Maria.

I closed my eyes.

The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly down the hallway, growing softer... and softer... until they finally disappeared into silence. I stayed still even after they were gone, as though moving would somehow make his words return.

And then the tears I had fought so desperately to hold back slipped free.

They didn’t fall slowly.

They spilled.

Hot and relentless, sliding down my cheeks in uneven trails. My chest tightened painfully as the sob I had swallowed earlier forced its way out. The control I had clung to shattered the moment I was alone.

My legs gave out beneath me.

It wasn’t graceful.

It wasn’t controlled.

It was instant.

The strength that had barely kept me upright dissolved completely, and I sank to the cold floor, the impact jarring through my fragile body. I didn’t even try to stop myself. I couldn’t.

My knees hit first, then my palms, before I collapsed fully onto the ground.

My legs were too weak to hold me anymore.

Too heavy.

Too drained.

I pulled them toward myself, wrapping my arms tightly around them as though trying to hold my broken pieces together. My fingers dug into the fabric of my dress and into my own skin, clutching desperately.

My sobs came out uneven and choked.

Each breath felt sharp, scraping against my throat as though I had swallowed shards of glass. I pressed my forehead against my knees, trying to muffle the sound, but it only made it worse.

He had always seen me as a spy.

Right from the beginning.

From the moment they had saved me.

Back then, I had believed it was kindness.

Salvation.

A second chance.

But perhaps to them, I had never been anything more than a suspicion.

First, I was Darren’s spy.

Now, I was Daniel’s.

It didn’t matter what I said.

It didn’t matter what I did.

They would always look at me and see someone else’s pawn.

Someone else’s dog.

The memory of Davian’s words made my chest ache again.

If I could turn back the hands of time...If I could undo that day...I would wish they had never saved me at all.

Perhaps it would have been easier.

Perhaps it would have been kinder.

To have never stepped into this place where every gaze felt like an accusation.

Where every act of kindness came with doubt.

My tears fell harder at that thought, soaking into the fabric of my dress. My shoulders shook uncontrollably as the sobs refused to quiet down.

I felt small.

Smaller than I ever had before.

Lost in my own storm of thoughts, I didn’t hear the footsteps approaching this time.

I didn’t notice the shift in the air, I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone anymore, not until a pair of hands wrapped gently around my shoulders. They were warm, solid and real.

I gasped sharply, startled, my head snapping up instinctively. My tear-blurred vision struggled to focus for a second before the figure standing above me became clear.

Darren.

Of course.

A bitter thought flickered through me.

I couldn’t help it.

I silently cursed my fate.

Why him?

Why now?

Of all the people who could have found me like this, broken, crying on the floor, it had to be him.

I pulled away from his grip almost immediately, scrambling backward until my shoulders brushed against the wall. My hands flew to my face as I wiped at the tears frantically, smearing them away as though I could erase the evidence.

I refused to let him see me weak.

Not him.

I kept my distance from him, my body tense and guarded.

"You are crying, Maria. What happened?"

His voice was softer than I expected.

Concern laced his eyes as he took a careful step toward me.

That look, hat sympathy...It made everything worse.

"I... I am not, Alpha Darren!" I blurted out almost immediately.

The lie tumbled out clumsily.

My voice was hoarse, unsteady, betraying me instantly.

My face was still wet. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

My breathing uneven.

There was no hiding it.

But I tried anyway.

"Come on," he said gently, though there was a hint of firmness beneath it. "Don’t lie to me."

He stepped closer again.

And again.

Each step closed the space I had tried so hard to create.

I instinctively moved backward until there was nowhere left to go.

My back hit the wall, cold and unforgiving.

The tears I had wiped away threatened to return, burning behind my eyes. I turned my face slightly, trying to avoid his gaze.

I didn’t want him to read me.

I didn’t want him to see how fragile I felt.

But the wall behind me reminded me of something cruelly ironic, no matter how far I tried to run...

I always ended up pinned somewhere.

And I didn’t know how much more of it I could endure.

I didn’t know what to say.

The words simply refused to come.

My mind felt cluttered, tangled in too many emotions at once, fear, exhaustion, humiliation, confusion. Every time I tried to form a sentence, it dissolved before reaching my lips.

So instead, I lowered my gaze.

And silently, desperately, I wished for time to move faster.

Twelve days.

Only twelve days left until the competition.

If those days could just pass in a blink, if the hours could fold into each other and disappear, maybe I wouldn’t have to stand here like this. Maybe I wouldn’t have to face him. Maybe everything would finally settle into something bearable.

But time was cruel.

It moved slowly when you wanted it to run.

I felt his fingers under my chin before I realized he had stepped closer again.

This time, the touch was gentle.

Careful.

Darren cupped my chin softly, lifting my face just enough for him to see me properly. His thumb brushed against my skin in a way that felt almost comforting. Then he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

The tenderness in the gesture made my chest tighten in an entirely different way.

"You can tell me what’s wrong, Maria," he said quietly. "I would help you no matter what."

His voice lacked the sharpness Davian’s had carried. There was no accusation in it. No hostility.

Only assurance.

He leaned closer.

Too close.

His lips hovered near my ear, his breath warm against my skin as he murmured, "If they aren’t treating you right in this place, you are welcome to come back to the pack."

The words sank into me slowly.

Back to the pack.

Back to where everything had started.

"No thank you, Alpha Darren!" I said instantly.

The response came out quicker than I expected, almost defensive.

Before he could react, I bent slightly and slipped out from beneath his hands, stepping aside to create distance between us. I couldn’t allow myself to remain in that space of warmth and false safety.

I couldn’t afford to lean on anyone.

Not anymore.

A slow smile spread across his face.

It wasn’t offended.

It wasn’t surprised.

It was knowing.

"Maria," he said calmly, "follow me back to the pack... as my Luna."

My body froze.

Completely.

For a second, I was certain I had misheard him.

Luna?

The word echoed in my head as though it didn’t belong there.

Was he serious?

Was he out of his mind?

My heart began to pound, not from flattery, but from disbelief.

"I can’t, Alpha Darren!" I said quickly, my voice almost breathless. "If you would please excuse me, I have something to do."

I tried to keep my tone polite.

Controlled.

But my nerves betrayed me.

"Something to do?" he asked, stepping in front of me again, blocking my path without touching me this time. His eyes searched mine carefully. "And does that include crying?"

I flinched.

The accuracy of his words stung more than the teasing edge in his voice.

I couldn’t stop the slight roll of my eyes.

"Alpha..."

"Shush."

His hand came up suddenly, pressing lightly against my lips.

The gesture wasn’t harsh.

But it was firm enough to silence me.

"You can decide not to come with me now," he continued, lowering his hand slowly, "but once I win that competition, you won’t have a choice."

My breath caught in my throat.

Panic surged instantly through my veins.

The competition.

Twelve days.

If he won..the implications wrapped around me like tightening chains.

I didn’t want that.

I didn’t want to be a prize.

I didn’t want to be claimed as though I were something to be won.

And yet, the thought that struck me hardest was even more disturbing...I would rather the Quadruplets win than Darren.

The realization startled me.

After everything.

After the accusations.

After the humiliation.

Still, the idea of Darren winning felt...dangerous.

He stepped closer again, reducing the already fragile space between us. Then he bent slightly, lowering himself so his lips brushed near my ear once more.

"I will win the competition," he whispered softly. "No matter what it takes."

A chill ran down my spine.

"You are mine."

The certainty in his tone unsettled me more than anything else he had said.

He straightened slowly and pulled away, flashing me a sly, almost triumphant smile.

Then he turned.

And walked away.

Leaving me standing there.

Stunned.

My mind replayed his words over and over again.

No matter what it takes.

The phrase echoed the loudest.

I remained frozen long after he disappeared down the corridor, my heartbeat still uneven.

Was Darren trying to play dirty?