The Last Pack Standing

The first rays of dawn barely pierced through the dense canopy of the forest, casting long shadows across the damp underbrush. Selene crouched low, her senses attuned to every rustle and whisper of the wilderness. The chill of the morning air stung her skin, but she welcomed the sharpness-it grounded her. She inhaled deeply, her sharp nose picking up the musky scent of the deer just ahead. Silent as the wind, she crept closer, her lean frame coiled with tension, ready to strike.

The thrill of the hunt was her solace. Here, away from the prying eyes of the pack, she wasn't the disgraced daughter of a failed beta. Here, she wasn't the outcast struggling to gain approval. She was just a wolf, pure and unburdened.

Ahead, the deer paused, ears twitching. Selene froze, every muscle taut, her heartbeat steady. Slowly, she shifted her weight, calculating the distance between them. Then, with a powerful burst of speed, she lunged.

The deer bolted, its hooves pounding against the earth, but Selene was faster. Her lithe frame sliced through the underbrush, her focus unyielding. The world around her blurred into shadows and light as she closed the gap. Anticipating its veer to the left, Selene adjusted her trajectory, launching herself through the air. Her claws sank into its flank, and with a swift, decisive bite to the neck, the chase was over.

Panting, she stood over her kill, her breath visible in the crisp air. Pride flared in her chest, though it was tempered by the knowledge of what awaited her back at the clearing.

The sound of footsteps broke her thoughts. Selene turned to see the rest of the hunting party emerging from the trees. Rowan, an elder wolf, was at the front, his gray fur glinting in the sunlight. He surveyed the scene with a critical eye before fixing his gaze on Selene.

"You shouldn't have gone ahead," Rowan said, his tone stern but devoid of malice. "We hunt as a pack, not as individuals."

Selene straightened, meeting his gaze without flinching. "The deer would've escaped if I'd waited."

Rowan's expression hardened. "That's not the point. Discipline matters more than the kill. A lone wolf is a liability."

She wanted to argue, to tell him that the pack's rules stifled more than they protected, but she held her tongue. It didn't matter what she said. To them, she would always be a shadow of her father's failure.

By the time they returned to the clearing, the sun was well above the horizon. Lydia, Selene's foster mother, stood near the communal den, her sharp eyes scanning the group. When they landed on Selene, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"What were you thinking, Selene?" Lydia hissed as soon as they were within earshot. "Charging ahead like that? Do you have any idea how reckless you look?"

Selene dropped the deer near the storage den, wiping her hands on her pants. "I caught it," she said simply, though she knew it wouldn't appease Lydia.

Lydia's eyes narrowed. "It's not about the kill. It's about how you're seen. You're already walking a fine line with this pack. You think this kind of behavior is going to help?"

The words stung, but Selene swallowed her frustration. She'd heard this lecture countless times. Lydia always spoke as though Selene's every action carried the weight of her father's disgrace, as though her existence was a debt she could never repay.

"I was trying to help," Selene said quietly.

"Helping isn't enough if it makes you a target," Lydia snapped, her voice lowering but losing none of its sharpness. "You need to learn when to step back, Selene. You're not in a position to take risks."

Before Selene could respond, a low, commanding voice cut through the tension.

"Enough."

Damon stepped into the clearing, his presence instantly silencing everyone. The Alpha's imposing frame seemed to radiate authority, his sharp eyes scanning the group before settling on Selene.

"You disobeyed the hunt protocol," he said, his voice calm but edged with steel.

Selene squared her shoulders, refusing to wilt under his scrutiny. "The deer would have escaped if I'd waited for the others."

Damon's expression didn't change. He descended the short steps of his platform, closing the distance between them. The air around him was heavy, charged with an intensity that made Selene's heart race.

"Instinct without discipline is recklessness," he said, his voice carrying to the edges of the clearing. "Your strength means nothing if you can't follow orders."

Selene's jaw tightened, but she forced herself to nod. "Yes, Alpha."

Satisfied, Damon turned his attention to the rest of the pack. "Prepare for the next hunt," he commanded. "We can't afford mistakes."

As the pack scattered, Selene felt the weight of Damon's words settle heavily on her shoulders. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she proved herself, she would always be the outlier.

Later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Selene found herself at the edge of the forest, far from the watchful eyes of the pack. The towering trees stretched endlessly into the darkening sky, their silhouettes etched against the fading light.

She leaned against a gnarled oak, her mind churning. What more could she do? She had outpaced, outthought, and outmaneuvered her peers, yet none of it seemed to matter. Her father's legacy cast a shadow she couldn't escape, and the pack's rigid hierarchy left little room for those outside its favor.

"You always sulk this much, or is it a special occasion?"

Selene startled, her head snapping toward the voice. Finn stepped out from behind a tree, his boyish grin as irreverent as ever.

"What do you want, Finn?" she asked, exhaling slowly.

Finn shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Just checking on you. Thought you might need a reminder that not everyone in the pack thinks you're a lost cause."

Selene raised an eyebrow. "That's supposed to cheer me up?"

Finn smirked. "Hey, I'm not great with pep talks, but I'm serious. You're good, Selene. Better than most of them, even if they won't admit it."

His words caught her off guard. Finn wasn't one to hand out compliments, especially not to her. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"Don't let them get to you," Finn added, his grin softening into something genuine. "Damon's a hardass, but even he can't ignore how good you are forever."

Selene gave him a faint smile, the first real one she'd managed all day. "We'll see."

As Finn wandered back toward the clearing, Selene turned her gaze back to the forest. His words had given her a sliver of hope, but she knew the road ahead would be long and treacherous.

For now, she would focus on what she could control-herself. And maybe, just maybe, she could turn the tide in her favor.