Odessa's Destiny

Chapter 3

ODESSA'S POV

I spent the rest of the night hiding, or at least it felt like it.

Every time I caught a glimpse of Prince Asher's piercing gaze, I ducked behind a wall, a curtain, or even a particularly large potted plant.

Anything to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest. An actual, bloodline of the moon, bow before him, wears crowns on special occasions, prince?

Oh, my Goddess. He was a prince? A freaking prince, and I had disrespected him.

My stomach twisted violently, and I pressed a hand to it, afraid I might puke all over the silver plated serving trays.

I called him a bumbling i***t, to his face. I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. What if he told his father?

What if I got summoned to some royal court and beheaded for disrespecting the crown? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

"Oh, Goddess!" I muttered to myself, trying to calm down.

"What are you doing here?" The sharp voice of Mrs Smart yanked me out of my spiraling panic. I spun around like I'd been caught stealing food.

"Uh..." I scrambled for words, eyes darting like I could find an excuse lying on the floor. "I was just..."

I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, brain scrambling to lie but offering absolutely nothing useful.

"I mean, I was trying to...uh..." Mrs Smart snapped her frown deepening. "You know what? I don't even care. Just get your butt out there and serve some drinks before I toss you out myself."

I nodded so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "Yes, ma'am!"

Grabbing the nearest tray of wine flutes, I practically flew out of the kitchen like my life depended on it, which given the situation, it might very well have.

As I walked back into the glow of the ballroom, I whispered to myself under my breath.

"Just one more hour. Serve, smile, and disappear. Hopefully before he notices me again."

I glanced around the ballroom, sighing in relief when I didn't find Prince Asher anywhere.

He was gone, but the gorgeous blonde he'd been talking to was still there, glaring at...was she glaring at me?

Oh, s**t. She definitely was. I quickly looked away and began to move towards a nearby wall, trying to act as natural as possible.

The last thing I wanted was to attract attention from any royals. They weren't particularly known for their kindness.

Once I was safe behind a pillar, I looked over at her and sighed in relief. She was now speaking to other women just as beautiful and well dressed as her.

I made my rounds around the huge hall, trying to blend in. Before I knew it, the drinks were gone, and only one was left.

I made my way outside the hall to where commoners like me stood.

"Oh my God, he is so handsome!" I caught a snippet of a few girls conversing.

"I wonder who he is going to pick..." another girl said.

“I wonder who that girl he was talking to is..."

"The poor fat girl?"

I gasped. "I am not fat!" I whispered under my breath.

"I think she is a waitress," another girl said.

"He's definitely picking Princess Amaya to be his Luna, she's the only smart choice,"

I groaned. Of course, this night had turned out to be an absolute nightmare.

I walked past the girls, hiding my face behind the tray. As soon as I got to a well hidden pillar, I sighed.

This really was a nightmare. I glanced at my phone and frowned. I still had 40 minutes of this hellhole before I'm finally free...to go back to my own hellhole of a pack, but at least it was familiar.

I stared at the last champagne flute on the tray and stole it. I deserved some too.

Without thinking, I downed the entire thing. The sparkly rich taste spread across my taste buds, and I moaned in pleasure.

"Damn, this was really nice," I said to myself.

"There you are," a familiar voice said behind me, and I almost peed my pants. Asher...No, Prince Asher. Slowly, I turned around with a smile on my face.

"Asher...I mean, your highness," I bowed clumsily.

"Before you say anything, I'm really sorry for those things I said. I didn't mean it. I don't hate the prince...please don't kill me," I blurted out, panting.

Prince Asher chuckled. "I don't plan to."

I blinked. So, he didn't plan on killing me? "Stand up, you look ridiculous bowing like that," he said with a smile.

“Oh, thank you.” I stuttered.

“Well at least I wouldn't be a prince to kill his waitress mate.” He blurted out.

As soon as he said it, I felt a strange tug in my chest, like a magnetic pull that was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Before I could process it, a sharp voice sliced through the air like a blade.

"She's your what?"

We both turned to face the speaker, Princess Amaya, who stood a few feet away, her perfect lips curled into a sneer.

Her icy blue eyes darted between me and Prince Asher, or was it Asher?

"She is your mate? A common waitress, your mate?" she repeated, her voice dripping with disdain.

I stepped forward to speak, but Amaya's hand connected with my face before I could utter a word.

The slap was swift and unexpected, and I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek.

Then, she splashed me with champagne, the cold liquid hitting my skin like a slap.

"You will speak only when spoken to, servant!" she spat, her voice loud enough for everyone to turn towards the commotion.

I stood frozen, my heart hammering in my chest as the humiliation settled over me like a storm cloud.

As I looked up, I saw my stepsister standing just behind Amaya, a smug, satisfied smile on her face.

“What? Did you actually think I'd let you embarrass the family?" she said, her voice dripping with malice.

"Or wait, maybe you thought you could actually pull the prince. You're not even an Omega, you're a rogue with an erratic tiny wolf."

The crowd murmured and laughed, and I felt like I'd been transported back to my pack, where I was constantly belittled and humiliated.

The need to get out of there became overwhelming, and I turned to run, tears streaming down my face.

What a humiliating night. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get caught up in this situation.

As I ran, I could feel the eyes of the crowd on me, their laughter and whispers following me like a dark cloud.

I didn't stop running until I was outside, gasping for air. The cool night air hit me like a slap, and I felt a wave of shame wash over me. I had never felt so humiliated in my life.

As I stood there, trying to catch my breath, I couldn't help but wonder what Prince Asher thought of the whole situation.

Had he been embarrassed by me? Did he think I was worthy of being his mate? Will I be punished?

The questions swirled in my mind, but I pushed them aside.

I didn't care what Prince Asher thought. I didn't care about any of this. I just wanted to disappear and forget this night ever happened.