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I walked around with a blanket more often than not, and I figured they’d be taken away eventually, same with the towels. Each time someone came in here, it was jarring, and I debated what way it was going to go. Were they here to take all the comforts I had been given, or was I being dragged away for more “fun.”

That’s what they called it, but they didn’t know the meaning of the word.

My eyes pricked with tears, but I shoved them down. I had cried enough, and there would be plenty more tears after I was saved, whenever that was.

I hoped it was soon. I felt my mind slipping further into a dark place with each encounter. I couldn’t read or watch TV to distract myself either. When I was in here alone, that was it. I could sleep or shower. I started playing movies I had seen in my head to pass the time when my body refused to sleep as I never felt safe.

My head felt heavy and sunk deeper into the pillow, and I covered it with the thick comforter, hiding away from the world. Sleep almost pulled me under when the door buzzed and opened.

Footsteps made their way across the small room and stopped by my head before my security blanket was ripped away, and I glared up into the eyes of my aunt.

“I have a surprise for you.” She sounded cheerful, but that meant I was about to be in a new level of hell. She had only shown up one other time, and I shuddered at the memory. “Get up, and get dressed.”

I sat up and flipped her off, knowing Mine would be proud of the small defiance. It got me slapped across the face, but it was worth it. My body was still numb. I barely felt the sting.

“They ruined you,” she scoffed before entering my closet.

“No, you did,” I said quietly enough that she couldn’t hear me.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, letting the bare bottoms of my feet graze the cold ground. It was a shock to my system. I didn’t know why they kept the room so cold. Having it warm so I wanted the blankets off of me made more sense. I refused to bring up that point though.

“Put this on.” Lucinda tossed a “gown” on the bed next to me.

It had a corset top and flowy bottom, but the entire thing was see-through. It was a dark green, and I knew exactly why she picked it.

I put it on, going as slowly as I could get away with. Lucinda stood by the door the entire time, staring me down. I hoped this was some dinner where they could look but not touch. I could manage that. I could ignore their leering and black it all out.

“Hurry up, Ellery.” She had started calling me by my full name. I didn’t ask why and didn’t care. It made it easier to pretend I was someone else.

However, when I made it out, I’d probably stab anyone who called me that. No matter what my father said, I was changing my name to Ellie permanently.

With the dress on and the cold seeping in, I turned and made my way to the door and followed Lucinda out of it and down the hall, scantily clad and shoeless, just how she liked me to be. Although my room was nearly a glamorized prison cell in concrete, the rest of the place was rather average for a mansion. I thought that’s what this was, but I hadn’t seen much of it that I remembered.

I mindlessly walked behind her until we entered the dining room. It looked like it had been more of a small ballroom at one time to host guests, but it had been transformed into a dining hall. Perhaps it had multiple functions and this was what they were using it for at the moment.

The ceiling was high, the walls were a shimmering cream, and the floor was intricate pearl tile. It was revolting in its monotone design and made the dark wooden table and chairs all the more stark.

In each of the chairs sat a man in a tuxedo. Most were in black, but there were a few who went with a flashier style and color. One, specifically, was in a dark green velvet suit, and I recognized him immediately. The others seemed familiar, but I refused to dig deeper to figure out where I had seen them before. In each lap sat a man or woman in clothes similar to mine. Some held their heads high and waited for the festivities to commence, but others had their heads hanging low, hoping that no harm was going to come to them tonight.

I chose to be the former. I had to appear strong, or I’d break under the pressure. That’s exactly what Lucinda wanted, a broken niece that was nothing more than a doll for her men to use.

The man I recognized was the Omega who had helped Vaila kidnap me. Once again, his face was void of emotion, but the way his fingers gripped the armrests of the chair told a different story. Just as Vaila hadn’t noticed before, Lucinda was blind to him.

I had seen him once before while I was here as well, and it was the oddest thing. No drugs were injected, and he didn’t touch me at all. He simply watched me from across the room and asked if I was okay. When whatever arbitrary time was up, he simply left. Some of the tension I had been carrying left thanks to his actions, although I doubted I would ever forgive him for his hand in bringing me here.

A thought had crossed my mind as I eyed all the sex slaves. Were they all useless like me, or were they Betas and Alphas? How many people had Lucinda bred for this life? How many lost their—

My thoughts were cut off by Lucinda grabbing my arm and dragging me to the man in the green tux and shoving me into his lap. I never learned his name, but to me, he was a Dandelion because although he was a weed, he was okay. She leaned forward and gritted out, “Behave, and I will reward you.”

I’d try my best, but I made no promises. I was thankful that Dandelion was the man who I was given to. Some of the others had already started groping their toy for the night.

He adjusted, and I startled before sucking in the gasp. “I requested you for tonight,” he whispered in my ear. “You deserve a reprieve.”

I stared up at him with wide eyes.

“My name is Alastor, by the way, but to follow the rules your aunt has set, call me Master.” He scrunched his nose for a split second. If you hadn’t been staring at him, you would have missed it, and that was the goal. No one else could know that he was being nice to me.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I’d be referring to him as Dandy or Alli because I had to take the humor where I could.