Treein

Kestrel was a beta, and an aggressive one that most folks didn't like much. The Empire had picked a future husband for her. This guy was pretty much perfect: born into a high-class family, good-looking, rich, nice, and the envy of everyone around.
People were quick to start whispering.
"Why did such a great guy end up with her? She can't even make tea right and she barely passed her cooking class."
"He won't be able to put up with her for long."
"Right, their love story is a train wreck waiting to happen."
Hearing this stuff over and over, Kestrel started to think that she and her guy, Tarian, were doomed from the start. So, when Tarian showed up with a sweet and pretty girl, Kestrel pulled off her engagement ring and tossed it into the gutter.
From that moment, Kestrel lived free and happy, like a bird soaring in the sky, a fish swimming in the wide ocean.
But a few years into her easy-going life, at a royal shindig, Tarian cornered her. His eyes were all red, and he confessed that he was sorry for everything and that he couldn't stop thinking about her. But Kestrel, wild as ever, wasn't interested in going back to her old life.
Tarian turned white, gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care what you're like, and I can handle your shortcomings. You won't find a more understanding alpha than me."
"Well, I already have a new alpha." To totally shake him off, Kestrel made up a name on the spot. She quickly thought of all the alphas she'd met on the battlefield over the years, and chose the name of a buddy she was tight with, guessing he wouldn't mind.
"He's a good listener, and we're a perfect fit. Plus, he really likes me and doesn't care about my mistakes."
Right after a bummed-out Tarian took off, Kestrel turned around and smacked right into the guy she'd just made up. This guy, a real war hero who'd taken down tons of enemies, turned a bit pink, looked away, and muttered, "You... when did you figure out that I have a crush on you?"

The Beta Dominates Alphas

In this psychic landscape, Kestrel and the Queen of Mantidale faced off among the flowers. At the same time, in the real world, Ren had just managed to block a flying kick from a mutant.

The kick came so swiftly that even Ren, with his sharp reflexes, struggled to anticipate it.

The mutant, though small, had an incredibly powerful attack. It could kick something as large as a panda dozens of yards away, breaking solid stone pillars. If a person were hit by such a kick, they'd either be critically injured or worse.

Just moments before, Raymond had been kicked and was still spitting out blood, trying to get up. Ren, acting almost on autopilot from years of training, lifted his arm to block just before the kick made full contact. He immediately moved, his red blade targeting the mutant's grounded knee.

To anyone watching, the whole exchange was a blur: the kick and the red blade passing each other in a flash.

Leaving Mantidale (2)