Ariana's POV

"Are you trying to piss me off, Ariana? It's the third time already!"

When I was wiping my bloody double-edged sword, my father was roaring at me, with something unreadable in his eyes.

"Calm down, your majesty." I said with a smirk playing on my lips, "If they can't beat me down, how are they worthy of marrying me?"

For the happiness of my rest life, my father hosted Werewolf Power Contest: whoever could defeat me, the only princess of Warwick, whoever could be my husband.

Unfortunately, none of them.

"Why are you always trying to win? You know you will not find a mate if you keep this up!" He was seething, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke.

"And whose fault is that?!" I yelled back, eyes narrowing. "Whose fault is it that only the weakest Alphas appear at the contest? My father is the strongest Alpha of all continents after all!"

"Tone, Ariana, you're speaking to your father!" Mother chimed in. Her arms were folded and she stepped out of Father's shadows. "Ariana darling, you have to understand that we just want the best for you."

I rolled my eyes, almost letting out a scoff at her words.

The best for me? They didn't care in the slightest. I had seen my father's eyes when I fought my final duel that afternoon. How could he care if all he wanted was for my opponent to nearly behead me to prove he was strong enough to marry me?

Father stepped between us.

"If you weren't mated with an Alpha, the governors of this kingdom would never approve of you taking over from me even if I want to," he pointed out matter-of-factly. "So, if you know what is best for you after embarrassing me in front of alphas from the continents, you better get dolled up for your birthday."

I folded both arms and cocked a brow. "Why?"

"Since you threw the results of the contest up in flames, we are having a feast instead in celebration of your birthday." Father squared his shoulders and was glowering at me as if daring me to refuse.

I felt something worse than anger grow in the pit of my stomach. I knew my father well, this 'feast' was simply another ruse to throw me into a pit of fire and wait for a powerful alpha to come and save me.

"Wasn't the werewolf power contest enough for you?! I don't want to choose–"

"Ariana, listen and stop being such a rebellious child!" Mother thundered and started to come close. I flinched away. Right now, I didn't want to be touched. I wanted to disappear.

"I'm not going!" I spat, and in a second, I was past them, running down the stone stairs and away from the people who chose not to care about my happiness after I turned eighteen.

How could they even do this to me? Thoughts continued to well up as I reached the garden and plopped down behind one of the mahogany trees that served as the garden's protection. There were guards around the trees and somewhere at the entrance that I hadn't paid attention to, and they did the same since they didn't want their heads severed from the rest of their bodies.

I was furious. Because of their nagging about me finding a mate, the Werewolf Power Contest started. And despite my resolve to win every single time, no one had been able to match my prowess. The fact that my father was ready to marry me off to one of those weaklings who couldn't even challenge me was jarring! I hated those stupid rules with every fiber of my being, and if it were up to me they would have ended a long time ago!

I gritted my teeth in annoyance and kicked at a rock in my way.

While the kingdom grew and my father let those governors play the politics how they wanted, I couldn't change anything. Why couldn't I just handle the kingdom myself? Why wouldn't they just let me? Had I not proven myself over and over again through these duels and my leadership skills in the army? What more could they be looking for?

I was bitter, because I knew in a fair world it would not even be a debate.