Chapter 2 The Mysterious Mansion

"This place... it's too much," Elara said under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper.

The man in front of her, the one who had given her the letter earlier, turned his head a little but didn't say anything. His eyes, which were icy and far away, looked down the corridor as if this were something he did every day. It was scary that he was there, but it was even scarier that he wasn't saying anything.

Elara looked about. The house was lovely, but there was something off about it-an emptiness that seemed to permeate into the walls. Even though the design was fancy, the place seemed stifling. It wasn't simply how big it was or how dark the corners were; it was something else.

She looked down the hallway, which appeared to go on forever, with shadows hanging to the edges of the flickering candlelight. The feeling of being watched grew stronger as they went on.

She turned her head, and a cold sensation ran down her spine. There was nothing there, but her imagination kept telling her that someone or something was behind her, watching her every move.

"Where are we going?" she questioned, her voice wavering a little even though she tried to seem calm.

The man next to her didn't answer right away; he started to walk faster.

"You'll see soon enough," he answered, his voice as flat as usual.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and she swallowed hard. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, and she couldn't shake the idea that something much worse was waiting for her in this mansion.

The door creaked open, and Elara was led inside a big room. The darkly lit sconces formed shadows that danced on the walls, and the rich-looking furnishings, velvet drapes, and thick rugs made it clear that this was a place for someone with power. But even though it was nice, something seemed wrong.

Elara was in the middle of the room, and her hands were shaking at her sides. She didn't know if she should sit or stand since her mind was racing with questions she couldn't answer. She couldn't recall the last time she felt so weak and open.

The men who had brought her here stood by the entrance, their presence silent but strong. They stayed still and quiet. It felt like they were waiting for something.

The door opened again all of a sudden. Elara's heart raced.

Darius Vane was right there.

He was tall and authoritative, and his dark hair fell in a messy way over his face. His icy, calculating gaze met hers. There was a long, thick stillness between them. Elara tried to stand her ground, but something about him made her gut knot. He wasn't just a guy. He was the very definition of power.

He looked at her and saw that she was a mess. His lips curled into a little, inscrutable smile.

"You're finally here," he whispered in a low, smooth voice that sounded almost deadly.

Elara swallowed, and her heart raced in her ears. He scared her a lot more than she thought he would. He had an air of authority about him that made her feel little in comparison.

"I didn't choose this," she answered, her voice quivering even though she tried to seem sure of herself. "Why am I here?"

Darius didn't answer straight away. Instead, he moved closer, and his presence made it clear that he was in charge. She could feel the change in the air between them, as if the whole world had become just the two of them in that room.

He finally said, "I don't care what you chose," in a frigid voice with a definitive tone.

His eyes were fixed on hers, and Elara's breath caught in her throat. The way he gazed at her was too intense, too... all-consuming.

Darius strolled by her, and every step he took seemed to have a purpose, as if he knew how she felt. Elara's heart raced as he walked, and the air seemed to get thicker with each step. She didn't know what to do or how to act. She had never felt so out of control before.

He turned back to her and looked at her with such passion that it made her quiver. Elara kept her ground, even if every part of her body told her to run. His presence was so strong that it filled the room and made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

Darius said, "You'll stay here for now," and his voice was as cold as stone. "I don't care if you like it."

Elara wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. She could feel the weight of his might on her, which made it hard for her to talk. She wanted to fight back and ask questions, but for some reason, she couldn't.

Darius didn't let her answer. He turned to depart, taking his time and moving slowly.

He stopped near her before he left, and she could feel the heat coming off of him.

His fingertips barely touched her shoulder. The touch was quick, almost by accident, but it shocked her body.

Darius murmured in a hushed voice, just for her, "Remember." "You have to be here."

He went away, and the door clicked shut behind him. Elara stood in the middle of the room, her breath stuck in her throat.

Her body was tense, her mind was racing, and every nerve was on edge. She had come here looking for answers, but now she wasn't sure if she wanted to know them.

She could still hear the faint sound of his footsteps. Something far worse was waiting for her here.

Elara was in the middle of the room, and the heavy silence between her and Darius made it hard to breathe. He sat at a big oak desk with his back straight and his posture strong. The only noise was the soft rustling of papers as he went through a file. Neither of them had spoken anything since he walked in.

Her thoughts were racing and going in circles, but she couldn't grab any of them. The mansion-his mansion-loomed about her, and its size made her feel trapped instead than safe. She didn't know how long it had been, but it felt like hours.

Elara shifted her weight uncomfortably on her feet as she tried to calm down. "What is this?" "Why are you doing this to me?" she questioned, her voice shaking even though she tried to stay strong.

Darius didn't look up. He moved his fingers over the papers in front of him with such precision that it looked like they were moving like machines. He wasn't reading the file; he was avoiding her sight, as if he didn't care about her questions.

Elara's patience was running out. "What's going on? What am I doing here? You said something about Alpha Darius Vane. Who is he? She stepped forward, and her voice showed her frustration. "What do you want from me?"

There was a long pause in the room. Finally, Darius looked up, and his black eyes met hers. At first, he didn't say anything.

He quickly closed the file and put it away. Then he said in a cold, emotionless voice, "You've been claimed, whether you like it or not."

Elara's breath stopped. His words impacted her like a physical blow, and a cold ran through her veins. She didn't know what to say in response.

Her hands turned into fists at her sides, and her mouth was dry. "Claimed? What does that mean?

His eyes held hers for another beat, full of intensity and mystery. Then he said, "It means you belong to me," with a tiny dip of his head.

Elara's blood boiled. She had been stuck in this room for the previous hour, and now this-his frigid remarks, his rejection, and his arrogance. Even though every instinct told her to run, she kept her ground and her breath increased. "I don't belong to anyone!" she said, her voice full with rage.

Darius stared at her for a long time, as if he were thinking about what she had said. His lips curled into a smile that was barely there, yet it was more of a joke than a smile. "You'll soon find out that you don't have a choice."

Her chest felt tight. "I don't care about your rules." "You can't control me," she said, her rage growing.

Darius rose up slowly, making each move carefully. Elara took a step back without meaning to, sensing the change in the room. He didn't say anything, and his silence was heavy, but he never took his eyes off hers. The air surrounding them become thicker, full with stress.

He then stepped towards her without warning. Elara's heart raced as she reflexively stepped back again, her body on high alert. She felt a tangible pressure on her chest because of how close they were. His presence was too much for her to handle, and for a brief moment, she understood how little power she had over the situation.

Elara felt a peculiar pull, an electric connection that she couldn't understand, when his black eyes met hers. As he approached closer, her heart raced and her breath caught in her throat. His huge presence filled the room.

"Do you really think you can resist me?" He spoke in a voice that was smooth and soft, but yet menacing. He said in a low voice, like a promise, "You will learn that this connection is inevitable."

She was stuck. Not simply by what he said, but by something more she didn't get. Elara opened her lips to say something, to complain, but before she could find the right words, his eyes softened just enough for her to detect a hint of something deeper, something buried.

"Get out of my head," she said in a whisper, scared by how much she wanted him even while everything else was going on.