding would commence. Then they go to the next cage and so on and so forth. The highest bidder gets the girl, but on rare cases, some girls would end up being a werewolf's mate so the mate immediately has every right to take the girl and no one could go against the buyer. But it was honestly too rare for miracles like that. In her whole time here, she's never seen a man claim any of the girls as a mate. But she could imagine if it would actually happen. She had a feeling the werewolf wouldn't be too happy upon seeing a scarred mate.

But it was starting to feel quite different from the usual biddings they would have. None of the pack members made a bid on any of the girls, and all was eerily quiet other than the “sales talk” that Bruce was trying to offer to the pack. Robin had this unsettling feeling in her gut that something was not right, and she knew everyone else could feel the tension just as much as she did. Even so, the Claws continued.

It all finally tipped over when Blue, during her turn, suddenly started fighting back once Kira and Kage hauled her out. She thrashed and screamed in their tight hold, yelling out a string of threats that everyone knew would not be set out. This was the way of the Claws. Once you're under them, there will be nothing you can do.

She clenched her shaking hands into fists, the tears coming down in torrents as she heard the painful, desperate cries of the Blue. It took everything in her not to just scream for it all to stop. They were going to hurt her now... Oh God, they were going to.

Don't fight. She wanted to say.

They'll hurt you, don't fight!

It was only a few seconds later when she heard the sickening sound of skin hitting skin, the force of Bruce's slap against the young girl's cheek sending her sprawling to the floor and the young girl immediately grew silent. Her heart raced, as she desperately tried to find some sort of reassurance that the young girl was still alright.

Please... Don't do this to her...

"You filthy brat!" Bruce started, obviously furious with the girl's defiance. Surely he wouldn't do anything horrible to her in front of a pack, it would break all the codes. But Bruce seemed madder than he should've and she had a gut feeling that he would take this a bit too far if no one would stop him.

But who would dare stop him now?

"What the fuck?! You want me to fucking slap you, you bitch?! Is-"

"That's enough!" Alpha Titus' boomed, silencing all as they felt him growing angrier. By that time, his menacing aura was practically choking her as the intensity turned up a few notches, and she instinctively backed away from the dangerous sound.

He was livid.

"I'm done wasting my time. Grey, take all the girls now and make it quick. Chain the fuckers up." He commanded, voice as hard as stone and she could hear him slowly back away into the pack house, his heavy footsteps fading into the back of her mind.

Not knowing why, she started to panic at the thought of him leaving her. It felt wrong for him to walk away from her. It almost felt like he was... rejecting her.

But why was she thinking so?

Until his words started sinking in. Take the girls? Chain the fuckers?

Bruce, taken aback and rendered speechless, called after the Alpha like a scared little pup. "Alpha, we do not understand. We have done every-"

Bruce's voice faltered as the Alpha's frustration increased ten-fold that even the wolves around him seemed to tense at their Alpha's reaction. The Alpha glared darkly at Bruce, proving yet again to the crowd that his reputation was no joke. He was... and is the infamous Alpha Titus.

No one dared cross him.

She heard Alpha Titus approach them at a slow pace, his footsteps taunting as if he were the predator and Bruce the prey. He stopped directly in front of the now trembling man, purposely towering over his smaller build. "And tell me, Bruce, is there a need for me to see all these girls here and watch them suffer by your hand?" His tone was grave, not loud but definitely bubbling with a hidden threat underneath.

"I've had my fill of watching you callously man handle these girls like Neanderthals. All of them will be staying here. You and your men are now my prisoners." His last words filled the air with tension, firm as it held all the menace this man was said to possess. It terrified her to hear him this way.

But she could not let go of his lingering words, ones that sparked hope within her tiny chest. We… were staying? She could feel the trembling in her bones from the anticipation, and the other girls she could hear had started to gasp and wail, some in relief. Even so, she should be frightened, shouldn’t she? Would this mean that they would leave these cages to only enter another? Would they be subject to becoming slaves?

But she could not deny, she wanted to put a face to that deep, alluring voice that called out to her. It was terrifying her that she was thinking that way about Alpha Titus but something in her just screamed for her to meet his eyes. But she knew what the consequences would be. Not only would Bruce punish her, but it was highly disrespectful for a human or even a low-ranked werewolf to look at an Alpha.

But….. Bruce could not punish them anymore, right?

Would the Alpha bring punishment upon her?

She must be misunderstanding. Maybe he was actually keeping them as slaves as well?

She and the other girls would most likely be placed in the cellars, out of sight and out of mind. Out of the belly of the beast… only to fall into the devil’s very den.

But how tempting it was to hope that maybe this Alpha meant for their freedom...

Could she finally fly away out of this cage?

Could she finally see the lights?

But there was an even deeper desire burning within her, consuming her very soul. She wanted to see those eyes.

Would she dare look at him and end up being hanged like a piece of meat?

Dare she disrespect the Alpha by gazing upon him with her unworthy eyes and end up being punished by him?

Dare she?

With trembling shoulders that resembled a fragile leaf in the howling wind, she brought herself out of the confines of her hair and gazed upon the Alpha with the deep voice that lured her to commit this unforgivable crime.

Then…

The breath left her lungs.

It wasn't hard to find him among the somewhat thin crowd, the aura and sheer intimidation that radiated off of him was too hard to ignore. He stood at the center of the gathering, his straight gait proud and strong as he practically dwarfed over everyone in the field. He had a strong build, clad in nothing but shorts, and you could see clearly the defined muscles that wrapped perfectly around his body. He had long black locks that ended messily right under his shoulders in slight waves. Despite the lack of light, his ebony hair looked glossy and soft, beckoning her to run her tiny fingers through them just to test how soft they truly were. He had a strong jawline, slightly covered in stubble. His lips looked soft, and his eyes...

His eyes swirled blood red, a shade that had her knees weakening and her own hands trembling. Like pools of molten lava, his eyes were cold, calculating... warm.

He was no man...

He was a god.

"Now you've done it..." Ron's hushed and terrified voice brought her out of her stupor and she turned to him, her eyes growing wide. His own eyes were widening in fear, and she realized that practically everyone else looked the same besides the Alpha that stood proud in the middle of it all.

The realization of what she had done fell upon her and she choked, blindly looking around and desperate to keep her eyes off of the handsome beast that stood a ways before her. But without having to see him, she knew that he was mad...

He was mad at her.

She shouldn't have looked...

She shouldn't have...

She felt the tears coming as the cold fear gripped her throat, hearing the quick and angry footsteps of the Alpha as he started to approach her cage. He was no longer trying to rein the anger inside, she could feel it practically choking the air in the silent whimpers of the people around her.

She knew that she had made the mistake of letting him snap, and she had to pay the price.

Not being able to take it anymore, as if the door to all the pent up emotions she had tried so desperately to keep hidden had suddenly opened the floodgates, she started to sob loudly…pleadingly into her hands when she felt him stop right outside her cage. His form practically blocked out the light, shrouding her with his shadow that exerted no effort in swallowing up her shaking frame. His piercing glare made her feel so small, so pathetic that it brought a new wave of fresh tears streaming down her face.

Finding her voice, but avoiding looking at him, she found slight comfort in staring at the corner of her cage. But she was still shaking, the tears were still falling, and her heart was still pounding. She thought of how long left she had to live. Would he kill her slow just for the hell of it? Or would he rip into her without a second thought?

"I-I'm s-sorry, A-Alpha. I-I'm so-"

He let out a ground-shaking growl that made her heart slam against her chest, and she raised her small arms over her face in an effort to protect herself. She knew it was futile, but at least she could say that she tried. It was a weak attempt but she tried.

Oh God, she tried.

Without warning, he casually pried the steel bars to the side, not even needing to exert any effort to perform the task, and a thought of him tearing her apart like a thin strip of paper flitted through her mind. He still seemed angry, at her no doubt.

The thought was more than a mere possibility at the moment.

She backed away, refusing to tear her gaze away from the corner as he quietly but quickly advanced towards her, reaching out those big hands of his that could easily crush her like she was but a tiny bug.

No...

No...

No...

She couldn't die.

She still needed to explore and see the world.

She still needed to see those buildings, the bright lights, and maybe find people who could become her friends...

She still needed to find out what it means to be loved by someone...

She just wanted to fly...

She brought her shaking hands to her face as she started crying out in despair. The possibility of her dreams ever coming true was starting to get crushed under the heavy weight of her sinful deed, and she could feel the last of her hope start to slip away.

She will never fly. She was the robin, one who will be drowned.

Without knowing it, she had started to wail out her thoughts, mumbling over and over the overwhelming despair that swam endlessly in her head like a broken record, desperate at the thought of losing her chances. She could recall that little robin then, who had been smothered in the water much too soon. She was next. She was...

"Please… I don’t want to drown…" She sobbed pathetically, begging...

Her whole body jerked in response when something warm gently caressed the side of her face, prying her shaking hands away to expose her tear-stained features to the man... the god that stood before her. She had never been more vulnerable than she was at the moment.

There she was, a sobbing, ugly mess in front of a fearful, intimidating god.

But his thick arms wrapped around her, bringing her tightly into his warm embrace as his face found their way to burrow into the curve of her neck. She stiffened in his arms, shocked by his actions, and she could hear the equally surprised gasps coming from the people around her.

But it felt so good...

He felt so warm, the good kind of warm...

And she couldn't help but sink into the warmth he was seemingly offering to her.

His fingers gripped her chin, tightly but gently, as he guided her surprised and wide honey gaze to meet his scarlet one and the world stopped. His face was only an inch away from hers, and the tips of their noses were lightly brushing against each other. His woodsy scent wafted into her nose, tickling her senses as she experienced a feeling of high as she took him in. She felt as if she’d just stumbled upon a field of wild, untamed yet beautiful flowers.

She felt like melting into a pool in his arms.

But it was the way he was looking at her that shattered her heart and glued it back together all in a matter of seconds.

He looked at her like he would give her the world...

Like he would give her everything she desired and more.

A low growl spilled out of his lips, allowing his minty breath to wash over her and lead her senses to a building frenzy. What was this? What was all of this?

"I will never let you drown." He whispered close to her, a reply to the pleadings of her heart, as she felt his lips slightly graze the shell of her ear when she shivered at the intensity of his words. And she found herself melting even deeper into his strong arms.

“My mate... mine."