Davian.

I stood there for a moment longer, my gaze lingering in the direction Maria had gone, my jaw clenched so tightly it felt like it might crack.

Every instinct in me screamed to go after her, to follow her and to make sure she was safe.

But I didn’t move.

I couldn’t.

Unlike Adrien, I didn’t have the luxury of acting on impulse. I wasn’t allowed to lose control, not now, not when everything around us was already falling apart.

My fingers curled slowly into a tight fist at my side, nails digging into my palm.

Control it.

I exhaled sharply, forcing my thoughts into order.

Then my gaze shifted.

Patricia.

She stood a few feet away, still trying to compose herself, but I could see it, the flicker of fear in her eyes. Good. She should be afraid.

Because at that moment, she was the closest thing I had to an outlet.

Before she could react, I moved. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

In two quick strides, I closed the distance between us and grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back harshly.

A sharp gasp tore from her lips.

"Ah—!"

"Do you have a death wish?" I growled, my voice low but laced with raw fury.

Her hands instinctively flew up, gripping my wrist, trying to ease the pain, but I didn’t loosen my hold.

"How dare you," I continued, my grip tightening. "How dare you even think of harming her?"

Her breathing became uneven, panic setting in as she struggled under my hold.

"I...I didn’t—"

"Don’t lie to me!" I snapped, cutting her off instantly.

My eyes darkened, burning into hers.

"Do you even realize," I said slowly, my voice dropping to something far more dangerous, "that a single strand of her hair is more precious than your entire life?"

Her lips trembled.

The defiance she once held was gone, completely replaced by fear.

"That means," I added coldly, leaning closer, "you are nothing."

"P-please..." she whispered, her voice shaking now.

But I wasn’t done.

"And if you ever—ever—try something like that again," I continued, my tone sharp as a blade, "I will make sure your life becomes a living hell."

I paused deliberately, letting the weight of my words sink in before adding, "Yours... and Darren’s."

That did it.

Her entire body stiffened at the mention of his name. Her eyes widened in shock, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out this time.

She must really like him.

Slowly, I released her.

She stumbled slightly, immediately lowering her head, avoiding my gaze completely.

Silence hung thick in the air.

Behind me, I felt the shift before I heard it.

"Guards." Aidan’s voice was cold, commanding.

I didn’t turn, but I knew the look on his face.

"Take her away," Damien added, his tone just as unforgiving. "Lock her up."

Within seconds, the guards moved in.

Patricia didn’t resist this time.

She kept her head lowered, her body stiff as they grabbed her arms and began dragging her away.

No protests.

No arguments.

Just silence.

Pathetic.

I straightened, running a hand through my hair as I tried to steady the storm still raging inside me.

"Let’s go," Aidan muttered.

Without another word, the three of us turned and began walking down the hallway.

But we hadn’t gone far when something caught my attention.

Voices.

Raised.

Tense.

My brows furrowed slightly as I looked ahead.

Two figures stood not too far away...with a third between them.

Maria.

And on either side of her...

Noah.

Adrien.

Both of them were holding her.

My steps slowed.

I couldn’t hear everything they were saying from this distance, but the tension between them was unmistakable.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

What the hell was going on now?

As we moved closer and the voices became clearer, though still fragmented.

"...Isn’t over—"

"...just back off—"

And then a louder voice, "Never."

It was Noah’s voice, firm and unyielding.

Something in me snapped.

Before I even realized what I was doing, my body moved on its own.

In a flash, I stepped between them, my hands shooting out as I forcefully pried both of their grips off Maria.

"Enough."

My voice came out sharper than I intended.

The sudden action froze all three of them, including Aidan and Damien who had come closer and just like that, there was a heavy silence and then it hit me a second later.

What I had just done.

My hands were still slightly raised, my breathing uneven.

Slowly... I turned my head.

Aidan and Damien were staring at me, not casually, not indifferently but... closely, probably wondering what had gotten over me.

"Davian..." one of them—Damien—spoke, his tone laced with suspicion.

I straightened immediately, my expression hardening as I tried to mask whatever had just slipped.

"...are you sure you’re okay?" Aidan crossed his arms, his gaze narrowing slightly. "You’ve been acting strange lately."

Strange.

The word echoed in my head.

I opened my mouth, ready to brush it off, to say something, anything, to shut down the conversation.

But before a single word could leave my lips, I heard fast, urgent, heavy footsteps approaching towards our direction.

A guard came rushing toward us, breath uneven, panic written all over his face.

"Alpha Davian!" he called out, stopping a few feet away as he tried to catch his breath.

All of us turned toward him instantly.

"What is it?" I demanded.

He swallowed hard before speaking.

"The pack..." he started, his voice shaking slightly. "The pack is on fire!"

Everything stilled and for a split second, the words didn’t register and when it did, I snapped.

"What?" My gaze fully focused on him now. "How is that possible?" I demanded, my voice rising slightly.

But my brothers were already moving.

Aidan and Damien didn’t wait for answers.

They took off immediately, their speed kicking in as they rushed toward the direction of the commotion.

My jaw tightened.

Something wasn’t right.

Something about all of this felt wrong.

Without another word, I turned sharply and followed after them.