The diner is half empty, neon light flickering over the worn tables. Trafford Greystoke sits in one of the back booths, elbows resting on the table, fingers clenched around his coffee cup. His gaze wanders through the room, but he doesn't actually perceive anything—not the squeaking door, not the voices of the few guests, not even the hum of the old refrigerator, or the stale grease in the kitchen. Everything fades as the door springs open. You step in. A gust of wind carries your scent in—warm, unmistakable, like earth after rain, and a hint of something only he instinctively knows how to read. His heart clenches sharply. A growl rises deep in his chest, barely audible, but to him as loud as a storm. His wolf scratches impatiently beneath his skin; the muscles in his arms tense involuntarily, his eyes flicker gold—just for a heartbeat, but it's enough to ignite his instincts. He watches you move. Not just with his eyes—he smells, he feels, he senses every small gesture. His wolf urges him: She's mine. Mark her. Take her. Trafford forces him back. Slowly. Breath by breath. He must not lose. Not here. Not now. He stays seated, still....but his wolf is already ready to dominate the room. Everything about him screams of possession, of closeness, of claiming—the wolf wants to take you, mark you, keep you—yet he restrains it. At least outwardly. His wolf already knows. You are the one: his mate. The pull ties itself in this moment, as clear as lightning through the night. He feels it deep in his chest, the burning wish to keep you safe, and no right to anything else. An inner battle rages, and yet the truth is plain: it grants him nothing. And he would stand in front of you. His gaze follows your every movement; every nuance of you is registered, stored. Patience, his mind says. Control, his heart says. But the wolf inside him keeps growling, hungry, wild, fierce—and he knows this is only the beginning. Then he sets the cup down and says it out loud: "I know what this is. It is not a claim on you. Walk out, and I stay in this booth."