The Alpha's Human Property

ALLISON

Smack!

My father's hand landed with a sickening force across my face. "You bitch! You can never get a thing right!" he snarled, his breath smelling of cheap whiskey. "All I asked you to do was to please Mr. Blaze, but what did you do?" he bellowed.

The next minute, he grabbed my hair, pulling it savagely until my head felt detached from my neck.

I couldn't scream. I couldn't cry for help. I was already too used to this torture, and I knew no one would ever come to my rescue. Not even my grandmother, Ellen, the one woman who should have protected me. To them, I was the cursed child, the one who should have died alongside my mother twenty two years ago. My mother had died while giving birth to me and even though it's been twenty two years, my father has never forgiven me for it. He keeps blaming me for taking her away from him. He never ceases to remind me how my mother would have been alive if it weren't for me.

Apparently, my mother had been asked if she wanted to have the child, even though it was dangerous for her at that moment. She chose me over herself.

And maybe my father was right. I was responsible for it. If it weren't for me, she would still be alive.

"You had just one task. Just one damn task!" His voice boomed through the damp room I'd been locked in most of my life. "All you had to do was open your legs and pleasure Mr. Blaze. That's all!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

I've seen my father angry, but he has never looked this way; bloodshot eyes, like someone who was on the verge of spitting fire.

"Because of you, I'm ruined!" Orion said as he added pressure to his hands on my hair and all I could do was stay mute, because I knew what was gonna happen to me if I made a sound. It was gonna give him pleasure and he'll hurt me more than he was doing right now.

He finally released my hair and turned to face his mother.

"It's all your fault, mother." He cursed. "It's all your fault. She wouldn't have turned out this way if you weren't always stopping me from scolding her."

I bit back the urge to laugh. My grandmother has never asked him not to hit me. In fact, she has never stood up for me. The only time she ever did was because she feared that no one would want to buy a badly wounded girl at the auction house I was forced to a few months ago.

"Shut the fuck up, Orion. How the hell is it my fault, huh?" My grandmother shot back.

"I should have killed her a long time ago. I should have buried her alongside her mother, but you stopped me. You fucking stopped me. Now see where it landed us. She turned out to be an ungrateful wench." He spat, venom dripping down his voice.

My grandmother rolled her eyes. "Well, you know what, it's not too late. You can still do it. After all, she's worthless. A worthless child can never be my grandchild."

I could only stare at her in disappointment. She should be protecting me. My grandmother should be protecting me from my beast of a father. Yet, here she was, giving him a go-ahead to do whatever he wanted with me?

I wasn't surprised. In fact, I shouldn't feel hurt at all since I already knew this, but I just couldn't help it.

"Of course I will. I won't die without taking her with me. Mr Blaze is gonna kill me after all."

I whimpered when my father took two steps close to me. "You think you won by stabbing him in the eye?" He turned back, his voice low but deadly.

"He's not just taking his money back, Allison. He's coming here tomorrow. At eight in the morning, he's coming to claim you as his sex slave, forever. And I won't be dying alone, you ungrateful wench. I'll make sure he kills you too."

He was going to sell me as a sex slave to a monster like Blaze? My stomach twisted. I knew what Mr. Blaze was capable of doing. It was no news how he treated the people who worked for him. And now that I had wounded him, he wouldn't just break me....he would savor it. That was the last thing I wanted.

I have to get out of here. I can't let such a thing be my fate. My mother didn't sacrifice her life to have me become a slave. My father slammed the heavy door, plunging the room into darkness. Tears of pure terror streamed down my face.

What the hell have I done to deserve all these? I didn't ask to be born. I didn't choose myself. My mother did. More tears streamed down my face.

"You're such an ungrateful child!" My grandmother's voice tore me away from my thoughts. "After everything your father has done for you, you couldn't even help him out. It was just one fucking task,"

Help him out? By letting a beast like Mr Blaze have his way with me? That old hag? Even if he wasn't old, I'd never do such a thing. I'll never sell my body to anyone, especially now that I am carrying my child.

"Anyways, be ready for whatever happens to you in Mr Blaze's house, because you brought it upon yourself." She hissed before walking away.

If they think that I was going to sit back and have them do whatever they wanted with me, then they're in for a shock, because that'll never happen. I had been planning this escape for weeks, clinging to the promise of the one person I could trust.

I wiped my cheeks, fumbling under the loose floorboard for my cheap phone. The screen flickered to life, illuminating the room in its own way. This was the only source of light in this room. I've been made to stay in a dark room all my life. My father knew how much I hated the dark, yet he never seemed to care.

I quickly sent a message to Elliot, as calling him won't do any good. My father would hear me and that'll only worsen the case. "I can't wait anymore. Mr Blaze is coming tomorrow morning. We need to act fast, Elliot. We need to leave."

Elliot, my kind, trustworthy boyfriend, had promised me freedom from this house. He was my rock, my secret savior, the one person who saw past the shame my family heaped on me. He promised a new life, a safe place. He was the reason I was fighting to survive.

A familiar wave of nausea hit me, and I had to lean against the wall until it passed. It was barely five weeks, and the events of the past few days hadn't helped. I hadn't told Elliot yet, but I would. As soon as he helped me escape, I would tell him that I was carrying his child. That news would surely cement our future.

Despite how I have been locked in this room, I still found a way to meet Elliot. And surprisingly, my father never hit me whenever I left the house to go meet Elliot. Till date, I find myself wondering why he never said anything about it.

The phone vibrated in my hand. It was a message from Elliot. It's not like I had any other contact on my phone.

"How can your father be so cruel, huh? You're his daughter for goodness sake." He added an angry emoji after the text.

"Please get me out of here, Elliot. My Blaze is coming here tomorrow to take me away. He wants me as his sex slave." I pleaded through the text.

"I'm coming, Allie. Don't panic. I'll be waiting for you outside the fence. We need to leave before sunrise."

When? I typed back, my hands shaking.

"Four AM. Don't be late. He gets you at six. I get you at four. That's the best time to leave."

Relief washed over me as I read the message over and over again. He agreed to save me from all of these. Four AM. Two hours before Mr. Blaze. Elliot was coming.

I pressed the phone to my chest, closing my eyes. I didn't care that he was a stranger compared to my family. Elliot had promised me a future, and for the first time in twenty two years, I believed in one. I would jump out that window once it's three AM, and I would finally be free.

I'll tell him about the baby once we're safe, I vowed as I laid back on the mat to sleep. My freedom from this hell hole starts tomorrow.

ALLISON

I woke up exactly at 3:35 AM, heart hammering against my ribs. I hadn't slept deeply. Boy, I couldn't even sleep a wink for fear of what would happen to me if I did, but the little rest I managed had felt like an hour of peace before the war.

I moved silently, so as not to alert my father or my grandmother of my presence. I gathered a few important things I owned: a worn book, my diary, a few pieces of my underwear and the same hairpin I used to defend myself against Mr Blaze. I didn't bother to take my clothes. It's not like I had much of it.

At exactly 3:55 AM, the cheap phone vibrated in my palm. It was Elliot.

"Time to go, Allie. Start coming. We need to leave as early as possible."

A fierce energy pulsed through me. I didn't hesitate. I climbed onto the windowsill, the cold air biting my skin. The drop wasn't far, but the jump was dangerous, but I didn't care one bit.

To me, freedom from this hell hole and from Mr Blaze was worth any risk.

I jumped down, landing awkwardly in the wet grass. The pain was minimal compared to the promise of a future. I ran immediately, not daring to look back at the dark, old house that had been my prison for twenty-two years.

A laughter escaped my lips as I raced down the street. I was finally free. Free from my father. Free from his mother and Mr Blaze. I was fucking free. My lungs burned, but I dare not stop to catch my breath. I finally stopped when I reached a corner, so I could send Elliot a message.

But there, parked a little way off the fence line, was Elliot's familiar beaten-up sedan.

My heart swelled with such overwhelming happiness and relief that I almost sobbed. He was here. He did keep his promise. He was my savior.

I ran straight to him and launched myself into his arms. I clung to him, inhaling the clean scent of his cologne, feeling safer than I had ever felt in my life.

"Elliot, thank you so much. Thank you so much." I whispered, tears of gratitude stinging my eyes. "You have no idea, but you just saved me. You really saved me." I wanted to tell him about the baby.

But he pulled away quickly, his eyes scanning the deserted street nervously. "Yeah, yeah. Of course, Allie. Now get in the car. Hurry up. If your father notices you're gone, he's going to chase after us, and I don't want to deal with Orion."

His rushed manner and slight distance stung a little, but I immediately rationalized it. He was focused on our safety. He was being responsible. Therefore, I decided to wait a little longer to share my news. The time for joy and big announcements was when we were truly safe, when we're truly away from here.

If my father notices that I've left the house, he won't hesitate to inform the police and they'll search for me and bring me back to him. That would mean my death. And that's the last thing I wanted.

"Okay," I agreed, sliding into the passenger seat.

He didn't waste a second. He pulled out onto the road, driving fast, but with precaution at the same time. The dark streets began to give way to the more commercial part of the city. I leaned back, closing my eyes, feeling the tension drain away with every passing mile. We were free.

I brought my hands to my flat stomach and caressed it gently. "We're free, baby. We're free. I'll take care of you. I'll make sure you get all the love in the world. I'll make sure of that." I muttered under my breath. Thankfully, Elliot didn't hear me.

"Are you hungry?" His voice dragged me back to reality. And that was when I realised that my hands were still on my belly. He must have seen the action as hunger. Nevertheless, I nodded slowly. I didn't want to tell him about the baby now.

He threw a wrapped box on my lap and immediately, I opened it. It was a box of chocolates.

"Thank you." I whispered and he nodded. "Anyways, where are we going?" I asked, a hopeful smile finally touching my lips. "I'm ready for whatever you've planned, Elliot."

He didn't answer immediately. His jaw was set, and he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Elliot?" I repeated, my tone laced with tentative worry. "Are you alright? Why are you driving this way? This isn't the road out of the city, is it?"

The street was becoming recognizable in the worst possible way. The buildings were larger and ringed by high fences. The car turned onto a familiar dirt road, and suddenly, my entire body went ice-cold.

My breath hitched in my throat.

I knew this street. I had been dragged down this exact road months ago for the first auction. My stomach dropped like a stone, the sudden nausea of terror instantly eclipsing the familiar morning sickness.

The sweet taste of chocolate in my mouth suddenly became bitter.

"Elliot," I said, the fear rising in my voice. "Stop the car. Please, stop. This isn't right."

He ignored me. His usually kind and open face was now hard. Cold, and utterly unfamiliar. I didn't recognise who I was in the car with. This isn't Elliot. This is a beast.

The car stopped with a jolt outside a massive, unmarked warehouse. A heavy steel door stood slightly ajar.

I looked at the building, then back at Elliot, and the horrifying truth crashed into me like a physical wave.

This wasn't an escape. This was a delivery, into the place I hated most. Corner X. The auction house. The same auction house that I'd been dragged to a few months ago.

Oh goodness! No! No. This cannot be happening.

My mind raced, trying to find a way to deny what my eyes were seeing, what my gut was screaming. He promised to save me from my parents. He loved me. He was my last hope. I had jumped out of my prison only to run straight into a lion's den.

A wave of regret consumed me. I should have stayed home. I should have gladly accepted my fate, rather than coming to meet him. I would rather face Mr. Blaze than this man in front of me. The man who claimed to love me.

I should have stayed home. At least my father's cruelty was honest. All the vessels in my body screamed at me to leave the car and run, but it was as if I was glued to the seat. I couldn't run. Nor could I leave.

His face was stripped of all warmth and now it was replaced by a contemptuous smirk. "This is where your father and grandmother sent you, Allie. I was just the delivery man."

The shock was so profound it left me paralyzed, unable to move or speak. It wasn't just betrayal; it was the calculated cruelty designed to shatter my soul.

How could he do such a thing to me? I fucking trusted him. I trusted him to save me from my parents, but what did he do? He brought me here, to the one place I hated most.

The steel door creaked open, and two burly men stepped out. I recognised them. Maximus's men. They were the same men that had dragged me onto the stage that day. They walked directly toward the car and they were waiting for me to step out.

I finally found my voice. "No, Elliot! You can't do this to me! You loved me! You promised to save me."

A cruel bitter laugh that pierced my heart escaped his lips. "Love you? Did you really think I'd run off with a pathetic, worthless thing like you? Did you really think I'll love a dirty bitch like you?"

He didn't wait for my answer. He quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the car, shoving me toward the terrifying men who were standing outside the car.

"Take her."

ALLISON

I was currently in the makeup room where they prepped women before the auction. The guards immediately pushed me onto a wooden stool in front of a cracked mirror.

"Sit," one of them grunted. "The makeup artists will be here soon. You have to look pretty for the men."

"No one wants to buy an ugly bitch, yeah?" the other sneered, and they both burst into laughter.

"Well, she isn't ugly and I must say she's got pretty legs too. Too bad we're not allowed to touch them, else I'd have taken her to my bed. I'll love to hear her moans."

"I bet she cries when she's been fucked. I'll give my life to know what it feels like to fuck her."

I fixed my gaze on the mirror, pretending I hadn't heard their crude conversation. That's the only way to stop myself from going crazy.

They walked out of the room and stood by the main door, as they talked in low voices about the night's profit and of course 'Me'. I wasn't surprised they'll be so shameless to talk about taking me to their bed right in front of me.

My eyes darted around the room, then back to the door. This was it. My last chance of escape. They hadn't chained me like they did the last time, and they weren't looking.

The cold hairpin I still held in my palm felt like my only friend now. It was the same thing that had saved me from Mr Blaze and I'm sure as hell that it'll save me again. I slowly slid off the stool, wincing as my bruised ribs protested, and I crept toward the door. Every nerve ending screamed at me to run, not just from Maximus, but from the horrifying betrayal from Elliot. I had to get out of all of these as fast as I could.

If not for anyone, for my baby.

My hand reached the cold metal handle, I turned to step out and as if luck wasn't on my side, I ran directly into the betrayer.

Oh goodness. I thought he's left. He was standing right outside, a cruel smirk already on his face.

"Running away so soon, Allie?" he sneered, and before I could even flinch, he slapped me, the sound echoing off the bare walls.

The slap didn't hurt as much as the venom in his eyes. Instinct took over. Driven by sheer terror and the need to protect the life inside me, I kicked him with all my strength, aiming for his groin.

Elliot gasped, doubling over in searing pain, dropping a thick baton onto the floor. It rolled toward my feet. This was my chance! I tried to dart past him, but a voice laced with mockery cut me off.

"Not so fast, peaches." The guard from inside the room was now blocking the doorway. My heart sank. There was nowhere to go.

The two guards grabbed me, pinning my arms and slamming me against the wall. Panic flared, and I sank my teeth into the arm of the nearest guard, hard. He roared in surprise and fury.

Elliot straightened up, his eyes black with hatred. He snatched the baton from the floor. "You want to fight? You little bitch, I'll teach you to fight!"

He began hitting me. Not just with his fists, but with the thick baton in his hands. He didn't avoid my ribs or my stomach; he drove the blows home repeatedly. The two guards, one now nursing a bleeding arm, joined him, kicking and punching.

The pain was overwhelming. It consumed every plea. I couldn't breathe. Nor could I fight back. I was just a weak human serving as a punching bag for three enraged, merciless brutes. And one of them was the same man who had promised to help me escape.

My boyfriend. The person I have loved and trusted with all my heart.

"Stop!" The word tore itself from my throat. I looked at Elliot's face, hoping to see a flicker of the kindness he had created for so long. "Elliot, please! Stop! I'm pregnant! It's your child!"

The confession only meant to be a plea for salvation, ignited the fire in his eyes.

He stopped hitting me for one breath, just long enough to spit out his answer. "Pregnant? You disgusting, worthless piece of trash! I would rather die than see you carry my child!"

He cursed me, insulted me, calling me a dirty bitch who deserved worse than this. Then, his voice became cold, utterly chilling. "Aim for her stomach!" he shrieked at the guards. "Aim for the gut! Kill the baby! I will not have her carry my child!"

"No. No. Please." I pleaded as I tried so hard to shield my stomach with my hands, but the guards didn't relent. They matched me with the boots while Elliott continued to hit me with the baton.

I felt a tear inside me. Then came the warmth, the heavy, undeniable flow of blood.

No. My baby. He's leaving. I couldn't protect him like I'd promised.

Tears streamed down my face, not just from the pain, but from the profound, soul-shattering realization of my loss. The blood wouldn't stop. I cried out, a sound of pure helplessness. I tried to curl up, trying to save the life that was already slipping away.

Finally, they stepped back, breathing heavily. I was left a whimpering, bloody mess on the floor.

"Clean her up," Elliot spat, throwing the baton down. "She's still going on stage."

The guards dragged my broken body from the makeup room into a darker, curtained area backstage. As they forced me into a sitting position on a crate, two figures emerged from the gloom.

"Look at her," my grandmother, Ellen, tutted, shaking her head in mock pity. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out your little secret, Allison?"

My father, Orion, stood beside her, beaming at Elliot. "Our boy, Elliot. He's been so helpful, hasn't he? Feeding us every information, every plan of yours. Did you really think he was going to help you escape from us, huh?"

The horrifying scope of the plot slammed into me.

The reason my father never stopped me from going to meet Elliot. He stopped me from making friends in the neighborhood. He fucking stopped me from attending school, but he turned blind eye the day he saw me with Elliot. I could remember vividly how my heart skipped a beat the day my father saw me standing with Elliot.

I thought he was going to scold me and ask Elliot to leave the way he'd chased my friends away, but he didn't. Instead he just smiled at Elliot, greeted him like he was an old friend of his.

He never stopped me. He hadn't needed to.

I stared at Elliot, who had a huge smirk on his face. He had sent me right into their hands. He had given me fake hope to maximize the pain of the fall.

Betrayal surged through my veins, giving me a reckless burst of strength. I lunged at Elliot, my hand striking out blindly.

"How dare you, Elliot?"

Smack!

It wasn't Elliot who hit me this time. Nor was I the one who hit him. It was Orion. My father slapped me across the cheek, sending me reeling back onto the crate. "Know your place," he hissed.

"If only you had agreed to stay back and serve Mr Blaze, you wouldn't be here." My grandmother stepped forward and tried to touch my face, but I turned my face away. "Poor baby. Look at you. Mr Blaze would have treated you well. Who knows, he'd have made you his wife."

"I hate you all." I cried bitterly. Because of them, I lost my baby."

"You have no idea how much we hate you too, Allison. You should have just died." They watched for a few more minutes, reveling in their victory, before Maximus's men came back and dragged me away.

I was hauled onto the brightly lit auction stage. I lay there, helpless and broken, the pool of blood beneath me a clear testament to the beating I just received. I saw the other girls. Some terrified, some resigned, being bid on and selected. Their numbers kept dwindling.

But no one looked at me, simply I was stained, bruised, and clearly dying. They clearly won't want to have anything to do with me for fear that I'll die on them. I closed my eyes, praying. Please, let no one buy me. Let me die here. Let me leave this world. I can't do it anymore.

The stage was almost emptied, indicating that the sale was over.

Maximus's heavy voice boomed across the hall. "Get this filth out of here! I told you, no dying goods!" The two guards who had beaten me started toward the stage, their intent clear: to finish what they'd started. That was a rule in the auction house. If no one buys you, then the guards were free to do whatever they wanted with you.

The only reason I wasn't killed the last time was because of Mr Blaze. Yes. Mr Blaze. He asked the auction officers to let me be. He had to pay the sum of $20,000 to free me.

Now three months later, he wants my dad to pay up the money. He was willing to ignore the debt only if I pleased him.

Just as their shadows fell over me, a commanding voice sliced through the silence of the nearly empty hall. His voice resonated with an authority that made the very air vibrate, stopping the guards instantly.

"I'LL BUY HER."