Alpha's Abused Mate

"Be Careful!"

Sometimes you have to be careful of everything and... Everyone...

~some time later, Adrian's palace~

Cora's pov

The three of us walk to the main entrance where Ronald is already waiting for us and I can't stop shaking.

We haven't talked at all from the moment I told Nikolai that I am going to stand on my aunt's side, if he makes me choose... We just left the cave all together and came back to the palace and I have to admit this was the longest run of my life!

I know what my grandpa's silence means, he is not stepping back but he doesn't want to say it! He is stubborn, I know him very well but I thought he would step back for me and my aunt but I was wrong!

He hates them all, he always wanted to kill them and now he can't accept I was able to forgive my dad and brother and convince my aunt to do the same. He is also mad at us because Caleb is my aunt's mate and she hasn't rejected him! In fact she and I love Caleb and Leo very much and Rosana with Jose are prefect. Well, I am not sure if he has problem with Jose to be honest but he never really liked him because he was Noah's Beta. And I won't even mention how he feels about Noah. Okay, I understand him when it comes to him but I couldn't let him die as he would want me to!

Mishca did a great job as you can see, we are all fucked now! He told him everything and when we calm down, Nikolai is going to gather us all together in order to scold us for everything we did and is against his wills!

Ivan is standing next to me like a rock all this time! I know my mate, I can feel he is in tension and he is worried about my aunt and me! He loves Nikolai very much but he agrees with us! He wanted to kill them all as well at the beginning but he has spent time with my family and Caleb, Jose and Leo and he likes them very much! He knows they love me and I feel it! I am so happy for the first time in my life even though the circumstances are not perfect and Ivan feels it! I am glad I have him, I need him more than ever and I know we are in pain because of everything but we have each other and I am sure we can make it.

Cynthia is mad, I have never listened to her so furious! Not even Noah managed to do what Nikolai did today and do you know why? Because my aunt is the one that put my heart's broken pieces back together and made me who I am!

I owe her everything! She is my teacher, my rock and my mother! I believed in me because she did, she never got disappointed, she never got mad, she was always on my side guiding me discreetly. She helped me build up my self esteem, she showed me what unconditional love feels like and I know my grandpa loves me more than anything and helped me as well but it's not the same!

I don't know how to explain it but with my aunt I feel more confident because she is pushing me day by day to do more and take more responsibilities and risks! Nikolai is extremely protective and he wants me to be close to him all the time to make sure I am 'fine' and 'safe'. Alright, I understand him but he is not helping me, I need to make things on my own to get stronger and only my aunt has been doing this!

Anyway...

We walk up the last stairs and stop right in front of Ronald that bows and gives us a weak, nervous smile. If I am right (I am), he is aware of everything and he feels awful! He is part of our family and he adores my aunt, she raised him as well as all the other fighters and guards we have. You see, their parents and grandparents were hers and Nikolai's most trusted men, they had been living at the palace and now their kids and grandkids took their places.

"I am glad you are back! I had been waiting for you, I told our men to inform me when you would be close..." he states nervously and I force a smile with Ivan taking my hand in his and my grandpa being extremely serious.