Natalia
"Natalia! Natalia!!... Are you there?" A voice called out softly at me from behind the tent.My head snapped up from the thinking position I had assumed after Beta Heimdall left the tent. I would always recognise that soft voice calling out to me anywhere.It belonged to Marie, my infamous partner and I was sure that Keira would be with her. We weren't what could be referred to as close friends as they each had their different cliques but we were more like an infamous trio who only stuck out for the others in times of trouble.We had become attached to each other when we came together to attack Dave, a haughty wolf who had decided to make running in the woods a nightmare for young girls. Back then, we had hatched a plan and scared the living hell out of him in the forest. Though it wasn't easy, the memory is good. Keira had used acupuncture needles on him . Anyway, as good as the memory is , it's in the past. Right now, I have a problem to face."Marie! What are you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous to be here?" I asked furiously in a quiet voice.It was enough that I was being sent as a tribute to the dreaded Devil Claw Wolfpack. I couldn't risk making another young lady go through what I was about to go through.My eyes darted about the room while waiting for an answer from them. I couldn't risk a guard just walking in.I felt air around my legs. On looking down to see that that part of the tarpaulin had been slit. I felt strong pairs of hands drag my legs . I couldn't shout for fear of being discovered.I aided my escape by slipping through and faced the underbrush on that side of the tarpaulin. The only thought in my head as I took cover in the bush was how Beta Heimdall's face would look upon discovering that I was gone. Terrible, I guess.I ran for about ten minutes without glancing back. Marie and Keira covered me as they ran behind me. I kept going in a particular direction as I knew what I was on the lookout for.I couldn't risk allowing any of the pack members seeing me and raising alarms or worse, reporting to Beta Heimdall for fear of the entire pack being punished.I got to the low rock I was headed for and stopped running. Using my hands and feet, I scrambled onto the rock and lay on my back with my face turned upwards to the sky."I'm not sure if you're both aware of this but I'm very sure that you girls are crazy." I harrumphed .Both of them collapsed on the rock beside me. They were definitely as tired as I was."Marie suggested…""Keira felt that…"Both of them chorused at the same time. I darted my eyes sideways to look at them but they seemed to have something else on their minds."Alright! Spill it. I'm all ears." I sat up and laid my eyes on them." I know we are not friends and we can't start now but I think there's something we can do about you being made a slave or a tribute something. It's unfair! We should stage a revolt."Marie retorted in her usual hot manner. I was lost for words as I had no means to reply to her. Of the truth, I desired something like that.I desperately wanted something that would break my pack free from the current captive situation they were in but my hands were tied.Devil Claw Wolfpack were the most dreaded pack amongst the packs in the area and they have already crushed all the smaller packs which could have come together and fought off their oppression.The other larger packs are acting like they aren't aware of what was happening to the smaller packs which had been forcefully taken over by the Devil Claw Wolfpack as they were scared by the invasion of Alpha Draco.Since there was nothing I could do about the issue, I turned to Keira in order to know what she was thinking. However, I wasn't prepared for what came out of her mouth." At this point, you've probably thought there's nothing you can do to help the Talon pack ." She said." Guess what, you're right. At this point you are, you're as helpless as the rest of us."There was a slight pause before she continued."I didn't bring you out to tell you I'm your friend nor tell you sweet promises I don't intend to keep. If you should escape, the entire pack is in danger. If memory serves us right, we all know the Devil Claw Wolfpack wouldn't hesitate to wipe us out and we don't want that. The reason I brought you out is to remind you of who you are. You're Natalia and you shouldn't give up without a fight no matter how demeaning of a situation you find yourself. " She sighed."Now return. It's almost an hour since you were dragged away. I would love you to return at the exact time when they would be in disarray looking for you. That's for them to know you aren't a pushover. All said, I'm taking my leave."Keira was done talking and walking away with no expressions on her face. . I took a last look at Marie and the surrounding fields and began to make my way back to the tent where I was held captive.Just like Keira had predicted, all hell was let loose by the time I arrived back at the tent. I decided not to go in through the opening Keira had made in the tarpaulin but intending to spy a little from the safe side on the back side of the tent.The guards who were watching at the door were tied to stakes and silver whips were being used on them. I could see their flesh where it cracked and blood oozed out of the torn flesh.As if that wasn't enough, Beta Heimdall ordered that hot water be poured over their wounds to make it sting the more.I was about to dance in joy when I saw several young boys from my pack arranged in a straight line. Their parents were already crying and pleading with Beta Heimdall to have mercy on them.Without anyone telling me what was going on, I knew. It was obvious that those young boys were being taken in replacement for me.I couldn't take this. I had to step out. I braced myself and drew in a deep breath."What's going on here?"I asked as I walked up to them while maintaining a fearless face and a bold swagger in my steps."Oh my goddess!"My mother and several other women whose sons were about to be taken as tribute exclaimed.I didn't bother to wait for an explanation as I was sure I wouldn't get any with Beta Heimdall standing there like a statue that was possessed."I'm here now so there's no need for you to take these boys again. I just felt choked and decided to step out for fresh air."I said and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. I could see shocked looks on everyone's faces. They obviously never thought I could stand up to Beta Heimdall like that."I give the orders here, you filthy thing. I decide who becomes a tribute or who walks away free." He growled at me, taking a step towards me, dangerously."You may make the rules but I won't forget you are an outsider here while I'm still the Alpha's daughter. I'm making the sacrifice for my pack now." I said defiantly. " Let those boys go. I never said I wasn't going with you. Or perhaps, you would explain to your Alpha why our entire pack decided to die rather than submit to your rule."I looked him directly in the eyes. I had learnt from our previous confrontation that he couldn't bear losing to me and I was sure he wouldn't also risk explaining to his Alpha why he lost an entire pack."Bind her up! We're leaving now!" He ordered and stormed off .I smirked. Beta Heimdall as if having second thoughts, growled and immediately began charging towards me in fury.NataliaI 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 h
NataliaThe journey seemed unending. I was still chained and walking along with the front line guards of the Devil Claw Wolfpack. We've been walking for about four hours now without any rest. The only pause we had had had been about an hour ago when Beta Heimdall wanted to relieve himself and that had been for less than ten minutes. The trip was more difficult for me because I wasn't walking at my own pace. It was like I was being dragged along by the guard holding my chain in his hands. The guards were walking briskly in military formation and I, not having any previous military experience, found it difficult to keep up. I furrowed my brows while thinking of what I could do to make the procession stop. My left eye twitched rapidly and I smiled to myself as I thought of what to do. Once I had made up my mind on what to do, I eagerly took in a deep breath in order to steady myself. I stopped walking all of a sudden and the guard with my chain felt the pull. As he attempted to dra
NataliaThis was a typical example of being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Heimdall was the devil and my inability to shift was the deep blue sea. "Phew! Think about the devil and he appears." I thought to myself as I tried to put on a wolf's equivalent of a pitiful look. However, that wasn't possible as animals didn't have much skin to show the emotions they were feeling. The only way to know any wolf's emotions was to look into their eyes but I doubt Heimdall was patient enough to check out what was going on with me. The rage was still present in his eyes and I was already hearing whisperings about me flying from one Omega to the other. " I wonder what's wrong with her always trying to flout Beta Heimdall's rules." " She's not the only Alpha's daughter to become a tribute so I don't know what's so special in her case."Another voice which I hadn't heard earlier spoke up. She must have just joined them, I thought. "I'm not sure she really knows who the Beta i
NataliaThe darkness was overwhelming. I tried clawing my way out of it but it only seemed to envelope me the more. I stretched out my hands trying to see if there was a wall or door I could use in getting my way out but everything seems to be a phantom. Since there was no way I could trace my way out, I decided it was better I move forward, a little bit at a time. I did so and took about twenty feet when I felt myself transitioning. My eyes flew open when this began to happen and I saw the darkness all around me.The surroundings felt different from where I was coming from and as my eyes began to adjust to it, I saw the outline of a tent. "Do you think she would make it before we leave in the morning?" I heard a voice speaking outside as I became familiar with the tent where I was. It was the medical tent of the team that moved with Devil Claw Wolfpack. "She had better be or else she would have herself to blame when Beta Heimdall reports her to the Alpha as his reason for retur
Natalia povFurious was an understatement to what I was feeling. It wasn't enough that I was collared with a silver chain and left at the mercy of the elements but even in my unconscious state, someone still thought it was okay for me to be chained down. Knowing myself, if I wanted to escape, it was easy for me. I would have done it during the battle between the Devil Claw Wolfpack and the rogues. I had seen one or two openings I could have taken and escaped into the underbrush. I had no fear that I would be discovered by my scent as I had one or two tricks up my sleeves to hide my scent. I pushed my right leg and then pulled it back towards me which made the chain clang against each other loudly. I waited for a few minutes but nobody seemed to hear. I repeated the action, this time more furious and louder. A head poked into the section of the tent where I was from a makeshift doorway and I saw surprise on her face."Oh! I see you're awake. You should have called out for help inst
Natalia PovBeta Heimdall stalked out of my room after delivering what he considered to be a missile. He, obviously was expecting a sort of reaction from me but got none. I was as calm as a dove when I heard what he wanted to say. The minute he finished speaking, I promptly adjusted the bed and laid on my side, facing the other side while my back faced him. He had probably expected me to jump and shout at him while bemoaning my Alpha's daughter status and that would have been satisfactory to him. "Someone would come to lose your chain in the morning. Note that maids wake up earlier than the others on the procession and you better don't entertain any funny ideas. My eyes are on you." He told me and went out of the tent. I made sure he had gone for about ten minutes before I turned around and stared at the empty makeshift doorway as I blinked back tears. Beta Heimdall sure knew how to break a person but he never really put my own die hard spirit into his calculations. He was doin
Natalia Pov"Why do you think Beta Heimdall took her as a tribute? Could there be another reason we don't know apart from becoming a maid. I'm saying this because there's no shortage of maids at the pack house."I heard a maid whisper behind me and I smiled gently. From the look of things, I won't have to bother myself in searching out answers to my questions. The answers would come naturally. By now, the procession had come a long way. A detour was made about thirty minutes into the journey that left me wondering why. The reason was because there was another small pack on the way they had to visit in order to get their tribute from their Alpha. We were already done at the pack since there was no resistance from them and now, we were back on the trail that would take us to Devil Claw Wolfpack. "I don't know although I'm also thinking in that direction." A second voice replied nonchalantly before she seemed to remember something. She suddenly yelped in an excited voice and spoke t
Natalie PovEveryone around me is quiet and tense. I know this because I could feel the tension in the air. Ahead of me, the Beta and the two elite warriors with him have their heads bowed slightly to the side. Among werewolves, that meant one thing. An Alpha was approaching. I am standing on the open courtyard in front of the pack house so I didn't get a close up view of him yet. The distance between where I am standing to where Beta Heimdall is close to about fifty metres so it affords me the opportunity to spy on the approaching Alpha. He emerged from the shadows of the pack house like a lone eagle flying among the clouds. He took a minute to survey the entire courtyard and I could feel his icy stare on me, even from that distance. He gradually descended the short flight of stairs from the verandah of the pack house and approached his Beta with a stoic expression on his face. They conversed in low tones and dart surreptitious glances at me where I stood among the others. Diver