Adrien.

I needed to correct her.

The thought pounded in my head, louder than reason, louder than restraint.

That look on her face, defiant, unwavering, unnerved me more than I cared to admit. Maria had never looked at me like that before, not with challenge.

I needed to wipe it from her face.

Needed to remind her.

Needed her to know who she belonged to.

The urge came fast and reckless, driven by wounded pride and something darker I didn’t want to name.

Without hesitation, I leaned in and crushed my lips against hers.

The kiss wasn’t gentle.

It wasn’t patient.

It was claiming.

Her lips were still slightly swollen, and the contact sent a sharp surge of heat through me. I gripped her face firmly, holding her in place as I pressed harder.

Why would she say that?

Why would she dare to imply I had no right?

No one was permitted to kiss her.

No one.

Except me.

The thought burned with possessive certainty.

I deepened the kiss the more she resisted.

Her hands came up against my chest, pushing, weak at first, then firmer, but instead of pulling back, I leaned further in. My mouth moved over hers insistently, refusing to give her space.

The resistance only fueled something reckless inside me.I wanted to trap her beneath me.To erase that defiance. To make her moan my name so she would realize.

Realize who stood before her.

Realize who she answered to.

"You belong to me, Maria," I muttered against her skin as my lips left hers and trailed down to her neck.

My voice was low, possessive.

Harsh.

"You aren’t even allowed to talk back at me." I pressed my lips against the curve of her neck, leaving heated kisses along her skin. I could feel the tension in her body, rigid beneath me.

I kept kissing.

Kept trying to overpower the silence between us with touch instead of words.

I shifted, pressing her back fully against the mattress, my body hovering over hers. For a moment, I held myself above her, looking down at her flushed face, expecting something...Submission.

Instead, her eyes remained clear.

Unyielding.

I rolled suddenly, pulling her with me so that I lay flat on my back and she ended up on top of me. My hands gripped her waist, keeping her there. I wanted her to feel the shift.

Wanted her to beg.

To say she understood, to admit she had been wrong to challenge me. The room felt charged, heavy with the clash of wills rather than desire.

I looked up at her, waiting.

Waiting for her to soften.

But she didn’t.

Her hands pushed against my chest again, this time not hesitant, but firm as she pulled away.

And then...She wiped her lips, like I disgusted her.

The motion was small, simple, but it hit harder than any blow. For a second, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. A sharp pain pierced through my chest, sudden and unexpected. It wasn’t anger this time.

It wasn’t pride.

It was something far worse.

Rejection.

The same lips I had just claimed, the same lips I believed I had every right to, she wiped them as if my touch had stained her. My grip on her waist loosened without me realizing it. The fire that had been driving me moments ago flickered uncertainly.

I stared up at her, searching her face for something—anything—that would undo that gesture.

But all I saw was distance.

And that distance hurt more than I was prepared for.

"Alpha Adrien, I will advise you to refrain from kissing someone who goes about kissing other Alphas."

Her words hit me like a slap, for a second, I just stared at her, the accusation in her tone.

The bitterness.

The hurt.

It echoed the exact words I had thrown at her earlier, only now they were turned back on me, sharpened, deliberate.

"I... I..." I tried to speak, but the confidence I usually carried so easily abandoned me.

It was only then that I realized my words had hurt her.

Deeply.

I saw it now in her eyes, not just anger, not just defiance, but wounded pride. And it was too late to take it back. Too late to pretend I hadn’t said what I said.

But I didn’t want her to see the effect she had on me. I didn’t want her to see the crack forming in my composure.

So instead of admitting fault, I let my pride speak for me.

"Maria," I said sharply, pushing myself up to stand fully before her, "tell me—what did Noah promise you?"

I closed the distance between us in a few strides.

"You seem to have grown a little wings."

My voice carried mockery, but beneath it lay something far less controlled, jealousy.

"Alpha Adrien..." she began, her tone strained.

Before she could finish, I lifted my hand and placed my fingers lightly over her lips.

The gesture silenced her instantly.

Her breath warmed my palm.

"Whatever he promised," I said, leaning closer, lowering my voice to a whisper near her ear, "I can give you more."

I moved close enough that my breath brushed against her skin.

She shivered.

I felt it.

The reaction wasn’t imagined.

It was real.

And my wolf stirred in satisfaction, almost howling in victory.

See?

I still had an effect on her.

No matter how bold she acted.

No matter how she tried to stand her ground.

Her body still responded.

"That doesn’t stop you from carrying out the command I gave you," I continued quietly, my tone regaining its authority.

She stepped back.

The movement created a small gap between us.

And when she looked up at me, there was confusion in her eyes, as if she didn’t recall what I meant.

I clenched my fists tightly at my sides.

"Maria," I said, my voice dropping into something colder, "are you trying to play dumb?"

I took a step forward, closing the space she had created.

"When last did you sleep on my bed at night?"

The question hung between us, and her expression shifted immediately, the fire in her eyes dimmed, and she lowered her head.

For a fleeting second, I thought I had regained control.

"Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten," I added firmly. "You are to resume this night."

That had been my command.

Clear.

Undeniable.

And until now, she had never disobeyed me outright.

I expected her to nod.

To bow her head slightly and accept it.

To return to the familiar pattern where my words were final.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she lifted her head again.

And when she spoke, her voice didn’t tremble.

"I won’t."

I stared at her.

Stunned.

For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.

But the determination in her eyes told me I hadn’t.

"I won’t," she repeated, stronger this time.

The defiance in her voice struck something deep within me.

My jaw tightened.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

I had demanded loyalty.

Expected submission.

But what stood before me now was will.

What exactly is going on with her?