Maria.

"Come on, Maria... don’t tell me you’re shy?" Vincent asked, his tone carrying a teasing edge as he stepped closer.

My muscles tightened instantly the moment he moved.

He didn’t stop there. Instead, he continued advancing until he was directly in front of me, then lowered himself to my level as though trying to meet my eyes properly. His presence was too close, too invasive, making my instincts flare up in warning.

Before I could even decide how to react, he lifted his hands and began to rub my fur as if I were some harmless pet.

That was the final straw.

Disgust surged through me immediately.

I didn’t hesitate.

I snapped forward and bit his other hand sharply.

"Hey! What’s wrong with you?" Vincent exclaimed at once, jerking back as pain registered on his face.

He took a quick step away from me, shaking his hand slightly as if trying to ease the sting. His expression shifted from surprise to irritation in seconds.

I could have reached into the mind link and spoken to him directly, but I refused. I refused to give him even the slightest access to my wolf, not when he was acting this arrogantly. He didn’t deserve that kind of connection right now. Not from me.

He was being insufferable.

A complete jerk.

"You’re just acting shy for no reason," he said after a moment, straightening himself again as though the bite had done nothing to discourage him. His voice carried that same annoying confidence, like he was completely sure of himself no matter what I did. "Whatever you’re trying to hide...it will belong to me soon."

The certainty in his tone made my blood boil.

I shook my head sharply, refusing to entertain his words any further, then turned away from him and walked straight to the bed. If he thought I was going to engage in this nonsense with him, he was mistaken. I was already done with his attitude.

Settling myself there, I began pulling the blanket toward me with my mouth, trying to cover my body properly. I was determined to shut him out completely.

But just as I thought I had created a small moment of peace, Vincent spoke again.

"Stop all this, Maria," he scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "I’ve seen it all before."

That made me pause instantly.

My movements froze halfway.

His voice continued, more casual now, as if he was recalling something obvious I had conveniently forgotten.

"Back when we went to get the shawl...how could you be so dumb to think I wouldn’t look back?"

The words hit me harder than I expected.

Wait.

What?

My mind stalled for a moment, trying to process what he had just said. Back then...I had been so sure he hadn’t looked. I had felt safe, respected even. That moment had softened something in me, had made me believe he wasn’t like the others. It had even made me feel more at ease around him since that day.

But now...that entire belief felt like it had been twisted in an instant.

Vincent exhaled lightly, as if my reaction amused him and all I could think was...

Vincent was an asshole.

I immediately pulled the blankets tighter around myself and shifted back into my human form.

The change was quick, fueled by lingering anger rather than calm control. The moment my body settled, I wrapped the blanket firmly around me, making sure I was covered properly. My clothes were still torn from the earlier transformation, and since it had all happened in a burst of rage, I hadn’t even bothered to remove them carefully.

I had no time for that.

Not with him standing there.

Without wasting another second, I swung my legs off the bed and stood up abruptly. My eyes locked onto Vincent the entire time, my anger still boiling just beneath the surface.

Before I could think twice, I rushed toward him.

My hand lifted on instinct, and without hesitation, it connected sharply with his face.

The sound echoed in the room.

"That’s for being an asshole, Vincent!" I yelled immediately, my voice shaking slightly with anger as my chest rose and fell heavily. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, my frustration still far from settled.

For a moment, silence followed.

Vincent didn’t move. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He didn’t even touch the spot I had hit.

Instead, he just stared at me.

And then—completely unexpectedly—a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

That only made my anger burn hotter.

"That’s exactly why I need to take responsibility for you, Maria," he said calmly, as if I hadn’t just slapped him across the face. His tone was annoyingly composed, almost like he was discussing something already decided.

He paused slightly, his gaze locking onto mine with unsettling certainty.

"You already belong to me."

My eyes narrowed instantly.

"Quit being dramatic, Vincent," I shot back without hesitation, refusing to let his words affect me. "Someone else has done far worse than that."

The moment the words left my mouth, I saw the shift in his expression.

His calmness cracked.

"And by someone else, you mean Noah, right?" he asked, his voice dropping noticeably, his face darkening almost instantly.

That reaction alone irritated me.

What is wrong with him?

Why does he always drag Noah into everything?

I hadn’t even been referring to Noah. I was thinking of Adrien—he had also crossed lines before, especially during that incident when I went to get the shawl. He had done things that were just as bold, just as intrusive.

But Vincent never seemed capable of understanding anything outside of Noah.

"Not everything is about Noah," I snapped back, rolling my eyes away from him in frustration. "So stop involving him in everything."

The atmosphere tightened again immediately.

"Then who is it?" Vincent suddenly yelled.

The sharpness of his voice startled me so much that I instinctively took a step back.

My breath caught slightly in my throat.

His sudden rise in tone had caught me completely off guard.

For a brief moment, I just stared at him, unsure if he was really about to push me further just to get an answer.

Was he seriously going to force me to speak now?