C28 ADALINE POV

Adaline's Point of View

"Call me when you land," Ashley says, kissing my cheek.

I nod, taking the fried chicken from her, she packed it in a cooler, then walk over to Daniel and hug him.

I glance at my best friend and boyfriend, waiting for me with the car door open.

"Your chariot awaits, my darling," Cyp says, and I laugh, sliding into the back seat. He joins me while Zoe drives, her ear pods in. I frown, sensing she might be feeling a little off. It’s understandable, her best friends are getting married, and she’s still single.

I lean into Cyp’s open arm and open the cooler, taking a bite of fried chicken. I offer him one, but he refuses.

"You need to burn all that extra weight you put on during your break," he says, and I stiffen, more at the word break. I was depressed, and he reduces it to a break... and now he's calling me fat.

I bite into the chicken harder. Zoe glances back at me, and in her eyes, it's like she’s trying to speak. I frown as she turns back around. I look at Cyp, who’s busy on his phone. Something bitter rises in my throat. I should be happy. These are the people I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

I should be happy.

Zoe takes a sharp turn, and ahead I see a private jet, with nearly twenty people waiting.

"Cyp?" I frown, and he smiles.

"You’ll be comfortable," he says, opening the door and extending his hand.

I take it and step out, with Zoe behind us.

"Hello," I greet the men and women I see, but they only nod, probably instructed to, and salute Cyprus.

I leave Cyp’s side and step toward Zoe.

"Are you okay, Zoe?" I ask, linking our hands.

She nods, then smiles. "Yes, probably had too much chicken."

"This looks so grand," I whisper as we climb the jet’s stairs.

"I know," she says, and we step inside. I swallow a gasp, taking in the posh, classy interior. My jeans and shirt suddenly feel way out of place.

"Welcome, Misses. I’m Tyler, the pilot of this jet. We depart in thirty minutes. There will be food and drinks in ten. Please, have a seat and enjoy." A man says, and I laugh, nodding, still holding Zoe tighter. And there it is again, her scent. Familiar, yet strange.

We sit across from each other. I pull out my Kindle, ready to get lost in Danielle Lori’s world, while she takes out her phone. I frown, her hands are shaking, and she looks suspicious.

Asake’s 2:30 comes on, and I smile, moving to the beat. I have a thing for Afrobeats.

Cyprus walks in with his laptop in hand. I smile as he sets it on the table and pecks my cheek.

"I know you love Afrobeats. Like I said, comfortable," he says. I sit on his lap. Zoe gets up and excuses herself. I frown, but then Cyp kisses me, and everything else fades.

I sink my hands into his hair, rolling my hips, and then it happens. One moment I’m kissing him. The next, I’m thrown backward, watching it all from afar.

_ __ __

I see Cyp and Zoe.

"Do you think she noticed?" Zoe asks.

He shakes his head. "She’s so self-obsessed, she probably didn’t even notice."

"What did the Alpha say?" Zoe presses.

"We start immediately. She is the Lycan’s mate. She mustn’t know," Cyp says.

Zoe nods. "I love this assignment. I already secured identities for us. I’ll be a chef at a Michelin-star restaurant and study Literary Arts. You’ll run a family business."

"Good. Look for loopholes. It must be perfect. This is my chance to prove myself."

"Yes. I’ll move into her dorm tomorrow."

The scene shifts.

"She likes you. Just keep pretending to like the things she likes, books, food, movies. She’s very shallow."

I gasped, the scene shifting.

"She agreed to be my girlfriend. Has she said anything about her family? Ronan’s getting restless," Cyp says.

Zoe shakes her head, reading. He knocks the book out of her hands.

"Don’t get sucked into this life. You are not this person. You’re my mate, a werewolf. Own it."

It shifts again.

"She wants to be made Dean. We should strike now," Zoe says.

Cyp shakes his head. "Not yet. Our orders are to watch her, find out her weaknesses and strengths."

"Are you sure she’s the one? She has none of the traits of the woman prophesied to save or break the world," Zoe says.

"I’ve noticed too. Do you think the Seer was wrong?" he asks.

She doesn’t answer, just turns her gaze to me—watching from the camera in my room.

"Her mother called."

"She’s going to New Orleans," Cyp says to a man seated on a throne, others kneeling before him.

"Do not fail me, Cyprus. It’s almost time. We must win. We will end the Blue Moon Pack, and Aurora will be ours to use."

"Yes, Alpha."

"We don’t have time," Zoe says, kissing Cyp. They rip each other’s clothes off.

"She keeps talking about the Lycan. She can’t resist the mate bond much longer."

"We were paired for our synergy. Don’t lose focus, Zoe," Cyp yells—then kisses her.

"It is done. From the blood you took, the ritual is complete. Every man who drinks it will become a vampire with the powers of a wolf. Soon we’ll have an army to end the world."

"Zoe is acting weird. I think she’s changing her mind. Maybe she loves Aurora. If she betrays us, when this is all done, I’ll kill her."

"She’s been off. Do you think she’s becoming herself again?" Zoe asks.

Cyp scoffs.

"How did she kill two of our men? We had them follow her. Maybe they got too close... But the magic she used, it was ancestral. How?" Cyp looks haggard.

"I don’t know. Maybe... it’s happening," Zoe whispers, standing over my sleeping form.

"A witch hexed her? She was your responsibility, and you failed!"

"I’m sorry, brother. We don’t know who did it."

"Find her!"

"We move forward. Lily has been captured. We’ll use her. With the two most powerful women in the world on our side, we cannot fail."

"Yes, brother."

Memories flashed before me, but the memories were not mine.