A Rogue For The Quadruplet Alpha's.

Aidan.

I really could not tell why, but in that split second, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave Noah behind in that compartment.

Although he annoyed me to my absolute core—his very presence getting under my skin in ways I hated to admit—I knew I had to rescue him from there.

Reaching into the secluded space, I grabbed ahold of him and pulled him out. He seemed a little weak and unsteady on his feet, likely from the toll of his captivity, so I supported his weight as we made our break for it.

Moving as fast as our legs could carry us, we navigated through the shadows and ran straight out of the pack territory.

By following the exact perimeter paths that Damien and the others had highlighted to be weakened by the fire distraction, we successfully slipped past the outer perimeter and left the Lycan prince’s stronghold behind.

"Is Maria safe?" Noah suddenly asked, breaking the tense silence the very moment we had put a considerable distance between ourselves and the territory.

I gritted my teeth, really not wanting to respond to him at all. There was absolutely no reason for him to be asking about her, nor did he have any right to concern himself with my mate.

"Focus on getting away from here first!" I snapped back instead, dodging his question as I approached the horses waiting in the dense tree line and mounted the one that had been left behind for us.

Noah let out a light, dry chuckle at my harsh tone. "It’s just a harmless question," he said smoothly, showing no sign of intimidation as he hoisted himself up and mounted the second horse. "Why are you getting so worked up?"

I rolled my eyes instantly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a real answer.

I wasn’t just getting worked up over his arrogant probing—I was deeply preoccupied, trying to make sense of why there was even a spare horse sitting at this designated spot in the first place.

We had originally arranged for exactly five horses to be hidden here for our escape route, which meant one of them should have been taken. Unless...unless Maria had intentionally forfeited her own horse and gone ahead through another means—probably with one of my brothers.

And they would be foolishly happy she chose to ride with them, not realising she left it for Noah.

Did she somehow predict that Noah would be coming along with me?

Did she plan this far ahead just to ensure he had a ride?

The mere thought of her prioritizing his escape made a wave of intense irritation wash over me. I hadn’t even thought far enough ahead to secure an extra horse for my own sister, Anabel, yet Maria had willingly left her own mount behind just to make sure Noah wouldn’t be left stranded.

"Just shut your mouth, Noah!" I growled after a long, heavy silence.

Without waiting for another one of his infuriating remarks, I whipped my horse’s reins gently, sending the beast into a steady stride to get us moving down the dark path.

Noah hit his horse’s reins as well, and soon the two of us were tearing through the dense woods on horseback, the sound of heavy hooves thundering against the forest floor.

I leaned forward over the saddle, desperately wanting my horse to go faster. The urgency burned in my chest; I needed to catch up with them—with Maria and the rest of my brothers—before any more complications arose.

At the very least, I was relieved that Anabel had left beforehand. Her sudden absence at the ceremony made sense now, and it saved me the agonizing stress of having to worry about two fragile women in the middle of a dangerous escape. It was truly no wonder she hadn’t been present in the wedding hall.

Still, a lingering question nagged at the back of my mind: what exactly could have happened to make her leave?

She hadn’t listened to a single word when we tried to warn her about the Lycan prince’s true nature, so why had she suddenly decided to pack up and flee on her own?

Well, I had to forcefully push those distracting thoughts aside for now. There was no point in agonizing over her motives in the middle of the woods; I would get all the answers I needed the moment I returned home.

And finally, Maria would be back in our pack, exactly where she belonged. The thought alone filled me with a deep sense of triumph, steadily easing the tension that had weighed on my mind.

With the grace and help of the Moon Goddess, we should finally be able to solidify our bond the proper way this time.

Every obstacle standing between us would gradually be swept aside until nothing remained to keep us apart.

Then, at long last, we would be able to marry without any more foolish interruptions getting in our way.

Those victorious thoughts continued to swirl through my mind, feeding the quiet satisfaction growing within me.

Almost unconsciously, my eyes drifted sideways toward Noah, who was riding beside me.

The instant my gaze settled on him, every trace of hope evaporated.

In its place came a fierce, consuming wave of rage that tightened my jaw and hardened my expression in an instant.

Why couldn’t he just not exist at all?

The thought surfaced with startling clarity, refusing to leave.

I mean, it was entirely possible for him to simply vanish from our lives forever— to step aside, to disappear and to give us the quiet, uninterrupted time we so desperately needed with Maria.

If he were gone, everything would finally become simple. There would be no unnecessary interference, no constant obstacle standing in the way. Everything could finally unfold the way it was always supposed to, without anything—or anyone—continuing to complicate what should have been so straightforward.

’Arrrrghhhhh!’ I screamed inwardly, my jaw clenching so hard it throbbed.

Unable to stomach his presence for another second, I snapped the reins hard and spurred my horse onward, forcing the animal to increase its speed and leave the suffocating tension behind.

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