The moment of solitude didn't last long.

It was only a few seconds after he had left when I began my nervous pace. Well if you would call stumbling across the room like a drunkard a pace. I was a nervous, restless wreck.

In between deciding whether my quick ineptitude to the situation was simply because of the red-haired devil or due to my ardent desire to escape from my past, the moment was briskly interrupted by the sudden barge of three women. Scratch that, three, freakishly tall and well built women.

I mean damn, just what were these neanderthals eating? Their skins literally glowed like sunshine and I felt like shit as I stood close to them with mouth agape like a gasping fish.

There were all doned in strange clothings and I wasn't surprised. I had already made my guess from the loincloths I saw on the red-haired devil and South Paw.

The first woman had a mop of thick, voluminous, black curls piled on top of her head. A green, leather-like material, designed with white patterns wrapped around her chest. Her shoulders and abdomen was left bare, giving way to a well toned abdomen. The same material was also used to cover her lower part, but the length ran halfway down her thighs.

The second woman had a face like a warrior and a jawline so defined and sharp I swore it could cut through glass. She sported the same attire as the first woman, only that hers was a deep shade of blue, as blue as her eyes which currently eyed me with disdain. Note to self, stay away from this one.

The third woman had an ethereal look. Dark tresses tumbled over a shoulder which cascaded smoothly in lustrous waves. Her olive skin beautifully complimented the brown attire she wore. Perfect hazel eyes rested upon me with the softest expression as she greeted me with a small smile.

I instantly liked this lady. Her expression was innocent enough to want to make me unburden my feelings to her. She was the first person that has smiled to me ever since I got here and damn if that didn't make me feel touched.

The second woman, the spiteful warrior, stepped forward and dragged me closer. Her hands firmly wrapped around my arm with a tight grip to the point of cutting of the blood supply. I winced in protest but she only glared at me with so much disgust I wondered what I had done to incur such negativity.

''Elora, not too firm. Alpha told us to clean her up not squeeze her to death,'' the friendly woman implored softly.

Alpha? Did they mean the red-haired devil?

The warrior lady, who I now knew as Elora, reluctantly released her grip on my arm. A sigh of relief left me as I sent a grateful look to the friendly woman.

''Thank you,'' I mumbled out my appreciation to the friendly lady. I hadn't all together lost my manners even though I was treated badly.

Elora raised her chin up and brandished the friendly lady with a soft grunt, automatically ignoring my presence.

Rude much?

''Come with us.'' The first woman said with a blank expression. I had almost forgotten she was in the room. Warm, brown eyes showed no signs of malice or disgust, rather, it had an air of aloofness. Like she'd rather be somewhere else than here.

Feeling is mutual.

With one last frosty smile from Elora, she stepped out of the den with me in tow. The moment I stepped out, my eyes were assaulted by blinding white light and I had to close my eyes.

The instant I slowly opened my eyes, my world literally shifted from its axis. I could not breathe. My breath was stuck in my throat and my eyes were glued to the ethereal scene in front of me.

The first thing I felt was the smooth bed of grasses brushing against my feet. My toes curled into the softness instinctively as I relished the feeling.

Tall trees lined up articulately on both sides with their branches stretched forward forming an arch in the middle. Instead of thick foliage of leaves surrounding the branches, they were thin, green icicles that drooped low. Each icicle glowed with a unique green colour different from the other.

Sunlight from above broke through the spaces of the icicles' shade. The rays from the sunlight casted on their edges which caused reflections to pour down onto the bare earth. The reflections in turn formed tiny spotlights that lit up the entire area like a golden essence.

Underneath the arch laid arrays of dens, much like the one I just came out of, with marked designs. There were two designs I instantly noted. Most of the designs looked like an infinity symbol each differentiated by different colours and the method it was crafted. Other designs were simply complex, endless circles but this time around, they all had the same colours.

Odd.

Men and women lazied about, each engrossed in their activities. They all wore the strange leather clothings with the males doned in nothing but a loincloth to cover their nether region and the females dressed like Elora and the two women. Some of them regarded me with a hostility while others paid no heed to us.

My gaze landed on a particularly large den centered amongst the others. Much like the encounter in the forest, my feet moved in its direction, almost as if I was being pulled towards it. Again I had no reason why, but I almost felt the need to be there. Before I could take another step forward, I was harshly yanked backwards. I almost feel flat on my ass but steady hands caught my fall.

''What were you thinking!'' The friendly lady came to stand in front of me, instantly blocking my view of the large den.

I dropped my head in embarrassment, allowing my hair to cover my face. What the hell was I thinking? I had no reason to wander off to an unknown den and certainly did not want to disrespect anyone. So why was I so drawn towards that particular den?

Elora snorted in disdain, ''The filth has no place here and yet she struts about without respect.''

''Elora!'' The friendly lady scolded.

''Please, Lao, you know I'm right. Don't argue with me on this,'' Elora glared at me.

Lao, the friendly lady, looked at me with kind but firm eyes. ''You shouldn't be walking about. Aside from the danger you represent, you could get attacked by anyone who doesn't recognize you as part of this Clàn,''

So they thought I was a danger to them, I realized with dismay. I understood where she was coming from. I also wouldn't have treated them any better if a couple of neanderthals just washed up in my home dressed like a walking dead. The walking dead reference being me. I couldn't even imagine what I must look like to them. No wonder Elora hated my guts.

''Sorry,'' I mumbled softly, genuinely so.

Lao nodded her head once before she steered me away from the den. The third woman, whose name I still did not know, took the lead once more as they veered me towards another path.

I had a lot of unanswered questions swimming in my head. I was confused and lost at the same time with no idea what to do or how to process the last few days. One thing remained constant through all this. It was my complete and utter trust for this place and its people. I have no idea why and that scared me to the bones.

I took one last, longing glance at the den I was strangely drawn to, still drawn to, as I wondered the cause of my weird thoughts. My answer presented itself in the flesh as a large form stepped out of the den. He stood there in all his red, bare-chested glory and I couldn't even look away if I wanted to.

Somehow, I knew all along that the feeling was associated with the red-haired devil but I refused to acknowledge it. I did not know why or how, but it felt real to me.

As I stood there, icy blue eyes stopped its movement around the Clàn and instantly rested on mine. The moment was short but I recognized the emotion that reflected from his gaze and I was sure it reflected from mine.

With that sudden realization, I turned away from him and continued my walk, glad that the women had no idea what just transpired.

There was no more reason to deny the truth before my eyes.

An attraction existed between me and the red-haired devil.