Maria.

The moment Darren’s words registered in my mind, my entire body went rigid. I froze where I stood, my breath hitching painfully in my chest as if the air had been knocked out of me. The peace treaty. His one request. Me.

Heat crawled up my spine in a terrifying rush, spreading through my chest and settling heavily in my stomach. My palms went clammy, my knees weak. I felt exposed, stripped bare in front of dozens of powerful eyes, reduced to nothing more than an offering, something to be handed over in the name of peace.

No.

My heart screamed the word even as my lips refused to move. I never wanted to go back to Darren. Not now. Not ever. The memories, the pain, the humiliation, they rushed back like a violent tide, threatening to drown me right there where I stood. Panic seized me instantly, sharp and unforgiving. My gaze darted instinctively toward the quadruplet Alphas, silently begging, help me... please.

But they gave me nothing.

No reaction. No objection. No reassurance.

Their faces were carefully neutral, carved from stone, as though this were merely another political discussion and not my life being placed on a scale. My chest tightened painfully at the realization. Was this why Alpha Aidan insisted I come? Was this why he dragged me here despite my fear?

Before my thoughts could spiral any further, a voice cut sharply through the thick tension in the air.

"I object."

The sound hit me like a lifeline thrown into deep waters. My head snapped up just as Noah stood, his presence commanding immediate attention. When he staked his claim, when he said my designation out loud, relief flooded through me so fast my knees nearly buckled. I had to fight the urge to sag in place.

For a brief moment, I could breathe again.

But that relief came at a cost.

In the blink of an eye, I became the center of everything. I could feel it, the shift in the air, the weight of dozens of gazes turning toward me all at once. Curious. Assessing. Calculating. I was no longer just Rogue 456 standing behind an Alpha. I was a prize. A bargaining chip. A commodity two men had openly laid claim to.

My skin prickled uncomfortably under their scrutiny. I lowered my gaze slightly, my heart pounding violently as questions battered my mind from every direction.

What would become of me now?

Why did Alpha Aidan insist I be here tonight?

Did he know this would happen?

Did he plan this?

The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine. Slowly, almost unconsciously, my eyes lifted to Aidan’s face. I searched him desperately, hoping, praying, to find something. Regret. Anger. Protection. Anything. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

But he said nothing.

He didn’t even look surprised.

The silence stretched painfully, each second digging deeper into my nerves. My hands curled into fists at my sides as I waited for him to speak, to do something. But he remained seated, his expression unreadable, his presence heavy and suffocating.

Then Damien cleared his throat, the sound startlingly loud in the tense quiet. He stood, straightening his shoulders as he addressed the gathering with calm authority.

"Since two persons have made the same request," he said evenly, "I suggest you both pick something else, so peace may reign."

For a split second, hope flickered weakly in my chest. Maybe this was it. Maybe this madness would end here.

"No."

The word rang out, twice.

Darren and Noah spoke in perfect unison, their voices firm, unwavering, and utterly resolute.

The shock on Damien’s face was unmistakable. His composure cracked just slightly, brows knitting together as he stared between the two men. A murmur rippled faintly through the gathered Alphas, the tension escalating instantly.

My heart sank.

Whatever fragile hope I had been clutching to didn’t just fade, it splintered, breaking apart piece by piece until there was nothing left to hold on to. The realization crept in slowly, then all at once, settling deep in my chest like ice. Heavy. Suffocating. Unavoidable. This wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning of something far more dangerous, and the weight of that truth pressed down on me until breathing felt like effort.

I remained where I was, unable to move, caught in the invisible space between power and pride. Two opposing forces stood on either side of me, each claiming something I had never offered, each expecting submission I had never agreed to give. My heart thudded violently as I became painfully aware of how small my choices truly were. I hadn’t asked to be here. I hadn’t asked to be fought over. Yet my fate hovered between them, delicate and exposed, swaying with every shift in the room.

The air grew thick, dense with tension that no one dared to voice. It crackled against my skin, heavy with unspoken threats and looming confrontation. Every glance, every breath carried a silent challenge, as though one wrong move would be enough to ignite the storm waiting just beneath the surface.

Then Adrien rose to his feet.

The motion was unhurried, almost lazy, yet it altered everything. The room seemed to tilt in response, the balance subtly but unmistakably changing. A faint smile curved his lips, light, almost playful, so out of place it sent a chill through me. He lifted his hands slightly, palms open, as though attempting to soothe the brewing chaos, as though this was all a game he was confident he could control.

"Relax," he said lightly, his tone deliberately casual. "This isn’t a war. There’s no need for claws to come out just yet." A few low chuckles rippled weakly through the gathering, though the tension in the air barely eased. "We will sort this out."

His gaze flicked briefly in my direction before returning to the gathered Alphas. "The important thing to note here," Adrien continued, "is that the person being requested is our personal maid. That explains why she is present in our midst tonight."

The words settled heavily on my chest. Personal maid. Not a person. Not Maria. A title. A possession.

Damien rose next, his expression calm but his eyes sharp as they swept over Darren and Noah alike. "Exactly," he said, nodding once. "And with that in mind, I’m not sure we can simply release our personal maid to go with either of you." His voice carried authority, the kind that didn’t invite argument, but only if he chose to enforce it.

Before anyone else could speak, Darren stepped forward slightly, his posture straightening as his lips curled into something dangerously close to a smile. "You said," he countered smoothly, "that as long as it is something within your power, you would grant our request." His eyes flicked briefly in my direction, cold and calculating. "She is just a rogue. You can appoint another personal maid to serve you."

The moment he said it, I saw it, the sly smirk that spread across his face, slow and deliberate, as though he had already won. My stomach churned violently.

That bastard.

He already had Patricia. A wife. A Luna. Everything a man of his status could want. So why was he still after me? Was this about power? Control? Or simply proving that he still could?

Before the Quadruplets could respond, Noah stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor with a sharp sound that echoed across the garden. His jaw was tight, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Alpha Darren," Noah said sharply, his voice cutting through the murmurs, "I think you really don’t need her either."

All eyes snapped to him.

"You have a wife," Noah continued, his tone growing colder with each word. "Your Luna is here with you." He gestured faintly toward Patricia without even looking at her. "So tell me...what exactly do you want people to perceive her as?"

The question struck like a blade.

Darren’s face paled instantly, the confident smirk vanishing as if it had never existed. For a brief moment, he looked almost... cornered. His lips parted, then pressed together again as his gaze darted around, searching for an answer that wouldn’t expose him.

"That..." he stammered, clearing his throat harshly. "That is none of your concern!" he snapped, his composure cracking just enough to be noticeable.

The garden had gone eerily quiet. Even the servants had stilled, every breath seeming too loud in the charged silence.

Darren straightened, lifting his chin as he turned back to face the Quadruplet Alphas. He tilted his head slightly in a gesture of respect, one I knew was hollow, forced, and barely sincere.

"Make a decision, Alphas," he said firmly, impatience seeping into his tone. "We have all heard the terms. You made a promise before witnesses."

My heart hammered violently as I stood behind them, feeling smaller by the second. The air felt too thick, too heavy to breathe properly. Every word spoken was about me, yet I had no voice. No say. No right to speak unless granted.

I clenched my fingers tightly, my nails biting into my palms as dread pooled in my stomach. I didn’t know which outcome terrified me more, being handed back to Darren, or being fought over like territory.

I dared to glance at the Quadruplets. Their expressions were unreadable now, the playful ease from earlier long gone. Whatever decision they were about to make wouldn’t just determine the flow of this gathering.

It would determine my fate.