"Oomph!"
Kelsey groaned as Raine threw him to the ground once again. She placed her hand on her hip and smirked down at him, sweat soaking her skin and clothes.
"When will you learn that you can't best me, Kels? I'm just too good."
"Yeah, yeah whatever." He huffed, slowly sitting up. "One day I'm going to make you eat your words."
"Why do you want to be a warrior anyways? You're a submissive Beta." She held out a hand to help him up which he took with a small grimace.
"Says the Omega."
"You mean, says the heir to the Alpha Lord throne."
Kelsey hesitated, giving Raine a nervous look. She understood it and chose not to respond, readying herself for another round.
Her brother's existence put her in a difficult position. On one hand, as her father's oldest child she had the rightful claim to his title.
But her brother was a dominant Alpha; no one was willing to accept her as their Alpha Lord when she was just an Omega. Even before her brother's birth, many struggled accepting her as the heir.
It didn't matter that she received every bit of training any other Alpha did and aced it. The same training her brother was receiving now, and wasn't even the top of his class.
Everything came down to ranking. An Omega could not demand submission from an Alpha, nor could one set a command and know it would be followed through. An Omega could not even access the pack link to speak to other pack members.
Everyday these issues weighed on Raine's mind. She knew if she were to become Alpha Lord these were things she was going to need a solution for. And even if she did have one, it was no guarantee that the people would even accept what she had to offer.
Why would they go out of their way to break traditions when they knew they did not have to?
Deep down she knew the best option would be to hand the title to her brother. It would make the pack happy and ease the pressure off Raine to perform as perfectly as she did.
But her heart simply would not allow that. Nor would her wolf.
What no one other than herself and father knew about Raine was that, despite being an Omega, she actually had a wolf of her own. The reason the news was not shared with the rest of the pack was due to the legend surrounding the Omega wolf.
Fortunately for her, not many stayed updated on ancient lore or else they would have immediately known who she was the moment they saw the lack of mark on her neck.
She knew that if the pack knew exactly what she was, they would not hold such discontent towards her. They would revere her and treat her with the upmost respect. No one would question her training or demand that her brother take her place.
But her father feared for her safety. If somehow word reached the royals about her Omega wolf, they would have sent for her immediately and who knows what they would have done to her then.
Her only option was to keep on training and prove herself worthy of the title Alpha Lord, no matter what her rank was.
She still had time to gain the respect of the rest of the pack, mainly older pack members stuck in their old ways. There were a few allies that she had gained respect from through sheer will and strength.
It wasn't only submissive Betas who had fallen under her hands. A few dominant Alphas had their cocky attitudes checked once they met her on the sparring grounds, all of whom later apologized and rallied behind her.
However Raine knew her time was limited. She was 19; one more year and her father would have to decide if he was officially naming her heir or if the title would go to her brother. If too many pack members complained, even her father would not be able to cull their discontent.
And if word ever reached the royals, they would have a much bigger problem on their hands.
~~
Another morning found Raine under torture by the name of etiquette. Today, it was the practice of her dining skills. With the date of the Prince's arrival quickly approaching, her stepmother was growing antsy and fussed over every little thing.
Their home was overturned until not a single speck of dust could be found. The finest linens and chinas were triple checked every week, the silverware polished daily.
Even the wine, which Blood Moon was quite infamous for to the point where shipments were made to the royals on a regular basis, was being put under extra care with only the best winemakers attending to a special brew just for the Prince's welcoming feast.
All this would be fine and dandy if Raine was not a victim to her stepmother's fretting as well. She had not worried about her dining skills since she was Caleb's age, yet she sat right beside her brother listening to lectures she knew by heart.
What was even the point of multiple spoons and forks anyways? What difference was the salad fork from the main course fork?
And why did she have to pat, not wipe, her mouth after every bite? She was a wolf!
"Caleb, this is very important."
Their etiquette teacher today was a soft spoken older woman named Agatha. In fact, the woman was actually Caleb's normal tutor, but given that Evelyn requested that both of them received dining etiquette today she was Raine's teacher as well.
"You do not eat or drink before the Prince does, okay?" The woman was saying. "I know your father does not mind if you eat before he does, but the Prince will not tolerate such things."
"Yes ma'am." Caleb replied in his cute little voice.
Raine truly did love her little brother and thought he was the most adorable creature in the world, but she had few chances to truly bond with him.
She was surprised Evelyn was allowing this much, a testament to the woman's anxieties over the Prince's arrival.
"And Raine, as a lady it is important that you take small bites." Teacher Agatha demonstrated by cutting a piece of fruit into small cubes and carefully eating the piece from her fork. "Do not let your teeth touch your silverware and chew slowly."
"Hold my wine glass from the stem, don't use my pinky. Gently place the glass on the table so that it makes no noise. Never have more food on my plate than any man, or finish my meal before the men are done." Raine recited blandly.
Teacher Agatha gave her a gentle smile. "I know you know all these lessons already, Raine, but do try to maintain a more positive energy. You are a beautiful young lady, do not let it go to waste."
Raine's heartbeat sped up but she held in her anger. It wouldn't do her any good to lose her temper and have Evelyn on her head.
Being from the older generation, Agatha had her reservations towards Raine just as the rest did and shared her reservations in the most politely aggravating way Raine had ever heard.
It was only for the day; she wouldn't have to deal with Agatha anymore after this, but she wasn't sure just how much more she could stand the tongue in cheek remarks.
Fortunately their lesson was only a few hours long and she was soon free to do as she pleased for the rest of the day.
Today was resting day from training; unlike her the other wolves would complain if they had to train everyday of the week, and usually she would practice on her own anyways but she felt a headache pulsing in the back of her mind and all she wanted to do was rest.
She slipped into the forest when no one was watching, careful to avoid patrolling wolves as she made her way to her favorite place under Blood Moon territory.
Blood Moon pack was nestled within the bottom of a small mountain, aptly named Blood Moon Ridge. The ridge of the mountain marked the end of Blood Wolf Territory and a few miles between the bottom of the other side of the mountain heading into the forest was unclaimed territory usually inhabited by rogues.
A tall tree that stood tallest within that forest marked the beginning of their neighboring pack kingdom, the Crescent Wolf pack domain. Blood Moon pack maintained close relation to Crescent Tooth pack, being the two warrior packs protecting the territorial edge of their respective kingdoms.
But before all of that, hidden deep within the forest right at the base of the mountain, was a beautiful waterfall pouring into a deep lake that shone with crystalline water.
Raine suspected that the torrent within the mountain picked up gems and minerals that gave the water its beautiful shimmer. When she was a child she believed it was magical water that granted her the ability to keep up with the other, Alpha pups.
Now she found the scenery a serene place to relax, meditate, and regain her energy.
To the public eye she was a boastful, charismatic person who enjoyed being the center of attention and showing off her skills. But really, Raine was an introverted girl who truly enjoyed silent moments and would rather spend her time alone doing what she pleased.
She believed at one point she truly was once the girl she presented to the pack, but over time being scrutinized and judged by the very ones who were supposed to be like family made her jaded towards the public and placed higher value on the time where she didn't feel like she had to be something more than just who she was.
The waterfall provided such privacy for her.
Even within their home, her stepmother always kept a watchful eye on her and even in front of her father she felt as though she was constantly living up to her late mother's image.
As far as she knew, no one else was aware of the waterfall. And even if they were, she had never seen anyone else in the area.
The lake trickled into a river that wound through their territory, a vital water source for the pack. Mainly the cooks ever went to the river, and the gardeners. None ever followed up the river to the lake, and she was sure none ever would unless a problem arose related to the water source.
And so on days like this, especially with the summer's heat beating down, Raine enjoyed her solitude in peace.
She rested on a warm rock and listened to the crash of water. Or swam in the cool lake, testing herself to see how long she could hold her breath, how far down could she reach before she ran out of air.
Every once in a while she tried to scale up the mountain side, see if she could reach the top or at the very least the waterfall's entry point. On occasion she would collect flowers for her room, or find herbs for Lily, her healer friend that she had met many years ago.
But most importantly, she did whatever she wanted free of judgment. As long as she had that, then there was nothing she couldn't face in the world.