C30 ALEXANDRU

Alexandru Point of View

"This is my friend, Luc," I hear Francia say, and roll my eyes at her persistent matchmaking.

I turn toward her, and freeze.

Adaline.

She looks at me, her eyes red and puffy, her face pale, hair a mess. She's not just tired. She's wrecked.

A protective rage rises in me like a tidal wave. I will end whoever did this to her.

She smiles faintly, almost apologetically, then begins to fall. I don't let her hit the ground. I would never. I scoop her into my arms, her body light, fragile. Francia’s eyes widen, but I barely notice.

She’s holding bags. She's running. From what?

I push through the crowd, hating this party with every step. I carry her into the house, off-limits to everyone, and see both our families gathered in the backyard. They look up and freeze.

"Adaline!" Camille gasps in terror, rushing to me.

I keep Adaline in my arms, refusing to let go. I carry her inside, up the stairs, and into her old room. I lay her gently on the bed.

"What happened? I wasn’t expecting her until next Saturday," Camille says, placing a trembling hand on her daughter’s cheek.

"Francia found her," I say, not taking my eyes off Addie.

"She looked lost," Francia explains. "So I brought her to Luc, thinking he could help. She saw him, smiled, and then fainted."

They nod, though Camille glances at me, then at Francia, likely wanting to cast a spell but can’t with her here.

"She is my daughter, Adaline. And Luc’s soulmate," Peter says, his voice solemn.

I don’t respond. I just stare at her.

I glance at Rick, silently asking for help.

"Francia, come with me," he says. "You too, Alina."

They leave. I stay.

We all knew she'd come. But like this? What happened? Who hurt her?

Ten minutes later, Selena, Blu, and Lola enter. The room now holds my parents, hers, and Rick.

"What happened?" Blu breathes, seeing Adaline’s state. I tighten my grip on her hand.

"She showed up like this, then fainted," my mom says.

"Let’s find out what happened," Selena says, stepping forward.

She murmurs a spell and touches Adaline’s forehead. A blast throws her back. I don’t let go of Addie.

"What the -?" Rick blurts, alarmed.

Lola and Camille help Selena up, all of them visibly shaken.

"Together," Selena says. The three witches join hands, then touch Adaline again.

They scream.

"She’s fighting us. Strong -" Blu chokes out.

"Pain. Betrayal... betrayal," Lola whispers, straining.

They try to go deeper. Then --

"I SAID NO!" Adaline’s voice cuts through the air, and a force throws the witches back. The wall cracks. They all pass out.

But I still hold her hand.

"Adaline!" Camille rushes forward.

"Mom?" she whispers, then looks at me. Her gaze drops to our clasped hands. I brace for rejection.

But instead, she hugs me.

I wrap my arms around her waist and hold on.

My Adaline.

__

Later, I extend a hand as she steps out of the car. After she blew up her parents' house, literally, I brought her to mine. I smile at the memory. She will rule the world.

Together we walk in. My home, once empty, now breathes with her presence. I hear the others behind us but they keep their distance, thankfully. She’s overwhelmed, and it's still early morning.

I lead her to the guest room beside mine. She smiles, steps inside, and locks me out.

Back in the living room, everyone’s gathered. My mom and Elena are in the kitchen. Blu, Lola, and Selena sit quietly. I shoot them an apologetic glance, they were floored, literally. Mom hands them sandwiches, likely to replenish their energy.

"What did you see?" Peter asks. His wife sits beside him.

I glance around. Alina, Zach, Rick, Catalina, Faye, and my dad are all here.

"Not much," Blu says. "She’s stronger than we thought. Unconscious, but awake in her mind. Something happened, something bad. She was betrayed, maybe by someone close. It's made her guarded."

"The mate bond is the only thing grounding her. That explains her reaching for Luc," Selena adds.

Lola shakes her head. "Not just the bond. Luc was her best friend, the one she loved most. There's comfort in that."

"Her powers are emotion-driven," Rick says. "And she’s carrying a lot right now."

"But why now?" Camille says. "It seems sudden. We spoke last night, she was happy. Talking about her boyfriend. Said he was going to propose."

I freeze. Heat crawls up my spine.

"Propose?" I ask, voice low.

"Yes. She sent me a picture of the ring. Then less than an hour later, she tried calling me over thirty times. Something happened. Something supernatural."

"Don’t hurt yourself thinking about it," a voice cuts in.

We all look up.

Adaline.

She walks into the room, wearing my sweatshirt and briefs, like we just had sex. My jaw tenses. She takes the empty seat in front of everyone.

"My boyfriend, well, fiancé, is Cyprus Buckland."

Chaos erupts.

The Buckland family. Romania Pack.

"Settle down, and listen. Or I will leave," she says.

Silence falls. There’s a cut on her head. Her blonde hair is pulled into a bun. She looks like war.

"I met Cyprus five years ago, in Italy. He crashed into me. We talked. Liked the same things. It was a setup. A long con. Zoe? I met her nine years ago, the year I left. They’ve been working together. Planning something big."

"Back up a little," Blu says.

Adaline tilts her head, like she just noticed her.

"You helped me in New York, and I’m grateful. But try to get into my head again, and I’ll kill you."

Silence.

She turns to Lola and Selena. "I apologize for the... introduction. But the same goes for you, darlings. Stay out of my mind, or I’ll kill you too."

I bite my lip to hide a smile. There is nothing hotter than this woman.

"Baby girl," Camille says gently. "What happened? You told me he was going to propose. You sent me the picture. And now you’re here?"

"I was going to Romania," Addie replies.

"What?" I growl. Her whiskey-colored eyes meet mine.

She shrugs. "I’d be dead by now if I stayed. He proposed. I said yes. We, he, decided we should visit Romania, meet his family. We boarded his private jet. We were making out... and then I saw it."

She inhales.

"Flashes of his memories. Him and Zoe. Apparently, they were fucking."

I stiffen.

"And everything was planned. Meeting me. Manipulating me. Getting me to trust them. All under orders from Ronan, his brother. Alpha of the Romania Pack."