They met each other halfway in midair, and Theo sent her fist cracking into his ribs with enough force that it almost echoed through the noise.
Harry stumbled back with a groan, snarling in anger. But Theo was already moving again.
She attacked with calculated precision, aiming mostly for his joints. She was one step ahead of him, ducking and twisting away from his ferocious attacks and meeting him with more than he had bargained for.
A jab to the throat, a kick to the back of his knee and another quick sweep had him falling to the dust.
The crowd roared and some people gasped. Harrison stood up, spitting out blood with murder in his eyes.
He's never hesitated to put her down with his words and actions since they were kids. He had always taken advantage of the fact that everyone adored him as his father's first son, which made others hate her even more.
There were many times he and Caspian had bullied her. That was probably one of the major reasons she had begun training herself from the roots, secretly watching her others train, staying up late at night perfecting her moves, reading and assimilating as much as she could.
And today, she was showing everyone just how far she had come.
"Still think I'm just a girl?" Theo hissed, circling him with a predatory glint in her eyes.
Harrison lunged again, his large body trying to get the better of her but they easily twisted and sucked beneath his arm, instantly sending an elbow to the back of his neck.
Harrison's eyes spun for a moment, and he crashed to his knees, gasping.
But soon enough, he snapped out of it and was right back on his feet again.
Theo was faster and much smarter than him. It was almost like she could tell what form of attack he was going to unleash before he did, and of course, she made sure that each strike was a statement. Not just to him, but to her father.
She landed blow after blow till her vision blurred. Seraphina boiled with her fighting spirit and a crazed excitement as Theo moved, her body weaving like fire and water all at once.
Harrison roared in frustration, his anger reaching the highest point.
And then, he gave in to his fury.
Theodora watched as his bones began to snap on their own, and his muscles stretched. Hair grew out of his skin pores as he transformed into a full wolf with dark brown fur, and his wolf looked at her with an aggressive, maddening look.
All she did was smile, because she had her brother exactly where she wanted.
Throughout the tournament, no one had made Harrison transform into a full wolf except her. If this didn't make another big impression of her to everyone, she didn't know what would.
Harrison's wolf lunged at her with terrifying speed, and Theo met him head-on.
This time, she didn't hesitate to use her claws. She darted across his body, slipping through and twisting because the force of the jaw could clamp down on her. His speed, agility and strength had increased drastically, but he couldn't seem to pin her, still.
She dodged most of his savage strikes, used his momentum against him and tricked him into lunges that left him vulnerable. The crowd watched the match in awe, gasping with every counterattack she landed, and every time she left their Golden boy sprawling into the dust.
And then, he caught her again.
He swiped his claws, tearing across her shoulders and neck. It ripped through her clothes and skin, blood spewing into the air as she was thrown backwards with a painful groan.
But what made her panic wasn't the fact that Harrison was already jumping in for another attack, it was the sight of the chain holding the pendant to her chest snapping.
The silver charm loosened and tumbled across her chest, and Theo could only desperately reach out to snatch it midair before it slipped completely from her body.
And in those few milliseconds, something happened.
The crowd didn't see it. Her father didn't see it. Her brother didn't see it, but two people did.
One of them, was Alpha Cain.
The veins in her body suddenly bulged more than usual, and it looked almost as if there was a mix of lava and a black goo flowing inside her veins. Shadows rippled across the dirt, and her wolf's eyes which were golden for most of the match, turned into a haunting crimson.
Holding onto the sanity she still had in her, Theodora grabbed the pendant and slammed it back to her chest. The shadows and everything else vanished in an instant, and she inhaled sharply.
Once again, the unknown beast within her was locked down, the one she's been secretly carrying her whole life.
At that moment, Cain leaned toward Darius and whispered something. Darius's jaw clenched, and he nodded.
Harrison's wolf sneered at her, "Pathetic, your mother's trinket can't save you now,"
Rage burned through her veins as she staggered up, blood dripping from her collarbone, "Haven't I warned you before?" Her eyes sharpened, "To never speak about my mother with that filthy mouth of yours!"
Theodora surged forward, faster than she's ever moved before.
Before Harrison's wolf could react, she had already sent a deafening blow straight to his chest, and then another blow to his chin.
It was so hard that she had him flying backwards with his eyes spinning, and he landed on the dirt a few feet away.
His body twitched once, twice, and then he wasn't moving again.
He was out cold.
The horn blared.
Theo stood tall, her gaze moving from her brother's body which was now changing back to human, to the crowd that wouldn't stop roaring her name. She clutched the pendant even tighter, nervousness finally kicking her as the gravity of her achievements fully hit her.
She had won the Tournament.
Her name would go far and wide.
And...her father would have no choice but to declare her as his heir.
Her father stood up from his seat, and the chants slowly died down. She faced him, her heart in her throat as they finally locked gazes.
Although his expression was unreadable, several lines on his forehead told her he wasn't happy about this outcome.
When he spoke, his voice boomed across the whole arena, "She has fought! She has conquered! She has bested every warrior who dared to stand against her… even her own blood!"
The crowd erupted again, and all Darius had to do was raise a hand and the arena was quiet again. They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
"But hear me well…" He continued, his stern grey eyes pinning her on the spot, "Strength alone does not make a ruler. A King… an Alpha… must be more than claws and cunning. He must be in line. He must be a legacy. He must be chosen!"
He motioned his arm toward Harrison's unconscious body, still lying there on the ground, "And my chosen heir is Harrison,"
Theodora's blood froze, and this time it was her head that spun. She didn't even hear the gasps passing through the crowd.
'No! What is he saying?' Even Seraphina's voice in her head sounded distant.
"And as for you, daughter…" Darius's lip curled into something between disdain and mockery, and Theo swallowed tightly, "Your victory means nothing. You will never, ever sit on my throne, and you will not lead my wolves. You've only proven yourself to be a warrior, not a ruler,"
The air grew tense, and just when Theo thought it couldn't get any worse than this, his eyes gleamed with something darker.
Something that made goosebumps prick her skin.
"But do not despair, for I have secured you a fate much more… valuable,"
He spread his arms wide, and for the first time in her life, something that looked like a deep sense of accomplishment and pride shone on his face clearly.
"Before all gathered Packs and Alphas, I announce: Theodora Blackthorn, my daughter, will be wed in three days to Alpha Cain Pendragon!"
The earth vibrated as the crowd broke into a different sort of noise, and in the middle of it, Theodore stood there, questioning her ears if she had just heard her father right.
This had to be a Joke, right? It had to!
Why would he...
Slowly, her gaze moved to the man seated next to him. His eyes were like obsidian fire, pinning her where she stood.
Her father resumed saying something, but she couldn't hear him anymore. Cain's aura seemed to be suffocating her, and every muscle screamed for her to take off running.
But Theodora has never backed away from a fight.
She squared her shoulders and met his dangerous stare with one of her own, but Cain only leaned back on his seat, a slow, amused smirk forming on his lips.
Her body shook with every single atom of defiance pouring out of her, and her soul repeatedly whispered over and over again
I WILL NEVER MARRY YOU.
Cain's smirk only deepened, as though he could hear her.