Cora Queen of All Werewolves

Cora- Chapter 2

*Cora*

I’m on the ground in my now ripped dress with blood stains on it. I’d be furious if my neck didn’t hurt so badly from the mark. “Mom,” I croak out through tears.

“It’s all right, Sweetheart,” she says with a sad smile. “Hubert, help your sister home.”

My brother comes over to lift me, but I swat his hand away. “I can walk.”

He nods but puts his arm around me. I move to pull away, but he squeezes my arm. “Cooperate, Cora. The prince is watching.”

“The prince?” I ask. He looks at me like I’m insane, but I didn’t see him. I only saw his brute guard who marked me in the middle of the street. “He ruined my dress.”

“You’ll have plenty more dresses,” he tries to reassure me.

I feel stronger as we walk down the street and finally pull from his grasp. “I think he broke my mind link,” I say softly. “I don’t know what happened. It was so loud.”

Huie looks at me and shakes his head. “You really don’t know?”

I furrow my brow. “What am I supposed to know?” I ask. “No one ever told me the link changes when you’re marked. That seems like something important to mention.”

He frowns but continues to walk me home silently. I walk inside and go to my room, searching for a nice dress that isn’t ripped and stained. I hear my mother enter the house and speak with my brother before she comes into the room with me.

“Your brother said you don’t know,” she says, leaning against the closed door.

“Know what?” I ask, tears in my eyes. “He ruined my dress.”

She walks to me, taking my hands in hers. “Cora, dear, the dress doesn’t matter. Your mate will buy you more.”

I sniffle. I don’t know how much guards make, but I don’t think it’s that much. He was dressed well, though. Maybe I’m wrong. “He wasn’t kind, Mom. He didn’t talk to me. He didn’t introduce himself. I don’t even know his name.”

“Oh, dearest,” she says, pulling me into a hug. “Your mate is Prince Joseph. He’s gone to the Alpha’s house to speak with your father.”

The prince? The entire room feels like it’s spinning, and I slowly sit on the bed. The prince is my mate? “There must be a mistake. We’re poor. I’m only a beta’s daughter. I can’t be mated to the prince.”

“But you are,” she smiles, leaning down to cup my face. “I don’t know why, but the Goddess does not make mistakes. There is a reason.”

I shake my head, trying to make sense of it. “My link…”

“You were marked by the prince. You are now a royal and can link any wolf,” she tells me. “You’ll have to learn to control the links, but closing them all is best for now. I would suggest finding the one to your mate and opening it, though.”

“I… I don’t know how,” I admit. “I’ve never closed any link before. I’ve never had a reason to.”

“You’ll have to find it in yourself and figure it out,” she tells me.

Mom leaves me alone for a bit and returns with a wet rag. Gently, she wipes the blood from my neck and chest where it dripped. “I didn’t know marking was so bloody,” I say softly.

She frowns. “It’s not. But he is the prince and can do as he wishes. You must keep him happy, Cora.”

Keep him happy? He ripped my dress! He marked me without asking! He didn’t even ask my name!

“He is the prince,” she continues. “His wolf will be stronger than all. I’m sure he was overcome when he saw you. It will all be fine, you’ll see.”

I step out of my mother’s shoes and take off the dress. I pull on a dark blue dress that ends just above my knees. It’s not an expensive dress, but it’s the newest one I own so it looks less worn. It will have to do.

“Come, help me make dinner,” my mother smiles at me.

She’s so calm about all of this. I don’t know what I’d do if she weren’t here. We work together to make dinner, and I make new bread since what I made this morning landed on the ground.

“You have an opportunity to save our pack,” Mom says as I peel potatoes. “Maybe you can convince him not to consolidate the Aurgia Pack. If anyone can convince him now, Cora, it’s you. You’ll hold that power.”

I shrug. “He didn’t seem very kind.”

“I’m sure he was just overwhelmed by finding his mate,” she says, a sympathetic smile on her face. “Just try.”

It’s late before Father returns home. Prince Joseph is with him. Dad hugs me, leaning to whisper in my ear. “All will be well. You’ll be well taken care of.”

I take a deep breath, realizing this is all real and I’ll be separated from my family. I swallow hard as I sit at the table. My mate doesn’t sit beside me, though, and sits in my father’s seat at the head of the table.

“We will leave in three days,” he tells me. This is the first thing he has ever said to me, and it is to tell me I’m leaving.

“Where will we go?” I ask.

My brother, Dwight, closes his eyes like it was the dumbest question he’s heard. “Cora, he’s the prince.”

“Princess Cora,” the prince corrects him. “She’s marked. You will address her by her correct title.”

Dwight bows to him in answer. I frown. I don’t want to be Princess Cora. I don’t want to be mated to this cold man.

“I will stay with my mate until we leave,” Prince Joseph continues.

My mother bows to him and smiles. “We are honored to have you in our home.”

He takes another bite, not bothering to look up. “It is acceptable here. This pack is abysmal.”

I look up and meet my mother’s eyes. She gives me a small smile of encouragement, but I don’t feel hopeful. I feel overwhelmed and defeated.

I help Mother clean up after dinner as my brothers and Father step outside to speak. “Just try,” she whispers softly. “You have a power that you don’t even understand. You’re his mate. He’ll listen to you.”

I feel so much pressure. I don’t think he’ll listen to me at all. He hasn’t even spoken to me.

I go into my bedroom before him, searching for something to sleep in. I don’t know what he expects, and that makes me feel more nervous. I quickly tug on my cleanest nightgown just as the prince enters my room. He doesn’t even bother to knock.

“Why are there two beds?” he asks gruffly.

“That’s where my sister Helen sleeps,” I explain. “She’s sleeping with my parents tonight, though.”

He nods and walks to the side of the bed I usually sleep on, not even bothering to ask. He slides his suit jacket off and hangs it over the end of Helen’s bed before unbuttoning his shirt and draping it over top. He turns to me, smirking at my surprised face.

I know we’re wolves, and I’ve seen plenty of men’s chests, but he’s my mate, and it’s just… different. He’s a large man, but much of what I saw earlier seems to have been his jacket. Still, his shoulders are broad, and his muscles are defined. My mother was right. He’s probably the strongest wolf in the kingdom.

Everything feels awkward, and we haven’t truly even met. I shove my hand out toward him, not looking up. “Hi, I’m Cora.”

“I know,” he chuckles in a mocking tone. “And you know who I am.”

“Joseph,” I say softly.

His hand grasps my chin and yanks my face up to look at him. “PRINCE Joseph,” he growls. “You are only the princess. You will show me respect.”

“Pppprince Joseph,” I stutter in fear.

Thankfully, my correction is enough, and he releases me roughly. He climbs into bed on my side and looks around. “Your home is disgusting. I’ve never seen a pack with members so happy to be poor.”

I sit on the other side of the bed and pull my knees to my chest. “It’s not like that,” I begin, but he cuts me off.

“You don’t even have a packhouse,” he says, waving his hand through the air. “I am the Prince of All Werewolves and was expected to stay in the Alpha’s extra room. This is mildly better.”

I stare down at my bare toes. “We aren’t happy to be poor,” I say softly. “But we’ve learned to appreciate what we do have. With some help, the Aurgia Pack could be great.”

He scoffs. “This pack is a dump,” he says, turning to look at me. “At least the view here is mildly better than at the Alpha’s.”