Daniel.

I was pacing back and forth relentlessly.

My boots struck the floor with a sharp, uneven rhythm, the sound echoing through the room as my thoughts spiraled out of control.

"I knew it..." I muttered under my breath, dragging a hand through my hair. "I knew this was going to happen."

My chest tightened, anger simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to explode at any second.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" I snapped aloud, my voice rising as I turned sharply, kicking aside a chair that stood in my way. "Coming out of nowhere and suddenly deciding he can claim her?"

I let out a harsh, humorless laugh.

"Engaged?" I scoffed. "To Maria?"

The words tasted bitter on my tongue.

"No way," I said firmly, shaking my head as I resumed pacing. "No... I’m not going to allow that. Not now. Not ever. Only in his dreams."

My jaw clenched as I stopped abruptly in the middle of the room.

"They think this is over?" I continued, my voice low but filled with restrained fury. "The competition is still on."

I turned toward the window, my eyes darkening.

"So what right does he have to claim the prize?" I demanded, as if someone was there to answer me. "What right does anyone have to take what is mine?"

Silence answered me.

But it didn’t matter.

Because I already knew the truth.

"She’s mine," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

My fists tightened. "I’ll take her away from this pack if I have to," I added, more firmly this time. "I don’t care what it takes."

My breathing was uneven now, my emotions a tangled mess of anger, desire, and something far more dangerous.

Without thinking, I turned and walked straight toward my bed.

My movements slowed as I reached beneath the pillow, my fingers brushing against something familiar.

The portrait.

I pulled it out carefully, almost reverently.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at it.

Maria.

Her face stared back at me, just as vivid as the first day I had seen her. Every detail captured perfectly, the softness in her eyes, the curve of her lips, the quiet strength she carried without even realizing it.

My expression softened, just slightly.

"You..." I murmured, tracing the edge of the frame with my thumb. "You’re the reason all of this is happening."

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my gaze never leaving the portrait.

"You don’t even know it, do you?" I said quietly. "How much trouble you’ve caused... how much chaos you’ve stirred."

A faint smile tugged at my lips, but there was nothing warm about it.

"You’re mine, Maria," I said, my voice firm, almost possessive. "Whether you like it or not."

My words hung in the air, heavy with all finality.

And just then, a sudden flutter broke the silence. My head snapped toward the window.

A pigeon.

It flapped its wings as it landed on the edge of the window frame, its presence unexpected but not unfamiliar.

My eyes narrowed instantly.

I pushed the window open wider, allowing the bird to step inside.

It didn’t resist.

Of course it didn’t.

My gaze dropped to its leg.

There it was.

A small, tightly wrapped letter.

"So..." I muttered, gently caressing its feet as I held it. "You finally decided to show up."

I reached out, untying it carefully before taking the paper into my hand. The pigeon fluttered once before settling nearby, as if waiting.

But I wasn’t paying attention to it anymore. My eyes flicked briefly to my right hand.

A habit.

A reflex.

Then, slowly, I unfolded the letter.

My gaze scanned the contents.

And just like that....A slow smile spread across my lips.

"Well..." I exhaled softly, shaking my head in disbelief. "Isn’t this interesting?"

I let out a low chuckle, folding the letter halfway as my eyes darkened with intrigue.

"So the Lycan prince is here..." I murmured. My grip on the paper tightened slightly. "In this pack?"

I looked up, my mind already racing.

"Where the hell are you hiding?" I muttered, glancing around as though I could somehow sense him. "And who the hell did you disguise yourself as, walking around like you own this place?"

For a moment, irritation flickered across my face again. I had always been his pawn and nothing more. And for his selfish desires, he made me swallow poison to confirm loyalty.

In my life right now, I wasn’t a free man. I was a man who had too many secrets and too many obstacles.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"Tch... things are getting messy," I muttered.

But then...I stopped.

My expression shifted, my irritation fading instantly, replaced by something colder. Sharper and focused as something clicked in my head.

I looked back down at the letter, then slowly folded it completely before slipping it into my pocket.

"Doesn’t matter if it’s an order." I said calmly, my voice steady and controlled. "I don’t care what the Lycan prince wants... or what game he is playing."

I turned away from the window, walking back into the center of the room with slow, deliberate steps.

"Because at the end of the day..." I continued, my lips curling slightly, "I already know what I want. And the order he just sent is part of it."

My eyes flickered briefly toward the portrait still resting on the bed.

Maria.

"Give me a little more time Maria, I will be done with this mess and I will take you far away from here, because in the end I always get what I want."

I paused for a second, then nodded to myself.

"Alright," I said under my breath, moving towards the edge of the bed, as I carefully wrapped the portrait. "Just be a good girl and wait for me."

A faint smirk formed on my lips.

"The task..." I added quietly, almost thoughtfully. "It’s been on my mind anyway."

My gaze hardened, now determined.

"Time to move things forward."