One.

Willow

“Just breathe.” I whisper, staring in the mirror at my reflection. 

I didn’t recognise the person looking back at me. 

Far too much makeup for my liking. Thick mascara coated my lashes that were supposed to make my caramel eyes pop. Bright red lip stain coated my lips, making them look much fuller than what they really are. Foundation covered the bruise sitting on my left cheek, because Goddess forbid that someone sees that.

My blonde hair had been tied back in some kind of fancy updo to show off my face properly. To draw attention to my slender neck and my decent sized breasts because that’s what the men like to see.They liked to know what they were buying.They wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with their goods.

I turn, checking to make sure that the most important parts of me were covered. Though the red dress just drew more attention. The way it hung off of my curves, but clung in all the right places. I hated it, but that was what they wanted. It was always what they wanted.

“Two six three, you’re next.” The manager shouts at me. “And none of the shit you pulled last time. There are a lot of men here tonight. And they all have deep pockets. Don’t fuck it up!”

I try to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. The last two times, I had freaked out before getting up on the stage. After a few beatings, I was taken back to my cell, rather than sold. Forced to wait until they had another sold out show. They had to get their money's worth out of me.

I don’t respond to the manager. She grips my elbow, pushing me towards the stage. 

A dark glare is shot in my direction. I knew that if I didn’t walk out there this time, I would probably never walk again, that’s if they didn’t kill me. I was worthless if I wasn’t paying for my debts.

It was and still is my biggest regret. But I had to do it, I had to save my family. I had to do everything I could to keep them alive.

My number is called and I carefully climb the small stairs, trying to avoid tripping over the chains that were cuffed to my ankles. Looking back, I see the girl after me is already crying.  

She was barely eighteen and from what I could gather, her parents sold her to these bastards. I wondered if the parents knew what they did to us? I wondered if they truly cared? I wondered if they knew that we would spend a life of being abused and raped. And that was if we were lucky.

Walking out, the chains clink around my bare feet. I blink back the tears as the metal sears my skin and focus on the crowd.

The room is full with men, not an empty seat in the house. I close my eyes as I’m introduced. Listening to all the wolf whistles and the slurs. It was degrading, but I had put myself in this position and I would have to accept the consequences. 

“For my family.” I whisper, taking a deep breath and stepping into the spotlight.

My heart hammers in my chest. Focussing on my breathing helps to keep it under control.

The host begins shouting numbers and the bidding begins as I’m made to walk back and forth across the stage. The very same host approaches me and rips my dress from me. Revealing my creamy skin and everything that went along with it.

The men in the front row shift in their seats, salivating over my body, trying to hide their hardening cocks. Internally I scream. I would rather kill myself then let any of these assholes touch me with their dicks.

“Just breathe.”

My eyes somehow fall on to the one man who is sitting in silence, three or four rows back. His dark eyes are heavily focussed on me. He turns his beautiful face to the man next to him who immediately raises his paddle and yells ‘five hundred thousand outright!’

I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to, the bidding never went that high. Fifty thousand at the most. The boss would be riddled with happiness and my family’s debt would be paid.

I could see the excitement in the host's eyes. It will be a hefty commission for him. Or so he thinks. The boss will kill him the moment tonight is over. Like he did every host. He was too greedy to share.

I’m pulled from the stage. The manager quickly wraps a robe around me and checks my ankles. I knew she was looking at the wounds that the silver chains caused. She was a bitch, but she did ask me multiple times if I was sure I wasn’t allergic. I have always just shook my head. Which would be followed by a look of pity. 

It would scare the shit out of them if they knew the truth. Humans could rarely handle the truth.

I’m given a drink and some food. 

That was the funny thing about these assholes, they liked to act like they cared, when it suited them. Now that they had been offered big money for me, it was important to show the buyer that I was worth it. That I was a prized possession, that I was looked after. Especially as I had been bought outright and not just for the night.

A strong waft of oak and maple fill my nose just as I’m about to take a bite of the burger. 

Shit! Another Wolf

My back straightens and the hairs on my neck stand on end. The burger falls from my fingers as the man who won me appears. 

It’s only now that I see just how dark his eyes are, like onyx or a black hole, waiting to swallow me whole. The darkness signified his status in the world, an Alpha and that was the last thing I needed.

“This is Willow.” The manager is smiling from ear to ear as she introduces me. It was weird hearing my name roll off her tongue, she usually just uses my number. Two six fucking three. The number that they had branded me with. It showed how long they had been doing this. 

“I’m sure you will be very happy with her. We don’t do refunds.”

The Alpha squats in front of me, his dark eyes locking with mine. His jawline is sharp, just like the shaved edges of his black hair. As he crouches in front of me, I see the seams of his suit struggling against his muscles.

His eyes flicker down to the chains and the burns on my ankles. He keeps a poker face.

“Can we remove these!” It wasn’t a question and there was no hiding the annoyance in his tone.

“The boss—”

“She doesn’t belong to the boss anymore.” He snaps at the manager

The butterflies in my stomach swarm. ‘Belong’ That was the last thing I wanted. If a human had brought me, I would have found a way to escape but now, there would be no chance. Fuck!

“I will–I will just get the keys.” The manager quickly teeters off on her incredibly high stilettos that she could barely walk in. While the Alpha’s unnerving dark eyes stay on me.

“Are you hurt?” He asks quietly. 

I just sit and stare at him, weighing up my options. He sounded genuine, but so many assholes did. And I had met a lot of them before I ended up here.

“I’m Zane Hallow.” He glances around “Alpha of Night Watch.”

I still don’t speak

“Willow, right?” He asks

The manager comes back, her heels clacking along the wooden floor. “I’m so sorry, Mister Hallow. We believe she has damaged her vocal chords.” Her eyes flicker to me. “She was due to see a doctor tomorrow.” she lies, why was she lying? The money? The guilt?

Alpha Zane Hallow’s eyes flash back to me. He knew it was a lie too. You could always smell when a human is lying. It’s like their breath reeks of death.

“The chains.” He snaps at the manager and she quickly unbinds my ankles. It felt so good to be freed and to not feel the silver burn my flesh little by little.

The Alpha clicks his fingers and the guy who had shouted the bid for me appears with bandages. The Alpha delicately wraps one around each ankle and something tells me that he isn’t usually so—gentle. That this is all an act.

“Can you walk?”

I nod and get to my feet. The robe is still the only thing covering me. Alpha Zane holds an elbow out for me, waiting expectantly for me to take it. It wasn’t an ask, but an expectation and I already knew shit was going to get ten times worse.

We walk through the crowd of other women. I wanted to hug each and every one of them and whisper that I will get them out, that I would find a way to get justice for them. I didn’t care that they were human. We all had that same sorrowful look. Hope had disappeared down the drain. 

Being sold and not being sold, it didn’t make a difference, life was hell for us behind closed doors.

I’m taken to a private room, just me and Alpha Zane Hallow. He stands in front of me, eyeing my robe, probably desperate to have what was underneath. He couldn’t even wait to get me home to fuck me. How fucking noble!

“Maybe these will make you feel more comfortable.” He leans down next to me and picks up a bag. I had been to focussed on keeping my attention on him to notice it.

He pulls out some clothes, dropping them onto the small table.

It was a shit tactic. Trying to make me voluntarily strip before he sticks his cock in me.

“Go on then.” I snap, locking my eyes on his and ripping my robe open. “Fuck me!”