The mansion stood quietly as they approached, an eerie calm surrounding a home full of wolves.
Ella stepped through the entrance first, her footsteps echoing on the cold marble floors.
Rylan followed closely behind, a tension radiating from him that Ella had never noticed before.
It wrapped around him like a constant fog.
She sensed that something was wrong even before she could articulate it.
A maid guided Ella toward the east wing while Rylan remained alert and silent behind her.
He opened the door to an unusual room.
"This will be your space," he said.
Ella nodded as she entered cautiously.
It was stunning yet felt like a beautifully decorated prison.
The maid left them alone.
For a brief moment, they shared silence.
Rylan's gaze drifted over her face, her hands, the slight tremor in her shoulders.
He wasn't supposed to care; she reminded herself of this repeatedly.
Yet something within him was changing.
Ella turned away, focusing on the hem of her dress.
"You don't need to stand over me as if I might run away," she murmured.
"I won't make things more complicated than they already are."
Rylan stayed silent, but she noticed a shift in his breathing.
It became faster and more erratic.
Suddenly, he moved closer.
Ella felt a wave of warmth around her, mixed with an unfamiliar energy.
"Your scent has changed," Rylan murmured, almost thoughtfully.
Ella furrowed her brow.
"I don't understand what that means."
Rylan's wolf stirred; she could sense it even without understanding how.
His eyes darkened, pupils widening as if something primal was awakening.
"Don't move," he urged softly.
Ella held still, her heart pounding violently in her chest.
A low growl began to rise from him.
Rylan grabbed her wrist, not aggressively, but firmly enough to make her gasp.
Heat flowed through her arm at their touch.
An ancient, vibrant pulse throbbed just beneath her skin.
Ella pulled back in shock.
"What just happened?"
Rylan's expression turned to disbelief.
His breathing became ragged.
"That shouldn't have happened," he exhaled.
Ella pressed her hand to her wrist, feeling the pulse beneath.
"Rylan… what is happening to you?"
His wolf surged again, more intensely this time.
Rylan staggered, clutching the doorframe as if it could support him.
Veins bulged on his arms, and a faint golden light flickered in his eyes.
"Step back," he warned, his voice rough and distorted.
"It's reacting… to my wolf."
Ella stood still.
Fear sharpened her awareness of his quick heartbeat.
"What is it responding to?" she asked gently.
Rylan squeezed his eyes shut, battling with the transformation.
"You."
The word hit her like a jolt of electricity.
Ella's breath caught in her throat.
"Me?"
Rylan let out a deep, anguished growl, a sound that was both threatening and tormented.
"The bond… it's trying to mark you."
Ella's heart raced painfully.
"But we hardly know each other."
Rylan let out a harsh, broken laugh.
"That doesn't matter to the wolf."
He slammed his fist against the wall, splintering the stone.
The air was thick with tension.
Ella stepped back until her back hit the bedpost.
The spot where he had touched her still pulsed, warm and overwhelming.
"What am I supposed to do?" she murmured.
Rylan forced his eyes open, filled with desperation and inner conflict.
"You don't have to do anything," he replied.
His voice trembled, weighed down by the struggle to keep his composure.
"I refuse to claim you. I won't let fate decide this."
He inhaled sharply.
"Stay away from me tonight."
He stumbled toward the door, a mix of wolf and human.
Ella watched him leave, a blend of worry and something deeper swirling in her gut.
At the entrance, he paused, gripping the frame.
His voice was soft, almost pained.
"You should never have touched me."
Then he disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.
Ella collapsed onto the bed, her wrist still warm.
She couldn't understand wolves or connections or why her presence threatened his control.
But one thing was clear.
Rylan Wolfe was wrestling with a much greater force than either of them.