Adrein.

Without much of a choice, I followed her.

Each step felt heavier than the last, not because I was unsure of where she was taking me, but because I didn’t trust her, not even in the slightest. Still, ignoring her didn’t feel like the wiser option either. There was something deliberate about her actions, something calculated, and I needed to understand it, even if just a little.

We walked in silence, her pace steady and unbothered, as though she already knew I would come along. Eventually, she stopped in front of a door and pushed it open without hesitation. I stepped in after her, my eyes scanning the space quickly. It looked like her room, neat, composed, and just as controlled as the aura she carried.

"Sit!" she said, her tone surprisingly polite this time, a contrast to her earlier sharpness.

I didn’t move immediately. Instead, I studied her for a second longer before finally taking a seat, though my posture remained guarded, my attention fixed entirely on her.

"I’m Sonia," she began, her voice calm, almost composed. "And I am Noah’s fiancée."

That caught me off guard.

For a brief second, my expression threatened to shift, but I quickly masked it, keeping my face as unreadable as possible. So that was it. That was the reason behind everything, the hostility, the determination, the underlying tension in her voice earlier.

Now it all made sense.

If she was Noah’s fiancée, then of course she would want to ruin the wedding.

And that also meant one thing for certain....she hated Maria.

The realization settled heavily in my chest, sharpening my focus instantly. Whatever this woman wanted, whatever she was planning, Maria was right at the center of it.

"Nice introduction," I said after a pause, my tone flat but firm. "But I am not interested in whatever you are planning."

I leaned forward slightly, locking my gaze with hers, making sure my next words carried weight.

"And let me warn you... in whatever plans you have, don’t you dare hurt Maria."

There was no hesitation in my voice this time. No room for misinterpretation.

She scoffed immediately, the sound light but laced with clear amusement.

"You said you aren’t interested," she replied, tilting her head slightly. "So I can’t promise you that, Mister."

My jaw tightened at the way she addressed me.

"Call me Adrien," I corrected sharply, irritation slipping through despite my effort to remain composed. "Well then, I also cannot assure your safety if you dare lay a hand on her."

The words came out colder than I intended, but I didn’t take them back. I meant every single one.

Her brows lifted slightly, a faint curiosity flickering in her eyes.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, her tone light, but her gaze searching.

I held her stare without blinking, letting a slow, deliberate smile spread across my face.

"It is anything you want it to be, Sonia," I replied calmly.

Silence followed for a brief moment, thick and unspoken, as though both of us were measuring each other, testing limits, weighing intentions.

I exhaled softly before pushing myself up to my feet.

"If you would please excuse me," I added, my tone returning to something more neutral, though the tension still lingered beneath it.

Without waiting for her response, I turned toward the door, every instinct in me telling me the same thing...this woman was trouble.

And whatever she was planning... I needed to stay far enough to not be used, but close enough to stop her if she tried anything against Maria.

The moment I stepped out of her room, I felt it. A sharp, undeniable tug deep within my chest, familiar, overwhelming, impossible to ignore.

Maria.

My breath hitched slightly as my gaze flickered around, my senses heightening instantly. She was close. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that. The bond pulsed within me, guiding me, pulling me forward like an invisible thread I couldn’t break even if I tried.

Without thinking, I followed it.

Each step quickened, my heartbeat rising in sync with that pull, until finally...there she was.

But she wasn’t alone.

My steps slowed for just a fraction of a second as my eyes landed on them.

Noah.

He stood beside her, his arm wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her close as droplets of water trailed down from his damp hair, glistening under the light. And Maria... she was laughing.

That soft, sweet sound that I never got to hear.

The sight hit harder than I expected.

A sharp pain pierced through my chest, sudden and relentless, as my fists clenched tightly at my sides. My jaw locked, my entire body tensing as I watched them, watched him touch her so freely, watched her lean into him so naturally.

I couldn’t take it and before I even realized what I was doing, my feet were already moving fast.

I closed the distance between us in seconds and, without hesitation, I grabbed her arm, pulling her away from his hold with more force than I intended.

"Get your hands off her!" I snapped, my voice coming out harsher than planned as I forced my wolf to stay down, to remain buried beneath the surface. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

I didn’t want to shift, and I didn’t want to make a scene.

But damn... it was getting harder.

"Leave me alone, Adrien," Maria said immediately, her voice firm as she struggled against my grip, trying to free herself.

And that only made it worse. The way she resisted me, the way she pushed me away, It deepened the ache in my chest, twisting it tighter with every second.

"Adrien, what’s wrong with you? And why are you here?" Noah’s voice cut in, sharp and questioning as he stepped forward, reaching out to pull her back from me.

And I knew.

I knew exactly what would happen.

The moment I let go, she would go to him.

She would choose him.

That thought alone snapped something inside me.

Before logic could catch up, before I could stop myself, I did the only thing that came to mind, the only thing that felt like it could anchor her to me, even if just for a second.

I leaned in and I kissed her possessively, desperately....claiming her lips as though they still belonged to me.

For a moment, everything else faded—The tension, the anger, the chaos, all of it disappeared the second our lips met.

And damn...I had missed this.

Missed the way she felt, the way she tasted, the way everything else seemed to blur when she was this close.

It hit me all at once, stronger than ever.

And for that brief moment... I wanted more.