_First Dinner With Him

"Uhh..." I was speechless as I watched the mysterious woman advancing toward me with a calm smirk on her face.

She had short black hair and sharp gray eyes that were locked on me like a predator analyzing its prey.

She wore an elegant blue nightgown that showed her curves in the best ways possible, each of her footsteps echoing around the room.

"Cat caught your tongue?" She suddenly asked, snapping me out of my trance. "I'm Celine Greyheart. The one true Luna of the Blood oak pack and the queen of the North American packs. And YOU, witch, are trespassing."

I blinked awkwardly, still not knowing what to say.

I mean, I was meant to be the Alpha king's bride, but I didn't know what that would mean.

Could a witch be the Luna of a werewolf pack?

"Oh, would you look at this?" Celine muttered with amusement as she got in front of me and stretched her hand forward.

I stiffened, wondering what she was doing, until she touched the necklace that Kaelos had given me during the wedding.

She tilted her head, scrutinizing the gemstone with a cold glint in her eyes.

I couldn't take the pressure and decided to speak. "T– The Alpha king gave it to me, ma–"

Before I could finish my statement, a slap landed on my face, causing me to stumble backward.

That slap had almost dislocated my jaw, and I could taste the metallic sting of blood— my blood— in my mouth.

"What do you take me for? A fool?!" Celine snapped, grabbing the back of my hair and forcing me to look her in her eyes. "Oh, you're trying to rub it on my face, right? Of course, I know the Alpha king gave it to you!"

I whimpered, gritting my teeth.

This was the second time I was getting slapped today. At this rate, maybe I'll get killed within a week if I'm lucky.

"I– I don't take you for a fool, ma'am. I don't understand the dynamics of this pack or the werewolf race at large." I admitted, trying to remain calm despite the stinging pain from my hair, which she pulled at.

She was so lucky that I still wasn't able to cast spells yet.

If I could, maybe a little telekinesis would come in handy to teach her bitchy ass a lesson.

"You will learn your place in this pack, witch," Celine whispered into my ears but then paused, raising her head with a frown on her face.

She quickly released her grip from my hair, plastering a smile on her face and making me wonder why she suddenly changed.

However, when I heard footsteps approaching, I instantly understood why.

"Ma'am Odessa." A recognizable deep voice spoke up from behind me, causing me to freeze.

Meanwhile, Celine used her hands to arrange some strands of my hair, patting me gently on my face before she spoke. "Don't forget our discussion, okay?"

With that, she brushed past me as if nothing happened, leaving me standing there disoriented and confused.

"Ma'am Odessa?"

It wasn't until the voice from earlier spoke again that I regained my composure, turning around only to meet the gaze of the Beta, Marcellus.

"I see you've already met Celine." He blurted with a wry smile, stepping into the room with his hands behind his back.

My eyes stung with tears, but I didn't dare let them out.

Not in front of any of these beasts.

I plastered a smile on my face and nodded. "Oh, yes, sir. I never knew she was Luna. I didn't see her at the wedding and–"

Before I could finish talking, Beta Marcellus interrupted me with a polite wave of his right hand. "Don't call me 'sir'. You're the Alpha king's wife. Even though you don't officially carry the title of Luna yet, you still deserve respect as his wife." He explained.

My face heated up with a blush as I tried looking away from him while nodding my head in understanding.

Seeing that, he cleared his throat before continuing. "Also, Celine isn't the Luna. Not by a longshot." He sniggered at the end.

My eyes shone wide in surprise as I turned my gaze back to him.

That bitch wasn't Luna?

"Why then did she tell me that she's the Luna?" I asked out loud, confusion laced in my voice. "If she isn't the Luna, then who the fuck is she?"

I didn't realize how much hatred I had in my voice until the Beta coughed awkwardly.

"Well, I never knew you could be this..." He paused, tilting his head while scrutinizing me. "... This outspoken."

I blinked at him, not knowing when my face heated up with yet another blush.

Gosh, what's wrong with me?

"Pardon my vulgarity." I bowed slightly, trying to salvage the situation.

But the Beta shook his head, tapping me on my shoulder. "That's the thing, ma'am Odessa. I don't mind. I know how much of a pain in the ass Celine can be." He remarked with a scoff.

I nodded slowly in understanding, waiting patiently to hear any more explanations.

"She's the Alpha king's ex-wife and former Luna. He divorced her recently because she couldn't give him any children." He explained calmly.

Oh...

So, she's not just a bitch but a bitter one.

That explains why she called me a 'replacement.'

Anyway, I stared at Beta Marcellus for a while, not knowing what else to say.

Luckily, he broke the silence by smiling before speaking again. "Your personal maid will be here any minute now. She'll get you ready for your first dinner with the Alpha king downstairs."

My heart dropped to my stomach when I heard that last part.

Dinner?

With the Alpha king?!

My eyelids fluttered erratically as Beta Marcellus bowed slightly in front of me before turning his back on me and walking away.

I stood there silently, lost on what to do, until the sting from Celine's slap caused me to caress my face.

"Fucking werewolves and their beastly strength," I grumbled, walking up to a large mirror and standing in front of it.

I subconsciously balled my hands into fists when I remembered how she'd treated me like trash.

"I wouldn't let any of them treat me that way again," I promised myself, staring at my reflection and nodding resolutely.

Just then, I heard approaching footsteps and turned around to see who it was.

"Greetings, ma'am Odessa." A young woman who had long ginger curls and a freckled face walked into my room and bowed.

I have to start closing that door...

"Hi." I smiled wryly, stepping away from the mirror. "You must be my personal maid. Nice to meet you."

I noticed the hesitation in her body's movements, similar to how all the other pack members had looked at me at the wedding.

But there was something different about this one.

"I– I'm here to prepare your bath and get you ready for dinner." She said with an awkward cough. "May I?"

I stared at her with dimmed eyes at first before shrugging.

She went into action as soon as she saw that, walking into my bathroom and preparing a bath.

I stripped out of my clothes before walking into the bathroom, where I saw a bathtub with a hot bath in it.

After stepping in and having a long, relaxing bath, I dried myself with a towel and walked back into my room only to meet the maid standing there, holding a satin dark red gown.

"Is there an event this evening?" I couldn't help but ask, scrutinizing the gown.

The maid seemed stunned by my question at first but soon chuckled amusingly. "No, there's none, ma'am. Just dinner." She responded.

What the heck?

Shaking my head, I pointed at the gown. "Then, what's that gown for? Don't tell me I'm going to wear it for a simple dinner."

The maid blinked awkwardly, glancing at the gown in her hands first before she responded. "That's... Exactly what it's for, ma'am. There's nothing simple about being the Alpha king's wife."

Yeah, no shit.

Sighing to myself, I walked forward and took the gown from her hands before putting it on after a short struggle.

The maid helped me brush my hair as I applied some body lotion from a drawer close to the mirror.

"What's your name?" I asked curiously, glancing at her as I took one final look at myself in the mirror.

She seemed too shy to respond at first, lowering her head before she finally spoke. "Caroline, ma'am."

I flashed a genuine smile at her, patting her shoulder. "Well, Caroline. I hope we get along pretty well." I remarked.

With that, I drew in a heavy breath before walking out of my room, my body tensing when Caroline locked the door behind us and followed behind me.

Dinner with the Alpha King...

It shouldn't be that bad, right?

The walk to the dining room downstairs was quiet, and I walked past a few maids along the way, all of them staring at me like an odd sore.

Could I really blame them?

Anyway, after what seemed like forever, we finally got to the stairs close to the dining table, allowing me to see the Alpha king sitting there.

He raised his head when he heard my footsteps, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"You sure took your time."