Noah.

The moment the door shut behind me, I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to push away the memory of Maria. My steps were quick, almost frantic, as I navigated the corridor. Every nerve in my body still screamed from the lingering heat of her touch, the press of her body against mine, the taste of her lips.

I cursed under my breath, the words sharp and bitter as they slipped past my lips.

"Get it together, Noah." I muttered silently to myself, forcing my mind to refocus.

My chest still felt tight, my pulse racing from the encounter with Maria, and every nerve in my body was on high alert. I couldn’t afford to falter now, not when there was so much chaos swirling around, not when my thoughts were still tangled with worry and frustration.

I rounded a corner too sharply, my momentum carrying me forward faster than I expected, and nearly collided with someone standing in my path. My eyes widened in sudden alarm as I instinctively slowed, trying not to knock the person over.

"Oh! Alpha Noah, I..."

The voice trembled slightly, almost breaking with uncertainty. I looked up and saw Anabel stumbling slightly back, her head dipping forward as she tried to steady herself. There was a flicker of fear, or maybe respect, in her eyes, and I realized she wasn’t expecting me to appear so suddenly.

"I’m... I’m sorry," she said softly, her voice quiet, hesitant, carrying a tone of genuine remorse. "I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pushed or tried to interfere. I’ll... I’ll be patient with you. I promise."

For a moment, I froze, staring at her. Her sincerity was clear, and a small part of me, the part I could finally let breathe, relaxed slightly.

I nodded, tension easing from my shoulders.

"It’s okay, Anabel," I said gently, my voice calmer than it had been in hours. I didn’t realize my guard had lowered completely.

Before I could even process it, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. It was soft at first, tentative, but the shock sent my pulse racing.

I froze, my body locking up completely, my limbs turning heavy and unresponsive as though they weren’t even mine. A wave of weakness spread through me, sudden and disorienting, as if the world had shifted beneath my feet and I’d lost all control. My mind scrambled to catch up with the sensation, but everything felt distant, muted, and terrifyingly out of reach.

"Anabel..." I started, my voice barely above a whisper, uncertain and strained as I tried to pull away from her, to create even the slightest space between us. But the words faltered mid-sentence as something else pierced the air. Something sharp and undeniable.

The rapid sound of footsteps pounded behind me, growing louder with each heartbeat. My chest constricted as adrenaline surged through me, coursing along every vein and igniting my senses.

"NOAH!"

Maria’s voice cut through the corridor like a blade slicing through silence. It was urgent, commanding, impossible to ignore. My heart lurched violently in my chest, my instincts snapping into action faster than reason could keep up.

I shoved Anabel away from me, forcing a step back with a sudden, almost reflexive motion. My pulse hammered as my eyes locked on Maria, who was moving past me without even slowing her pace, her presence slicing through the tension in the corridor like sunlight piercing clouds.

"Maria!" I called, my voice rough with urgency, ragged from emotion, trembling slightly despite my effort to keep control. Each word carried a weight, a desperate pull to make her stop, to keep her from moving too far out of reach.

My wolf stirred deep within me, a powerful, instinctive force responding to her presence. It pushed me forward, coiling inside like a spring, propelling me faster than I normally could, giving my legs strength I hadn’t realized I had. The world blurred at the edges as I closed the distance, focus narrowing entirely on her.

She moved swiftly, her strides purposeful, confident, but I caught up within seconds. My hand shot out, fingers brushing hers, gripping lightly at her wrist to slow her just enough. A tether, a pause.

"Maria, wait! I...." I began, the words trembling as I struggled to articulate the flood of emotion, the storm of instinct and reason and desperation all fighting inside me.

She shook her head calmly, decisively, cutting me off before I could finish. Her eyes met mine, steady and unreadable, a calm certainty radiating from her gaze. There was no anger there, no reproach, no judgment, only clarity.

"I understand, Noah. You don’t need to explain." Her voice was soft, measured, yet carried a weight I felt deep in my chest.

It anchored me, even as the pulse of adrenaline continued to surge through my veins.

I hesitated, wanting desperately to tell her everything, how my pulse had spiked the moment Anabel kissed me, how I hadn’t meant to let my guard down, how my wolf had reacted to her scent and presence.

"No, you don’t understand! I have to explain..." I insisted, gripping her shoulders lightly.

She shook her head again, giving me a small, almost amused smile. "Noah, I said I understand. The Quadruplets are waiting, and we need to move. That’s all that matters right now."

I swallowed, knowing she was right, but my mind still churned with the memory of the kiss, of Anabel’s sudden advance, of how close I had been to losing control. My fingers lingered briefly on her hands, grounding myself, drawing in the calm that she exuded without even trying.

The corridor was quiet for a moment, save for our breathing. Then she started walking again, confident and determined, and I fell in step beside her. My wolf settled reluctantly, still restless, but I forced myself to focus.

The Quadruplets were waiting. And for now, that was all that mattered.

My eyes flicked to Maria once more, and I silently vowed that no matter what happened, no one—no one—would ever interfere with her again.

And when the whole matter is resolved, I will explain everything to her clear. She is the only woman I will ever crave and want and with what she saw earlier, I wouldn’t want her thinking otherwise.