14 Months 01: Halloween

"Darius," came the croaky voice of his mentor, Byron. "You have your target?"

"I do," he answered with a grin and reversed the camera on his phone to show the comatose girl laid out on the bed.

"You're the ninth of thirteen," Byron said as he also turned to show the screen behind him as well as the men of the current council. Darius's name, along with a picture of his sleeping beauty filled the ninth position on the board, and he was glad he had not left it until the last minute to check-in. While others beyond the first thirteen to check-in could continue with their plans, they would not be included in the challenge. This year was only the second time he had decided to play with his brothers, and while he hadn't won the first game he had undertaken, he had enjoyed the challenge of it and learned from his mistakes and those competing against him.

"Some of the brothers are eager this year. I hadn't expected so many to check in this early," Darius chuckled. "I will send through her status information by the start of business as agreed. Her physical checks will be completed tomorrow, and you will get those results as soon as I do."

"You have one month to secure your contract, including a standard nondisclosure agreement. The first challenge will be issued on the first of December during a formal dinner event," Byron said formally.

"Understood," Darius nodded.

"Good luck, Darius," Byron nodded and ended the call.

Darius sent a quick text to the team he had assembled and pocketed his phone. The drug she had been given should keep her knocked out for a few hours, so he opened the door to admit Doctor Susan Howard. She gave him a curious look and turned her attention to the young woman on the bed.

"A little young, isn't she?" Susan said letting a small teasing smile crack the blank expression she usually wore within the Alliance. Darius was a big Nordic Viking of a man, to see he had chosen to take this small girl amused her. She had thought he would want a tall, blonde, buxom model type, but this girl was none of those things. Sure, she would be pretty in a girl next door way once she had scraped all the makeup off her face, but she was no bombshell which Susan would have thought would be more Darius's type. She wondered if he had competed in the challenge before if that girl was petite like this one.

"Don't let the costume fool you; she is more than old enough," Darius shrugged. He'd done his research well. He knew Sophie's life story, including her tragic history and how she came to work in the club for the twisted woman who had attempted to sell her like a bottle of the cheap booze in her storage rooms.

Susan said nothing else as she went about taking blood samples from the young woman and giving her a general check over to make sure she was healthy and going to recover from the sedative she had been given to transport her to this house in the middle of nowhere. Having been a player in the game herself, she understood more than anyone what this girl would go through upon waking and that Darius needed to be the first person she saw so she could have her questions answered. Susan knew why Darius had chosen her for his team over more suitable men with ties to the Alliance, and that reason had more to do with her history than her medical skill. Without the Alliance, she wouldn't be a doctor now, and she would owe them that debt for the rest of her life.

"All done for now," she said primly stand up and closing her medical bad. "I'll have these couriered to the lab and rushed through. Call me when she wakes, she will probably have all the symptoms of a bad hangover and will want some pain relief."

"Thank you," Darius murmured. "Can you tell Trent to come in, please." Not waiting for her reply even if she had given one, he stepped closer to the bed again. Even in her costume, with her face caked with too much make up the girl was lovely. In his mind's eye, he could imagine all she could become given the time and right influences. Giving her a new life, a life with him initially, would not be a hardship at all, and he smiled to himself. He wished he had have taken more time in choosing his partner last time he entered the challenge but finding a true orphan with no ties to family was difficult in this day and age where kinship care was the preferred placement for children entering the system.

There was no way to rig this game with a girl who had family ties. All facts were checked and double-checked under a microscope, and not all brothers were fortunate enough to find an orphan that met their desires as this girl met his. He just hoped she had the sense to see this change in her circumstances as the opportunity it was rather than rebel against it as so many did at first. Andrew had told him stories of how Susan had been targeted for the challenge and her stubborn refusal to accept the contract offered to her. It had only been the promise of a place at university to study medicine that had swayed her in the end, but she did not play the game well even after signing the next year of her life away. Andrew had to constantly bargain and negotiate with the woman, which was something Darius would not do and would make that clear from the outset.

"Mr Blackstone," Trent said quietly stepping into the room. "I can take over for you now," he said quietly. "All of the monitoring equipment is set up, and security has been posted."

"Thank you," Darius said with a nod. He took one last look at the girl laid out on the bed and left the room to go and shower the filth of night off himself. He knew he had frightened her, that she had seen too much and that he was going to have to explain his actions in her abduction when she woke. It wouldn't be an easy conversation, but she had to accept that Michelle had sold her as one might a possession.

As much as Susan was a success story of the game, Michelle had been a failure. She hated the rules and expectations placed on her by society preferring the darker edgier world of sex, drugs and pretty crime. She had set up her own business with the money she had earned and never went too far into the criminal sphere knowing she was monitored from time to time by the Alliance. She was also in a good position to recruit girls from the streets. Girls, mostly runaways, with no one to miss them should they disappear and on the rare occasion, as with Sophie, a true orphan.

He'd been in the right place at the right time to intercept that information and been taken in by the girl's sweet innocent appearance in the photo sent by Michelle. He had researched Sophie's background himself, keeping the details to himself and making a deal with Michelle to acquire her. Sophie would never know any of that, however. She needed to believe Michelle sold her to the highest bidder and had paid the consequences for trafficking humans like livestock. He felt no guilt about Michelle's demise, she had served her purpose and if she was playing a losing game selling girls to other more disreputable men. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out, swiping the screen and lifting it to his ear saying nothing.

"The clean up is done. No trace of employment past or present and the girl's belonging have been put in storage. The raid is in progress, and we expect the body will be found momentarily," the disembodied voice of one of Darius's most trusted men, Brendan, told him what he needed to know succinctly.

"Leave someone to monitor the fallout and get back to the office. We'll need to troubleshoot the situation later today, no doubt," Darius said and ended the call without pleasantries.

Curiously he brought up the screenshot he had taken of the entry board for the game and checked the names. He was pleased to see several men from his brotherhood were in the game, and he zoomed in on the picture of Sophie lying on the bed as if asleep, her sweet angelic face painted almost ludicrously and the costume tight and revealing. A sweet innocent-looking prostitute was such an oxymoron, and his mind revelled in the two sides of this girl. Her public persona would be as angelic and sweet as she looked but at home with him... He grinned to himself. He would teach her exactly how bad she could be.

He walked into the bathroom tossing his phone on the bench as he discarded his clothes and stepped under the spray of water. He let the sensation of holding Sophie and stroking her hair as he took her away from the life she knew at the club and into his world enter his mind. He couldn't remember a time when he had wanted something, someone, this much. Even amongst his brothers and friends, he stood slightly apart. His inner Alpha driving him to control and dominate those around him. Still, this girl that he had been getting to know through documentation and other's people's interactions with her held some sort of power over him. He had been single-minded in his decision to take her. Even when other eligible candidates had come up, he had dismissed them on flimsy excuses without putting much research into their cases. As the date for acquiring the target closed in on him, he found himself eagerly putting together his team and plans to make this the perfect partnership.

When they were finally home, and he had placed her on the bed, he had tentatively reached out to caress her colourfully streaked hair and her soft cheek. His hand continued its exploration down over her throat and shoulder. He left his finger stroke lightly along the top of her bra cup, the soft milky skin available through the open buttons of her shirt tickling at his finger urging him to do more as he watched her face for signs of wakefulness. Her breathing was deep and even, and she seemed to be deeply asleep helped along by the medication. He let one hand trail down her body, she was so unbelievably perfect in every way, even the small birthmark on her upper thigh only served to enhance her beauty and his arousal.

"Fuck!" he cursed in a whispered groan. God, he loved how aroused just the thought of her could make him, but he couldn't forget how she had piqued his interest and the end game for her. What had begun as curiosity about her parent's backgrounds had led him to some startling conclusions. He had spent months stalking and becoming almost obsessed with this woman and now he had her, here in this house. He looked down at his cock, hard and standing proudly, waiting for attention above his heavy balls hanging low between his thighs.

Dropping his hand to his balls, he softly rolled the two globes between his fingers. Imagining Sophie spread out willingly before him he grasped his cock in his other hand and stroked lazily up and down the shaft. Turning his back to the spray of water, he let the precum ooze down over his fingers as he stroked over the silken head, he was so hard it was almost painful. She was here in this house, just down the hall, so close and yet so far from where he needed her to be. His life was going to be hell until he could make her understand why she was here, what he wanted and what he needed her to be for him as well as how much he could give her in return.

"Fucking Michelle," he growled. He wanted her buried and forgotten along with Sophie's role in her club so he could move on with his plans. He would make her understand. He would show her how good the next year could be with him, both in their public and private lives if she would agree to be his completely for that time. It was all the time he could promise her before he resumed his real duties with the Alliance. His hand continued to rise and fall along his shaft, and he squeezed his balls slightly as they bounced in his hand to the rhythm of his strokes.

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, remembering his teen years and the first girl he had ever convinced to touch his cock. Then he superseded Sophie in her place as he remembered the incredible sensation of her dainty nervous fingers. First touching the tip, she then traced up and down the length of the shaft. Then, with his guidance, her fingers wrapping around the shaft. His hand on hers, showing her how to glide it slowly up and down, up and down, up and down. He groaned into the empty room as he imagined the innocent-looking version of Sophie so curious and willing. He remembered the tingles that grew into tremors in his own body and imagined it was Sophie that looked so surprised when the first jet of cum hit her sweet innocent face.

He was stroking faster now, his hand tightening as the vision of Sophie with cum dripping from her face filled his mind. The first incredible sensations began rippling through his body. Starting at the cock head and spreading like a torrent all through his body, he growled his need for her and came explosively.

Thick, sticky strands of cum landed on the shower tiles and eventually slowed from those first explosive jets to coat his fist as he drew out every last drop. He was breathing hard as he turned back around to let the running water wash away the wasted cum. He craved feeding it to her, pumping it into her and covering those beautiful firm breasts with the sticky white fluid. He pressed his palms against the wall and stood directly under the spray. He groaned again in his need for her. He knew it would be an impossible task to give her the time she needed to understand that she belonged to him now, but he knew he had to try. The devil within him urged him to take her comatose body right now and fuck the consequences, but he knew that wasn't how to play this game. He needed her consent, her willingness, her loyalty to him before he ever fucked her.

*****

Sophie groaned feeling like she'd been in a fight. Her whole body ached, and she rolled over wincing as pain threatened to split her skull wide open. Keeping her eyes shut, she gingerly reached up and touched her head feeling for injuries. She couldn't possibly be in this much pain unless she had been in an accident.

"There are water and some aspirin right beside you," a distinctly male voice whispered, and Sophie pried her eyes open to see who had spoken. She squinted into the glare of the bright sunlit room and groaned again. "Do you need some help?" he asked, still speaking in a whispered voice. "My name is Trent, and I am here to help you with anything you need."

"Where am I?" Sophie croaked.

"Mr Blackstone will be here in a minute. He will answer all your questions. Can you sit up and drink a little water?" Trent asked.

Grimacing Sophie pulled herself up as Trent rearranged the pillows for her to lean back on. Then he handed her the water and aspirin, encouraging her to take them.

"I'm sure you must have a pretty big headache," he said, almost apologetically. "You've been asleep much longer than we thought you would be."

"Well thank goodness you're awake," a woman said cheerily as she came in and perched on the bed beside Sophie picking up her hand and placing two fingers firmly on her wrist. "Darius has been impossible to deal with today," she shook her head. "Do you have a headache?"

"I hurt all over, but the pain in my head seems to want to kill me," Sophie croaked and went to nod her head but grimaced in pain again.

"Food and water will help. Trust me, you won't die, but you will feel weak and somewhat dizzy for another day or so. You were out for much longer than we expected," Susan picked up a small torch from the bag she carried. "Look at my finger," she held one up and waited for Sophie to focus before shining the light in her eyes.

"You're a doctor?" Sophie asked in her confused state. She felt bad enough to be in the hospital, but she could remember what had happened to her or how she got here. This room didn't look like any hospital room she had ever seen, and this woman and the young man beside her didn't look like any doctors or nurses she had ever known.

"Doctor Susan Howard," she said in the same cheery voice. "Darius will be pleased to know you will be perfectly fine once the side effects wear off."

"Who is Darius?" she asked her voice still croaking despite the sips of water she had managed to take while Susan had examined her.

"I am Darius Blackstone," a blonde giant of a man said from the doorway making Sophie gulp. "This is my home, and you are here because I want you here." He said simply as if that would make sense to her.

"Where is here?" Sophie asked in her broken voice.

"Just outside of a small town called Miles," he answered.

"What happened?" she asked frowning and lifting a hand to her aching head.

"What do you remember?" Darius asked carefully. "Or better yet, what is the last thing you remember?"

"I um... came back down to the main floor after umm... a quick break to clean up," Sophie said frowning "And a guy grabbed me. He must have been high or something. He said I looked like someone he knew and tried to make me leave with him. Then Gavin came and made him leave. I must have hit my head when I fell," she said uncertainly and gingerly touched the back of her head close to her nape. It felt like he had ripped the hair from her head.

"Lean forward and let me see," Susan said quickly concerned that some minor injury had escaped her assessment of the girl the night before. She helped Sophie lean forward and swept her hair aside showing some bruising and a scrape high on the back of her neck there was also a small amount of blood just inside her hairline. "it doesn't appear that you have knocked it badly," she said as Sophie whimpered when she touched the damaged area. "Looks like this guy took some of your hair," Susan said and glanced up at Darius with raised eyebrows.

"It felt like he pulled some out when Gavin made him let go of me," Sophie admitted.

"There's some bruising but nothing that won't heal in a day or two. You will probably feel much better after a bath. I wouldn't recommend a shower until you are steadier on your feet. The medication you were given last night had a bigger effect on you than we thought it might."

"I'll be fine," Sophie said quietly thinking the medication was some sort of Valium or painkiller that was stronger than she was used to taking. Michelle knew she didn't react well to painkillers. "This is nothing." She waved away the concerned looks. "I'm sorry to have put you to so much trouble. If you could just give me a minute, I'll call an Uber..." she looked around. "Where's my phone?"

She couldn't remember getting to this place, let alone if she had brought a bag or if any of the security guys knew where she was. It was against Michelle's rules to leave the club with any client, she was going to be in so much trouble, and she didn't want to get kicked to the streets again. Panic rose in her chest along with the uncertainty of who these people were and where she was exactly. Feeling uncertain and a little frightened of the situation as she took it in properly, along with the state of her body and tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Leave us," Darius said in a commanding tone and Sophie watched as Susan and Trent walked through the door closing it behind them. "I am known to be a man of my word, and I give you my word that you can trust me, no harm will come to you here," he said looking at her seriously "Do you believe me?"

"I guess. I don't know you so I can only judge by your actions and so far I don't think you want to hurt me," Sophie said cautiously. "You know since there is a doctor and all."

"I'm going to pick you up and take you into the bathroom, so you can relieve yourself and clean up. You were asleep for a very long time. Is that alright?" He asked.

"I can walk if you can show me where the bathroom is," Sophie replied quietly shrinking under the intensity of this man.

"The Doctor explained that you would be unsteady on your feet for a while yet. Let me help you, and I will explain how you came to be here and more importantly, why you are here, as you clean up. Then we will see about some food," he said, moving toward the bed and scooping her into his arms before she could argue any further. He strode with purpose toward the bathroom adjoining her room and helped her to stand next to the toilet. He smirked when she batted his hands away from her underwear.