Maria.

"Maria! Do you realize what you are doing?" Aidan’s voice cut through the hallway sharply as he strode toward us.

His footsteps were quick, heavy against the floor, each step carrying the storm of emotions written clearly across his face.

When I turned to look at him, the expression in his eyes was impossible to miss...disbelief, anger and something else, something deeper and maybe disappointment.

His gaze burned into me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Like the sight of me standing there with Noah was something he had never imagined could happen.

But instead of making me feel guilty, the look on his face only irritated me further.

The way he stared at me—like he had the right to judge me—made something rebellious stir inside my chest.

Before I could even think about it properly, I turned back toward Noah, and pulled him toward me.

Our lips met again, harder this time, more desperate. The kiss was no longer just passion, it carried a reckless edge now.

I was fully aware of Aidan standing there.

Watching.

And somehow that knowledge only made me cling to Noah even more.

I kissed him deeply, my fingers tightening against his shirt as I pulled him closer.

A soft sound escaped my lips between the kisses, an involuntary moan that broke into the quiet hallway.

Noah responded instantly, his arms tightening around my waist as if he had no intention of letting me go.

"Stop it!" Aidan’s voice exploded through the corridor.

The command was loud and furious.

Before either of us could react, he closed the distance between us in long strides. His hand shot forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from Noah with a force that made my body spin slightly.

In the next second, his other hand slid firmly around my waist.

The grip was strong.

Possessive.

He turned me completely toward him, spinning me until there was barely any space left between our bodies.

The sudden closeness made my breath hitch. His chest was pressed against mine, his hand still locked around my waist like he had no intention of letting me go again.

The heat of his body radiated through the thin space between us.

I could feel it.

Strong.

Overwhelming.

At the same time, his breath brushed faintly against my cheek as he leaned closer.

My heart began beating faster without warning.

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

Confused.

Surprised.

His eyes were darker now, the anger inside them mixed with something far more dangerous.

Something wild.

Then he leaned down slightly, his lips moved close to my ear and his voice dropped to a low whisper.

"You better be careful about provoking my wolf."

The words were quiet, but the warning inside them was unmistakable.

A faint shiver ran down my spine.

His grip on my waist tightened just a little as he spoke again.

"You know exactly who you belong to."

I rolled my eyes instantly at his words.

The arrogance in his voice irritated me more than I expected. I pushed against his chest, trying to create some space between us, but his arms only tightened around me.

I attempted to pull myself free again, twisting slightly in his hold, but Aidan’s grip was far too strong. His arm remained firmly wrapped around my waist, holding me in place as if letting go wasn’t even an option.

It only made my frustration grow.

"Let her go, Aidan!" Noah’s voice cut sharply through the hallway.

I turned my head slightly toward him. His expression was hard, his jaw clenched tightly. His eyes burned with anger, though it was clear he was forcing himself to keep it under control.

But the tension in his posture betrayed him, he was barely holding himself back.

Aidan didn’t seem bothered by Noah’s tone at all. Instead, the corner of his lips lifted faintly as he looked at him.

"And if I don’t, Noah?" Aidan replied calmly, his voice carrying a deliberate challenge. "What would you do?"

The question hung heavily in the air.

The atmosphere between them thickened instantly, like a storm waiting to break.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, struggling again.

My hands pushed against Aidan’s chest as I tried to force him back, but it barely made a difference. His body didn’t move an inch.

Frustration bubbled inside me.

I hit his chest again, harder this time, hoping he would finally loosen his grip.

But he didn’t.

It was like hitting a wall.

"Don’t you think your Luna-to-be would be offended at the sight of this?" Noah’s voice came again, colder now.

The words cut through the hallway with quiet precision, the sharpness in his tone impossible to ignore. There was no humor in it this time, no teasing edge, just something colder, more deliberate.

The moment the words left his mouth, I felt something change.

It wasn’t loud, nor was it dramatic but it was there.

Aidan’s arm, which had been firmly wrapped around my waist, shifted slightly.

His grip loosened.

Just a little.

Not enough for anyone else to immediately notice.

But enough for me.

The change was subtle, the pressure of his hand easing against my side as if the words had forced him to hesitate, even if only for a second.

And somehow, that tiny shift didn’t bring relief like I thought it would, instead, something strange tugged at the corner of my chest.

A small ache.

It was faint, almost ridiculous in its softness, but it was there all the same.

The feeling surprised me.

Why should I care if he loosened his grip?

If anything, I should have been glad.

I should have stepped away the moment the hold relaxed, putting distance between us and making it clear that I had never wanted him standing so close in the first place.

But the thought lingered anyway.

Annoying.

Unwelcome.

What a jerk.

The irritation returned almost immediately, pushing the strange feeling aside before it could grow into something I didn’t want to examine.

I lifted my gaze toward Aidan again, my eyes narrowing as I continued glaring at him.

If he thought that loosening his grip slightly would somehow soften my mood, he was clearly mistaken.

My annoyance was still very much intact.

But before I could say anything else, before the tension between the three of us could grow any heavier....Another voice suddenly drifted down the hallway.

"Aidan... what’s going on?" The sound of it was soft, gentle, almost delicate.

But the moment the voice reached my ears, something inside me tightened sharply.

My irritation spiked instantly.

I didn’t even need to see who it belonged to, just hearing that tone was enough. My eyes shifted toward the direction the voice had come from.

Down the hallway.

And there she was.

Standing just a short distance away, her expression filled with quiet concern as she looked toward us.

Her presence seemed calm, almost innocent, as if she had simply wandered into the scene without understanding the tension hanging in the air.

But the sight of her only made my mood worsen.

Speak of the devil.