~Dahlia's POV~
The next time I opened my eyes, a wrenched cry escaped my lips when I found myself in a room filled with women of different colors and sizes all dressed in sheer clothings and heavy makeup.
I wondered how I got here, and most importantly, I wondered who must've changed my clothing, because just like the other women, I was also dressed in something just as flimsy and did little to nothing to hide my body.
The dress was a sheer red silk dress that had more lace than silk. Its neckline was so deep, it plunged down to the top of my stomach. It was a miracle that my breasts hadn't spilled out of it yet. I frowned when I noticed the large slits on both sides of my legs; I was sitting on the floor now but I knew that if I stood up, those long slits would do nothing to hide my long legs and thigh. If it even managed to hide my crotch then that would be a success.
My frown deepened as I looked around. It wasn't until I paid attention to my surroundings, and then remembered the words that the crazed slave trader had said to me before I passed out that I finally realized what was happening. I was being auctioned! Sold like he had asked his soldiers to.
Tears sprung into my eyes at the thought but right now, I was more worried for Amara than I was for myself. At the thought of her, I glanced around me in fear.
"Where's my daughter?!" I rushed out frantically, my voice hoarse from crying for a long time but no one answered. They barely looked at me.
My heart thrummed wildly against my chest when I still couldn't find her and I exhaled, letting out air when I sighted her at a distance being held by one of these ugly looking men, but she had her eyes trained on me.
I hated that she had to see me like this. Hated that she had to go through any of these. My eyes never left her face, even for a moment and I was only snapped out of my thoughts when an ugly looking man with large arms and a wide gash on the left side of his face came over to pick me up.
He didn't say a word to me but his actions were enough to threaten me as he simply pointed to a knife secured tightly into his belt and nodded. I took the hint and remained silent, even forgetting to cry as I had intended to. The large man helped me up into a transparent box-like cage with a single fluorescent light on top of it, and from here, I could see the men below, most of which were old and wrinkly. They leered openly at me, all clamoring to touch me- or to have a taste of me.
I waved discreetly at Amara who waved back.
"Our first bounty for today… Dahlia Sinclair. An Omega, 5'3, with blue eyes and soft ginger hair. Perfect to be tamed and has just all the features desired by a man in bed… and ahh, there's a plus. She has a daughter!" The host called out with a triumphant voice, only stopping to pin me with a glare.
"Bidding price starts from Two thousand dollars!" He screamed, making the men cheer on but as soon it dawned on them that I had a daughter, they all looked away.
And for the first time that evening, I smiled.
My smile remained on my face even as I was made to stand there—shamefully— for another five minutes, and when the host was certain that no one was willing to spend a penny on me, he ushered me off the box, whilst apologizing to the men.
I had thought that that was where my degradation would end but I was wrong. However, as soon as I was ushered backstage and led into one of the rooms, the 'Master', Peter, came in; and for a split second, I feared that he was one of those perverted men who would try to assault me sexually. But what he did was worse.
He beat me up.
My head reeled when the first punch landed on my face and he didn't stop there. He continued to hit me mercilessly, whilst blaming me for not being able to attract the men.
When he was done, he released Amara to me and for the first time since that evening, I felt at peace- save for the gnawing pain he had inflicted on me. And I cried, more out of relief that my daughter was now with me than the pain.
Right there and then, I deduced that I had to leave this hellhole too, but how?
The house was heavily guarded, and usually that should be enough reason why I'd want to give up but I couldn't.
Not because of me but my daughter… and I'd rather go through the seven levels of hell than allow her to grow up in a place like this.
*
This would be my fate for the next couple of months. They would usually take me out for auctions at the start of a new week but return me back shortly afterwards because 'I have a daughter', and Peter, at the end of the day, would always seal it up by beating the living daylights out of me.
The only good side though: my daughter remained with me.
My torment continued for a couple of months until one day, I overheard Peter and the rest talking about taking me to the dark auction house called 'The jungle'. The jungle auction house was a nightmare, only inhabited by brutes and psychopaths. My heart fell when I learned of this but by the time I did, it was too late.
I had already been dolled up, dressed in a see through silver long dress with ropes as its sleeves and slits long enough to part oceans and my body also had been pampered with the sweetest smelling body oils that anyone could think of.
As usual, I was led into a large transparent box but this time, rather than putting me up for auction alone, they brought in Amara as well, bringing her to stand just beside me inside the box. My heart plummeted.
In panic, I spun on my heels, and when my eyes connected with Peter's, I immediately went on my knees and cried; "Please… please get her out. I promise to be as sultry as possible and get men to buy me tonight. Just do not involve my daughter in this!"
Something about my pleas probably made him feel high and mighty— or maybe it's just how he usually was— because then he stalked over. He made sure that I caught a glimpse of the gun in his hilt, and with the most sadistic smile I've ever seen, he snapped;
"Now shut up. Today I'm taking no chances. It's either you are bought or your daughter is… and mind you, whichever of you steps out of this cage without being acquired would face the receiving end of these silver bullets."
It was a threat. That I was damn aware of.
I shuddered as the panic surged through me, my heart beating so fast and so hard that I feared I would pass out. I knew that it was today or never. I had to find a way to get us bought… to get us out from Peter's care.
My eyes scanned the crowd and when I was only met with the scary faces of brutes even more dangerous than Peter, my heart dropped.
"No… No." I cannot subject my daughter to a life like this. I cannot stand by and let this happen.
However, I was snapped out of my thoughts when the host's voice rang through the now noisy place, above the cheering and leering voices of despicable men whose faces showed the kind of torture they were capable of inflicting. A shiver ran through my body when I caught sight of many staring at my exposed legs and cleavage, the scenting oils accentuating my skin to make them even more pronounced and attractive.
"Our fourth item for today… Dahlia Sinclair. An Omega, 5'3. Blue eyes and luscious ginger hair. Perfect for bedroom services! She has a daughter… the little one standing close to her."
Unlike other auction houses, as soon as the host mentioned my daughter, the crowd broke into wild cheering and even went as far as whistling. One glance at their faces and my skin crawled with disgust— they found her just as pretty, if not more attractive than they found me.
Perverts.
I could faintly feel Amara's presence beside me but I couldn't bring myself to look at her so I squeezed her hand gently.
"Bidding price starts from one thousand dollars!"
The crowd cheered again but before anyone could name a price, a man at the furthermost part of the room raised his bid card and growled; "Four million dollars!" And as soon as he did, the crowd went silent.
"Four million dollars going… going. Gone!"
The way the man's voice sent a shiver down my spine almost made me cower in fear but right now, that was the least of my problems. My problem was with the man who had bought me.
He had green eyes but from here, I couldn't see anything else besides that. Something about his eyes however stood out to me… it drew me in, in an electrifying manner, sending goosebumps scattering across my skin.
It took me a moment to grasp why I felt this way and when I did, I gasped.
He was my mate.
And he looked marvellous. And wicked. Wicked as sin.