Honey Bee

POV of Eliza Claire Gold

(5 years later, Velvet Villa, Starlight Kingdom)

‘Knock! Knock!’

“Are you ready, Lily?”

Issac’s gentle voice echoed from the opposite side of the door as I checked myself once again, staring at my reflection in the huge, round mirror of the washroom, and then replied, curling my lips into a seductive smile, “More than ready, Sir. Let’s taste some exotic wine tonight.”

“Not Sir. It is Issac. How many times do I have to correct you?” Issac protested annoyedly.

Clicking my tongue, I only blurted out a tiny ‘sorry’ in response. 

Grabbing my masquerade mask, I fixed my astounding and comfortable, red dress, embroidered with shimmering golden threads. However, it was a little too revealing and attention-seeking, not according to my taste. 

While putting on the mask, I opened the door and approached Issac Liwan, my senior and trainer who was standing all dressed up in a maroon tuxedo. 

Issac swung his head around to look up at me. He scanned me critically and beamed approval as his ocean-blue eyes flickered sharply in the dim, golden light of the corridor. Though Issac was always strict with me, his nature was as full of sunshine as his looks. He had an innately captivating presence everywhere.

While running his fingers through his grey hair, he explained again in a low tone, “Remember well, when the ball begins, you must reach Mr. Hogg who is the Managing director of AJC organization. We must find the secret drive which holds all the confidential names we are looking for.”

“Is he carrying that drive with him tonight?” 

Issac nodded his head positively while opening the door for me in the vast and opulent ballroom, “Yes, I heard that he is meeting with the new CEO of the AJC organization tonight. You must not miss this golden chance, Lily.”

Rolling my eyes, I declared proudly with my seductive smile, “Have I ever failed in any mission, Issac?”

“They will have Z plus security so you can’t carry any weapon or poison inside. Your wolf will not be enough to fight alone with all of them. Be extra cautious about their bodyguards too. If you sense any kind of danger, just escape, ok?” Isaac warned me as he led me inside the hall towards the bar which was already overcrowded with well-dressed guests.

Instinctively, a little smile curled up my lips, hearing his genuinely worried tone. There were only a few souls left in my new and small world who genuinely cared for me at that time.

“I will follow the plan,” I whispered before parting ways with Issac.

Issac still looked very worried as he murmured, gently grabbing my wrist, “You must not risk yourself for the mission, Lily. Just send me the signal and I will be there to save you.”

Though it was not my first mission, I was quite nervous at that time. It was one of the crucial tasks of our pack to find that drive which was hiding the names of all the werewolf spies of the kingdom. Those spies were not only leaking our confidential information but also were behind the ‘illegal slave kidnappings’ from our werewolf kingdom.

At that time, 

I was working as a honey bee for the Silver Bow pack of Starlight Town. 

I was homeless, penniless, and wandering in the streets 4 years ago when the Alpha of the Silver Bow pack found me and took me under his shelter. This pack had tons of criminal records and it used to do all the dirty and bloody works of the werewolf kingdom for money. However, to survive I needed only money. 

So, from that day, I followed every order of our Alpha without a single question. I pledged my loyalty to my saviour that night and in return, I got a decent place to live and adequate food. Though I worked diligently for the Silver Bow pack for those 4 years, I didn’t get any position or respect in the pack. 

They always treated me as an outcast rogue, a dirty whore who used to lure her prey, seducing them though I was an extremely skilled hunter. At first, their insults bothered me a lot as my past was quite glorious, and then I just got used to everything. 

“What would you like to have, M’lady?” the bartender interrupted my train of thoughts, flashing a welcoming smile. 

Instantly I looked up, taking a comfortable seat near the counter, “One Margarita, please.” 

“Sure, Mam.”

The young lad focused all his attention on preparing my drink when I asked again, leaning against the counter, “Are you a permanent worker here? You look young but efficient.”

The young guy gave me a shy smile as he answered promptly, “No, I am a part-timer here. I have never seen you before, Mam. Is it your first time here?”

“Yes, I got lucky tonight to get a pass to this masquerade party,” I winked at him playfully. While scanning my surroundings, I asked casually, “So, who is hosting this party tonight? I suppose that numerous wealthy heads and celebrities are on the guest list tonight.”

The guy informed in his youthful voice, “Of course, all the big shots will be here tonight. After all, AJC organization is hosting this masquerade to welcome their new CEO. I heard that even some celebrities from the Lycan kingdom will also show their faces like golden twins Miriam and Murphy, Sasha, the great pop star, and Joseph, the heartthrob of youths.”

“Wow! I am a big fan of Sasha. I wish I could meet them.”

 I blurted out without thinking. More than a fan, Sasha was one of my closest friends. Those familiar names pricked my heart like an old wound. My vision was still gloomily coloured with the memory as I murmured, “I wish I could talk with her for once.”

They were all parts of my messy past, the past I was running away from. Those celebrities were the members of the strongest ruling Lycan pack, ‘Night Walker.’ As a mere werewolf, it was pretty absurd for me to be friends with them, however, my fate got tangled with that pack once and it just ruined my peaceful life forever.

I ended up on the streets with no money and no honour. 

‘Maybe, this is what you pay for trusting your enemy,’ A pain squeezed my heart as I thought of ‘him’, ‘My hatred for him is only increasing with time. How I wish I would never meet-’

Passing me the glass of drink, the young guy suddenly whispered, leaning closer, “Would you like to see her? I don’t think that you can talk with her though.”

“See her?”

I asked curiously as a satisfied smile curled my lips seductively, “Is it possible for me to enter the VIP floor? The guards will not allow me.”

The guy gave me a little, assuring smile as he whispered again in a low voice, “I can take you there but you have to be very careful not to get caught.”

“Of course,” I instantly jumped down from my seat, ready to follow him. I didn’t expect that getting access to the VIP floor would be that easy. I felt a little guilty for using that innocent pub but in my work, guilt had no place.

The young lad checked our surroundings cautiously as he answered back, scanning me from head to toe once again, “I can show you a secret path to the VIP floor but you have to go there alone.”

Satisfyingly, I answered, “That will be more than enough.”

That young guy led me to a vast but empty corridor, leaving behind that crowded ballroom. From the corner of my eyes, I stole a glance of Issac who looked slightly confused but he never doubted my capability.

Through that corridor, he led me to the emergency stairs and instructed me to go to the fourth floor and then to take a left, he parted his way. Surprisingly, that area was particularly deserted as if someone intentionally removed all the guards from there.

From behind, I called him for the last time, “Thanks, buddy. What’s your name?”

“I will tell you next time if you visit again,” while waving his hand, he left in a hurry, “Hope you get to meet Sasha, M’lady.”

Looking at the empty and silent corridor, I thought to myself, “That pub was pretty naive and weird. Why did he even help me so easily?”

I didn’t have any time to waste so I just followed his instructions and began to climb the stairs.

—

“Hello, Sister.”

The young bartender dialled a number while returning to the counter. He had a satisfied smile on his handsome, young face. He proudly declared in a low voice, “I have found her sister. At last, I have found her. The informer was right.”

A puzzled and melodious female tone asked for the opposite side of the phone, “What do you mean?”

“I have found Eli, Sasha. She is here too.”

“ELI!”

A loud and shocked voice echoed in reply, “Where the hell is she? You must not lose her in the crowd, Dev. I am coming down right now.”

“No need. She is going to the VIP floor to meet you. You should-”

Before Dev could finish, Sasha disconnected the phone and ran out of her room in search of her best friend, Eliza Claire Gold whom she lost 5 years ago.