The Silverfang mansion possessed a beauty akin to that of a grand prison, awe-inspiring and intimidating, crafted to astonish while simultaneously reminding its captive of her confinement within its confines.
I stood at the top of the marble staircase, my fingers lightly brushing the cool banister, breathing in the subtle scent of pine mixed with wolf musk. Guards patrolled all around me, their eyes monitoring my every motion. Whispers shadowed my steps even more closely.
THE HUMAN LUNA
The Alpha's punishment bride.
She won't last a week.
Their murmurs clung to the walls like mist.
I lifted my chin a bit.
They had no clue who I truly was.
I wasn't here to break apart.
I descended the last step and turned into a lengthy corridor lined with portraits of alphas and lunas from generations long gone. Yet one frame was absent, leaving a dusty square and a faint imprint behind.
I paused.
Someone had been there… someone wished for that presence to be forgotten.
My stomach twisted.
Just as I moved to approach, a warm voice called from behind me.
"You shouldn't wander too far."
I whirled around in surprise.
A young man stood a few paces away, hands raised in a gesture of apology. He was tall like Rylan, but his features were softer—gentle eyes, an easy smile, and none of the heaviness that seemed permanently etched into Rylan's face.
"I didn't mean to startle you," he said, offering a quick nod of his head. "I'm Lucas. Rylan's brother."
Brother.
Of course, the similarity was obvious. Yet while Rylan's presence felt like storm clouds and steel, Lucas seemed like sunlight filtering through fractures.
"I'm Ella," I replied softly.
"I know," he said with a shy grin. "Everyone knows."
Heat flooded my cheeks. "Great. That's… comforting."
He chuckled quietly and gestured for me to walk alongside him.
"I can give you a tour," he suggested. "This place is a maze, even for us."
I hesitated. Rylan's voice echoed in my mind:
*No wandering. No disobedience. No unnecessary company.*
But I felt like I was stifling. Every room was like a silent reproach.
And Lucas… Lucas didn't see me as a burden.
"Okay," I finally agreed. "A brief look won't hurt."
We strolled past gleaming floors, towering windows, and ancient relics enclosed in glass. As we moved further, the air became chillier.
"You mentioned someone being removed from the portrait hall," I asked.
Lucas's smile dimmed. "It's best if Rylan explains that to you."
Which suggested that Rylan would *never* divulge that information.
I dropped the topic, sensing the tension in his shoulders.
We reached a section of the mansion where the walls transitioned from white stone to dark forest oak. Lucas suddenly stopped.
"Not here," he said, lowering his voice. "These rooms are restricted."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Rylan's orders."
"Because of me?"
He remained quiet, which was confirmation enough.
A locked door at the end of the corridor seemed to vibrate with energy. Something behind it called to me like a whisper just out of reach.
"What's behind that door?"
Lucas stepped in front of me, gentle but decisive.
"Ella… trust me. Keep away from that room."
It felt more like a warning than a threat.
Before I could ask another question, a low growl resonated through the air.
My heart skipped a beat.
Rylan stood at the far end of the corridor, arms crossed, his eyes faintly glowing gold. He seemed to fill the narrow hallway, as if the walls were warping to fit him.
Lucas quickly looked away.
"I was merely showing…."
"I didn't request that," Rylan interrupted, his tone as sharp as a knife.
His gaze fixed on me, pinning me in place.
"I thought we discussed this," he said slowly. "No straying."
I swallowed nervously. "I wasn't straying. I was learning my way around my own home."
"This is not your home," he snarled.
His words hit harder than they should have.
Lucas moved forward. "Rylan, she's just trying to..."
"Leave," Rylan ordered without even looking at him.
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then bowed and disappeared down the hall, leaving me alone with the embodiment of a storm.
Rylan closed the distance between us with calculated, steady strides.
"Is defiance the only language you understand?" he said softly, his voice low enough to raise chills along my arms.
I lifted my chin. "If you wanted an obedient wife, you picked the wrong woman."
His jaw tightened, the wolf almost visible in his eyes.
For a fleeting moment, something warm, inquisitive, and faintly tender passed across his face.
Then it vanished.
"You will follow my rules," he stated. "Or this arrangement will become quite unpleasant for you."
I should have felt fear.
But I didn't.
I stepped closer, so near that his breath brushed my cheek.
"Go ahead, try me," I whispered.
His nostrils flared. His wolf rose dangerously close.
Yet he didn't act.
He couldn't.
And that terrified him more than it did me.
Without saying another word, he turned sharply, his cloak billowing behind him, and walked away, leaving the hallway colder than it had been.
I exhaled unsteadily.
"Caged," I murmured to myself.
But cages have locks.
And locks can be opened.
One way or another…
I would uncover what lay behind that forbidden door.