Buying the omega, p.1
Buying the Omega, page 1
Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2024 Jade Marshall
ISBN: 978-0-3695-1035-8
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
For anyone who loves their Daddy.
BUYING THE OMEGA
The Sanctuary, 2
Jade Marshall
Copyright © 2024
Content Warning
Buying the Omega may contain triggers for some. As a reader, I find trigger warnings to be spoilers, but as an author, I understand that they are sometimes necessary. Although I am not going to list each one, there are many, please check my website for a complete list of specific trigger(s).
https://jademarshallauthor.wordpress.com/katu-wolves
For those of you who wish to go in blind, please remember that this is a work of fiction, and I DO NOT condone any of the situations or actions of the characters.
Prologue
Welcome to the Sanctuary. Here, once a year, the Black-Market Auction takes place.
At the Sanctuary, anything and everything is available, for the right price. But the most prized items are the omegas.
It’s a way for some of them to make money and better their lives, while for others it’s an escape. A way to be with a feared Alpha in the safety of the Sanctuary. But there are rules attached to the purchase of an omega.
All purchases must be settled in full before you are allowed access to the omega.
No one is allowed to permanently mark an omega.
No one is allowed to claim an omega.
You are only permitted twelve hours with your omega.
Chapter One
Jonah
Tonight is the night.
I have been planning this night for more than a year. I have been saving every dime of my money to ensure that once I get to The Sanctuary for the annual auction I can’t be outbid. I have a special omega in mind, and I will be the one to claim her.
I happen to know she will be there tonight, auctioning herself off to get out of the life she is living.
Autumn.
My beautiful Autumn.
Her father all but holds her hostage in their house, pretending to protect her. In reality, he is hoping to sell her off to the highest bidder. I know he is planning to use her to further his own status as an Elite Alpha and he doesn’t give a flying fuck what that means for her. He only cares about what it will do for him.
Marrying Autumn off to the right Elite Alpha will not only net him a lot of money but once she is married and has children, the two families will be bound to each other and will help elevate his status. Money and social elevation are the only things that matter to men like him.
How do I know this?
I worked for her father as a personal bodyguard. For two long years I protected him, I put my life in danger for him, did everything he wanted. Hell, I’ve even taken a bullet for that bastard. I’ve seen him in action and he will happily walk over others to get what he wants, no matter what happens to anyone else.
But then his daughter came home from boarding school. I never even knew he had any children and suddenly, there she was. A vision that nearly brought me to my knees. A beauty that should never be allowed anywhere near the likes of someone like me. Pure and untainted by the kind of life I have lived.
It was lust at first sight. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, and I couldn’t stop my mind from slipping down the gutter. I did my best to fight it, but it was always there in the background. So, I decided to talk to her father. Biggest mistake of my fucking life. He lost his mind when I asked if she was available for marriage. He cursed and shouted before firing me on the spot.
Even though I couldn’t be around her daily, I still had eyes on her. A friend of mine is part of her father’s protection detail and he passes me information I would otherwise be unable to access. Making sure she is safe and happy has always been my highest priority.
I spent the next year and a half taking the most dangerous—and most lucrative—assignments all over the world. Anytime I was not working, I was stalking the woman that filled my every thought, waking and sleeping. Making sure she was safe even if I couldn’t be there to protect her myself.
I know more about her than anyone else does. From her favorite colors and food, to the songs she sings when she thinks no one is around to hear her off-key singing. I know she longs to live a life away from her father and all the expectations that have been thrust upon her. At the auction, I plan to buy her for the night, but I don’t intend on letting her go after that. I already have a house set up for us—even if it’s not as fancy as an Elite Alpha can offer her—with everything she could ever want or need. The perfect way for her to escape from her current gilded cage.
I will be keeping her forever. Now all I have to do is beat everyone at the auction and convince her she wants—needs—to be with me.
****
Autumn
“It’s your twenty-first birthday, my dear. What would you like as a present this year?” my father asks after we finish breakfast.
I take him in. For as long as I can remember, my father has always been immaculate, never a single hair out of place. His pressed navy-blue suit, crisp white shirt, and the slate-gray striped tie are perfect, spotless. Staring at him, I wonder if his head would explode if I told him the truth. There is only one thing I want, and it is the one thing I can never have.
Freedom. A life away from him and his hunger for power.
We’ve had this argument before and I don’t feel like being talked down to on my birthday, so I smile demurely instead, not answering his question. I tried to explain the way I felt last year and the speech he gave me almost drove me to tears. Having to listen to him talk down to me, explaining how lucky I am, that there are thousands who would love my life, and I am an ungrateful, spoiled brat, is not something I want to repeat.
“What about a new car? I hear there is a new model of your car. It’s supposed to be very sleek and has an excellent safety rating,” he muses, clearly not bothered that I didn’t answer. He doesn’t actually care what I think or want as proven through the years.
“I have a car,” I say softly, even though I know for a fact it won’t make a damn difference.
“Yes, but this one is better, Autumn.” He chides me like a small child, rolling his eyes.
He has already moved on to his own devices, leaving me alone to wish for things I will never have. My heart hurts for all the things I want to do with my life and will never be able to.
My cell phone vibrates against the polished wooden tabletop, and I consider ignoring it but flip it over and read the text: Please report to The Sanctury no later than 19h00 tonight. If you are late, you will not be eligible for the auction. Regards. The Sanctuary Management.
Shit.
I quickly delete the message and put my phone into my jacket pocket. I have planned this down to the finest detail. Everything is in place for tonight, I only have to keep my plans hidden from my father for ten more hours. And then I will be free.
I overheard two of the guards speaking a couple of months ago. They were saving for the auction at The Sanctuary, each wanting to bid on an omega, or even bid together and share an omega. The moment I heard them speaking I knew the auction would be my way out. I need to get away from my controlling father and this is how I will do it.
Hearing their talk about sharing an omega both shocked and intrigued me. I wasn’t sure I’d be interested, but I still spent a few hours on the Internet looking up those kinds of situations.
When I signed up for the auction I didn’t know the auction would be happening tonight. My father has been planning my twenty-first birthday party for the better part of three months. The guest list continues to grow by the minute and he has even pre-selected an outfit for me to wear to showcase his perfect omega daughter to all his stuck-up friends.
“Who is texting you?” my father asks, studying me closely.
“Jenna,” I say with a smile. “She wants to take me shopping before the party tonight. Will that be a problem?”
“Not at all,” my father replies, returning my smile. “Jenna is the only friend you have that I approve of, Autumn. Just take one of your bodyguards with you and make sure to be back here and ready by eight o’clock.”
“Yes, Father,” I say, cutting into the buttered toast on my plate. “I’m looking forward to the party and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Lying has become easier in these past months, but it is necessary. I haven’t been friends with Jenna for more than a year but she fits my narrative perfectly.
After I fulfill my obligation tonight at the omega auction, I will have enough money to get away from this hellhole and my father. There is a great big world waiting out there for me to conquer and I can’t wait to start on this new adventure. I refuse to allow my father to rule my life one more day.
I’ve also heard my father talking on the phone and tonight he plans to announc
But I have plans and a life I want to live, and no one will stand in my way. Especially not my father.
Chapter Two
Jonah
My hands are sweaty as I wait for the auction to start. I haven’t been this nervous since I went on my first date in high school. I have no idea when Autumn will be up for auction, and I may have to wait until the last omega is up before I can finally get what I want. But I am willing to wait the rest of my life if that’s what it takes to have Autumn in my life.
“The auction will commence in ten minutes,” a tinny voice says through the overhead speakers.
My heart rate kicks up a notch as adrenaline dumps into my system. I take in the Alphas around me, each on edge and ready for the auction to begin. Fear claws at my throat at the though of another Alpha being able to outbid me but I push it down. I will not fail on my mission. Autumn will be mine.
There are a limited number of omegas available for purchase and only a few Alphas will get their hands on one. Every omega is rare and should be cherished, although not all are. If an omega is lucky enough to be born into the Elite designation, they are safe and often sent to schools where they can be groomed away from the dangers an Alpha can present.
But I have also seen the other side when an omega is born into the lower ranks. They pay exorbitant amounts for suppressants that often fail. An omega in the open can lead to chaos and pain.
Alphas are not known for their self-control, especially when an omega is involved. Through my work and travels, I have unfortunately seen things that would make most people vomit. The world can be a dark and dangerous place.
“The auction is now live,” the voice says drawing me from my thoughts, before an older, well-dressed male walks across the stage toward a raised podium.
I can scent the fear rolling off the beta male in waves. I know from my research that the Black brothers employ many omegas here at The Sanctury and their other businesses. The Sanctuary is aptly named too. The Black brothers take in omegas from all walks of life, offering them a safe place to live and work. Sanctuary.
It makes sense to only have betas working on auction nights. With this many Alphas gathered together, the scent of an omega could send us into a frenzy, putting all the omegas in danger whether they are here for the auction or not.
“Thank you for joining us tonight,” he says into the microphone, nerves evident in every word. “There are six omegas available for purchase.”
A murmur of outrage goes through the gathering. There are more than thirty Alphas here and not nearly enough omegas to go around, even if some were willing to share.
The man waits until everyone quiets down before continuing. “All sales are final. A room will be provided for the winning bidders for the duration of the evening. No omega is permitted to leave the premises before the designated time has passed. Omegas may not be permanently harmed or marked.”
I can’t imagine the consequences of breaking any of the rules. Each Alpha was requested to sign a contract stating they would keep to the rules as well as pay a hefty deposit simply for the honor of being here. We are also not allowed to discuss anything that happens here with outside parties. I am quite sure a lawsuit would be the least of my problems if I should break the binding document.
The Black brothers are not known for their compassion or for letting things slide. They run the underground in the city. Everything from guns and drugs to this little brothel and auction house. If it’s illegal, they have a finger in the pie. The one caveat being the trafficking of women.
“Lot number one,” the man says before a glass box with a naked female rises from the floor.
****
Autumn
I stand in line, naked.
I watch as the first box is raised from beneath the stage, the small dark-haired woman tied to a wooden cross, her nudity on full display for the Alphas here to bid.
I fight every instinct to cross my arms over my breasts and hide myself. It won’t do me any good. I’m up next and already an older woman is helping me into a box of my own and tying me to a similar wooden cross.
Biting my lip, I fight back the tears already burning in my eyes. I have never been this mortified in my entire life. If I had known this was part of the auction, I would have rethought my position before signing that damn contract.
It was easy enough to give my bodyguard the slip, all I had to do was fake a female hygiene emergency and he went sprinting to the nearest pharmacy. I tipped the saleswoman and slipped out through the back door and into a waiting cab. Jenna never showed up because she wasn’t aware of our shopping trip.
I left my handbag, cell phone, and most of my jewelry in the changing room. I know my father has a way to track me, I just don’t know what it is. Hopefully, I have discarded the tracker and it will be hours before he knows I’m missing.
“Sold,” I hear the man say through the overhead speakers, his voice echoing around the large room and drawing me out of my thoughts.
“Lot number two,” he announces as my box slowly lifts onto the stage. “This is the only verified virgin in tonight’s auction. Bidding will open at one hundred thousand dollars.”
Heat burns through me as a blush covers my face. I’ve never been discussed like this and knowing that these men, these Alphas, can see everything has shame flooding my system. I struggle against my bonds, trying to close my legs, but it’s no use. I hear a few Alphas chuckle before the bidding starts.
“One hundred,” a voice calls from the back.
“One ten,” another calls.
“One twenty.”
And so on until the gavel slams down on the podium. “Sold for one hundred and ninety thousand to the gentleman with the red tie,” the auctioneer announces.
I must have been lost in thought because I missed everything. The glass box descends below the stage once more and I am untied. A different woman leads me down a well-lit corridor to a room where she leaves me alone.
“Don’t fight the Alpha,” she says flatly. “He has paid for the right to use your body as he sees fit. If you fight him, it will be so much worse.”
I don’t get the opportunity to ask her any questions before she is gone, the door closed and locked behind her.
Taking a deep breath, I try my best to calm my nerves before I assume the position we were taught at the finishing school I attended. Standing naked, at the foot of the bed, eyes downcast.
And then I wait for the Alpha that has paid to fuck me but has also unknowingly paid for my freedom.
Chapter Three
Jonah
Excitement thrums through my veins as I stand before the door of the designated room where my prize waits for me. Autumn.
Tonight is about me. Tomorrow will be about her.
I have craved her for too long, held myself back, and prepared for this moment. I have dreamed about this, craved it. Now that the moment has arrived I find myself on edge. Pushing the door open, I take in the room with its dark wood accents and white bedding before allowing myself to take her in.
At the foot of the bed stands Autumn, the omega I just spent my life savings on. Her auburn hair hangs over her shoulders in loose waves, head tilted down, hands clasped in front of her.
