Chapter 1

I know this path off the back of my hand: The Eastern trail, heading around the side of the pack territory towards the deepest part of the forest no one goes into. It merges with the Southern trail, heading towards the training ground.

The training ground. Where I spend most of my time, where I've been training since I was six. No one tells me to, no one forced me into it, I wanted to. Since I was helpless to help my mother when the Red Blood Pack attacked us, I wanted to be ready for the next.

Despite being six at the time, my father agreed and let me train; lightly at first with his Beta teaching me slowly. He occasionally trained me instead while the rest of the pack trained under Beta Stewart's order. They all thought after a year or two, I'd have enough and stop, being a true teenage girl but no. I wanted to intensify my training, surprising everyone, even my father. So instead of sitting around waiting for a mate, I train and I fight.

And I'm damn good at it.

My legs carry me at a steady pace through the grounds, keeping the border and the forest to my left. I soon reach the training ground, where the rest of the pack is gathering. Or rather, the males are gathering. There's not been a single female in our pack to set foot on this training ground, none out of the hundred females we've got, not including my mother and I. When I finally reach the arena, my father is waiting for me outside the entrance and he smiles as he pulls me into him.

"Morning, C." He wraps me around the shoulders with one arm as he continues to talk with Lewis, his Beta, and Charles, his Delta- the third in command. They offer me a broad smile as I hug my dad; they're like uncles to me. I hear a slight growl of disapproval when Dad looks down at my outfit: my running bottoms end at my knees and rest on my hips while my top barely covers my sports bra, leaving my flat stomach to be on show. He doesn't like me wearing something that shows off so much flesh, especially when I get male attention because of it. My brown hair is pulled into a high ponytail, the end tickling the base of my neck.

"Morning, Dad. Good morning, guys." I give them a smile and they nod their heads in acknowledgement. I stand 5'10", almost the same height as my father. When I was younger, he would always kiss the tip of my head but after my growth spurt, he can only reach my cheek and forehead.

"I thought for a second you weren't going to show." Charles grins at me and I roll my eyes.

"As if I would miss training. I haven't missed one yet." They nod in agreement as the others all come in. Soon about a hundred and fifty men stand in the arena, awaiting their Alpha, Beta and Delta to start.

"Let's get started." We start with light moves, punching and kicks. Occasionally someone falls but luckily there are matts on the ground for that very purpose.

After an hour, my father calls for attention. I've not even broke a sweat yet.

"Everyone is improving but I notice the same mistake in all of you." He says, looking at everyone individually except me- not wanting to show favouritism. "Our arms are not straight enough and our kicks are not high enough to offer a powerful kick." It's the usual faults in training: arms not being straight, not standing balanced enough, and not keeping our guards up, etc. "How about a demonstration?"

An arm presses against my back, pushing me forward and Oliver, my friend, smirks at me. We always go together and we've been friends since forever. He's Lewis's son so we are technically meant to be friends. He knows almost everything about me and vice versa.

"How about a volunteer?" My dad asks hopeful and a chorus of voices shouting my name sounds. He cackles, spies me out and raises two fingers in a 'come here' gesture. They all make an aisle for me, leading me to the front.

"Why not let someone else go to the front? Surely you're bored of watching me kick people's asses," I say, crossing my arms and get a hearty laugh from all the males. Some of them are seventeen, like me and are alright looking. I might actually consider liking them, if I didn't beat them in demonstrations. Other's range between eighteen and my father's age.

"Come here. Now" Dad says, playfully using the Alpha tone. He hardly ever uses it on me but he uses it playfully in front of others, just to show that's he's in control of his own kids. If he can't control a twenty year old, a seventeen year old, a thirteen, twelve and an eleven year old, then how can he control a pack of almost three hundred? I roll my eyes, uncross my arms and march to the front. When I reach there, ducking under the elastic fencing around the small arena, my father has a wicked grin on his face.

"Alright, who's the lucky little soul?" I tip my head to the side and everyone looks at the crowd. No one steps forward, learning from the first two years. People used to beg to fight me and some do beat me. I'm not that good that I'm unbeatable but the only people who beat me are normally twice my size, strength and age.

"You're looking at him." He says, retreating to take off his jumper. For an older fellow, of about forty, he's in good shape. He's fit enough to take on any challenger, let's just say that. I blink in shock. I've never thought of fighting him, it's never crossed my mind. "Come on, C, you took Beta Stewart down easy, how about your old man?"

"Are you ever going to stop referring to that?" I hear Lewis comment from the side. "Don't go easy on your Pop, Cecily"

"Seen as I have permission, I'm not going to." I smirk and Dad smiles. "Age before beauty, oh wise one." I mock bow and I get a laugh from everyone. Dad smiles, shaking his head before mind-linking me.

You get cockier every day. I shrug, smiling. Hope your mate can handle you.