The She-Wolf Series Book 3: She-Wolf's Reign
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J.B.
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51
Chapter 1
Book 3: The She-Wolf’s Reign
SAMANTHA
“Again!” Trinity’s voice echoed through the training room.
I brushed the blood off my lip with my hand and struggled to my knees. The dark witch was standing in front of me, a ball of energy swirling in her hand, dark veins snaking from her eyes down her arms.
She was dressed in a black sports bra and yoga pants, looking more like she was headed to a Pilates class than a witch training session.
But instead of a relaxing workout, she was throwing painful spells at me, supposedly to prepare me for defending myself against dark magic.
“Trin, I think it’s time for a break,” Ivar suggested from the sidelines.
Trinity spun around to face him, her eyes blazing. “You promised to stay out of it, Ivar. Either shut up or leave,” she snapped.
Ivar started to protest, but—
Trinity cut him off by launching three balls of energy at him. He dodged the first, kicked back the second, and absorbed the third into his chest with a grunt.
With a flick of her wrist, Trinity made Ivar’s counterattack disappear into thin air. He stood there, glaring at his sister, his chin lowered in defiance.
“That’s what she’s capable of,” Trinity said, her voice sharp. “She’s the fated queen. She should be matching you in skill and strength.”
“I’m a millennia older than her!” Ivar shouted back. “Give her a fucking break!”
“She’s a liability!” Trinity retorted. “If she can’t defend herself, then you’re not focused, and we’re all in danger.”
“That’s not true,” he said, his voice a warning.
“Oh really?” Without warning, Trinity shot a ball of fire directly at me.
I braced myself for the impact, but before I could blink, Ivar was in front of me, blocking the attack. When the smoke cleared, Trinity was standing in front of him, a sword pressed against his throat. A small drop of blood trickled down his neck.
I swallowed hard. “Liability,” she said, dropping the sword. It clattered loudly against the concrete floor, emphasizing her point.
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the training room. “This discussion isn’t fucking over!” Ivar snarled, following her out.
I watched them leave, feeling caught in the middle of their immortal sibling squabbles. They seemed to be happening more frequently, especially since there was no news about Tatianna, Trinity’s mother and Ivar’s stepmother.
They had been searching for weeks after Tatianna made her appearance at our mating ceremony, but there were no leads. We found Emilia, my father’s stepmother, bound and gagged in the house where she had been kept prisoner since she tried to have me killed.
Tatianna had used her appearance and light magic to plot her attack. It was the perfect set of circumstances for her to get close.
I looked around the now messy gym where Trinity had been kicking my ass every day. I picked up the sword she had dropped and carried it to the weapon racks lining the walls.
“She didn’t mean to be as harsh as it sounded,” Aidan said.
His voice startled me, and I jumped, still holding the sword. “Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, grinning.
I frowned and put the sword back before turning to face Trinity’s mate of four hundred years. “How the hell are you so quiet?” I asked, my heart still racing. My werewolf senses usually alerted me to anyone approaching.
“A specialty of mine.” He shrugged.
“You’ll have to show me sometime,” I said, picking up a set of weights that had been knocked over. “Maybe after Trinity is done mopping the floor with my corpse.”
He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Since she didn’t land you in the medical wing, I think Duncan planned a Little Wolf on wolf action this afternoon,” he said.
I grimaced. The group decided that Duncan, who always seemed so cheerful, would be my trainer.
Ivar was the only one who disagreed, and I didn’t understand why until my first day under Duncan’s guidance. Turns out, Duncan was the most brutal and skilled fighter, second only to Ivar and Aidan.
Everyone knew that Aidan and my mate would be too concerned about injuring me, but Duncan didn’t share that worry. He showed me respect as his queen, but he also didn’t hesitate to grab me by the collar and toss me against the wall if I left myself open.
He seemed to enjoy the fight, agreeing with Trinity that a no-holds-barred approach would better prepare me for the upcoming battle. I despised it.
Back home, I was the strongest and most skilled wolf, even before intensive training. But here, at the king’s headquarters in Canada, I felt like the weakest link.
The men were nice enough not to mention it, probably out of fear of Ivar’s anger. Aidan placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I turned to see his understanding eyes.
“You’re doing great,” he assured me. “They’re tough on you because they care. Trinity can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt.”
I let out a sigh. “I know. I just miss when she was just my friend.”
Ever since Tatianna revealed her true self and nearly killed Aidan at my mating ceremony reception, Trinity had changed. She used to be fierce, yes, but also someone I genuinely enjoyed being around.
She made me feel welcome and provided a refuge from the overwhelming masculinity that came with leading the wolves. Now, she seemed colder, more distant.
Her entire focus was on preparing for the impending threat. I understood, but I missed having a female friend in this isolated group of warriors.
“Sam, she’s still your friend,” Aidan said softly. “She’s fighting her own battles right now too.”
“I know,” I agreed. “I’m sure it’s hard for you too.”
He gave me a wry smile. “Are you kidding? I nearly died protecting her. She’s never valued me more.”
I laughed as he raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Gotta keep the romance alive,” he said, stretching dramatically. “You all just have to deal with the fallout of my near-death experience.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Thanks for that, brave hero.”
“Any time, Your Highness,” he said, bowing with a grin.
