Chapter 2 - The Devil's Mansion
1405 Words
Consciousness returned in fragments.
First came the dull ache behind Allegra's eyes.
Then the scent.
It wasn't the damp, musty smell of a prison cell she had expected. Instead, the air carried hints of cedarwood, expensive cologne, and fresh linen.
She frowned.
Am I... dreaming?
Her eyelids fluttered open.
The ceiling above her stretched high overhead, decorated with dark wooden beams and a crystal chandelier that sparkled as morning sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows.
For several long seconds, she simply stared.
This wasn't her bedroom.
It wasn't a hospital either.
She shot upright.
The movement made her dizzy, but adrenaline quickly took over.
A king-sized bed.
Dark oak furniture.
Black curtains.
A fireplace that looked as though it had been carved from marble.
Everything about the room screamed wealth.
And danger.
The events from the forest came rushing back.
The murder.
The man in black.
His impossible speed.
Those strange eyes.
Lucien.
Her pulse quickened.
She jumped out of bed.
The bedroom door.
Locked.
She tried the handle twice before stepping back with an irritated sigh.
"Seriously?"
She searched the room.
No phone.
No bag.
No shoes.
"They really thought of everything."
A balcony.
Her eyes brightened.
She hurried across the room and pulled open the glass doors.
Cold air greeted her.
Freedom.
Almost.
She stepped outside.
The balcony overlooked acres of dense forest stretching in every direction.
Far below stood a stone courtyard surrounded by towering walls.
Beyond them...
Nothing.
Just miles of woodland.
Even if she climbed down, she'd probably get lost before reaching civilization.
She gripped the railing.
"So this is where rich psychopaths live."
"You have a vivid imagination."
The calm voice behind her nearly stopped her heart.
She spun around.
Lucien leaned casually against the balcony doorway, one hand tucked inside the pocket of his black trousers.
Today, he wore a fitted charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms.
His dark hair looked slightly messy, as though he'd run a hand through it moments earlier.
He looked less like a murderer.
That somehow made him even more unsettling.
"You knock now?" Allegra snapped.
"You were outside."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
She folded her arms.
"Am I your prisoner?"
He met her gaze without flinching.
"Temporarily."
"I didn't ask to come here."
"I know."
"I have a family waiting for me."
"They've already been informed."
Her eyebrows knitted together.
"What?"
"I sent someone to tell your father that your college arranged an overnight academic retreat after a transportation issue."
She stared.
"You lied to my family?"
"I protected them from worrying."
"You manipulated them."
"I did."
He said it so matter-of-factly that it almost made her laugh.
Almost.
"What do you want from me?"
"You witnessed something you shouldn't have."
"I won't tell anyone."
"I believe you."
She blinked.
"...You do?"
"Yes."
"Then why am I still here?"
Lucien stepped onto the balcony.
The wind stirred his hair.
"Because someone else knows you saw it."
Her stomach tightened.
"What are you talking about?"
"The men from last night weren't ordinary criminals."
"No kidding."
"They belong to a rival pack."
She frowned.
"...Pack?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the forest beyond the walls.
"They'll assume you're connected to me."
"I've never even met you before yesterday."
"They won't care."
"So you're saying..." she whispered, "...I'm in danger because of you?"
"Yes."
Silence settled between them.
Allegra laughed once.
A dry, humorless sound.
"My life was already complicated."
Lucien's expression remained unreadable.
"I noticed."
"You noticed?"
"I know about your father."
She stiffened.
"And your brother."
"Stop talking about them."
"They're the reason you haven't run."
"I literally can't."
"You could try."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Is that a challenge?"
"A test."
Without another word, Allegra pushed past him.
If he wanted to play games, she'd play.
She marched through the bedroom.
The hallway.
A grand staircase.
Nobody stopped her.
Strange.
The mansion looked more like an ancient castle than a modern home.
Black marble floors reflected the sunlight.
Massive paintings lined the walls.
Most portrayed wolves.
Others depicted battles centuries old.
She reached the front entrance.
Two enormous doors.
Unlocked.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She pulled them open.
Freedom.
She sprinted across the courtyard.
Twenty steps.
Thirty.
Forty.
Then...
A low growl rolled through the air.
She stopped.
Not because she wanted to.
Because every instinct in her body screamed at her to.
Standing between her and the open gates were four enormous wolves.
Larger than any wolf she'd ever seen in photographs.
Their golden eyes never left her.
One stepped forward.
Its shoulders reached nearly her waist.
"Oh..."
Another growl.
Allegra slowly raised both hands.
"I... don't suppose you guys like belly rubs?"
None of them looked amused.
A familiar voice echoed behind her.
"They're very well trained."
She turned.
Lucien walked toward her at an unhurried pace.
The wolves immediately lowered their heads.
Not to her.
To him.
"They're yours?"
"They're my sentries."
"You own wolves?"
"They chose to protect this estate."
Her gaze shifted between him and the animals.
"They're... huge."
"They're also intelligent."
One wolf approached Lucien.
He scratched behind its ears.
The creature practically melted beneath his touch.
Allegra blinked.
"I don't understand you."
"So I've been told."
He looked toward the wolves.
"They won't harm you."
"They looked ready to eat me."
"They were making sure you stayed alive."
She frowned.
"That's a weird way of protecting someone."
"It's effective."
She sighed dramatically.
"I hate how calm you are."
"I've had practice."
Before she could respond, another man hurried across the courtyard.
He stopped several feet from Lucien.
"Alpha."
The single word caught Allegra's attention.
Alpha?
The stranger glanced briefly toward her before lowering his voice.
"They've crossed the eastern border."
Lucien's relaxed posture disappeared instantly.
"When?"
"An hour ago."
"How many?"
"Six."
"I'll deal with it."
The man finally noticed Allegra watching.
His expression hardened.
"She shouldn't be here."
Lucien's voice turned cold enough to freeze the air.
"I wasn't asking."
The man immediately lowered his head.
"My apologies."
He walked away.
Allegra looked back at Lucien.
"...Alpha?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he motioned toward the mansion.
"Breakfast."
"I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon."
"...How do you know that?"
"I pay attention."
"I wish you'd stop."
"I'm afraid I can't."
Despite herself, she followed him.
Mostly because she suddenly realized she was starving.
As they entered the dining room, a long table had already been prepared.
Fresh fruit.
Pancakes.
Eggs.
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee.
It looked enough to feed ten people.
Allegra stared.
"This is breakfast?"
Lucien took a seat.
"It usually is."
"For an army?"
He almost smiled.
"You ask many questions."
"I get kidn*pped by a mysterious billionaire living in the middle of nowhere. Questions seem appropriate."
A servant quietly poured coffee.
No one spoke.
Everyone avoided looking directly at Lucien.
Fear.
It lingered in the room like smoke.
Allegra noticed it immediately.
Not respect.
Not admiration.
Fear.
Yet when Lucien thanked the elderly housekeeper for the meal, the woman smiled warmly before leaving.
Confusing.
Very confusing.
Monster.
Gentleman.
Which one was real?
Perhaps...
Both.
Later that afternoon, Allegra wandered into the mansion's enormous library.
Books covered every wall from floor to ceiling.
History.
Medicine.
Law.
Ancient mythology.
One particular shelf caught her eye.
Volumes about wolves.
She reached for one.
A voice spoke behind her.
"You'll find more questions than answers in that section."
She turned.
Lucien stood in the doorway again.
"Do you always appear out of nowhere?"
"I walk."
"I never hear you."
"Most people don't."
She opened the book anyway.
The first page showed an old illustration of a wolf standing beneath a full moon.
Across the page were words written in faded ink.
"Every Alpha carries the burden of those who cannot protect themselves."
Allegra looked up.
"What's an Alpha?"
For the first time since they'd met, Lucien hesitated.
Then he answered.
"The leader of a pack."
"A wolf pack?"
"...Yes."
She laughed nervously.
"You're joking."
"I'm not."
Another silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then...
A distant howl echoed from somewhere deep within the forest.
One.
Then another.
Then dozens.
The sound vibrated through the windows.
Lucien looked toward the darkening sky.
"They're early."
"Who?"
His piercing eyes settled on hers.
"The ones who are coming for you."
Outside, hidden among the trees beyond the mansion walls, several pairs of glowing golden eyes watched the estate in silence.
The hunt had already begun.
- Writer
