C26 ALEXANDRU POV

Alexandru Point of View

I see the doubt in her expression, the way she’s given up, and I hate it, because I want to see the strength in her eyes, her power.

"Please, baby girl. Fight for me," I beg, not caring that they can hear me. I just want her to fight, be the warrior she was born to be.

"Okay," she whispers, and the man looks at her, and I recognize the mark on his arm.

"Romania," Camille whispers, echoing my thought, and anger rushes through me.

"Your time is up, Luc…" Selena begins, but I nod, furious, taking a step back, then stop when I hear her.

"Alexandru, please stay," she whispers, and I nod, not caring how Lola will make it work.

I stay behind her, my hands in her hair. I try not to feel too distracted, so I just stand and watch as a bit of her power begins to flicker. She doesn’t do what I would have done. Instead, she leans in to him and whispers:

"You will slowly go mad, unable to stop the insanity that creeps in. You’ll be haunted and hunted by everyone you’ve hurt. You’ll never know peace, crippled forever by agonizing pain and madness. You’ll find relief, but never find rest… until you decide you’ve had enough and end your life."

The man’s eyes widen as he hears the hex.

"Go. Enjoy tonight. Because tomorrow, you suffer," Addie says, and he gets up and walks out the door.

I’m frozen, shocked by everything she said. I watch as an old man walks to her, smiling. The restaurant’s owner.

Suddenly, I’m thrown backward. I expect to land in Camille’s living room, but instead, I’m in a cell.

I stare around the cell and see a woman lying on the floor, writhing in pain, alone, bleeding. It’s her. The woman. But this time, she looks drained, like she’s begging for death. Her eyes find mine, and they’re neon and black.

“She will come to you soon,” she says, her voice hoarse. “Betrayed by those she loves most, she will hide from you. But you must unite with her, Alexandru. You’ve fought for her. Now you will fight with her. Dangers will rise, and you will be betrayed, but you are nothing without your family, Alex. And together, no one will stop you and her.”

She coughs and then utters chilling words:

“Find your father. He has the answers.”

The cell door opens, and I’m thrown back with a resounding force. I hit the ground in Camille’s living room, gasping for air.

"Luc!" Mom yells, rushing toward me.

"Where did you go? What did you see?" Camille asks, grabbing my bleeding hand.

"You’re lying to me," I say quietly, staring at them. "And I will find the truth. When I do, I won’t forgive you."

Their faces pale, confirming my suspicions. I rise, glance at my now-healed hands, then at the witches.

“Romania!” I growl.

“There’s someone with her, working with the Romania Pack,” Lola says, and I nod. Of course there is.

I remember the way she cursed him, her voice, her certainty, and goosebumps rise.

“Why did she curse him like that?” Elena whispers.

“You have to understand something about Aurora,” Selena says, and I glance at her.

“She has years of unfinished business inside her, decades of untapped witchcraft. She’s bursting at the seams with power. When witches awaken their gifts, they try to choose between good and evil, as if that’s even possible. But we all have both. We just learn to balance them. Aurora will find her balance, and with her power, let’s hope she finds it fast.”

I nod, and one by one, the witches begin to leave. Only Lola, Selena, and Blu remain. Just as they’re about to go, I blurt out:

“The woman I saw, when I disappeared, how could she draw me to her? Even drained?”

“It’s love,” Blu says. “The most potent spell. She must have something, or someone, motivating her to have made it this far. Still, she’s a powerful being. Almost as powerful as your mate, for her to reach both of you like that.”

Selena nods. “We could run some spells. Your sister might find something in the journals.”

They exit.

I fall onto the couch, tired, frustrated, but clinging to the only comfort I have: Adaline. She’s rising, and soon, nothing will stop her.

I glance at my mom, then Camille. Shake my head.

I will do everything to protect Adaline.

__

Adaline’s Point of View

I gasp as the doorbell rings, signaling someone has left.

"You ran my customer off, Aurora," Caden says, laughing as he places bread on the table. One look at my face, and mercifully, he leaves me alone.

I get up, staggering as I throw a wad of cash on the table and stumble out of the restaurant, trying to find my balance.

You will slowly go mad…

The words echo in my head, chilling me.

I gasp, fresh tears sliding down my face.

I said that. I hexed someone.

Who the hell am I?

I stagger home, my hands trembling as I unlock the door. I collapse onto the floor, sobbing, because I don’t recognize myself. Maybe this is who I really am. Maybe I need to stop running.

All I can feel is Alexandru. I don’t know how he did it, how he reached me, being miles away. But even now, it’s like I can feel him. Like my body isn’t mine… but ours.

And in that moment, I decide: I’m going home. I need to go home. I need to be okay. No more hiding.

I rise from the floor, renewed, knowing my answers are waiting. So I call my best friend.

"Aurora?" she says softly, picking up on the first ring. I hear the uncertainty in her voice, and guilt floods me.

"Hey, baby." I smile. God, I missed her.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to come over?" she rushes out.

"It’s almost midnight, Zee."

"I’m on my way," she says, and the call ends.

Zoe is my best friend. Cyp… I used to love him. But right now, I don’t know what I feel. Maybe it’s Alexandru-induced haze. Maybe I’m finally waking up.

Either way, I need to break up with Cyprus and face what I’m feeling.

I glance around the messy room and begin cleaning. Twenty minutes later, the living room looks a little more decent. Junk wrappers in the trash.

Almost immediately, I hear the doorbell.

I walk toward the door, but pause.

I can hear it.

Her heartbeat. Fast. Nervous.

I smile, ignoring the fact that I can hear my best friend’s heartbeat.

I open the door, smiling as I see her, clad in pajamas, hair in a bun, holding bowls of ice cream.

My best friend.

__

"So he was like, ‘He’s a friend from work,’ and then Hulk smashed him, like he did Loki!" she exclaims, and I double over laughing.

"Then Loki yelled, ‘That’s how it feels!’ and I just died." She’s laughing too, eyes watering.

“Oh my God,” I manage between gasps, rolling on the floor. She plops beside me, and I throw my arm around her.

“I missed you,” I say as our laughter fades. Because I really, really did.

“I’m sorry for being a bitch these past few weeks,” I say, brushing my hand through her dyed gray hair. “I was going through some changes. I was just… tired.”

“It’s fine. No one’s perfect.” She shrugs, then glances at me seriously. “What’s the worst thing someone could ever do to you?”

I frown, biting my lip in thought. “The worst thing?”

She nods.

“Lie to me. Betray me. Make me feel like I’m too much… or abandon me.”