The Unseen Danger

Late in the night, Diva roamed the halls of the mansion, unable to sleep. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the creaks of the old floors. She stopped abruptly when a soft, haunting melody reached her ears. It was faint, as if coming from a distance, yet it sent shivers down her spine.

She looked around her. Following the sound, she found herself standing in front of a door she hadn’t noticed before.

The air around it felt colder, and unease settled in her chest. Slowly, she pushed the door open, revealing a room cloaked in dust and memories.

The room was dimly lit by moonlight shining through the window. It was richly furnished, but everything seemed untouched, as though time itself had forgotten the room.

On the far wall, a large painting caught her attention. It was a portrait of a strikingly beautiful woman with soft golden hair and piercing blue eyes. Her gaze was both serene and sorrowful, and Diva felt a pang of sadness.

“Her name was Lillian,” a voice came from behind her, startling her. She spun around to see Caleb standing in the doorway, his expression guarded.

“Who was she?” Diva asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Caleb hesitated, his gaze moving to the portrait. “She was Derek’s mate. His first mate.”

The words hit Diva like a punch. “First mate?” she repeated, her heart racing.

“Yes,” Caleb replied softly. “She was his everything. But she’s gone now.”

“What happened to her?” Diva asked, unable to mask the curiosity and unease in her voice.

Caleb’s face darkened. “She was taken by rogues years ago. Derek searched for her, but... he never found her. She’s presumed dead.”

“What?” Her eyes widened with guilt and pain.

Diva turned back to the portrait, her mind reeling. The sorrow in Lillian’s painted eyes seemed to echo Derek’s coldness and pain. Suddenly, the strange tension she had sensed in Derek began to make a twisted kind of sense.

“Why would the bond choose someone else if he already had a mate?” Diva asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

“That’s the question none of us can answer,” Caleb admitted. “But whatever the reason, you being here has stirred something—both in Derek and this house.”

“But do you really think she’s dead?” Diva pressed.

“I can’t answer that, but why don’t you ask him?” Caleb muttered.

Diva shivered, her gaze still locked on the portrait. The room felt colder, as though the very memory of Lillian’s presence lingered like a ghost.

---

Later that night, back in her room, Diva couldn’t sleep. Her mind was a tangled mess of thoughts and emotions. She hated the idea of being a replacement, of being forced into a life where she didn’t belong.

And yet, the memory of Derek’s vulnerability—the way his voice softened when he spoke of the bond—lingered in her mind.

Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the silence. Diva sprang upright, her heart pounding. She threw her door open and ran toward the source of the noise, her bare feet cold against the marble floors.

She stopped abruptly in the hallway, her breath catching in her throat. The air was thick, heavy with a tension she couldn’t explain. At the end of the corridor, the shadows seemed to move unnaturally, coiling and shifting like living things.

“What’s that?” she whispered to herself fearfully, staring at the shadows carefully.

“Diva!” Derek’s voice cut through the oppressive silence, and she turned to see him striding toward her, his expression tense. “What are you doing out here?”

“There was a crash. Something isn’t right, Derek. There’s something… in this house,” she said, her voice trembling.

Derek’s gaze darkened, and for the first time, she saw something close to fear in his eyes. “Go back to your room,” he ordered. “Now.”

“What’s going on? I deserve to know!” she demanded, refusing to move.

“You don’t need to know anything. This isn’t your concern,” he snapped, his tone sharp and dismissive.

Before she could protest, a chilling growl echoed through the halls, freezing her in place. The sound was low and guttural, unlike anything she’d ever heard before. Derek’s expression hardened, and he stepped protectively in front of her.

“Stay behind me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Diva’s heart raced as the growl grew louder, the shadows at the end of the corridor twisting unnaturally. She clung to Derek’s warning but couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling that whatever was coming was only the beginning.

A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness, locking onto Diva with a predatory focus. Derek’s body tensed, a deep snarl rumbling in his chest as he shifted slightly to shield her.

“Derek…” Diva whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.

“Stay behind me,” he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

But as the creature emerged from the shadows, its monstrous form bathed in the pale light of the corridor, Diva realized this wasn’t just a random threat. It was something much worse—something tied to the mansion’s secrets and the bond that bound her to Derek.

“Diva,” Derek growled, his voice tight with urgency. “Whatever happens, do not run.”

But everything in her screamed at her to do just that.

“Diva,” Derek growled, his voice tight with urgency. “Whatever happens, do not run.”

But everything in her screamed at her to do just that.

Derek charged toward the shadow, claws extended, and attacked. But as he tried to tear the shadow apart, it vanished immediately—leaving both Diva and Derek stunned.

“What could that be?” Diva asked in bewilderment.

“I don’t know,” Derek replied abruptly. “Just go back to your room, and don’t you dare come back outside,” he warned.

Diva turned and walked back to her room like a zombie.