Page 2 of Alpha's Claim

The branch I’m holding is too thin, and it breaks. I plunge downward, my fingers grasping for something else to hold and finally catching. My skin tears, and my fingers burn, but I barely notice. All my focus is on getting down.

I jump before I should, jarring my ankle and smacking my knee on the earth below. But it doesn’t matter–I’m out. I take off running for the ocean as fast as I can.

I’ve been training for this, too. I may be on the heavy side, but every day, I race on my treadmill that faces the ocean, whispering to my body that the day will come when we can make a break for it. My illness makes it harder, but the medicine seems to be working.

I wasn’t ready for it to be tonight. I wanted to locate Wren and make a plan to get her to safety before I escaped. Also, I need to figure out how to access the medicine keeping me alive. The last time I tried to escape, I collapsed before I could get far. But I’m feeling stronger now and don’t have a choice. I’m out of time.

Thom let me in on his disgusting plan tonight at dinner.

Tomorrow night, he arranged to auction me and my trading services off to the highest bidder. It’s not enough that I make him billions. He must sell me to one of his buddies to cement a high society merger. His twisted version of an arranged marriage.

Sorry, no. Not happening.

This time, my escape plan will work. It has to.

The mansion’s lights come back on in a sudden blaze.

Dammit.

Run, run, run.I put my head down and sprint as fast as I can. My feet hit sand.

An alarm goes off. It will still take them time to realize I’m gone, hopefully. Solong as–

“Hold it right there!” a male voice shouts.

No!I’ve been spotted.

I might still make it. I can hide in the water. I reach the shore and run in, diving into the freezing water before it’s deep enough, so it’s more of a belly flop. I use my hands on the rocks below to propel me into the deeper water.

I don’t look behind me. I don’t want to see how close they are. Whether they’re coming for me. I squeeze my eyes closed and paddle hard, forgetting that I may not survive the ocean even if I’m not caught.

But I am caught.

A strong arm loops around my neck and shoves my head under, holding me down.

I struggle, kicking out, using my elbows, trying to duck out of his grasp. I need to take a breath.

Is this guy trying to kill me?

Clearly, he doesn’t know that I’m the golden goose.

Everything’s muffled by the sound of water around me, but I hear shouts above. Lights blaze in the periphery of my vision. Stars dance before my eyes.

And then I’m up. Held by my hair above water.

“What are you doing?” Thom rages from the shore.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I thought she was an intruder.”

“Get my daughter back to shore.”

Hisdaughter.Every time he calls me that I want to barf.

Chip, Thom’s head of security, and another guard grab me by the arms and drag me forward, out of the ocean, onto the beach where Thom slaps me hard across the face.

I figure this is my one chance. If there’s any man who works for Thom who has any conscience at all, I need to alert him. If he doesn’t disobey now, maybe he’ll raise a flag with theauthorities.

“Let me go!” I scream. “You can’t auction me off. I’m not your property! You can’t keep me prisoner here forever!”

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