Noah.
I was already burning before I realized it.
The heat had crept up on me quietly, settling into my bones, clouding my thoughts, stirring my wolf in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. I had always prided myself on control, years of discipline, of restraint, of forcing my instincts into submission. But that moment with Maria… it had nearly broken me.
I had almost crossed a line I could never erase.
The instant clarity hit, regret followed just as fast. Sharp. Crushing. The kind that made my chest tighten painfully. I pulled away because I had to. Because if I stayed one second longer, I would do something unforgivable. Something that would make her look at me with fear, or worse, hatred.
And that thought alone terrified me.
I didn't want Maria to hate me.
