Sweat dripped down Raine's face, catching on her eyelashes and nearly clouding her vision, but she continued unbothered with her practice.
It was a warm summer's day; the sun rays beaming down so strongly not even the light breeze passing by was enough to soothe the heat.
The others had already called quits and sought refuge in the shadows of the trees as they waited for her to finish; the rest already retreated home or went to the nearby river for a drink.
Not one to half-heartedly do anything, Raine was unfazed by the steadily climbing temperature. Her father taught her to keep a level head and a steady heart no matter her environment.
He personally made sure she was able to do so, until she had proven herself capable. She understood just how important his teachings were for her wellbeing and she was not one to disappoint.
When all those around her failed or gave up, Raine persevered. With blood sweat and tears she made her place.
"That is enough for today, my lady Raine. Any longer and the sun will sap all your energy. It is best to pace yourself and know your limits." Captain Markus called out to her.
He was the leader in charge of training their unit; known for producing the best of the best warriors within their Blood Moon pack.
Raine didn't respond, her focus entirely on executing her forms to perfect completion. Her efforts had earned her the title of 'try hard' and a place amongst the outcasts despite her true position within the pack. In front of her father and the captain they were all smiles and camaraderie, but when given the chance they shunned and scorned her.
It wasn't only her hardworking nature that garnered this type of behavior from her peers. Many felt as if she didn't belong, that the only reason she could train with them was because of her father.
And they were right.
Every wolf was born with a predetermined rank: Alpha, Beta, and Omega.
Alphas were the most in tune with their wolf, making them the strongest and fastest of the pack. All Alphas received warrior training beginning from a young age, and almost all chose to become official protectors of the pack.
Betas had a moderate relationship with their wolf; they were capable of transforming into the wolf self but were typically a smaller size compared to Alphas and could not bring their wolf to the surface while in their human form.
They had the option to train and become a warrior, or study to become a scholar and fulfill one of the many roles needed to continue maintenance of the pack.
Omegas, on the other hand, had an incredibly weak bond with their wolf self. It was extremely rare for an Omega to be able to transform; some had enhanced senses though not as great as their counterparts.
But what distinguished an Omega from not only the other wolves but from humans as well, was a gift that only Omegas are born with. Omegas had a strong divine connection with the Moon Goddess that watched over all wolves.
She was their creator, the Mother of all wolves, She Who Giveth Blessings. And because of this connection, Omegas were natural-born healers and intuitive beings.
In many packs, Omegas are cherished and worshiped for their gifts. It wasn't much different in Blood Moon pack, however they were very firm in their beliefs on where a wolf belongs and should remain.
An Omega does not become a warrior, just as an Alpha does not become a healer. Even Betas who were considered too small or weak to train could only turn to become a scholar.
This is a firm belief in Blood Moon pack.
As an Omega, Raine had no place training to become a warrior. Yet her father would have it no other way. And honestly neither would she.
"Raine!" Captain Markus called to her sharply, a warning growl underneath his tone.
She halted her movements and turned towards him with a scowl. "You don't have to wait for me. I know my way back home."
"We are a team and we will move as one. We are not leaving without you."
That was utter crap. Yes they were a team, but many others often continued training past the usual hours and returned home on their own accord.
She was only receiving such special attention because she was her father's Omega daughter. If anything at all happened to her, it would be on Captain Markus' head.
However just as she was about to retort, she caught the others giving her glares and sneers behind the captain's back. If she really protested, Captain Markus would stay and wait for her, maybe even train with her. The others held great respect for the captain and followed his every word.
Even though they wanted to go home, they would not leave until Captain Markus did. If Captain Markus continued practicing despite the heat, so would they.
Even if they hated the special treatment she received, there was nothing they could do about it.
So instead she sighed and quickly gathered her things. The captain gave her an approving nod that did nothing to lighten her mood.
Training was the only time Raine felt free within her pack. She didn't have to worry so much about her rank or her title. Once she returned home it was back to uncomfortable dresses and boring etiquette lessons.
Worst part about it, her father wasn't the person who demanded such things of her. It was her stepmother.
Raine's mother died in childbirth, so she never had an opportunity to meet her. But her father made sure to tell her as many stories as possible about her so that it felt like she actually knew her mother.
And her father showed her many pictures, most of the two together and a few when she was pregnant with Raine.
Lana Zyriah Kane, the beloved Luna of the Blood Moon pack. She was not only incredibly beautiful and kind, but a fierce warrior.
As an Alpha she took the same classes as a young Dagger Kane, Raine's father and the son of the Alpha Lord of their pack. The two were the strongest in their unit and naturally fell into competition with one another.
Over the years their rivalry became friendship and soon after the two found out they were Fated Mates.
This was possible between two Alphas because wolves were graded either as dominant or submissive, also known from birth. Every wolf is born with a birthmark on their neck; a filled crescent moon identifies a wolf as dominant while an open one signified a submissive wolf.
Dagger was a dominant Alpha and Lana was a submissive Alpha.
Because they were both Alphas, everyone naturally expected Lana to quickly become pregnant and birth an Alpha pup. But after several miscarriages, the couple nearly gave up.
No one could figure out what was wrong, not even the Omega healers. It seemed that Lana just was not fated to birth any pups.
However the couple refused to give up, praying to the Moon Goddess every night until finally, ten years later, Lana carried a pup to term.
She gave her life so that Raine could live hers. Her father never said it, but Raine knew it was true. But she wasn't the Alpha everyone had expected.
Raine was an Omega. Even worse, she bore no mark that distinguished her as dominant or submissive.
Many believed this meant she was fated to never have a Mate. Others thought her presence was a bad omen and avoided her. It didn't help that, in their eyes, she took away their beloved Luna.
It was why she constantly pushed herself so hard to succeed. As her father's only child, she was the successor to his title as Alpha Lord. Her father raised her as an Alpha, following her mother's death wish; everyone was against it but had no other choice but to accept it.
That is, until one day her father returned from the Alpha's summit with a bride on his arm.