Chapter 364: She is Maria.
Aidan.
The Lycan Prince’s arrogance was becoming increasingly annoying.
He carried himself as though he was untouchable, as though the entire world revolved around him and no one possessed the power to challenge him. The confidence in his eyes, the authority in his voice, and the way everyone seemed to bend around his presence grated on my nerves.
It was almost laughable.
He acted as though he was unstoppable, conveniently forgetting that every man, no matter how powerful, had a weakness.
And weaknesses had a way of bringing even the strongest men to their knees.
He better pray I never discover his, because the moment I did, he would be a goner.
The thought lingered silently in my mind as I walked behind my brothers, my gaze fixed on their backs while we made our way toward the room.
Noah was walking alongside us as well, at least physically because mentally, he seemed to be somewhere else entirely.
His expression was distant, his eyes unfocused, and he barely reacted to anything happening around him. It was so obvious that he was completely lost in his own thoughts.
None of us bothered to question him.
Eventually, we reached the room.
One after another, we stepped inside and settled into different places.
Noah sat on the stool, and I lowered myself onto the rug. Meanwhile, my brothers occupied the bed.
For several seconds, silence settled over the room—a heavy silence, the kind that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Then Damien abruptly pushed himself to his feet. His sudden movement immediately drew my attention.
He began pacing around the room, his brows furrowed deeply as though something was troubling him.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Finally, he stopped, his gaze swept across all of us before he spoke.
"Did anyone notice anything strange about the Lycan Princess?" he asked, staring at each of us expectantly.
My heart skipped.
Because honestly? I did.
And the realization alone was embarrassing.
My wolf had been acting strangely around he—-it was restless, and drawn to her while yearning for her.
The feeling had unsettled me from the moment it started and I had spent the entire time questioning my own sanity.
I was not the type to be easily enticed by women, especially not a woman whose face had been hidden behind a mask.
Yet my wolf had reacted to her in a way I couldn’t explain.
The embarrassment alone had been enough to make me force the feeling away and pretend it did not exist.
"Yes, I did," Davain answered suddenly.
Damien’s head snapped toward him instantly.
The rest of us also shifted our attention to Davain, curiosity immediately sparking within the room.
Everyone except Noah.
Noah remained seated on the stool, seemingly oblivious to the conversation unfolding around him.
He still looked trapped inside his own world.
"Tell me," Damien said, his voice serious as he fixed Davain with an intense stare. "What did you notice?"
"Nothing in particular," Davain said with a slight shrug, as his brows furrowed as though he was still trying to make sense of his own thoughts. "Her body structure just looks too familiar," he added after a brief pause.
The moment those words left his mouth, Damien pointed at him.
"Exactly my point!" he said immediately, his voice filled with satisfaction. "I actually thought she might be Maria’s twin sister!"
My eyebrows shot up at once.
Seriously?
Was he not taking this way too far?
The Lycan Princess and Maria was not enough and he thought of her twin.
The comparison seemed ridiculous.
For a moment, I simply stared at Damien, wondering how he had managed to arrive at such a conclusion.
A scoff suddenly echoed through the room, causing everyone to turn.
It was from Noah.
For the first time since we entered the room, he seemed somewhat aware of the conversation.
"It seems you are too eager to find her twin," Adrein said with a chuckle, as a teasing grin spread across his face as he glanced at Damien. "You really want to get marked by Maria."
The joke earned a small laugh from some of us.
Normally, Damien would have rolled his eyes or thrown back an equally sarcastic response.
This time, however, he did not, Instead, a deep frown settled on his face as his expression remained completely serious.
"I’m being serious, Adrien," Damien said immediately.
The amusement on Adrein’s face faded slightly.
Damien crossed his arms over his chest.
"I would have simply said she was Maria," he continued, his tone thoughtful. "But why would Maria want to marry the Lycan Prince?"
The room instantly became quieter, and the teasing atmosphere vanished completely.
Adrein’s face paled almost immediately and mine probably did too.
The possibility alone was enough to make my stomach tighten.
No.
It couldn’t be.
It absolutely must not be Maria.
If it somehow was...
My jaw clenched.
I wouldn’t mind killing the Lycan Prince, even if it cost me my own life.
The thought flashed through my mind with frightening ease.
The Lycan Prince must never marry Maria.
Yet the more I thought about it, the less sense it made.
There was no connection between them, none that I knew of, therefore there was no reason for Maria to suddenly appear as the future bride of the Lycan Prince.
The whole thing seemed impossible.
I remained lost in my thoughts, silently examining every possibility and finding flaws in each one.
Then, suddenly, Noah spoke.
"She is Maria, you all." He said, his voic calm, certain and confident, as there was not a trace of doubt that existed in his tone.
The words slammed into the room like a thunderclap.
My thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
I froze.
Every muscle in my body locked instantly as my eyes snapped toward Noah.
For a second, I genuinely wondered if I had heard him correctly.
But the unwavering look on his face told me I had.
And somehow, that was even more shocking.
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