Adrien.

It had taken every ounce of restraint I possessed not to go to her these past few days.

Every single day since the competition began, Maria had been on my mind, constantly, relentlessly, like a thought that refused to be pushed aside. No matter how much I tried to focus on the events unfolding around me, her face always found its way back into my thoughts.

Her voice.

Her scent.

The way her eyes lit up when she was angry or determined.

It drove me insane.

More than once, I had found myself walking halfway down the corridor that led to her room before forcing my feet to stop. I knew if I saw her, if I allowed myself to stand too close, I wouldn’t be able to control what came next.

Because the truth was simple.

I wanted her.

Badly.

I wanted to feel her shiver beneath my touch, to see that stubborn fire in her eyes melt into something softer. I wanted her body trembling beneath mine, her breath catching as I showed her exactly who she belonged to.

The thought alone was enough to cloud my mind most days.

Maria had become a constant presence in my head, a distraction I couldn’t shake no matter how hard I tried.

And then Damien lost the first round.

When that happened, something heavy settled in my chest. A dull ache that lingered longer than I cared to admit.

I had always assumed things would fall into place eventually.

That the competition would simply be another game to determine who would lead, who would win.

But watching those rounds unfold, watching Maria sit there in the stands while men fought over her like she was a prize... it forced a realization I had tried to ignore.

What if she actually left?

What if someone won this competition and took her away from this pack?

From me.

The thought twisted something deep inside my chest.

I didn’t know if I could live like that.

I didn’t know if I could go the rest of my life knowing she was somewhere else, belonging to someone else, breathing someone else’s air.

Her leaving this pack wasn’t an option.

Not now.

Not ever.

I stood still where I was, my gaze fixed on her across the arena.

Maria sat among the crowd, her posture tense, her eyes moving carefully across the field.

For a brief moment, her gaze met mine.

But just as quickly, she looked away.

My jaw tightened as I watched her turn her attention elsewhere.

Toward Noah.

Of course.

Her eyes remained on him, following his every movement as he prepared for the round.

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest, it was sudden, unpleasant but impossible to ignore.

She wasn’t looking at me.

She was looking at him.

And when Noah won the competition, when those five arrows struck the bullseye and the crowd erupted in cheers, the way Maria reacted said everything.

She didn’t hesitate.

She ran straight toward him, without thinking, without caring who saw.

In that moment, the truth became painfully clear.

Maria was determined to leave this pack.

To leave this territory.

To leave me.

My fists clenched at my sides.

She was my damn mate.

How could I just stand here and let that happen?

I turned my head slightly and looked at my brothers standing nearby.

Davian.

Damien.

Aidan.

None of them spoke, but the expressions on their faces mirrored the storm brewing inside my own chest.

They understood.

They were thinking the exact same thing.

Maria wasn’t just some woman caught in a competition.

She was ours.

My gaze returned to her again.

She had stepped onto the field now, running toward Noah with that bright excitement lighting up her face.

But then....omething caught my eye. The movement was fast and sharp. My breath caught as I recognized it instantly.

An arrow.

It had been released from somewhere behind the contestants, flying straight across the field.

Straight toward her.

Toward Maria.

A surge of pure panic shot through me.

Hell no.

"Maria... watch out!" I shouted.

I wasn’t just shouting.

My feet were already moving before the words had even fully left my mouth.

The moment I saw the arrow slicing through the air toward her, everything else around me faded. The crowd, the arena, the competition, none of it mattered anymore.

All I could see was Maria.

Standing there in the middle of the field.

Completely unaware.

Time seemed to slow as panic surged through my veins. My heart pounded violently against my ribs as I ran toward her with everything I had.

"Maria!" My voice tore from my throat again, louder this time, desperate.

But she still hadn’t moved.

She was frozen, and the arrow was getting closer. There was no time to think, no time to hesitate.

Just before it reached her, I lunged forward and shoved her hard to the side.

Her body stumbled away from the path of the arrow.

And then....Pain.

A sharp, burning sensation exploded through my chest as the arrow pierced deep into my flesh.

The force of it knocked the air from my lungs instantly.

My body collapsed to the ground, the sand rushing up to meet me as I fell flat onto my back.

For a moment, everything spun.

The sky above blurred as my breathing grew heavy and uneven.

But despite the pain spreading through my chest, one thought filled my mind.

Maria.

I turned my head slightly, straining my eyes to find her.

She was standing a few feet away, unharmed.

Alive.

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

Relief washed over me so strongly that it almost dulled the pain.

"She’s fine..." I murmured weakly.

That was all that mattered.

Suddenly, the arena erupted into chaos.

"An assassin!" someone shouted.

The crowd broke into loud, panicked cries as people scrambled from their seats. Warriors rushed forward, their weapons drawn as they searched frantically for the attacker.

"Catch the assassin!" Davian’s commanding voice thundered across the arena.

Footsteps pounded against the sand around me.

Within seconds, Aidan and Damien were beside me. Their faces hovered above mine, their expressions tight with alarm as they knelt down.

"Noah!" Aidan’s voice was sharp with urgency.

But I barely heard him.

My gaze drifted past them again, searching for only one person.

Maria.

She was still standing where I had pushed her.

Frozen.

Her eyes were wide, shock holding her in place like stone.

She hadn’t moved.

Hadn’t come closer.

Hadn’t rushed toward me.

A small ache stirred somewhere deep inside my chest.

Not from the wound.

Something else.

If I was being honest with myself... I had hoped she would run to me. That she would be the one kneeling beside me right now.

But instead, it was my brothers.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to feel sad.

Because this... this was something I had always wanted.

To protect her.

To keep her safe.

She was my mate.

Loving her, protecting her, standing between her and danger, it had always felt natural to me.

Even if she didn’t feel the same.

Even if I had never been able to show her the kind of love she truly deserved.

A faint smile tugged weakly at my lips despite the growing heaviness in my chest.

Maybe I hadn’t loved her properly.

Maybe I hadn’t given her everything I should have.

But at least...I had protected her.

And that was enough for me.

The thought of dying didn’t frighten me.

Not really.

The only regret that lingered quietly in my mind was simple.

I never got the chance to give her all the love she deserved.