Maria.

"Search all rooms! The assassin couldn’t have gone far!"

The command echoed loudly through the hallway outside, the voice sharp and authoritative.

I immediately recognized it.

My head turned toward Noah almost at the same time his eyes lifted toward the door.

The tension in the air thickened instantly.

It hadn’t been long since Anabel stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in anger. The silence she left behind had barely settled before the commotion outside began.

Boots pounded against the corridor floor. Voices overlapped as warriors moved from room to room.

The quadruplets had clearly taken control of the situation.

They were searching for the assassin.

And apparently, every single room in the pack house was about to be checked.

A chill ran down my spine.

My eyes flicked toward the door nervously before returning to Noah.

"Noah," I said carefully, my voice quieter than before.

"I think... I need to go to my room."

The moment the words left my mouth, Noah’s expression hardened.

"No way." The response came so quickly that it almost startled me. "There is no way I’m letting you stay alone when the assassin is still on the loose."

Before I could respond, his hands came up and firmly grabbed my shoulders, pulling my attention fully back to him.

The sudden closeness made my breath hitch slightly, his grip wasn’t painful, just firm and protective.

Like he was trying to make sure I didn’t disappear.

I stayed still under his hold, part of me was frozen by the intensity in his eyes but another part of me felt something completely different.

My heart softened.

The warmth in his gaze made something inside me melt in a way I didn’t expect.

"Honestly, Maria..." Noah said quietly, his voice lowered as he leaned slightly closer. "I really can’t tell if I can live without you."

My breath caught for a moment.

His head lowered slightly as if the confession itself carried weight he hadn’t fully intended to reveal.

The room felt strangely smaller.

Warmer.

More intimate.

But I shook my head faintly, forcing myself to look away from him.

"I don’t think so," I muttered under my breath.

The words were barely louder than a whisper.

Yet somehow....He heard them.

Noah’s head lifted immediately, his eyes sharpened slightly as he looked straight at me again.

"I’m dead serious," he said firmly.

There was no hesitation in his voice now.

No doubt.

But I couldn’t help the frustration that bubbled up inside me.

"But you didn’t talk to me for days," I pointed out quietly.

My gaze drifted away from his again, focusing somewhere past his shoulder. The memory still stung more than I wanted to admit.

For days, he had completely ignored me, walked past me like I didn’t even exist and now he was saying he couldn’t live without me?

The contradiction made my chest tighten.

Noah exhaled slowly. "That’s because you...."

He never got the chance to finish, as the door suddenly burst open with force. The loud bang made both of us turn instantly.

My heart jumped in my chest.

Two rogues stepped inside immediately, their movements quick but cautious. The moment their eyes landed on Noah, they straightened and bowed their heads slightly.

"Pardon us, Alpha Noah," one of them said respectfully. "We need to search the room."

Despite the apology, Noah’s expression darkened instantly. His posture stiffened as he turned toward them, his eyes sharp with irritation.

"How dare you barge in without knocking?" he demanded coldly.

The rogue shifted slightly under the weight of Noah’s voice but didn’t respond immediately.

Before he could say anything else, another voice cut through the tension.

"I gave the orders, Noah."

My stomach tightened the moment I heard it.

Davian stepped into the room.

His presence alone seemed to fill the space with a heavier pressure. His sharp eyes moved across the room quickly before settling directly on me.

"And what are you doing here, Maria?" he asked.

The way he said my name made it feel like an accusation.

My throat suddenly felt dry.

"I—"

The word had barely left my lips when Noah moved.

He stepped in front of me without hesitation, placing himself directly between Davian and me.

His broad back blocked Davian’s gaze completely, shielding me from the intense stare that had been pressing against my skin just seconds ago.

The sudden gesture made my chest tighten slightly.

"You came into my room forcefully, Davian," Noah said firmly, his voice carrying the same sharp edge that Davian’s had. "You don’t get to question who is in it."

The tension between them thickened instantly and for a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Davian let out a short, humorless breath.

"Really?"

His tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Is my sister aware that another woman is in your room?"

The question hung heavily in the air.

I could practically feel the challenge in his voice.

But Noah didn’t back down.

Not even slightly.

"And what’s your sister’s business, if I may ask?" Noah shot back immediately.

The two men stood there facing each other like two wolves circling for dominance.

Neither willing to give an inch.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavier by the second. I could feel the tension pressing against my chest.

This was getting out of control.

"Noah..." I called softly.

My hand reached forward and grabbed a small piece of his shirt, tugging at it gently.

The simple contact felt grounding, but my voice carried clear nervousness.

"I will just leave."

If my leaving could stop this confrontation from escalating, then it was the easiest solution.

But Noah reacted instantly.

"You are going nowhere." His voice was firm and unyielding.

I froze.

The grip of my fingers on his shirt tightened slightly as I swallowed hard. My heart began beating faster as I looked up at the back of his head.

Was he serious?

Was he actually willing to fight Davian here?

Inside their own territory?

The thought made a chill crawl down my spine.

Because Davian wasn’t just anyone.

He was one of the quadruplets.

And starting a fight with them on their own ground...Could turn into something far worse than a simple argument.