A Rogue For The Quadruplet Alpha's. Chapter 109: I hate Him

Maria

Everything slowly died down after the healer’s announcent.

The tension that had once filled the corridor like thick smoke began to thin, voices lowering, footsteps retreating. The crowd dispersed gradually, and for the first ti since the chaos began, I could breathe properly.

I was grateful.

Grateful beyond words to Daniel.

If he hadn’t stepped in when he did, I would have been dragged to the dungeon without another word. I could already imagine it, the cold walls, the darkness, the humiliation. And knowing the Quadruplets’ temper, I doubted it would have stopped at re confinent.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Daniel had saved .

I didn’t know what pushed him to intervene, or why he chose that mont, but I owed him. Deeply.

He caught my eye from across the corridor and offered a small smile. It wasn’t wide or showy, just subtle reassurance.

I tried to return it.

My lips curved slightly, but the smile didn’t reach my mind. My thoughts were elsewhere.

Noah.

The healer had said he would wake soon, that he only needed rest. But still... the image of him lying there unconscious lingered in my head. His stillness. His silence.

What exactly was Anabel up to?

The question gnawed at .

She wouldn’t harm Noah.

Would she?

The thought felt absurd and yet unsettling. I had seen the way she acted, the tears, the accusations, the way she shifted bla so effortlessly.

I just hoped he was okay.

I kept staring at the closed door long after most of the crowd had left. Sothing in was reluctant to walk away. Maybe guilt. Maybe fear. Maybe just the need to see him open his eyes.

The hallway grew emptier with each passing second until the murmurs faded completely.

"Why keep staring? Regretting already?"

The voice cut through my thoughts sharply.

I blinked and turned.

The corridor was nearly deserted.

But Adrien was still there.

Of course he was.

Why?

He stood a few steps away, arms relaxed at his sides, but his expression was anything but calm.

"Why did you do that to him?" he asked, his tone controlled but edged with sothing darker.

I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself.

The audacity.

His sister had orchestrated the entire scene, yet I was the one standing here being interrogated like a criminal.

"Answer , Maria," he said again, stepping closer. "You know how I get when I get no response."

The warning in his voice was clear.

He moved into my space deliberately, slowly, intentionally, until there was no air left between us. Close enough that the heat of his body wrapped around mine like a second skin. Close enough that every shallow breath he took ghosted over my cheek, warm and controlled, as if even his breathing was calculated.

I didn’t step back.

I refused to.

My spine straightened, chin lifting slightly despite the tension tightening every muscle in my body. I would not cower. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing retreat.

"Alpha Adrien..." I started, my voice steady even though my pulse was beginning to hamr against my ribs.

I didn’t even get to finish.

His hand ca up abruptly, fingers curling around my jaw, firm and unyielding. Before I could process the movent, his lips crashed against mine.

The shock froze .

For half a second, my mind went completely blank. No thoughts. No breath. Just the sudden pressure of his mouth on mine and the overwhelming realization that this was happening.

What the hell?

Just monts ago he had been glaring at like I was sothing foul. Accusing . Questioning my loyalty. Letting his words slice through without hesitation.

He had looked at like I was dirt beneath his shoes.

And now he was kissing ?

The anger ca fast, hot and sharp, burning away the shock.

He was an asshole.

There was nothing tender about the kiss. No softness. No hesitation. It wasn’t affection, it was force. It felt like he was trying to prove sothing. Like he was pouring every ounce of frustration and wounded pride into the press of his mouth.

Possession.

That’s what it felt like.

As if I was sothing he could claim whenever it suited him.

My hands flew to his chest imdiately, palms pressing hard against the solid wall of muscle. I shoved, putting all my strength into it, trying to create space.

He didn’t move.

Not even an inch.

Of course he didn’t.

He was stronger. Bigger. The Alpha.

The imbalance of it made sothing inside snap. The unfairness crashed over all at once, his baseless accusations, his sister’s betrayal, the humiliation I had endured earlier, and now this.

I hated him.

I hated the way he looked at like I was guilty without proof.

I hated the way he assud control without asking.

I hated the way he felt entitled to touch whenever his emotions spiraled out of control, as if my body was an outlet for his anger.

And more than anything, I hated that he thought he could take from without consequence.

And yet...beneath the anger, sothing else flickered.

Hurt.

That was what surprised the most.

Why did it hurt?

Why did his earlier disappointnt sting more than the slap?

Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks, burning at the corners of my eyes. But I refused to let them fall.

Not in front of him.

Not after everything.

I pushed against him harder, fingers pressing firmly into his chest, trying to break free. He tightened his hold for a mont before finally easing just enough for to pull back slightly.

My breathing was uneven.

My heart pounded, not from desire, but from frustration.

He stared at intensely, as though searching my face for sothing.

But I didn’t look away.

If he wanted answers, he would have to listen.

And I was done being silent.

He kept kissing so intensely that fear crept into my chest.

Not because of the kiss itself.

But because of what could happen next.

Vanessa’s face flashed in my mind, the last ti she had walked in on sothing she misunderstood. The humiliation. The slap. The way he had chosen pride over in that split second.

What if she showed up again?

What if soone else did?

Would Adrien push away just as quickly? Would he raise his hand like Aidan to protect his image? To prove loyalty to his family?

The thought terrified more than his grip did.

I couldn’t endure that again.

Summoning what little strength I had left, I pressed harder against his chest and twisted my face away. This ti, I managed to break the kiss. Air rushed into my lungs as I stepped back quickly, my heart hamring violently.

Without looking at him, I turned to leave.

I couldn’t face him.

Not now.

Not when the tears I had been holding back were threatening to betray . If I t his eyes, I knew I would break. And I refused to cry in front of him.

I had barely taken two steps when his hands wrapped around from behind.

Strong.

Unyielding.

He pulled back against him, his grip tightening around my waist as though I might disappear if he didn’t hold on firmly enough. My back pressed against his chest, and I could feel the rise and fall of his breathing.

He buried his face near my neck and inhaled deeply.

Slowly.

Like my scent was the only thing anchoring him.

The gesture caught off guard.

"Wait!" he said, his voice rough, almost breathless. "I haven’t permitted you to leave!"

The command in his tone made my spine stiffen.

Permission?

Since when did I need his permission?

"Alpha Adrien," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the way his hold unsettled , "I have duties to attend to. I am not sure I can."

It was the most neutral excuse I could find. Polite, controlled yet distant.

But it only seed to provoke him further.

He spun around abruptly, forcing to face him.

The sudden movent made stumble slightly before steadying myself. And when I looked up...I saw it.

Anger.

Raw and building.

His jaw was tight, his eyes darker than usual, sothing turbulent swirling behind them.

"I said you should wait," he thundered, his voice reverberating through the now-empty hallway. "And that is what you would do!"

The force in his tone made my heart skip.

This wasn’t the teasing arrogance he usually wore.

This was sothing else.

Sothing possessive.

Sothing volatile.

Before I could respond, he grabbed my hand firmly, almost painfully, and began marching forward. His stride was long and determined, leaving no choice but to follow or be dragged.

"Adrien..." I tried, but he didn’t slow down.

His grip tightened slightly in response.

The hallway blurred as we moved quickly, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. I struggled to keep up with his pace, my mind racing just as fast as my heartbeat.

Where was he taking ?

Why was he reacting like this?

Monts ago, he had been accusing .

Now he was acting as though I belonged to him.

The contradiction made my chest ache.

I glanced at his profile as he pulled along. His expression was rigid, focused straight ahead, like he was trying to outrun sothing, his thoughts, perhaps.

Or his feelings.

I didn’t know which frightened more.

His anger.

Or the possibility that beneath it was sothing neither of us was ready to admit.

My fingers flexed in his hold, testing his grip.

He didn’t loosen it.

And I realized then...Whatever conversation he intended to have, he wasn’t going to let escape it.