Page 123 of The Bounty

CHAPTER 41

OLIVE

I’m surrounded by warriors.

I’m in awe of the strength I see around me.

There are no more tears left to cry.

Only survival.

It’s the end of the week, and I’ve come to learn the routine ofEden.

In the morning, I order breakfast and wait in my room for it to be delivered.

During lunchtime, I meet with a personal shopper, who picks out my wardrobe and makeup for the evening.

“Blue is your color,” she says cheerfully, as she zips me up in a couture A-line gown. “And cool-toned nude lipstick is perfect for you.”

I have access to all the amenities, including the infinity pool, spa, and state-of-the-art gym.

Shopping sprees are every Sunday.

However, I’m not allowed to call my parents yet.

That’s a privilege, but no one can give me a straight answer on what I must do to earn it.

Every day, my personal shopper prepares me for the eveningpresentation.

An armed guard stands with me in the elevator as we head to the first floor.

For our own protection, they say.

They would never use the weapons onus.

In survival mode, there’s no room to think about Dylan, Killian, or Brock. If their faces flash through my mind, there’s a stab in my chest, but I shove it down.

My only focus is on escape.

Every evening, all the Omegas meet in the ballroom, lined up in a row and dressed to perfection.

And every evening, Alphas enter the room and take their pick.

I recognize a few of them.

World leaders. Movie stars. Entrepreneurs.

All with more money to their name than I could ever dream of having.

They each pick one of us toentertainthem.

We are the entertainment, after all.

It’s a sort of twisted cocktail hour, where we mingle with all of them and do our bests to stay composed.

I’ve learned quickly that if we don’t participate, they’ll drug us until we don’t care anymore.

Everyone around me is a fuckingwarrior,because we all smile, nod, and flirt just to stay sober.