35

35

Adrian's POV

The tension in the room was suffocating. It's thick with anger, barely contained beneath the surface, and I can feel it coiling around me, pressing in from all sides. But the worst part? It's coming from Mason. His fury is palpable, radiating off him in waves. And he's focused on Bethany.

I watch as he grips her arm, his fingers digging into her skin, trying to force her into submission. His voice is a growl, low and menacing, but there's something underneath that—something deeper, more primal. I can feel the weight of his power, his dominance, and it makes my blood boil.

He did this yesterday. And he was doing it again today too. He was trying to push me to the all.

Mason thinks he owns her. He thinks she belongs to him.

But I know better. She doesn't belong to anyone—not like that.

I could feel the wolf rising within me, clawing at the surface, urging me to act. To protect her.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, my voice steady but cold. "Let her go, Mason."

Mason snapped his gaze toward me, his eyes dark with rage. "This is none of your business, Adrian." His grip on Bethany tightens, and I see her flinch. The sight of it—her pain, her fear—hits me like a punch to the gut.

"I said, let her go." I force the words out, my control slipping.

I'm a damn fool if I don't take a stand now. But there's no room for caution anymore. No room for hesitation. Not when he's treating her like this.

I take another step closer, my voice a little louder. "You're not going to intimidate her anymore, Mason. You're not going to control her."

The growl that rumbles from Mason's chest is more animal than man. He drops his hand from Bethany's arm and steps toward me, his jaw clenched. "You don't get to tell me what to do. This is my pack. My territory."

His words are a warning, but they don't stop me. I'm done with this. I'm done watching him tear her down.

Without thinking, I let the wolf inside me take over, just a little. The shift is quick, and before I can stop it, my senses explode in a frenzy of heightened awareness. My vision sharpens, and my hearing picks up the smallest sounds—the pounding of my heart, the rustling of clothing, the subtle intake of breath from everyone in the room.

My nails lengthen into claws, and I can feel the muscles in my body stretching, straining to break free. The power within me wants to tear through the restraints I've placed on it for so long, but I won't let it. I won't shift completely—not in front of the pack, not like this.

But I don't have control over all of it. Not anymore.

I hear Mason's voice again, cold and dismissive. "You think you can intimidate me, Adrian? You think you're better than me?"

My teeth are bared now, and the change is visible to everyone in the room. I can feel the fur beginning to sprout along my arms, my skin tingling with the strength of the shift. The full transformation is still out of reach, but it doesn't matter. The raw power coursing through me is enough to make anyone step back.

"Back off, Mason," I growl, my voice deeper now, the wolf in me making it sound more dangerous.

I can feel the pack's gaze on me, watching, waiting for what's going to happen next. The energy in the room shifts, and I'm aware of how quickly this could spiral out of control.

Mason's eyes narrow, but his own wolf is stirring beneath the surface. I can see it in the way his muscles tense, his body language shifting. He knows he's outmatched. He knows he's losing his grip on this situation.

Bethany's eyes flicker between the two of us. I can see the fear there, but there's something else too—something I don't fully understand.

The moment stretches on, the silence thick between us. And then, just as quickly as it came, the tension breaks. Mason sneers, his wolf retreating into the shadows of his mind. "This isn't over," he spits.

I don't respond. I can't. There's no point in talking to him anymore.

I turn to Bethany, my breath ragged as I fight to rein in the wolf inside me. The transformation has already pulled at the edges of my control, but I'm not going to let it go any further—not with her watching.

I take a step closer to her, but she takes a step back, her eyes wide and confused.

"Bethany," I say quietly, my voice softer now, almost pleading. "Are you alright?"

She doesn't answer at first. She just stares at me, her chest rising and falling as she tries to catch her breath. I can see the way her hands tremble, the way her eyes dart between Mason and me.

I reach out, my hand hovering just inches from her arm, unsure if she'll pull away. I don't want to scare her. Not now.

But she doesn't pull away. She just watches me with those wide eyes, her lips parted, and for a second, I think she might speak, but then—

The silence is deafening.

Bethany's POV

My heart is still racing, and I can't seem to catch my breath. The whole room feels like it's closing in around me, the tension between Adrian and Mason so thick I can hardly think straight.

I'm caught between them.

I feel Mason's eyes on me, still burning with that rage, but it's Adrian I can't stop thinking about. The way he stepped in, the raw power he unleashed. It was terrifying, yes, but there was something else there too—something undeniable. Something… protective.

And I couldn't look away.

When he shifted, even just partially, I couldn't breathe. I've seen the power in our world before, but seeing Adrian lose control like that—seeing the wolf that lies beneath his skin so close to the surface—was something else. It was like he was showing me the part of himself he keeps hidden.

The part of himself that wants to protect me.

I can't explain it. I shouldn't be feeling this way. Not after everything Mason has put me through, not after everything I've tried to bury deep inside myself. But there's something about Adrian's raw energy that pulls me in.

He's not like Mason. He doesn't try to control me.

"Bethany," Adrian's voice is soft now, hesitant, as if he's unsure if I'll run from him or accept him.

I shake my head, trying to clear the haze in my mind. But it doesn't help. I'm still torn between the two of them. Between the man who's owned me, controlled me, and the man who's standing in front of me, broken and powerful and raw, offering me something I can't quite define.

I take a step back, my mind a whirlwind of confusion. "I don't know what to say."

Adrian's gaze softens, his eyes looking at me with something almost like understanding. "You don't have to say anything."

But I do. I need to say something. I need to figure out what's going on inside me.

I take another step back, my voice trembling. "I don't know what I'm feeling."

He doesn't press, doesn't demand anything from me. He just watches, his eyes filled with that same protective intensity. And for a moment, I think maybe… maybe that's enough.

For now.