Rejected by Blood, Chosen by the Alpha

Chapter 3: The First Test

The cold air bites at my skin as I’m shoved onto the training grounds, the ground beneath me hard and unforgiving. My heart races, an unfamiliar fire igniting in my chest. Today is the day.

A figure stands at the center of the arena: the Beta. His eyes lock onto mine, cold and calculating. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, and carries an aura of danger that makes my stomach twist. This isn’t just a test. This is his way of proving a point—proving that I’m nothing.

"You," he growls, his voice like gravel. "Shift."

I swallow, the command weighing heavy in my chest. I’ve tried so many times. Too many times to count. But each time, my wolf refuses to answer. My body feels foreign, disconnected. I look at Draven, standing off to the side, his eyes locked on me. He said today would be different. He said there was hope.

But right now, I don’t feel it.

The Beta steps closer, his eyes narrowing. "What’s wrong, girl? Too weak to even shift? You’re a joke. A useless one."

I try to ignore the bitterness in his tone, but it stings like acid. I’m not his enemy, but he sure treats me like I am.

"Shift," he demands again, louder this time.

The pressure of his voice, of Draven’s gaze, it’s too much. I close my eyes, willing my wolf to come forth. Please. Please.

Nothing.

I stand there, breathing shallow, feeling like the weight of every eye in the pack is on me. The Beta’s mocking smirk grows. "Worthless."

I want to scream. I want to give up. I want to run away and hide where no one can see me, but I stand frozen. I can feel it—the powerlessness.

Then, unexpectedly, Draven’s voice rumbles through the tension. "No."

I blink, confusion hitting me like a slap. I look at Draven, but his gaze is unwavering. His coldness is replaced with something else, something... protective.

"You will train her," he says, his tone brokering no argument.

The Beta’s lips curl into a sneer, his eyes flashing with fury. He opens his mouth, probably to protest, but Draven doesn’t give him the chance.

"I said train her," Draven repeats, his voice lowering, lethal. "Not every battle is fought with strength, Beta. Some are fought with patience. And you will have patience with her."

The Beta glares at me, clearly unwilling, but nods stiffly. "Fine," he spits, turning on his heel.

I stand there, confused and grateful. Draven… he’s giving me a chance. A chance to prove I’m not just a burden. To prove I can be strong.

But then, as the Beta moves to start the training, something flickers deep within me. A surge of heat pulses in my chest, my fingers twitch. I don’t know what it is, but it feels… wrong. Almost dangerous.

A flicker of power?

I look down at my hands, almost afraid to look. The sensation is familiar, yet foreign as if my wolf is stirring after years of dormancy. But I’m terrified. What if it’s not my wolf at all?

The Beta’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "Focus," he snaps, and the snap of his command brings me back.

I swallow hard. "I—" I hesitate, unsure of what I should do.

"Shift," the Beta commands again, eyes narrowed.

My breath hitches, and this time, something shifts within me. The air around me feels heavier, charged. My body trembles, not in fear, but in… anticipation. It’s almost as if the air itself is crackling.

I close my eyes, trying to control whatever this is. "Please…"

"Shift!" the Beta yells, pushing me.

I feel it—my heart pounding, my breath shallow, but something is different. Something is changing.

"Do it!" The Beta steps forward, pushing me to the ground. I fall, and that’s when I feel it—the undeniable pulse inside me, rising like a flood.

A low growl escapes my lips before I can stop it, and for a second, I see the flicker of a wolf’s eyes in my mind. The world spins, and I force myself to open my eyes, but nothing has changed. Not yet.

I hear a chuckle above me. "Worthless. You can’t even shift."

But then—just as I’m about to give up—the ground beneath me shifts. I feel the pull, the tug, the undeniable snap of a bone shifting. My body writhes as a force surges through me. The ground trembles, like the earth itself, knows what’s coming.

I feel it.

It’s my wolf.

I try to stand, but the Beta’s hand is on my shoulder, pushing me down. "Weak," he growls, but his words are lost in the roar that builds in my chest.

I’m not weak. I’m not.

"Enough!" Draven’s voice cuts through the noise, and I feel the tension ease in the air. "Step back, Beta."

The Beta turns to Draven, glaring, but something changes in his expression when Draven’s eyes meet his. His jaw tightens, but he steps away.

Draven’s eyes are on me now—intense, burning with something I can’t quite place. Something fierce.

"You can do this," he mutters, though it’s more to himself than me.

But I feel it. The stirring power inside me, fighting to break free.

"Not everyone here wants you to succeed," the Beta mutters under his breath, eyes narrowing with malice. "They’ll tear you apart, Liana. Don’t think you’re safe here."

I look back at him, and for the first time since I arrived, I meet his gaze head-on. "Then I’ll fight back," I whisper, a new fire igniting within me.

His laugh is cold and cruel. "We’ll see how long that lasts."

But I don’t care. My wolf is waking. I won’t be weak anymore.

I glance at Draven. His eyes are steady on me, unreadable. But there’s something in the way he’s looking at me—something that makes my heart race and my pulse quicken.

As I stand there, bracing myself for whatever comes next, I know one thing for sure: This is only the beginning.

The Beta turns, casting one last disdainful glance at me before walking away. But before I can take a breath, Draven steps toward me, his voice low and commanding.

"You’re not weak," he murmurs, but it’s like a challenge. "You’re stronger than you know."

I open my mouth to speak, but the words die on my tongue. I don’t know what to say, what to feel. All I know is that something inside me is waking, and it won’t be silenced again.

"Get up," Draven commands, his eyes flicking to my still trembling form. "You’re not done."

I nod, trying to steady myself, but my legs feel unsteady. The power inside me—my wolf—is clawing at my skin, desperate to break free.

"Shift," Draven orders, his voice like velvet. "Show them who you really are."

I close my eyes, focusing all my energy on that spark inside me. The wolf. I can feel it, just beneath the surface.

And with a howl that reverberates through the training grounds, the wolf breaks free.

Draven steps back, his eyes widening as my form shifts, bone-cracking, fur sprouting. The Beta, standing off to the side, looks like he’s seen a ghost. But I don’t care. I’ve finally done it.

I stand before them in my full wolf form, breathing heavily, heart pounding in my chest. The ground beneath my paws feels like it belongs to me now.

Draven’s eyes are locked on me, an unreadable expression on his face. His lips curl into a small, approving smile.

"You’re not weak," he repeats, this time with more conviction.

But just as I start to breathe easier, something shifts in the air. A shadow moves at the edge of the clearing.

I freeze, my wolf instinctively growling, sensing danger. Something is coming.

And it's not good.

"Stay alert," Draven growls, his eyes darkening. "We’re not alone.”