Maria.

I took a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs slowly before releasing it just as carefully. My body felt heavy, weighed down by everything that had happened, everything I had been thinking about.

Without bothering to change or even settle properly, I tossed myself onto the bed, the soft mattress sinking slightly beneath my weight.

I needed a break.

Just a moment of peace.

I closed my eyes, trying to push everything out of my mind, the arguments, the tension, the confusion. All of it. I forced myself to imagine something else...something calm.

The night sky.

The stars.

I pictured myself standing beneath them, gazing up at their soft glow, letting the silence wrap around me like a shield.

A small smile found its way to my lips and for a moment, It worked.

But the moment I opened my eyes...It vanished completely.

A familiar scent hit me so suddenly, so strongly, that my breath caught in my throat. It wrapped around me, overwhelming, unmistakable.

My heart skipped.

No...Slowly, almost unwillingly, I lifted my gaze to confirm what I already suspected.

And there he was.

Adrien.

Right on top of me.

My eyes widened instantly, panic flashing through me as I tried to push him away.

"Adrien, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice strained as I struggled against him.

But it was useless.

Before I could move any further, he grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them firmly against the bed, holding me in place with ease.

"Maria...don’t you miss me?"

His voice was low, rougher than usual, and when I looked into his eyes...

I froze.

They were red.

Blazing.

The familiar purple I had known was nowhere to be found.

My breath hitched.

His wolf was in control.

The realization sent a chill through me, my body going still beneath him. I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself despite the way his presence overwhelmed my senses.

"Adrien, calm down, let’s..." I started, my voice careful, cautious but I didn’t get to finish as he leaned closer.

"Answer me, Maria!" he demanded, his voice more intense now as he inhaled deeply, as if my scent alone was enough to keep him grounded, or push him further. "Why did you push me away?"

My heart raced as I stared up at him, my mind scrambling for something, anything that could get me out of this.

"I want you." He added.

The words landed heavily between us.

I stilled completely.

’Think, Maria!’ I urged myself inwardly, forcing my mind to work despite the pressure, despite the fear creeping in. I needed to calm him down, I needed to get him off me.

"Yes... Adrien," I said slowly, carefully choosing each word, keeping my voice as soft as I could. "I do miss you."

His expression flickered.

"I wasn’t pushing you away," I continued, holding his gaze, trying to reach him—*him*, not his wolf. "I was just... paranoid."

The effect was immediate as I felt it. His grip on my wrists loosened slightly but not completely and his eyes, they flickered.

Red... then purple... then red again.

Like he was fighting for control.

I needed him to come back to his senses fast.

My heart pounded against my chest as I tried to steady my breathing, forcing myself to remain calm despite the way his presence pressed down on me, overwhelming, suffocating.

"So, Adrien...can you get down?" I asked carefully, my voice softer now, cautious, as I searched his face for any sign that he was coming back to himself.

Any sign that *he* was still in there.

But instead, he repeated his last words.

"I want you, Maria." His voice was rough, filled with a need that didn’t sound like him anymore.

And just like that, my thoughts betrayed me.

Shamelessly.

Memories from the room in the eastern vault flashed through my mind, unwanted, vivid, refusing to stay buried. My breath hitched slightly as I tried to push them away, but they clung stubbornly, making everything worse.

And Vernia...She wasn’t helping matters at all. I could feel her stirring within me, restless, reacting to him, to the tension, to everything happening around us. The mark on my neck suddenly began to itch, the sensation sharp and distracting, sending a wave of unease through me.

No.

No, this wasn’t good.

I needed to act fast, before I lost control too. Because the truth was, I didn’t want this. Not when they were all about to get married.

The thought grounded me slightly, pulling me back from the edge as I focused on what mattered.

I had to stop this.

Adrien’s hand moved then, brushing lightly against my face as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. The gesture was gentle, too gentle for the intensity in his eyes.

"Allow me to make you feel loved, baby," he murmured.

That word again.

I rolled my eyes instinctively, frustration flashing through me despite the situation. But beneath it...fear lingered.

’Moon Goddess... please,’ I prayed silently, my eyes closing briefly. ’If you get me out of this... I swear I’ll stay as far away from them as possible.’

I held onto that thought, clinging to it like a lifeline but before I could even finish my prayer...

He moved suddenly, his lips crashed against mine, catching me completely off guard. A sharp jolt shot through my body, like a sudden surge of electricity, making my muscles tense instantly.

My eyes widened.

"No... no... no... I can’t let this happen," I muttered against him, my voice barely audible, strained as I tried to pull away.

But he didn’t let me.

No matter how much I struggled, how much I tried to twist free from his hold, he only deepened the kiss, his grip tightening just enough to keep me in place.

Panic began to rise.

My heart raced faster, my thoughts scattering as I fought against him, against myself, against everything that threatened to spiral out of control.

And then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, a sudden sharp knock cut through the moment like a blade.

Adrien stilled.

Then pulled away abruptly, his breathing uneven, his chest rising and falling as he turned his head toward the door, irritation flashing across his face.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice edged with annoyance, still slightly breathless.