Chapter 1 1

I never should have come here. If I had stayed at home, heck, if I had gone to dinner with my brothers then mine eyes never would have befell her.

Then I never would have felt my heart beat.

Then I never would have fallen in love.

Then I never would have found myself in this position. Watching mine own mate fight for her freedom, fight for her life.

Hell's Pit.

The greatest sporting arena in all of the wolf territory close to my pack land and kingdom. I used to revel in its savagery. Bathe in the brutality of it all. But now I despise it. All of it. It looks so primitive at this moment. Like we were cannibals of old. Killing for sport. Watching while men and women fight for their freedom. Their very lives and cheered on when they fell.

It is only now that I see the ugliness of it all. No longer holding the thrill of violence for me. My heart skipped a beat at every thud of flesh against flesh. Fists to face. Knees to body.

Stop! I wanted to shout.

I wanted to kill everyone here.Every living creature that supported this. Those who look upon my mate with hatred, with lust, with their thirst for blood. My Wolf howled inside my head so loud that it was becoming hard to keep him on his leash.

I watched, with bated breath as my mate fought like a wild animal. Cheers all around whether she received a blow or dished one out to her opponent who was easily three times her size. I honed my senses. Listening to her steady but labored breaths and the thumping of her heart was almost as wild as she looked. Her scent was hard to pick apart from the mass of over perfumed females and males alike, the pungent smell of sweat and blood, puke and shit and piss. She was airborne, body flying in front of me.

Then her scent hit me, like an entire planet being thrown at me. Fresh rainfall and earth that I picked apart from the sweat and blood.

My Wolf moaned, almost purring. Our mate smirked at her opponent as she landed gracefully in a crouch. She is trying to get herself smashed by Hulk. Because that smirk only set off the big Wolf.

My mate was all over the place. Her lithe body dancing to the war drums. It was then I figured out her strategy. She was tiring out the big guy before going in for the kill. The Wolf heaved hard as he started stumbling around. My mate slashed down the wolf's chest, blood splashing onto the sand and my mate tossed away the broken sword.

Fuck! What the blazing fires is she doing? A beta wolf was hard to kill bare handed.

The roar of the patrons was deafening as my mate's right hand sunk into the slash on the Wolf's chest and violently pulled out his heart. The entire arena went silent for a few seconds and then it was pandemonium as cheers went up.

My mate didn't make a move to indicate her victory, instead held the organ in her hand, almost cradling it. The wolf fell to his knees then onto his back.

My mate then fell upon her knees next to the beast and cried? Yes. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks as she leaned over close to the beast's ear, lips moving as she shuddered. Cheers went around the arena.

Everyone screaming at each other forgetting the loss of life that just occurred mere moments ago.

"Ladies and gentlemen! There you have it! This slave has successfully won her freedom... For this month. Ha ha!" the announcer shouted, his voice quieting the arena.

"Now that the semifinals are completed this slave along with the other three are going to the grand finale!" cheers erupted.

"You all know what this means, don't you?" the bastard smirked. "You, our supporters can purchase a slave, providing their owners are willing to sell and prepare them for the finals. Should your slave win then they earn their freedom and you earn three chests of gold and bragging rights until the next Hell's Pit competition!" more cheers as the other three contestants lined up beside my mate.

The arena emptied and only a handful of people remained to speak with the slave owners. I watched on while they bartered. Only two slaves were bought over. My mate wasn't one of them. As the satisfied customers left with their purchases I made my way towards the owner of my mate.

"Greetings unto you" I said to the slaver as he bowed slightly in reply.

"I would like to purchase your charge" My beast shrieked in excitement as we were surrounded by her scent.

"What is your offer Alpha ?" the slaver asked.

"What is your asking price?" I countered.

"To be honest I wouldn't know what to sell her for"

"What do you mean?" curiosity is a cat thing.

"I only partake in the games so at least one slave can have a chance of freedom." I quirked a questioning brow.

"You see in our pack the omegas automatically become slaves. Most of them are satisfied with that life. But then there are those who want the chance at freedom. I sponsor them at the games" he explained quickly.

"That is very kind of you" I murmured.

"I would pay you back every cent you've spent on all your charges so far and an interest of thirty percent of the costs if you give me this one".

The slaver's eyes widened "m-my Alpha ! That is too much!"

"No. Please accept it. I will take possession immediately unless there are people whom she'd like to reunite with"

"Non. There is no one" my dick stirred and my wolf clawed reveling in the soft baritone of our mate's voice.

"Then it is settled" I transferred the funds into the slaver's account all the while holding my will to claim my mate back. I was quickly losing that battle.

"I am not familiar with your pack traditions but please take care of her . She may fight well because she has to; it's the only way she knows. But inside, she's fragile" Johnson, as I've learned is the name of the slaver, says softly glancing behind us at my mate.

His eyes softened in a way that I know in my heart is worry but my brain and my instincts wanted to gouge his eyes out for looking at my mate. Business concluded I fought within myself to reign in my inner battles with my wolf.

I approached her slowly as one would a deer.

Finally able to look my fill. Apart from the filth that covered her, she was a little thing. Big doe eyes swirling with all the colors I could think of. She barely reached my pecs. Little hands, but big feet and if the old saying that you could tell the size of a female's breast by the size of her feet then my mate is well endowed.

Slender hips with nice curves. Slender shoulders too, almost delicate. Her skin was brown, like honey. Pink lips, long lashes and small ears: they were cute. Her black hair reaching her waist . A nice sized butt and the curve of her calves were oddly arousing.

After my inspection I realized that she was shaking.

Her nostrils flaring, heart rate spiking and she threw off a heat that lured me in. Closer and closer. Her scent filling my lungs until all I could smell was her. My wolf suddenly surged up and my eyes shifted for a moment. I reined it in when my mate whimpered.

I did not want to scare her , I wanted to love her .