Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
ELEVEN MONTHS LATER
June
ALISA
We need to get out. I don’t know when I learned to grow a backbone, but it could have been anywhere between Bret being killed and finding myself with an even more insane master.
Ten months ago, a group of alphas infiltrated Slick Dreams with news that Bret was dead and that we were free. I didn’t recognize any of the men, but I also didn’t expect to since I’m so isolated from the world.
I’ve long since stopped believing someone from my past would save me from my life. It’s not fair to torture myself like that anymore. I’m a big girl, and understand life isn’t a fairytale.
Makayla, the omega I snitched on to Bret, sent help to the omegas left behind at Slick Dreams despite the fact that not one of us deserved it.
I remember the shock of seeing the guards die around me, but I also felt shame.
My eyes burned that night with humility and the hope that maybe I could apologize to her in person one day.
I walked out into the dark night with flip flops on my feet and thrift store pajamas, thinking I’d be getting into a van that would deliver me to a new life.
Except, since I didn’t deserve it, Fate laughed at me and sent me in an SUV with an alpha named Clara.
She wanted an easy line to omegas without having to hunt them down, and she happened to be in the right place at the right time.
It was hard enough to watch her torture and brand two omegas who were new at Slick Dreams, but even worse when she decided to brand Property of Clara across all of our bodies.
I can’t do this anymore. I won’t.
“Clara, can I play with any of the inventory?”
My fingernails sink into my palms as I stare with wide eyes at an omega who is batshit crazy. I can’t pinpoint when she came into Clara’s life, but ever since the two blonde omegas were sold, Avery has been here.
“Maybe just one,” Clara sighs. “Then I need to contact buyers. I don’t like to sit on this much human inventory. It makes me a sitting duck.”
“No one is looking for you, Clara. Don’t be paranoid,” Avery giggles. “Eeny… meenie…miney…mo…”
She fucking skips as she moves between the cages as she sings, and I have to fight to keep myself from pressing my back against the wall.
Avery scares the shit out of me, and the healed brand on my left butt cheek serves as a reminder to this.
Clara may have pressed it to my skin, but Avery cheered her on.
They’re both drunk on power, and we’re the ones who are suffering for it. It all started because Clara told her how she’d started doing it as punishment, and Avery decided that the female alpha needed a signature for her inventory. It’s a sick form of “if lost, please return to owner.”
Swallowing around the bile threatening to claw up my throat, I watch as Avery triumphantly bangs on Star’s cage.
“You!” she squeals, unlocking the door. “We’re going to have the best time.”
A phone call distracts Clara, and she glances down at it with a sigh.
“We don’t have time for fun, Avery,” she says. “Leave the pretty little omega alone for now. If you’re serious about learning the ropes, I need you with me.”
“I love money but hate business,” Avery grumbles, pushing the door closed again before she rushes back to Clara.
The guards all follow them out, and the lights dim around us as a sign that we should be quiet.
Clara insists that there be no chatter, and we’re punished whenever we cry.
I’ve made sure my tear ducts are dry as bone whenever she’s around.
She and Avery are thick as thieves, and for some reason, she has a difficult time telling the psychotic omega ‘no’.
My heart is racing at how close of a call that was, and my mind is chanting, “Out, out, out!”
“Shit.” Star stares at the door as if it’s going to bite her before she pushes hard. The latch is supposed to self lock on all of our cages, and it doesn’t appear as if hers did.
My breaths come faster as I press my hands against the bars, watching as she crawls out warily. Not one of us says a word, because it could mean that someone could come investigate. Yet, the very air is pregnant with anticipation as she stands to look around.
Her gaze is calculated because most of us aren’t wearing much clothing. However, Clara has spare shit for when we’re sold so we can at least make it out of the building without drawing too many eyes.
“We’re getting out,” she whispers finally. There are only four of us left, and Clara has been working on gaining more inventory to sell. The only reason we aren’t gone as well is because she’s trying to get private sellers on the hook to avoid having another auction this close to her last one.
She really believes someone is looking for her, and that they’re following her digital footprint. Her paranoia is making her even more of a bitch than usual.
Glancing down at her own panties and thin t-shirt, she looks through the shelves until she can find four sets of clothing. Clara doesn’t always have clothing for everyone, which means that she is planning to sell everyone as quickly as possible.
Moving quickly, Star changes before she begins opening cages and handing out clothing.
We remain silent as we dress, knowing we could be found out at any moment.
My heart is beating so loudly, I would swear it could lead people straight to me.
A pair of threadbare shorts, a t-shirt with no bra, and canvas shoes without socks completes my outfit.
It feels like Christmas despite the way my tits sway slightly underneath the shirt.
Star’s eyes move over us all before her eyes land on my breasts.
Everyone else has a bra on, but there was nothing that would fit me.
Star tosses me a zip up hoodie despite the fact that it’s June, and I pull it on with a curt nod of thanks.
My lower extremities tingle and hurt as the blood flow returns to them, and I find myself swaying to stay on my feet. It feels as if this is taking forever, and my eyesight darkens with stress and anxiety before I will it away.
I will not fucking pass out. I need to stay strong.
Fuck, are we moving fast enough? My eyes keep darting to the hallway where I can hear Avery asking Clara questions. They’re not nearly far enough for what we’re doing, but I know we’re only going to have one chance at this.
I’m practically panting with anxiety as we all silently move as one further into the building to find an exit. I keep listening for guards or their voices as they patrol, but find none as we keep walking.
Star looks like she knows what she’s doing, but even if she didn’t, we’d follow her. This is our only way out, and she’s the closest thing we have to a leader.
“All of the doors are wired here,” she mutters, pointing to where a light flashes beside it.
Bret used to do this on some of the doors that led outside of the warehouses we’d use if they were more populated areas.
He couldn’t allow the whores to escape, now could he?
“We could keep looking, but we could be checked on at any time. I say we push our way outside and make a run for it. We have to all separate, okay?”
I nod, knowing that staying together will make it easier for us to be found. I’ve never been alone before. There’s always been people taking care of me, an owner I serviced in some way or another, and structured rules for me to follow.
Now…there will be none of that. My fingers cramp at the thought of not knowing what to do or what’s next, but this is how it is every time I have a new owner. I’ll get to make my own rules.
Holy shit. Why is that so damn scary?
“On one,” Star whispers, sucking in a huge breath. “Don’t stop running, okay? One!”
Pushing hard on the crash bar, it thankfully opens.
The alarm system begins to scream, but we are already running into the sunlight.
All of the windows are spray painted black, which means we never know if it’s day or night.
We’ve moved several times, always at night, only to enter another location that mimics the last.
My body sleeps when it’s tired, without ever knowing what time it is. It’s completely disorienting. The only reason I know the date is because Clara likes to scribble out the days on a paper calendar. It’s a weird habit, but it helps me keep track of my days at least.
The four of us are silent as we take off in different directions, and I run toward an alley as I focus on getting as far away from the warehouse as possible. The sun blinds me and my ears ring, but I’m too freaked out to be able to hear if there’s anyone chasing me.
My legs almost drop me onto my hands and knees several times as they’re not used to moving anymore. My life has been tethered to that damn cage for months. It’s a warm day, and I begin to sweat in my thin hooded sweater.
I don’t want to lose it, so I pull the hood over my hair and hide as much of it as possible. The deep blue-black strands will get me caught if I’m not careful.
I run until I fall on a patch of grass, my lungs heaving just before I begin to throw up. My fingers claw at the ground as my body shudders, and I can only hope no one is around to see me in this vulnerable position.
It burns and most of it is bile since Clara doesn’t like to feed us very much.
I can barely see straight as I look around, and find there’s a shaded spot between two buildings. Crawling over, I make myself as small as possible and close my eyes. My heart thunders, and I promise myself I’m going to rest, not sleep.
I am nowhere near safe, and I can’t be captured by anyone else. Forcing myself to open my eyes, I stare at the sky because I don’t have a clue where I am. As long as I’m free, I’ll figure it out later.
My body can’t handle the heat after being trapped inside for so long, and as I look around, I find myself completely alone. It looks like I’m on some type of school property, but I can’t tell if anyone is here.
The silence is otherworldly, yet if there are children who tend to be here, then I may be safe. Pushing myself further into the shadows, I curl up in the alcove and close my eyes again. I’ll take a small nap and then continue on.
No one will see me where I am because it’s such a deep alcove, and I’ll use this time to regroup.
I just need a second to figure shit out, and for the moment, this means a time out.
Hoping I am able to stay hidden, I rest my head on the wall and let the world fall away. Clara and Avery aren’t here to ruin my life, despite the words on my body. I belong to myself.
I don’t want to be a whore anymore. I want to be free.