Page 9 of The Alpha's Fake Mate
A hush fell over the room and only then did I realize I’d yelled the words.
“Why the fuck are they in here!” I yelled.
The Alphas all stopped talking and glanced through the crowd in my direction. My Omega peers all turned to look at me, too.
Harly touched my arm. “Shhh! Don’t be rude! They’re invited.”
My eyes burned. I kept gulping air as a chill came over me at getting everyone’s attention.
I wanted to run but I couldn’t move. It was as if time had stopped and I was paralyzed, able to see but not comprehend. I leaned back, feeling the hardness of the wall behind me for support. Darkness threatened the edges of my vision.
The tallest Alpha of the six, and the youngest and most handsome, raised both eyebrows as he stared at me. An older Alpha with gray at his temples leaned in to speak to him.
Warden Chirl nodded as if he heard what was said. “You’re welcome here.” He held out his arms in an open gesture.
The Alphas continued forward into the room, into our safe space.
More nods. More forced smiles. All the attention that was turned onto me seconds ago reverted back to the six intruders.
But the young Alpha kept staring at me and I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I could feel was danger. But in reality, these Alphas acted as normal as anyone.
Chirl turned and spoke to the room.
“The new owner of Zilly’s has come today to tour our farm. Now, he is the owner which means he has free reign. You are to show these men all courtesy and assist them if they have questions.”
The young Alpha’s eyes flashed and his jaw firmed as he dropped his gaze from mine and took in the room.
“Hello,” he said.
His voice a deep rumble, rich and strong, vibrated the air and tumbled straight through me. My mouth went dry.
“My name is Orion. Now I know I’m new and this usually isn’t done this way, but I want to assure you all I am here to assess this farm as a whole. I’ve never been here before, and if improvements need to be made, as well as updates to your living conditions, I want to hear about it. Your house-dads have surveys to pass around to you all. I hope you fill them out. I intend to read each and every one.”
A new owner! What if he didn’t like what he saw? What would happen to us?
The way he lorded himself! At such a young age, what would he know about anything yet? He was obviously unbonded, like a lot of Alphas who preferred to remain that way and treat Omegas only as breeders for their young, keeping the Alpha babies and shipping Omegas off to be raised on the farms.
His stupid survey was a ruse, I was sure. To keep us in line. To learn how better he could control his new asset. Not for one minute did I think he would spend any of his own precious money to make life for us here an improvement over what it was: to be chattel for Alphas in the Burn. We were primed and programmed since infancy to be sold for sex, and there was no other way to sugar coat it.
I watched my house-mates stand tall, some even combing their hair back with their fingers, primping and preening for the pack of Alphas now invading our private space. When before I might have gone with the flow, pushing down my secret resentment, now it all came flooding out.
My rage made me dizzy.
When the Alpha Orion was done giving his speech, smiling with his perfect white teeth, wavy brown hair glistening with gold streaks in the light, his gaze sought me again.
I nearly hissed as I gave him my worst glare. My breaths came fast.
His brow furrowed. His head tilted. One of the other Alphas put a hand on the center of his back and his body stiffened, the muscles bunching under his suit blazer, tugging at the arms and shoulders.
He was a big one. At least six-three.
What was he seeing that made him keep looking at me? A pathetic human who couldn’t care for himself? A lowly Omega who dared meet his gaze? Prey?
My palms pressed hard against the cool wall behind me, grounding me.
The Alpha turned away. He approached Chirl and said something low that I couldn’t hear.
Warden Chirl looked in my direction, then replied. All I heard were murmurs and the heavy breathing around me of excited Omegas all dreaming of bondmates and children and rich Alphas sweeping them off their feet.
