Adrien.

The moment she leaned into him, something inside me refused to settle. It didn’t just sting, it twisted, sharp and unrelenting.

The feeling coiled tighter with every second I stood there watching, like something alive inside my chest, restless and burning, refusing to quiet down no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.

My eyes never left her.

I couldn’t.

It was as if I was rooted in place, forced to take in every detail whether I wanted to or not.

Not when she was standing so close to him...Not when Noah’s hands rested on her like they belonged there, like she belonged there.

There was something in the way he held her, firm, certain, almost possessive and that made my chest burn with something I couldn’t fully name. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Or maybe I could.

But the way she didn’t pull away, irritated me more, and now... they were engaged.

The thought hit harder than it should have, settling deep and heavy in my chest, refusing to move.

Are they kidding me?

"Oh," Noah’s voice broke through, smooth, almost amused. "You seem surprised. Your brothers haven’t told you yet?"

That look on his face, calm, knowing, just slightly smug, made something dark flicker in my eyes. I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to wipe that expression right off his face.

"Cut the crap, Noah," I said flatly, my gaze locking onto his without hesitation, sharp and unyielding. "You are still engaged to Anabel."

The words came out cold and deliberate.

I took a step forward, closing the distance just enough, letting the weight of what I was saying settle between us.

"Look," I continued, my tone dropping slightly, something more dangerous threading through it, "you know you still owe us something. I wouldn’t love to remind you."

My gaze shifted then, back to her.

Maria.

She was right there, close enough to him that it made my jaw tighten, my chest tightening even more.

"Your engagement with Anabel still remains," I added, my voice steady, leaving no room for argument, then, slower, firmer, "And as for Maria..." My eyes hardened as they settled fully on her. "...She is mine."

The declaration hung in the air, heavy, absolute and for a second, there was silence.

Then Noah scoffed.

A short, disbelieving sound that immediately grated on my nerves.

"Adrien, are you really okay?" he asked, stepping closer, his tone laced with mock concern. "Or did the poison affect your brain also?"

His words were meant to provoke and they did but I didn’t move nor did I react.

I just watched him.

"There is no agreement nor bond binding me to your sister," he continued, his voice firmer now, more pointed.

"Really?" I shot back instantly, my lips curving slightly, but there was no humor in it. "Well, I don’t think there is anything binding you to Maria either."

My voice sharpened with each word.

"Am I right, Maria?"

I turned my full attention to her, my gaze locking onto hers, searching, pressing, demanding something, anything.

"Didn’t you tell him?"

For a moment, everything seemed to pause again, the tension stretching thin, fragile.

"Tell me what?" Noah asked, his voice cutting in, his eyes shifting to her now, waiting.

Waiting for her answer.

"Adrien, whatever nonsense you are trying to do, I advise you to stop."

Maria’s voice cut through the tension, firm and unyielding,but it wasn’t directed at him.

It was directed at me.

For a split second, something twisted sharply in my chest.

"Ouch," I muttered, pressing a hand lightly against my chest in mock pain, though my eyes never left hers. "My heart."

My tone shifted, softer now but laced with something intentional, something that carried weight beneath the surface.

"Maria... remember what I told you the healer said?" I continued, watching her carefully, catching every flicker of emotion that crossed her face. "You wouldn’t want to see me die, right?"

That did it.

Immediately, she broke eye contact.

Her gaze dropped, then shifted away entirely, like she couldn’t stand to look at me any longer.

"Psycho," she muttered under her breath, the word sharp, dismissive.

Then she turned fully this time toward Noah. "Let’s go, Noah."

The words hit harder than they should have.

And just like that, something inside me snapped.

"No way," I said instantly, my voice dropping, the edge in it impossible to miss. "There is really no way I would watch you go with him, Maria."

My gaze hardened, locking onto her like I could anchor her in place just by looking.

"I am your mate," I continued, each word deliberate, heavy with truth. "Not him."

A beat passed.

Then, slower, and final, I added.

"I marked you."

The air shifted.

Noah froze completely like the world had stopped moving around him. His expression changed, the confidence draining from it in an instant as his eyes moved first to Maria, searching, questioning... then to me.

"Maria..." His voice wasn’t as steady now. "Is what he is saying true?"

Silence stretched, tight and uncomfortable.

A slow smile curved at my lips.

"I knew it," I said, the satisfaction clear in my tone. "She didn’t tell you." My eyes flickered between them, sharp and knowing. "Why else would you be acting all possessive?" I added, almost mockingly.

Without hesitation, I reached for her. My fingers wrapped around her hand, firm, unyielding, and I pulled her toward me, closing the distance between us in one smooth motion, just exactly where she belonged.

"I would love to see how you would compete with the mate bond, Noah," I said, my voice dropping lower, quieter but far more dangerous.

My gaze locked onto his, unwavering.

"Can you defy fate?"

The challenge hung heavily between us.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Noah’s jaw tightened, his expression hardening again, though something uncertain still lingered beneath it.

"This isn’t over, Adrien," he said, his voice low but resolute.

"It is, Noah," I shot back immediately, my grip on Maria tightening just slightly. "Just back off."

"Never!" he yelled, the word echoing with defiance, raw and unshaken.