"Listen to me!", the green eyes in front of me were filled with tears and the hands that grabbed my shoulders hurt me. I did not understand. Everything happens so quickly. "You have to hide! You have to be quiet. They can't find you! You have to be quiet, promise me!", her voice was shrill. She had never sounded like that before. Something wet rolled down my cheek. I nodded and she smiled, but it wasn't like her usual smile. The next moment the world exploded. I heard a scream. It was mine. Why did all this happen? The noise stopped and I saw eyes glowing gold. A wolf. I started running like she had told me many times. But it was too late. They had me.

I woke up, drenched in sweat, and the book I had fallen asleep with slipped from my chest.

I tried to calm myself down like I did every time the images came back to haunt me. I ran my hand through my brown hair and tried to push it out of my face when a few rays of sunlight tickled my face. Crap! It was already light!

Oh, I was dead! I was so dead! I quickly slipped into my work clothes. My shirt was still new, so it still felt clean on my skin. I quickly tied my hair up and then I was on my way to the kitchen.

I was lucky, I wasn't too late. Just as I was about to go to the sink to start washing the dishes, the cook entered the room. “Set up!” her shrill voice echoed through the modern room. The entire staff immediately lined up, as they had done many times before. The older woman with piggy eyes and gray hair strode past us like a general. When I arrived I fixed her shoes. They were nice shoes, certainly expensive. She continued walking.

Her footsteps echoed jaggedly on the white tiles as she began to speak. "You know what kind of day today is," no one answered.

"You know what's at stake. We've got a big visitor today. They'll arrive in the evening, and I want everything to be ready by then. I won't tolerate any delay! Anyone who thinks they have to dawdle, show off, or stand up for themselves more than he is, knows what is in store for him." I was still looking at the floor, but I could feel her piercing gaze on me. She seemed to be burning holes into me with her eyes.

"Some of you will be serving upstairs today. You know your rules. Don't talk, don't be in the presence of a noble any longer than necessary, do what you're told, never look them in the eye. Be shadows! Do you understand that? ?", no one answered again, but that seemed to be enough for her. From the corner of my eye, I saw her crossing her arms contentedly. I had heard this speech a thousand times. I knew the rules as if they were tattooed on my skin.

Each of us had our story. We were born to serve. We all knew the risks we were taking if we served tonight. I took a deep breath. It'll be fine.

Iris clapped her hands.

"Well then! Get to work!"

______________________

The closer the evening came, the more nervous I became. I wore my nicest uniform, the uncomfortable one that made me feel like I was suffocating, and made my way upstairs. Before I picked up the tray of champagne, I closed my eyes briefly. My hands were shaking uncontrollably and I was on the verge of a panic attack. It's all good, Lucy. It's just a normal evening. You've done this a thousand times. Lucien organizes balls all the time. It's just another evening. Nodding confidently, I took the tray and followed the others up the stairs.

The first guests would be arriving any moment, which is why the entire house glowed in golden light. We approached the great hall and as we entered I couldn't help but be amazed. I knew the floors by heart; I had scrubbed them way too many times. But today the room radiates this atmosphere that welcomes you, but at the same moment threatens to overwhelm you with gold.

I and the others took our positions, hidden on the edge, as we were told, and waited.

Then it started.

__________________________

Oh damn, that was a lot of people! One important-looking person after the other walked down the large stairs into the slowly filling room. In the background, the quartet had started playing beautiful melodies, but no one seemed to be paying attention to them. They probably heard something like that every day. From my corner, I allowed myself to examine the people. I would almost say that it was a little hobby of mine. There was something about studying people's faces and wondering where they came from or what their stories were.

The women were beautiful. Their dresses were so different and seemed to surpass each other in beauty. Long robes in the most beautiful colors were presented to the different women. I was sure that they wanted to express their wealth, a sign of their status. Almost like war paint. I held back a giggle as I imagined the noble ladies with colorful lines on their skin.

But the gentlemen weren't entirely unsightly either. As the number of men increased, so did the oppressive authority in the room. While I wasn't a werewolf who could sense the ranks, they radiated their power so much that even I could have nothing but respect for them. Of course, this was mainly done by the men, but the Lunas' power was also visible. They seemed equal to their companions. But I had never known enough to understand all this nonsense.

The girls in the kitchen had been right. The Alphas all seemed to be blessed with beautiful genes. Almost angelic faces could be seen in the crowd. It couldn't have been more unfair. Why be powerful or beautiful when you can be both? In their expensive suits, they probably stole the hearts of many a servant. And guess who got to listen to this all day tomorrow?

I sighed internally.

Alpha Lucien stood out from the crowd. He may have been an alpha, but the gods seemed to have made an exception for him. Maybe his insides have become too external. I spotted my leader at the edge of the dance floor, talking to a tall man who had his back to me.

His large stomach was covered by a jacket that was a little too small. His few gray hairs were carefully combed back. He wasn't a feast for the eyes, but I spotted at least 6 women who were adoring him with big eyes.

"Don't just stand on the sidelines! Mix in with the people and, damn it, do your job!" a familiar voice barked behind me, tearing me from my observations. Of course, Iris was also present. She would never miss an opportunity to present herself to the rich and beautiful.

Nodding quickly, I did what was asked of me.

I mingled with the crowd.

I moved invisibly through the crowds. A glass here, a glass there.

People started dancing and the dance floor was full in a short time. The room was full of laughter. And I was in the middle of it. The air was getting more and more stuffy and my uniform wasn't helping. I wanted to get rid of the jars as quickly as possible so I could go into the cool basement to make new ones.

Because of the people dancing, I stayed at the edge of the area. There were people here who spoke. People who drank. I would get rid of everything here quickly.

"And then I said to him - thank you, darling!" said an older lady to whom I had just offered a glass. I had submitted and straightened up with an emotionless expression to continue walking.

My eyes darted across the dance floor when I suddenly stopped. As if magically drawn, my eyes met the most beautiful blue I have ever seen. A young man, who couldn't have been much older than me, had just bowed and kissed a pretty lady on the hand when he caught my eye as he sat up.

My heart stopped for a moment and I forgot to breathe. For a moment I felt like I was underwater. The music only reached me in the distance and I no longer noticed anyone but us.

Even though we were several meters apart, I could see the emotions written on his face in those few seconds.

Surprise, amazement, an emotion I couldn't place, and... oh oh.

His gaze became angry, breaking me out of my stupor. Oh gods, what had gotten into me? I had stared into the eyes of an alpha like a mental patient. Didn't I want to survive this evening? Well, I was able to take that off now.

While the stranger was pulled back into the stream of music by his dance partner, I disappeared into the crowd.

Oh fuck! Holy shit!

My heart was racing like crazy and I could hardly breathe.

No matter what Iris told me to do, I hid in the shadows of the stairs again. I slowly calmed down again. Yikes, what was wrong with me? I probably just got sick. Nothing unusual when winter was approaching.

I cursed myself as I noticed my eyes darting back to the black curly head who was now dancing to the music. A beautiful woman in her arms. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Oh gods, that wasn't normal.

I shook my head to clear the strange feeling and looked for a distraction.

I was eyeing a giant of a man when I realized the song was over and the quartet was taking a short break. The pretty boy left the dance floor and headed straight for a person who was standing quite apart from all the hustle and bustle. I looked curiously at the man the stranger was walking towards. He was big, about the same size as Mr. Dancing Bear here. But there was something stiff about him. As if pretty much every muscle in his body was tense. His gaze was so cold that I wished he would never look at me. His entire appearance was at odds with the dancing bear. I decided to call him Ice Block.

When Dancing Bear reached Ice Block, he seemed to tell him something. Then Eisblock's eyes got so big that I almost laughed. Now the dancing bear turned back to the dance floor. The two of them scanned the crowd with flying eyes. As if they were looking for something or someone. The blood froze in my veins. You weren't looking for me, were you? Or does it? Oh holy shit, I had probably somehow insulted him to the core.

When they finally reached the stairs, I took another step further into the shadows. Better safe than sorry. I felt Dancing Bear's blue eyes studying the shadow for a while before he moved on. I breathed out. I didn't even realize I had stopped her. Dancing Bear said something to Ice Block, who responded calmly. Dancing Bear seemed upset. Again and again, he ran his hand through his black curls while Eisblock talked to him soothingly. I had also noticed that the ice block had thawed a little. He had released his hands, which were previously clasped behind his back, and was now rubbing his face. If Eisblock didn't wear such an expensive suit, I'd say he was a soldier or a bodyguard.

I was shocked to see that the two of them were starting to split up and from the way they looked, the search was far from over. I didn't know who or what they were looking for, but I didn't take the risk. Who knew how cruel Mr. Dancing Bear was? I had insulted him and a little voice in the back of my head said it didn't matter if I died. And so I quickly poured the last glass of champagne into a plant and made my way to the kitchen. I doubted that alcohol was good for plants, but that didn't matter right now. What I didn't doubt, however, was the fact that if Iris found out that I had probably just downed my annual salary's worth of champagne, Iris would be a bit shy.

I weaved my way through the crowd as quickly as I could, trying not to bump into anyone. There was the door that would finally lead me to safety. I quickened my pace and almost tripped over my own feet.

I quickly sat up and continued walking at a normal pace. Even though I was now on the run, so to speak, I still couldn't attract attention.

I managed to leave the room unnoticed and a glance over my shoulder confirmed that no one was following me. The weight on my chest became lighter.

A little relieved, I went down the stairs to the lower floor.

And ran straight into a man's chest.