3

Natalia

I stood on one of the sidelines and watched as my body was being pushed, no, being dragged forcefully towards the line of people that were preparing to go back to their pack.

I am a tribute item from my pack, so I have to be amongst the slaves who had come with Beta Heimdall to our pack.

The elite warriors from Devil Claw Wolfpack had taken up their positions at the head of the procession while several others also took up strategic positions on the sides.

Behind the lines of warriors, Beta Heimdall was seated on a horse along with two other warriors who were on either side of him.

Behind him on foot were the slaves and Omegas which had come with him from Devil Claw Wolfpack. They had the tribute items from our pack arranged and well packed.

Behind those slaves were people like me who had been forcefully uprooted from their packs in the name of being presented as tributes. I looked around and noticed I was the only lady among the tributes.

I looked behind and saw wooden horse drawn carts which had most of Devil Claw Wolfpack's belongings and utensils and was also used to convey the tributes from my pack land to the dreaded Devil Claw Wolfpack.

About fifty guards brought up the rear of the procession in order to deal with any threat coming at the group from behind.

I could see myself wincing with horror and fear laced on my petite face as the realization that I was seeing my parents, friends and pack members for the last time sunk in.

Nobody knew what was going to be my fate in the hands of the Devil Claw Wolfpack Alpha. It was no news that he was the most dreaded wolf to walk among the packs in this area.

Alpha Draco treated his slaves like they weren't humans. Rumors had it that he often referred to them as things and spoke to them like they weren't worth the time and attention he should give them.

I could see as several members of my pack looked on in pain and those who couldn't hold in their emotions were already crying or moreso, gnashing their teeth.

I knew that most of them were already blaming my actions as they were wondering why I had to act the way I did knowing the brutality of the Devil Claw Wolfpack.

I was also beginning to doubt and blame myself as my earlier display of bravery was beginning to look like stupidity to me.

Not only did I speak out of turn trying to stand up against a practice that had been in place before my birth, I made things turn out for the worse by standing up to the second dreaded man among werewolves.

Now, I had no one to blame but myself. I had committed the offense and it was now time for the price to be paid by me and me alone.

A long horn sounded which signaled that the trip of no return to Devil Claw Wolfpack had begun. I turned around from where I was in the middle of the procession to take a long, last look at my pack and I felt tears choke me.

My father stood bereft at the bottom of the stairs that led to the entrance of the pack house looking like he had just buried his only child.

His gray hair and wrinkled forehead became more pronounced and he suddenly looked like he had added ten more years. Those ten years to me were like sorrowful years.

Of course, my fate was no different from being dead to him. There was no telling when he would get to see his little princess again. If there was any eventuality that we would meet, I doubt it would be in great circumstances.

This was the first time Devil Claw Wolfpack were taking a human tribute from my pack. My fear wasn't the tributes but that they would make it a habit and start demanding for human tributes from us.

They had only taken items from us and some of our lands. The lands were used to grow crops and my pack members were tasked with tending and making sure the crops yield well.

During the harvest, they were expected to make sure every grain was reported and bagged to be sent to Devil Claw Wolfpack.

A sharp cry turned my attention away from my sorrowful father which made me look beyond where he was standing to see my mother thrashing about.

A group of women were trying to constrain her but she, being an Alpha's daughter and Luna , was able to throw them off. She dashed towards my father and fell at his feet, pleadingly.

By now the procession had begun moving and I saw myself being left behind. All of my mother's pleas fell on deaf ears as my father, Alpha Talon, was powerless to change the mind of the Beta of Devil Claw Wolfpack.

I knew I couldn't leave like that. Like lightning, I broke through the ranks of the procession, disorganizing it in the process.

I ran in a zigzag manner and came out at the side before heading towards the direction my father was standing with my mother at his feet.

I could feel the heated and killing gaze Beta Heimdall was sending my way from behind but I cared less. The guards on the rear of the procession came after me but it only enabled me to run faster.

I got to where my parents were and threw my arms around my father's neck. I wept profusely, unwilling to accept my reality.

The guards chasing after me had gotten to me and they tried wrestling me away. I managed to evade them until I felt the clanging of a chain on my wrist.

Before I could bat my eyelids, the other wrist had been tied. Now, I was bound like a captive. I looked behind and saw the chain was being pulled by one of the front line guards who were with the Beta.

Now, I was no longer a tribute who was to move to the land of her captivity freely, I was now a captive. One that needed to be aced on bonds and chains.