Chapter Three
Sol
Unable to run any longer, I jumped into the bushes and curled into a ball.
Hot tears streamed down my face, and I was shaking so hard I was making the bushes rustle.
Not ideal, but I was tired. Of running, of my life, of society.
In my head, I went to my happy place—a meadow full of horses.
It was always sunny there, and I would sit on a blanket and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
Then I’d mount my horse, and we’d gallop through the fields, the winds of freedom blowing my hair back.
Unfortunately, my happy place was imaginary—I’d never even sat on a horse, let alone had one of my own.
Despite that, the dream of a life of freedom calmed me down.
If I had my backpack, I could put socks and sneakers on my bleeding feet in case I had to run again. But no, I had to lose it. What the fuck was I thinking? I wasn’t ready to live on my own, much less survive a night in the woods.
My plan had been stupid, and now my future looked way worse than marriage to Dryden. Well, okay, I wasn’t sure about that.
I was slim enough to be attractive to twink-loving Alphas, but strong and healthy enough to carry young.
My parents raised me to be glamorous and skilled in pleasuring Alphas so they could make a pretty penny on my services—even if my ass remained untouched while I waited for my first heat.
My parents had made a deal with Dryden, stating that he couldn’t take me away until I either went into my first heat, or reached the age of twenty-two.
In exchange for a hefty sum, he could marry me or do whatever else he wanted with me.
My twenty-second birthday would be in three months, and I should have gone through my first heat already. However, my family didn’t know I had been taking shots to delay it, and with it, my marriage to Dryden. Now, I was off the serum in hopes of going into a heat tonight and getting ruined.
So far, nothing had gone as planned.
Dryden wanted me as his mate. I would be the official arm candy while he’d continue to fuck his legion of omegas who functioned as his slaves, obeying him, knowing they had no escape from him if they had a will to live.
During one of his many visits to my bedroom, he’d told me he’d pick an Alpha to service me through my first heat. Dryden planned to be in the room and watch a stranger take my virginity in my most vulnerable moment, then leave so he wouldn’t have to deal with the care I’d need afterwards.
This was because Dryden’s obsession was to fuck me when I wasn’t in heat—when my ass was dry and my sex drive was small, so I would scream in pain.
He’d described his fantasies to me many times over the years during his visits to do business with my father.
He’d been touching me since I had my first pubic hair and even ordered me to have all my hair laser-removed.
My parents agreed like stupid puppets. After all, he was Father’s rich and powerful friend, and he was preparing me for the role of the perfect omega.
Just helping. I’d told my parents that Dryden had touched me and forced me to suck him off when I was barely a teen, but they said I was imagining things.
Of course they knew about it and they let him abuse me for years because it suited their greed.
Was a future with Dryden worse than what could still happen to me tonight? I wasn’t sure anymore.
The distant screams, growling, and sobs didn’t help the sense of dread looming over me.
“I’m coming for you, and you’ll never trick anyone again!” Crux’s voice came from somewhere to my left, startling me.
A sob wrenched its way out of my throat, and I clamped my hand over my mouth. I should have stayed at home.
Fuck fuck fuck.
Someone grabbed me by the leg and pulled me out of the bushes. Gasping, I grappled to hold on to any strand of grass, dug my hands into the mud, and screamed at the top of my lungs.
Was it Crux? He wasn’t saying anything, but held me from behind in a vice-like grip. The sock he stuffed into my mouth muffled my screaming, but it was the bag over my head that chilled me to the bone.
I kicked and scratched, but he put me over his shoulder and carried me with ease.
Fuck. I was so stupid.
All my life, I’d been kept under lock and key—I knew fuck-all about the world out there. Maybe getting married to and raped by the monster I knew would have been better than getting used by monsters I didn’t know.
Now the decision was out of my hands.
My wriggling was futile, so once I heard the slide of the hotel door, I let my body go limp.
I could still run if only he loosened his grip.