The Hunters

The sun had barely peaked over the horizon. The cool autumn air was gradually starting to get warm, but to me, it already felt hot. I was already sweating. My focus was not on the beautiful world around me like I would have preferred, but my opponent standing before me. Every morning since my sister, Alina left the pack I had been practicing my fighting skills despite being a terrible fighter. I carefully watched my sparring partner while I struggled to catch my breath. She was one of the younger warriors of the pack. Even though I was able to read her every movement, I always lost. Her right leg would move before she punched me. She would squint eyes when she'd block. It was the little cues, but it wasn't enough to help me. I saw her coming to punch me, and I managed to dodged it. I felt the wind from the power of her blow kiss my face so tenderly. I hesitated and she was able to punch me with her other hand. I was sent flying onto the ground once again. Rather than getting back up, my immediate reaction was to quickly put my hand over the place she hit me. I was certain it would bruise. Slowly, I pushed myself off the ground, but before I could blink she was already standing over me. She placed her foot on my back and pushed me back down. I felt my body being shoved against the earth, my face breathing in the bare dirt. "Alright enough for today," I heard my father's voice call out. My opponent got off of me and walked off without saying a word. I scrambled up to my feet and brushed myself off. My gaze trailed over to my father who stood a little ways away watching the other warriors practice sparring. I could visibly see him sighing in disappointment. "I'm sorry dad," I muttered casting my eyes down. "It will be alright," he told me. I quickly looked up, surprised that he even heard me. He wasn't even looking at me. Werewolves had heightened hearing though. I did not. Werewolves can't shift until after their 18th birthday. I knew he was disappointed in me. I was the Gamma's daughter! I shouldn't be so weak and frail. The Gammas were third in command of the pack and often in charge of the warriors. Gammas were fighters, but I was a loser. Both of my siblings were talented fighters. My brother Owen was going to be the pack's future Gamma. My sister Alina had recently left the pack to be with her Alpha mate and become a Luna. "Hey!" A voice called out to me, pulling me away from wallowing in my self pity. My eyes felt so heavy turning to look at her. "You look awfully sad for someone who is about to turn 18," she said as she approached. She was a dark haired beauty with piercing, pale blue eyes. That was why this bothered me so deeply. When a werewolf turns 18 and meets their wolf, they also are able to find their mate. Their soulmate as chosen for them by the moon goddess herself. "I don't think I'm going to have a mate out there, and even if I do, they will probably reject me," I told her sadly. I watched her roll her eyes at me and place her hands on her hips. "Stop it, Alana," she growled at me, almost commanding. She was the pack's future Beta after all, but she was also my best friend. One of my only friends. "Look at me, River. I can't fight. I can't even defend myself. I'm a weakling and a coward," I said to her, my voice almost cracking. "And a cry baby," she added and I was silent. I felt hurt by her comment even though I knew she was right. "That's what Alina would tell you and you know it." River could be harsh sometimes. "There are different types of strong. Just because you aren't a fighter doesn't mean you aren't strong in a different way. Same with talent. There are many talents. You are forcing yourself to be something that you aren't ever since Alina left," she explained to me. She was silent for a moment and I said nothing, still feeling defeated. "Do you even want to be a fighter? Do you want to be a warrior or Gamma?" She asked me seriously and I shook my head. "Exactly. Just be the sweet Alana that I love. You will find your own place in this world," and with that she smiled. "Who knew you gave such deep life advice," I chuckled at her teasingly. "Are you going to be in the elder counsel one day?" "Shut up," she snapped while trying to stifle her laughter. "We are going to celebrate tomorrow," she changed the subject to a more cheerful one. "So you better be at the pack house tomorrow at noon," she said narrowing her eyes at me as if I was planning on missing out on my own party. "I hope Blaze will be there," I grinned at River. "He will be," she admitted. "You and every shewolf in this pack are still holding onto the hope that he will be your mate," she shook her head. River was 19 so she already knew Blaze was not her mate. Blaze was 18, but he had yet to find his mate. Sometimes werewolves take time to find their mates, particularly if they are in a different pack. "Until tomorrow at least," I told her. Though I didn't hold onto the hope of even finding my mate. I still needed to find my own place in this world. "Well, I will see you tomorrow. I have to do border patrol today," River said. "Okay, be careful," I told her. I had been getting an eerie feeling all day today. I couldn't quite place the feeling or why I felt that way. It was a strange stirring inside me. I tried to pass it off as maybe my wolf starting to awaken, but I didn't think it was that. It felt more like something lingering in the lush forests that surrounded our pack. River gave me a strange look, but she didn't question me. She knew I had a strong intuition. "I will be," she promised before heading towards where she was supposed to meet the rest of the patrol squad. By now the rest of the werewolves that remained on the training field were clearing out. Dad had already left. He was always super busy, but he did leave unusually quick today. Maybe it had something to do with my birthday tomorrow. Or maybe it had something to do with the strange feeling I was getting. I decided to spend the rest of the day in the forest on my own to see what I could find. I struggled not to make too much noise in woods, but my human feet crunched on all of the fallen debris on the ground. Every twig my foot found. Every spider web found its way to my face making me squeal everytime. If there was anything out there, I would have scared them off the instant I set foot in the forest. It sure was beautiful though, even in its early autumn colors. Most of the leaves were still green. Only a few were starting to change to yellow. The colorful flowers were still in bloom, both in the forest and the fields. Eventually, after finding nothing but plants and a couple of birds, I left the forest and headed back to the packhouse. If my body wasn't sore before, it certainly was now.