The Alpha Prince's Purchased Maid

"Was that your first kiss?"

A voice of a man that I've never heard before. Did he just kiss me?

There is a strange lingering feeling on my lips. My lips tingled and it ached slightly from his kiss. It felt like there was something that I wanted to say to him but my lips wouldn't move, and my chest felt tight as my heart beat wildly in my chest.

'Yes, it was my first kiss,' I replied to him silently in my mind.

"Relax. Your body is all stiff and your cheeks are bright red. Are you shy or embarrassed? Or perhaps...both?" the voice asked teasingly.

I've never heard this voice before, and I had no idea who the man was. Everything around me was shrouded in darkness like there was a heavy smoke clouding my vision. He was near but I couldn't see him or his face clearly. It was like he was here and yet he wasn't.

"Did you enjoy your first kiss? Should we give it another try? Maybe your second kiss will feel so good that it'll make you forget all about your first..." the man suggested seductively.

He's going to kiss me again?

Although I had no idea who this man is, the thought of him kissing me again didn't disgust me. Instead, I found myself looking forward to sharing that kiss with him. Without knowing what was happening, I found myself so attracted and captivated by his voice that I couldn't think of anything else.

**Ring Ring Ring**

"Hmmm..."

My mind felt hazy, and my eyelids felt heavy from sleep as I drowsily reached my arm out to where I knew the alarm clock was sitting on top of the table next to my bed. Morning has arrived and it was time to face reality once more. My hand found the alarm clock and managed to silence the alarm without the need for me to open my eyes.

The sunlight shining in through the slightly parted curtain of the window stung my eyes when I slowly opened them. The familiar plain white ceiling of my room greeted me, and I knew that I had woken up on my small narrow bed in my bedroom. Where else could I be?

Summoning up all the effort that I had, I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. Needless to say, I was alone in my bedroom and there were absolutely no signs of a man ever being in there. His voice and his presence that felt so close to me was gone. It didn't surprise me, after all, this wasn't the first time that I've had dreams very similar to the one that I had just had. Every time he appeared in my dream, and I heard his voice, my mind would try to remember where I've heard his voice before and the answer that I would arrive at would always be the same: I have never heard his voice before.

At least, not in real life.

A sigh escaped my lips and my shoulder drooped at the realization that it was nothing but another dream. That made me realize that I was slightly disappointed that he wasn't here. I shook my head rapidly form side to side to clear my thoughts. Why did I sound like I wanted to meet him so much? I don't even know who he is...and he's probably just a pervert from all the suggestive things that he kept saying to me.

Milla, he doesn't exist!

I reminded myself again just like I had done countless times before. A dream is nothing more than a dream.

Oh no! I'm going to be late and being late today would be a real disaster! After all, today is the day that I've been anxiously waiting for. Today was the day that I would go into the city where I would get a decent and respectable job. I had worked hard to be recommended for a job position in the city and I wasn't about to blow it by being late.

I got up hurriedly from the bed and after sprinting through the shower and getting properly dressed, I headed downstairs to the first floor of the orphanage where I knew that everyone would be waiting to send me off.

"Good luck, Milla!"

"Best of luck at work. I hope you like your new job. Come visit us often, ok?"

"Take care of your health, ok? Don't work too hard and don't worry about things around here. We'll manage..."

"It would help if you send back money, though..."

The other younger girls in the orphanage shouted quite loudly to send me off. I looked at their smiling faces as I recalled the many memories that we shared. I'm going to miss them when I'm gone but I knew that this was for the best.

"Don't worry. I plan to do exactly that," I promised, meaning every word that I had just said.

"It's time to go. We have an important appointment with your employee in the city and it is a long ride from here to there," Mr. Helkins said curtly.

"Ok. We'll then, I'll be off..." I told all the other girls before I smiled and waved at them.

Back then, I never thought that that would be the last time that I would ever see their faces. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would never see them ever again...

...

**Later that night**

I have never seen this much money before in my entire life...

The spotlight shining down on me was so blindingly bright that I could hardly see very far into the audience. That light now was being blocked by countless green bank notes that were raining down onto me from above. I raised my hand above my face to grasp at one of the falling notes to see if this was real or I was just dreaming all of this up. Instantly, I felt the feel of the note in my hand along with the weight of the chain attached to the metal shackle around my wrists.

--To be continued...

"Wow! This is a new record since these auctions have been up and running! Never has anything or anyone sold for this much before. Everyone, take a look! This girl is the most expensive slave. More expensive than any artwork or rare gem that has ever been auctioned here before!" a man's voice announced loudly through the microphone.

The crowd's cheer was deafeningly loud, and the auditorium echoed with the sound of their voices and their clapping.

The man grabbed the large chain connected to my wrists and yanked hard on it. I felt my body being pulled as I staggered towards him. I would have fallen over face first from the forceful way that he handled me had he not caught my arm in his large hand and pulled me up.

"Come here, girl. Your new master is waiting for you. You have no idea how lucky you are to be sold to a prince. You'll get to live in a castle from now on. How wonderful is that?" he hissed tauntingly close to my ear.

I could smell the reek of cigarettes from the man's breath, and it made me want to gag with disgust.

"Mhmmm!" I let out a muffled scream as pain stung my wrists.

Tears stung my eyes as the pain intensified and I knew that my wrists had been scuffed raw. My mouth was taped shut and moaning in pain and protest was all that I could do. The metal chains and handcuffs attached to my wrists clinked together as my arms were roughly pulled forward. The weights weighting down my feet made it almost impossible for me to walk and escape wasn't a viable option.

This is so wrong. No one should be bought and sold this way. I have heard of slavery from before the practice was abolished so I had no idea that in a world where slavery was now illegal people were still being auctioned off this way. Even if human trafficking and slavery still existed, I never imagined that I would get involved in something like this. Never even in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would end up here.

How did I end up here? Why did things have to turn out like this?

After saving me from falling on my face, the man pushed me face first down onto the ground. My eyes squeezed shut instinctively as I braced myself for the impact of my fall. I waited for the pain to tear into my face and hands, but the pain never arrived. Instead, something firm and warm enveloped me and broke my fall. The faint smell of roses filled my nostrils before my eyelids slowly fluttered open. The light shining from behind his head made his face appear as a dark black shadow as he stared down at my face from above.

My breath caught in my throat and my legs felt like it had lost all of its strength when icy blue eyes met and held mine intently. I had absolutely no idea how long I was captured and lost in the mesmerizing beauty of his eyes, because to me, it felt like time had stopped. It was as if time became an alien concept that no longer existed in my universe.

Suddenly, the man looked away from me and the spell was broken. Time seemed to resume, and I could hear the loud screaming of the people in the auditorium again. That was when I looked down and realized that I was still lying in his arms after he must have caught me to break my fall. I should thank him...

"Congratulations, my prince. I assure you that you will be more than satisfied with your purchase. She is definitely worth the price that you paid for her. Make her your maid, your sex slave, your pet, or anything that you want!" the host addressed the man who had just bought me loudly and proudly.

That's right. This man just bought me...

Did he help me just now because he was afraid that his newly purchased merchandise would be damaged?

Slowly, the man pulled me up and made sure that I had regained my balance enough that I could stand on my own two feet. I could feel countless pairs of eyes on us as the other bidders and staffs watched the scene that was unfolding on stage. My eyes travelled to the man now that I could see him better than before.

Truthfully, there wasn't much to see of him at all. Dressed from head to toe in black, I couldn't see much of him at all. The man wore a black mask that covered his face from right under his eyes down to his chin. He wore a black turtleneck sweater underneath a long black leather jacket with matching black pants and black leather shoes.

Striking blue eyes framed with very long light blond eyelashes and blond hair. That was all that his black outfit gave away.

This man just bought me...for such an exorbitant price...

"Look at me. What is your name?" the man spoke through his mask.

He didn't speak loudly so it was quite a challenge to make out his words above the loud screaming of the crowd that refused to calm down.

"Her name can be whatever you wish it to be..." the host of the event chimed in uninvited.

The prince's bright blue eyes shifted away from my face for a brief moment, and I could feel the man stiffen up in panic at my side before his words trialed off as if he didn't dare to say anything more. Just like me, he was also intimidated by the presence of the prince. When his alluring blue eyes shifted back to focus on my face, my throat and lips felt dry.

Slowly, the prince began removing the black leather glove that he was wearing from his hand. The way his hands and fingers moved felt captivatingly graceful and I found myself watching as if smitten as his long fingers slowly pulled the glove off his other hand. Everything moved in slow motion as his bare hand slowly approached my face.

--To be continued...

My eyes widened half in shock and in panic as his gracefully long fingers approached my face. His aura, his presence, and everything about him told me that we were worlds apart and I was dumbstruck and intimidated at his presence and how close he was to me. When his fingers almost touched my face, I flinched back and closed my eyes reflexively.

Suddenly, I felt the sensation of the tape on my mouth being gently pulled until it was completely removed from my lips. My eyes opened at the same time that my mouth gasped for air. I must have breathed in too fast at the relief of having my mouth freed once again that I started coughing.

"Your name...?" the prince inquired once more.

I was scared but I found myself staring up easily into his mesmerizing blue eyes. It could have been my imagination, or the light, or my hopefulness playing tricks on me, but for a moment, I was sure that his eyes were gentle and kind.

However...

"People should never be bought and sold! Slavery is wrong!" I spat.

That was the first thing that I wanted to tell this man who had just spent so much money to purchase me wasn't my name. People are not mere objects. We can't simply be bought and sold like this!

Oh, no. What did I just say?

Although those words represented my honest thoughts and feelings, I knew that now wasn't the time to say that. Suddenly, my body was trembling in fear. All signs of bravado that I had previously had in me completely evaporated and all that was left was a scared young woman who was now all alone.

Did I anger him? Will he hit me or torture me?

For a moment, the man's blue eyes widened in surprise before he smiled a smile that reached his eyes. Although I couldn't see his face because of the black mask that he had on, I could sense that he was smiling at me or at the words that I had just voiced.

"You're right. People should never be bought and sold..." he whispered softly into my ear as if his words were for my ears only.

It was my turn to be shocked by his words. The man chuckled softly close to my ear before he stood up proud and tall. His tall and large frame loomed over me before he turned to leave.

"Prince Leonard, it's time to return to the palace. His majesty is waiting for you..." a man spoke as he approached the prince.

Is this man really a prince?

Leonard. Prince Leonard.

So, his name is Leonard...

"Ahh! No..." I cried out at the pain tearing through my arm.

Glancing back, I could see a man pulling my arms backwards. Suddenly, I felt a prickling pain in my arm and realized that the man had injected something into my arm. By the time that the needle left my arm, my mind already felt hazy, and my head felt light. Then everything went dark around me as if someone had switched off all the lights.

...

Prince Leonard sat in his usual sand-colored leather seat in his private jet with a glass of red wine in one hand as he tried his best to get the image of the girl's eyes out of his head. When he opened his eyes, he could see the intense emotions mixed in her eyes. He could feel them all as if her feelings were his own. Her fear, her anger, her frustration, and her desperation. All of her emotions flooded into his mind and his heart, and he couldn't control them of block them out. His head started to throb but when he closed his eyes, he could still see her eyes staring back at him.

He winced as if in pain before he felt thankful that no one was travelling with him. The prince sighed loudly as he pulled out some pills and stuffed them into his mouth and swallowed them down. He closed his eyes and once again and her intense gaze stared back at him. His mouth curved into a smile before he started laughing darkly to himself.

"Are you coming to get me, or will I end up breaking you first...?" he muttered to himself between his bouts of laughter.

...

**A few days before**

Prince Leonard sat on a large leather sofa as he gazed at his brother over the rim of his teacup. He hated the way his brother was staring at him intensely as he tried to get his message across. After sipping the tea, he placed the teacup back down before letting out a long sigh. He was tired and the last thing that he needed was to attend a black-market auction to buy things that he didn't want or need. All of that effort for the sake of maintaining appearances...

"How many times do I have to tell you this, Leo? Leaders of nations and the rich show up to network, make connections, and show off their wealth and power. It's normal for the first prince of our kingdom to turn up. Just do it for the sake of keeping up appearances," Prince Darius said casually as he tried to convince his brother.

"I'm honestly not bothered. Why can't they just send someone else in my place? What about you? Why can't you go instead?" Leonard quickly suggested.

"You're the first prince and please don't forget that I went in your place the last time because you insisted that you were 'sick'," Darius reminded his brother as his brows drew together.

"What about Florian? He's a prince too and he didn't go last time. This thing is definitely something that he's into. We should just send Florian..." Leonard said without backing down.

As far as he was concerned, he didn't care who went as long as it didn't have to be him. With the strange dreams that he's been having keeping him from getting enough shut-eye at night, he was too troubled, and sleep deprived to bother flying off to some black market auction.

--To be continued...