Noah.
The moment the lady with the golden mask appeared, I felt it instantly—a strange, undeniable pull toward her that tightened in my chest like an invisible chain. It was not just recognition; it was instinct, deep and unshakable, as though something inside me had already known her long before my mind caught up.
And in that instant, I realized she was Maria.
Everything in me stilled the moment the truth began to settle properly, sinking deeper into my thoughts like something heavy I could no longer ignore. Now I finally understood the reason the Lycan prince had been so insistent that she remain untouched—completely unharmed, without even the smallest scratch on her skin. It was not mercy. It was not protection in the way I had foolishly assumed before.
It was something else. Something far more deliberate.
He wants to marry her?
The thought struck through me like a sharp blade, sudden and cutting, leaving behind a strange emptiness I couldn't immediately explain.
But why?
