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 dangerou s— and most lucrativ e— 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 u s— even if it's not as fancy as an Elite Alpha can offer he r— 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 want s— need s— 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 announce my engagement to a man I've never met, a man who is paying my father for the privilege of marrying me. I will be shipped from one expensive gilded cage to another. From one prison to the next. Just one more choice my father intends to strip away from me without even taking my thoughts or feeling into consideration.

But I have plans and a life I want to live, and no one will stand in my way. Especially not my father.