Chapter 3: A Battle That Has Nothing To Do With Physical Strength

Ran spent the rest of the Full Moon Gathering up a tree, thinking and fuming.

Who did this Caph guy think he was, pretending to know her when it was just their first meeting? How dare he disrespect the Beta of the Eridanus pack when he was simply the useless fourth son of an Alpha?

He probably never needed to take responsibility for anyone in his life.

Ever since her parents' death, Ran had dreamt of one day avenging them as Alpha of Eridanus. When her uncle showed no interest in finding the perpetrators of the incident, she set her sights on being the Alpha instead of marrying one. She had worked very hard towards her goal.

She thought of doing nothing else since—especially not college. Her life was dedicated to becoming the best fighter in the pack, the swiftest and most powerful, so that no one would mess with her people again.

Ran picked absently at the branch she was sitting on, frustrated that even after her efforts, all people saw when they looked at her was an orphaned female heir who needed to marry well and be protected by others. She remembered how helpless and terrified she was then, cowering in the darkness of a locked cupboard while her uncle fought three rogue wolves all by himself.

She had been useless when Eridanus was attacked. A liability. Even her cousins played their part as messengers sent to rally the pack. With her parents out on patrol, she was last member of the Alpha's family, 'too precious' to lose in a fight like this.

An eerie howling filled the air, accompanied by many other werewolf voices in harmony, bidding farewell to the disappearing moon. Ran leapt down from the tree, dusting foliage off her clothes. She was physically strong now, feared and respected by many in her pack for her combat abilities, but she was still weak and helpless, and faced with a battle that had nothing to do with physical strength—politics.

Ran politely informed the partying members of her pack still engaged in drinking games that it was time to go home. Only, they were too inebriated to hear what she was saying, so she dragged them to her uncle by the scruff of their necks.

Grown men whining like puppies.

For some reason, they were the future of Eridanus.

Since she turned eighteen, the only werewolves interested in having a conversation with her were those who wanted to obtain the prestige and reputation of being an Alpha without putting in the hard work of deserving it.

That was part of the reason Ran decided not to marry.

She would be the one to become Alpha.

Yet now, with just a few words from her uncle, the Regent, her plans for her future had come tumbling down. She would have no choice but to choose a power-hungry mutt with no intentions of actually improving the lives of her people and submit under him.

Ran dropped the drunkards at her uncle's feet.

'That's everyone,' she spat. 'We can go now.'

Acamar raised himself to his full height, his black eyes glowing with dominance. She resisted the urge to bow to him in respect.

She had done so instinctively before. But right now, she felt rebellious.

With all her willpower, she straightened herself to meet his gaze.

He was only the Regent Alpha. In one year, it would be he who had to bow to her.

'I know what you're trying to do, uncle,' she hissed. 'But it won't work. You can't stop me from becoming Alpha by ordering me around.'

Acamar growled. 'Don't humiliate Eridanus by rebelling against your Alpha at a Full Moon Gathering. You don't have to like my commands, you just have to follow them. Are you going to bring shame to the pack with your arrogance?'

Ran let out a snort of laughter. 'You're afraid of me. I am the youngest Beta in werewolf history and I'm about to become the first female Alpha of Eridanus. The power and influence you've built up for yourself as Regent is will go down the drain when that happens so you're desperate.'

The Regent shook his head and took a step towards her. Ran stood her ground, glaring at him defiantly. 'You're delusional. I did everything for the pack, not for myself. Your childish ambitions are what's going to ruin Eridanus. The few female Alphas in werewolf history were all failures because they had ambitions just like yours.'

Acamar put his face so close to hers, she could taste the sour beer residue on his breath.

'You are too emotional, just like they were. You are not ready for this. Find someone who is or get out of my way.'

In a flash, he disappeared. Along with the two drunkards she brought to him.

Her pack was disappearing into the distance without her. As Ran reluctantly began to follow, she noticed a pair of intense blue eyes staring after her.

He had seen it all. Caph had witnessed her defiance.

The question was, did he hear everything?