MARIA.

The look in Noah’s eyes the moment Anabel stepped into the room was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

It wasn’t just anger, it was something far more intense, raw, unfiltered, almost dangerous.

I was completely dumbfounded, because honestly, in all the years I had known Noah, I had never seen him like that before.

Not even for the slightest second.

His gaze alone felt like it could kill, sharp and piercing, as if he was barely holding himself back from doing something he might regret. It was clear that his wolf had stirred, pushing him to the very edge of his control and it showed.

Every second of it showed.

The moment Anabel finally left the room, the tension didn’t disappear, if anything, it only shifted back to me.

And slowly, and almost carefully, his eyes found mine again and the way he looked at me this time...

My breath caught.

It was different.

His gaze held hunger. He looked like a predator locking eyes with its prey.

A lion ready to devour.

His gaze moved over me, slowly, deliberately, taking everything in as if he was trying to memorize every inch of me. I could see the way his throat moved as he swallowed hard—once... twice... again.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides, the tension in his body so obvious it was almost suffocating. It was like he was fighting himself, struggling to stay in control while hurting himself in the process.

Then suddenly, almost too quickly he turned away.

Just like that.

Breaking the eye contact so abruptly it left me momentarily lost and truthfully, I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t even know what to say.

The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable.

"Noah..." I called out softly, my voice barely above a whisper as I took a small step forward, my hand lifting slightly as if to reach out to him.

I needed to know if he was okay, and probably help to calm him down but before I could get any closer...

"Don’t come near me," he muttered, his words low and controlled but firm enough to stop me instantly.

I froze mid-step, my body going still as the weight of his words settled in.

A dull ache spread slowly across my chest, tightening painfully as I lowered my hand.

"Alright..." I said quietly, forcing the word out as I nodded slightly, even though he wasn’t looking at me, I paused for a moment before adding, "I’ll go pack my things."

My voice sounded distant to my own ears.

I turned my back to him slowly, a small part of me expecting—hoping—he would stop me.

That he would call my name again and pull me back, wrapping his arms around me like he had done before.

But nothing came, there were no footsteps, no voice, no movement, just an awkward almost draining silence.

And somehow, that hurt even more.

Without allowing myself to hesitate any longer, I reached for the door handle, turning it slowly before pulling it open and then, I walked out.

I walked straight to my room, my steps quick and determined, my mind still clouded with everything that had just happened. My heart hadn’t settled, my thoughts hadn’t aligned, and yet my legs carried me forward as though they already knew where I needed to be.

But the moment I stepped inside, I stopped.

Aidan.

He was already there.

Standing in the middle of my room, his presence heavy, his expression dark and furious as his eyes locked onto mine the second I entered.

"Where have you been, Maria?" he demanded immediately, his voice sharp, leaving no room for delay.

I blinked once, caught off guard for a split second, but I recovered just as quickly.

"Alpha Aidan," I replied, my tone firm as I took two slow steps closer to him, my gaze steady, matching the intensity in his. My face hardened, every trace of softness gone. "I should be the one asking questions."

I paused deliberately, letting my words settle.

"What are you doing in my room?"

For a brief moment, he didn’t answer.

Instead, he rolled his eyes slightly, as if brushing off my question, before closing the remaining distance between us, the space I had intentionally left.

Too close.

Before I could react, his hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me sharply against him until there was no space left between us.

"To stop you from leaving, Maria," he muttered, his voice low, his breath hot against my skin.

My body tensed instantly.

"You can’t, Alpha Aidan," I shot back without hesitation, pushing against his chest with all the strength I could muster.

I broke free from his hold, stumbling a step back as I created distance between us again.

"I’m leaving," I added, my voice firm despite the way my heart pounded in my chest.

He stared at me—surprised, like he hadn’t expected me to resist him like that.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

"No, you can’t," he said, but this time his voice had changed.

It was lower, quieter and something unfamiliar laced within it.

"Maria..." he started again, his expression shifting slightly as he took a small step forward, though not as aggressively as before. "Please tell me what can make you stay."

Please?

The word echoed in my head.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Did I hear that right?

The almighty Alpha Aidan...the eldest among the quadruplets....Just said please?

It didn’t make sense.

It didn’t fit.

For a moment, I genuinely wondered if I was dreaming.

If this was real. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Before I could respond, before I could even process it fully...

"Arrrrrrghhhh!"

His sudden scream tore through the room, raw and filled with frustration. He dropped his shoulders, his posture collapsing slightly as he lowered his head, his face turned downward as if he couldn’t even bring himself to look at me anymore.

The shift was abrupt and unsettling.

"Maria..." he said again, his voice strained this time, almost breaking under the weight of whatever he was feeling."Please... stay."

I swallowed hard, I wasn’t dreaming.