Marked by My Beta

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."