Page 14 of Secured By the Buyer

The crowd murmurs in approval, and my stomach churns at the implications.

“Take a whiff of this Omega’s pheromones and let your imagination lead your bidding.” Servers weave between the tables, carrying trays laden with scraps of my clothes for the Alphas to sample my scent.

Desperation surges through me as I scan the room for a familiar face, and my breath catches in my throat when I spot the Alpha from the hotel room sitting off to the side. Despite the mask concealing much of his face, there’s no mistaking those piercing blue eyes and the distinctive black beard.

Those eyes widen a fraction as they meet mine, recognition dawning on him as well.

That he’s here can’t be good, and I curse myself for falling for his charm. At the same time, he’s a known entity in a sea of strangers, and I lock onto him like a lifeline.

“Let the bidding commence!” the auctioneer bellows. “Who will start with seventy-thousand?”

My pulse skyrockets, and I keep my attention locked on the Alpha.

Help me, I silently plead, hoping he’ll understand my desperation.

My muscles tense as paddles raise, each escalation making my ears ring. At an alarming rate, the number doubles, then triples what my father owes.

The Alpha shifts in his seat, his lips pressed into a flat line and his paddle unmoving on the table.

Please, pick it up, I will.The kindness from earlier can’t have all been pretend.

But when the bidding stops, he remains unmoved, and terror shoots through me.

“One-hundred and fifteen thousand!” the auctioneer exclaims, then pauses. “Going once… going twice…”

Hot tears slip down my frozen cheeks, and mythroat constricts, bound by invisible hands, unable to shout out against the injustice of it all.

“One-hundred and sixteen thousand,” the Alpha’s deep voice booms, and the auctioneer’s gavel freezes on the downward swing.

A woman in a red dress locks her gaze onto the Alpha, her paddle raised confidently.

The bidding war rages on between them, their voices echoing through the room like thunder.

The Alpha’s gaze never leaves mine. “One-hundred and eighty-five thousand!”

A man who sits beside the woman in red leans over, whispering something into her ear.

She hesitates, her grip on the paddle tightening before she shakes her head, letting it fall to the table.

“Sold! To the gentleman with the beard for one-hundred and eighty-five thousand!” the auctioneer announces.

Relief washes over me, but a sinking dread replaces it. What awaits me now?

Rough hands pull me offstage, where a man throws a coarse bathrobe around me, hustling me off to the side. The girl from the cell earlier walks past, her stride stiff as she fights the Command to obey.

I don’t have time to worry about her fate, though, as I’m Commanded to stand still while more drugsare pumped into me, and a feverish burn spreads through my veins. Slick pours down my thighs, and I realize with horror that they forced me into Heat.

In a daze, I’m led to the Alpha’s room, a different one from the one-hour room where we first met. Each step drags, like wading through molasses, and by the time he opens the door, fever flushes my entire body. I pant with my mouth open, need coursing through me.

Surprise flickers across his face as he takes in my trembling form. He had removed the opera mask but now wears another over the bottom half of his face, leaving only his blue eyes exposed.

The delivery person smirks. “Per the pre-purchase request you filled out when you bought your ticket, your product is in Heat, Mr. Caruso.”

The scent of the Alpha fills my nostrils, warm and musky, making it hard to breathe. I sway toward him, drawn by his pheromones, the need to breed rising within me like a tide.

The delivery person holds me back with a firm grip on my arm, their other hand tapping away on their tablet, verifying the bank transfer and completing the transaction.

“Everything seems in order, Mr. Caruso,” thedelivery person announces, handing him ownership papers. “Congratulations on your new acquisition.”

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