Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been three days since I left the pack, yet I would get to a point along the journey to nowhere and look back, waiting for Ethan, who I knew was never coming for me.

The loneliness I have been feeling along the way was one thing I have never experienced in my life. I never thought, even with my maid beside me, yet I looked so bored and broken that I couldn't help wondering if I had been on the rogue alone, I would have died of loneliness.

For the first time in my life, I felt left alone; there was no bond of the pack, no mind linking, and there was nothing at all. Just my battered self and my maid with my baby and my wolf. Susan would try to make me happy but yet I looked like a broken shell.

Since I had left, Ethan and Jessica's betrayal still burns hot in my heart anytime I think about it.

“Take a deep breath and forget the irrelevant ones in your life, Ashina.” my wolf said.

I obeyed; anytime my mind wandered off to their betrayal, I would feel as if the pain were fresh in my heart and could easily go into a mini attack, which could be very bad for my baby. I rubbed my tummy with a smile as I watched Susan pluck some fruits before we continued their journey.

We've been living on fruits and nuts for the past three days and drinking water from the stream that meanders through the forest.

“Let's take a short rest, Susan,” I muttered before walking to the nearby stream.

I stopped at the streambank to wash my face and arm before I continued my journey. I looked at my reflection and almost burst into tears as I could barely recognize myself; I looked tatted that I couldn't help wondering if I was still myself. My hair had leaves and thorns sticking out of them.

My face had red blotches and My eyes were red and sunken. I sighed helplessly and started washing my face when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching her. At first, I thought it was Susan, but thinking about it, Susan wouldn't have such heavy footsteps, and judging by the sound, it seemed to be more than just a footstep, which seemed more suspicious.

My gaze wandered off that particular direction till I spotted three hefty men, werewolves by their smells, approaching me. They all had a grin plastered on their faces as their eyes roamed around my body from head to toe precisely.

I couldn't help sensing the danger in front of me, I instantly took a step backward tentatively, but the fast-flowing stream was gushing on me. “W. Who are you and what do you want?” I asked, not wanting to feel intimidated by their hefty look.

“A sassy one, huh? I heard one of them say with a smile.

The three men smiled, showing their disgusting yellow teeth and pink gum as they approached me. “And what makes you think you can escape from our hand, darling? Your peers are waiting for you.” One of them said as his gaze was thoroughly fixed on me.

“If you can become our slave and serve us. We'll make sure you don't have a hard time in the slave arena. Good suggestion, huh?” Another one said.

I couldn't help looking worried if they had gotten the wrong person because the few words clearly showed they were looking for someone else who had escaped from the slave arena.

“I don't understand what you're saying,” I replied, my eyes searching for an escape route but there were none.

“Seems she doesn't want our suggestion. But isn't it fair that you scratch our back, and we three scratch yours? Isn't threesome a good deal, huh.” The third one said as he looked at his friends who hollered with laughter.

I looked at them with total disgust that I immediately clenched my first and swung my fist to punch the closest to me but my pregnancy and the malnutrition for the past few days had made me extremely weak and slow that the man caught my fist and tossed me aside before bursting into rounds of laughter with his stinky breath dancing in the air.

“Oh! It seems she doesn't want to go back to the slave arena,” he continued. “Let's enjoy her first before we take her back; isn't that a good idea?” He asked and the remaining two voluntarily agreed to his opinion.

They were planning on raping me and taking me to whatsoever agenda they were talking about. I could see it in their eyes, something about their gazes says it all. I immediately got to my feet, ready to run for her my dear life; turning back, I saw Susan coming towards her.

“Seems like they're two in number!” They said laughing hysterically.

“Run, Susan!” I screamed before I could get to her, and with that, I made to run, but it was too late as my head was hit hard by one of the men. I temporarily lost my sense of vision and everything darkened.

I knew this wasn't the time to be unconscious, and with that, I forced myself to recover consciousness. Despite how hard I struggled, I just had to force my eyes open, if not for anything but for my baby's sake.

I felt my clothes had been ripped off by the man on top. Not only that, the man proceeded to sniff me by roaming his nose around my chest while I could only fist bump underneath in utter disgust to gather the little strength in her.

I looked up to the sky to cry to heaven to help and give me strength to fight my way with those hefty men before it got too late. But thinking about it, the moon goddess forsakes my love letting all those incidents happen to me. I couldn't help but think my prayers would never be answered.

I felt the man on top of me, tracing his hand around my whole body almost to her part. I shut my eyes tightly in fear.

Suddenly, I heard a growl and grunt as the man on top of me seemed to be battling with something that I couldn't help but think: could they be fighting on who to go first with her?

I still had my eyes closed when I felt something like a drop touch my face which made me open my eyes. Opening my eyes was an arrow dripping off blood close to my left eye.

Yes, the arrow was just an inch away from entering my left eye. Tracing the arrow, I noticed it had already struck the man's chest, and he had dropped dead on me.

“Ahhhh” I screamed in fear as I struggled to push the latter on me to the other side when I noticed the man standing in front of me with a bow and an arrow in his hand. I needed no one to tell me it was the person who used the arrow on the dead person earlier.

I looked closely at the man despite the sun that almost blurred my eyes, but the strong feature of the man was captivating enough; there was something about the man's gaze that seemed calculating and bore into me.

Dark, thick hair falls across his forehead in a messy yet perfect, imperfect way. I took my time to study every captivating detail about the unknown man with a strong presence.

Every little detail about him seemed perfect to me, A tall, athletic build with broad shoulders and a chiseled physique that I didn't know how long it took me to study all those features.

I didn't know whether the man in front of me had helped me out of goodwill because there was something about the man's gaze that I couldn't fathom at the moment. The man's expression was unreadable to me; I was unable to, which I found strange as I could easily read and know whatsoever that anyone had gone through the mind.

“Take them to the lion's den!” I heard the man say before turning around. I, who didn't seem to know I was meant to be taken into the lion's den, thought it was a joke until I was roughly dragged by the remaining two men who wanted to have their way with me earlier.

“Them? Isn't she the only person?” I wondered but that wasn't even the important part. The important thing is that they seemed to have taken someone else as me.

“M-mister, there seems to be a mistake!” I yelled before I could be dragged away, I struggled to free myself from their hold. Holding my torn shirt with my left hand as I limber toward the so-called stranger.

“Mister, you've mistaken me for someone else. Am ain't a slave nor did I escape from the slave arena.” I cried out, hoping the man would believe me, but the man didn't bother to spare me a glance before walking away with his men.

“No!” I screamed hard, trying so hard to free myself from being taken away, but before I knew it, I lost consciousness.

~~~~~

“M-y lady, you have to wake up.”

“My lady, please wake up! This isn't the time to sleep!” I heard a faint voice mixed with haste. Even in my deep sleep, I could sense danger in that voice.

I forced my eyes open, and the first person I met was Susan; I closed my eyes again before opening them again, and it was still Susan.

I could remember telling her to run for her dear life but how come she's here with me?

“My lady, they're taking us to an unknown place,” Susan whispered, which made me aware of my surroundings. We seemed to be inside a long coaster bus that contained other ladies just like them.

I became restless, wondering where they could be taking us. I looked into other slaves like them, they looked scared and intimidated.

After staring into space, I gently tapped the slave beside me who was fidgeting with the hem of her dress. “Why are you here?” I asked, staring closely at her.

I could see how scared she was when she tapped her earlier. She must have had a lot of things on her mind.

“I was sold here by my stepmother,” she muttered.

“Does that mean each and everyone here is sold here?” I asked, unable to believe my ears. But if everyone here is sold to this pack, what about her that was taken as someone else?

“Is there any probability that I could leave on my own?” I thought for a moment.

“ I'm scared they'll kill all of us. Even my sister never made it back since the moment she was sold here.” She whispered with a shaky voice.

I was rendered speechless; I thought this person could be lying to me, but seeing the look on her face and how intimidated she looked. I couldn't help believing she was telling the truth.

I was about to ask another question when the coaster bus pulled up in front of a mini house, and some guards swam towards them, which came in their hands.

“Everyone of you, get down and make your way inside the house and get dressed!”The guards yelled in unison as they began throwing them out of the bus.

And almost immediately, Everyone started running out trying not to get beaten. I held my tummy with my right hand while the second handheld Susan's hand as they ran inside the house.

“Hurry up!”

“Hurry up!”

“All of you hurry up!”

I got inside and saw a white silky new clothes on the table. I recognized the clothes were made of good quality. I couldn't help wondering if it was just ordinary slaves sold here, why would they give us a cloth made of a good quality?

I went ahead with Susan beside me and picked a dress while Susan did the same with the others. But I noticed something was written on my dress which seemed like a name tag.

I looked around, and I could see two different name tags different from hers.

She couldn't help wondering what could be going on but she was yet to figure it out.

“Cassius.” Was the name tag on mine?