Chapter 1The Weak Wolf
1162 Words
The night air was cold and heavy with the smell of rain and blood.
The moon hung low above the Bloodfang Fortress, bleeding through the clouds like a wounded eye.
Inside the stone walls, the training ground was alive with noise growls, shouts, and the clash of steel. Warriors fought under the moonlight, their muscles gleaming with sweat. To them, this was pride.
To Rael, it was a reminder.
A reminder that he was the weakest wolf in the pack.
Rael stood at the edge of the field, holding a wooden spear that felt too heavy for his hands. Every swing he made looked awkward, weak. The others laughed when he missed a strike.
“Still can’t hold your weapon right?” one of them shouted. “Maybe you should join the kitchen pack instead!”
Rael tried to ignore them, but his hands shook. He wasn’t like the others. He couldn’t transform, couldn’t summon the beast inside him like a true Bloodfang.
His sister Eira used to say, “Don’t let them see your pain, Rael. Wolves respect strength but they fear heart more.”
But Eira was gone now. Killed during a raid.
The memory burned.
He tightened his grip and swung again, harder this time. The spear hit the dummy, cracking the wood slightly. A few heads turned.
Then Thorne, one of the Alpha’s Guards, stepped forward. His huge frame cast a shadow over Rael.
“You call that strength?” Thorne growled. His voice rumbled like thunder.
Rael said nothing.
Thorne smirked. “If you can’t fight, you’re nothing. A wolf without power is food for the crows.”
He pushed Rael to the ground. Laughter echoed through the courtyard.
Rael’s face burned with shame. He clenched his teeth and stood up again, even though every part of him wanted to stay down.
Thorne chuckled. “That’s it. Stand up, little cub. Maybe the moon will finally pity you.”
Rael didn’t reply. He looked up at the red moon, whispering quietly, “If you can hear me… I just want a chance.”
That night, the fortress went silent except for the wind.
Rael sat on the outer wall, staring into the dark forest below. The trees moved like ghosts. He wondered if his sister’s spirit was somewhere out there, watching.
A soft voice spoke behind him. “Still awake?”
He turned. It was Eryx his only friend, one of the younger warriors.
Eryx dropped beside him, handing him a small piece of bread. “You barely ate today. You’ll die before you even become a wolf.”
Rael smiled faintly. “Maybe I’m not meant to be one.”
Eryx frowned. “Don’t say that. You’ve got more fight than half those idiots down there.”
Rael shook his head. “Fight means nothing without power.”
“Maybe,” Eryx said, leaning back. “But sometimes, power chooses the ones who least expect it.”
They sat in silence for a while. The moonlight fell across Rael’s face, silver and cold. Somewhere deep in his chest, something stirred a strange heat that wasn’t there before.
He didn’t notice the faint glow in his eyes, a flash of gold that faded too fast to see.
The next morning, chaos broke out.
A messenger rushed into the courtyard, shouting, “The eastern border! Vampires attacked the Vale again!”
Alpha Kael, the pack’s leader, appeared like a storm—tall, fierce, and calm in the face of war.
“The Bloodfang Pack does not hide!” he roared. “Prepare the Guard!”
Rael watched as the elite warriors assembled. Among them was Lira, the only woman in the Alpha’s Guard. She moved with grace and deadly calm, her twin blades catching the light.
Rael’s breath caught. He had seen her fight before beautiful and terrifying. Every move she made looked like a dance.
Eryx nudged him. “You’re staring again.”
Rael looked away quickly. “I wasn’t.”
Eryx smirked. “Sure. And I’m the Moon God.”
Before Rael could answer, Lira glanced in their direction. Her eyes met his for the briefest moment cold, unreadable. He looked down immediately, heart pounding.
Then the Alpha spoke again.
“Lira, you’ll lead a scout team beyond the Vale. We must find where the vampires are nesting.”
“Yes, Alpha,” she said, bowing her head.
“And Rael,” Kael added suddenly, his gaze sharp as a blade, “you will go with her.”
The courtyard fell silent.
Thorne stepped forward. “Alpha, with respect he’s just a trainee. He can’t even shift!”
“I’m aware,” Kael said. “But he will learn. This mission will decide his place among us.”
Rael froze. He wanted to speak, to protest—but all he could do was nod.
Lira’s expression didn’t change. “If he slows me down, I’ll leave him behind.”
Kael met her eyes. “Then you have my permission.”
Rael swallowed hard. “I understand, Alpha.”
The crowd murmured in disbelief. Some laughed. Others whispered, “He’ll never come back.”
Eryx gave him a worried look. “You’re really going out there?”
Rael managed a small, shaky smile. “I asked the moon for a chance. Maybe this is it.”
That night, the wind carried the scent of snow and blood.
Rael packed his things in silence, his heart beating fast. Somewhere deep down, fear mixed with excitement.
As he stepped into the cold night, Eryx tossed him a small silver dagger. “Take this. It’s not much but it might save your life.”
Rael caught it. “Thank you.”
“Just promise me one thing,” Eryx said. “Don’t die stupidly.”
Rael grinned faintly. “I’ll try.”
Then he walked toward the northern gate, where Lira and the scout team waited under the blood moon.
She looked at him briefly. “Stay close. I won’t wait for you.”
Rael nodded. “I won’t need you to.”
The gate opened, creaking like an old beast waking from sleep.
They rode into the mist, toward the forest where monsters hid and fate began to whisper Rael’s name.
- Writer
