Cora woke to sunlight.
It took her a moment to understand where she was. The ceiling was wrong and higher than before, painted a soft cream instead of stark white. The bed beneath her was bigger, the sheets softer, the pillows more plenty for one person .
This wasn't her room.
She sat up too fast. Her head spun, black spots dancing at the edges of her vision. Her body ached everywhere, a deep, bone-level exhaustion that made even breathing feel like effort.
The memories came flooding back. The attack. The wolves. The birds pouring through the windows and Damien's voice, cutting through the darkness.
She looked down at herself. Someone had changed her clothes, she was wearing a simple slip dress, soft cotton, nothing she recognized. Her feet were freshly bandaged, the wrappings clean and white. Her hands—
She turned them over. Studied her palms. They looked normal, with no glow they looked unremarkable.
But she could still feel it. That warmth in her chest,Whatever had happened last night, whatever she'd done, it wasn't gone,It was just sleeping.
A door opened.
Cora's head snapped up.
An older woman entered , her grey-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun, l eyes that assessed Cora in a single glance. She carried a tray with food and water, setting it on the bedside table with efficient movements.
"You're awake." Her voice was clipped. Professional. "The Alpha will want to know."
"Where am I?"
"The Alpha's wing. His personal quarters."
Cora's stomach dropped.
"Why?"
"That's not my place to say." The woman straightened, smoothing her hands over her apron. "You should eat. You've been unconscious for nearly sixteen hours. Your body needs fuel."
Sixteen hours. Cora's mind reeled. She'd been out for sixteen hours?
"The attack," she said. "What happened? Is everyone—"
"The estate is secure. The intruders have been dealt with." The woman's expression gave nothing away. "Beyond that, you'll have to ask the Alpha."
She turned and walked out, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Cora stared at the food. Her stomach growled, she was starving, she realized. Hollow and empty in a way that went beyond normal hunger. Whatever she'd done with the birds, it had drained her.
She reached for the bread.
She was halfway through the meal
The door opened again.
This time, it was Mira.
The girl slipped inside, closing the door quickly behind her, her eyes wide and bright. She looked unharmed , tired , but at least she was whole. Relief flooded through Cora's chest.
"You're awake!" Mira rushed to the bed, stopping just short of throwing herself onto it. "I wanted to come sooner but they wouldn't let anyone near this wing and I had to bribe one of the guards with my grandmother's honey cakes just to get up here and—" She paused, taking a breath. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got run over by a truck." Cora managed a weak smile. "Are you okay? The others?"
"Everyone who was with us made it. Because of you." Mira's voice softened. "Cora, what you did l I've never seen anything like it. No one has."
Cora's chest tightened. "What are people saying?"
Mira hesitated. That was answer enough.
"Tell me."
"They're scared," Mira admitted. "Some of them, anyway. They don't understand what you are. The word 'witch' has been thrown around a lot, and after the Culling..." She trailed off. "It's not a popular word around here."
Witch. The word landed like a stone in Cora's stomach.
"There's something else," Mira said carefully. "Something bigger."
"What?"
"The Alpha moved you here himself. Carried you from the main hall, wouldn't let anyone else touch you. And this room—" Mira glanced around, taking in the expensive furnishings, the massive bed, the door that connected to what was clearly a larger suite. "This is the room meant for the Luna. The Alpha's mate."
Cora's heart stuttered.
"That doesn't mean anything. He probably just wanted to keep me somewhere secure after the attack—"
"Cora." Mira's voice was gentle but firm. "He hasn't left this wing since he brought you here. He's been in the next room the whole time. Waiting for you to wake up."
Before Cora could respond, the connecting door swung open.
Damien stood in the doorway.
He looked exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes, stubble shadowing his jaw, his clothes rumpled like he'd slept in them. Or hadn't slept at all. His gaze swept the room landed on Mira and his expression hardened.
"Out."
Mira scrambled to her feet. "Yes, Alpha. Sorry, Alpha. I was just—"
"Out. Now."
She fled, shooting Cora an apologetic look over her shoulder before the door closed behind her.
Silence.
Damien didn't move from the doorway. Just stood there, watching Cora with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
"You're awake," he said finally.
"Apparently."
He crossed the room slowly,like he was holding himself back from something. He stopped at the edge of the bed, looking down at her with those pale eyes that saw too much.
"You almost died."
"I didn't."
"You would have. If Marcus hadn't gotten you out when he did. If I hadn't" He stopped. His jaw tightened. "You should have stayed hidden. That was the plan. That was the only thing I asked you to do."
"People were in danger."
"You were in danger."
"And I handled it." Cora met his gaze. Refused to look away. "I saved them. Whatever I did, whatever I am — I saved those people. That has to count for something."
Damien's expression flickered. That crack again it showed pain.
"Do you have any idea what it felt like?" His voice was low and Rough. "Feeling you through the bond, feeling your power burning through you, and not knowing if you were going to survive it? Feeling you collapse and not being able to reach you?"
Cora's breath caught.
"I didn't—"
"I thought I was going to lose you." The words came out like they cost him something. "Before I even had you. Before I could explain anything, before I could—" He stopped. Ran a hand through his hair, the gesture almost helpless. "Everyone saw, Cora. Everyone saw what you did. What you are."
"I know."
"No. You don't." He sat on the edge of the bed. Close enough to touch, but not touching. "The pack is talking. The elders are demanding answers." He cut himself off. "Everything is about to change. And I can't protect you from it anymore."
Cora reached out.
Her fingers found his hand where it rested on the bed. His skin was warm, rough with calluses. She felt him tense at the contact l and then slowly, deliberately, relax.
"I don't need you to protect me from everything," she said quietly. "I need you to trust me. To tell me what's happening. To stop keeping me in the dark."
Damien looked at their hands. Her small fingers against his larger ones. his expression softened
"There's a gathering tonight," he said. "The whole pack. The elders, the warriors, everyone who matters." He paused. "I'm going to announce that you're my mate."
"What?"
"It's the only way to protect you now. If you're just a human, just a prisoner, they can demand I hand you over. Execute you for being a witch. But if you're my mate—" He met her eyes. "No one touches the Alpha's mate. No one."
Cora's mind was spinning. "But Seraphina. Your engagement. The alliance—"
"Will be dealt with."
"How?"
"That's not your concern."
"It is my concern." She pulled her hand back. "You're asking me to — to be your mate in front of everyone. To be tied to you, i know what that word mean . Don't I get a say in that?"
Damien's jaw tightened. "You're already tied to me. The bond exists whether we acknowledge it or not. I'm just making it official."
"Without asking me."
"I'm asking you now."
Silence stretched between them.
Cora thought about everything she'd learned. Everything she'd survived. The girl she'd been three days ago — terrified, alone, locked in a room with no understanding of the world she'd been dragged into.
She wasn't that girl anymore.
"If we do this," she said slowly, "I want the truth. All of it. No more secrets. No more half-answers. You tell me everything, about the witches, about the Nexus, and even why the pack is turning against each other."
Damien studied her for a long moment.
"Agreed."
"And I want to train. Whatever this power is, I need to learn how to control it. I won't be helpless again."
"Whatever."
"And—" She hesitated like This was the hardest one. "I want you to stop treating me like something to be managed. I'm not your prisoner anymore. I'm not your pet. If I'm going to be your mate, I'm going to be your equal. Or at least as close to it as I can get."
The corner of his mouth curved. Almost a smile.
"You're already more than equal," he said. "You just don't know it yet."
He stood. Offered her his hand.
"Tonight," he said. "Everything changes ."
Cora took his hand.
"I know."