Maria.

I shifted slightly against Noah’s body, careful not to make the movement too obvious.

Sleep had left me only a few seconds ago, pulled away by the sound of Anabel’s voice cutting sharply through the quiet room. At first, I had remained still, letting my breathing stay slow and even, pretending that I was still lost in sleep.

I hadn’t opened my eyes.

I didn’t want to.

For some reason I couldn’t quite explain, I didn’t want to move away from Noah’s warmth. His arms had been around me when I drifted off, steady and protective, and even now the lingering comfort of that closeness made me reluctant to break the moment.

But there was another reason too.

I didn’t want to leave Noah and give Anabel the chance to have him to herself again.

So I stayed still.

Listening.

Her voice trembled with anger and grief as she spoke about Adrien, about how he was fighting for his life. The guilt twisted sharply in my chest when I heard it. The reminder of Adrien collapsing onto the ground flashed through my mind again.

Yes... I felt guilty.

Of course I did.

He had taken the arrow meant for me.

But damn it... I hadn’t asked him to.

The thought came bitterly, stubbornly.

I hadn’t told him to do that.

Still, the weight of it pressed uncomfortably on my chest.

My fingers curled slowly into the bedspread beneath me.

Then I heard movement.

Noah.

When I finally allowed my eyelids to part just slightly, I saw him standing close to Anabel now, his hand resting gently on her head as she leaned against him.

He was comforting her.

My chest tightened.

I loved the fact that Noah had always supported me, had always chosen to stand by my side even when everyone else seemed ready to blame me.

But watching him hold Anabel like that...Watching her cry against him...Something sharp twisted in my stomach.

My fingers clenched harder into the fabric beneath me. Before the feeling could grow any stronger, I coughed softly.

The sound was small, but it was enough.

Noah reacted instantly.

His arms left Anabel as he turned quickly and came straight to the bed. Within seconds he was kneeling beside me, his expression filled with concern as he leaned closer.

"Maria, are you okay?" he asked immediately.

I slowly blinked my eyes open, pretending the movement was lazy and sluggish, like someone who had just woken from deep sleep.

My gaze lifted gradually....and then it met Anabel’s.

The fury burning in her eyes was unmistakable, It was sharp, cold ams blazing with resentment.

Strangely enough, seeing it sent a small wave of satisfaction through me.

I shifted slightly again, letting my body lean toward Noah as if I needed the support.

He responded without hesitation, his arm slipping around my waist to steady me as I leaned against him. His hand rested firmly against my side, pulling me closer in a way that felt almost possessive.

"I’m fine, Noah," I murmured softly.

My eyes never left Anabel.

"I am just... overwhelmed."

Noah’s grip on my waist tightened slightly as if to reassure me.

But Anabel had clearly reached her limit.

"Get away from him!" Her voice exploded through the room as she rushed forward.

Before I could react, she reached out, trying to yank Noah’s hands away from my waist.

But something unexpected happened.

Noah moved first.

His arm pushed outward firmly, shoving Anabel back before she could grab him.

She stumbled from the force, losing her balance as she staggered backward and fell to the ground.

The room fell silent.

Anabel looked up at him, shock written all over her face.

"Noah, you..." she began. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

But the rest of her words died in her throat as she swallowed them.

"Oh my... Anabel, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to."

Noah’s voice came out quickly, almost instinctively, but even as he spoke the apology, his arm remained firmly wrapped around my waist.

His grip didn’t loosen.

If anything, it felt even tighter, as though he was holding onto something fragile that might slip away if he wasn’t careful.

I stayed where I was, leaning slightly into him, fully aware of the warmth of his hand resting against my side.

Across the room, Anabel slowly pushed herself up from the floor.

Her expression was frozen somewhere between shock and disbelief as she stared at Noah like she couldn’t quite understand what had just happened.

"But... you pushed me, Noah," she said, her voice quieter now but filled with hurt.

Her eyes searched his face desperately.

"You have never pushed me before."

For a brief moment, Noah looked slightly uncomfortable under her gaze. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a small breath.

"Yeah... I know," he admitted, shaking his head lightly.

"That’s why I’m apologizing."

Anabel blinked at him.

Then suddenly, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.

The sound carried no amusement.

Only bitterness.

"Apologizing?" she repeated slowly.

Her gaze dropped from Noah’s face to where his hand still rested on my waist.

"You’re apologizing to me, Noah," she continued, her voice sharpening, "and you’re still holding her waist."

Her eyes lingered there for a long second, the anger in them burning even brighter now.

I felt Noah shift slightly beside me, but he didn’t pull his hand away.

Not even a little.

Something warm stirred in my chest at that but the tension in the room was quickly becoming unbearable.

"Anabel," I said suddenly.

My voice cut through the silence, slightly raised as irritation curled low in my stomach.

"He already said he’s sorry." I tilted my head slightly as I looked at her. "Don’t make it hard for him."

The words came out smoother than I felt.

Because deep down, the frustration inside me was growing stronger with every second she stood there glaring at us.

Yes, her brother had taken the arrow meant for me.

Yes, he was currently fighting for his life.

And yes... a small part of me still felt guilty about that.

But that didn’t give her the right to act like Noah belonged to her.

Not anymore.

Her brothers would be out of danger once I left this pack.

That had always been the plan.

And my decision hadn’t changed.

I was still leaving with Noah.

Which meant I couldn’t allow Anabel to keep clinging to him the way she always had.

Not when it risked making Noah conflicted.

Her head snapped toward me instantly.

"Shut up, Maria!"

Her voice exploded with pure fury.

The tears from earlier were gone now, replaced entirely by blazing anger.

Her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she glared at me.

"I swear," she continued through gritted teeth, "if anything happens to my brother... I am going to make you pay for it."

The threat hung heavily in the air.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Anabel turned sharply on her heel.

Without another word, she stormed out of the room, the door slamming loudly behind her.