4. The First Glimpse

It’s a long queue of male and female workers. Some are werewolves but most commonly there are humans willing to get a job in the palace. Their place is low and they are meant to be slaves to the wolves. Anna is silently standing, waiting for her turn, and the sunlight is giving a stinging pain to her head. She keeps on finding the shadow but can’t. When she manages to tolerate such bright sunlight, she then looks around only to find a spot that has no sunlight coming through it. Walking away from the queue, she strolls herself to one side, this apparently is the back door to the palace. The area leads directly to the palace and Anna is not willing to step inside, she is just finding a perfect spot to stand in the shade. Right now her legs are like jelly, jiggling as she has been standing for so long. She looks around, wanting to sit but finding nothing, she prefers to sit on the ground. Just as then she is having a rest in the shadow, her eyes are stuck to the long queue, she does not want to miss her turn. The desire to meet her mother and get united with her is getting stronger every passing day that she did not inform her and comes looking for a job. Anna is unaware of the palace rules and the fact that monsters live here. She has been listening to the tales her mother used to tell her as bedtime stories, she believes that the members of the royal family are good people. Sneaking out from the back door is a man who doesn’t see her sitting on the floor. His heavy figure almost falls upon her tiny body and he stops on his way. Narrowing his eyebrows, the man gives her one judging look and all she feels is the chills running down her spine. She gulps getting up from the ground, her eyes buried down the ground. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he asks her, his tone is firm and deep, it almost makes her heart jump in her chest. She tries to keep it calm, carefully lifting her eyes to meet with his, and utters, “I am just sitting here - I came for the maid job.” Then quickly an evil smirk grows on his face, he parts his lips to speak but then someone calls him out from behind, “Colin! Come on in!”

“If a weak human like you is starting to work here as a maid then I must try to stay at home all the time -” with a wink in her direction and Colin makes his way out of the palace, sitting in his lavish car. The door remains open and when he went away, she can’t help but to stare inside. The insides of the palace almost seem like a dream. In her mind, she thinks of talking to her mother, asking for her permission relating to this position. She is well aware of the fact that her mother is going to refuse this decision of yours but at the same time, considering with her is going to be reasonable. So she steps into the palace from the back door, looking around she finds it rather amusing. A lake to her left side and a gazebo are within the water, the surroundings seem entirely beautiful as the green and bluish water floats with several lily pads on it. On her right side is a large garden, the grass is freshly trimmed and green and colorful flowers appear to be very gorgeous, enhancing the beauty of the garden. There is a three-story palace, as huge as it can get - the grand terrace is crafted with ancient style with a hint of modernism.

Butterflies flutter around her, and the smell of fresh flowers and plants takes her into their embrace. The sunlight is no longer stinging her, it is not irritating to her. Instead, she feels entirely light as if she has become a feather - a magnificent smile covers her face as she wanders her eyes around. This is a whole new world, far different from the town outside. This seems to be heaven while outside is only hell. Now she fully understands the reason humans are ready to become the slaves for the royal family - it is just this breathtaking view that she can’t seem to get enough of. At this moment she forgets everything about her life, her mother, her purpose for coming here - even her name, she is just floating in the air like a carefree butterfly.

“Who are you?” a guard passing by shouts and she stops, paralyzed in her place. He rushes to her, sniffling her with his nose and eyeing her very suspiciously. He raises another question at her, “I said, who are you? What are you doing here?” This time she stutters, the words can’t come out of her mouth as he caught her off guard. “I -” the guard wastes no time but to grab her arm roughly and drag her inside the palace.

“Alpha? Alpha? There is a mugger inside the palace!” the guard is looking around as he reaches the grand hallway that is empty. “No, I am not a -” she is being interrupted by a sweet voice, “A mugger, you said?” The guard instantly turns around, showing a little curtsy to the woman ahead of them, and eventually, Anna has to do the same. “Your majesty, this woman was trespassing.” The woman scans her head to toe, her eyebrows narrowed and she is silently judging her. The lady in front of her seems no ordinary but someone royal. She dares not to speak until she is asked for. “Who are you?” the lady asks her, waiting for her reply.

Anna is scared for her life, she believes that she has violated one of the rules by trespassing in the palace and she will not be forgiven. She gulps, nervous and frightened both at the same time, in a low voice she manages to speak, “I am not a mugger and I am not trespassing.” The lady sighs deeply, walking forth, her hands intertwining together. From her appearance, she seems quite relaxed and Anna manages to say, “I am one of the - I was actually here for the maid position. I applied here and -” The lady interrupts her once again, “Then you should be out in the queue.” And to her answer, Anna utters, “I was. But I -” The lady does not let her speak, instead, she raises her hand, then gesturing the guard to take her away. “Wait, where are you taking me? I swear I am not lying. My mother works here -” she is trying to speak up, keeping her voice a little low and also trying to make them understand her point she struggles. When she leaves the woman behind she is being dragged out of the palace, reaching the porch and she starts to shout, “Mother! Mother!”

Standing at the terrace are Alpha Bruce and his elder brother Ferguson, discussing some business together. While Alpha remains silent, he crosses his arms to his back, focused on his brother. Ferguson looks down and at the same time, a guard comes to inform the alpha, “Lady Adina has begun the interviews, my King.” Ferguson stares at the woman for a while and then shouts, calling out to the guard, “What is happening here?” The guard politely leaves the woman showing curtsy to the man and carefully refers, “Your majesty, she was trespassing around the palace. She is a mugger.” Anna gets the chance to quickly state her truth, “No, your majesty, sorry to interrupt but I am here for the job of a maid and I was looking for my mother. She works in this palace.” Ferguson joins his hands behind his back, giving a look full of judgment to her. Before he could say anything, she starts to whine, telling him the whole story about her entering the royal palace. Just as then Bruce is finished talking to the guard, giving him a few commands, and hearing all of this whining he becomes uneasy. The feeling of irritation easily builds inside him and he shouts at once, making her silent as her voice is giving pain to his ears.

“Enough!” he barks in anger. Anna buries her eyes to the ground right after she gasps, the roar was so loud that it almost gives her one heart attack. The starts to feel a little dizzy, her legs are literally trembling along her whole body. "Show me her face!" he commands to the guard standing next to her. Within a while when her chin is being lifted upwards, her eyes are already closed, and only her beautiful face comes into his sight. The first glimpse appears to be a disaster and she faints on the ground, giving herself up and he keeps on staring at her figure.