my throat as I slowly stepped out of Jade’s car.
My dad looked furious as he stomped over to me, his orange mustache ruffling in the wind.
To me, it was the most horrifying sight.
It was pathetic that I was scared of my own father. The only person in the world I didn’t dare stand up to. He gripped my ponytail, my scalp burning as he pulled me towards the hideous green car.
And it was right in front of Jade and her brother. It was the most humiliating thing to ever happen to me. I could handle it, but I had never had other people watching me before.
“Let her go!” shouted Jack as he got out of the car. My dad dragged me towards the passenger side.
“Where the hell were you?” he rasped in my face.
“Nowhere!” I screamed.
That set him off.
He shoved me into the car headfirst. I quickly righted myself as he slammed the door with all his might- shaking the car to hell. I shut my eyes tight, trying to transport myself elsewhere in my mind. To escape the reality of the nightmare I had to live with everyday.
I couldn’t look at Jade’s car. I didn’t want to see looks of pity or shock on her and her brother’s faces.
My dad jumped into the car and aggressively turned the engine on. He looked crazy-eyed as he backed the car out. He didn’t even talk to me. My hands shook as I crossed my arms over my backpack that contained my new dress.
My night of fun was completely ruined. I didn’t dare look over at him for fear of setting him off. But, for some reason, his silence felt a lot worse. A lot more foreboding. What was he planning?
When we entered the house, I wondered if I managed to somehow get out of a screaming lecture. Unfortunately, he quickly proved to me that I hadn’t.
He grabbed my arm and flung me on the couch. I cried out as he twisted my arm and then let go. He sat on the couch across from me.
“Why didn’t you tell me you got fired?”
How did he know that? Shit, shit, shit.
“They don’t like omegas,” I said, my head down. “It’s not my fault.”
“Since you’re pretty much useless now. I have an idea,” he said, scratching his mustache ominously. I could barely breathe. Whatever idea he came up with, I never had a say in it. Without money and nowhere to go, I was under his mercy.
“What is it?”
“I’m going to put you up for auction,” he said gleefully, rubbing his hands together. “Our house is in foreclosure, so it’s time for the big money. And I owe someone money.”
It’s in foreclosure because of your fucking gambling…
“I can get another job,” I said quickly. I didn’t want to be sold into some seedy auction, sold a group of horny alphas. It was the lowest thing to happen to an omega. It was only for the leftovers who couldn’t find a pack.
“It’s decided,” he said. Then he raised his voice in an alpha command that compelled me to obey. “Go to your room now.”
Biting my lip, I passed the bare living room and went into my room. The living room didn’t have much because he sold as many things as possible to fund his gambling addiction. We only had a couch and a TV. Not even a rug.
It took no time for him to lock the door from the outside. I leaned against the wall, my eyes tearing up. Sliding down the wall, I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest. The concrete floor beneath me was cold and wet. I laid my head against my knees, dejected and scared of what was to come.
Maybe anything was better than being here.
But at the same time, I wasn’t ready to mate with a pack. They could take a second omega anytime after buying me. I was just supposed to be a plaything, an extra.
I didn’t have anything going for me. Why would they even like me?
The next morning, I woke up with a pit in my stomach.
My life was about to change drastically, and I had no control over what would happen. My room was still dark due to the little window above. I got up and twisted the doorknob open. I walked to the bathroom across from my room, and brushed my teeth.
I was moving on autopilot. Refusing to think about my fate.
When I walked back into my room, my dad stood there carrying a dress. I gasped, recognizing it as my mom’s dress. Ever since she died, he had never allowed me to go into their room or touch Mom’s stuff.
It was her dark plum dress made of velvet. It was heavy and warm to wear in the fall.
“Wear this,” he said. He had zero emotion in his voice, his eyes a dead stare. “Put on some makeup too. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
I looked at my worn-out mattress and saw that he had thrown some of my mom’s makeup on it.
It didn’t shock me that he couldn’t care less about what would happen. It wasn’t going to affect him. And he hated me most of my life.
I shut the door behind him.
When I lifted Mom’s dress, I burst into tears. Like a flood waiting to break.
Tears flowed freely down my face, drenching the dress. I knelt on the ground, hugging the dress to my heart, inhaling Mom’s scent. It still had her flowery perfume that I loved when I snuggled up against her.
I felt numb as each tear dripped down my face.
I sat there, rocking back and forth, holding her dress to my heart. I missed her so much. Her laughter and her stories. She loved to read, and I’d always go into her room, where sometimes she’d read aloud to me when I was a child.
“What do I do, Mom?” I whispered.
I sat there, hopeless and lost. The only thing of comfort was the dress. The only nice thing my father ever did since she died.
Staying in this house any longer with my father was unbearable. It was time to leave, whether it was through an auction or not.
And that was the motivation I needed.
It was now or never. I slowly stood up and changed into the dress. It was a bit tight since Mom was smaller than I was, but the length was good.
In the bathroom, I washed my face and combed out my long hair- allowing the waves from yesterday to fall down my shoulders. Then, I used Mom’s makeup, dabbing on purple eyeshadow to match the dress. I was pretty sure the makeup was expired, but that was all I had—no time to be picky.
“Are you done yet?” my dad called, appearing at the bathroom door. He wore a beige suit that made his skin look blotchy and gross.
“Yes, I think so. I just have to take the pills now,” I said. The two heat suppressants and the scent blocker. “Last night, I didn’t take any.”
He might’ve forgotten with all the auction excitement.
“I threw them away,” he said with an evil smile. “You have to be as appealing as possible to the buyers. No refunds.”
It was noon by the time we drove to the Omega Auction. The place was so far out it was nearly an hour’s drive. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw signs saying the next auction was starting at noon. I had never been to one of these auctions, because I had no reason to be here. But it was still the norm for leftover omegas to be sold, especially for poorer families who didn’t have many options.
My dad drove around to the back of a building.
“We’re here. If you embarrass me at all, you’re dead,” he threatened, looking over at me as he unbuckled his seat belt.
I didn’t say anything as I stepped out of the car. I vowed to never talk to him again after today.
We walked towards the open door in the back, and I watched as my dad greeted the bald auctioneer. He was holding a measuring tape and a clipboard fussing around but stopped when he saw me walk in.
“I’d like to put my daughter up for auction,” my dad stated matter-of-factly. Like the auction was an everyday thing. This was going to be seared into my memory forever.
The auctioneer looked at me like I was an object as he measured my boobs and my waist over my dress.
“Perfect. She will bring in some money,” the auctioneer said. “Now, let’s get you over to the makeup guy. Your purple eyeshadow is atrocious.”
Before I knew it, I was seated next to ten other omegas with families fussing excitedly over them. Like this was the best thing to ever happen to them. I was confused and baffled by all of this. But I noticed that the families barely had any clothes on, some with their sandals ripped in many places covered in sand from the island.
We were in a large studio, getting prepped before they took us outside to the stage. My dad was chatting loudly with a few other alphas as he watched me with hawkish eyes, ensuring I complied and didn’t run away.
I did want to run away, but there was nowhere to hide in Howl’s Edge.
The makeup artist wearing a floral shirt approached me and immediately started drenching my face in foundation. I closed my eyes, hating every moment of it. I didn’t need all that makeup and was sure I’d look like a clown at the end. As I sat there with my eyes closed, I thought about my mom and what she would say if she saw this. She would tell me to have fun and roll with it. That things will always get better.
I smiled slightly, thinking of how optimistic she was while I was the total opposite.
“Ooh, la la. Look in the mirror. You look amazing,” said the makeup artist with a flourish, waving his hand to the mirror in front of me. My eyes widened when I caught my reflection in the mirror. He had accentuated my features with gold eyeshadow, making my eyes look seductive with his color choices.
“Oh wow,” I whispered, pressing my plump red lips together.
It was time for the auction, and it was sweltering outside. My mom’s thick velvet dress did nothing to help with the heat.
I was chained by the ankle to two other omegas on either side of me. The purple-haired omega to my right looked miserable and kept flicking the crowd off with her middle finger.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Lowering my value,” she smirked. “It’s how I was passed up on the last two auctions. No one wants a badly behaved omega.”
“I might have to take a page out of your book,” I muttered. I didn’t have the guts to flick off an entire crowd of alphas, and my dad was eagerly watching from the back.
The omega on my other side was nervous, sweat beading down her forehead, constantly biting her fingernails. I squinted in the sun, looking out at the small crowd of buyers who had started shouting prices at the auctioneer.
They were going down the line, and I was almost next.
As I looked at the buyers, I saw groups of alphas in packs. Some were leering and gazing at us with lustful gazes. Ugh, this was going to be horrible. I felt sorry for the omega who ended up with a creepy buyer. Then, my eyes stopped on a familiar patch of white silver hair.
He looked up, and my heart nearly stopped.
It was Jatix. What the hell was he doing here?
I thought we had an amazing time at the ball, and I honestly wanted to believe he was a good guy. I thought he was. Because what type of good guy would end up in an auction to purchase an omega?
Maybe he was looking for a maid to press his fancy suits.
He looked in my direction, and instantly our gazes locked on one another. My heart started beating erratically. I shook my head to convey to him that he shouldn’t purchase me. I didn’t want him. He had met me when I was a doctor, and now I was in an auction. It was way too humiliating, and I didn’t want to explain how I got into this situation.
He smiled softly with pity in his eyes, and I quickly looked away.
I was trapped here, chained to other omegas, and it was soon going to be my turn.
