Maria.

The moment we stepped out of the room, I pulled my hand free from Noah’s.

The movement was quick, almost instinctive, like I couldn’t bear the contact for even a second longer. His fingers loosened around mine as I slipped away, the warmth of his grip fading instantly.

"I need air," I muttered.

My voice came out lower than I expected, strained, barely steady. I didn’t wait for his response, didn’t even look back, as I moved ahead of him, my steps quicker than usual, almost restless.

My thoughts were too loud.

Too tangled.

Everything that had just happened replayed over and over again in my mind, refusing to slow down, refusing to make sense. And staying close to him, after Damien’s words, after that confrontation, only made it worse, suffocating me further.

The hallway stretched endlessly before me. The sound of my footsteps echoed faintly against the walls, each one blending into the chaos in my head. I kept walking, not stopping, not slowing, until I reached a quieter corner, tucked away from everything, far enough to breathe, or at least try to.

"Maria..."

I turned sharply before he could say anything else.

The suddenness of my movement surprised even me, but I didn’t care. My chest was rising and falling too fast, each breath shallow, uneven, as I tried to steady myself.

"Just tell me the truth," Noah said.

His voice was tighter than he probably intended, the strain in it barely concealed. It wasn’t anger, not entirely, but there was something beneath it. Something heavier.

My chest tightened.

Did he believe Damien... and not me?

The thought hit harder than it should have, stirring something uneasy inside me.

What truth is he even looking for?

"Are they really my mates?" he asked.

The question hung heavily between us.

Unavoidable.

I froze.

Completely.

For a second, something flickered across his face, something I couldn’t quite grasp. It was there and gone so quickly I almost thought I imagined it. Doubt? Fear? Something deeper?

I swallowed, the motion slow, deliberate, as my mind scrambled for something, anything, that made sense.

"No... I mean... I don’t know..." The words stumbled out of me, uncertain, unsteady. "Because I don’t feel anything," I continued, my voice softer now, but no less troubled. "There’s nothing, Noah."

I shook my head slightly, as if trying to convince myself as much as him.

"No bond, no pull... nothing that tells me Damien is telling the truth."

My brows furrowed as frustration crept in, tightening my expression. It wasn’t just confusion anymore, it was something sharper, more unsettling.

"I don’t even know what’s real anymore," I admitted, my voice dropping further, almost fragile now. "I don’t know if he’s lying... or my wolf is just..."

I trailed off.

Because I didn’t even know how to finish that sentence.

"I just..." I exhaled shakily, the breath leaving me slower than I intended, like it carried all the weight I couldn’t put into words. "I just want to leave the pack."

The confession felt raw as it left my lips, but it was the only thing that didn’t feel uncertain.

The only thing I was sure of.

For a moment, Noah didn’t respond.

The silence stretched between us, quiet but heavy, as if he was weighing something carefully in his mind. His gaze stayed on me, unreadable, giving nothing away.

Then slowly...I saw it.

Relief.

It slipped into his expression so subtly that anyone else might have missed it, but I didn’t. It was there, faint but undeniable, softening the tension that had been holding his features tight just seconds ago.

His shoulders eased slightly, the rigid line of them loosening as if some invisible pressure had just been lifted. Then he let out a quiet breath, almost inaudible, but it carried the unmistakable sound of release.

Like he had been holding it in.

Like he had been bracing himself for something... and was suddenly spared from it.

His gaze shifted away from me briefly, breaking eye contact as though he needed that second to collect himself, to compose whatever reaction had almost surfaced.

"Good," he muttered under his breath.

The word was soft.

Almost to himself.

But I heard it.

My brows pulled together instantly, confusion replacing the lingering tension in my chest.

"What?" I asked, my voice edged with disbelief. "Why good?"

That wasn’t what I had expected. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Not even close.

He shook his head quickly, as if realizing he had said too much, turning back to me with a small, controlled smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Nothing," he said.

Too quickly.

Too easily.

Before I could question it further, before I could press him for an explanation that actually made sense, he turned slightly, his body angling away as if he intended to walk off and end the conversation right there.

And then...Thud.

The sound was abrupt, cutting cleanly through the moment as he bumped straight into someone.

I blinked.

Daniel.

"Oh...Maria," Daniel said almost immediately.

He didn’t even spare Noah a glance, despite being the one who had just collided with him. Instead, his attention settled entirely on me, his voice smooth, calm, so composed it almost felt unnatural, as if nothing in the world could ever shake him.

"You didn’t come back."

My heart skipped.

"I... I got caught up with something," I replied quickly.

The words came out in a rush, and I forced my voice to stay steady, to not betray the sudden shift in my emotions.

Daniel’s gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary.

Studying.

Observing.

As though he was trying to read something beneath the surface.

Then his hand reached out.

And wrapped gently around mine.

The contact sent a strange chill through me, sharp and unexpected, spreading from where his fingers touched my skin.

"Come," he said softly.

His tone was gentle, almost coaxing, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I was waiting for you."

Before I could react...Noah’s voice sprang out.

"Excuse me."

The shift was immediate, the edge in his tone slicing through whatever moment had just formed.

I turned.

His expression had changed again.

Completely.

The calm from earlier was gone, replaced with something colder, something far more guarded. His gaze locked onto Daniel, hard and unyielding, a quiet tension settling into his stance.

"She’s with me," Noah said, stepping forward.

The movement was subtle, but deliberate, placing himself closer, more firmly between us.

"And we’re in the middle of something important."

The tension between them snapped into place instantly.

It was like the air itself had stiffened, charged with a current that neither of them had fully acknowledged until that moment. Everything in the space between them seemed to tighten, the distance, the silence, even the weight of unspoken words pressing down like a physical force.

Daniel didn’t look fazed.

Not even slightly.

If anything, there was a casual ease to him, a kind of deliberate calm that somehow only made the tension feel heavier.

In fact—he smiled.

Not a nervous smile. Not a forced one. But a slow, easy curve of his lips, confident and unbothered, as if he knew exactly what he was doing and expected nothing else.

"Relax," he said lightly.

His tone was deceptively calm, almost teasing in a way that made the sharp edge of the situation worse. "I’m just checking up on her."

His gaze flickered toward me briefly, lingering just long enough to make my heart skip. "And it doesn’t look like she’s complaining."

I froze.

Because I hadn’t even realized.

I hadn’t pulled my hand away yet.

And now the casual way he said it made it feel exposed, like a quiet truth I hadn’t been ready to acknowledge aloud. My pulse spiked, and for a brief moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, just felt the weight of both their gazes on me.

Before I could say anything...Noah moved.

The motion was quick, fluid, and undeniably deliberate. His hand closed around my wrist. Firm. Unyielding. Not hurting, but impossible to ignore. And in one swift, decisive motion, he pulled me away from Daniel, removing every fraction of space that had existed between us.

"That won’t be necessary," he said flatly.

No plea. No question. Just the quiet authority in his voice that brooked no argument.

For a split second, something unreadable passed through Daniel’s eyes. A flash, too brief to name, surprise? Amusement? A flicker of intrigue? I couldn’t tell.

But then...he stepped back.

"Alright," he said calmly, with the same smoothness he’d had moments ago. "If you say so."

The ease in his tone only made it more unsettling. Too calm. Too composed. Like he hadn’t lost control at all, like this was exactly the outcome he had expected.

Noah didn’t respond.

Not a word. Not a glance.

He just turned and started walking, pulling me along with him, every step purposeful, deliberate.

We walked in silence.

But my eyes didn’t leave him.

On the tight set of his jaw.

On the way his grip didn’t loosen, not even an inch.

On how he didn’t look back, not once, not even briefly, as though nothing behind us mattered, as though he had claimed this space, this moment, entirely.

A strange feeling crept into my chest.

Uneasy.

Confusion.

What exactly was going on with him?

I swallowed hard, my brows pulling together slightly as I stared at the side of his face, trying to read something, anything, in the rigid line of his features.

Why didn’t he want anyone near me?

Daniel might be suspicious, yes. But at least... he didn’t move to claim me. He didn’t pull me into his orbit.

Noah did.