Secured by the Buyer (Taken by His Alpha #3)

Chapter 7

7

T he world swims into focus as my lashes flutter open.

Crisp linens cradle my body, far nicer than what I have at home, and a delicious, familiar scent fills my nose. My limbs feel leaden when I shift, and confusion fogs my mind.

I turn my head on a lump-free pillow, registering the softness of the mattress beneath, like lying on a cloud. My legs move under the fluffy down blanket, the calluses on my heels catching on sheets smoother than anything I’ve ever touched.

Silk?

As I struggle upright, my muscles protest, a dull ache spreading from my hips and up my spine .

What the hell happened?

I lift my arm and a sharp pain flares. Carefully, I prod the tender spot through an unfamiliar button-up pajama shirt. It feels bruised, but I don’t detect a wound. My hand moves to the back of my neck, where gauze catches on my broken fingernails.

Voices drift from another room, rising in volume.

“What was I supposed to do? Just sit back and let him be sold?” The familiar voice fills my aching body with a rush of remembered pleasure, followed by terror as the rest of the night comes flooding back.

My father selling me. The slave auction. The injection that forced me into Heat.

My heart clenches in fear. Is this my new owner’s house?

“…to search for Bugrov, not to pick up a child bride,” another man yells. “We had people in place to track the Alphas who were seen going into the ballroom! He would have been fine.”

“There was no guarantee!”

Panic sweeps over me as they continue arguing, and I take in more of my surroundings, needing to escape before they realize I’m awake.

Beneath me, the massive bed could sleep three or four people with ease. Rich fabrics and dark wood furniture decorate the room with the kind of luxury only ever displayed on TV.

Everywhere I turn screams wealth.

I push aside the bedding and swing my legs over the side of the mattress. My feet touch the plush carpet just as an Omega enters the room through an archway, carrying a tray laden with food.

A black T-shirt and pants hug his slender frame, and his long, bleach-blond hair hangs loose around his shoulders, with dark roots showing at the top.

His blue eyes regard me with a mix of concern and curiosity as he hurries toward me. “Hey, you’re awake.”

He sets the tray on the nightstand, and the aroma of warm soup and fresh bread wafts through the air, making my stomach growl.

“It’s okay. I understand this is confusing.” He urges me back into bed. “My name’s Jade, and you’re safe. Liam insisted food be ready for you when you woke up.”

“Liam?” I ask, my voice shaky.

The name doesn’t ring a bell. Is he my new owner?

“I’ll let him explain everything.” Jade chuckles, shaking his head. “But first, how are you feeling? You were shot with a tranquilizer, so you might be a little nauseous.”

“Tranquilizer?” The muzzle of a gun pointing at me flashes through my mind. “No, I’m not nauseous.”

He gives me an encouraging nod. “Then you should try to eat.”

My attention drifts back to the tray. I force myself to pick up a plate with a piece of crusty bread, using it to block Jade’s view as I slip the fork from the linen napkin up my sleeve.

“Where am I?” I ask, trying to keep my tone steady.

Jade perches on the edge of the mattress. “Do you remember what happened?”

I bite my lip, considering whether to trust this stranger. Is he another slave like me? Or is he in on all of this?

“Everything’s a blank,” I lie, nibbling on the roll, the rough texture scratching my tongue. “I was called down to my manager’s office, and then…nothing.”

“Sounds like you may have blocked the trauma.” Sympathy softens his expression. “Or the mix of drugs in your system caused amnesia. Something to discuss with the doctor when he arrives.”

So Jade is in on this .

I take another small bite, choking it down. I need to buy some time and throw Jade off guard. “Was I in an accident or something? Should I be in the hospital?”

“Shit,” Jade mutters under his breath, concern etched on his features. “No, you’re not hurt like that. Just…take it easy, okay?”

“Then why can’t I remember?” I press on, putting on a show of touching the back of my head. “There’s no bump or anything. What happened to me?”

“Look, Milo…”

“Why can’t I remember what happened?” I kick off the covers to free my legs and gasp to sell my panic. “Is it hot in here? I can’t breathe.”

“Hey, calm down.” Jade slides off the bed and comes closer to comfort me. “Everything will be fine.”

Seeing my chance, I lunge forward, slamming the bread plate against the side of Jade’s head with all the strength I can muster. It doesn’t shatter, but it bounces off with a loud thunk, and Jade staggers back, dazed.

Adrenaline surges through me, and I ball up my fist, driving it into Jade’s stomach. When he doubles over with a pained gasp, I grab the comforter and throw it over his head, blinding him while I make my escape .

“You little shit!” Jade struggles within the voluminous material, his frantic movements tangling him up more.

Footsteps approach, drawn by the commotion. I dart through the archway and find myself in a sitting room. My heart hammers, panic sharpening my senses.

Two men appear from another room, their identical faces a match for the people who barged into the hotel room earlier and shot me.

Before I can dodge, one of them catches me in a bear hug from behind, his brawny arms crushing my ribs.

Fear rises, clawing at my throat. “Let go of me, you prick!”

The other one comes closer, and I kick out, aiming for his crotch.

He dodges, a delighted smile on his face. “Feisty. I approve.”

I slam my head backward into the first man’s chin, and the hold around me loosens enough for me to twist free. Anger surges within me, and I channel it into a swift punch to his balls.

With a satisfying groan of pain, he drops me.

His twin laughs at his misfortune. “Rookie mistake. ”

My focus latches on to what has to be the entrance, and I dart for it, my pulse racing.

Still laughing, the man steps in front of it, blocking my escape. “Not that way.”

The other one recovers and lumbers toward me, arms spread out to catch me again. Swerving around him, I leap up on a coffee table, avoiding his grasp.

The only other route is the doorway they came from. An office? If I can’t find a window, I’ll barricade myself inside and call the police.

My feet hit the floor, and I race forward, only to slam into the broad chest of a third man as he steps into the opening. The impact knocks the breath out of me, and I reel backward before his arms imprison me.

I struggle as I’m scooped up off the ground, my limbs locked in place.

“Guard your balls!” the twin by the entrance calls out with a grin, but my mind barely registers his words.

“Let me go!” Panic spikes through me, and I thrash in my captor’s hold. “Let me go!”

“Shush, princess, everything will be okay,” my captor croons. “I’ve got you.”

The pet name triggers a flood of heat in my body, and my head jerks toward his, struggling to make sense of what’s happening. Tall and broad-shouldered, his reddish-brown hair falls across his forehead, shadowing his dark-brown eyes, and a clean-shaven jawline.

My focus drops to the sculpted curve of his lips, lips that whisper of familiarity even though I don’t recognize him.

“Sorry we couldn’t meet at the vending machines, princess.” Those lips curve into a wry smile, and something clicks into place.

The scent of him, rich and comforting, floods my nostrils, and despite my fear, my body relaxes. No matter what he looks like now, this is the same man I met in the hotel room, the same one who later bought me.

“Alpha.” My lashes flutter down as I lean toward him, the Omega in me craving the reassurance his presence brings.

His grip gentles, and he cuddles me closer, a rumble emanating from his chest. “That’s right, sweet princess, you know who I am.”

Behind us, one of the twins speaks up. “Don’t let your guard down so fast, Liam.”

As Liam–my Alpha–turns his head, the fork drops from my sleeve into my hand. My fist closes around it, and I swing with all my strength, driving it into his shoulder .

The tang of copper fills the air, and his howl of pain pops my eardrums. A pang of guilt goes through me, mixing with my fear, but there’s no time for this confusing mix of emotions.

His grip on me vanishes, and I fall from his embrace. I land on my feet with a thud that reverberates up my shins, and without missing a beat, I sprint past him into the office.

“I warned you!” the twin shouts.

The words spur me to move faster as I search for a way out, my heart pounding in my ears. The window looms ahead, my escape, my salvation.

Racing to it, I shove it open with a strength born from desperation, and icy wind whips through my hair, sending shivers down my spine.

For a split second, I hesitate, my legs trembling as I peer down at the ground three stories below. It’s dizzying, terrifying, but anything is better than staying here with the man who bought me.

I scramble up on the ledge, the hard windowsill digging into my bare feet.

About to jump, strong hands seize me from behind, yanking me back into the room.

“No!” I struggle, kicking and thrashing as I’m wrestled to the floor, my body pinned under the weight of my owner .

“I’m sorry, princess.” He strokes the hair back from my face, then jerks his hand away before I can sink my teeth into him. “I can’t allow you to escape.”

A wave of rage washes over me at his words, but beneath it, fear settles in my chest. I don’t want this life, this Alpha who thinks he owns me.

If I run away, though, where can I go? Home isn’t an option. My father would just sell me again. And not to my work, where my boss is in on it.

“Let me go!” I buck beneath him, desperate and furious. “I’m not your property!”

Blood seeps from his shoulder where I stabbed him, but he contains my struggles with infinite patience. “Please, princess, don’t force me to drug you again.”

I freeze at the words.

“Please,” I choke out. “Let me go.”

“I can’t, Milo,” he says, his tone gentle. “For now, you belong to me.”

The claim rings in my bones, singing with the rightness of belonging to this Alpha. My Alpha. The man I dared to dream would bring me happiness, but instead took part in my hell.

My eyes burn. “I hate you.”

“I understand.” He leans forward to press his forehead against mine. “But I hope that changes once I have a chance to explain.”

Tears slip down my cheeks even as his pheromones curl through me, melting away my resistance. Instinct tells me to trust him, but life has taught me no one has my best interest at heart.

I’m all alone in the world.