Iggy pov

I figured out where I was after several minutes of exotic animal sounds around me. It was the black market. I quite honestly couldn't believe that the school would sink so low.

After a few minutes of walking I was pushed against a wall, the zip ties removed from my wrists and my wrists placed spread out above me and chained in place.

They took off the rope collar that was around my neck and replaced it with a metal one that they bolted to the wall also, and every time I tried to move my head, I had to hold my breath, nearly being choked.

They then added to my already miserable position with a blade they used to cut my shirt off, grabbing my wings roughly and spreading them to either side of my as far out as they could go, they too, were then chained in place.

I rely on my sense of touch greatly to identify my surroundings, and they just took away that sense by restricting me so much. I had never felt as blind and vulnerable as I did then. I had to hear everything to try and figure out what the area was like.

I hated it.

I was kept like that for several hours before people began to examine me as though I was some sort of race horse, about to be sold off. The sold off part was right though.

My arms had begun to go numb, and I began to get irritated and mad as more and more people touched me all over.

Eventually a man stopped at me. From what I could tell, he was tall. Very tall. Much taller than me or Fang, who may I remind you are almost 6'1.

The man ran a hand over my bare chest, chuckling when I struggled to move away from his touch. He then moved a hand across my wings, plucking out a few feathers like the other had done too. I winced and tried to retract my wings back but it was to no avail.

Next, the man touched my cheek. I saw this as an opportunity and turned my head, biting him. He let out a snarl and slapped me hard, the force hitting my head to the side.

I glared in what I assumed was his direction, only receiving a laugh from him. He grabbed my chin, holding it in place. He then grabbed one of my eyelids, peeling it back.

I began to panic. I hated it when people messed with my eyes. Sure they didn't do much for me, but I still had feeling in them.

The man laughed again and ran a finger along the white of my eyes, making me tremble. "Stop it!" I couldn't hold back the yell, hating him already. "Leave me alone!"

The man just laughs. "Don't tell me what to do, kid." He continued touching my eye for a moment. After, he walks away.

I felt relieved. I didn't like him from the beginning. His touch wasn't just examining me like the other peoples. His touch made me feel dirty.

The relief was short lived, the man coming back with another person several minutes later.

The man casually talked to this new man. "How much is he?"

The other man replied, "$30,000."

I could hear the movement of the first man's head as he nodded. "I'll take him."

I felt my heart sink. Surely they wouldn't really give me to this nasty man. Surely someone would realize that human trafficking is illegal. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

The man got the key and unchained me from the wall, handcuffing my hands behind my back and forcing me out of the building.

I was terrified.

I wanted to fight him and try to get away, but I struggled, he just tightened his grip on my arm, forcing me in the trunk of his car.

The car ride was miserable. I constantly hit my head on stuff, not knowing where anything was to block it. It was nearly three hours when the car rolled to a stop and I was dragged out of the trunk and shoved to the ground.

I quickly tried to jump up to get away, but the man stomped down on my ankle, nearly snapping it.

It took me by surprise, and I cried out, staying down, panting slightly from the pain. I hear the man laugh again and he grabs the ankle he nearly broke and drags me inside by it.

I hated it the entire way. Most of the area he dragged me over was cement, and it began scraping off layers of my skin.

Eventually when we got inside He tied me so that I was bent over a table. He had my chest facing up. I could feel my chest rising and falling with scared breaths, not knowing what to do or how to get away.

That's when a disturbing smell hit my nose. It was the smell of hot metal and burnt flesh, and when I realized my skin wasn't burning at the moment to make the smell, I realized what the smell came from.

A branding iron. The kind they use on cattle to show people who the cattle belongs to.

The worst realization was when I felt the scorching heat get close to my stomach, and that he was going to brand me. That's when I let out a sound I hadn't made for nearly 9 years.

I screamed.