Maria.
The question he had asked still lingered in the air between us.
Will you go back with me, Maria?
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
My heart felt like it had forgotten how to beat properly, stumbling unevenly in my chest as his words repeated themselves in my mind.
Go back with him.
The truth was… I had long wanted to leave with him.
Even before all of this.
Before the competition.
Before the cheers of the crowd and the suffocating feeling of being treated like some grand prize waiting to be claimed.
I had wanted to leave this place.
I wanted a quiet corner of the world where I could breathe without feeling watched. Somewhere I didn't have to hear whispers trailing behind me. Somewhere I didn't have to wake up each morning wondering which Alpha would win me like a trophy.
Peace.
That was all I had ever wanted.
And for some reason, whenever I imagined leaving… Noah was always there in that picture.
That was why I wanted him to win.
