When the buyers arrived, I peeked out the window to see them. One car after another parking in front of the alpha house and spilling out those who had come to bid on the rest of my life. I only got glimpses of them, but they were enough to let me know that life would be hell. My minders were all atwitter about them and how much the sleuth would make from selling me. Some of these females had me living in their homes for various times in my childhood, but you’d think they were discussing the sale of a prize pig or maybe something totally inanimate.
“If we get enough, we are going to buy all new appliances for the alpha house kitchen,” one said.
“More than that, a new car that the females can use just for ourselves!” another added. If they believed that, they were stupider than I’d ever thought.
It went on like that while I huddled in a chair, made up, hair fluffed, and wearing a sundress designed to show off all my assets. All the fussing couldn’t hide the bruises and scars from mistreatment, but they tried.
“I don’t know why you’re fussing,” Matilda, one of the alpha’s omegas chided me. “None of them are in any shape to bother you.” She pulled me to my feet and back over to the window. “See those three?”
I watched them walking up the path to the location of the auction. “Walking” wasn’t a good definition for what they were doing. They all had canes, were at least three times my age, and one of them was drooling.
“See?” She patted my shoulder. “If they get you, they will just put you on a pedestal and admire you.”
“And you don’t expect them to want to touch me?’
“Oh, pet, stroke, cuddle in bed at night…nothing serious.”
I threw up in my mouth a little.
“And the two who got here earlier collect omegas like toys. They will probably play with you for a while, but once they gettired of you, they will be off to buy another and you’ll be shunted off to the omega house.”
“P-play with me?” If this was supposed to help, it wasn’t. But I didn’t have much time to think about it because two betas appeared to take me out for the preview. I’d heard rumors that I would be stripped on the platform, but that didn’t happen. It wasn’t much better to have those old, broken-down, and lascivious alphas circling me. They weren’t supposed to touch me, but several managed to get in a pink or poke, and one squeezed my bottom, making me jump and squeal.
All my protest garnered was a scolding from the auctioneer.
I’d returned because I gave my word. Signed the agreement, but I was starting to figure out that my word might not be binding. After all, it was coerced. If I had not signed, I would have been kept on the lands until I presented with no chance at all for more.
But I could be teaching at any school in the state, or using my other skills to earn a living. How could a contract agreeing to be sold into servitude be valid?
Just about to step down, a bear caught my eye. I stifled a gasp. I knew him from my dreams. The nerdy-looking one. Could it be real? Might there be the slightest chance I could have freedom? But he was here for the auction, so he couldn’t be good, could he? He approached moving around me until his lips were near my ear.
“Do you know me?”
I nodded, mouth so dry my tongue stuck to the roof, heart thudding in my ears. “You and your two friends.”
“We are here for you. We will get you out of this mess, and never hurt you. Okay?”
I nodded again.
“Excuse me, but the viewings are over.” One of the betas guided him toward the door. “You can see her again at the auction.”
Chapter Six
Cannon
We were betting everything on Tyrone’s dream. He had been right about us being a sleuth. My bear had roared as he got out of his truck, recognizing the brother in him.
I’d thought of how this all happened since he arrived. His dreams. Meeting us. Knowing where our omega was.
I chalked up all kinds of reasons of how this was possible. Cosmic. Fate. The universe smiling down on us for some reason.
In the end, it didn’t matter. We had a sleuth, and we were here to get our omega.
The suit I wore was icky.
“Stop fidgeting.” Felix elbowed me in the ribs. All of our aggression and tension faded in an instant once Tyrone arrived. We fell in sync with each other the way packs dreamed of.
“Where is she?” I asked Tyrone, ignoring Felix. He was squirming more than me.
