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Digging his fingers into the strands at my nape, he cupped the back of my skull as he raised his other hand. His eyes dipped to my lips as he ran a wipe over my mouth, cleaning away the lipstick I’d so carefully applied.
I struggled to breathe, staring up at this alpha who was being so gentle I barely felt the brush of the wipe. His mouth curled in a smile as he met my gaze, and I was surprised at what looked like affection shining in the emerald depths.
“Close your eyes.”
I obeyed instantly. He didn’t need to use a command when his every word seemed to go straight to the omega part of my brain that only wanted to please this alpha.
He wiped at my lids until it felt like he’d removed most of the shadow. Not having the makeup to hide behind almost made me feel more naked than the lingerie I was wearing.
“Much better.”
A rush of heat flowed through me even though the comment wasn’t much praise. A grade of fifty might bemuch betterthan ten, but that didn’t mean it was passing, orgood.
Blinking, I pulled away and stared down at the floor. I didn’t understand why I reacted so strongly to him, but I always seemed to be flushed and confused in his presence. It was frustrating.
He also managed to talk me into things I never should have considered doing, but I couldn’t blame him for my choice to go along with it.
“It’s time to go. Just remember why you’re doing this, and you’ll be fine.”
I resisted the urge to glare. I didn’t need the reminder, I knew exactly why I was here, and my brother was lucky I loved him so much.
And Leo was lucky I needed the money too much to give him a piece of my mind about the idea of selling women on a stage like we were prize cattle.
I watched Leo’s back as he walked to the door. This was my last chance to run. The last moment to change my mind and decide my brother’s safety wasn’t worth selling myself to some uncaring alpha who only wanted to claim what hadn’t been taken yet.
At least I didn’t have I worry about being bonded without my permission. A bond couldn’t form before an omega’s first heat, so I was still safe from that violation. I wasn’t sure I could have agreed to this otherwise. It would have been too much of a risk to put myself at the mercy of an alpha like that.
Taking a deep breath, I forced one foot forward, followed by the other. Eyes locked on Leo’s glossy white shoes, I trailed behind him down a hallway I didn’t bother to look at.
My mind was shutting down, protecting itself from the horror I expected to come. Before I had the chance to completely retreat into my shell, we passed through a doorway into a dark room filled with feminine whispers and giggles.
The first thing I noticed when I looked up was a mirror straight across from us, reflecting the light from the hallway. Heart stumbling, I took a step closer, staring at the image held inside the wooden frame.
Leo was looming behind my left shoulder, his white suit glowing in the low light of the room and showing off his golden complexion. The white lace I wore seemed to shine as well, highlighting the soft contours of my body.
I may have felt like an awkward girl inside, but my reflection showed an enticing young omega, lips pink and cheeks flushed. The bra cupped my small breasts, making them look full and round. The stockings enhanced the length of my slim legs despite not wearing shoes, while they hid the knobby knees I’d hated since I was a child.
I looked sweet, and innocent, and shockingly sexy.
It hit me suddenly that I was something men desired. Alphas, especially. I was something they wanted to have and own and do with as they pleased.
And it was exciting.
My thoughts began to spiral into confusion, but Leo’s hand touching my hip jolted me back to where I was. He turned me away from the mirror, pulling me deeper into the room and away from the door.
As my eyes adjusted, I noticed there were other women dressed in lingerie of varying colors lined along the wall in front of us, and they were the ones whispering. Their scents mingled, a pleasing blend of floral and fruit, and even hints of that subtle sweetness that marked omegas. There wasn’t a single trace of fear or anxiety in the air, and a small part of me relaxed.
There were muffled voices beyond the whispers, and I realized what I had thought was a wall, was actually a curtain. We were on the side of the stage, separated from the audience by the black velvet the other women were peeking through.
“He’s a dom…”
“…filthy rich…”
“…heard he’s hung like a horse.”
The snatches of conversations I caught between the girls left my ears and cheeks burning. None of them seemed worried or reluctant, and while their chatter shocked me, it also eased a bit of worry. It would have been much harder to stand here and imagine what was coming with a bunch of other women who were just as scared. I seemed to be the only reluctant one going up for sale.
I noticed the lady standing at the front of the line as she called the next girl forward, adjusted her bra straps, and sent her through the curtain. The woman was taller than me, almost Leo’s height, and as we got closer, I caught her scent amidst the others, the shock of seeing a female alpha leaving my mouth hanging open as I stared.
