Alison thought the second time they played this damn game, she’d have been more comfortable. Instead, she felt as unprepared as the first time.
Which was insane.
They had backup who could reach the house quickly and weapons hidden near at hand. They’d already done one such meeting, and yet Alison couldn’t shake the unease.
It was the audience, she suspected. Kneeling for Kyle, Daniel’s fingers tight in her hair, or Trent’s hand feeding her were things she enjoyed, but they felt private. She didn’t want them occurring in front of an audience—and worse, in front of someone she couldn’t trust.
It meant she had to submit to the alphas in front of someone who would be doing the most horrible things to her if they could, and she had to put her faith in the alphas to keep her safe.
A hand set on her lower back, and she reacted without thought. She spun, elbow raised, to nail the person in the face.
Instead, a hand closed around her elbow, catching her before she made contact with anything.
“Well, aren’t you in a mood?” Daniel twisted her until she faced him, though he didn’t appear all that annoyed.
“You aren’t supposed to sneak up on me.”
“I like it rough.”
“Because you’re a pervert.”
“Fair.” He released her then stepped back, his gaze moving over her body from her feet up.
She had no shoes on—they again reminded her that slaves didn’t need shoes. The bite had healed, so they didn’t need to hide it. It meant she was wearing something even more skimpy, though it covered all the important parts, a short ruffled black skirt with matching black panties beneath it. She paired that with a black bra that pushed her breasts up to create cleavage enough to distract anyone.
He let out a low growl, telling her he hadn’t found the outfit lacking at all.
A chill ran up her back, and it had nothing to do with her state of undress. Rather, it had everything to do with the intensity of his gaze.
“You know, I could be quick.” His voice dropped low, coaxing, as he came close enough to run his fingers along the waistband of her skirt.
She wanted to give in so badly. Just a few minutes with him would take away her worries. She’d forget about the meeting, about Anne, about the pregnancy test. None of that could stand against the touch of his lips or the grip of his strong hands.
She shook her head and took a step back. “I can’t.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Why? Because of the bleeding? Sweet, if you think that bothers me, you clearly don’t know me well.”
“It bothers me.”
He let out a loud sigh. “Fine. But, in case you didn’t know, orgasms help with cramps, so when you’re done being stubborn, you know where I am.”
After that, Alison took a deep breath, glad he’d accepted the rejection so quickly. As she’d proven time and time again, she didn’t have a lot of willpower when it came to turning down the alphas, especially when she needed what they offered so much.
Her cuffs felt extra heavy on her wrists as she waited for whoever was to arrive. The alphas reviewed the details, because as much as they might seem relaxed, it was clear they still knew what needed to happen. Trent checked her cuffs, Kyle the weapons and Daniel the alarms to signal a problem to the backup who had parked a block down, far enough to not scare anyone off.
Her stomach was worse, though she’d hidden it from them. Sipping water all day and nibbling on small amounts of food had held the nausea at bay, though nothing had helped her headache.
Can’t even take ibuprofen anymore. Even a single day into finding out she was pregnant, she’d realized that of all the bullshit being a female came with, this had to be the worst. It seemed like a personal attack, after everything else, that she had to suffer this badly. Alphas should have to carry the babies to make up for everything she’d already dealt with.
The ringing of the doorbell made her freeze. There could only be one person there.
“Come on, pet.” Trent’s voice got her moving, spurring her back to action.
They had to get through this, then the real work was over. Once they’d fooled the head of the slavery group, they only had to stay there for another week until the auction date, when they’d received the address and the authorities could swoop in.
Anne would be safe. The bad guys would be gone. Alison could disappear and figure out what she planned to do away from the alphas, without them hovering and clouding her judgment.
Trent didn’t hook her cuffs together as he helped her to her knees on the pillow placed again at the center of the seating. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on her thighs, eyes down.
“It’ll be okay,” he told her, as if he knew she needed the reassurance.
Too bad it didn’t help, because of all the things on her list of ‘not at all okay’, the meeting was only the smallest part.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to her shoulder, to the mark there. “I promise, pet. We’re almost done. Nothing will happen.” He ran his fingers through her hair, then pressed a hand to her back to straighten her stance before taking a seat beside her.
She strained to hear everything from the other room. The opening of the door, the exchange of words. Most of it was too soft for her to understand, and yet she tried.
The flooring echoed the steps as people came into the living room.
“Not chained?” The voice made her heart speed.
It sounds familiar…
“No. We only need to chain our merchandise at the start,” Daniel said. “If she needed to still be bound to behave, we wouldn’t be ready to go to auction.”
“Admirable,” the man said, his voice deep and aged. “We’ve had a lot of interest since adding her to the registry for the night. I don’t usually come out myself, but I admit, I couldn’t resist.”
“Thirsty?” Kyle asked.
“Yes, actually. I don’t drink alcohol, so water is fine.”
A snap of fingers drew Alison to her feet without even thinking. This was why they’d done their training. She knew what the sound meant, didn’t need to consider it, didn’t need them to spell it out.
She couldn’t see the new man because she kept her eyes on the floor as she hurried into the kitchen. She took a water bottle from the fridge and wiped the condensation from it before returning. She left it closed, knowing people who didn’t trust one another wouldn’t drink from something open.
No one wanted to risk poison.
She bowed low and held the bottle out to the newcomer.
“Thank you,” he said as he took it, drawing her gaze up for a quick glance.
That face… The dark brown eyes, the black hair, the one she hadn’t seen in so long…
She swallowed hard as her heart pounded and her head swam.
Fuck.
Trent hadn’t expected Alison to freeze. He’d seen that same blank expression on her face a time or two before, when something hit her that she couldn’t process.
However, she’d managed the last meeting without it happening, and this seemed far less stressful than when she’d been forced to breathe in the drug last time.
Still, understanding wasn’t needed for him to react.
He snapped his fingers. The sharp sound seemed to rouse her to focus. She blinked slowly as she rose and took a few steps backward. Even as she moved, steps careful, she fell into the familiar. She knelt, not on the pillow but just before Trent, and once against allowed herself to stare at the floor.
The new man, Geoffrey, the leader of the group, sat across from her. He wore an expensive tailored suit—black with pinstripes. He had the build of an alpha, so even in his sixties, he appeared fit. Lines in his face betrayed his age, but still he spoke with the confidence of a man who had long ago grown used to people listening. He’d brought two others—large, armed men who stood on the edges of the room. While Trent didn’t love that, there hadn’t been a way to get around it, either. No one as important as this man would ever consider coming to a private residence without protection.
“You impressed my associate, Galen,” he said.
“He didn’t seem very impressed. If anything, he seemed to feel we were idiots,” Kyle said.
The man didn’t even chuckle. He hadn’t displayed the least bit of emotion since he’d arrived. “He is loyal and has been in this business a long time, but he’s also set in his ways. Most of the scouts in the area handle things in a very different way from you, choosing more of the ‘spare the rod, spoil the child,’ philosophy. Rarely do I see omegas in such good condition so close to the auction.”
Kyle snorted. “Who would pay for damaged goods?”
The man nodded. “I rather agree. Personally, I dislike seeing women bruised. Not only do they make a woman look unladylike, but striking a female is like someone declaring themselves king. Anyone who needs to say it isn’t really. Hitting a female to prove you’re in charge only proves the opposite.”
Trent frowned, the words…familiar. He couldn’t place them, though.
“We’ve had another series of tests done, to prove she’s still free of any diseases or defects. When Galen forced that drug on her, she did end up in heat, but the records also prove she didn’t conceive. She is currently bleeding, but that should be over by the time of the auction.”
Geoffrey took the files Kyle had, though he didn’t look at them. Instead, he held them out without looking, one of the bodyguards coming forward to take them.
“Not even going to check?” Daniel asked.
“No need to. We will go over them fully after we leave here, but they’ll tell me what you’ve already said here. I’m more curious about things that won’t be included in there. I understand you offer additional training when needed?”
Daniel sat back, one ankle resting on his other knee. “When they need it. Transitions can be hard, and we’re fans of things going smoothly.”
“She froze a bit,” Geoffrey pointed out.
“She’s used to the three of us. We didn’t warn her about the meeting, and I think she was worried you were her new owner.”
Geoffrey didn’t laugh, only tilting his head and staring harder at her. “No. I’m not in the market for a new omega, and even if I were, she’s too young for me.”
“When you wanted to come yourself, I’d wondered,” Kyle said.
“Like I said, I’ve done this for a very long time. It’s rare in this area to get new scouts, especially ones who come so highly recommended. During the actual auction, I’ll have duties to attend and won’t get the chance to really see her, to ask questions. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet a few like-minded individuals.”
Trent fought the urge to snarl at the ‘like-minded’ comment. Even as the old doubts crept up, as he reconciled enjoying consensual submission with loathing forced servitude, he kept his face clear.
I am nothing like that asshole.
“Well, I get that. We’ve done enough of these to see the trash that usually show up, wanting to get a couple grand out of some used-up omega they already beat to hell.” Daniel curled his lip up as though the idea of unprofessional scouts was the real embarrassment. “Then again, that’s why ours sell the way they do. That’s why we always have waiting lists of people. I’m hoping for a similar turn-out here.”
Geoffrey nodded as he took a drink of the water. “From the response we’ve gotten so far, I believe you’ll have no problem finding buyers. I knew that from your reputation, but now, seeing her? Well, I believe you’ll do quite well.”
Trent fought the urge to touch Alison, to bare his teeth at the man for looking her way. He recalled the way he’d crashed after the last meeting and forced himself to stay quiet.
“Is there anything else you need to know?” Daniel asked. “Any concerns? As we explained before, we do not allow any testing of the merchandise, since we want them delivered to the auction in prime condition. Still, if you have any questions, we’re more than happy to answer.”
He looked her way. “Will she speak to me?”
Daniel eyes flashed, the rest of his face giving nothing away. “When given permission. We find omegas are better seen than heard. Go ahead, sweet. You may respond to whatever he’d like to know—honestly.”
Geoffrey leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. “Look at me.” His tone left no room for denial, and Alison followed the direction. “You have lovely green eyes. I haven’t seen such eyes in a very long time.”
“Thank you, sir,” she whispered.
He reached out before Trent realized what he would do and grasped her chin.
Fuck.
For Alison’s part, she didn’t panic. Somehow, she kept calm, her eyes locked on Geoffrey’s, giving off that same submissive sense she had since he’d arrived.
“She’ll draw plenty of buyers,” Geoffrey said, voice soft as he turned her head. “I don’t think we’ve had someone like her before, at least not for a very long time.”
Trent wanted nothing more than to knock his hand away, but she hadn’t used her safe word, hadn’t shown a sign of needing him to step in. It meant doing so would be about him, and he wouldn’t risk the case—or her friend—over his jealousy.
Geoffrey narrowed his eyes, as if trying to figure her out. After a moment, he shook his head and released her. “Everything looks good. I don’t have any reason to believe there will be a problem. Expect to be contacted on the day of the auction with the time and place. Have her ready to go, because you’ll only have around two hours to arrive.” He rose to his feet, and Trent did the same.
He could have stayed with Alison, but he wanted to make sure the son of a bitch left. He might not have been able to break his jaw right then, but at least he could make damn sure that he was gone.
They walked to the door, the bodyguards going along as well, flanking Geoffrey. At the door, he turned, moving his gaze past them as though he was still looking to catch a glimpse of Alison. “You know, maybe after this is all over, we could talk.”
“I thought this was the last auction for a while.” Daniel held the door open.
“It is. However, I have plenty of contacts who I believe are looking for what you can provide. While it is too dangerous to continue the way we have, perhaps the business doesn’t have to end entirely. I could work as a middleman, connecting you with buyers, still taking a cut, and we remove much of the risk that an open auction has.”
Daniel nodded, as though the idea had merit. “We’re just starting out in this area. We have long wait lists, usually, but I never turn down a good connection opportunity.”
“It’s rare I find people who understand omegas the way we do. The half-brained scouts we normally have see omegas as punching bags. I don’t care for it, but it’s reality. You? I believe you get it.”
“I’m in it for the money,” Daniel said, as though he didn’t want to commit to anything.
Geoffrey lifted an eyebrow. “Perhaps, but you can’t pretend you don’t see the truth. Omegas need alphas to be happy. They need what we provide. Without that structure in their lives, they fail to achieve anything worthwhile to society. Sure, they might complain, they might fight it, but they’re like dogs who don’t want to be housebroken. Once we force them, they’re happier for it.” His gaze moved past the alphas, and there was something almost nostalgic there. “I had a mate, many years ago. When I saw her in an auction, I knew she was for me. It was back at the start of the business.”
“What happened to her?” Trent questioned.
“She died. A fire broke out in our home and it claimed her life and that of my young daughter. Losing one’s mate leaves a wound, and it is one that has never healed. Still, it taught me how much we need omegas, and how much they need us. Not everyone understands what I do, why I do it, but I think back to my mate and I know I’m not wrong. She might never have looked twice at me had I met her any other way, but because I forced her to accept me, to accept her role, she had many happy years in her proper place. Omegas are a treasure, and all treasures worth anything should always be protected, no matter whether they want that or not.”
The words hit Trent like a sledgehammer. Between his story about his mate and those haunting words, it all came together.
Geoffrey, the man running the slavery ring they were after, was Alison’s father.