Maria.

I yanked my hands out of his grip with all the strength I could muster. His fingers had been locked around my wrist so tightly that when I finally broke free, a sharp sting shot through my skin. I glanced down briefly and saw the angry red marks blooming there, raw and painful, mirroring the fury blazing in his eyes.

I had no idea where he was dragging me to, no idea what he planned to do next. All I knew was that I couldn’t let this continue, not here, not like this. I still had one last guest to attend to, one responsibility I hadn’t fulfilled yet, and I clung to that thought like a lifeline.

"Alpha Adrien," I said, forcing my voice to steady, forcing myself to sound respectful even as my heart pounded wildly in my chest. "If you would excuse me, I still have a guest to attend to."

He stopped abruptly and turned to face me, disbelief twisting his features before it melted into something mocking.

"Really?" He scoffed, the sound sharp and cutting. "And how exactly do you attempt to treat your guests?" His eyes narrowed. "Is it the same way you treated that lady in the hallway?"

Before I could react, his hand came up and grabbed my chin roughly, forcing my face upward until I had no choice but to meet his gaze. His grip was painful, humiliating.

"You are so vile, Maria," he said coldly. "Now I know why you had the guts to push my sister the other day."

I stared at him, unblinking.

He was an idiot.

He hadn’t seen what happened before. He didn’t know the truth. And yet he stood there, accusing me as though he had witnessed everything with his own eyes. The strangest part wasn’t the anger burning in my chest, it was the emptiness that followed. I felt no urge to explain myself. No desire to defend my actions.

He wouldn’t believe me anyway.

"If that’s all you have to say," I replied quietly, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me, "I would like to take my leave."

I pulled away from him and turned, determined to walk off before my composure shattered. I hadn’t even taken two full steps when his hand shot out again.

"How dare you walk away from me?" he thundered.

He yanked me back so forcefully that I stumbled straight into his chest. Before I could regain my balance or push him away, his lips crashed down onto mine.

The kiss was nothing like tenderness.

It was rough, overwhelming, deep and bruising all at once. It stole my breath and left a sharp ache in its wake, confusion and pain tangling in my chest. I froze for a split second, shock locking my limbs in place.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill.

First, he had slapped me.

Now this.

Was I nothing more than something he could hurt whenever he pleased? A thing to discipline, to claim, to break?

I struggled against him, pressing my hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but he only held me tighter. His grip was relentless, his presence suffocating. His lips moved again, trailing insistently, refusing to give me space, refusing to listen to the silent resistance in my body.

And traitorously, my body reacted.

A spark shot through my senses, unwanted and confusing, leaving me furious with myself even as my breath hitched. I hated that my heart raced. I hated that my senses responded when my mind screamed no.

I fought harder, twisting against him, but his hold only tightened, anchoring me there as if escape wasn’t an option.

"I am so going to punish you, Maria," he growled between breaths, his voice low and dangerous.

Before I could respond, before I could gather the strength to scream or shove him away, his lips claimed mine again, stealing my protest, leaving me trembling with a mix of anger, humiliation, and a pain I couldn’t name.

And in that moment, as I struggled in his arms, one thought echoed loudly in my mind:

I was not a toy.

No matter how much he tried to make me feel like one.

He finally released me.

The moment his grip loosened, I stepped back sharply, creating as much distance as the narrow space allowed. My hand came up instantly, wiping my lips hard, once, twice until the skin burned. I made sure the gesture was deliberate, unmistakable. I wanted him to see it. I wanted him to understand just how irritating, how disgusting that moment had been to me.

His jaw tightened.

"Vixen," he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "No matter what you do, you are not allowed to defy me."

The word scraped against my nerves. I lifted my head and glared at him, my eyes blazing with everything I refused to say out loud. Anger churned violently inside my chest as I opened my mouth, ready, finally, to speak, to throw back every accusation, every humiliation he had forced on me.

But then a voice cut through the tension.

"Rogue 456!"

My breath hitched. I turned immediately, my heart sinking straight to my stomach.

Beta Torin.

Oh no.

Every muscle in my body stiffened as dread settled over me. Trouble. Real trouble. I could already feel it closing in, heavy and unavoidable, and all of it because of this mess.

"Alpha Adrien," Torin greeted respectfully, bowing his head the moment he noticed him. His tone was formal, careful, giving nothing away. "Her presence is needed. Guest 117 is outside."

I swallowed hard.

Although Beta Torin didn’t say a single word in front of Adrien, didn’t accuse me, didn’t question me, I knew. I just knew. Whatever waited for me next wasn’t going to be pleasant.

I cursed silently under my breath, frustration knotting tightly in my chest. One problem stacked neatly on top of another, leaving me no room to breathe, no time to recover.

Adrien’s presence loomed beside me, oppressive and suffocating, while Torin waited patiently for a response.

And just like that, I realized it clearly....

I was in for some serious trouble.