Primal Fear

The damp touch on my bottom lip nearly jolted me from my state of numbness, making me flinch slightly and look at the woman in front of me. My eyes stung, my eyelids felt heavy, and I could barely see her through the thick haze that had settled over my vision.

My head was spinning, but she just smiled broadly.

“There, that should do it. You don’t need makeup—you’re beautiful. Besides, you look younger this way.” She capped the vial of lip gloss and motioned for me to rub my lips together.

I obeyed, there was no strength left in me for any kind of fight.

“Perfect,” she murmured cheerfully, then stepped behind me, brushing through my long black hair one last time before pulling it up into a high ponytail. I closed my eyes, only snapping back to reality when she told me to stand up.

That, however, was easier said than done.

The drugs they had been pumping into me for days had done their job. I had no energy left for anything other than lying down and sleeping.

She didn’t have much patience, though. She gripped my upper arm so hard it hurt and hauled me to my feet. She stood me in front of a full-length mirror, and even in my dazed state, my reflection caught me completely off guard.

I was wearing a sheer, crocheted white dress that clearly revealed the contours of my body, leaving very little to the imagination. My hardened nipples poked through the perforated fabric, and I could feel I wasn’t wearing panties, without even looking. The hem of the dress barely covered my backside.

I had no idea where on earth I was supposed to go looking like this.

The woman stepped behind me and peeked into the mirror. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she lightly tugged the dress up a bit higher.

“I tidied up your little bush downstairs, but I didn’t take it all off. Your man was quite specific with his requests.”

I swallowed hard, nearly choking on the lump in my throat.

“My... man?”

“That’s right, sweetheart. Your man.” She stepped in front of me, meeting my gaze. “You have an incredible body and the face of an angel, so use it wisely. I saw the state you were in when they brought you here, and I know for a fact our group didn’t do that to you.” She paused, sizing me up. “It seems you didn’t have much of a life before all this either...”

“No, but—”

“No buts. This is your reality now, so try to make the best of it.” She exhaled softly. “But you have to be realistic. The man who bought you doesn’t need a woman to cook, clean, or do his laundry. He wants to fuck, so you know what you have to do.”

I swallowed hard again, feeling the tears well up in my eyes, and she immediately warned me

“And no more crying. You haven’t stopped for days. You look ten times worse than you normally would, and it’s in your best interest to look as good as possible.” She paused again, taking me in. “Just because he bought you doesn’t mean he’ll keep you. He could return you today, or a month from now. He paid generously for you, so make him happy.”

She pulled a folder from a desk drawer and gestured with her eyes for me to follow her.

Somehow, I forced my legs to move, taking unsteady steps toward the apartment door, where she grabbed a flimsy little jacket from the coat rack and handed it to me.

“Throw this over your shoulders so you don’t draw too much attention, but make sure you step out in front of him in that exact dress. You stand a better chance if he gets an instant hard-on.”

I took the jacket, and we headed down the stairs toward the building’s exit.

A gust of fresh air hit me, and a gentle but chilly breeze slipped mercilessly beneath my skimpy clothes. I didn’t know where I was, what season it was, or what time of day it was.

Fuck, I barely even knew my own name—though it quickly became clear I might as well forget that, too.

The woman pulled me by the arm and led me over to a blue pickup truck, where a middle-aged man stood leaning against the side.

He was mustachioed, gruff, and massive, wearing a cap and chewing on a toothpick. My heart sank into my stomach as he sized me up with an insolent look and an unreadable smirk.

“Is she ready?”

I looked at the woman in a quiet panic, feeling a small wave of relief when I realized this man wasn’t the one who had bought me.

“Everything’s set. Here are the papers, the contract, and her fake documentation.” She smiled at him. “I hope I don’t need to remind you, Ray—hands off.”

“No worries, Martha.” The man nodded and opened the truck door for me. I looked at the woman, unsure of what to do, and she smiled at me.

“Farewell, sweetheart. I hope we never see each other again, because that would be best for you.”

With unsteady steps, still looking back at the woman, I climbed inside.

The man slammed the door shut so hard I flinched.

From her lips, I read the words “Good luck,” before she turned around and vanished behind the building’s door—likely to prepare another girl for shipment.

I closed my eyes and exhaled softly, feeling my heart fluttering weakly. Though numbed by the sedatives, I was finally fully aware of everything happening to me, and I was terrified to death. I tried hard to steady my breathing, then felt the truck shift as Rey got in. The scent of a pine air freshener mixed with the heavy smell of motor oil made me nauseous, making my head spin relentlessly.

“Like you already heard, I’m Ray. Your driver, and very likely your last contact with civilization,” he said, winking at me as I stared at him, utterly bewildered. He started the engine and pulled away.

At that exact moment, a tight lump formed in my throat, choking me. I stared out the window at the unfamiliar city, dying inside. This place wasn’t familiar, nor were these streets, nor was my own scent.

For a while, I didn’t dare speak—and couldn’t have anyway with the lump in my throat. Ray drove in silence. The clock on the dashboard showed it was two in the afternoon, but it was eerily dark outside regardless. A storm was clearly on the way.

As the neighborhood grew sparser, it became obvious we were reaching the edge of the city. I finally gathered the strength to speak.

“Where are you taking me?” My voice was barely audible and hoarse, but Ray caught it.

“Far away from here, doll. To your man.” His gaze brushed over me for a second, and he winked.

“My man… And where is that?” I blurted out.

“He lives along the coast, on the slopes of the rainforest. It used to be an old settlement, but now it’s abandoned. Far from civilization.”

“Who is he?” I whispered under my breath.

Ray smiled.

“Jax Kane. Our old customer and a real piece of work.”

My stomach knotted. I looked at him and swallowed hard.

“Old customer... How often does he buy girls?”

“This is his first time.” He smiled. “And to be honest with you, girl, I’m not sure if you should cry or rejoice. He’s a beast—a strong, powerful motherfucker. By now, I reckon he’s gone completely feral.”

“Why?” I stammered.

“He used to be in special forces but dropped out for some reason. There are rumors that he even took part in those wild, underground, brutal fights to the death when he was younger. Then some street thugs killed his wife.” He exhaled and cleared his throat. “That was more than ten years ago. After that, he completely pulled away, left civilization behind, and went to live in the wilderness.”

“Alone?”

“Alone. And for the last five years, he’s been trying to get a girl through our group.”