MARIA

"Assholes!"

The word tore out of my throat the moment I stepped into my room, my voice echoing off the walls with all the anger and frustration I had been holding in.

I slammed the door behind me, the sound loud and sharp, but it did nothing to ease the storm raging inside my chest. My hands trembled at my sides, my breathing uneven as I paced forward, my thoughts spinning too fast for me to catch.

The quadruplets...

Heartless.

That was the only word that made sense.

How could they just stand there, arguing, questioning, or stopping me, when Noah’s life was on the line?

The thought alone made my chest tighten painfully.

How could they ignore it like that?

If it were one of them—if it was Aidan, or Damien, or any of them that had been taken—would they still be standing around.

No.

They wouldn’t.

They would have lost their minds.

They wouldn’t waste a single second thinking.

They would have acted.

So why was Noah any different?

"AHHHHHHH!" I screamed, the sound ripping out of me as I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms.

It wasn’t enough.

Nothing felt like enough.

I dragged in a shaky breath, forcing myself to stop pacing, to stand still, even though everything inside me felt like it was breaking apart.

"Moon Goddess..." I whispered silently, closing my eyes for a brief moment. "Please... keep him safe."

The prayer felt fragile yet desperate but it was all I had.

I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself down, trying to push back the panic clawing at my chest. I needed to think. I couldn’t afford to lose control, not now, not when Noah needed me.

I had to figure something out.

I had to...

The door suddenly burst open.

The loud bang made me flinch, my eyes snapping open immediately as my heart skipped in my chest.

"Why did you allow them to take him?!"

Anabel’s voice filled the room the moment she stepped in, sharp and accusing, cutting straight through whatever calm I had been trying to build. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I stared at her.

Her eyes were blazing, her expression twisted with anger as she moved further into the room.

"It’s all your fault, Maria," she continued, her voice dripping with blame. "You are a jinx."

I rolled my eyes instantly, turning my face away from her as if her words meant nothing.

Because right now, they didn’t.

I wasn’t in the mood for this.

Not when Noah’s life was hanging in the balance.

I didn’t have the energy for her drama.

Didn’t have the patience for her insults.

I needed to think.

To focus.

To find a way to save him.

"I’m talking to you, bitch!"

Her voice rose, louder this time, filled with fury as her footsteps closed the distance between us.

Before I could react...

Her hand shot out.

She grabbed my hair.

Hard.

A sharp gasp left my lips as pain shot instantly through my scalp, my head jerking backward as she twisted my hair, forcing me to turn with her grip.

"Let go—!" I tried, my hands instinctively reaching up to pry her fingers away, but she only tightened her hold.

The pain intensified, spreading through my head, making it hard to focus, hard to think.

She dragged me slightly, twisting me from one side to another, as if I were nothing more than something she could throw around.

It hurt.

Too much.

My vision blurred for a second, my body tensing as I struggled to endure it.

But I couldn’t.

It wasn’t just me.

I could feel it.

Vernia.

She was there, just beneath the surface, just as affected, just as furious and this time...she didn’t hold back, neither did I.

I let go.

Let her take control.

In an instant, everything shifted. Strength surged through me, sharp and overwhelming, replacing the pain with something far more powerful.

Before Anabel could react...

My hand shot out and with a force she clearly didn’t expect...I pushed her hard.

Anabel’s body flew backward, her grip on my hair breaking instantly as she stumbled, completely unprepared for the sudden resistance.

She hit the wall behind her with a heavy thud.

The sound echoed.

For a moment, everything went still.

The shock on her face was undeniable, her eyes wide, her body frozen as if she couldn’t process what had just happened.

And for that brief moment, she didn’t move.

"Let this be the last time you lay a finger on me, Anabel!" My voice rang through the room, sharp and unyielding, carrying a warning I had no intention of repeating.

My chest rose and fell with each breath, the lingering sting on my scalp only fueling the anger burning inside me. I didn’t look away from her, not this time.

Anabel blinked, still stunned from being pushed, her back pressed against the wall as she tried to regain her balance. For a moment, she just stared at me, her expression caught somewhere between shock and disbelief.

Then, slowly, her face hardened.

"And who the hell do you think you are?" she snapped, straightening up as if refusing to show any weakness. Her voice rose with every word, her anger clawing its way back to the surface. "You’re just a rogue, Maria."

I didn’t react.

I just watched her.

"Don’t think because you have almost all the Alphas wrapped around your finger, you’re mighty," she continued, her lips curling in disdain as her gaze raked over me.

A scoff left my lips before I could stop it.

"At least I do have them," I shot back, my tone calm but cutting as I took a slow step closer to her. The distance between us closed, tension tightening with every inch. "Even though I don’t want them."

My words hung in the air, deliberate, intentional.

"But you..." I paused, tilting my head slightly as my eyes locked onto hers, a faint, mocking smile forming on my lips. "What do you have?"

Her face twisted instantly.

"You..." she started, her finger shooting up to point at me, her voice rising as if she was ready to lash out again.

But the words never came.

She froze mid-sentence, her mouth slightly open, her anger stumbling over itself without direction.

And for a moment...

She had nothing.

"Stay away from Noah, Maria," she said instead, her voice dropping slightly, though the bitterness in it remained. "You’re a jinx. There’s nothing good that comes with being around you."

The words should have stung.

Maybe they would have before.

But now?

They didn’t.

"And you, Anabel," I replied, my voice steady, almost too calm, "what good have you brought him?"

She didn’t answer.

Couldn’t.

"And what right exactly do you have to tell me to stay away from him?" I added, my gaze hardening as I took another step forward.

That did it.

Anabel froze completely this time, her eyes widening slightly as my words sank in. The confidence she had walked in with began to crack, piece by piece, right in front of me.

Gosh...

I was done.

Completely done...

Done with her accusations, done with her insults, done with holding back.

It was time she knew her place.

"I should be the one telling you to stay away, Anabel," I continued, my voice firm, leaving no room for argument. A slow, satisfied smile spread across my lips as I watched her carefully. "Noah is mine." the words landed heavily. "And we are engaged."

Silence.

Pure, suffocating silence.

I didn’t look away.

I took in every single detail of her reaction, the way her face drained of color, the way her lips parted slightly as if she couldn’t breathe, the way her eyes widened like she had just seen something she couldn’t comprehend.

Shock.

Disbelief.

It was all there.

And I took it all in.

Every damn bit of it.

The smile on my lips deepened slightly and then I lifted my hand and pointed straight at the door.

"Now," I said, my voice rising again, sharp and commanding, leaving no room for defiance, "GET OUT!"