Page 23 of Secured By the Buyer

“Hey, don’t bite that. It’s dirty,” Liam chides, cupping my cheek and bringing my face back to his.

The soothing touch lures me in, and I press into his warm palm before I catch myself and glare at him again.

Everything about this man confuses me. His red-brown hair and dark-brown eyes don’t match the image of the man who purchased me.

Head turning, I sniff Liam’s wrist to confirm once again that his pheromones are the same, and the scent fills me with comfort, even though Iknowthis Liam is a bad person. Why else would he be at a slave auction?

Yet my Omega insists this Alpha is safe, that he’ll protect me, and the contradiction leaves me feeling lost.

“It’s okay, Milo.” Liam’s thumb traces a soothing arc across my cheekbone. “We don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then untie me,” I plead, my voice cracking. “Please.”

“No can do, kid.” Caleb’s cold tone brooks no argument. “You’re a little too stabby at the moment.”

My focus shifts to Liam’s shoulder, where a dark patch of blood stains his shirt. If my instincts hadn’t fought against me, I would have aimed for his neck or eye, and then I might have made it out the window.

But the thought of hurting my Alpha causes my stomach to twist in protest.

Is it the Mark he gave me that tricks me into thinking he’s not evil? It’s the only explanation for why I want to trust him, despite how he tied me up.

Liam strokes my cheek, his touch gentle. “It’s okay to be confused, Milo.”

Caleb snorts. “That’s not confusion in his eyes. That’s murder. Keep him tied up while we figure out what to do with him.”

The words send a shiver down my spine. Are they going to dispose of me?

“Wait!” I turn back to Liam. “You ordered me into Heat for a reason, right? You wanted me pregnant! I’m probably already carrying your baby, so you can’t get rid of me! I promise I’ll be good and won’t try to escape again. I was just confused because of the drugs.”

The room falls silent, tension thick in the air.

Damien breaks the silence. “What do you mean by ordering him into Heat?”

Liam’s hand drops to the side of my neck, massaging behind my ear in a way that makes me want to melt, but his attention remains on the others. “There was a pre-purchase request for the product to be delivered ready to breed. Since Milo wasn’t in Heat, they forced him into it.”

Liam turns back to me, and I straighten before he catches me enjoying his touch. “Did they inject you with something after you left the runway, princess?”

“Yeah.” Reminded of what he did to me, I jostle my shoulder to dislodge his hand from me. “They pumped something into my arm.”

“Dammit,” Damien curses. “ProbablyInducates. It’s been flooding the black market.”

“Inducates?” Jade’s brows furrow. “What’s that?”

“It’s an injectable drug that forces Omegas into Heat,” Damien explains. “Scientists developed it overseas for Omegas with irregular cycles, but it has dangerous side effects, so it’s illegal here.”

Jade bristles. “Then why the hell aren’t we destroying it at the docks?”

“Because our family isn’t in the drug business anymore.” Caleb’s hands curl into fists. “We knew Caruso was slime, but to order an Omega be forcedinto Heat? If Liam hadn’t already killed him, I’d go do it right now.”

Confusion washes over me as I turn to Liam. “Wait, I thoughtyouwere Caruso.”

Liam shakes his head. “No, princess. I was only impersonating him to gain access to the auction. And I’m glad I did, or I wouldn’t have been there to intervene for you.”

“Intervene?” I blink, trying to process the information, but the scent of him messes with my ability to focus.

“Saved your ass is more like it,” Damien chimes in, smirking. “You’re lucky Liam has a soft spot for pretty redheads. He blew our entire mission for you.”

“Shut it, Damien.” Liam glares at the other man before turning back to me. “What matters now is that you’re safe, Milo.”

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