Page 8 of Omega's Triplets

It was nothing like the beautiful omega life Maddy had been raised to expect. Omegas were to be treated like queens—that was what she had always been told. But these girls were treated more like livestock. Whatever their new masters did with them once they’d been purchased, it was no doubt horrible. Maddy wanted no part of it. Her cell might be cold and dirty, but at least everyone kept their hands off her.

But now, she was going to be auctioned off. She probably should have seen it coming. She was definitely old enough to be mated now. But the thought still filled her with fear.

The Death Fang took her by the arm dispassionately and pulled her out of her cell. Maddy didn’t try to resist—she knew better than to do that by now—but she received another surprise when they turned left, toward a door she’d never been through before. “Where are we going?” she asked.

“You’re to meet with the alpha.”

The alpha.“Why do I need to meet him?”

“He asked for you,” the Death Fang said shortly, giving her arm a tug even though she wasn’t lagging behind. Maddy ached to pull away from him. She hated him. Would it kill him to give her a little information about what was going on, what was going to happen to her?

But if she tried to get away, it wouldn’t go well. She would be beaten again. Oh, they were always so careful when they beat her. They would never do anything to damage her permanently. She knew what her body was worth to them. If she was injured beyond repair, if there was anything significantly wrong with her, she wouldn’t be able to bear healthy litters. And then, the Death Fangs wouldn’t be able to sell her for as high a price.

It was a fact she’d grown up with, a fact she’d known since she’d been a teenager. But she knew just as surely that their reluctance to damage her wouldn’t stop them fromhurtingher. They were creative. Subconsciously, she traced the scars on her left palm with the tips of her fingers. Those had been particularly painful.

The Death Fang dragged Maddy through a series of doors and into a chamber she’d never entered before. It was like something out of another world, with plush furniture and a carpet so soft she wanted to curl up and go to sleep on it. The room was full of women, all of whom turned to watch as Maddy entered. She wondered if they’d smelled her coming in.

At the head of the room sat a man who had to be the alpha. He wore an open leather vest and faded jeans, and Maddy supposed he was probably about forty years old. His hair was close cropped and steely gray, and his eyes were narrowed in dislike.

“Which one is this?” he asked the Death Fang who’d brought her in.

“Twenty-two.” They didn’t use her name. No one had spoken Maddy’s name in years. She whispered it to herself at night, making sure she wouldn’t forget the sound.Madison. Maddy. I’m Maddy Wood.

“Bring her here,” the alpha said.

The Death Fang led her forward, stood her before the alpha, and then retreated several steps. Maddy went along with it. There was no use fighting them.

The alpha signaled to one of the women. “Isla. Examine her.”

The woman stepped close, her hands exploring Maddy’s body. She was clinical about it, which was some relief. Maddy had seen the way the men at auction lingered over the parts they liked, squeezing the women’s breasts and asses for far longer than should have been necessary. Isla merely moved her hands over Maddy, checking for any damage. Finally, she looked up. “She’s in good shape,” she said. “No broken bones. Organs seem all right. A few scars here and there, but nothing that should diminish her value significantly.”

“Good. Take her through.”

“Wait a minute,” Maddy spoke up. She’d had enough of the fact that no one was speaking to her. It was a risk, but if you didn’t take risks then you never got answers. “Where are you taking me, exactly?”

The alpha raised his eyebrows. “You’re questioning me?”

He sounded more amused than offended, and Maddy was emboldened to continue. “I think I have a right to some information,” she said.

The alpha laughed. “Omegas don’t have rights. Omegas should be grateful for what they get.”

“I’m being sold at auction, right? That’s what this is about?” The best way to get to the answers she wanted was to just ask the questions and not quibble over whether she had any right to ask them.

“You’re at prime breeding age,” the alpha said. “And you’ll be very attractive once you’re polished up a little. We’ll get a good price for you at auction.”

“So, where are you taking me now?” she asked. “The auction isn’t for a week yet.”

“We could hardly march you out onto the stage looking like that, could we? We don’t want our buyers knowing that our omegas sleep in cages. They pay more if they think you’ve been pampered.”

“So, you’re going to fatten me up for slaughter, essentially.”

The alpha glanced to the side and gave a slight nod. Immediately, the man who had brought Maddy in stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. The impact left her ears ringing and her eyes watering. She stumbled and almost went to her knees, but Isla caught her and held her upright. The other woman’s touch was as dispassionate as if she were straightening a lamp that had been in danger of toppling over.

“No more questions,” said the alpha. “Take her away.”

Isla grabbed Maddy by the wrist and led her out of the chamber, through a back door, and down a stone hallway. Maddy’s cheek still stung from the force of the slap. She felt like crying, but she wouldn’t give the Death Fangs the satisfaction of knowing they’d hurt her.

Isla led Maddy into a beautiful, high-ceilinged bathroom. It was, she thought, probably the biggest bathroom she’d ever been in, although it was hard to be sure. Her bathrooms at the house in Los Angeles, before her kidnapping, had been nice.

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