Chapter one

Serafine's POV

"This girl is a human virgin. She is special. Her bidding starts at fifty thousand dollars!"

Monsters. Bright light blinded me as I heard those who were celebrating my auction. I'm standing at the center of the stage of a casino. Music roared, drums beat and I heard men whistling and passing lewd remarks. The air reeked of alcohol mingled with that of a strong cedar scent.

"One fifty thousand.” A rough grating voice sounded. I turned my gaze to the left to the direction of the voice. A man with light brown hair and hazel eyes was sitting on a chair, surrounded by all the girls that were just sold. He looked well- built with muscular arms. He pulled a terrified girl in his lap and grabbed her waist.

He stared at me like a hawk and when our gazes met, I flinched. Hair on the back of my nape rose. Lucky Luciano, the mafia lord. It was said he had a certain kind of fetish for having sex. Many girls that he had bedded were found murdered and maimed in shady streets of Pennsylvania.

"Five hundred thousand!" A throaty voice from the back came.

"Alpha Jace!" People murmured. Immediately the air shifted and I could feel as if the air was stifling. A bulky man got up from behind. I slowly dragged my gaze to his and the softness in those hazel eyes held me prisoner. His facial features were puzzling... There was something akin to concern in them.

Why were they calling him Alpha? Maybe that was his first name?

I saw his throat bobbing as if he wanted to say something to me. I think he mouthed my name, Serafine? Was I imagining?

“Eight hundred thousand!" Lucky raised his price. I shuddered as he pinched the nipple of the girl on his lap and she stifled a shriek.

My body started shaking. I didn't want to go to him. I heard people murmuring. No one was expecting the bid to go this high. With that kind of money, Lucky would own my soul. The way he stared at me right now, it was as if he was imagining his wildest fantasies with me. Tears welled in my eyes as I looked around frantically.

"Nine hundred thousand." Alpha Jace increased his bid.

Nervous murmurs followed as I seemed to have caught the attention of everyone in the room. 

From the corner of my vision, I saw Madame Roxana swaying in her blue silk gown with a pipe in between her lips. She looked at me with a smirk as she puffed smoke in the air. If God gave me one more chance to live, I promised to myself that I would erase her from the face of earth.

Several days ago, I had managed to escape from Madame Roxana's Home of Pleasures only to be caught back. She accused me of seducing her husband. Why would I? I was the daughter of a cleaning lady who had come only for one day as her substitute.

Lucky shoved the girl on his lap and she fell to the ground. "One million," he shouted. I could see his eyes turning hard. It had become a war of prestige for him.

Jace whipped his head towards Lucky, gazing incredulously at him, his expressions etched with worry.

The emcee became excited. "This is the hottest bidding we are seeing today! Lucky Luciano has never bid so much for a girl here."

Terror gripped my heart. Breath lodged in my throat. Lucky took a step towards me and I backed shaking my head.

The emcee said, "Is this final? Or do we hear others placing a higher bid?" 

Lucky proudly started closing the gap between us. 

"Don't you fucking touch her!” Jace hissed as he stood in Lucky’s way, preventing him from coming to me.

"One million for her, Lucky Luciano!” Emcee announced. Lucky and Jace turned to look at me. 

“One!" Emcee hit the hammer on the table softly.

"One million. Two!" He hit the hammer again.

Lucky raised his hand and was about to raise his bid when a deep voice shouted, "Two million dollars!"

A chorus of audible gasps filled the hall. Shocked, I turned to my last minute bidder.

I found myself staring into the winter gray eyes of a man sitting on one of the casino tables with a blond girl in his lap. 

He was so beautiful that I forgot to breathe. He has a straight nose, high cheekbones and slanted eyes like that of a wild animal. With broad shoulders and chest, he was clearly the tallest and strongest man out there. His arms muscles were bulging and his neck muscles were strained. His black hair was neatly

combed back. 

The shirt he was wearing molded over him like second skin. Its buttons were open till his chest revealing a tattoo I couldn't make out. He had curled a hand around the waist of the blond possessively. And she had looped her arms around his neck.

The blond in his lap appeared scandalized as she stared at her man who had made the bid.

The emcee was so excited that he literally jumped in his place and squeaked, "Alpha Bran Cornick!" he clapped his hands. "Two million, one!"

I could hear a growl from Alpha Jace and Lucky gnashed his teeth as he scowled at Alpha Bran.

"Two million, two!"

The emcee looked around and then quickly brought down his hammer at, "Two million, three!" With quivering lips, I looked at my buyer. "This virgin belongs to Alpha Bran Cornick. Please pay the money before touching her." Alpha Bran nodded once and a man rushed forward. I watched him getting up with the blond throwing daggers at me and exiting the casino.