Arranged to the Alpha

ATHENA'S POV

Do your best they said. Give it your all.

These were words I heard from the moment my parents and the Prince’s had us betrothed to each other, well sort of.

The sort of marriage that happened in our world was one were you had to participate in the annual mating games, and survive.

I couldn't get behind why things just had to change, why couldn’t it be like it was before? Like the times were the Moon Goddess would do all the work of choosing a mate for a Werewolf? Back then, your wolf would sense the presence of your mate and inform you about them.

Only those rejected or have rejected someone had to suffer from the pain. It wasn't fair to those who were rejected, but that's how it was. At least there was no bloodshed.

A rejected wolf could die or go crazy obsessed enough to want revenge, killing those involved in the process. And of course, innocents had to die in the cross fire.

But no, things had to change. I guess the moon goddess had grown lazy from her own duty to her children. I guess she wanted us to be the ones to suffer the work involved in getting a mate instead.

I honestly got her point of view though. It was like spending a lot of time doing something for someone only for them to turn out ungrateful.

Many wolves due to their greediness for power and fame have left their mates to cling to one who would grant them those.

They would often say, why couldn't I be the one to choose a mate for myself?

But it still boiled down to these times. Why couldn't she have made it simple in ways it didn't involve a blood bath. It didn't make sense to me.

Why should a wolf die because he or she wasn't strong enough to fight for a prospect they wanted to be with?

Today I heard those words once again. My body stayed frozen stiff, unmoving as I thought about my life. Was this going to be worth it?

I readied my heart, soul and body questioning why I was fighting for the hand of a man who through the years we had grown up had been nothing but the meanest to me, not to mention rubbing the love he has for Zara in my face.

As I stepped onto the podium, my head was pounding in my chest. Today was going to determine my future and I couldn't afford to lose.

I stood face to face with Zara, I knew that this fight was not going to be easy and I couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety wash over me.

Zara was a well-trained fighter. “Good luck,” she said with a smirk her voice dripping with something I couldn’t place my finger on but it was definitely not welcoming. “Let's hope all the training the Luna had been putting you through has been worth it.”

I had seen Zara train many times. Most cases we met at the training field and it took me a while to stay focused whenever she was around with Nero.

Seeing them together always threw me off. And I wanted him just as bad as she wanted him but the only difference was that she was the one he wanted.

I also knew for a fact that Nero wanted it to happen, for me to stay as distracted as possible. But I guess they seemed to forget that I have had prior years of training before their love started to bloom.

I was a great fighter, physically mostly because my emotions were a mess. And with the Luna Queen's constant drilling through my trainer, I had a few refocusing that should do me good today.

I responded with a nod, my heart racing. Zara and I started circling each other, both waiting for the right moment to strike. She barred her teeth at me before suddenly lunging at me. I quickly sidestepped, dodging her attack returning one if my own with a swipe of my paw, but she blocked it.

I snapped at her leg, causing her to yelp in pain and we continued fighting, each trying to gain the upper hand. As we fought, I could hear the cheers from the crowd around us, urging us on.

“Do you really think Nero will pick you? Just because his mother favours you doesn't mean he'll want you Athena.” Zara taunted, landing a punch to my stomach. “And if by chance you do win this fight, he will always want me and you will have to deal with knowing your mate prefers the other woman instead.”