Maria.
No matter how desperately my wolf yearned for him, I was still in control of my own mind.
Every instinct inside me screamed at me to surrender, to melt into his embrace and to answer the call of the bond.
But I wasn't just a wolf.
I was Maria.
And my mind was functioning perfectly.
In fact, the more Adrein spoke, the more irritated I became.
Every word that left his mouth fueled the anger burning inside me and instead of weakening my resolve, it strengthened it.
Every heartbeat reminded me of the choice I had already made and every second made my determination even firmer.
"Just say it!" Adrein declared once again.
And that was it, the last straw.
Something inside me finally snapped.
Without thinking twice, I planted both hands firmly against his chest and shoved him away with every ounce of strength I had.
The force caught him completely off guard.
He stumbled backward several steps, momentarily losing his balance before finally managing to steady himself.
