Is our lives really 'ours' when it's path is being decided by people around us? "Alright, girls. Take your places!" Elder Althea said with a loud voice, pacing around in the room where the other girls from our coven had been picked. Picked for what exactly... You might ask. Well, nothing prestigious. We're the lowest of the food chain. The lowest ranking witches of the Luminari coven, each either incapable of casting basic spells or lacking in general magic knowledge. And tonight, we were picked to act as maids and servants to our 'guests' as we welcome them to our coven. The guests in question? The Alpha king of the North American region and his delegates. "I heard the Alpha king has a taste for witch blood." One of the girls in our group remarked with fear in her voice. "That wouldn't make any sense. If he has such a devilish taste then why is he here to pick a bride amongst our top young witches?" Another one of us commented. "This 'truce' idea between our coven and the Blood oak pack sounds suspicious, I'm not going to lie." For about a century, witches and werewolves have been at war, with humans being caught in the middle. The war caused humans and witches to form an alliance, with humans providing shelter in their big and modernized cities while witches protected them from the werewolves. It's been a symbiotic relationship. But now, the Alpha king of the North American region, who's the leader of every pack in North America, suddenly brought forward the idea of a truce and called for our coven, the Luminari coven, to organize a ball where he'll pick a witch to be his bride. It was a welcome development... But also one that sent shivers down my spine. "D– Does this mean we'll see the Alpha king? In the flesh?" I couldn't help but ask, adjusting my dress and gulping. The other lower-ranking witches all gave me disdainful looks, ignoring my existence and continuing with their gossip. "She doesn't even deserve to serve actual servants." One of them muttered mockingly, causing the rest to cackle like the witches they were. I was an outcast, even among lower-ranking witches. The hurtful words were child's play compared to the years of bullying and abuse I've received growing up and even now. At least, they could cast basic spells. I couldn't even cast a basic fire spell to light a candle. Magic has never been my strong suit. "It's time!" Elder Althea yelled out, snapping her fingers. That caused the red curtains separating us from the main hall to open, giving us a view of the scenery. Witches and humans were sitting on tables, with food and drinks placed in front of them, and all of them dressed elegantly. But despite their elegant dress, no one could deny the solemn air surrounding them. "The Alpha king and his delegates are sitting at the high table over there." Elder Althea pointed at a slightly elevated post where some seemingly powerful people were sitting. She gestured at all of us to go there and serve them food and drinks but I hesitantly stayed back, frightened at the thought of serving those beasts. "Odessa." Elder Althea's stern voice snapped me out of my thoughts, causing me to turn my gaze to her. "What are you waiting for? Scurry along!" I bit my lips, my heart racing with fear and my body shaking with hesitation. My heart raced against my ribcage, my legs wobbling as I drew in a deep breath before speaking. "A– Aunt Althea, what if I mess up? What if I do something wrong a– and the Alpha king gets enraged and–" "Nonsense, child!" Elder Althea waved my worries dismissively, stepping forward and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Odessa, you'll do just fine. You're only meant to go there and serve the Alpha king and his delegates. You aren't like the high-ranking maidens who will be lined up to get picked." Right... Of course, I'm not one of them. It's not like I didn't like the idea of being a powerful witch and living up to my late mother's legacy. Heck, even Elder Althea, my mother's sister, is one of the most powerful witches in the continent and yet somehow I managed to get unlucky enough to be born THIS way. "Go. The high maidens are about to present themselves to the Alpha king." Elder Althea shoved me slightly, gesturing at me to move. I looked away from her, swallowing hard and closing my eyes with hesitation before I opened them again and began walking forward, holding a tray of drinks meant for the Alpha and his delegates. Soft music began playing, making me feel like a main character for a second... Until I spotted the high maidens of our coven making their way in front of the high table. They were all dressed like princesses, especially Lucinda, the most powerful among the young maidens of our coven and probably the most beautiful. "Lucinda is going to get picked for sure." I heard a witch from one of the tables I walked past mutter. "There's no argument there. She's perfect. The Alpha king would be blind to–" "Choose your next words wisely, Thomas. If the Alpha king hears you, he'll have your head, and I won't be there to protect you." I couldn't help but gulp when I heard that last part. Dear, goddess, let's just get this over with. Finally, I got to the stage where the Alpha king and his delegates were sitting. A few of the other low-ranking witches were already there dropping trays of food or some drinks as well, all of them having their heads lowered in the presence of the werewolves. It was then that my gaze landed on one of them among the werewolves. It had to be him. The Alpha King. Alpha king Kaelos... He was dressed in an all-black attire and had a stoic expression on his face, his black hair falling to his shoulder. He was breathtakingly handsome, causing my heart to skip a beat. This couldn't be right. I've seen several handsome men in this coven, human and witch, and some of them were even way more attractive than the Alpha king. None of them has ever made me feel the way I feel right now. There was a voice in my head, calling me, begging me to draw closer to this man. To this man who was rumored to love the flesh of witches. To this man who was said to bathe in the blood of his enemies. Who was said to be even more ruthless than his predecessors. Was this some kind of prank? Did one of the witches place a spell on me as a joke? Well, if it was a joke, it was a dangerous one. Falling for the Alpha King was a death sentence. Suddenly, at that same moment, as I climbed up the elevated stage, I heard one of the wolves sitting beside the Alpha speak with a deep voice. "Oh, what about this one?" He asked with a respectful tone. "She's gorgeous and I heard she's the most powerful among them. Just perfect." I glanced back to see who they were referring to and wasn't surprised to see Lucinda standing in front of the other high maidens, displaying her magic through beautifully cast rainbow lights and butterflies that caused the audience to gasp in awe. But the Alpha king seemed unimpressed, his expression stoic as ever. "I'm not here for 'beauty' or 'power', Marcellus." The Alpha King spoke in a voice that caused my heart to skip a beat. "I'm just waiting for any of these witches to catch my attention. To do something so attention-catching that I–" Suddenly, before he could complete his sentence, the worst happened. I tripped, my leg giving in to the pressure of being so close to him. In the process, I let go of the tray of drinks, causing all of it to spill on the Alpha king and his delegates. "By the goddess!" "This insect!" "How dare you?!" Hearing the harsh berating of the werewolves made my body freeze with fear as my chest rose and fell with each breath. The music slowly died down as everyone in the audience turned their attention to the stage. I knew it! I knew somehow, my clumsy ass would ruin this. I slowly raised my head, staring directly at the Alpha king, expecting to meet his rage-filled eyes. But I didn't see that. Instead, his silver eyes glinted with surprise and curiosity as he stood up, staring directly at me and scrutinizing me as if I fell from the sky. "You idiot!" A man who looked to be in his fifties stood up and landed a slap on my face, the pain causing me to fall to my knees. "Apologize to the Alpha king this instant. Do you have any fear for your life?!" I whimpered, holding my right cheek where the slap had landed, my elbow stinging with a sharp pain thanks to the fall. The entire hall was silent and I could hear the disdainful whispers of people from the audience. People from my own coven. The shame was numbing, causing me to lower my gaze as hot tears trickled down my face. "I– I didn't mean to–" Before I could finish my statement, the Alpha king spoke up with a loud voice that boomed around the hall. "Her. I choose her." The shocked gasps from the audience behind me caused me to slowly raise my head as I looked back, hoping to see the person the Alpha King had picked despite my humongous screw-up. However, I was stunned when I saw all eyes on me. It was then that I turned my gaze hesitantly to the Alpha king and saw his index finger pointed at me.