Lina's POV
Adri an was waiting on the far shore.
I saw him the moment the boat cleared the mist.
He stood at the water's edge, tall and still, his gray eyes fixed on the approaching boat. Even from that distance, I could feel the intensity in his gaze. It reached across the water and wrapped around me like something physical.
I couldn't wait for the boat to fully stop.
I jumped out, stumbling through the shallows, and the next second, Adrian's arms were around me.
The whole world went quiet.
He didn't speak.
He didn't ask what had happened. He didn't demand to know if Damon had touched me. He simply held me.
One hand buried itself in my hair while the other locked around my waist. His face pressed into the curve of my neck, and I felt him take a deep breath.
