-Finn-
I see them before they see me.
I came looking for her, wanting to check if she was okay after another day of whispers and sideways glances, wanting to remind her - and myself - that she's not alone.
But I found her in the orchard with Soren.
She's sitting in his lap, her forehead pressed to his, her hair tangled between them, his shadows swirling around them like a barrier, shutting the world out.
I stop, my boots sinking into the soft dirt, the bond between Alexia and me humming softly, warm, but edged with something sharp.
Jealousy. Fear. Possessiveness.
I clench my fists, forcing myself to breathe, to remember that she's allowed this, that she needs comfort, that Soren is my brother in all but blood.
But as I watch her kiss him, soft and lingering, the vines around her quivering before settling, something in me aches.
Because I can't shake the fear that we're losing her.
That I'm losing her.
I didn't go to dinner that night. Instead I slip into the library, ignoring the curious glances of the student workers, heading for the back tables where the old texts are kept.
Chaos magic.
Mate bonds.
I pull book after book from the shelves, flipping through brittle pages until the tips of my fingers are black with dust and ink. My eyes blur with diagrams of rune circles, of tangled bond lines drawn in harsh black strokes, of marginal notes scrawled by students who were probably too young to understand what they were touching.
Chaos can amplify desire.
Chaos can manipulate bonds.
Victims may mistake compulsion for love.
I slam the book shut, the echo sharp in the empty library, making the shadows jump.
No. That's not what this is. That's not what we are.
Except…what if it is?
What if the bond I feel humming under my skin, the warmth when she smiles at me, the pull when she cries - what if it's not real?
What if none of it is?
I drag my hands through my hair, pressing my palms to my eyes, forcing myself to breathe.
I know her. I know her.
She wouldn't do that.
She couldn't.
But the whispers in the hall, the way the students step back, the way Asher's eyes darken when he looks at her, the way Jasper watches her with that haunted look…
It all gnaws at me.
I need answers.
I find Jasper in the empty training yard, flipping his coin, his eyes distant, the shadows of the torches flickering across his face.
"We need to talk," I say, stepping into the light.
His eyes flick to me, the coin spinning once more before he catches it, slipping it into his pocket. "About?"
"You know what," I snap, my temper fraying.
He sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "Finn-"
"No." I step closer, jabbing a finger at his chest. "I saw the way you were looking at her. I saw you with Asher, whispering. I saw you pulling away."
He flinches, just slightly, but enough.
"Where do you stand, Jasper?" My voice shakes. "Because I'm not going to stand by and watch you tear her down when she's trying, when she's scared."
He looks away, jaw tight. "Finn, it's not that simple."
"It is," I growl. "She's one of us."
"She's dangerous," he says quietly.
I grab his shirt, shoving him back a step, the bond with Alexia flaring hot under my skin. "So am I, and so are you, Asher and Soren. When we first got our powers and didn't know how to use them, we were dangerous."
For a moment, we stand there, breathing hard, the tension between us thick, the air charged.
"Are you going to stand with us, Alexia, Soren and I," I demand, "or with Asher when he goes after her?"
Jasper's eyes flicker, and that's all I need to know. I let him go, stepping back, shaking with rage, fear, and something else determination.
That night, I sat on my bed, staring at the ceiling, the bond with Alexia pulsing softly, alive, warm, even as the wind outside howls against the window.
They think she's dangerous.
They think she'll destroy us.
Maybe she will.
But I don't care.
Because when the time comes, when the chaos inside her finally breaks, when Asher and Jasper decide they know what's best -
I will protect her.
Even if it tears us apart.