Maria.

Noah’s body was thrown backward, the force of the impact sending him crashing into the wall behind him with a loud, echoing thud.

The sound made my heart drop.

"Noah!" I screamed, the name tearing out of me as I scrambled to my feet and rushed toward him without thinking.

Everything else faded, all the fear, all the confusion.

It didn’t matter.

All that mattered was him.

I dropped to my knees in front of him, my hands reaching for his shoulders as I shook him gently at first, then harder when he didn’t respond.

"Noah, please... wake up," I pleaded, my voice trembling, breaking under the weight of panic.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, blurring my vision as I searched his face for any sign, any small movement, that he was still conscious.

But he wasn’t moving, not even a little.

My breath hitched.

"Noah..." I whispered again, softer this time, as if lowering my voice would somehow reach him better.

Still nothing.

A cold fear settled deep in my chest.

Behind me, I could feel someone approaching, their presence cutting through my panic. I was sure, it was the person that had just saved me and pushed Noah.

"Maria... are you okay?"

The voice was familiar was from Daniel.

I barely turned, my attention still fixed on Noah, but I was aware of him stepping closer, his concern evident even without looking directly at him.

"Did he hurt you?" Daniel asked, his tone laced with worry as his gaze moved over me, checking for injuries.

But I didn’t know how to answer him.

How could I?

My mind wasn’t on me.

It wasn’t on anything except the unmoving figure in front of me.

"Save him!" The words slipped out before I could stop them, my voice desperate as I finally looked up at Daniel. "Please, Daniel... save Noah."

My hands tightened slightly on Noah’s shirt as if I could hold him here, keep him from slipping away.

Daniel stilled.

For a moment, he didn’t move.

Then slowly, he shook his head.

"No, Maria," he said, his voice firm, though there was hesitation beneath it. "I can’t."

My heart sank instantly.

"He just tried to kill you," Daniel continued, his tone hardening slightly as if reminding me of something I should already understand. "I won’t allow him to hurt you."

"It wasn’t on purpose!" I shot back immediately, my voice rising as I shook my head quickly. "You saw him...he wasn’t himself!"

Daniel didn’t respond.

"Please..." I added, my voice softening again, desperation creeping back in. "Just check him. Something is terribly wrong with him."

I searched his face, hoping, begging, for him to understand. For him to listen but instead of moving toward Noah, Daniel’s expression shifted. His gaze softened, but not in the way I expected.

"Maria..." he started slowly.

Something in his tone made my chest tighten.

"How about we leave this pack?" he said.

I blinked.

"What?"

"Together," he clarified, stepping closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me pause. "For good."

For a moment, I just stared at him, trying to process what he was saying.

"I mean... you’re not safe here," he continued, his voice quieter now but filled with urgency. "Everyone around you, every single one of them, wants to harm you."

His words lingered in the air, heavy and serious.

"Let’s leave," he added, his gaze searching mine deeply, as if trying to pull me into his decision. "You and me."

My heart clenched.

But not in the way he expected.

"No, Daniel," I said, my voice firm despite the storm raging inside me. I shook my head slowly, my gaze unwavering as I met his eyes. "I’m not leaving this pack. Not without Noah."

The words came out stronger than I felt, but I meant every single one of them.

"And if I am eventually leaving this pack..." I continued, my voice softening just a little as I glanced down at Noah’s still form, my chest tightening at the sight of him lying there, unmoving. "...it has to be with Noah."

Silence followed, heavy and tense.

"Why?" Daniel’s voice broke through it, sharper this time, laced with something I couldn’t quite place at first. "What’s so good about Noah that it has to be him?"

He suddenly stood up, running a hand through his hair as he began pacing back and forth. His movements were restless, agitated, like he was trying to contain something that refused to stay buried.

"Look, Maria," he continued, stopping briefly to face me, his expression intense. "Anything Noah can give you... I can give you more."

I frowned slightly, confusion flickering across my face as I tried to make sense of what he was saying.

"And what do you mean by that, Daniel?" I asked slowly, my brows drawing together as unease crept into my chest.

He didn’t hesitate this time.

"I mean..." he paused, taking a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine with a depth that made my breath hitch slightly. "I want you, Maria."

My heart skipped.

"Don’t you get it?" he added, his voice dropping, almost desperate now. "I need you."

The words hung between us, heavy, suffocating.

"Come with me instead," he went on, reaching out slightly as if trying to close the distance between us, to pull me into whatever future he was imagining. "And I guarantee you...no one else will ever hurt you again."

For a moment, I just stared at him.

Speechless.

Not because I didn’t understand but because I did, and that made it worse.

"I’m sorry, Daniel..." I said finally, my voice quieter now, but steady. I shook my head gently, my gaze shifting back to Noah as I spoke, grounding myself in what I knew was right. "...I can’t."

I swallowed lightly.

"I’m engaged to Noah."

The words felt final, like a line drawn that couldn’t be crossed.

But Daniel didn’t take it that way.

"There is no way I’m going to let you go with Noah, Maria," he said suddenly, his voice rising, the calmness from before completely gone now. His expression hardened, something darker slipping through the cracks. "You have to come with me," he added, his tone firm, almost commanding.

A chill ran down my spine.

"No," I said again, this time more forcefully, shaking my head as I stepped back slightly.

His jaw tightened.

"Well... you don’t have a choice," he replied.

My heart skipped.

The words didn’t sit right.

It didn’t feel right.

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly, my voice dropping as a wave of unease settled deep in my chest.