Maria.

"Aren’t you both ashamed of yourselves?"

The elder’s voice rang out the moment everyone had settled into their seats, cutting through the heavy silence that had filled the hall. His tone carried authority, firm, unyielding, and it made the air feel even more suffocating than it already was.

I sat still, my hands resting stiffly on my lap, my gaze lowered for a brief second before I allowed myself to look around.

The hall was full.

The rest of the quadruplets were already present, seated together, their expressions tense and unreadable. Around them were high-ranking officials of the pack, all watching intently, their murmurs now completely silenced under the weight of the elders’ presence.

And then my eyes shifted.

Sonia.

Of course she was here.

Her posture was relaxed, almost too relaxed for someone in a setting like this, and the faint curve of her lips told me everything I needed to know, she was enjoying this.

But then...My gaze moved again, and I froze slightly.

Daniel.

What exactly was he doing here?

Out of all the faces I expected to see, his was not one of them. His presence alone felt out of place, unsettling, but I pushed the thought aside almost immediately.

That wasn’t the issue right now.

Adrien had gone too far.

Hitting Noah... kissing me in public...It was outrageous.

"Honestly, I’m disappointed."

Another voice spoke, softer but no less firm. I looked up slightly to see it was one of the female elders. Her expression was calm, but her words carried weight.

"Alpha Adrien," she continued, her gaze settling directly on him, "you are our benefactor, and almost everyone in this pack looks up to you."

She paused briefly, letting her words sink in before continuing.

"How do you expect them to perceive you now, with what you have done?"

The question lingered in the air.

"I... I..." Adrien started, but the words seemed to fail him. For once, the confidence he usually carried was nowhere to be found.

"And Noah," the first elder spoke again, shifting his attention, "as the Alpha of this pack, what example are you showing? Or rather, what are you teaching the younger ones?"

Noah remained silent for a moment, his jaw tight, his expression hardened, but he didn’t respond immediately.

"Council of elders," Aidan’s voice suddenly broke in, calm and controlled as he rose slightly from his seat. "I sincerely apologize on behalf of my brother."

I couldn’t help it, as a quiet scoff slipped past my lips before I could stop myself.

Typical.

Always stepping in, always trying to take control of the narrative.

"What exactly happened?" Sonia’s voice cut in smoothly, drawing attention instantly, a mischievous smile spread across her lips as she looked around, clearly intrigued. "I mean," she continued lightly, tilting her head, "they can’t just be fighting over nothing."

Damn her.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

This wasn’t curiosity, it was deliberate. A calculated attempt to drag everything into the open... to make me the center of it all.

To make me lose face.

My fingers curled slightly, irritation bubbling beneath my calm exterior.

"What happened isn’t something that needs to be discussed." Adrien’s voice came suddenly, firm and sharp as his gaze snapped toward Sonia, dark and warning.

The room stilled again.

And for a brief moment...I felt... grateful.

"I am at fault... and I sincerely apologize for causing a scene a few hours after I arrived at Moonfall."

Adrien’s voice came out steady, but what truly caught me off guard was the way he lowered his head the moment he finished speaking. It wasn’t dramatic, nor forced, it was subtle, controlled... and yet completely unexpected.

For a second, I just stared at him.

Shocked.

Because if there was one thing I had come to believe about the Quadruplets, it was that admitting fault was never their strong suit. Pride had always been their armor, their shield against everything, including accountability.

And yet, here he was.

Apologizing.

Openly.

I blinked slowly, trying to process it, but before I could fully grasp what was happening, Adrien pushed himself up from his seat. His movements were calm, deliberate, drawing everyone’s attention as he walked across the hall.

Towards Noah.

Every step he took seemed calculated, measured, and it only made my confusion deepen.

What was he doing?

He stopped right in front of Noah, a faint smile appearing on his lips, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he stretched out his hand toward him.

I felt my breath hitch.

I was completely dumbfounded.

Was he seriously trying to make peace... here? In front of the council?

"Alpha Noah," Adrien spoke again, his tone respectful, almost too composed to be genuine. "I sincerely apologize for causing a commotion in your territory. Can we let this matter die down?"

His hand remained extended, waiting.

The entire hall seemed to hold its breath in that moment and to my surprise, Noah reached out and took it.

My eyes widened slightly as he stood up, his grip firm as he pulled Adrien in.

"Of course, Alpha Adrien," Noah replied, his voice just as calm. "I totally understand."

And then he hugged him, a full, deliberate embrace.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining things because not just me, even the rest of the Quadruplets looked stunned. Their expressions mirrored mine, eyes slightly widened, as though they couldn’t quite believe what they were witnessing.

And Sonia?

Her mouth had parted in clear disbelief, the composure she had been holding onto slipping just enough to reveal her surprise.

The entire scene felt... unreal.

Two men who had been throwing punches at each other not long ago were now standing there, exchanging what looked like a peaceful resolution.

It didn’t make sense.

My mind raced, trying to piece it together.

Were they doing this...to protect me?

Because the truth was, not many people here knew exactly what had happened. Most had only arrived when the fight had already broken out, when fists were already flying and anger had taken over.

No one had seen the kiss, no one had heard the words exchanged before everything spiraled.

So... was this their way of keeping it buried?

Of preventing it from becoming something bigger?

I didn’t know and honestly, I didn’t know how to feel about it.

Relieved?

Confused?

Suspicious?

All of it blended together, leaving me uncertain, unsettled.

Because as much as Adrien was standing there now, playing the part of someone willing to make peace...I knew him, and if there was one thing I was certain of...It was that he wasn’t done.