His Mate

The Cold Room

Chapter Four: The Cold Room

Liora’s POV

The room Dalin gave me was sodark, dirty, and cold. The walls smelled of dust and something old and damp. The floor was hard, biting into my back and legs when I tried to sit. There was only one bed, it was broken and low, with a thin, torn blanket. I pulled it around me, but it offered little warmth.

I sank into a corner, hugging my knees tightly. My wolf whimpered inside me, restless, confused, aching. This was supposed to be my mate—the one I had chosen. Yet he treated me worse than a stranger.

The door suddenly opened. Heavy steps echoed in the room, and my heart jumped into my throat. Dalin entered, tall, strong, and imposing. His eyes were sharp and cold like winter, cutting through the dim light.

He stopped, staring at me with a disgust I could feel deep in my bones.

“So this is what the Moon Goddess cursed me with?” His voice was sharp, each word slicing like a knife. “A weak, dirty little wolf. You are a wolf who gives herself to men freely. That is why no one wants you. That is why you were rejected.”

I shook my head quickly, my lips trembling. “I…I am not…”

“Shut up!” His voice boomed across the small room, making me flinch.

He stepped closer, looming over me. “Do you think I forgot what you did? You gave yourself away like trash. And now you dare to stand before me, in front of my wolves, and claim me as your mate?”

My chest felt like it was breaking. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I forced them back.

“You are a shame,” he said, his tone cold and sharp. “A stain on my name. I made a mistake accepting you as my mate.”

I lowered my head, whispering, “I am sorry…”

He smirked, but there was no kindness in it. “Sorry will not save you. From today, you will live by my rules.”

He spoke slowly, each word heavy, like chains wrapping around my body.

“Rule one: You will not speak unless I ask you to.

Rule two: You will not leave this room unless I say so.

Rule three: You will not eat until I give permission.

Rule four: You will never look at another wolf.

Rule five: Every time you see me, you will bow.”

My heart sank. The rules were a prison closing in around me. I swallowed hard, trying not to cry.

“Yes, Alpha…” I whispered, my voice trembling and broken.

He gave a cold, satisfied smile. “Good. Learn your place. You are nothing here. Nothing but dirt under my feet.”

He turned, his steps heavy as he left, and the door slammed behind him. Silence fell over the room like a heavy, suffocating blanket.

I sank onto the broken bed, hugging the thin blanket as tightly as I could. The cold seeped deep into my bones, chilling me to the core. My stomach growled, but I did not move. Tears slipped down my cheeks, finally free. My wolf howled inside me, echoing my sorrow, my fear, and my confusion.

Why me? Why had the Moon Goddess given me a mate who hated me?

I pressed my face into my hands, shaking with silent sobs. The night stretched endlessly before me. I felt trapped, broken, and utterly alone. Every soundm,the creaking of the door, the wind outside, the whispers of my wolf, reminded me of my powerlessness.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. I told myself I would survive. Somehow. But deep down, I feared this was only the beginning of a long, cold night.