No Way in a Million Years

Adrianna came out of her bedroom seething with anger. She went and stood opposite her father, placing her hands on her waist.

"I will not marry anyone you choose! You have pushed me way too far in order to comply with those wishes of yours. The day you sent me to Uncle Claus's place without telling me of your evil intentions, that was the last day of our relationship as father and daughter."

Kuro watched her outburst, and not wanting to give up because of his ego, he lashed back at her, equally as hard, although in a low tone. "Look Adrianna, you uttering this nonsense won't change anything. So why don't you comply to what I say?"

She lowered her tone and replied, "No way in a million years."

"If you act so stubborn, I will send my people to rip you apart," said Kuro, threatening her to succumb.

"Send them Kuro! I don't care, as I am sure I can handle all of them, "She replied just as menacingly with narrowed eyes. "But I know you won't, because right now, you need me." She laughed, mocking him, and started walking back to her bedroom.

"Adrianna!" Kuro shouted. "Stop right there!"

Adrianna turned to look at him. "I will not marry anyone in order to live!"

It was Ed's turn to look at her in surprise. Where was all this coming from? Did someone dump her?

"What do you mean?" asked Kuro.

"What I mean is that I will marry someone I am in love with. And currently, I am exploring a relationship…" she replied, still slightly angry but now slightly shy as her face became red.

Kuro's face fell. It would be more difficult for him to convince her to marry the supreme alpha now that she had someone else in her life. He might have to kill that person.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"My classmate from college, Niiya…" she replied, looking at her fingers and rubbing her nails softly.

Shocked to the core, Ed covered his mouth with his hands. Niiya!

Kuro looked at his father and frowned. Then he looked at Adrianna again, "Well, you better forget about that Niiya and do as I ask."

"I am sorry, but I have stopped taking orders from you now," she replied, as adamant as ever.

Kuro banged the table in front of him with his fist and snarled at Adrianna. "Don't you fight it out with me Adrianna."

"I am not," she replied with a smile. "It's my life. Let me live it. I will go out with Niiya."

As she said that, someone standing outside was dark with jealousy. He picked up a boulder in his rage and threw it afar. He ran towards the forest and shape shifted. The fury inside him was so blinding that he didn't know which direction to take and what to do next.

He had come to be with her for the evening on the pretext of convincing her to play the lead part in the drama and also to ask her about Keisha. Even more than Keisha's situation, he was mostly interested in talking to her about the drama. He wanted to be near her, to calm down his nerves, and to soothe the storm that was going on in his mind. Every moment with her and every close encounter with her, made him want her even more.

When he parked his car in front of her cottage, he had heard loud voices coming from inside. Kuro was there. But why?

When he listened in to their conversation closely, he smiled. Kuro was trying his best, and he had to give him brownie points for that. Although he understood Adrianna's reluctance in accepting Kuro's demand, he became irritated when she spoke the name 'Niiya'. He had clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles had become white. He gritted his teeth in an effort to remain silent. He hunched slightly and his hunched form exuded an animosity like burning acid. It was dangerous. His face became red with suppressed rage and he mentally snapped.

He walked towards his car, throwing a huge boulder on way, and revved the engine. Parking the car a kilometer away from her house, he ran inside the forest to vent his anger.

Kuro lost his temper at Adrianna's stubbornness. He moved closer to her and caught her by neck. Adrianna was quick to get herself out of his grasp. She was ready to fight him. The anger in her eyes showed the scared child within, the girl who was taught only to fight, and was starved of the love she craved.

Ed could see the pain beneath those eyes. Her soul was drowning in a role that she had craved to fit into for so long and was only met with indifference. But she wasn't crying. She was being resilient.

Ed ran and stood in between the two of them.