Maria.

Stay away from him?

Was he serious?

I stared at Adrien, trying to process the command he had just delivered as though it were a decree carved in stone.

Stay away from Daniel.

Was he kidding me?

I am not a child.

The words burned at the back of my throat, desperate to be spoken. My pride flared instantly, sharp and defensive. Who was he to dictate who I could or couldn’t speak to? Yes, he was the Alpha. Yes, I was his personal maid. But that did not make me incapable of deciding something as simple as a conversation.

My fingers curled slightly at my sides.

He stood there watching me, his expression rigid, his jaw set with that infuriating authority he wore so effortlessly. There was no teasing in his tone. No room for debate.

He meant it.

And that was what unsettled me the most.

Part of me wanted to argue. To tell him he had no right. To demand an explanation that didn’t revolve around control and territorial instincts.

But another part of me, the quieter, more dangerous part, remembered the look in his eyes when Daniel had said my name.

That wasn’t anger alone.

It had been something raw. Something close to fear.

I hated that my heart reacted to that realization.

"You stay away from Daniel."

The words echoed again in my mind, heavier this time.

Why did it matter so much to him?

Was it truly about safety?

Or was it about possession?

My chest tightened.

He had kissed me twice today. Once in the hallway without warning. And again the moment we entered this room, as though he couldn’t stop himself.

As though I were something he needed to claim.

My pulse betrayed me at the memory.

I should be furious.

I should be outraged.

Instead, I was confused.

Because beneath the force of his grip, beneath the dominance and the commands, there had been something else in that kiss, not cruelty, not manipulation.

Desperation.

That frightened me more than his anger ever could.

I lifted my gaze to meet his again. His eyes were still fixed on me, waiting. Not for gratitude. Not for understanding.

Compliance.

If I challenged him now, it would turn into another clash of wills. Another battle neither of us was prepared to finish.

And I was tired.

Tired of accusations. Tired of tension. Tired of feeling like the ground beneath me was constantly shifting.

So I swallowed the protest clawing at my throat.

I nodded.

Just once.

It was small. Controlled. Enough to satisfy him without surrendering more than I was willing to give.

His shoulders eased, but only slightly.

The silence between us stretched, thick with everything I wasn’t saying.

I am not yours to command.

You don’t get to decide my world.

You don’t get to kiss me when it suits you and order me when it doesn’t.

But the words stayed trapped inside.

Because the truth was, I didn’t fully understand my own heart yet. And arguing would only expose how tangled it had become.

I drew in a quiet breath and forced my voice to remain steady.

"May I..."

I barely got the first two words out.

He moved without warning.

One second there was space between us, and the next his hand was at my waist again, pulling me forward as his lips sealed over mine.

The rest of my sentence dissolved against him.

My eyes widened, shock flooding through me. I placed my hands against his chest instinctively, meaning to push him away, but the force behind his kiss wasn’t rough this time.

It wasn’t frantic.

It was deliberate.

Claiming.

My heart slammed against my ribs, traitorous and loud. I could feel the warmth of him, the steady strength in the way he held me, as though he feared I might disappear if he loosened his grip.

I tried to form words against his mouth, but they turned into nothing more than a soft breath.

This was exactly what I didn’t need.

More confusion.

More weakness.

And yet...My resistance faltered for a split second. Just a split second where I stopped pushing.

His hand tightened slightly at my waist, as if he noticed.

As if he felt it.

That realization jolted me back to myself. I broke the kiss first this time, turning my face away so his lips brushed my cheek instead.

My breath came unevenly.

"Alpha..." I began softly, though I wasn’t sure what I intended to say.

He didn’t release me immediately. His forehead hovered close to mine, his breathing just as unsteady.

This wasn’t calm.

This wasn’t rational.

It was two storms colliding in a closed room.

I hated how much it affected me.

Hated how easily he could silence my words with a single kiss.

I hated that part of me didn’t entirely want him to stop.

But I forced myself to step back once he loosened his hold, creating just enough distance to think.

My head lowered slightly, not in submission, but in restraint.

If I spoke now, I might say something I couldn’t take back.

So instead, I steadied myself.

Nodded again.

And kept the rest of my rebellion locked safely inside.

Adrien stepped away from me so abruptly it almost startled me.

He dragged a hand through his hair and moved toward the window, his back turning to me as he braced his palms against the frame. The late light filtered in across his shoulders, outlining the rigid line of his posture. His breathing was still uneven.

He was trying to calm himself.

Trying.

I remained where I stood, my heart still racing, lips tingling, thoughts in complete disarray.

The room felt different now, it was more charged, unstable.

And that was when the thought crept in.

Cold.

Clear.

Cruel.

What are you doing, Maria?

My chest tightened as reality forced its way through the haze of confusion.

Whatever I was feeling... whatever storm was building inside me whenever he looked at me like that... It was insane.

Absolutely insane.

He is your Alpha.

You are his maid.

Nothing more.

I swallowed.

This wasn’t affection. It wasn’t tenderness. It wasn’t something soft and fragile that needed protecting.

It was need.

Raw, impulsive, dominant need.

I was only here because I was convenient. Because I was close. Because I was there when his control cracked.

A vessel.

The word formed in my mind so sharply it made my stomach twist.

A vessel for him to pour out whatever he couldn’t contain.

He couldn’t possibly care for me.

Alphas didn’t fall for maids.

They commanded them. Accused them. Used them. Dismissed them when they were no longer necessary.

My hands felt colder now.

He hadn’t said he liked me.

He hadn’t said he trusted me.

He had only said to stay away from Daniel.

Not because of me.

But because of him.

Possession.

Not protection.

The realization hurt more than I expected.

I lifted my eyes slowly toward his back. He hadn’t turned around. He was still staring out the window, shoulders tense, as if fighting something only he could feel.

Good.

If I left now, he might not notice.

I took one careful step backward.

Then another.

The floor didn’t creak. My breathing stayed shallow. I moved toward the door as quietly as possible, every part of me screaming to get out before my foolish heart made things worse.

Before I let myself believe something that wasn’t real.

My fingers brushed the handle.

Almost there.

Just one more second....The air shifted.

It was subtle at first. A change in pressure. A ripple of something primal.

My spine stiffened.

I didn’t get the chance to turn fully.

A gust of movement slammed into me from behind.

It wasn’t human speed.

It was a wolf.

One moment my hand was on the handle, and the next I was yanked back hard against a solid chest. A low growl vibrated through the room, not loud, but deep. Territorial.

"Trying to leave?" His voice wasn’t steady.

It wasn’t fully him.

Before I could answer, he spun me around with impossible swiftness. My back hit the door lightly as his hands framed my face, and then his mouth crashed onto mine again.

This kiss wasn’t controlled.

It wasn’t deliberate.

It was wildfire.

I gasped, but the sound disappeared between us. His wolf had surged to the surface, I could feel it in the way his grip tightened, in the heat radiating off him, in the possessive rumble in his chest.

"Adrien—" I tried to speak, but he swallowed the word.

He lifted me effortlessly, my feet barely touching the ground as he carried me backward. The room blurred. My heart pounded in my ears.

This wasn’t the same as before.

This wasn’t anger.

This wasn’t jealousy.

This was loss of control.

The back of my legs hit the edge of the bed, and before I could steady myself, he lowered me onto it, hovering above me without fully crushing his weight down.

His hands were on either side of me, caging me in.

His eyes...They weren’t entirely his.

The purple colour shone so bright, with crystals on it. It was Wilder.

I froze.

Not out of weakness.

Out of realization.

"Adrien..." I whispered, this time not fighting, not pushing, just trying to reach him.

His breathing was ragged, chest rising and falling as though he had run miles. His gaze dragged over my face as if memorizing it, as if claiming it.

And suddenly it clicked.

This wasn’t calculated dominance.

This wasn’t him simply using me.

Alpha Adrien was out of control.

Because if the Alpha couldn’t command himself... what chance did I have of resisting him?