He Is A Wolf

Chapter Two

***Bella's Pov***

The gates of Adrian’s mansion opened slowly as his car approached, and I stared through the window in disbelief.

I had expected a mansion, but this was something else entirely. The property was enormous, almost like a private fortress. Several separate buildings stood within the estate, connected by paved paths and surrounded by high walls, thick trees, and layers of security.

The moment Adrian stepped out of the car, I followed.

My bags were still in the trunk when several guards approached and bowed their heads respectfully.

“Take them inside,” Adrian ordered.

They nodded immediately and began removing my luggage from the trunk.

I watched them for a moment before Adrian turned toward me.

“Follow me.”

I hesitated only briefly before walking after him.

Inside the main mansion, several house helps were waiting. Most looked young, but one woman stood at the front. She appeared to be in her early fifties and wore a neat housekeeper’s uniform. From the way the others stood behind her, I could tell she was in charge.

They all bowed. “Good evening, sir.”

Adrian merely nodded.

The older woman looked at me, then back at him.

“Is she the one?”

Adrian’s expression immediately hardened.

The woman’s hand flew to her mouth. “I mean…”

“Mara.”

She straightened. “Sir?”

“Take her to her room.” He pointed toward me.

Mara nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

She turned to me. “Please, follow me.”

I followed her upstairs, still trying to understand what I had just walked into.

My room was beautiful. It was larger than the apartment I had lived in before, with a huge bed, a sitting area, a private bathroom, and a wardrobe that could probably hold everything I owned twice over.

Mara gestured toward the wardrobe.

“Your things will be placed there. If you need anything else, just use the intercom beside the bed. My number is 144.”

I nodded and gave her a small smile.

“Thank you.”

She smiled back and bowed slightly before turning toward the door.

“Wait.”

Mara stopped.

“What did you mean earlier?”

She looked over her shoulder.

“I mean, what did you mean by ‘Is she the one?’”

Her expression changed for half a second before she quickly shook her head.

“Nothing. That was just a slip of the tongue. Our boss told us he would be bringing his wife today, so I only wanted to confirm that you were the woman he was bringing.”

I nodded slowly, although I wasn't convinced. “Okay.”

Mara bowed again before leaving.

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the closed door.

Wife.

The word still felt strange.

I had signed a contract with Adrian Blackthorn yesterday, agreeing to become his wife for one year. Yet the more I thought about it, the less I understood what he was actually getting from me.

He had refused to explain his reasons.

That bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

A few hours later, night had settled over the estate. I lay on the bed, scrolling mindlessly through social media until exhaustion finally took over.

I don't know how long I slept before a strange sound dragged me from my dreams.

I had been dreaming about Adrian.

We were standing somewhere warm and quiet, laughing together. He was looking at me differently, and I was smiling despite myself. He leaned closer, and our faces were almost touching when…

A low growl ripped through the dream.

My eyes flew open.

I blinked several times, still heavy with sleep, and reached for my phone.

Midnight.

Then I heard it again. This time, the sound was louder.

I sat up. “What was that?”

My heart began pounding.

I remembered Mara’s rules from earlier. Stay in my wing. Don't wander around the estate. Don't enter the north wing. If I heard anything strange, I was supposed to stay inside and mind my own business.

But curiosity overpowered caution.

I slipped out of bed and quietly made my way downstairs.

The mansion was silent.

The sound seemed to be coming from the north wing. I hesitated for a moment, but curiosity won, and just as I reached the entrance, I heard it again.”

That was when I saw it. A wolf.

A massive wolf stood in the distance, its dark fur stained with blood.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

The wolf suddenly turned toward me, and terror shot through my entire body. I screamed and stumbled backward as it charged in my direction.

But before it could reach me, its body began to shift. I watched in horror as its form twisted and changed before my eyes.

And Adrian Blackthorn stood where the wolf had been.

I froze.

My entire body trembled. “No…”

He was breathing heavily, blood running down one arm. His eyes locked onto mine.

“What the heck are you doing here?”

His voice was cold, angry, and frighteningly controlled.

I could barely speak. “What are you?”

His jaw tightened.

“That doesn't answer my question. Didn't Mara tell you the rules of this house?”

My mind suddenly flashed back to the conversation with Mara and everything clicked into place.

“You're a wolf?”

Adrian stared at me. “Go back to your room.”

I didn't move.

His eyes flickered dark. “I said, go back to your room!”

He took a step toward me, but suddenly froze. His body jerked violently, and a low groan escaped him as he dropped to one knee.

I stared at him.

Blood covered his arm, and his breathing had become uneven. “What's happening?”

He didn't answer.

His hands clenched against the ground as though he were fighting something inside himself.

I stared at him in shock before taking a cautious step closer. “Adrian…”

His head snapped toward me. “Don't.”

But I couldn't stop.

I reached toward his injured arm, but the moment my fingers came close to his skin, a strange sensation surged through me. Heat spread from my fingertips through the rest of my body, leaving me breathless. My heart pounded harder, and an unfamiliar pull settled deep inside me, drawing me toward him before I could understand what was happening.

Adrian looked at me, and something in his expression made my heart race.

I should have stepped back, but the heat spreading through my body made it impossible to think clearly, and I found myself staying exactly where I was as he closed the distance between us.

His lips met mine.

The moment we kissed, heat rushed through me, and my mind screamed that this was wrong.

I tried to pull away, but I couldn't.

Neither did he.

For one confusing moment, I forgot why I was supposed to resist. All I could feel was the warmth of his lips and the strange pull that made me want to stay.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless and shaken by how badly I wanted him to kiss me again.

I hated that feeling.

I hated that I couldn't stop it.

Adrian stared at me for a moment before reaching for me and leading me inside.

The door closed behind us.