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KLAUS

I find Alaric in the middle of a poker game. He’s wearing a smug grin as stacked chips are pushed toward him. I don’t know how the bastard does it, but I’ve never seen him lose a game.

He claims it’s because he remains in Lady Luck’s good graces.

I don’t believe in luck, but I know for a fact that his hawk eyes don’t miss a single thing. He’s way too good at reading people.

I sit down by the bar as I wait for him to finish. He lifts his head and spots me in the crowd.

“Gentlemen,” he says, standing and buttoning his jacket. He doesn’t glance back at the chips or the men, but their eyes follow him. It’s a high-stakes poker game. My friend’s net worth increased by a couple of million dollars tonight.

I order his usual drink by the time he sits beside me.

“It looks like congratulations are in order,” I say.

“Lady Luck was shining down on me tonight,” he says. “Also, why did it take you so long to get here?”

I clear my throat, hoping we can avoid this discussion altogether.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” I say.

“Oh my God,” he says.

“Don’t.”

“You were with a girl, weren’t you?”

“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Why are you all shy about it? This is good. You’re making progress.”

“Nothing happened,” I say.

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“Bullshit,” he says. “I would have waited all night if you told me you were finally with someone. You know I would never cockblock you. If anything, I cock encourage you.”

“Please stop talking,” I say.

“What happened?” he asks. “I want all the deets.”

“You should really stop sticking your nose in other people’s business, Alaric,” I say. “It’s not an attractive quality.”

He snorts.

“This has to do with the nanny, doesn’t it?” he asks.

Heat bursts inside me as I think about the brown eyes that have been haunting me all fucking week. She’s everywhere in my head. The scent of her skin lingers in every corridor of my house. I can’t even get any peace when I close my eyes at night. She’s all I see.

I throw my drink back.

Without me having to ask for it, my drink is refilled.

“I can’t believe a woman finally got under your skin,” he says. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

“It definitely doesn’t mean what you think it means,” I mumble.

“You like her,” he says. “And you’re furious because you’ve never felt this way before.”

I can’t even deny it.

The most unsettling part is that it’s more than just carnal desire.I’m curious about her. I want to know what caused the shadows in her eyes. I want to know every thought that passes through her pretty head.

“I don’t want to ruin it for the kids,” I say. “They really like her.”

“That’s understandable,” he says. “Relationships get messy sometimes. But if you like her, you should get to know her. Especially because you never felt this way about anyone before.”

I look at my friend.

“Why can’t you be on my side for once?” I say.

“Because nobody else is going to be honest with you,” he replies.

I shake my head and take another sip of my drink.

“Look, everyone has their own issues. We’re all human.

We’re all flawed in one way or another. But one thing about you is that you don’t let people in.

It’s not just about physical intimacy. It’s about letting yourself open up to another human being.

You can’t repress everything forever, Klaus. It’s going to come out in ugly ways.”

I think about the nightmares I wake up to.

They haven’t plagued me as much this week, but I know it’s only a matter of time before they make a grand comeback.

“It was a mistake hiring her,” I say. “Maybe I should let her go.”

“Dude, that’s the opposite of what I just said,” he says, rubbing his forehead like I’m the one giving him a headache.

“She’s a complication,” I say. “And I can’t afford complications right now.”

“A divine complication like this is just what you need.”

“Okay, can we talk about literally anything else?” I groan.

“Of course,” he says. “So why couldn’t you perform in bed tonight?”

I stand. “I’m going home.”

“I jest,” Alaric says, biting the inside of his cheek. “Sit your ass back down. There’s still so much left for us to talk about. Aren’t you going to ask me about my trip to Africa?”

“How was your trip to Africa?” I ask.

“ Glorious ,” he says. “I thought I’d seen it all, but witnessing elephants in the wild was one of the most surreal experiences of my life.”

He regales me with everything he did during his trip but leaves out the important details.

“Did you find anything about the elephant attacks?” I ask him.

The smile fades from his lips.

“No,” he says. “I reinforced all the security measures and employed some local men to watch over the habitat. But otherwise, it’s a waiting game.”

He looks so distraught right now. I want to comfort him, but I don’t know how.

“Your mom would be so proud of the man you’ve become,” I tell him.

Alaric’s eyes widen. We usually don’t talk about her even though she was such a huge part of our childhoods.

“I feel like giving you a hug right now,” he says.

“Please don’t.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

He’s joking, but it still stings.

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t understand it myself.

It feels so natural to touch Emma, but I can’t even stomach the thought of touching anyone else.

I wanted to test it out tonight. I wanted to see if my hex was broken. To make things easier, I even asked for someone who looked like her. But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Hey,” Alaric says, searching my face. “You’re all in your head again. It’s all going to be fine, okay? You got me.”

“I know,” I say.

I look at my friend. I know I’m fortunate to have someone like him in my life. He struggles with his own demons, but he’s always there for me when I need him.

“I never asked why you returned early from your trip,” I say.

“I just missed you too much,” he replies.

I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Fine,” he says. “I learned some information. And I wanted to tell you in person.”

He doesn’t mention what it’s about, but I think I already know. If he cut his trip short to tell me something, it can only be about one thing.

“Not here,” I say, glancing around the bar. There are too many people here.

The world blurs at the edges as I stand. I might have had a little too much to drink tonight. Alaric and I walk toward one of the exits.

When we’re alone in the outdoor garden, Alaric glances up at the night sky. The stars seem to burn brighter than ever tonight, scattered like diamonds across the velvet sky.

“Do you remember when we used to stargaze?” Alaric asks, smiling up at the sky.“We didn’t have a care in the world back then. We used to sit on the rooftop with blankets wrapped around us while we waited to be dazzled by meteor showers.”

“Your mom used to bring us toast with Biscoff spread,” I say.

“Yeah.” He swallows. “I don’t think we ever saw a meteor shower, did we?”

“Not once.”

“Life was so simple then,” he says. “What happened?”

“We grew up,” I say. “Life happened.”

“It sucks balls,” he says. “I want to sit on rooftops and look at the stars and not have a single thought in my head.”

He’s stalling.

He has something to say, but he’s not sure if he’s ready to say it. And I’m not sure I’m ready to hear it.

“It’s about Sera, isn’t it?” I ask.

His gaze drops.

He nods.

It feels like a bucket of ice water to the face. Even the air in my lungs freezes as I wait for him to continue.

“This is classified information from the Resistance,” he says. “I received clearance to share it with you, but you cannot share it with private investigators or anyone else.”

“I won’t.”

Hope builds like a storm in my chest.

Nothing is more hopeless than holding on to hope. I know it better than anyone.

But still, I hope.

“We have a new technology,” he says. “A few months ago, we launched our own satellite. It’s called ShadowEye. It has the ability to recognize faces and track people in real time.”

“Like Google Earth?” I ask.

“Yes, but a much more advanced version,” he says.

“And you found something through this satellite?”

He glances up at the sky again. I follow his gaze.

So much is out there—satellites, space stations, and maybe even extraterrestrial life.

But right now, there’s only one thing on my mind.

“What did you find, Alaric?” I ask.

“Your sister’s husband is still alive,” he says finally.

“Richard?” I whisper.

“The photograph was taken during nighttime, so it’s grainy, butit’s definitely him.” He opens his phone and shows it to me.

“How can you even tell?” I ask, squinting at the photograph. It could be anyone.

“The tattoo peeking out of his collar,” he says. “And the profile of his face. It’s definitely him.”

“Where was this?” I ask.

“A small village in Eastern Europe.”

“Was he seen again?”

Alaric shakes his head.

“He’s supposed to be a dead man, so he’s in hiding,” he says.

“The fucking coward,” I say. “I can’t believe he’s been alive this whole time.”

“It’s probably to avoid that mountain of debt from his failed businesses,” Alaric says.

“I should never have let Sera marry that loser,” I say. “But she was blinded by love. She thought he was the one.”

There’s a storm brewing in Alaric’s eyes.

“Did you find anything else?” I ask him.

He shakes his head.

“All we know right now is that the motherfucker is still alive,” he says.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” I whisper to Alaric.

He nods. An unspoken understanding passes between the two of us.

Two people were in the car that night. Two bodies were never found.

Something violent builds in my chest.

It feels like I’m going through the emotions of the night all over again. The pain and the rage hit me in full force, knocking the breath right out of my lungs.

I work hard to keep my breathing steady.

“We finally have a lead,” I say.

“I thought it would feel better than this to finally have something,” he says, stealing the words from my mouth.

I nod. “I can’t wait till we get our hands on him.”

“We’ll find him,” Alaric assures me. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” I say. “All this waiting is torture.”

“I promise you that when we do find him, I’ll let you kill him with your own hands,” Alaric says.

I exhale slowly.

I like the thought of that. In fact, I like it a little too much.

“I need to ask you for another favor,” I say.

“Anything,” Alaric replies.

I look at my friend. I trust him like I would a brother.

“It’s about the kid’s nanny,” I say.

A playful smirk appears on his face, making me regret this already.

“What about her?” he asks.

“Wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you,” I growl.

“Dude, sometimes you forget I’m your only friend,” he says. “You should start being nicer to me.”

“She has a stalker,” I say. “I need you to look into him.”

“A stalker?” he repeats. “Like an ex-boyfriend?”

“I’m not sure about the nature of their relationship or if they even had one, but this man has turned her life into a living hell,” I say.

As I speak about her, a strange emotion rises from within me— protectiveness . It’s the same emotion I feel when I look at my niece and nephew. The world took a lot from them, and I want to make sure that nothing touches them ever again.

But what I feel for the nanny is darker. It’s tainted at the edges. It’s far more dangerous.

“What do you know about this stalker?” Alaric asks.

“Nothing,” I say. “My private investigator is still looking into it, but we don’t even have his name yet. All I know is that he terrorized her. She was afraid to even go to the police.”

I tell Alaric about the threatening emails and the break-ins.

“Wait, what?” Alaric asks. “The dude tried to poison her grandmother ? That’s so messed up.”

“There’s no conclusive evidence of it, but that’s what she suspects,” I say.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” Alaric asks. “If he’s a danger to her, he’s also a danger to the kids.”

“I know,” I say. “I amplified every security measure. Nothing’s going to happen to them. I’ll make sure of it.”

Alaric watches me with a curious expression on his face. He’s usually a man with a lot to say, but right now, he’s rendered speechless.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” This time, he’s smiling as he says the words.

“Don’t even,” I say.

“Fine, but this is actually serious, dude,” he says. “Did you talk to her about this stalker?”

“We don’t talk,” I reply.

“That’s spectacular,” he says. “Have you considered that she might give you more details if you just asked her about what happened?”

“I didn’t think it was necessary,” I say.

“Your mind works in mysterious ways.” He shakes his head. “And I know that sounds like a compliment, but it’s not.”

“It didn’t seem like something she wanted to discuss,” I say. “And I respect that.”

I understand the need to not talk about some things. Not everything has to be dissected and analyzed.

Whoever this stalker is, I’ll take care of him myself.

“You’re in deep waters, Sinclair.” Alaric has a sparkle in his eyes. “I’ve never seen you this flustered over a woman before. You want to get rid of her. You want to protect her. I think I know how this is going to end.”

“You know nothing.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” He grins.

I know he’s only teasing me, but it’s true that I’m in uncharted waters here. I don’t understand why I’m so concerned about this woman’s safety. I try to push her away with my words, but I want her closer. I...want her.

Only her.

I look up at the stars.

I wonder how this will end. Because if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that for a man like me, all good things eventually come to an end.