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Adalyn's POV

Smoke. Too much smoke. 

The smell was so overwhelming. The smell of absolute and total death.

Grayson clung to me so closely trying to protect me from the horror that laid about us. However, nothing could turn off my senses. The sights, the screams... the smells.

Xander had decided to destroy many cities today, as the government had refused to accept his offer. Ours was one of several. The Acadian's were now hiding safely inside their massive death machines. Waiting again, for us to reconsider. 

Our town had been blasted with an EMP, leaving many of the buildings crumbled amidst the snow. All of our generators were blown as both ashes and snowflakes fluttered through the bitter winter air. There was no electricity, no technology of ours that seemed to buzz with any life. I couldn't even use my phone to call Cara.

My house, which I had run towards through the thick winter snow, was gone. Grayson had his arms wrapped around my abdomen as tears streamed down my face. My screams seemed to be inaudible as my grief projected through my vocal cords. I had no idea if my parents and brother got out in time. If they had fled before the blast could have buried them beneath the rubble of the house I had grown up in for the last seventeen years of my life.

"You'll be okay, they aren't here. We need to get you out of here." I did not feel okay. In fact, I felt so much yet nothing at all. I couldn't even begin to understand everything that just happened. My family was gone, I didn't know if they were alive. My home was gone and I was devastated, but not expressing it on the exterior of my face. I knew Grayson could feel everything that was going on inside go me as I took a stone-like expression.

"Cara," I whispered through chapped lips, "I need to find Cara." The pit in my stomach reminded me, she too could be on the list of the dead. I pushed myself from Grayson, "I-I need t-to f-find her." 

"We will Addy. But we need to get you somewhere warm first. Adalyn stop. Please." He kept pulling me into his body to shake me from the shock. I could barely focus on the words coming out of his mouth. It sounded muffled as if we were inside a loud concert and the musical course of humanities screams overpowered the voices of the people inside.

"I need to find her..." I pushed against him again, making him release his grip so he wouldn't hurt me. He grabbed my arm stopping me from proceeding further even though I had only made it about six steps. I knew that his fingertips would bruise the flesh they bit into. I welcomed the physical pain amongst the all others.

"Adalyn." His voice was stern, "We will find her. I promise. You need to get out of the cold first." From his thoughts I could tell he was giving me no choice in the matter. It was only whether I came willingly or if he was going to drag me somewhere himself. 

I slumped my shoulders letting him wrap me in his arms. I had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better.

Grayson used his superhuman speed  to make our way to the warehouse where Raymond was waiting for us. Thanks to the design of the building it withstood the power of the Death Star. My mind was still cloudy as I felt completely numb, thinking about where Cara could be. Hell, even if she was still alive after everything. Simon too. I really hoped they were together and alive.

"We have to stop him Grayson. Too many people have died." Diara spoke softly, her voice echoing off the walls into the silence we had created amongst ourselves. I sat on one of the benches against the wall for support. My body had been shaking so much Grayson had to help me sit down. Kavita walked over and draped a blanket over my shoulders. She knew that I was slightly in shock. By slightly I mean, completely and utterly consumed in shock.

"Since when have you cared about these people Diara?" Grayson grumbled back. He came over and sat down next to me, pulling me closer to him. I could feel his emotions turn through him. The anger being the most intense. Like a hot vengeful flame on one of the coldest winter nights.

"Since I live on this planet? Xander is destroying all of this. Our home, what our people are supposed to stand for!" The lights flickered above us drawing my eye. The generator that was below the warehouse had been recharged by Zahara and Naveen, which gave us light for the time being. 

"Fighting each other is not going to solve any of this." Titus spoke stepping in front of Diara to act as a shield, in case she was willing to test the waters against Grayson. I think we all knew it wasn't wise, especially in a time like this.

"I have to get in contact with the people surrounding the ship. They already told me that they did not stand behind him. Maybe they know a way to help." I could sense the uncertainty in his voice. His confidence was wavering as he realized his newly acquainted adversaries may not even come to his aid and stand up to Xander now that they could see the destruction that he had caused. I squeezed his arm tightly reminding him that he was not alone.

The others could sense the importance of their presence in Grayson's life. As his family they had a role to support him. As a race, they had the responsibility to raise him up into the leader he was meant to be for his people. Diara took his hands in hers and pulled him to his feet.

They all came in close wrapping each others arms around him. I joined grabbing my arms around Declan and Kavita to not feel completely left out. Grayson was in the very middle, as his family embraced him.

"Our strength is yours Grayson. We stand behind you." Declan spoke to all of us, hearing him echo through our heads. None of us knew where this was going, nor where this was going to end. However, in this moment, we had each other and that seemed enough.

~

Declan and I went to town hall to offer some extra hands in the clean up after we found some extra winter attire for me to bundle in. There were plenty of people spread along the snowy ground, injured and freezing, sitting outside of where town hall had once stood. Wrapped in blankets and gathering for medical support and other supplies. The volunteer firefighters were gathering bodies that had been buried in concrete tombs. Tombs formed by the ruins of their family homes. At the current moment, there were more injured than dead, but I knew that there were more bodies waiting to be found.

The bodies were being laid side by side in the snow, their wounds tinting the snow a violent crimson. The wind had picked up slightly and the smell of death wafted left, right and centre. It was absolutely nauseating. The scarf covering my face did no justice in covering up the oder of destruction.

I was in charge of delivering water to the injured as the paramedics were hard at work. Declan was helping dig victims out of the rubble. Most of the bodies that were found in the wreckage did not get pulled out alive. Every body that they returned caught my attention to make sure they weren't someone that I knew. So far the only ones that I had any connection to were a few teachers from our school.

Grayson had gone off to talk with his people, hoping to some how rally up more numbers against Xander and his followers. It felt weird being apart from him considering everything, but I knew it needed to be done. He had a duty to his people and hopefully to this planet, even though he doesn't have a good relationship with humanity.

I wanted to go off and look for Cara. I was terrified that every blonde haired person they brought back could belong to my childhood best friend. I didn't want our goodbye from the previous night be the last time I ever spoke to her. The guilt and fear was eating at my stomach.

Declan appeared behind me and pulled me towards him.

"We will get out of this, Addy. I am sure Cara is alright." It was really annoying that he could read my thoughts that easily still. Then again, I was too busy lost in my feelings to put a mental barrier to keep him from picking my brain.

"Declan! We found another victim near North Park. She's alive!" One of the firefighters yelled in our direction. He nodded and gave me a look to give me some reassurance, though it didn't really help alleviate any anxiousness. 

I returned to the water station to refill my jug to start making some more rounds. My head shot to the left as a dark figure moved in my peripheral, catching my attention to its general direction. My stomach dropped warning me of close by danger. 

I turned around, dropping the jug to the ground with a thud. The water practically froze in time as if the air was cold enough to do so, as time slowed down to an exceptionally slow pace.

I wasn't fast enough as the attacker covered my head with a dark unknown fabric and knocked me out with a swift punch.

Grayson's POV

The camp surrounding the ship was protected by the force field Xander had projected around his weapon of mass destruction. I still had no clue why attacking the city he was currently inhabiting, was in his mind, an intelligent move. There had to be a reason why he was corralling the humans in this way. It was another thing I couldn't quite figure out, his strategy. I got his motive, which was to harvest Earth and move on. Most likely taking every human life that tried to get in his way.

My mind drifted to Adalyn as her emotions invaded mine. I felt grief and loss for her friends and her family. Our bond had grown so much in the past couple of days since we had slept together. My body heated at the thought of her and I together in such an intimate way. I had never felt so much passion for someone in my entire life. Both physically and emotionally. 

I could feel the pain that squirmed its way into Adalyn's heart. I could feel it twist and slowly eat away pieces of her. The weight I now had on my shoulders was heavier and more unfathomable as every second went by. I had lives depending on me to end this. A home and a planet that needed protecting. A family that needed me.

"I am glad to see you've returned in spite of the chaos around us." Adella whispered through the force field. Our language rolled off her tongue with grace, "You look good in his jacket. Not a perfect fit. But quite close."

"What do I do Adella? This is what Xander has done. There are too many humans dead." I know the exhaustion in my voice was clear as I responded in our tongue.

"Grayson, we all still stand behind you." She put her hand through the energetic block, offering for me to come through.

I reached out for her hand before retracting it. This wasn't Adella.

"You are a clever boy." Adella's body walked through the field and shape shifted into Xander. A cocky smile pasted on his face. I took a few steps back, preparing myself defensively just in case  he decided to test his luck with me. My gut told me that Adella paid for the interaction between her and I, with her life.

She was dead because of me.

"You have caused quite a mess for me, nephew. Apparently there were more Acadian's like your mother, who don't exactly like the way I run things." His hands were placed behind his back in a reserved manor.

Yeah. No shit, because you are completely psychotic. Is he really this delusional? I tried to get into his head to try and find anything to help me anticipate his next move.

"Poor Adella was stuck in her traditional ways, her love for democracy and your fathers weak ideals. She refused to see the bigger picture in the survival of our race."

"You killed her." He didn't need to verbally confirm what my gut had already told me. 

"Of course I killed her. Traitors are not tolerated and will not be tolerated in any way shape or form, Grayson. It was not hard to make her talk about her transgression against the Congress and she paid for it." He scanned the horizon, smiling at his masterful artwork of destruction. 

"You will pay for this." I spit at him. He held up his finger as my body tensed up ready to take offence.

"See, I knew that you were going to be a complication when it came to my objective. So, I took out a little insurance policy to keep you in check for a little while longer. Thanks to some intel from Amya, which I didn't really have to force out of her by the way. I have learned that you have mated to a human."

No. I had been so wrapped up in my confrontation with Xander I hadn't noticed the absence of Adalyn's aura through our bond. 

"Declan is Adalyn with you?!" I screamed to his thoughts. I projected my thoughts to his, to look through his eyes. He knew I was there as he was frantically searching the area near the town hall.

"Grayson, I was just with her. I don't know where she went. I'm sorry!"

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. THAT BACK STABBING SNAKE! 

I pulled myself back to my face to face with Xander. Rage and panic rushed through my bones. Amya had once again, betrayed us. Betrayed me. Just to save her own ass. I am sure Xander offered her a grandeur of rewards for this information. 

I wanted to scream and cry all at the same time. Xander just watched me go through the five stages of grief as I processed his information.

"I haven't had the chance to introduce myself to her yet, but I think I am going to now. From what I heard, she is quite the character in order to get your attention." I could feel the electricity pulse through my neurones as I charged forward.

Xander anticipated my reaction and took a step back through the force field. As my skin came into contact with the electrical force, my skin sizzled and forced distance between us. It shoved me to the ground, the snow cooling my burnt skin. 

"If you harm a single hair on her head, I will destroy you." A wave of nausea washed over me as I pictured Xander torturing Adalyn. I felt utterly hopeless. She was in danger once again because of me. This time her life and her sanity were at stack. Xander would find a way to break her.

"Is that a promise, Nephew?" He cocked his head to the side and chuckled to himself. I pushed myself up and slammed my fists repeatedly against the barrier. My skin sizzled as it rippled the field with each forceful hit, using all of my strength. 

"XANDER, YOU CONNIVING CUNT! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" I watched, helplessly, as he retreated into his ship. Where he was holding the person I loved very deeply. The only person he knew he could use as leverage against. 

Deep down I really hoped she knew I would stop at nothing to get to her.

I will find a way to you, Adalyn. I promise.