Forcibly Changed

“Winith, what did I tell you about feeding off my customers?” Kylox, my half-brother, demands before the strike of the barbed whip sounds out. With my wrists and ankles bound out above and below me, I know there is no use in trying to run away from my brothers’ harsh punishments. I throw my head back with a scream when the whip slices at my bare back. I hiss and growl through the pain while I hear my brother tsk behind me.                “That’s not the answer I’m looking for, Winith,” Kylox says just before the whip sounds out again.                No matter how prepared or tensed I can get my body, the whip always leaves me weak and immobile for a few moments.                “I didn’t feed from anyone. I promise you, Kylox,” I finally say when my body sags in relief when I hear Kylox put the whip on the metal table that’s right next to me.                “You better f*****g keep it that way. Now clean your disgusting self up and get back out on the f*****g floor. You’re on shot duty for the rest of the night,” Kylox says while he unchains my ankles and wrists before leaving the basement.                My body drops to the dirt-covered floor as I wrap my arms around my naked chest. I hunch over but hiss and growl out from the stinging burning pain at my backside. I go to stand up but end up falling back to the dirt floor when my knees give out on me. I begin panting out as sweat coats my skin when my hellhound rises to heal my wounds.                I lift my head when the last of my wounds heal and stare in horror at my blood that’s splattered across the back wall. I close my eyes when my tears burn the back of my eyelids and I try to shake them away. I sigh out a ragged breath before I try to stand up from the dirt floor. With weak knees, I stumble over to my little makeshift bed that’s in the corner of the basement.                I find a shirt that can cover the scars on my back before heading to the small shower that was placed down here for me. Standing under the frigid cold water, since my brother won’t allow me the luxury of a hot shower, I begin to wash my body. I allow myself a few tears as the water washes away the dirt and blood from my body before I can compose myself. Once I’m done with the shower, I quickly dress in the top and jean skirt before pulling on my black heels. I walk over to the rusted mirror and wipe away the dust before putting makeup on over my bruises and the bags that are under my eyes. Looking at myself one last time, I put on a fake smile before walking over to the basement door. I reach my hand out but hesitate before grabbing the handle. I push open the door and enter the storage room before speed walking up the flight of stairs. I push open the main door and cringe back from the loud bass of the music. I breathe deeply before I get the courage to walk through the VIP section. To the left of me are red doors for the clients that want to experience the exotic life from the girls upstairs. To the right of me are dens with poker tables and slot machines for the clients who want to waste away and spend their life savings.                Walking up another set of stairs, I push aside the blacked-out curtains and step out into the main area. The real reason why men and women show up to my brothers’ business. I look around the strip club and watch as a few men chase after a few of the VIP girls while a bachelor party shouts and hoots for the girl on the stage while she spins around the strip pool.                I sigh before working my way over to the bar where my gay friend, Charles, is working tonight. I walk around the bar and grab the drink tray before pocketing a notepad and pen. I watch Charles swindle up next to me while he fake cleans a beer stein glass that’s already been cleaned. I side-eye him, before looking around the club to see if my brother is watching.                “How bad was it this time? I can smell blood on you,” Charles whispers under his breath.                I curse before crouching down while I look under the bar for a clean rag. “He accused me of feeding off customers when he knows I physically can’t with my collar on,” I whisper to Charles since I know he can hear me because he is a vampire.                I stand back up once I found a clean rag and tuck a corner into the back pocket of my jean skirt. I side-eye Charles to see that he is giving me a concerned look. I sigh and reassure him that I’m fine and have to remind him that I’m a hybrid and that my hellhound healed me. Before we could get caught talking, I leave him and work my rounds as I pick up empty glasses or take drink orders while avoiding the men and women that have grabby hands.                When 3 am comes around, I head to the bar to let Charles know I’m going to the VIP sections to take orders there so he can pull out the expensive alcohol for the high ballers. With the drink tray in hand, I push aside the curtain and walk down the stairs to the first den which holds the slot machines. With not having any luck from the humans and supernaturals in here, I head to the second den that holds a Texas Hold ’Em table.                The dealer is dealing out the cards to the 5 men who are seated at the table. I move and wait off to the side and eye the men, but one catches my eye when fear takes hold of me. I quickly avert my eyes to the floor when Kylox looks over at me with a smile, but I know it’s fake.                “Do any of you men want something to drink? My lovely sister here will take your orders,” I hear Kylox say.                I blow out a deep breath before I look up with a fake smile of my own when I hear some of them start saying what they want. I take the 4 orders while the last one doesn’t speak since he’s staring at me in shock. I don’t even look at the guy when I quickly leave the den and go to fill their orders. Once at the bar, I quickly tell Charles that Kylox is there in the second den and to not charge him. While I wait for Charles to fill the drink orders, I look around the club when I feel eyes on me.                I don’t think much about it since it’s a strip club/casino business and I’m almost bare in the chest as my shirt reveals my full chest while the fabric crisscrosses across my breast while trailing halfway down my stomach. I look around one last time before Charles lets me know my tray is ready to go. After dropping the drinks off, I look around the den to see the fifth guy is gone. I don’t think much of it while I continue working until 6 am comes around and the club slowly closes down.                Being on the Vegas strip, you would think this business would be open 24/7 but it doesn’t. The one good aspect of my brother’s rules is to close at 6 am so the girls and bartenders have a chance to rest until the business opens back up at 8 pm. But I don’t get to rest, because my brother forces me to deep clean the whole club. I don’t mind the cleaning because it gives me peace, but the part I hate the most is cleaning the red rooms. I cover my mouth and gag at the thought of cleaning up all the bodily fluids that will be everywhere.                Before I can clean, I have to stand by the doors with the girls while we tell the last remaining customers bye for the night or morning in this case. I once again feel eyes on me when I close and lock the front doors after the bouncers leave. I lift my head and look out the glass windows but don’t see anyone there until I spot someone across the street standing there while staring at me. I c**k my head to the side and stare this person back down until I flinch back from my brother’s loud voice.                I quickly move away from the door and go behind the bar to grab the spray bottle to start cleaning the main strip club area. While Kylox praises the employees and talks about tonight’s goal, I go about cleaning the room. I usually don’t listen to him, and he doesn’t mind it either, but I stop to listen when he tells the employees that they have to help deep clean with me this morning because we have a very important shareholder coming by tonight. I’ve heard Kylox mention this guy before because the man takes up 60% of the shares while my brother gets the 40%.                The employees groan out, but I’m giddy with excitement to finally have some help, that is until Kylox tells me to see him in his office before he walks off the stage. Charles rushes to my side when my body starts to tremble with fear that I might have done something wrong and that I’ll be receiving another punishment. Charles gives me a quick hug while he whispers encouraging words before taking the rag and spray bottle from me.                I walk behind the stage and walk through the dressing room that the girls are cleaning before pushing the door open to the stairs that lead up to Kylox’s private office. With shaky hands, I knock on his door and wait for him to call me in. I push open the door and quickly close it before I go stand at the guest chair and wait to be seated. Kylox is looking over paperwork when he waves his hand for me to sit.                “Do you know why I called you in here, Winith?” Kylox asks while looking down at the paperwork still.                “No,” I say when my voice trembles and cracks.                Kylox looks up from the paper before folding his hands together when he stares me down with hardness in his eyes. But something shifts in his eyes as a knowing gleam shines through them. I swallow and scoot back in the seat more as if it can protect my back.                “Since you’ve done so well at following my orders as of late, I am going to give you two rewards,” Kylox states while he waits for me to respond but I know better not to.                Kylox nods his head in approval of me staying silent before he continues speaking. “The first reward is that I’m going to give you money so you can go out and find your hellhound some food, because you’ve lost a lot of weight and you’re practically skin and bones at this point,” Kylox says with disgust in his tone.                That’s not my fault that you don’t feed me. I cross my arms around my stomach to hide the evidence of my anorexic body and look away from Kylox’s eyes. Kylox clears his throat before he snarls out at me.                “Look at me when you’re spoken to,” Kylox says with anger.                I whip my head up to see his eyes bleed red from his incubus coming out. But I watch in confusion when he sighs out and shakes his head in disappointment at me.                “You do know the only reason you’re alive right now is because of me. My father wanted you dead, Winith. I know you understand that you were a mistake and were never meant to live, but I bargained for your life. So, don’t make me f*****g regret saving your worthless life Winith,” Kylox says with disgust toward me.                I quickly nod my head before swallowing down my emotions at the thought that my mother never actually wanted me. Kylox is right when it comes to me being a mistake because my succubus mother did cheat on his father one night and found out soon after that she was pregnant with me. Mom tried to play it off that I was Kylox’s father’s child but when my shifter traits started to show more as I got older, well that was when my life turned into a living hell. I started looking over my shoulder for fear of my brother and his dad attacking me while I try to defend myself.                I do remember when I was younger, begging my mother to find my real father so I can go live with him. All my mother did was slap me across the face and demand that I never speak of the man again. I doubt my mother even knows the man’s name since it was a one-night stand out on the corner street. So here I am a half succubus and half hellhound while I’m collared as a dog so I can’t feed off the customers for my succubus.                “The second reward is that tonight when the main man comes by to check out the club, I want you to follow him around and attend to his needs if he requires it. I want you to follow him like the dog you are and make sure nothing goes wrong or there will be consequences for you. Do I make myself clear?” Kylox says while holding my stare while my eyes bug out of my head.                “Why me? You have so many girls who would love to do this. I have to make sure that the club is cleaned and make sure that the girls are all prepared for every show, just like you tell me to do,” I ask and plead with him.                Kylox stands from the chair and reaches across the desk as I watch his hand fly at me. My head whips to the side when a stinging pain builds as I feel my cheek start to swell up. I hold my hand to my cheek to cover the fact that my hellhound is healing it. Kylox snarls before he clears his throat and fixes his suit before he sits back down. Once he’s seated, he folds his hands back on the desk and stares me down.                “I’m asking you because you will do well to listen to my orders, or I’ll just kill you now and be done with this headache. Now go clean yourself up and find food. Make sure you don’t dress like a slut tonight, I want you in jeans and a nice blouse. Now leave my office, I have to decontaminate my chair,” Kylox says while twisting his face up in disgust.                I give him a nod while holding my now-healed cheek and leave his office to go change my outfit so I can go find food. I just pray that I won’t mess anything up tonight because I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to last with this abuse.