Maria.

I had been smiling sheepishly all day after Noah tried explaining himself.

Every time I remembered the awkward way he had scratched his head, trying to defend himself, my lips would betray me again. It was embarrassing how easily the memory warmed my chest.

I still didn’t fully understand how I felt.

Everything seemed confusing, too fast, too intense but there was one thing I was completely certain of—I wanted to stay close to him, every second, every minute that goes by.

The thought alone made my heart flutter nervously.

Even now, while I tried to focus on my usual duties around the pack house, my mind kept drifting back to him—his voice, the way he had held my hand, the protective look in his eyes.

"Focus....Maria....Focus!" I shook my head slightly, trying to concentrate on the work in front of me.

But then something else crept into my thoughts, a heavy wave of guilt settled in my chest.

Adrien.

While I had been lost in my own emotions, Adrien was still lying somewhere in this pack house... fighting for his life.

The memory of his injured body flashed through my mind, making my stomach twist painfully.

Before I could stop myself, a familiar voice echoed inside my head.

"Shouldn’t you go and check on our supposed mate?"

Vernia.

My wolf’s voice carried a mix of irritation and concern as she suddenly surfaced in my mind.

I sighed quietly.

"We haven’t confirmed they are our mates yet, Vernia," I replied mentally, my thoughts forming slowly. "What if they have been deceiving us?"

There have been too many strange things happening lately, too many secrets, too many unanswered questions.

Vernia was quiet for a moment, as if considering my words, then she spoke again, her tone slightly uncertain.

"Not so sure about them... but I do feel a little connection with their wolves."

My brows knitted together slightly.

"But..." she continued slowly, "...I can’t feel Adrien’s anymore."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What does that mean?" I asked instantly, panic creeping into my voice.

The silence that followed felt suffocating, then Vernia answered quietly.

"It’s either he is in grave danger..."

My chest tightened painfully.

"...or he is about to die."

"Shit!" I muttered under my breath.

The word slipped out before I could stop it.

A sudden rush of panic flooded my entire body and without thinking twice, I abandoned everything I had been doing. The cloth in my hand fell to the floor as I spun around and hurried out of the room.

My footsteps echoed through the hallway as I rushed toward Adrien’s room, my heart pounded harder with every step and the corridors felt longer than usual, the silence around me unsettling.

Finally, I reached the door.

But the moment I looked around, something felt... wrong.

No guards.

My brows furrowed in confusion.

Shouldn’t someone be watching over him?

Considering his condition and everything that had happened, there should have been warriors stationed here.

Yet the hallway was completely empty.

A strange chill crept down my spine.

Slowly, I reached for the door handle, my fingers hesitated for only a second before I pushed it open.

The door creaked softly.

The sight that greeted me instantly froze me in place.

Adrien was chained to the bed, thick iron restraints bound his wrists and ankles to the frame.

His usually neat hair was now completely disheveled, strands falling wildly across his face as if he had been struggling for a long time.

His chest rose and fell heavily.

And his eyes...his purple eyes looked strained... almost feral.

"Adrien..." I called softly.

My voice was barely more than a whisper.

But the reaction was immediate.

A deep, furious growl ripped from his throat. The sound sent a jolt of fear through my body.

He jerked violently against the chains, the metal rattling loudly as he tried to lunge forward.

For a brief second, it looked as though he was attacking something invisible.

Fighting the air itself.

Startled, I instinctively stepped back.

My heart raced as I stared at him.

What was happening?

Why was he acting like this?

Adrien struggled again, his muscles straining against the restraints, his eyes wild and unfocused. It was as if he wasn’t even aware I was standing there.

"What’s wrong with him?" I whispered under my breath, my voice trembling.

My chest tightened painfully as I watched him.

How could he have ended up like this?

For a moment I simply stood where I was, my heart pounding painfully in my chest as Adrien continued to struggle against the chains. The sound of the metal restraints clanking echoed through the room, each movement of his body looking more desperate than the last.

Fear tightened around my lungs.

But beneath the fear was something stronger, concern and guilt. Slowly, I drew in a shaky breath and forced myself to move.

Step by step, I walked closer to him.

Every movement felt cautious, almost fragile, as though one wrong step might make everything worse. Adrien’s growls had been wild only seconds ago, but as I moved nearer, something shifted.

His movements began to slow.

Then our eyes locked.

The change was immediate.

The violent tension in his body seemed to loosen, just slightly. The rage swirling in those purple eyes softened, as though something inside him had suddenly recognized me.

My heart clenched at the sight.

"Adrien," I called again, my voice trembling this time. "What’s going on with you?"

I took another careful step closer to the bed.

"Why are you like this?" I asked softly, my brows knitting together with worry.

But he didn’t answer, not even a single word left his lips.

He only stared at me.

Those strained purple eyes followed my every movement, watching me with an intensity that made my breath hitch.

It was as if he were trying to hold onto something.

Or someone.

Slowly, I lifted my hand.

For a brief moment I hesitated, unsure if touching him would make things worse. But the way he looked at me, lost, unstable, yet somehow calmer, gave me just enough courage.

Gently, I reached forward and grabbed his chin, the reaction was instant.

Adrien leaned into my touch.

It happened so suddenly that my breath caught in my throat.

His head rested against my hand as if he had been waiting for that contact. His eyes fluttered slightly, and he inhaled deeply, sniffing the air around me.

Once.

Then again.

Like my scent was the only thing grounding him.

Like it was the only thing keeping him sane.

The sight shattered something inside my chest as tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them.

A sharp wave of guilt surged through me, rising from somewhere deep inside my heart.

This... this should have been me.

I should have been the one lying here.

I should have been the one chained to this bed, fighting for control.

But Adrien had taken the fall for me.

The realization made my chest ache painfully. My fingers tightened slightly against his chin as I looked at him, my heart heavy with emotions I couldn’t even begin to explain.

A deep sense of responsibility settled inside me and without even realizing it, I made a silent promise to myself.

I would take care of him.

No matter what.

Until he recovered.

Until he was himself again.

"His wolf..." Vernia suddenly spoke inside my mind.

Her voice carried a strange tone, as if she had just noticed something important.

But she didn’t finish her sentence.

Because at that exact moment...the door creaked open.

The sound was soft.

Almost... sneaky.

My head snapped toward the entrance immediately.

The door slowly pushed open, revealing a figure stepping quietly into the room.

My brows furrowed in confusion as I stared at him.

What was he doing here?

And more importantly...Why was he entering Adrien’s room like this?

Something about the way he moved felt wrong.

Suspicious.

A cold uneasiness crept up my spine as the thought formed in my mind.

Could he...?