Page 70 of Noah

To him, desire wasn’t about connection or choice—it was about possession, about taking something simply because he could. Because he felt entitled to it.

I wasn’t special to Adrian. I was just another thing he wanted to claim, another way to prove himself superior.

His fixation on me had never been about me as a person. It had never been about the way I laughed, the things I loved, or the moments that made me who I was.

No, this was about control. About power.

Jackson and Adrian had been at odds since we were kids. An intense rivalry had sparked between them early on, fueled by their fathers, their packs.

What Jackson had, Adrian probably coveted. That was all I was to him. A prize.

Something to steal. Something to tarnish just to prove that he could. And that thought chilled me to the bone.

Adrian’s eyes flashed with something dangerous. His fingers tightened on the chair, and for a brief second, I wondered if he would strike me.

Instead, his gaze dropped, and my blood ran cold as I realized what he was staring at.

The mate mark.

Jackson’s mark.

A slow, seething rage twisted Adrian’s features. "Jackson wasted no time claiming you," he spat. "Is that what this was? Some grand scheme to humiliate me? To insult my pack?"

I stared at him incredulously. "Are you even listening to yourself? That’s insane. You’re making up some delusional conspiracy just to justify being a sick bastard."

Adrian’s hand snapped up, gripping my jaw with bruising force.

"Watch your mouth," he snarled. His nails dug into my skin, forcing my head back. "Jackson isn’t here to save you."

My wolf howled in my chest, fighting against the drugged weakness still weighing me down.

My instincts screamed at me to fight, to get out of this, but I wasn’t sure how much strength I had left.

I didn’t need Jackson to save me, I wanted to retort.

Admittedly, I could use his back-up right about now but saying that might only trigger Adrian further, so I kept my mouth shut instead.

Adrian’s grip tightened before he abruptly released me, shoving my head back. I sucked in a breath, my jaw throbbing, but I didn’t let him see how much it hurt.

The other wolf stepped back, dragging a hand through his hair. He exhaled harshly, as if he were struggling to contain something dark and twisted inside himself.

"You could’ve had everything with me," Adrian muttered. "But instead, you chose that bastard Jackson."

I met his gaze with nothing but defiance. "I never chose you, Adrian. And I never would."

Adrian’s lips curled in a snarl. "You’re going to regret those words, little wolf."

I thought of Jackson—of the way my entire being, both my human and wolf side, had lit up the moment we reunited after all those years apart.

The pull between us had been undeniable, something deep and unshakable, as if the universe had been waiting for us to come back together.

Even after all the time that had passed, there was no hesitation, no doubt. Just recognition. Just home.

I thought about how unexpectedly thoughtful he was, how he paid attention in ways I never expected. How he always seemed to know when I needed space and when I needed him close.

Being with him felt right. It felt good in a way that nothing else ever had. There was no effort, no uncertainty—it was just us. Easy, unforced.

A bond that had always been there, waiting for us to embrace it. And I had embraced it. Completely.

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