Elara stood by the workbench, carefully arranging a bouquet of wildflowers. The air was filled with the smell of lavender and roses as she gently planted each stem. She moved in a calm, rhythmic way. She hummed an old song to herself, and the tune came out of her mouth. The morning sun shone through the shop window and made golden beams on the polished wood floors. It was calm and tranquil, and everything was just right.

She stood back and admired how well everything was put together. She whispered to herself, "That should do it," as she brushed a stray hair from her face. The flower shop, which was on a quiet street, had always been her safe place. It was small, simple, and cosy. Nothing ever happened here, at least not anything important.

As she washed her hands on her apron, the doorbell rang to let her know that customers had arrived. She looked up, ready to say hello to the person who had come in, but she stopped. Two guys stood in the entryway, and their dark suits stood out clearly from the shop's calm ambiance. They were strangers, their faces blank, and their eyes were harsh and calculating.

One of them stepped forward. He was a man with keen features and dark, calculating eyes. He reached into his coat and drew out an envelope. He held it out to her with a stiff, professional gesture. There was an undeniable weight in his voice, even though it was low. "Elara Quinn?"

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she thought about it. "Yes?" she answered softly, feeling her gut knot with worry.

The man looked at the envelope with his eyes. "Alpha Darius Vane has claimed you."

She felt a cold run through her body, and her fingers shook as she grabbed for the letter. She felt it as soon as her fingertips touched the paper. It was like something she couldn't get away from. She gasped and moved back without thinking, her heart racing. The seal on the envelope was strange to her; it was a complicated design she had never seen before. It didn't matter. This wasn't excellent, whatever it was.

Elara's hands shook as she ripped open the envelope. Her fingers shook just a little bit. She hurriedly scanned the words, but they all seemed the same. "Alpha Darius Vane has claimed you."

She could feel the ground move under her feet and her world tilt. She took a deep breath and looked up at the men. They stood still and looked at her with blank looks on their faces.

"Who is this Alpha Darius Vane?" Elara enquired, her voice shaking a little even though she tried to keep it steady.

The man who gave her the letter only stared at her, his face like stone. "It's not up to us to explain," he added in a low, frigid voice. "Now you will come with us."

Her mind was racing. Alpha Darius Vane? She remembered the name, but she couldn't place it. There was something about it that made her skin crawl and felt unsafe. She tried to calm her breathing, but fear crept into her chest.

"I don't-" she said, shaking her head. "I don't get it. What do you mean by "claimed"? What is this?

Elara's heart skipped a beat when the men looked at each other for a second. She knew they weren't going to tell her the truth. Her gut told her to run away from these men before things became worse.

She moved to the back door without saying anything else, planning to get away, but one of the men was already there, blocking her way before she could even move. He had a strong, unrelenting grip on her arm.

"Stop it!" Elara screamed and pulled her arm away, her heart racing.

"Please," the other man responded in a monotone voice. "Don't make this hard." You're coming with us.

Fear curled around her heart like a vice, making her pulse speed. She tried to get by him, but the other man grabbed her wrist. She was scared and her stomach twisted.

She cried, "No!" "I don't even know who you are." "You're not going anywhere with me!"

The man didn't say anything, but his hold got tighter and he pulled her towards the door. She was so desperate that she tried to get away, but it didn't work. The strangers held on.

Elara's breath was short as she fought the guys, but they were too strong for her. She yelled, "You can't do this!" in a panicked voice. "I'm not your prisoner." I don't even know who Darius Vane is!

One of the men looked at her, his expression frigid. "You'll find out soon enough."

She felt like she was about to die, and her stomach was churning. She couldn't stand the thought of being taken away from everything she knew. She tried to push past the men again, but that just made them hold on to her more tightly.

"Stop! "Please!" she begged, her voice breaking.

No answer.

They got to the door, and Elara spotted the black car parked outside. The dark windows of the car reflected the sun's intense glare. She thought a lot, but nothing made sense. She battled against the men holding her, but they wouldn't let go. They pushed her towards the automobile as if it was unavoidable, as if she had no option.

She wanted to shout and fight back, but fear kept her from doing so. She took one last look at the flower store and the cute street that made her feel at home. It everything felt so far away, like it was disappearing as the car door slammed shut behind her.

The engine came to life, and Elara could only watch as the automobile drove away, leaving behind everything she had ever known.

The men didn't say anything, and neither did Elara. Her chest felt tight, as if the weight of her thoughts could crush her. She needed answers, but the fear that was swelling in her chest warned her she wouldn't receive any.

What had she gotten herself into?

She saw something in the rearview mirror as the car turned. It was a person standing in the doorway of the flower shop. She couldn't see the face well, but she felt like she knew it. There was something dangerous watching her. Something it has to do with her future and her family.

Elara felt the automobile rattle under her. The engine was too quiet and smooth. The city blurred by in the tinted glass as she looked out the window. Her heart pounded and thumped against her ribs. She had a tight grasp on her hands in her lap, and her knuckles were white, but the men in the front seats didn't say anything. The air in the automobile seemed thick and heavy, like a dense fog wrapping around her. She couldn't shake the feeling that was crawling up her spine-this was the start of something she wasn't ready for.

Finally, she broke the silence and asked, "Where are we going?" She hated how her voice cracked, which showed how scared she was.

The driver didn't say anything. He just maintained his eyes on the road, his jaw set, and his hands firmly on the wheel. The other man, who had given her the letter earlier, looked back over his shoulder. His lips turned up in a smile, but his eyes didn't smile back. "You'll find out soon enough," he murmured in a voice that sounded like ice.

Elara's stomach turned. She didn't want to find out. She didn't want to be a part of this. Her mind raced: Who were these men? Why were they taking her away from everything she knew? She felt like she was stuck, and her world got smaller with every mile they drove.

She looked back at the man who had spoken. His dark hair was carefully brushed back, and his dark eyes were icy, as if nothing in the world could bother him. Elara's fingers twitched, wanting to pull on the seatbelt, open the door, and go.

But then he smiled even more. It made her stomach turn. It wasn't simply cold; it was also dangerous. He knew something that would change everything, something she didn't.

She asked, more to herself than anybody else, "What's going on?" But they didn't respond. Again, the silence seemed dense and stifling.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it coming through the fog. A big, spacious mansion with a black outline that looked like a promise against the cloudy sky. Her heart raced. This wasn't a normal visit. This was the start of something worse than she could have ever imagined.

The car made a sudden turn, and the tires slid a little on the wet road as it turned down a long, winding driveway. The mansion got bigger and bigger every second. Its stone walls rose high above her, throwing long, dark shadows. Elara's breath caught in her throat as they got closer to the entrance gates. They were made of heavy iron and had a lot of intricate designs, like something out of a nightmare. No one should have merely walked into this place. The fear she had been resisting suddenly took hold of her, twisting like a knot in her chest.

Her fingers brushed against the chilly pane, and her reflection looked back at her. She was a lady who could scarcely understand what was going on. The world outside had already changed, and she was now stuck in something she couldn't get out of. Elara tried to calm down as the car came to a stop in front of the huge mansion. She took a long breath in, wanting to calm down. But her breathing was still feeble.

The men stayed quiet as the automobile door opened, and the sound of the handle clicking seemed like a final decision. Elara stayed still. She felt like her feet were stuck to the floor, and the words "You've been claimed by Alpha Darius Vane" played in her head, teasing her and promising an answer she wasn't ready to hear.

One of the men went out first, moving like someone who was used to being in charge. The second person followed, his face unreadable and his eyes roaming the area as if he were looking for something or someone.

"Elara," the first man's voice burst through her thoughts, telling her what to do in only one word. "It's time."

Her body wouldn't listen to her intellect, which told her to run. Instead, she was pulled towards the mansion, as if an invisible rope was pulling her along. She paused and looked at the darkening door in front of her. The weight of the situation fell on her shoulders, and even though she knew she had to keep going, a small part of her wanted to turn around. But she couldn't. Not right now.

When she got out of the car, her heels clicked hard on the cobblestones. The noise was so loud in the quiet that it made her stomach turn. The men stood behind her without saying anything, as if they were waiting for her to do something. Every part of her body told her to turn back, but her feet kept going.

Then the door opened. There he was, a tall, dominating figure in the doorway. Darius Vane Alpha. The man who had claimed her.