AN UNLIKELY DESTINY

Freda's POV

My father paused, probably for dramatic effect, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "The Vampire King has issued a… peculiar request," he said with a weird expression on his face.

Curiosity began to well inside me. What request could the Vampire King possibly make in order for the war to not start? I wondered as I waited for my father to speak.

"He has requested for each werewolf pack clan with a daughter to bring their daughters to a diplomatic meeting which will be held at the United Vampire's Castle."

Silence descended upon the hall. The request was indeed peculiar and unexpected. I was stunned in my seat listening to this, but I relaxed somewhat. This indeed was a strange request, but I was sure that I wouldn't be on the receiving end of this request. I mean, I was the outcast in the pack and I was certain the Vampire King wouldn't want a human in the meeting, which could only mean one thing—Juliet would be the daughter to leave.

"What kind of request is this? Are they mocking us? We don't send our daughters to party with bloodsuckers," a gruff voice boomed from the back of the crowd.

My father held his hand up, silencing the outburst. "I don't think this is mockery. I don't know what the Vampire King is up to, but we can only find out if we attend this gathering. I will attend this meeting." My father paused at this juncture, a conflicted look on his face before he continued speaking. "This meeting is adjourned. I will inform you all about my final decision."

And with that, the pack meeting came to an end. The crowd of werewolves dispersed and they began to stream out of the hall, leaving my family and a bunch of old men I remembered as the pack's elders. I wanted to rise and leave as the meeting was finally over, but something in me told me to just sit still.

"Elders, you have heard the verdict of the Vampire King. What do you suggest we do in this situation?" my father spoke to the elders, asking for their advice.

Before any of the elders could speak, I heard someone clearing her throat and I saw that it was my stepmother, Luna Amelia. She stepped forward while flashing a glare with a cruel smirk on her face. I wondered what the hell she was about to do.

"Elders, while this is unexpected, I believe this is the time that one of us must step forward to sacrifice herself for the greater good. So I suggest Freda become a representative for us," Luna Amelia suggested while gazing at me with a wicked glint in her eyes. I really didn't know why on earth this woman was hell-bent on making my life a living hell, but I honestly was not about to agree to being sent to a place crawling with bloodsuckers.

"But I'm human," I started, rising from my seat to challenge my stepmother. "The vampires…"

"Are far more pragmatic than you give them credit for, Freda," Luna Amelia cut me off. "Besides, even though they may be strong, they wouldn't dare harm the Alpha's daughter."

This bitch. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "But why me? Why not Juliet? She's a full-blooded werewolf. Surely she would be more valuable in this meeting?"

Luna Amelia's smile turned razor-sharp. "Because, Freda," she said, flashing a totally fake smile at me, "you are the expendable one. A human envoy to the vampires? It's perfect. We get to preserve Lily because she is actually useful. Besides, you're an Alpha's daughter too, aren't you?"

My breath hitched. What have I ever done to deserve such hate? I really didn't know, but I didn't want to go to this meeting. I didn't know what the Vampire King had in mind, but I didn't want to find out at all.

"But I don't want to go!" I cried out, my voice cracking in defiance. "I have plans, dreams…"

"Dreams pale in comparison to the pack's survival, girl. You've been raised and protected by this pack all your life, despite the burden you are," an elder, his face weathered with age but his eyes an icy blue, interrupted me as he boomed from the back of the room.

Burden? Shame burned hot in my chest. It wasn't like I asked for this life. I had always felt like an outsider, and they made sure to remind me about this every single day for the past six years. Now, they were using my humanness and freedom as a bargaining chip.

"There has to be another way!" I pleaded, with desperation rising in my voice.

Luna Amelia's smile widened as she enjoyed my distress. "There isn't, Freda. You are an Alpha's daughter, and this is your duty. The pack needs you, whether you like it or not."

Tears began to stream down my cheeks as I realized that I was trapped. It was in this situation I realized that I was truly alone. I locked eyes with my father, searching for even a speck of support from him, but he just stared at me back with those cold and emotionless blue eyes. There was a time when those eyes contained boundless love for my mother and me, but now, looking into those eyes, I felt like I was looking into the eyes of a stranger.

"Fine. Since my life means nothing to all of you, I will attend this stupid meeting," I wiped my tears frantically as I said to the elders and everyone in the room defiantly.

"That would be best, Freda. Get ready. In three days' time, we will be going to the United Vampire Kingdom for the meeting," my father decided. My stepmother had a satisfied smirk on her face. She was obviously content with the fact that it wasn't her daughter that was going to the meeting. I glanced at Juliet and she stared back at me with what seemed to be an apologetic look on her face.

Why was she looking apologetic? She should be happy she wasn't going to the territory of bloodsuckers, yet she looked like she was genuinely sorry. Well, I didn't have time to think about it as the only thing I wanted to do was rush to my room and sink myself into my bed so I could cry my eyes out.