Little Wolf

"Josefine got sick, so they locked her in the west wing. Nobody needs that when such an important event is about to begin."

Rita gently nudged me into our room and threw the new maid's dress onto my bed, resuming her explanation. "I don't know why our Luna decided to appoint you in her stead, but I assume she didn't have good intentions in mind. After all, you know what some of the girls are forced to do out there."

She sighed when she saw my nervous expression, then grabbed the dress and pressed it against my chest, forcing me to hold it in my hands.

"Don't be nervous and get changed. With a face like that... I'm sure you'll be safe."

Rita sighed again and quickly left the room to join the others in the kitchen. I looked down at the clean black dress clutched between my hands and felt my chest tighten with anxiety.

Perhaps Rita was right: my face was bruised and swollen; no matter how horny those high-ranked wolves could get, there was no way they would find my current state attractive.

Being a server girl is not hard work, at least... I let that thought comfort my racing heart a little and was about to start changing when a rather persistent knock prevented me from proceeding.

Startled, I took a few steps back until the back of my legs touched the frame of my bed, and as I realized that I had nowhere to flee, I swallowed hard and cleared my throat nervously.

"Y-Yes?"

"It's me. Open the door."

I froze at the sound of a familiar male voice. It was my stepbrother.

"I... am not decent," I forced the words out and heard a stern yet suppressed growl seeping through the cracks in the wooden door. Coryn kicked the wood with his foot and snarled, "You are on wine-serving duty. Make sure no higher wolf has their glass empty. Understood?"

I nodded several times before realizing that he couldn't see me and spoke again, "Yes."

I waited for Coryn's heavy steps to disappear down the hallway before finally exhaling and resuming changing.

The banquet was about to start.

Josefine's dress hung loosely on my skinny body, and I was thankful for the fringed white apron to tie around my waist, making it look somewhat presentable.

Before leaving my room, I perfumed my body with oil, brushed my hair, and tried to cover the bruised half of my face with wavy locks, hiding my miserable state as much as possible without additional means.

I could not risk the nobles having an issue with the way I looked. If I received complaints about my appearance, Yulianna would punish me again. Though, I was convinced that was her intention from the very beginning.

Once I entered the banquet hall, the party was already in full swing. The vast, elegantly decorated room was bustling with people from all over the Kingdom, their lively conversations blending with the loud harmonies of live instrumental music. Male and female wolves dressed impeccably in their beautiful, expensive attire.

Male omegas almost flew around the crowd, holding wide silver trays with assorted appetizers, while female omegas lingered around men, shiny silver trays with red wine and champagne placed in their open palms.

Another omega girl nudged me from behind and shoved a tray into my hands, offering a scolding grimace. "Don't just stand here like a statue. You are not part of the interior! Take this and join the crowd. Make sure to be quick to respond to the guests' requests."

With that instruction, the female omega pushed me, and I almost lost my balance, spilling the entire tray of drinks onto the shiny marble floor.

Once I finally steadied myself, my attention was caught by one of the Alpha wolves snapping his fingers in my direction. Jerking my head to ensure my face was covered with my wavy hair, I approached the company of several high-ranked wolves, absorbed in a rather lively conversation.

"It will soon become a rather big issue for us. It reduces the chance of finding a fated mate, for Goddess' sake!" I winced as I heard that intriguing part of the discussion, but the words stopped abruptly as I stood right next to them. 

Without saying a word, I lowered the tray, offering the man a selection of glasses while keeping my eyes glued to my feet. Drawing closer to him, I smelled beta blood, and my expression instantly tensed. Betas were second in command, but omegas had to be just as careful around them as with alphas.

The man looked up at me, frowning at my messy brown hair, then took a glass of wine from the tray and nodded. "Thank you."

As he responded, his companions turned to watch me in unison, and I could almost feel their intense eyes drilling holes into my trembling body.

I knew what it meant; they were examining my appearance, wondering whether I would be a suitable "entertainment" girl.

Waiting for him to speak again was torture. The servers were not allowed to leave unless the person who requested them dismissed them. Thus, bowing down, with piercing glares scrutinizing me from every side, I felt as if time stood still and I was caught in some horrifying loop.

At last, the beta who took a drink from me handed his still-full glass of wine to one of his friends and smirked, snatching the tray from my grasp.

Startled, I gasped and took a step back, but the man caught me by the wide ribbon of my white apron and pulled me closer to him, revealing his fangs as he spread his lips into a wild grin.

"Where do you think you're running off to, little wolf?"