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 chooseâ"
"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.
If I didn't get married, I could effectively lose the kingdom to their monopoly.
I smacked my head with one hand and leaned my head on the tree. I ran my hand over the bark of the tree with a pout and soon, I felt some ridges that I instantly recognized.
My lips cracked into a smile as I remembered the markings Jasper and I had made on this tree nearly three years ago. It made me remember why I chose to be brutal to those weaklings.
Jasper was the only one who had ever matched me well. Moreover, he was the only my heart longed for. I remembered the first time we'd kissed under this tree, on the night before he was to leave for another country to study. I remembered how my heart sank when he said he wanted to be a worthy candidate for me, and we even promised to get married when he returned. We'd drawn our names on the tree and sealed our love with a pact.
Suddenly it occurred to me; Jasper was supposed to come back at my twenty-first birthday!
When I'd been scared that he wouldn't return, he assured me by promising to return on my twenty-first birthday.
Euphoria washed over me as I drowned in the idea. What would Jasper look like now? Would he be stronger and more powerful? A blush creeped up my cheeks at the thought. Quickly, I picked myself up from the grass and picked out the leaves that had stuck to my clothes. Prancing to my room, the idea of meeting Jasper again made me temporarily forget that I did not want to attend the feast in the first place.
I washed up and invited Elina, my trusted maid to choose the finest silk dress I had from Mother's year-round gifts. She chose a soft peach dress whose length I didn't like, but had to work with. And then I let Elina work her magic.
When I stepped out of my room and to the banquet hall, I knew I looked the prettiest of them all. In my defense, the only other women were either sitting in fear, scorn, or were the same age as my mother.
The banquet hall used to be my favorite places of the palace, now it just reminded me of everything I didn't want. Gold and silver chandeliers in their numbers hung from the high ceilings and illuminated the hall so much that the lights could be seen from a few miles away. The hall itself was two storeys high with gold and brass and bricks making up the railings that barricaded the top floor from where my father sat at the head of the feast table, his mouth busy.
Mother sat beside him at the table and several faces, about forty of them I hadn't seen before, were scattered around the long table. My best guess was that they were alphas, or merchants at best who could rival the governors; no common wolf wore purple silk or linen with gold embellishments. The noisy hall was filled at the sides and top floor by people I assumed were from my country in large numbers.
I rolled my eyes at that. Father liked this sort of thing, showing me off like some trophy.
"The princess is here!" A voice announced from the top floor and even those who hadn't been paying attention looked down to see me. I was staring ahead at the feast table in front of me. Father finally looked away from the person he'd been talking to and cracked a small smile.
I shuddered in my skin as Mother beckoned me to the table. She was dressed in a grey spider silk gown that was held in place at the neck and arms with flattened silver, leaving her shoulders bare.
I sauntered to the table and Father wedged between him and the man he had been talking to by his left. The said man was quick to pull out the seat, and I mentally rolled my eyes as I sat down. The music continued, drowning the loud chatter in the background.
"A toast to my princess. Ariana of Warwick!" Father yelled out, holding out a gold rimmed glass at the table. The whole table did the same.
"To our princess, grow in strength and wisdom!" The crowd echoed back.
Father turned to look at me with a feverish smile while Mother made small talk with the table. Was he drunk already? He didn't get drunk ever. There had to be something up his sleeves.
"Ariana, I don't suppose you've met this handsome merchant from the West." He pointed at the man he had been talking to.
Of course, that was it. My jaw clenched. I knew there was a catch.
I shifted to look at the said man, and his shameless staring threw me off-guard. Confused and a little upset, I turned back to my father.
"Who is this?"
"Damon," the man interjected. "Damon of Harmonia, a kingdom from the West."
Arianaâs POVI resisted the urge to hiss at the arrogance in his tone.âIâve heard of it before,â I snapped. âYou are famous for mining ore.ââI see youâre well informed,â he let out a crooked smile. His black hair was fixed backwards, contrasting with his skin that looked like heâd never fought a battle before. âHarmoniaâs ore is famous in all the kingdoms, but your beauty is so outstanding that I could hire the greatest goldsmith and give him the best ore to make an ornament for your head.âThis man was so tacky! I held back a sigh. And for some reason, my father found him amusing.âThatâs a way to put it, Damon,â Father laughed, taking a sip of his wine. âAriana, would you show this handsome merchant around the palace? You too could get to know each other.âIt was the second time Father was calling him âhandsomeâ and it didnât sit well with me. I didnât understand what was so mesmerizing about Damon. He was just like every other alpha I beat today, except that he wasnât even one. M
Arianaâs POVIt felt like I had been dunked with ice water. I could not move. It was as though the oxygen to my lungs had been cut off. I must have been standing there for a full minute, eyes wide open and my feet planted in the ground.The sounds of grunts and moaning carried itself along with the mateâs scent. I could hear the voice that once called my name with tenderness, mouth profanities in her ears, thrusting even harder and whipping his head back in delight.And then his eyes caught mine. Seeing his face in full view gave no room for denial. My heart shattered.âJ-Jasper?â I croaked out.Instantly, chaos ensued. He shoved the woman away roughly and jumped back with a gasp. His eyes were wide like he had just seen a ghost.âWhy? Youâre the only one stood by me against my parents, so what the hell I fought for these three years!?â I yelled.Disappointment, anger and pain made my eyes sting with unshed tears.âAriana, I-I-I can explainâŚâ He stuttered as he frantically reached for
Damonâs POVI frowned as I watched her go, pacing after her till I blended into the shadows. My heart was beating rapidly as I re-lived her feisty dark eyes and how they told me off.Surely the rumors of Princess Ariana of Warwick were true. I had seen women in their hundreds before, I have lived ten times the lifetime of the minstrels who walked the surface of all four continents. Rot in hell with the elementals? I bit my bottom lip, smirking at thin air. The wind and leaves rustled in response, they were laughing with me. Such a man had no place with my people.I was an elemental myself, born of pure blood elementals who were wiped out thousands of years ago. If I hadnât found my way to the Kingdom of Warwick, I may have been sitting at my throne, watching the boring jester who poked fun at the absence of a mate by my side. Iâd gotten tired to obliterating them, so I just let him do what he wanted. I did try. I walked through all the kingdoms in search of a mate, and desperation was
Arianaâs POVMy feet never stopped, it kept running, running far away from that place. It felt like if I ran long enough then maybe Iâd forget, but I knew that was a lie.With each stomp of my feet it felt like it was closer than before. My wolf was in so much pain, with each howl it felt like her claws dug in my chest, attempting to rip my heart out, unsuccessfully, and with each scratch of her claws, it made me want her to take my heart out and for my impending death to finally find its way to me.The weight of my gown caused me to lose my breath quicker and there was a rage that bloomed inside of me, mixed with severe humiliation.I wanted him to see me like this in this form, beautiful and proud, I did this all for him. I never felt the need to prove myself to anyone but for Jasper I would do anything just so I was worthy.And yetâŚSuddenly, I halted in my tracks and screamed, clutching my chest. My knees gave out and I sank to the ground, profusely weeping.The pain of rejecting
Arianaâs POVUsually, when another entity was close by especially enshrouded with such a demanding aura, Iâd notice.Anyone should notice. Heck I was an exceptionally trained warrior who had willingly undergone one of the most torturous trainings. My senses were always on alert.Yet, I didnât notice him until he spoke, until he wanted us to be aware of his physical presence and that startled meâno, it terrified me because in a different situation Iâd be dead without a doubt.This incident led me to another pressing question; who exactly was this man?With how much aura he was currently possessing, it forced me to focus solely on him. It felt like a tornado, determined to pull everything and everyone to it.He was closer now and Jasper seemed to have withdrawn farther away from me.âHello, princess.â He said, taking a few steps closer, an amused smile dancing on his lips.Iâd always hated being called princess because it signified the odds against me Iâd been fighting since birth but n
Arianaâs POVRegardless of how strange I thought the situation to be, I had a duty to do. I quickly called on a patrol guard, requesting for the presence of about three more on duty guards.âYes, your highness.â He said, bowing curtly and hurrying off.âWhat are you planning on doing?â Jasper asked.âWeâre going to get Lorna and your unborn child justice. Weâll find the bear.â I turned to Damon, âYou said it was a black bear, right?âHe nodded in confirmation.âAlright,â I said, pacing around.Something about this didnât feel right. This was Warwick territory and there was a strict policy that prevented bears or any other wild animal from killing werewolves in our jurisdiction. One hardly saw wild animals or monsters around here.During training wolves had to walk a lot further from the territory to see any wolf animal or bears so how did one, especially one who willingly killed a pregnant omega get so close. Better yet, how did the bear even get in?âYour highness.â I paused in my tr
Jasperâs POVAriana didnât realize I had been following behind her, even though I had been repeatedly calling after her.What was happening? Why didnât she notice me?The possibilities were endless but the stranger with the eyes of rubies that reminded me of death came to mind.What game was he playing? Did he want the throne too? I wouldnât let him. I was the only one who deserved that throne, Iâd slaved for nearly all my life for it, being at the foot of that brat.If only I could break her knees then maybe sheâd realize she was too fast for a supposed princess. My canines were sharp with anger.I fastened my footsteps, grabbing her right hand by the wrist. Startled, she grabbed my hand on hers using extensive force I didnât imagine possible. The intense roughness of her grip startled me causing me to instantly regret what Iâd done.She twisted my wrist with dense instantaneous pressure just enough to cause pain and restrict my blood flow. I groaned out.âYou fucking biâ" In seconds
Damonâs POVI had been cursed with the ailment of longing.Thousands of years accompanied by loneliness had truly driven me mad, yet I couldnât stop. For the first time in a long time, I dreamt and yearned for someone to be by my side.Was this maddening yearning the punishment I had received from the moon goddess?Even while I departed from Ariana she still overtook my senses and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Then there was the pulverizing anger that came over me anytime I remembered that ugly beta that had sent her into ruins with his actions. The beta she still had affection for.All throughout yesterday she couldnât leave my mind even while I worked.I remembered not even paying attention to the black shadow when he called to inform of a job well done. All I wanted was to be close to her again and for her to smile at me once more.I couldnât stop thinking about our day tomorrow and the endless possibilities that came with it. Would she finally notice she was destin