Chapter 3

KIRA

"FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS, and let go off the girl right away!" the voice boomed in the vicinity and grip of men holding Kira slackened.

"The auction is closed sir," the bastard on the stage was laughing now.

"FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS, and let go off the girl right away!" someone repeated in a much more threatening tone.

Kira looked around again. What was happening to her...

"But I bought her," the man who had bid ten million on her shouted. The flood light on her face was blinding Kira, but she could tell that the ten million bid man was lecherous, ugly and horrid. But well, how good the man bidding fifty million be? Wasn't he enslaving her against her wishes too?

"DO I NEED TO REPEAT MYSELF?" the voice thundered, and suddenly Kira's hands were free. Kira wrapped them again around her body and fell on her knees. Tears were still pouring non stop from her eyes but she was not sobbing now. It seemed that the shock of tonight's happenings had penetrated her bones and it was now part of her being now.

"But sir, the rules of the auction clearly state that...," the host started to speak but stopped abruptly. Kira could sense fear in everyone who was present in the crowd. Who was the man who was bidding fifty million dollars on her?

The man bidding fifty million dollars on her climbed down from the stairs and walked through the crowd.

"The rules in general are meant to be broken, and some rules can be changed," he spoke in a simple, calm tone, and now Kira recognized the voice. Her head jerked up in his direction. "Or can they not?" he asked simply.

"Oh, I am so sorry sir," the ten million bidder spoke hastily, and though Kira could not see anything, she heard hurried shuffling of feet and fearful commotion. "I did not recognize you, my lord. I am so sorry for the mistake. She is yours, sir. She is all yours," he added fearfully.

"Turn off the lights on stage now," the man spoke in the same calm, placid voice and suddenly there was darkness in front of Kira's eyes. She bent down low and crouched as she rubbed her eyes with her hands, to gain some vision. She could hear footsteps growing closer.

As pair of shoes approched her, she felt a coat flung on her body, covering her back. The man straighted up and spoke, "The show's over, isn't it? You said she was your last exhibit, so what are you all waiting for?"

Kira, who can now see a bit clearly, saw scared and astonished look on everyone's face. As he finished speaking, everyone turned and rushed to the exit, even the host was running away now.

"Did I not ask you stay in your room?" the man spoke. Kira looked up, he was standing tall on her head and was beaming down at her. She did not know what to say to him. Should she thank him for saving her - did he save her? - or should she stab him for buying her?

"Get up now," the man ordered, but Kira did not obey.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked with a growl. "Get up now or I will let that pig buy you for pennies."

Considering her situation, and weighing between the two perverts between which she was stuck, Kira obeyed silently.

"Hmm..." the man spoke, and though Kira was not directly looking at his face, she knew the man was peering down at her naked body. She was still clutching her chest and waist to save her dignity. The man grabbed her left hand and pulled. Kira tried to fight but he seemed too powerful. She winced as he managed to free her hand that was covering her breast. As fresh stream of tears escaped her eyes, the man pushed her hand through the sleeve of the coat. Understanding what he was doing, Kira quickly pushed her right hand to the other sleeve and wrapped the coat around her securely.

"That is better," the man spoke, and Kira finally looked at his face. Was it because of tears in her eyes or were his eyes gold with flecks of silver? And if she was not mistaken, they were glowing slightly... as if they were luminous in the subtle darkness.

"What is your name?" the man asked seriously. "This time, you should tell me your name."

"Kira," she croaked. The shouting, screaming, fighting, and crying had made her voice hoarse.

"Why did you leave your room tonight Kira, I thought I scared you enough to keep you in your room for a fortnight at least," the man spoke in the same grave tone.

"I was asleep in my bed, but next when I woke up, someone was slapping my face hard," Kira cried. "I was already in these clothes and I was surrounded by at least a dozen men."

The man's eyebrows raised at this.

"You were kidnapped?" he asked sharply, and Kira heard a dangerous growl underlying the words.

Kira nodded.

"You did not try to run?" the man asked intrigued.

"I did, but they beat me up," Kira sobbed as she pulled down the neck of the coat and showed him a bruise on her shoulder. "They threatened to kill me, so I... I..."

"You thought you would run away later?" the man asked in a simple but dangerous tone.

"Y - Y - Ye - Yes..." Kira panted and sobbed harder.

"But do you know you cannot run now!" the man spoke in a calm but threatening tone.

Kira blinked back her tears and controlled her crying.

"You cannot do that now, do you know it?" the man demanded.

"What?" Kira muttered.

"Do you know what I do to people who run away from me?" the man asked with a slight tilt of his head. Even in the sitaution, Kira felt her heart skip a beat at his gesture.

"Who are you?" Kira asked breathlessly. She was awed and scared of him at the same time.

"I am your new owner..." the man spoke firmly. "I am your master. And I won't threaten to kill you, Kira. But if you will make me waste my time by running away, I WILL KILL YOU."