Page 65 of Rebel Fates

Although not shocked, some are quite intrigued, and follow behind us, sniffing the air. I suppose I must have an alluring scent. I count five potential buyers and not one of them looks like they are going to be nice if they purchase me.

After we circle through the crowds, a few aliens reach out to touch me. At least the Tirb’s discourage that behavior with a stick that looks like a riding crop, swatting away ‘hands’ and whatever you want to call otherappendages.

A dozen creatures follow us into another large hall. There’s an auction already in progress. Lined up on the stage, there are some machine parts and some other slaves like me.

The Tirbs sign us in, and we take our place at the end of the auction items’ line.

The next ‘lot’ is a blue-tinted, humanoid female. Her eyes are almost white like her hair, and her skin is marred with bruises. Trembling, she is obviously terrified of her fate. They jerk her out by her collar and make her turn around to show the crowd hergoods.

I feel awful for her, and I know my turn is coming. I’m nauseous for the both of us. My skin is heating. I don’t think it’s just about the embarrassment and dread of what’s coming.

The Tirb glances over and looks happy to see my current flushed state. “Perfect.”

I open my mouth to ask, but he shows me the collar’s controller, threatening me with a zap if I speak.

They sell the female to a large humanoid male, green and covered with scales. He has to be twice her size. In my mind, I wish her luck. Maybe he won’t be a brute.

The next several items are rare machine parts, and the price seems to be high for most of them. I barely pay attention, instead I search the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of Serrat, Rok, or Zeek. I know the chances of them coming for some bizarre stranger they just met are next to zero, but I hope anyway. Besides, I doubt they could have tracked me down.

I see no sign of them. What worries me most is that I’m not even sure the Tirbs let them survive. Or how long they were held back. I don’t knowanything.

I scan the faces of those who seem interested in me. Several are eyeing me without fail. Strange that the Tirbs couldn’t sell me a few days ago, and now I appear to be a hot commodity. Did I change during my time with the guys?

I smell something in the air, sweet and yet masculine. And I flush with heat again. I can feel myself getting sexually excited, which is baffling. But the moisture between my legs says otherwise.

Well,that’sa weird response. I usually take a bit more stimulation to get going.

Fuck, I’m up next.

They lead me to the middle of the stage. “We have a human omega. We will start the bidding at 10,000 kints.”

I raise my eyebrows. That is three times what Lynn went for. And that’s mystartingprice?

The bids go up quickly.

The field narrows down to two creatures who are willing to pay big bucks for whatever a human omega is. One is a male who looks like a mutant ninja turtle. And the other is huge and likely a male, by the sound of his voice, but he wears a hooded cloak. I can’t see his face, but I somehow know it’s not one of my guys.

Every time the hooded male calls out a bid, I feel a pull toward him. When I stare at the darkness under the hood, I can feel his gaze. He’s probably some kind of hypnotic psi-being, controlling me with his mind. Or at least, that’s what I’m telling myself, because my intense reaction to his voice is confounding me.

“Sold!” Furball calls out.

Lost, gazing into the shadowed hood, I wasn’t even paying attention to the bids anymore. I don’t know if Turtle or Hood bought me. Or maybe someone else who jumped in at the last second.

Furball pulls on my chain to go. I step slowly. I don’t want this.

The guys didn’t show—didn’t help me. A deep pain wrenches my heart. But I don’t understand why their absence would affect me so much. It makes no logical sense.

I’m nothing to them, and they owe me nothing.

31

THE NEW GUY

GEMMA

Iglance around the auction to see what’s happening to me now.

Who is the proud new owner of a slightly damaged human omega?

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