I try to shake my head, but the tears spill anyway. Alec doesn't hesitate. He pulls me into his chest and murmurs low, "Come with me."

Before I can protest, he guides me down the hall and into his room. He closes the door behind us and steers me gently toward the sofa, keeping one arm around me as though he knows I might crumble without it.

"Sit," he says softly, his thumb brushing over my arm.

I sink onto the couch, my hands trembling in my lap. Alec crouches in front of me, his eyes locking on mine. "Tell me what happened."

For a moment, I can't speak. But then the words come out in a rush. "Nyx-she's gone. She said she won't be available for a while. She said she's going into some sort of hibernation state. And I don't-" My voice cracks. "I don't know what to do without her."

Alec's gaze softens, his jaw flexing as he listens. He doesn't interrupt, doesn't dismiss. When I finish, he reaches for my hands, prying them gently from where they're balled into fists. His touch is grounding. Steading me when I feel like my world has just been tilted on its axis.

"Sadie," he murmurs, his voice low and warm. "Listen to me. Nyx isn't leaving you forever. She's not abandoning you. She wouldn't do that."

I shake my head, tears falling, unable to claw myself out from my fears. "How can you be so sure?"

He holds my gaze, his thumbs brushing across the backs of my hands. "Because she's apart of you. She's the other half of your soul. There is no way she'd leave you and knowing Nyx, the only way to separate her from you is death. She hasn't left you, Sadie; she'll come back."

His words hit something deep inside me, a wound I didn't realize I'd been carrying. The fear of being left. The fear of being alone.

"She wouldn't do this if it weren't absolutely necessary. You know her; she doesn't do things on a whim. Every step she takes, every move she makes, there is always a reason behind it."

"But she's always been my anchor. Always had my back. I feel so alone now. So empty." I whisper.

Alec leans closer, his voice firmer now. "You're not and you never will be. You have me and Knox. We'll be by your side until she comes back and after."

The dam breaks then, and I let it all out. He pulls me into his arms and I bury my face into his chest. His scent surrounds me-warm and familia. Knox presses at the edges of my mind, radiating nothing supportive energy. He lends me his strength, grounding me in the process.

Alec doesn't rush me. He just holds me, one hand stroking slowly up and down my back, the other cradling

my head. His heartbeat is stead get

beneath my ear, a rhythm that anchors me until the storm inside

me begins to quiet.

When my tears finally slow, Alec tilts his head down, his voice barely above a whisper. "Better?"

I pull back slightly, my face hot with embarrassment, and nod. "Yes. Thank you."

I surprise even myself when I lean forward and kiss his cheek. It's soft and fleeting, but the moment I pull is grinning from ear to ear, his entire face lighting up.

back A

"What?" I ask, half-smiling through my sniffles.

"Nothing," he says, but the joy in his eyes betrays him. "I'm just... happy."

I roll my eyes, though my heart flutters at his expression.

"Actually..." He leans back a little, his grin widening. "What do you think about having that date today?"

I blink at him, caught off guard. "Today?"

"Yes, today." His voice is light, teasing now. "Unless you're afraid of spending a

little alone time with me. Or are you afraid I'll charm you?"

He's already doing that, but I can never let him know. I'll never admit that.

Despite everything, a laugh bubbles out of me, small but real. "You're impossible."

"Maybe," he says with a smirk, his thumb brushing over my hand again. "But I think you could use something good today."