Noah.

The moment Sonia appeared by the river, my blood ran cold.

It wasn’t just the shock of seeing her, it was everything she represented. The past. The mistake I had buried so deep, hoping it would never resurface. But I forced my expression to remain calm, unreadable. I couldn’t afford to let it show. Not when Maria was standing right beside me.

The last thing I wanted was for her to misunderstand.

So when she asked to follow me to the study, I refused without hesitation. It wasn’t because I didn’t want her there... It was because I knew exactly what Sonia was capable of. I wouldn’t drag Maria into that mess.

Who would have thought Sonia would use something like that—our arranged marriage—to stir chaos in my life now?

Seven years ago, I had been nothing more than a naive boy trying to prove himself.

I could still remember it so clearly.

The courtyard had been quiet that evening, the sky painted in shades of orange and gold as the sun dipped below the horizon. Sonia stood in front of me, her hands clasped together, her eyes bright with something I didn’t fully understand back then.

"Noah... I love you."

Her voice had been soft, almost shy, yet filled with certainty. She had paused, her lips curving into a smile that carried both innocence and expectation.

"I’m willing to marry you and..." she had trailed off, her cheeks flushing pink before she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against my cheek.

Back then, I hadn’t thought much of it.

To me, it had seemed... simple. An agreement between families. A way to earn my father’s approval. A step toward proving that I could carry responsibility like a true Alpha, even though I knew I wasn’t his successor.

I had convinced myself it was the right thing to do. After all, the union would bring peace between our packs. It would strengthen alliances. It would make my father proud.

And foolishly... I agreed.

But now?

Now, everything was different.

I wasn’t that boy anymore.

Responsibility didn’t feel like honor—it felt like a chain. And Sonia... she wasn’t someone I loved, not even close. There was no warmth, no pull, no connection.

Nothing like what I felt for Maria and that alone made my decision clear.

"Noah!"

Sonia’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, sharp and impatient this time. I blinked, my focus returning to the present as I noticed how close she had gotten.

Her fingers trailed slowly down my chest, deliberate and familiar, as if she had every right to touch me that way.

"I’m still waiting for your response," she added, her gaze locking onto mine, expectant... almost demanding.

Something inside me snapped. I scoffed under my breath and stepped back immediately, putting distance between us as if her touch burned.

"I know you too well, Sonia," I said, my tone calm but edged with something colder. "No matter what I say, you definitely hate war and disaster."

My eyes narrowed slightly as I held her gaze.

Because that was the truth.

Sonia wasn’t here for love.

She was here because she needed control. Because she feared losing what she believed was hers. Because she would do anything—anything—to avoid conflict, even if it meant forcing her way into my life.

And that...that was exactly why I would never choose her.

"How can you still be so sure of that, Noah?" Sonia asked, her voice carrying a quiet challenge as she took a slow step closer. Her eyes remained fixed on mine, searching, probing, almost daring me to doubt myself. "People change, you know," she added, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smile.

I instinctively tried to step back, to put some distance between us, but she didn’t allow it. Before I could react, her hand pressed against my chest, pushing me backward. My legs hit the edge of the chair behind me, and I dropped into it with a low thud, caught off guard by the sudden force.

And then she closed the distance completely.

Her lips crashed against mine.

For a split second, my mind went blank, not out of desire, but pure shock. The audacity of it. The boldness. The entitlement.

I reacted immediately.

My hands came up, shoving her away from me with enough force to break the contact. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping harshly against the floor as I created as much space as possible between us.

But instead of anger... she laughed. A soft, almost amused sound that made my jaw tighten.

"Noah," she said, tilting her head slightly, completely unfazed by my reaction. "Though many things might have changed..." she paused, her gaze softening in a way that almost looked genuine. "But one thing will never change." She held my eyes as she finished. "And that... is my love."

The words lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating, but they stirred nothing in me except irritation.

She stepped back slowly, as though she had all the time in the world, before turning toward the door. Her movements were calm, composed, like someone who had already secured victory.

But just before she left, she stopped.

Her hand rested on the doorknob, and she glanced back at me over her shoulder.

"I have always gotten whatever I need since I was a kid, Noah," she said, her voice lower now, more deliberate. There was a quiet warning hidden beneath it. "And I’m sure you are fully aware."

My expression darkened, but I said nothing.

She turned the knob.

"So this marriage of yours you are planning..." she continued, her lips curving into a confident smile, "...it better be ours."

And just like that, she stepped out.

The door shut behind her with a soft click.

For a moment, I stood there, frozen.

Then everything inside me snapped.

"Arrrghhhhhhhhhhhh! Damn it!" I roared, the frustration I had been holding back exploding all at once.

My hand swept across the table in one swift motion, sending books, papers, and documents flying through the air. They scattered across the floor in complete disarray, some sliding under furniture, others crumpling as they hit the ground.

My chest rose and fell heavily, my breathing uneven as anger surged through me.

"I don’t care about any pack..." I muttered under my breath, my fists clenching tightly at my sides. "...or betrothal document."

None of it mattered, because the only thing that did...was Maria.

"I finally got Maria to say yes to me," I continued, my voice dropping, but the determination in it sharper than ever. "There is no way I’m losing her again."

My jaw tightened as I stared ahead, my resolve solidifying with every passing second.

No matter what Sonia planned.

No matter what the past demanded.

I wasn’t backing down.