Daniel.

"How did you get here?" I asked the moment my eyes landed on him, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

The shock was still there, lingering beneath my expression, no matter how much I tried to mask it.

Of all people...

Him?

"I don’t think that’s your business, Daniel," he replied calmly, almost too calmly, like he hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere at the worst possible moment.

My jaw tightened.

"But I must say..." he continued, his gaze trailing over me slowly, deliberately, before settling on Maria in my arms. "I’m shocked."

There was something in his tone now, something laced with quiet judgment.

"How can the well-reserved Alpha suddenly turn into such a vile person?"

The words hung in the air, sharp and deliberate.

I scoffed, the sound escaping me without restraint as irritation flared instantly.

"Alpha Adrien," I said, shifting my hold on Maria slightly, my grip tightening just a bit as I faced him fully. "I don’t think you yourself are a good person."

My eyes narrowed.

"Can you stop pretending you and your brothers are righteous?" I added, my voice hardening with every word. "Or have you all gotten so good at it that you actually believe it now?"

He didn’t interrupt me nor did he react and that only made it worse.

"I hope you haven’t forgotten what you did two years ago so soon," I continued, my gaze locking onto his, searching for something, guilt, recognition, anything.

But his expression barely shifted.

"And what exactly did we do?" Adrien asked, so simple and direct, as if he genuinely didn’t know.

For a moment, I just stared at him, disbelief flickering across my face.

I couldn’t tell.

I really couldn’t tell if he had truly forgotten...

Or if he was just pretending.

If this was all an act.

"Stop feigning innocence, Adrien," I said finally, my voice dropping, quieter now but far more dangerous. "You and your brothers are evil."

The word lingered between us, heavy and unapologetic.

"Oh..." I added after a brief pause, a faint, almost mocking smile touching my lips. "It seems you don’t even recognize me."

That got his attention.

Slightly.

But not in the way I expected.

"Is there anything in you I don’t recognize, Daniel?" Adrien replied, rolling his eyes as if everything I had just said meant nothing.

The dismissal was immediate, like I wasn’t worth the effort.

My expression darkened.

Before I could respond, he took a step forward, then another. His focus shifted, completely, from me to Maria.

I tensed instantly, my hold on her tightening as instinct kicked in.

But he didn’t stop, didn’t hesitate.

He moved closer, his intent clear now as he reached forward, his hand coming toward Maria as if he planned to take her right out of my arms.

"Spare me that, Adrien," I snapped, my voice rising sharply as frustration finally broke through the surface. "Look closely."

My grip on Maria tightened unconsciously as I glared at him, my chest rising and falling with restrained anger.

"I am not Daniel, you asshole!"

The words came out harsher than I intended, but I didn’t care anymore.

The moment they left my lips, memories surged through my mind without warning. Unwanted. Unforgiving. Fragments of the past collided violently in my head, each one dragging me deeper into something I had tried so hard to bury.

My jaw clenched.

I bit down hard on my tongue, the sharp sting grounding me, forcing me to stay present, to stay in control.

Because if I lost it now...everything would fall apart. If it wasn’t for him..for them...How would I have ended up like this?

A puppet.

The Lycan prince’s puppet.

The thought alone made something twist painfully in my chest. Every move I made, every step I took, it was all tied to something I never chose.

Something they forced me into.

All I wanted...Was my freedom.

That was it, freedom and her.

My gaze dropped briefly to Maria in my arms, her unconscious form calm, unaware of the chaos surrounding her. The tension in my expression softened just for a second before hardening again.

She was the only thing that made any of this worth it. The only thing I wanted to keep but even then...there was still one more thing.

I had to watch them fall.

Every single one of them.

The quadruplets.

They wouldn’t walk away from this.

Not after what they did.

"You aren’t Daniel... then what are you?" Adrien’s voice cut through my thoughts as he stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "An imposter?"

I let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking my head slowly.

"Imposter?" I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "No... I’m not an imposter, Adrien."

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze directly, letting him see it, just a glimpse of what lay beneath.

"It’s just that..." I paused briefly, the faintest smile forming on my lips, though there was nothing warm about it. "I became Alpha Daniel two years ago."

The silence that followed felt heavier.

"So yes," I added, my voice quieter now but laced with certainty. "I’m Daniel to everyone now."

I shifted slightly, taking a slow step back, putting more distance between us while keeping Maria secure in my arms.

"But you..." I continued, my eyes locking onto his with a dark intensity. "You should watch out."

My grip tightened.

"Because I will make you and your brothers pay for what you did to me."

Each word was deliberate and measured.

"It’s a promise."

Without waiting for a response, I turned immediately, my body moving on instinct now. I had already wasted too much time. I needed to leave, now before anything else got in my way.

I turned back, moving quickly, pushing forward with urgency as my mind focused on one thing, getting out of this pack. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

But then...I stopped abruptly as another figure stood right in front of me, blocking my path.

My brows furrowed deeply as irritation surged again, sharper this time.

What the hell?

Was this some kind of joke?

I exhaled sharply, my patience wearing thin as I tightened my hold on Maria.

"Can you all just let me go?" I muttered under my breath, the frustration clear in my voice as I stared at the figure in front of me.