Chapter 035

Colin straightened after stacking the last sword and turned toward me, brushing a strand of damp hair from his forehead.

“You know,” he said, studying me with a faint smile, “if you’re going to hang around the training grounds this often, you might as well learn something useful.”

I raised a brow. “Like what?”

“Defense.” He rolled his shoulders, motioning toward the open field. “Maris says you haven’t trained much. Want me to show you a few basics?”

For a moment, I hesitated at the idea of standing in front of all those watching eyes sent a small wave of panic through me. But then I remembered the meeting I’d overheard, the way they’d spoken about me like I was some fragile thing, cursed and unfit to belong.

If I’m ever going to leave here, I need to at least learn how to survive on my own.

“Alright,” I said quietly. “Show me.”

Maris’s grin was immediate. “Finally!” She nudged her brother playfully. “Try not to break her, alright?”

Colin snorted, leading me to the center of the training ground. “No promises.”

I followed, my heart thudding a little too fast. The dirt beneath my feet was warm from the afternoon sun, and I could feel curious eyes tracking us from a distance.

“First rule,” Colin said, circling me, his tone slipping into that of a teacher. “Don’t just stand there waiting to be hit. Anticipate.”

He stepped closer, raising his hands. “I’m going to come at you slowly. I want you to try and block.”

“Okay,” I breathed, bracing myself.

His arm moved, a quick motion toward my shoulder, I reacted late, clumsy, and he caught my wrist easily. “Too slow.”

I frowned, shaking my hand free. “You didn’t say when.”

He laughed, stepping back. “Your enemy won’t either.”

Maris clapped her hands from the sidelines. “Good point, brother!”

We tried again. And again. My palms burned from the effort, and I kept missing my timing, but Colin was patient explaining each mistake, demonstrating each move with calm precision.

“Keep your balance lower,” he said, tapping the inside of my knee with his boot. “And your eyes don’t follow the hands. Watch the chest. That’s where the real movement starts.”

I adjusted my stance, doing as he said. This time, when he lunged forward, I managed to twist aside just enough that his hand brushed only the sleeve of my dress.

A laugh escaped my throat , light and unexpected. “Did I just—?”

“You did,” Colin said, grinning. “Not bad for your first try.”

Maris whooped from behind. “Look at you, Rain!”

A strange, warm feeling spread through my chest pride, maybe. Or something close to it.

We continued for a while longer until sweat gathered at the back of my neck and my arms trembled from effort. Colin finally lowered his hands. “That’s enough for today. You’re quick, but you need strength. We’ll build that next.”

“Next?” I teased, breathless.

“Unless you plan to run every time someone looks at you wrong,” he said lightly.

“Tempting,” I muttered, earning another laugh from him.

Maris came bounding over, tossing me a cloth to wipe my face. “You did good,” she said, her tone full of genuine pride. “You’ll be fine, Rain. You just need time.”

I smiled faintly, looking out at the horizon.

Time.

Something told me that was the one thing I didn’t have.

Colin stepped back, rolling his shoulders.

“Again,” he said. “Let’s see if you can block it this time.”

I nodded, already bracing, my feet digging into the packed dirt. Sweat slid down my back as the afternoon sun beat down. I could hear Maris cheering softly, the sound half-teasing, half-encouraging.

Colin lunged.

I twisted aside, catching his arm this time and pushing off his chest. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked.

A grin spread across his face. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

I was still catching my breath when everything around us seemed to shift — the air, the silence, the heat. A ripple of quiet moved through the field, and I knew even before I turned what it meant.

They were here.

Draven, Daemon, and Darius.

Their presence carried like a wave, commanding attention without a word. The other she-wolves stopped sparring, heads bowing slightly as the three brothers walked in from the far side of the grounds.

Colin dropped his arms and cleared his throat. “Alpha,” he murmured, stepping back.

My stomach tightened. I could feel their eyes on me, heavy, assessing, impossible to read.

Darius’s gaze found mine first, dark and sharp. There was no anger there this time, just a kind of unreadable focus that made my breath stumble. Daemon stood beside him, smirking faintly, while Draven’s expression remained carefully neutral, his arms folded as he scanned the scene.

“Didn’t know we had training sessions running this afternoon,” Draven said, voice calm but edged with authority.

Maris bowed slightly. “We were just practicing, Alpha. Colin was only showing Rain a few defensive moves.”

“Rain,” Daemon repeated my name slowly, his tone low and dangerous in the way that made my skin prickle. “Didn’t think you liked getting your hands dirty.”

I straightened, forcing a steady breath. “Maybe i’m not what you think I am.”

That earned the faintest twitch of a smile from Darius , not mocking, not quite approving either. Something in between.

Colin glanced between us, clearly sensing the tension. “She’s a quick learner,” he offered, trying to ease the weight in the air. “One of the faster ones I’ve seen.”

Daemon’s eyes flicked to him, sharp and cold. “That so?”

Colin swallowed hard but didn’t back down. “Yes, Alpha.”

Daemon moved closer, stopping just short of the sparring circle. His presence filled the space, and everyone seemed to hold their breath. “Show me,” he said simply.

I blinked. “What?”

“Show me what you’ve learned.” His gaze stayed locked on me, steady and unreadable. “Defend yourself little wolf.”

Every nerve in my body went tight. “Against you?”

He didn’t answer, only gestured lightly for Colin to step aside.

Maris’s eyes widened, but Colin obeyed without question, moving out of the circle. My pulse thundered as Draven rolled his sleeves up, his expression maddeningly calm.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No,” I said honestly.

He gave a short, dry laugh. “At least you’re honest.”

Then he moved.

It wasn’t a full attack, just a test. I dodged the first strike barely in time, almost losing my footing, but I managed to pivot and keep my ground. The next came faster, and I ducked, my heart pounding so loud I could hardly hear.

Daemon’s eyes never left mine. “Better,” he murmured, circling me.

When I tried to strike back, he caught my wrist easily, twisting until my back hit his chest. My breath caught, not from pain, but from the closeness, the sheer power radiating off him.

“Always expect more,” he said quietly by my ear. “Your opponent doesn’t stop when you flinch.”

I swallowed, trying to steady my breathing. “I noticed.”

For a second, he held me there, one hand still gripping my wrist. Then, slowly, he let go and stepped back.

“Not bad,” he said. “But you rely too much on instinct.”

Behind him, Draven chuckled lightly. “Instinct’s what keeps her alive, brother.”

Darius didn’t speak just kept watching me with that same unreadable expression, his jaw tight, his hands clasped behind his back.

I looked at the three of them standing together, and the realization hit me all over again, how dangerous they were, not just in strength, but in the way they could unmake me with a single look.

Maris came running over, placing a steady hand on my arm. “You did good,” she whispered.

Colin dusted his hands and gave me an encouraging grin. “Alright, let’s take it from the top,” he said, stepping back into position.

I nodded, trying to ignore the way the brothers stood a few feet away now, quietly watching. Their attention was heavy, impossible to shake off. Every move I made felt sharper, tighter, as if I was performing on a stage I hadn’t agreed to stand on.

Colin lunged first, and I reacted fast this time ducking, pivoting, then swinging up to push his arm aside. He caught it, twisted, and before I could shift my footing, his hand came around my waist to steady me.

“Easy,” he murmured. “You’re off balance—”

He didn’t get to finish.

“Let go of her!”