CALISTA

"Are you excited?" I asked, carefully pinning the crown into her hair. My smile was wide, as I let Renna wear something meant for royalty.

For once, the servant looked like a princess.

"I'm... very excited," she said, smiling at her reflection back, her fingers brushed the edge of the gown I gave her—my favorite. Her eyes flickered between me and my friends as if searching for the hidden joke.

"No," she shook her head, dropping what I had given her on the bed, "I don't deserve this."

Sighs...

"Yes, you deserve it," I replied. "It's my way of saying sorry Renna. For how I treated you. And... for what happened that night."

Her smile faded. Her gaze dropped.

"I wasn't happy about that, princess," she said softly, "but again your family took me in when I had no one, and also they forgave me last night, so it's only right I forgive you too..."

"Awwn," I smiled, holding my breath as I hugged her.

"I promise to be better, Threnna," a smile crept on my face seeing she actually bought my pretense yet again, some people had to get bitten multiple times before they wisen up.

"Thank you my Princess, I'm also sorry," she bowed. "Permit me to take my leave now," I nodded and her footsteps echoed through the hallway.

"You gave her the crown?" Celine the Beta's daughter and my best friend asked, stunned. "And that gown? I asked for it months ago."

"She looked like a real royal," Ve, our friend, muttered, still watching the door Renna had exited through.

"Oh please," I scoffed, sipping my tea that had ran cold.

"You should know me better by now, to make friends with that low life,"

I placed the cup down, then slid onto the bed between them.

"I will tell you a secret," I whispered, knowing too well others might be aware of it, "promise no one will hear?"

Celine crossed her fingers dramatically. Ve made a 'zip-the-lips' gesture.

I grinned.

"Every century, two packs are chosen. One offers a Princess. One offers a Prince. They bond. Mate. Due within a year. The Moon Goddess requires it."

"Yeah," Celine nodded. "I've heard that. So?"

"An invite arrived shortly after that sult left to get tested last night... It is Sliver Wolves' turn to provide a princess, and guess who I was supposed to get mated to?" I didn't wait for their response, knowing a thousand guesses and they had still get it wrong, they were royal enough... dumb enough.

"Dracula...." I whispered slowly, and I watched as their mouths fell.

Ve gasped. "The devil himself?"

The moment she said that the room felt colder, as if he was present with us.

"Yes." I responded, looking round.

"Wait..." Celine cut in after recovering from the shock, "you said, supposed to. So you aren't going?"

I gave a sweet smile. My brows forming a knot. "What do you think?"

They were silent, and I decided to spare us the wait.

"Why should I? When there's a perfect lowborn sacrifice ready to wear my crown?"

"Amazing," Ve laughed.

"But what if uhm...Dracula notices she isn't royalty?" Celine pressed, "remember she had no court etiquette..."

"Would you rather be given in her place, Celine?" I asked, brows raised. "Say the word and trust me all I have to do is tell my parents, and your place in hell is secured."

Celine paled. "No thanks."

I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my gown. "Even if the beast finds out Renna is not royalty, he would kill her. That's still a win."

"That's great Calista. I can't imagine you getting mated to red horns, and claws," Ve joked.

"Yes. My years prepping my beauty, isn't for no waste land and neither do I want to die in a year... Alright I need to get some beauty sleep ladies, do the same. I have a feeling tonight's gonna be a long night."

***

My lips glowed like red blossoms, my eyes dark like that of a gazelle.

"Stay hidden," my parents had told me.

"No one must know it's not you."

But I couldn't resist the show.

It was a masked event for the ladies anyways. And I had like to see him — The rumoured Dracula.

If I was lucky, I'd never lay eyes on him again...

"You sure look the part," Celine and Ve praised as they walked into my room.

"Well I am a royal born for a reason," I smiled.

Just then loud trumpets blew, and the air shifted immediately, "Welcoming Azrial of BloodMoon Pack," the herald announced.

I stood near the window, watching the carriage and horses arrive, but I couldn't get a glimpse of him.

Just then Mother and Renna stepped out of the shadows. She wore my crown. My gown. My mask.

She was my death sentence.

She moved like a lamb for slaughter. The maids had done well—enough powder to mask her hollow cheeks, and swollen eyes.

The idea had been to make her comfortable until this hour, so that at least even when anyone saw her crying behind her mask, they had mistaken it for being terrified of marrying a beast.

And they'd be right.

"Come on," Ve tugged my arm. "Let's go meet the monster."

We picked our mask and left, giggling in excitement…

***

Inside the ballroom, the throne room glowed. My parents sat like gods above the crowd. And there in my seat sat Renna.

The room buzzed. As soft music played.

My eyes fell on the huge clock, its hands ticking by. Ten more minutes before the full moon.

"Where is Dracula?" I asked, wanting to see the face of the devil, Renna would be mated to, but it seemed he wasn't in the throne room, as all the faces of the princes here are familiar, and neither can a devil possess their kind of looks.

"Not sure," Ve whispered. "Maybe they're not here yet—"

"ALL RISE!" the herald boomed, silencing her.

We stood.

"Presenting Prince Azrial of BloodMoon Pack."

The mighty oak door creaked opened with a loud hiss.

I braced myself.

"Here comes Shrek," Ve joked as we watched the door.

But the unexpected happened as gasps filled the air, my throat dried...

The air vanished from the room.

He walked in–tall, silver hair braided, and his eyes like stars stabbing the sky, he had a presence that stuffed everything. He looks like a demon warrior, a king. A god.

He was beautiful in the way storms are.

Besides him stood another man—blond, stoic, unreadable. The Beta, maybe.

They reached the dais. The blond one spoke:

"All bow."

We bowed. Even my father bent his head.

Renna didn't.

Her eyes were still locked on him, shock written on them.

"Rise." The blonde-haired's voice thundered, as we rose slowly.

"Does that mean this god is Dracula?" Celine asked, as she also stared at the one with the aura, "Damn I should have agreed to your plans," she frowned.

Well I couldn't blame her, even I would have bore my cross if I knew he looked this way. Imagine being called the mate of a handsome prince...

"W... welcome Prince Azrial," my dad steadied his voice, "we are..." the words died down his throat, as Prince Azrial walked up to a standing Renna.

"Call their names Renna. Who made you do this?" his voice steeled.

Her name. He knew her name...

The world went silent, how the hell did he even know her name... So much was happening at one for me to process as I gasped for air.

"Do you want the entire Sliver Wolves Pack punished for this?"her eyes widened, as murmuring sounds erupted from the crowd.

"Just say the word." His voice silenced.