Page 25

24

AMAYA

T he blissful silence in my head and soothing warmth in my soul explodes with more aggression than the bass beating down on me from the speakers and the power of the hose trying to shred the skin from my bones.

Vincent .

Where he was once a subtle presence beyond the protective veil of my memories, he crashes through in a jumbled heap of terror and choked shock.

On his knees before me, Vincent meets my eyes, shattering the illusion of Sam and the fireplace heating my toes. But they weren't my toes, were they? Fifteen-year-old me doesn't exist anymore and the ice chilling my feet is a brutal reminder of the torture I'm hiding from.

"Amaya," my bonded mate whispers, reaching for me as the fantasy I've created warbles and sucks all sound away like a vacuum.

No!

His presence is unnatural in the safety of the past, making my carefully constructed memories pull taught like a rubber band. Like a white pinpoint, it reaches the end and snaps back, ricocheting me right back into the present without a shield to protect me or my mate from the torture I'm suffering on the outside.

"Ah, there she is."

No, no, no! A whimper slips free, but whether it's because of the awful voice of my abuser, the welts burning my once soft skin, or the thundering ache of loneliness and fear leaching my soul of hope… I don't know.

"I have some glorious news, little slut."

My belly roils as I fight to inch myself away from the man in charge of my punishments. God, why do I keep drinking the water? I just want it to stop.

Dread that isn't mine coils tight in my chest before it's plowed over by a surge of comfort and concern. I know it's not me because I don't have the capacity to feel anything else besides terror and loneliness. The more my hope dissipates, the less energy I seem to have. Which begs the question, will I be able to recreate my memories or am I stuck living the nightmares of my present?

Hot fingers wrap around my ankle and drag me across the floor until I'm sprawled beneath the alpha with the ponytail. He tuts with a grin and drags the offending hand up my bare leg, bunching the fabric of my torn and battered pajamas. At least I still have those .

"S-stop," I croak, unable to put up much of a fight. I don't know if I'll survive a violation like the one swimming in his devilish eyes.

"Oh hush," he huffs. "Very full of yourself, aren't you? I admit, your lavender scent ripe with fear is delectable, but I don't sample the dirty pussy I sell."

Rage like I've never felt before lights a fire up my throat like a thousand cases of heartburn. A whine breaks through Vincent's rage, and I try as hard as I can to get him to stop.

'Alpha?' My omega whimpers, lifting her head from the fetal position she's been curled up in since we got here.

I can't. I can't handle my pain and his.

She nods sadly and releases a low purr through the bond. 'Gentle, Alpha,' my omega pleads before ducking her head and hiding from the monster petting my thigh.

"Listen, bitch!" ponytail asshole snarls and digs his nails into my leg. I gasp and wiggle, trying to ignore the much quieter pulse of anger from my mate. "Do you want to hear the good news or not?"

No, I really fucking don't .

In a singsong voice he says, "You're going to make me a lot of moneeeeey. Well," he exhales, "first we're gonna have to break you a little more."

I am already broken .

"So let’s get you back to your cage. Your buyers are dying to see the daughter of the one and only... Paul Arison!"

My dad? What does my dad have to do with this?!

"Ah, I see..." he taunts, standing and waving at his guard to manhandle me to my numb feet. "You didn't realize dear old daddy has some enemies, huh? Imagine my surprise when your name and a little digging made you a top commodity. Everyone wants the chance to fuck up a lawyer’s kid."

Walking backwards, the evil alpha smirks at my continued trembling and tripping over my feet. Cries and whimpers reach my ears just as the scent of too many omegas and alphas sting my dry nose.

"Not only are you Paul's kid, the amazing lawyer with plenty of targets on his back, but you’re also friends with the omegas who ruined our brother operation." He shrugs. "No skin off my back, though. I much prefer breaking you bitches with force rather than their backhanded manipulation."

My head swims trying to piece together the information while it feels like my body is giving out every second I try to keep my feet under me. I don't understand. Because of my dad and Kate, maybe Freya too, I'm… what? Being sold?

"In you go, slut. Your new alphas will be along shortly."

New alphas?

Thrown into my small cage, I’m relieved their hands are off of me. A snarl vibrates my chest, one that isn't mine because the only thing I can muster up is a sad little tear that steals the moisture my body desperately needs. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by Vincent's growl through the bond, I sink into the feel of my alpha.

I won't shut him out any longer and not just because I don't think I have that ability anymore, but because it's going to be the only thing keeping me sane.

'Alpha?'

Go to him , I encourage her, needing one of us to be wrapped in his love and protection.

Closing my eyes, I fade away enough to feel my omega reaching for her alpha and releasing a shuddering keen of sorrow. The dam bursts. Even though I'm too dehydrated for my body to cry, my soul bleeds.

And my alpha weeps.