Alina's legs felt like they were made of stone. Her arms trembled as she tried to keep her fists raised, but exhaustion was winning. The sun had barely climbed over the horizon when she'd started training with Maeve, and now it was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the clearing. She wanted to collapse, to give her body the rest it desperately craved, but Maeve's voice rang in her ears, sharp and demanding.
"Again!"
Alina's breath came in short gasps as she forced herself to stand upright, her muscles screaming in protest. Maeve circled her like a wolf hunting its prey, her eyes never leaving Alina, her posture alert and ready. She made it look easy, while Alina felt like she was drowning in her own exhaustion. But she couldn't stop. Not yet.
"I said again!" Maeve barked, her tone brooking no argument.
Alina nodded weakly, adjusting her stance. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and raised her fists, trying to remember everything Maeve had taught her in the last few hours. Her movements were sloppy, sluggish from fatigue, but she forced herself to focus.
Maeve darted forward without warning, her speed and agility so sharp that Alina barely had time to react. She swung her fist toward Alina's ribs, and Alina twisted her body just in time to dodge. The action sent a wave of pain shooting through her side, but she gritted her teeth and kept moving. Maeve followed up with a series of quick jabs, each one coming faster than the last. Alina blocked two but missed the third, which landed squarely against her shoulder.
The impact knocked her off balance, and she stumbled backward, nearly falling to the ground. Her vision blurred as sweat dripped into her eyes, but she blinked it away, determined not to fall.
"Not bad," Maeve said, stepping back slightly, but her voice was laced with criticism. "But 'not bad' won't keep you alive out there. You've got to be faster, stronger. If I were your real enemy, you'd be dead by now."
Alina's heart pounded in her chest, but she nodded. She knew Maeve was right. She wasn't strong enough yet. Not nearly strong enough to defend herself, let alone take her place in the pack. Her body ached from the relentless training, but her mind burned with the desire to improve.
"I'll do better," Alina gasped, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.
Maeve crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You'll need to. The pack doesn't care how hard you try. They care if you survive. That's the only thing that matters."
Alina swallowed hard, her throat dry and scratchy. The truth of Maeve's words hit her like a punch to the gut. She had been weak for too long—rejected by the pack, dismissed as insignificant. But this was her chance to change that. To prove that she wasn't the same outcast who had been discarded and forgotten. She couldn't fail, not after coming this far. She forced herself to stand straighter, raising her fists again.
"I'm ready," she said, her voice filled with a resolve she hadn't felt in a long time.
Maeve's eyes narrowed, and she gave a curt nod. "Good. Let's see if you can back that up."
Without warning, Maeve charged again, her movements a blur of speed and precision. Alina reacted instinctively, ducking under Maeve's arm and attempting to strike her from the side. But Maeve was faster, twisting her body to avoid the blow and retaliating with a quick jab to Alina's ribs.
Pain shot through Alina's side, but she gritted her teeth and kept moving. She couldn't let the pain slow her down. She needed to be faster, more focused. She dodged Maeve's next strike, then ducked and rolled out of the way as Maeve came at her again.
For a moment, a flicker of hope sparked in Alina's chest. She was holding her own. She was keeping up.
But just as quickly as the hope came, it was snuffed out. Maeve moved with the speed and grace of a seasoned warrior, and within seconds, Alina found herself pinned to the ground, Maeve's knee pressing into her chest, her arm twisted painfully behind her back.
"Too slow," Maeve said, her voice cold but calm. "You're thinking too much. In a real fight, there's no time for hesitation. You have to act. You have to move."
Alina gasped for breath, her lungs burning as she tried to keep the tears of frustration at bay. She hated how easily Maeve overpowered her, how weak she still felt despite all the training. But more than that, she hated how right Maeve was. She was too slow, too hesitant. If she didn't push herself harder, she would never be strong enough to survive.
Maeve stood up, releasing Alina from her hold. "Get up," she said, offering no sympathy.
Alina forced herself to her feet, every part of her body protesting the movement. Her limbs felt heavy, her muscles aching from the strain, but she refused to stop. She wiped the dirt from her face and met Maeve's gaze with a newfound determination.
"I'll get faster," Alina said, her voice steady despite the exhaustion she felt. "I'll get stronger."
Maeve studied her for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to Alina's surprise, she gave a small nod of approval. "Good. You're going to need to."
Alina's chest tightened with a mix of relief and determination. This was only the beginning. The training was grueling, and Maeve pushed her to her limits every single day. But she was getting stronger. Slowly but surely, she could feel the change in herself. She wasn't the weak, rejected girl anymore. She was fighting for her place in the world, for her future.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and Maeve called an end to the day's training, Alina's body ached, but her spirit burned with determination. She would keep pushing, keep fighting. She had no other choice.
Because she wasn't just fighting to survive. She was fighting to prove that she belonged.