His Prize

Chapter 24: Repaying My Debt

I wake up alone in Alex's bed.

I make my way to the kitchen. Still no sign of him. Weird.

The door to the garage is open. Maybe he's in there?

The sight in the garage jolts me awake. Alex is pulling Michael across the car's back seat. He's handcuffed, blindfolded and gagged. His head is hanging off the seat at an awkward angle. "What are you doing!?" I shout as I run to hold Michael's head straight. He's unconscious again.

Alex hauls him further inside, then pulls me back and shuts the car door.

"He's not moving! What did you do!?" I scream.

"Watch your tone." He shakes my whole body with his grip around my arm.

It's disorienting, but I don't care. I use my free hand to try release his fingers. "What did you do to my friend!?"

"Do not raise your voice with me!" He jerks me back and forth.

The violent shaking makes my head ache. "Stop it!" I scream again.

"No! You need to calm down this instant!" He shakes me on every word, as if he was physically forcing them into my head.

"You're hurting me!"

He releases my arm. I stumble backwards and fall on my butt from the dizziness. I rub my head trying to regain my bearings.

"You're fine," he says, "And so is he. He's drugged, not dead."

"Where are you taking him?"

"To the Processing Centre. The company is expecting his return."

"No." I get back on my feet. "You can't send him back. You saw for yourself. If they don't beat him to death, then they'll work him to death. You have to let him go."

"Not going to happen. He has been placed in my custody, meaning they'll soon come looking for him. I'm not allowing 'let human escape' to appear on my record."

"You told them you took him to ask questions. You can say he died in the interrogation."

"And then when the police catch him wondering around the city? I don't think so."

"Then let him go outside the city."

"And risk my entire career for purposefully releasing a human I don't own back into the wasteland!? Are you mad? I'm not risking that for one of your human friends. He's had enough time to recover. He's going back. This conversation is over."

"But-"

"It's over, Nina," he growls, "Now go wait in the kitchen until I return."

I can't let this happen to Michael. I can't. He saved me. I told him I'd protect him. "Please Al-"

"Shut up! You are deliberately disobeying me again. Do you want to spend another night in the wardrobe?"

I don't know what to do. I can't let this happen. I fall to my knees. "I'll do anything. Please."

"Get. Out." He walks towards me.

"I'll be your pet!"

He stops in his tracks.

"I'll be your pet... Willingly. I'll submit... I won't try to escape again. I'll trade my freedom for his. Please."

He clenches his jaw.

"Otherwise, I'll never stop trying to escape. No matter what you do to me, I will fight you until the day I die."

He just stares at me.