Maria.

I hadn’t even fully processed the fact that Noah had walked away when suddenly a hand seized my arm and spun me around. The sudden movement stole the air from my lungs, my balance faltering as my name was called, firm and unmistakable.

"Maria."

My heart leapt straight into my throat. I stared up at the face before me and panic surged, hot and sharp. Alpha Aidan. Of all people. A bitter thought crossed my mind, could they all not give me a moment to breathe? I tried so hard to stay out of trouble, to make myself small and invisible, yet trouble seemed to seek me out at every turn.

Before I could gather my thoughts or take a step back, his hand lifted and brushed over my shoulder, slow and deliberate, as though he were wiping away invisible dust. The gesture felt strangely intimate, enough to make my skin prickle. For a fleeting second, an absurd thought crossed my mind, had he seen me in his dreams too? The idea startled me, and I frowned inwardly at myself for even thinking such a thing.

I was still caught in that haze when he suddenly stepped closer.

Too close.

There was barely any space left between us when his hands came up, steady and unyielding, and before I could speak or protest, his lips pressed against mine. The shock rooted me to the spot. My eyes widened as my mind struggled to catch up with what was happening.

Why would he call my name only to do this?

The kiss wasn’t gentle. It carried weight, intention. It felt like a warning wrapped in heat, possessive and unapologetic. My first instinct was to resist, my hands lifting weakly against his chest, but the more he deepened the kiss, the more my resolve crumbled. My body betrayed me, responding in ways I didn’t understand, melting even as my mind screamed that this was wrong.

So wrong.

"No one is allowed to touch you," he said against my lips, his voice low and firm, as if he were laying down a law that could not be broken. And then he kissed me again, as though sealing those words into my skin.

My heart pounded violently in my chest, so loud I was certain he could hear it. Each beat echoed the chaos inside me, confusion, fear, something dangerously close to desire. I could feel the effect he was having on me, and it terrified me. I didn’t understand myself anymore. I didn’t understand why my legs felt weak, why my breath came uneven, why my thoughts scattered like frightened birds.

What was wrong with me?

Everything felt twisted, out of place. Nothing about this moment made sense, yet it felt impossibly real. His presence surrounded me, overwhelming and suffocating, and I stood there caught between what I knew was right and what my body seemed to respond to.

The world around us faded, leaving only the sound of my racing heart and the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.

I finally found the strength to shove him back, my palms pressing hard against his chest. He staggered a step, drawing in sharp breaths like someone who had been running for too long without stopping. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his emerald eyes glowing with something wild and unsettling, as though a storm had been unleashed behind them.

For a brief, foolish second, I thought the distance might hold.

It didn’t.

He lunged forward again, faster than I could react. His fingers tangled in my hair, gripping firmly as he tilted my head back, forcing my gaze up to his. Before I could protest or even form his name on my lips, his mouth crashed onto mine again, urgent, consuming, as though he had been starved of something he believed was his by right. There was no tenderness in it, no hesitation. It was raw, demanding, driven by a need that felt frightening in its intensity.

My back hit the wall with a soft but jarring thud. He followed immediately, crowding me in, leaving no room to retreat. One hand pinned my wrists above my head while the other held me in place, his presence overwhelming, his nearness stealing the air from my lungs. His other hand, tracing every part of my thigh slightly, causing me to tremble. His kiss deepened, insistent, as though he were trying to take more than I had to give.

I couldn’t breathe properly anymore.

I couldn’t think.

Every sensation in my body flared at once, confusion tangling with fear, desire clashing violently with reason. A traitorous part of me wanted to respond, to give in, to stop fighting the way my body trembled beneath his. The realization terrified me more than his grip ever could.

Maria, get a hold of yourself, I scolded silently, desperation clawing at my thoughts. You are nothing to them. Nothing at all.

I clung to those words like a lifeline, repeating them over and over, hoping they would drown out the chaos inside me.

But my body didn’t listen.

It reacted in ways I didn’t want, ways that made shame burn through me. My nipples hardened against his chest, as I felt my core throbbing with ache and in that instant, I could feel his attention shift, feel the weight of his gaze as it landed on my boobs, lingering, assessing, claiming. The knowledge made my stomach twist painfully.

"Little vixen," he murmured, his voice low and rough against my skin. "Beg me to satisfy you."

The words hit me harder than his touch.

The hell?

Was he truly insane? Did he not hear how demeaning that sounded, how small it made me feel? Anger surged through the haze clouding my mind, sharp and sudden, cutting through the confusion.

"Beg me," he repeated, his mouth finding mine again, as though the command itself gave him power.

But instead of breaking me, the words did the opposite.

They stripped away the fog.

In that moment, I saw myself clearly, not as whatever he thought I was, not as something to be ordered or taken, but as someone who still had a choice. Even if that choice was small. Even if it was risky.

So I made it.

I bit his lower lip.

Hard.

He jerked back instantly, shock flashing across his face as the contact broke. The sudden space between us felt unreal, like the world had snapped sharply back into focus. My heart pounded violently in my chest, my breath coming in uneven gasps as I stared at him, my hands still trembling.

The silence that followed was heavy, charged, hanging between us like a breath held too long.

And in that moment, I knew one thing for certain, whatever line he thought he could cross, I was no longer standing quietly on the other side of it.

"How dare you!" he snarled, the words tearing out of him as he dragged the back of his hand across his mouth. A thin smear of blood stained his skin, bright and startling against the sharp line of his jaw. His eyes burned as he looked at the blood, then back at me, as though the sight of it had ignited something feral inside him.

Before I could even draw a breath, his hand came out of nowhere.

The impact landed hard against my cheek, the sound sharp and final. Pain exploded across my face, radiating down my jaw and into my neck. I staggered, my hand flying instinctively to my chin as I stared at him in stunned disbelief. The world seemed to tilt for a second, my ears ringing as I struggled to steady myself.

"You have no right to stop me, Maria," he growled, stepping closer, his presence suffocating. "You belong to me!"

The fury in his voice was terrifying, thick and heavy, pressing down on my chest until it felt hard to breathe. His words cut deeper than the slap, slicing through what little strength I had left. Belong. The word echoed in my mind like a curse, like a chain snapping shut around my throat.

And then, unexpectedly, I laughed.

It was soft, broken, and it surprised even me. The sound slipped out before I could stop it, shaky and edged with disbelief. His expression faltered instantly, confusion flashing across his face as though he hadn’t expected that reaction at all.

"I don’t belong to you, Alpha Aidan," I said quietly, lifting my gaze to meet his. My cheek still throbbed beneath my palm, but I forced myself to stand tall. "I belong to..."

I never finished the sentence.

He leaned in abruptly, closing the distance between us until there was barely any space left to breathe. His breath brushed against my skin, hot and uneven, sending a shiver down my spine. His lips hovered dangerously close to mine, close enough that I could feel the heat of him, close enough that my body tensed in anticipation of another unwanted touch.

For a heartbeat, I thought he would kiss me again.

Something flickered in his eyes, desire, anger, restraint all tangled together. His jaw clenched, his lips tightening as though he were fighting himself. The tension between us stretched thin, fragile, ready to snap.

Then he pulled back.

"I promise you, Maria," he said, his voice low and chillingly calm, "you will come begging for me."

The certainty in his tone made my stomach twist. He straightened, his expression hardening into something cold and unreadable, as if he had already decided the ending of a story I was still trapped inside.

Without another word, he turned away and walked off, his footsteps echoing as he disappeared from sight.

Only then did my legs begin to tremble.

I sagged slightly against the wall, my hand still pressed to my aching face as a breath rushed out of me in a shaky sigh. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding it in. The air felt thin, my chest tight, but I was alone now.