Noah.

I was expecting Maria to react immediately, maybe to yell at him or probably just curse at Adrien for even suggesting something so absurd.

But instead, she remained completely mute.

The silence coming from her felt strangely unsettling, especially with the tension already suffocating.

And honestly, at that moment, I really wished I could step inside her head for even a second, just to know what exactly she was thinking.

Because her expression gave away almost nothing.

I turned back slowly and stared at Adrien for a few seconds, studying him carefully, wondering if panic had finally driven him insane.

Because nothing he was saying made any sense anymore.

"Explain yourself properly," I said coldly, my patience wearing thinner with every passing second.

Adrien immediately shifted his attention toward Maria.

The desperation on his face was impossible to miss now, his breathing was uneven, hurried, and his hands...his hands were stained with Davian’s blood.

The sight alone was disturbing enough to make my jaw tighten slightly.

"Maria, please," he said quickly, almost frantically. "Your blood can heal him. You need to help him."

Maria finally blinked out of whatever daze she had fallen into. A deep frown appeared on her face immediately.

"My blood?" she repeated slowly, confusion evident in her voice as she stared at him. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Aidan suddenly stood up as well, his expression tense, almost impatient.

"Adrien is right," he said quickly. "Your blood, it affects us differently because of the bond."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Remember Adrien explained your blood caused his wolf to return and his sanity after he marked you!"

I scoffed immediately.

At this point, the quadruplets were beginning to sound completely ridiculous.

"What exactly are you all trying to imply?" I asked sharply, my gaze moving between them. "That Maria suddenly possesses some magical healing blood?"

None of them answered me immediately.

Instead, they exchanged strange looks among themselves, almost like they were trying to think of other words to use.

The tension only irritated me further.

Meanwhile, Davian’s condition kept worsening. His breathing had become shallow while blood continued pouring from the wound in his stomach.

"Enough of this nonsense," I snapped. "Where is the healer?"

Almost immediately after my words fell, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

The healer finally appeared with his apprentice following closely behind him carrying several medical items.

The old man froze briefly the moment his eyes landed on the amount of blood staining the floor.

"What happened here?" he asked in shock.

"He was stabbed," Damien answered immediately, kneeling beside Davian. "Save him!"

The healer wasted no time after that. He quickly moved toward Davian and began examining the wound carefully while his apprentice unpacked several herbs and bandages beside him.

I tightened my hold slightly around Maria as I watched silently. Her face remained pale, and although she tried hiding it, I could feel the tension radiating from her body.

Then suddenly, the healer’s expression darkened.

"The blade pierced deeply," he muttered gravely. "He has already lost too much blood."

Adrien grabbed the healer’s arm instantly. "Then use Maria’s blood!" he shouted desperately.

The healer looked up sharply at him.

For a moment, silence filled the hallway again. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

And strangely enough, the healer did not immediately deny it.

That alone made my brows furrow deeply.

"You can’t seriously be considering that nonsense," I said coldly.

The healer hesitated.

I noticed it immediately, the slight pause, the careful way he seemed to choose his next words as though he already knew they wouldn’t be received well.

Then finally, he spoke.

"Under normal circumstances, I would never suggest such a thing..."

His voice was cautious, almost uneasy as he briefly glanced toward Maria before continuing.

"...but because of the sacred bond connecting them, her blood may temporarily stabilize him."

The moment the words left his mouth, my expression darkened instantly.

"No."

The word came out firm, cold and final, and just before anyone else could even react.

Maria immediately turned to look at me, surprise flickering briefly across her face, but I didn’t look away from the healer.

I tightened my jaw.

"There will be no cutting or harming Maria for anyone," I declared coldly, every syllable sharp and deliberate. "Find another solution."

The atmosphere shifted immediately, as tension spread heavily through the hallway, thick enough to suffocate.

Adrien suddenly stood up, anger flashing across his face instantly. "Another solution?" he echoed sharply, disbelief and frustration laced heavily in his voice. "Davian is dying!"

"And Maria is my fiancée," I shot back just as sharply, my eyes hardened as I stared directly at him. "I will not allow any reckless nonsense near her."

Silence crashed over the hallway again. It was heavy and uncomfortable.

"Don’t be thick-headed, Noah!" Aidan yelled suddenly, his patience clearly gone. "Maria is still our mate after all," he added.

My eyes darkened instantly at his words.

They were always to quick to use the word ’mate’ like it was some priceless possession.

But what have they ever done for her?

"Is that why the only thing you want to do is hurt her?" I raised my voice this time, unable to hold back the anger boiling inside me anymore.

The question hit harder than I intended but I didn’t stop. I was clearly pissed off.

"Tell me," I continued sharply, glaring at all of them now, "what good have you ever done for her?"

No one answered, not a single one of them. They just stood there in silence and somehow, that silence irritated me even more.

"You see?" I let out a bitter scoff, shaking my head slightly. "There is nothing."

I paused briefly, forcing myself to take a deep breath before my anger spiraled further out of control.

"Therefore," I continued, my voice lower now but far more dangerous, "I won’t allow you to do anything to her..."

My fists clenched tightly at my sides.

"...so find another solution," I declared firmly.