Mine, Ours

Liora

The carriage came to a stop, and I could hear voices outside, deep, rumbling conversations I couldn't quite make out. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might burst from my chest. The fur cloak was soft against my skin, but knowing I was naked underneath made everything feel a thousand times worse.

The carriage door opened, and all three Alphas climbed inside. In the small space, they seemed even more massive and intimidating. I pressed myself as far back into the corner as I could, clutching the cloak tighter.

"We're home, little wolf," Alpha Rowan said, his voice that same careful gentleness from before.

Through the open door, I could see towering pine trees and hear the sounds of pack wolves calling to each other in the distance. We were deep in their territory now, surrounded by their people. Even if I could run, there would be nowhere to go.

"She's terrified," Alpha Ronan observed quietly. He was the silent one, but when he spoke, his voice was softer than his brothers'. "Look at her shaking."

"Of course she's terrified," Alpha Riven snapped, running a hand through his black hair. "She's been told her whole life that she's cursed. Now she's here with us, and she doesn't understand what's happening."

"What I want to know," Alpha Rowan said, his golden eyes fixed on me, "is who gets to claim her first."

The temperature in the carriage seemed to drop ten degrees.

"I found her scent first," Alpha Riven argued, his voice getting dangerous.

"My wolf recognized the mate bond first," Alpha Ronan countered, though he still sounded calm.

"And I'm the eldest," Alpha Rowan said with finality. "The decision is mine to make."

They were talking about me like I wasn't even there, like I was some kind of prize to be divided up between them. I wanted to speak up, to tell them I didn't want any of them to claim me, but my voice seemed to have disappeared entirely.

"What do you think, little wolf?" Alpha Rowan asked, turning his attention back to me. "Do you have a preference?"

I shook my head frantically, pressing myself even further back against the carriage wall.

"Use your words," Alpha Riven said, his voice sharper now. "We know you can speak."

"I-I don't want..." I started, then stopped. What was I supposed to say? That I didn't want any of them? That would only make them angry.

"Don't want what?" Alpha Ronan prompted gently.

"I don't want to choose," I whispered.

Alpha Riven let out a frustrated growl. "She's not even trying to be strong. Look at her, she won't even meet our eyes."

"Give her time," Alpha Ronan said. "She's been through enough trauma for one day."

"Time?" Alpha Riven's voice was getting louder. "She's our mate! She should want to be with us, not cowering in the corner like a beaten dog!"

His words hit me like a physical blow. That's exactly what I was a beaten dog. And now I was trapped with three wolves who expected me to be something I wasn't.

"Enough," Alpha Rowan said firmly. "We're going inside."

He reached for me, and I couldn't help but flinch away from his touch.

"Please don't," I whispered. "I'll walk. I can walk."

"Not dressed like that, you can't," he said, but his voice was gentler now. "I'm going to carry you inside, and then we're going to get you cleaned up and fed. Do you understand?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He lifted me easily, keeping the fur cloak wrapped around me. I could feel the strength in his arms, the way he held me like I weighed nothing at all. It should have made me feel safe, but instead it just reminded me how powerless I was.

Their home was bigger than anything I'd ever seen, a massive stone building that looked more like a castle than a house. Wolves in human form bowed as we passed, their eyes curious but respectful.

"Prepare a bath," Alpha Rowan commanded to a woman who appeared at his side. "Hot water, lavender oil, and soap. Lots of soap."

The woman who must have been a servant nodded and hurried away.

"I don't need a bath," I said quietly. "I can clean myself with cold water. I always have."

All three brothers stopped walking and stared at me.

"When was the last time you had a hot bath?" Alpha Ronan asked.

I thought about it. "I... I don't remember. Maybe never."

Alpha Riven cursed under his breath. "What kind of monsters were those people?"

Alpha Rowan carried me up a set of stone stairs and into the largest bathroom I'd ever seen. There was a tub the size of a small pond, already filled with steaming water that smelled like flowers.

"I can do it myself," I said quickly when he started to approach the tub. "Please, I can clean myself."

"I'm sure you can," he said calmly. "But you're not going to."

"Please," I begged, clutching the cloak tighter. "I've never... no one has ever..."

"No one has ever what?" Alpha Rowan asked, his voice suddenly very quiet.

"Seen me," I whispered, my face burning with embarrassment. "Not like this."

Something shifted in his expression. "Liora, I need you to let me help you. Can you do that?"

I shook my head, tears starting to fall again.

"I'm not asking," he said, but his voice was still gentle. "I'm telling you."

Before I could protest further, he lifted me and stepped into the warm water, cloak and all. The heat felt incredible against my skin, but I was too mortified to enjoy it.

Slowly, carefully, he peeled the wet cloak away from my body. I heard his sharp intake of breath and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for his disgust.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

I opened my eyes to see him staring at my ribs, where I knew the worst of the old bruises were still visible. My arms were covered in small scars from years of "accidents," and I was so thin that every bone showed.

"They didn't mean to," I said quickly. "I'm just clumsy, and I eat too much, and.."

"Stop," he said firmly. "Don't make excuses for them."

"Please," I sobbed, "please just let me go home. I won't tell anyone about this. I'll disappear, and you can find a better mate. Someone who isn't broken."

Instead of answering, he moved behind me in the tub. I felt his hands in my hair, gently working soap through the tangles.

"You're not going anywhere, little wolf," he said softly. "You belong to us now."

Before I could respond, I felt his teeth graze the side of my neck. Not hard enough to break the skin, but firm enough to leave his mark. Pain and something else - something that felt like electricity - shot through my body.

"There," he murmured against my skin. "Now you're bound to us. You couldn't leave even if you wanted to.”