DESTINIED TO BE THEIRS

A day before party!

“No, I am not coming there,” I said and walked out of the classroom. I found three princes playing on the basketball court. All the girls in the school surrounded them. Chanting their names like a mantra, I could understand the craze of that princess over these girls. But they didn't give a s**t to any girl as they considered themselves so highly.

“When I will get a chance to speak to them? Why are they so handsome?” The muttering sound from the crowd came, and I realised why they hated girls the most. Because these girls were throwing themselves on three princes.

The match just ended and they headed to the changing room, even their sweat had a better fragrance than any perfume. Everything about them was so special. I just held those portraits in my hand and waited for them outside. As expected they walked out after changing their uniforms.

"Ethan., Austin.. Ro..." I could not take Rowen's name just after staring at his deadly glare. "I have something for you." I pushed my hands ahead holding the photo. That was not a mere photo but my hard work and dedication towards it.

"What is this? A homemade greeting card from a schoolgirl? " Rowen asked me, I didn’t understand whether he said it sarcastically or funnily. But I responded to him with a smile.

“you can see it,” I told him, gesturing at the folded paper in my hand.

I couldn't wait to show them what I had been working on for weeks. Finally, the moment had arrived. I took a deep breath and handed the portrait to him, then passed the other ones to Ethan and Austin.

"For you.." I was excited to see their reactions. I was eager to tell them that the girl they played with when they were small was me. The daughter of Luna Alana and Alpha Newton.

"How could you make our portrait just by seeing us once?" Austin asked me, his eyes wide with wonder. I could see the shock and disbelief as they stared at the portraits, trying to process what they were seeing.

"I've got this, I'm pretty good at sketching," I confidently replied. When Betty prevented me from attending school, I turned to sketching as a way to express myself. I would sketch anything and everything around me - from newspaper photos to live subjects right in front of me. I found that I had a natural talent for capturing people's likenesses, even when they weren't physically present. It was a way for me to escape into my creative world and create something beautiful.

“I can say she was already keeping her eyes on us. One of our fangirls!” Dragon Prince Ethan said, I shook my head. I didn't see them after attending my Grandma’s funeral. How can I be their fangirls?

As I watched Rowen’s smirk grow wider and wider, I knew that my fears were coming true. "So you bring this to impress us?" Rowen taunted, his eyes fixed on my drawing. I could feel my smile faltering as he continued, "If you're trying to impress me, you've failed miserably." And with those words, he tore my drawing in two, right in front of my eyes. All of the hard work and effort I had put into it, was gone in an instant. I was crushed.

“I just wanted to make an apology, I didn't want your hair. It was my sister...” As I opened my mouth to speak, Ethan and Austin cut me off. They thrust a portrait in my face and shook their heads disapprovingly.

"Do you think we had not listened to such excuses before? You are just like some other girl who is ready to be laid on our bed. Ready to sleep with us three." Austin said and that hit my heart. They think they are god, it was just a portrait, not a box of condoms, how can they say that? Their every word was heart-wrenching for me.

"Moon goddess is not that cruel who arranged you for us. If she does, I would be a better atheist. A girl like you, how you can even think of it?" Rowen said I watched him awfully. I didn’t mean to win them, why would I do that?

"Sorry, but I am not trying to win you. It was a simple apology gift." I clarified.

"Shut up. It’s just an attempt to show how talented I am, perhaps you can be our friend." Ethan laughed and gave a high-five to Austine. I felt awkward, they were so self-centred. I shook my head, denying whatever they said but then Rowen gripped my hand tightly.

"Listen, a girl like you can never be our choice. We were loved by almost every other girl in the school but the girl in our interest should be special. It can never be you. So better you don't use any tactics for the next time." The cruel words echoed in my mind. My heart sank as Rowen smirked and sauntered away tossing the portrait under their feet. The other two princes followed him, leaving me feeling embarrassed and frustrated.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched my hard work crumpled and torn. I've never felt as bad as I did today; my heart ached. I had poured all her heart and soul into that portrait, hoping for an apology for yesterday. Instead, I was met with rejection and humiliation.

All three of them went to class but I didn't feel like attending the lecture, so I went to the garden behind the school and started crying. I had never felt so bad before. It felt like my heart was broken.

As soon as the school hours ended, I rushed back to the packhouse. I was scared that Maya would come to know that I hadn't attended any lectures and I wasted my day crying. I washed my eyes with chilled water before getting inside and covering it with that tint.

Instead of getting into my room, I quickly grabbed a bucket and mop and made my way to Clara's room to tidy up. I was still wearing my school uniform, but if I went to change it and Maya asked me about my day, I couldn't lie to her.

As I entered the room, I noticed that Clara was nowhere in her room. Those sisters had left to go shopping, perhaps for three days. As I was cleaning under her bed, my eyes caught sight of something that made my heart skip a beat - a stunning, ice-coloured gown.

I knew I shouldn't touch it, but the temptation was too strong. I closed the door behind me and picked up the gown, feeling its softness against my skin. I couldn't resist the urge to try it on, just once, but I forgot that my hands were dirty from dusting. My jaw dropped as I saw the dirt stick to the satin fabric. I panicked and tried to wipe it away, but it only made it worse. My only option was to wash it off, so I grabbed the gown and rushed to the bathroom. Just as I was about to clean it, I heard footsteps outside the door. I quickly hid the gown and pretended to be holding a bucket.

I was in such a rush that I almost lost my grip on the bucket of soapy water, causing it to spill all over the room. Suddenly, Cherry walked in and slipped on the wet floor, screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Mom.. I am dead. This b***h messed up with me.” She was screaming like she was dead. I was sure that I was in trouble, but fortunately, the mess I had caused didn’t let them pay attention to the gown. Luna Betty punished me by withholding food for the entire day.

As I retreated to my room, I opened my wardrobe and found some snacks and fruits that I had stashed away for a rainy day. I grabbed an apple and sat on my bed, munching on it thoughtfully. As I was enjoying my snack, my eyes fell on the portrait book sitting on my nightstand.

'A girl like you can never be our choice. You are just every other girl who isn’t ever trying to do it again.'

His words played in my mind like a broken cassette, a flashback of my past when I understood how everything around me changed within a night. How I turned into the most loved to most hated person by everyone in the pack.

“Your father is sick.”

The pack doctors gathered around the packhouse. Everyone tensed, granny was praying to the moon goddess.

“Take me instead of him.”

I had never seen him this blue, horrible. His eyes popping out of his eyes, He grabbed his neck and pressed it like he wanted to kill himself. His screams, It felt like everything was ending.

Maya shook my shoulder, bringing me back to reality. My heart thumped inside my chest as I looked up at her in surprise. "Daisy... Daisy..." she whispered urgently, her eyes wide with fear. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I tried to make sense of her words. What was happening?

That half-eaten apple in my hand tasted tasteless. The first bit just rumbled in my mouth. Maya had already arrived in the room. She was holding the same ice-coloured gown.

“What is this?” I asked her, wondering how Betty gave it to her.

"Luna Betty asked me to wash it, it stained here." Maya showed me the stain that I caused. She kept it between the clothes that had to wash tomorrow. I yawned and lay on my bed, tomorrow was a holiday from school.