Way of the Wolf: Equilibrium

Chapter 1 ~ Ambitions

Here's the first chapter! I hope you are all ready to follow Raeghan's story.
Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Ambitions

"Get up, Raeghan. Always get back up."

My arms trembled, struggling to lift myself back to my feet. Even my legs felt like jelly, and I wasn't sure how much harder I could push myself, even with Weylin's words of encouragement. But my father was watching, and I wanted to prove myself to him. He hardly ever came to watch me train.

Always get back up, that was easier said than done.

Painfully, I managed to sway myself back to my feet, ignoring the ache of bones and muscles. When I looked proudly in my father's direction it was to see him walking away. My body slumped, my will to stay standing diminishing.

"Stand for yourself and those you protect, not those you want to please," Weylin instructed from where he was brushing himself off.

He'd won our fight, again. But I was getting better. I could feel myself getting stronger, faster, even if I still had so far to come. I could easily hold my own against wolves my age. They wouldn't let me train with them anymore. The warriors of the pack were my next battle but they were fully grown wolves, coiled in muscle and strength.

I looked back at where my father had stood, feeling my shoulders hunch in more. A growl from Weylin and I looked away. In his training room, he was the only one that my attention should be on.

"He thinks I should stop," I stated, loud enough that maybe my father would hear before the doors swung shut behind him.

Weylin sighed, his gaze following mine. "He thinks you're aiming for a dangerous goal."

"And what do you think?" I asked, dropping to the floor, sprawling out and finally allowing myself to pant for breath.

I knew well how to hide exhaustion and weakness, but I didn't need to anymore. I could lie here and slowly heal if I wanted. Mum would come find me soon, smothering me until every bruise disappeared before urging me to keep training.

"Does it matter what I think, Raeghan?"

I shook my head. I guess it didn't. "It would still be nice to have some that believed in my ability to become an Alpha. Those that watch only relax when I fail, when I'm beaten. I can feel them tense when I come close to winning."

"Everyone's afraid of the new. Your ambition, if achieved, would change a lot in our world, in our culture." Weylin smiled, sitting beside me and passing a cool bottle of water that I gladly took. "Don't let others fears put you off if you feel this is your path."

I wasn't sure if it was my path though, or simply the one my mother had placed me on. Then again, she'd never pushed me to become an Alpha, she simply wished for me to be trained as any first born male would be. It had been me that was determined to challenge myself for more. No female had ever ruled as Alpha alone, not as I wished to.

Of course mates of Alphas had led the pack themselves if the Alpha had died, but more often than not, another would take over. The Beta, or whoever was heir, but Dad wouldn't even name me his heir.

Over and over again I'd been told for every strong female there was a stronger male. That even if I could be Alpha, a male would come to challenge me for my place. I could stand as his equal if I took a mate, lead as equals like Mum and Dad did. But were they really equals if sometimes as Alpha, Dad demanded Mum's submission? My nose scrunched and I took a sip of water to get rid of the sour taste in my mouth.