Chapter 318: Answers.
Maria.
I slowly opened my eyes to an unfamiliar surrounding, my vision blurry and unfocused at first. Everything around me looked strange, unfamiliar walls, a dim ceiling above me, and a scent in the air that immediately told me I was nowhere near Moonfall Pack anymore.
My head ached terribly.
The pain throbbed so intensely that it took me several long minutes just to properly process everything around me. I could barely think straight as I lay there, trying to gather my thoughts while a dull pounding echoed painfully through my skull.
I forced myself to move slightly, attempting to sit upright on the bed despite the dizziness threatening to drag me back down.
But the moment I turned....
I froze completely.
There was a man lying right beside me.
Panic shot through my entire body instantly. My breath caught sharply in my throat as my heart began pounding violently against my chest. Without wasting another second, I immediately checked myself in fear, my trembling hands quickly moving over my clothes as dread filled my mind.
But then I paused.
A shaky breath escaped my lips in relief when I realized nothing had happened.
He hadn’t touched me.
At least...not in that way.
Before I could fully calm down, the man suddenly turned, almost as though he had sensed I was awake. His eyes opened immediately, locking onto mine while I remained frozen in shock.
And then recognition hit me.
"It’s so nice you are awake, my love!" he said warmly, a smile spreading across his face.
My own face paled even further.
"Vincent...what’s going on?" I asked weakly, my voice filled with confusion as I struggled to understand how I had gone from Moonfall Pack to wherever this place was.
None of it made sense.
I tried desperately to remember what had happened before everything went dark.
And then suddenly...
Oh right.
It was her.
The memory slammed back into my mind all at once.
I had asked her to remove the veil covering her face because I wanted to confirm my suspicions. Unlike the day I bumped into her before, she hadn’t hesitated this time.
She simply stepped closer and revealed her face.
It was Vanessa.
I remembered frowning immediately, confusion and irritation mixing together as countless questions rushed into my head. I had barely gotten the chance to speak before everything changed.
Just as I was about to question her, she blew some strange powdery substance directly into my face.
That was it.
Everything afterward became a blur.
I remembered stumbling backward weakly before collapsing to the ground completely unconscious.
And now...
Now I was here.
I clenched my fists slightly at the memory, anger beginning to rise inside me.
That vile Vanessa.
I had already left the quadruplets for her. I had already stepped away from everything connected to them, so why couldn’t she just leave me alone? Why was she still interfering in my life?
Nothing about her actions made sense anymore.
But more than Vanessa, something else deeply unsettled me.
Vincent.
My gaze slowly shifted back toward him as confusion twisted inside me again.
He was supposed to be a rogue.
So how exactly did he leave the Moon Bridge Pack?
And more importantly...
Why was he here with me?
A terrible thought crossed my mind almost immediately.
Was he working with Vanessa now?
The possibility made my stomach tighten uneasily as I stared at him, suddenly unsure of what was truly happening around me anymore, and after a while, I looked away from him.
With all those questions running wildly through my head, confusion and uneasiness twisting together inside me, I realized there was only one person who could actually give me answers.
Vincent himself.
I turned toward him again, my brows furrowed deeply as I searched his face for some kind of explanation.
"Speak, Vincent... what’s going on here?" I repeated the question, this time more firmly.
The entire time, he had remained strangely silent, simply staring at me with that unsettling smile stretched across his face, occasionally flashing his teeth as though my confusion amused him somehow.
"I am just happy you are by my side, Maria," he finally answered softly. "Let’s forget about every other thing and focus on us."
His words instantly irritated me.
"What us, Vincent?" I asked sharply, unable to hide the annoyance in my tone anymore. "I am getting married... rather, I should have been married."
The moment the words left my mouth, I noticed the change in his expression immediately.
The smile on Vincent’s face disappeared completely, replaced by something darker.
Something angry.
"Noah doesn’t deserve you, Maria!" he snapped instantly, rising from the bed so abruptly that the sudden movement startled me slightly.
The anger in his voice caught me off guard.
I frowned deeply at him.
"Then who deserves me?" I asked, irritation building stronger inside me at the confidence behind his statement.
What right did he even have to say something like that?
"I..." He paused briefly before stepping closer toward me again. "I am the one who deserves you, Maria."
My eyes widened slightly as he moved nearer, his gaze locking directly onto mine with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.
"Who else in this world can compare to me?" he asked confidently.
I instinctively leaned backward a little until my back rested against the bed behind me.
Was Vincent insane?
The thought crossed my mind almost immediately.
He was a rogue...or at least that was what everyone believed him to be.
So where exactly was all this confidence coming from? Why was he speaking as though he was above everyone else?
Don’t tell me he has actually gone mad.
I stared at him silently, unable to fully process his behavior anymore.
I was still completely lost in my thoughts when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
Before I could react properly, the door opened shortly afterward and another man stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he immediately bowed his head respectfully.
And to my surprise, Vincent—who had just climbed back onto the bed moments ago—came down again immediately and walked toward the man with calm authority.
"Speak," he ordered coldly.
The tone of his voice had changed completely.
"Lycan Prince, everything is all set," the man answered respectfully without lifting his head.
For a moment, I genuinely thought I had heard wrong.
My mind blanked out completely.
What...did he just say?
Lycan Prince?
My heart skipped violently inside my chest as realization slowly began crashing down on me piece by piece.
Wait...
No.
No way.
My eyes widened in complete shock as I stared at Vincent.
Vincent was the Lycan Prince?
I froze completely, my body suddenly growing cold despite the sweat beginning to form against my skin.
How?
How did this all happen?
The rogue everyone believed him to be...
Was actually the Lycan Prince all along?
