Their Untouchable Little Mate

CORABy the time I reached the house, my breath was short and my hands were shaking. I ran up the steps, hoping I was wrong, hoping I had imagined everything. The front door was half open. My mother’s voice came faintly from the kitchen, asking if it was me. I didn’t answer.The scroll was there. Another one. The golden seal glinted on the small table near the cracked window. It wasn’t a mistake.I stared at it for a long time. My chest felt tight, like breathing took effort. The same seal, the same council mark. I reached out slowly, my fingers brushing against the cold wax. For a moment, I thought about tearing it apart and pretending it never came, but lies don’t change reality. I knew better.I sat on the edge of my bed, the scroll still in my hand. My heartbeat wouldn’t slow down. The bed creaked when I leaned forward and pressed my palms to my face. I didn’t want my mother to see me like this. She had already passed through a lot handling my father till he left us, already seen

CORA“Keep moving.”The guard shoved me forward, and I stumbled into the hall. The smell hit first, burnt ash and dried blood. My stomach twisted, but I kept my head down. The silver band on my wrist pulsed, sharp and hot against my skin, a reminder not to try anything stupid.The doors slammed behind me, echoing across the stone. The room was bigger than I expected, walls lined with torches that burned low, throwing uneven light. A fire roared at the center, and three heavy chairs circled it. The leather was still warm, darkened where someone had been sitting. The guards didn’t say a word. They stayed near the door like they didn’t want to go any farther. I stood still, trying not to show how hard my hands were shaking.Then I heard footsteps.A man stepped out from the shadows on the far end. Broad shoulders, black shirt, steady eyes. His face was calm, but there was no kindness in it. He looked at me like I was a problem.“Name,” he said.My throat was dry. “Cora.”He didn’t react

CORAI stayed by the window for a long time. The mountains were the only thing that didn’t feel dangerous. Everything else in this fortress felt like a threat. The walls were too dark and too quiet, and the silence made me think too much.Two days passed like that. Cade brought food and left without saying anything. Ronan came by a few times and talked, but I didn’t know how to respond to him. I didn’t trust him, and I didn’t think he understood why I would be terrified of all three of them.I barely saw Liam again. Whenever I looked into the training grounds, he wasn’t there. It was like he was avoiding me on purpose.I wanted answers, but no one was giving me any.When Cade came in with breakfast again, I forced myself to speak.“Can I leave this room?” I asked.He paused. His expression didn’t change. “You could leave anytime.”So I stared at the guards posted by the door. “They don’t let me leave.”Cade turned to one of them. The guard wasn’t even doing anything wrong but Cade gra

CORALiam told me to get ready, so I went back to my room with the guards following behind me. A maid was already waiting inside with a set of riding clothes. They were dark fitted pants, a simple shirt, and a leather vest. It looked nicer than anything I had ever worn. The fabric felt soft and strong, not like the rough clothes from the slums.I changed and stared at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look like the girl who used to scrub floors in Moonclaw. I didn’t know who I looked like anymore. But it was comfortable and it fit me well. I tried not to think too much about why they cared enough to give me something like this.The guards led me back downstairs and out of the fortress. I felt eyes on me again but I kept looking forward. When we reached the stables, Liam wasn’t there yet. A stable boy prepared a huge black horse that looked like it could crush me easily. Its coat was shiny but the smell of dust and animal fur filled the air.“How often do you wash them?” I asked quietly.

CORAThe silence in my room felt really awkward than anything Liam said. He didn’t come back after dinner. Cade didn’t show up either. And Ronan, who always tried to make me laugh, didn’t appear once.Breakfast didn’t come. My stomach growled but I didn’t want to be the one begging the guards. I paced the room slowly, then sat on the bed, then paced again. Hours passed like nothing mattered outside this door.I thought about the black wolf and Liam calling it brother. I thought about how fast they locked me away. They didn’t want me to see anything. They didn’t want me asking anything.When a maid finally knocked, she didn’t lift her head as she entered. She placed my lunch on the table.“Where are the Alphas?” I asked.She kept her gaze on the floor. “I am not allowed to speak of them,” she said quietly, then she left fast.I stared after her. Nobody in this place looked at me properly. Nobody wanted to talk to me. I didn’t know if it was fear or something else.I walked to the windo