Maria.

I opened my eyes slowly, still half-expecting something silly, maybe a joke he would laugh about later. But the moment my gaze dropped to what he was holding, every breath in my lungs froze.

It was a small crystal vial, no bigger than my palm, sealed with a thin silver stopper. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, not brightly, but with a deep, steady glow, like embers buried under ash. I didn’t need anyone to explain what it was. I had heard of it. Every rogue had.

My fingers trembled at my sides.

"Noah..." my voice came out barely above a whisper. "That’s—"

"A healing elixir," he finished for me, his tone suddenly serious. The playful smile he had been wearing faded, replaced by something quieter. "From the Alpha vault."

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

The Alpha vault.

Only a handful of people had access to it. Even ranked warriors had to kneel and beg to be granted something from there. And this, this was not just any elixir. I had seen wolves on the brink of death brought back by a single drop of it.

"You... you shouldn’t have this," I said quickly, fear curling in my stomach. "If they find out..."

"They won’t," he cut in calmly. He stepped closer and placed the vial gently on the table beside us, as though it were fragile. "I made sure of it."

I stared at the vial again, my vision blurring slightly. My body still ached. Every bruise, every sore muscle throbbed as if reminding me of why this gift mattered so much. My wolf stirred weakly inside me, reacting to the elixir’s presence like a dying flame sensing warmth.

"I can’t accept this," I said, shaking my head. "This is too much, Noah. You could get into serious trouble."

He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "You always say that."

He moved closer, crouching slightly so we were at eye level. "Maria, look at you," he said quietly. "You’re always hurt. Always pushing through pain like it’s normal. Like you deserve it."

His words struck something deep in my chest.

"I don’t," I whispered before I could stop myself.

"I know," he replied immediately. "That’s why I got this."

My throat tightened. I looked away, afraid that if I met his eyes again, I would completely fall apart.

"You don’t understand," I said, forcing the words out. "People like me don’t get things like this. We’re not... chosen."

"Well," he said simply, "I chose you."

Silence filled the room, heavy and overwhelming.

I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists. "Why?" I finally asked. "Why go this far for me?"

He hesitated for a moment, then exhaled slowly. "Because I know what it’s like to feel powerless," he said. "And because I hate watching you suffer when I can do something about it."

He picked up the vial again and held it out to me.

"Take it," he said gently. "Please."

My fingers hovered in the air before I finally reached out. The moment my skin brushed against the cool surface of the vial, a strange warmth spread through my palm, racing up my arm. My wolf stirred more strongly this time, letting out a weak but hopeful pulse.

Tears slipped down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying.

"Noah..." I breathed. "Thank you."

He smiled then, softer than before. "You don’t have to thank me. Just... use it."

I clutched the vial to my chest like it might disappear if I didn’t hold on tightly enough. For the first time in a long while, something inside me eased. Not the pain, not yet, but the constant fear, the weight of feeling disposable.

"You shouldn’t drink it all at once," he added. "Just a few drops tonight. It’ll help your wolf recover faster."

I nodded quickly. "I will. I promise."

We stood there for a moment, neither of us speaking. The room felt different now. Warmer. Safer.

"Maria," he said suddenly, and I felt the shift in him immediately. The heaviness in his voice eased, the tension melting into something gentler, almost hopeful. "You deserve good things too, you know."

The words hit me harder than I expected. I lifted my head slowly, blinking through the tears I hadn’t realized were still clinging to my lashes. My vision was blurry, my chest tight, as if admitting the truth would cost me something precious. "I don’t know how to accept them," I whispered finally, my voice unsteady, raw with honesty.

He didn’t look disappointed. He didn’t look tired of me. Instead, his expression softened, something tender flickering in his eyes. "I would teach you how," he said quietly, as if it was the simplest promise in the world.

Before I could react, his arms came around me, firm and sure, drawing me into his chest. The sudden warmth stole the breath from my lungs. "I love you, Maria," he continued softly, his voice close to my ear now. "I always did, and I always will. My love for you won’t change."

The words didn’t crash into me all at once. They settled slowly, gently, like warm rain soaking into dry, cracked earth. For a heartbeat, maybe longer, I forgot how to breathe. My thoughts scattered, leaving nothing behind but the steady rhythm of his presence. His arms tightened slightly, fully enclosing me, and something inside me finally stilled.

This wasn’t like the touches I had learned to brace myself for. This wasn’t demanding or harsh or uncertain. His hold was protective, grounding, as if he was anchoring me to something real. Safe. Familiar. Like a place I’d been searching for without knowing it.

I melted against him before I could stop myself.

My forehead rested against his chest, right above his heart, and I heard it then, strong, steady, unwavering. Each beat echoed through me, drowning out the noise in my head, quieting the voices that always warned me to pull back, to expect disappointment, to shield myself from pain.

But there was no pain here.

Only warmth.

Only him.

My fingers curled slowly into the fabric of his shirt, gripping it as if letting go would cause everything to disappear. I inhaled deeply, and his scent filled my lungs, familiar, grounding, comforting in a way that made my chest ache.

"I love you..." he repeated quietly, as though saying it once wasn’t enough, as though he needed the words to exist between us, solid and undeniable.

My throat tightened. No one had ever said those words to me without conditions attached. No one had ever said them like this, without demanding something in return.

Tears burned behind my eyes again, but this time they weren’t painful. They were soft, almost relieving.

"Thank you, Noah," I finally whispered, my voice muffled against his chest.

He exhaled slowly, his arms tightening just a little, as if those words meant more to him than I could understand. One of his hands came up to cradle the back of my head, his fingers threading gently through my hair. The touch was tender, unhurried, like he had all the time in the world.

"You don’t have to thank me," he murmured. "You never did."

I stayed there, wrapped in his arms, allowing myself something I had denied for so long, rest. Not just physical rest, but emotional. The kind where you stop bracing for impact. The kind where your heart isn’t clenched in constant defense.

For once, I wasn’t thinking about the competition.

Or the Alphas.

Or Galen.

Or Daniel.

I wasn’t thinking about what tomorrow would bring or how easily things could fall apart.

I was just... here.

With him.

"I was scared," I admitted quietly after a long silence. "Not just of everything happening around us, but of feeling things like this."

He shifted slightly, pulling back just enough to look at me. His hands rested on my arms now, steadying me. His eyes searched my face carefully, like he was memorizing every emotion flickering across it.

"I know," he said gently. "You’ve been hurt too many times. It makes sense."

I nodded, my gaze dropping to the floor. "Sometimes I think if I let myself feel too much... it’ll all be taken away."

His thumb brushed lightly against my cheek, wiping away the tears I hadn’t noticed slipping free. "Not everything that’s precious is meant to be lost, Maria."

I looked up at him then.

Really looked.

There was no arrogance in his eyes. No hunger. No entitlement. Just sincerity. Just someone standing in front of me, offering love without chains.

My chest ached again, but this time it wasn’t from fear.

It was from hope.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his forehead against mine, his breath warm against my skin. We stayed like that, sharing the same quiet space, the same air, the same fragile moment. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I’ll go with you when you’re ready," he said softly. "You don’t have to face anything alone anymore."

I closed my eyes, letting his words sink deep into me.

I allowed myself to believe.

I nodded slowly, still holding onto him, still afraid, but not enough to pull away.

Not anymore.