They were running, oh so very fast, that the world around her was only a little more than just a blur. More than anything, she was starting to feel very dizzy and faint. Even more worrying was that there was this wrenching feeling in her chest that stung more and more as they ventured further and further away from the place she woke up in.

She could distinctly remember the gaunt and pale faces of the men they had passed outside her window, their lifeless bodies laid haphazardly on the floor. There were 3 of them, in total, and the immortalized look of horror on their faces, their bodies literally turned into skin and bone were burned into her eyes. She had tried to scream then, as Jan insistently grabbed at her arms and pulled her away, but he had slapped a hand across over her mouth and bit harshly at her neck to silence her. The bandages tore under his sharp teeth.

“Hush, my little songbird, or they will find us,” his voice was a frantic hiss that stung against her ears, and in an effort to avoid less harm on her, she shut her mouth and swallowed her tears away. Even so, she did not give up her struggle, trying to dig her feet into the ground and flailing about to give him a hard time. She was terrified of where he was going to take her, even more so confused why it ended up this way.

As she was dragged further and further away, all she could think about were those haunting red eyes, and the growing pain within her chest. There was something within telling her to fight with all she could.

Jan did not have to be her maestro, did he?

Her mind was at odds because she was bred by him for him. It should have been easy to choose Jan then, as she must. But there were those red eyes…. She could not bring it in herself to leave the Alpha.

Realizing she would keep resisting him, Jan bit out a low growl in frustration and slammed her against the rough trunk of a tree. The pain tore at her back, and she gazed at him helplessly as his bright eyes swirled down at her with unrestrained anger. But Robin had started to notice something else in his face, an emotion she has rarely if not ever seen on his face……

There was fear.

Jan simply stared at her, as his anger slowly melted away into a look of hopelessness as he searched her wide-eyed gaze, and she couldn’t find it in her to say anything as well. There was this feeling around them, something so unfamiliar to Robin that it honestly scared her.

“I’m so sorry, my songbird,” Jan started in a whisper, rubbing at her cheeks with his thumbs. The touch made her cringe in disgust, but she said nothing and did nothing in fear of what he could do to her at that close of a range. She mulled in confusion at his words, but before she could ponder more, he continued. “I have to do what I must. I cannot give you away.”

She was not even able to blink before something was quickly shoved against her lips, a cold liquid trickling inside her mouth. She started coughing at the sudden intrusion, but he quickly slapped his large hand over her mouth, preventing her from vomiting it out. He was looking pleadingly at her as she gagged at the horrible taste, one that was of rot and horrible herbs as she was forced to swallow it down her throat.

He had forced her to drink something, she realized in horror as she finally saw the very empty broken glass vial he had thrown on the floor. He had given her something……

Suddenly, not of her will, her limbs gave out on her and she felt herself head towards the ground. Jan quickly responded and caught her in his arms, her body now unwillingly limp and unresponsive, no matter how hard she tried to keep control. Her mind was clear, but she could move nothing. All she could do was cry as he continued carrying her away.

Had he paralyzed her? What was that he had made her drink?

He was mumbling at her, words she could barely comprehend as he kept rushing through the trees and over rocks. He sounded very worried and very panicked. Robin was starting to feel very panicked as well, realizing the mess she was truly being dragged into.

“I had to do it, I’m sorry.”

“If only I could shift, it would be easier for you.”

“Your voice, I could have ruined it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

Robin resorted to blocking his words out, now that she realized that she could not even try to understand the situation they were in. He has her, what else could she do? And the pain in her chest only made things worse, as it grew ever more frightening and painful, to the point that it had started to obstruct her breathing and make it even more difficult for her. She wanted to tell him to stop for a moment and take the pain away, but her mouth wouldn’t move and she only felt more helpless.

“We’re almost there at the borders, Robin. We can make it.” His words were muddy against the sound of the blood racing in her ears as the pressure in her chest became unbearable. The tears in her eyes were overflowing, and her eyes were wide in pain, yet he could not see or maybe he did, but he chose not to mind it.

Robin couldn’t make out what was happening amidst the pain anymore, but she could vaguely see that Jan had suddenly tilted his head and stopped, as if he had heard something. There was only silence other than the heavy and labored panting that she was starting to produce from the strain, sweat beading all across her body.

But then, she started to hear it as well, the sound of things hitting rapidly against the ground. People running? She mutedly thought. Running towards them, they were running. Were they coming for her and Jan? Were they there to save her?

Jan started to panic, even more, becoming like a madman as he rushed forwards, his desperate steps trying to make them go even faster. Even so, Robin started to feel as if his efforts were in vain as the noises grew louder, and she could now hear growls mixed in with the sound. Wolves….

The Infierno Pack had come.

Jan let out a cry, something that was a mix of despair and anger as he started to realize that he could not cross the border with her before they would come. He had been too slow, much too slow. He had made the mistake.

With a last look at the paralyzed and suffering girl in his arms, he knew that he couldn’t risk it now. She was his, and she will always be his little songbird, but today, the maestro has been beaten.

Though, this was only for today.

And that was how it came to be that she had been left there in pain on the rough forest ground as the growls and sounds of paws hitting the floor grew even louder and closer around her. But above it all, she could not help but hear loudest the last words that Jan had whispered into her ears before he left.