Chapter 22 Nelly #2
“How is asking to use the bathroom being mouthy?” I challenged.
They both stared at me for a heartbeat, but said nothing, so I pushed.
“Would be a shame if I pissed myself and ruined this dress.” I lifted the hem, showing off the silky material.
The movement also revealed my calves. Their eyes flicked down, faces softening in that way men’s do when they’re thinking about all the things they want to do to you—whether invited or not.
“Take her to the bathroom, Fridge,” this from the spider man, “I’ll get the sedative in case she doesn’t want to cooperate after.”
“You’re not fucking sedating me again,” I pushed out, chest hurting at the idea of being knocked out again.
Forehead Vein’s lips twisted into a cruel, warped smile. "You don't get to make demands, sweetheart. The buyers are paying top dollar for you. Our only job is to make sure you arrive in pristine condition, awake or not.”
Buyers. The word sent a chill down my spine despite the cabin's comfortable temperature.
"How much?" I asked suddenly, surprising even myself. "How much am I worth?"
The men exchanged glances, something like amusement passing between them.
"More than we make in five years," the first man said after a pause. "Must be something special about you, though you don't look it."
I swallowed hard, mind racing through options.
If I was valuable merchandise, maybe they wouldn't risk damaging me. Maybe if I really could get out of here, and get far enough away, they’d not be able to use a weapon to cover the distance.
They’d have to physically catch me. The lean one with the tattoo might be fast. The other was too bulky to be quick.
As if reading my mind, Forehead Vein spoke again.
“You could try to get past us. You might even make it out the door and down the stairs. But every single person on this tarmac is on the payroll. It’s a game of odds, darling, and the outcome isn’t in your favor.
” He spoke so calmly now. So rationally.
So… ‘fuck around and find out, I couldn’t care less’.
That my body deflated.
My determination became a withered balloon, crumpled onto the plush plane carpet.
Forehead Vein took my silence as acquiescence.
He moved slowly around me and towards the back of the plane.
I followed closely, tail between my legs in defeat.
When I’d relieved myself, I opened the door to find the large Beta standing in the same spot I’d left him, eyes trained at exactly the right height to lock gazes with me when I exited.
I shiver ran up my body, from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.
Part of me wondered what this man would do to me, if he wasn’t paid to keep me safe.
When I was back in the seat, belt brutally tightened around my waist, Spider Tattoo came back.
He held a compact black zip case. He waved it gently in the air before speaking.
“We’ll be in the air in twenty. You will remain seated and compliant during the flight.
If you don’t want to cooperate,” he shrugged, unzipping the case and pulling the sides apart to reveal a row of four syringes, all filled with a pale blue liquid, “it’s lights out, no discussion.
Just to be on the safe side though…” his voice trailed off.
He secured the case, tucked it under his arm, and then pushed back his jacket to reveal a gun and handcuffs.
I thought I might vomit as I saw his hand slowly reach for the gun.
And I didn’t feel any calmer when his fingers closed around the cuffs instead.
“Do the honors, Fridge?” He asked, handing Forehead Vein the restraints.
“My pleasure.”
Forehead Vein was no gentler with the cuffs than he had been when yanking the seatbelt tight to cut into my stomach. The metal bit into my wrists, making my fingers instantly tingle. I didn’t complain. I knew it wouldn’t do any good.
“Now, we got a real surprise for you. Most products just get a letter with their match information. Your buyers wanted you to get a real cinematic introduction to your new home.” Spider tattoo sidled away, towards a button the wall. When he pressed it, a movie screen began lifting into view.
I shifted in the seat, wincing against both the discomfort of the cuffs and the belt.
"Don't you ever get tired of referring to people as products?”
“That’s what you are, darling. And we’re your friendly neighborhood delivery service.” Forehead Vein moved over to a seat across the walkway, collapsing his bulk down against the cushion. He seemed pleased with himself, like he’d said something clever.
“Friendly delivery? You are human traffickers,” I scoffed, not believing these Betas could really think this was just normal business.
“The Eros Institute provides a valuable service matching Alphas and Omegas with exceptional compatibility ratings. Deserves a goddamn world peace prize if you ask me.”
"I would never have consented to this if Eros hadn’t used dirty tricks," I hissed, pulling against my restraints again despite the futility. "Who the hell would say yes to being drugged, kidnapped, and fucking sold?”
He waved away my objections like annoying flies. "The fact that you're an unmatched Omega of breeding age, doing nothing gainful with your life to secure exemption, is consent enough under the Omega Protection Act."
My stomach twisted. The Omega Protection Act had been controversial when it passed five years ago.
Supposedly designed to ensure Omegas found suitable matches for their health and well-being, critics had called it legalized trafficking from the beginning.
Whilst there were no implicit punishments for Omegas willfully avoiding mating, enough cases had set precedence which made it perfectly legal to force unmatched Omegas into bonding.
I opened my mouth to protest, but Spider Tattoo held up a hand.
“Cooperation now includes keeping your mouth shut,” he said flatly, “I’m not spending an entire flight listening to you bitch and moan.”
A scream pushed up my body, and I had to clamp my teeth together to keep it inside.
“Fantastic,” he nodded, “Good to see you’re trainable.”
Another scream rose, joining forces with the first which I was barely containing.
The lights suddenly lowered. I glanced around quickly, finding Forehead Vein holding a remote. Now everything was dimmed to a soft amber glow, making the cabin dreamlike. Only I knew this wasn’t a dream, but a nightmare.
“Now sit back, stay pretty, and meet your buyers.” Spider Tattoo fiddled with something, and suddenly the screen came to life.
An aerial view filled the display. The camera panned slowly. Sprawling acres of green pastures bordered by fence. Shadowed mountains in the distance, their peaks snow-capped. Peaceful lakes.
Cattle grazing in organized herds and horses running in their paddocks. There were brick red stables, an older one-story home, and glass hothouses reflecting sunlight. The tour terminated at a larger home clad in stone and shaker shingles.
Bold letters scrolled slowly as the perspective lifted to take in the sky, which was almost too blue to be real, dotted with wispy clouds.
‘Sagebrush Ranch in Pinedale, Wyoming welcomes you.’
A deep, warm narrator's voice flowed from hidden speakers.
"As one of Wyoming's premier cattle operations, Sagebrush Ranch offers idyllic scenery. Your new home is situated approximately thirty-two miles from the quaint city of Pinedale. Despite its size and rural location, Pinedale boosts international cuisine, comfortable accommodations, and elevated entertainment.”
I began to tune out the video as soon as the narrator said, ‘your new home.’
If I could, I’d clench my hands into fists again. But the cuffs were too tight.
Sagebrush Ranch wasn’t my home. It would never be my home.
The stream of words pierced my brain at different intervals, dropping important details into my consciousness. Like back in Vince’s office, I felt like I was going into shock.
“…compatibility exceeding ninety percent for all pack members…”
“…twin Alphas Wyatt and Wade Nelson…”
I blinked quickly at the screen. Two nearly identical men were smiling into the camera.
A mustache. A mullet. Sharp jaws. A little scar.
A tooth gap. One the slightest bit taller than the other.
I refused to let my brain drift to how handsome they were.
I looked to the side, and out the window.
As I did, I heard a whoosh and thud that snapped my head in the other direction.
The plane’s passenger entry was closed.
A flight attendant was double checking the seal.
When she turned, she gave me a little nod and smile, like nothing was out of the ordinary today. She was just doing her job like always.
“…Cooper Hart and Levi Briggs have been with the Nelson brothers since…”
I hung my head, trying to breath, trying not to panic.
The narrator droned on, voice coming in and out of focus as my brain reeled.
“…your fifth mate, Boone Atwood, joined the Sagebrush pack in…”
What had I done to deserve this?
What had I done to bring so much pain down on my head?
What had I done so badly to make fate turn so savage?
“…five exceptional Alphas, who have crafted a thriving business and preserved a Wyoming legacy, have long wanted to complete their pack…”
The television caught my gaze again.
Five pairs of eyes stared at me. All so different, yet all sharing the same possessive expression. I’d only looked at the screen when the twins were introduced. So, I didn’t know which of the other three Alphas were Cooper, Levi, and Boone. I hoped I’d never find out.
“…we at the Eros Institute congratulate you on your life-changing match!”
It was all poisonous propaganda.
Stolen lives offered for cash.
Pretty wrapping paper concealing an unwanted gift.
I’d been sold to five men I'd never met—expected to mate, mark, and bear their pups.
Their property.
In the middle of fucking nowhere Wyoming.
“I… I can’t breathe…” I choked out the words, reaching up with my bound hands and trying to push the hood away.
The material wasn’t keeping me from inhaling.
It was thin enough I could see through it.
Suddenly, it was too much. I pushed my aching fingers beneath the material, pushing it upwards to free my face.
Spider Tattoo closed the distance to me in a flash that made my heart jump erratically. He pulled my tingling, cuffed hands away, shoving them down against my lap again.
"As much as I'd like to see you, darling, Eros has eyes everywhere," he said, adjusting the fabric until it framed my face exactly as before. "Looking at the product is above our paygrade, so that hood’s gotta stay right where it is."
His fingers lingered near my cheek, not quite touching but close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from them. I was a product he clearly wished he could purchase. And here was a boundary he clearly wished he could cross.
"Fuck you.” The words sounded broken and weak. I jerked my head away from his almost-touch.
His eyes darkened. Hunger flashed across his face, making my skin crawl. He leaned closer, his aftershave invading my space.
“Don't tempt me," he said, voice dropping to a whisper thick with perverted need. "Might be willing to lose my job for that.”
Instinct made me go silent. I fixed my gaze past him, on the now dark television screen.
Eventually, he moved away, returning to his seat where he continued watching me with predatory interest. The plane began to move. It turned slightly, claiming position.
Its speed picked up.
Faster.
Faster.
The whirl of the turbofans grew louder.
The angle of my body shifted, and my back pushed against the seat’s back cushion.
And then we were in the air.
The minutes stretched into what felt like hours.
I focused on controlling my breathing. I cataloged every sensation.
The pressure in my ears as the plane gained altitude, the constant hum of engines, and the occasional turbulence that lifted my stomach all became my lifelines.
Anything to distract from the reality of what awaited me.
When I thought we’d flown so far that we must have circled back to Seattle, the pilot announced we were on approach.
Jackson Hole Airport. Wyoming.
Fifteen minutes later, the wheels touched down.
A phone on the wall rang, startling me so much that my body began to tremble.
Spider Tattoo got up and moved to the wall mounted receiver.
“Trent speaking.”
He waited, listening, then hung up without saying more to the caller.
“Something change?” Forehead Vein asked, still sitting, his arms crossed over his hulking chest.
“Clients pulled a fast one," he informed his partner, not bothering to lower his voice. “It’ll be a direct transfer.”
“Hate it when Alphas think the damn rules don’t apply to them.” Was the growling response.
The men who had bought me were here.
Five of them.
Plus, these two Betas.
Any lingering hope of getting away blew out like a birthday candle.
It had all been smoke and ash anyways; there’d never really been a flame of fight.
Spider Tattoo approached me, leaning down and wrenching the belt free. He left the cuffs.
He tugged me brutally to my feet.
"Bit of advice before we deboard,” he offered, pungent breath slapping against my face. "Don't fight them. These country Alphas, they're not like city boys. They're used to breaking wild things."
I lifted my head slowly to meet his gaze. God, I wish I was bigger. I wish I wasn’t an Omega. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
He shrugged. "Just saying. Five of them, one of you. Law's on their side. Biology's on their side. Might want to accept your situation and make the best of it. Unlike us, they don’t have to treat you kindly.”
"Welcome to Wyoming.” Forehead Vein’s voice cut in. "Your new owners are waiting."
He was standing beside the flight attendant I’d only seen for a fleeting moment. The entry door—now exit—was already propped open. We’d not taxied far. We’d landed, slowed, and come to a stop. The engines were cut, the sound quickly fading.
Owners. The word settled like acid, burning through my veins with every heartbeat.
They could call themselves my matches, my Alphas, my destiny all they wanted.
In the end, they were just five men who thought they could buy a woman, share her, and breed her.
Well, they weren't getting what they paid for.
They were getting me. Nelly Shaw.
And I wouldn't break easily.