The Grace of a Thousand Stars (PREQUEL)

Chapter 22- People We Found

--Alaric POV--

With the end of the interview, I found myself strapping myself into the driver's seat of one of my favourite cars, and without much thought, I had driven over to where her interview had taken place where, to no surprise of my own, it was overflowing with reporters, fans, and haters.

"This is not going to end well." I muttered, parking my car close to the curb as I leaned back on my seat, eyes pinned forward to where Ines should be exiting from.

And I watched as she walked through the glass doors, a small smile plastered on her face while she tried to keep her nerves at bay, but that proved to be quite difficult, it would have been for anyone when strangers threw questions at you, and shoved their fat cameras in your face, I could practically feel her suffocation from where I was.

And not wanting to feel it any longer, I stepped out of my car, going to approach her, but came to a skidding halt when she did the same, my eyes slightly widening at the sight of a hater throwing something at her but thankfully missing.

I was frozen for a second, my eyes taking in the sight of her terrified face.

How could someone hate on such an innocent being? Even now, she was shellshocked into a frozen, fearful silence, doing nothing but looking down at the broken egg that lay at her feet. This innocent woman whom these people hated on for no apparent reason; She deserved more than anything they could dream of giving her.

"Ines." I whispered, wanting nothing more than to whisk her up in my arms and take her out of the public eye, to a place where no one could hurt her with any words or actions.

But apparently, I wasn't the only one that thought that.

As an unfamiliar body swooped into action, effortlessly pushing passed the security guards, I stood watching as he grabbed the hater by her wrist, preventing her from throwing another egg, and he muttered something to her in his quiet rage, something I didn't get the luxury of hearing until he started shouting a second later.

"Do you have any idea of who she is!? Who the hell do you think you are to raise your hand against her!?" Maybe he was just a big fan? A simp? But I knew that wasn't the case. His voice, his face, and even the way he held himself was familiar. But rather than familiar, he was similar. From the way he spoke to the way he looked; He had similar attributes to her. To Ines.

What made it obvious? The eyes. Those unreal, mystical blue eyes. They were the same as hers.

And her voice answered my unasked questions.

"Brother?" She called, freezing him in his place, and me too while she was at it along with the rest of the large crowd.

Brother?

Craning my head, I got a good look at him as he quickly relaxed himself, letting go of the woman he'd been holding by the wrist before turning to look at his sister, the worry no doubt overflowing over his features as he sighed, relieved.

And as if having completely forgotten about the hater of a woman, he strode over to his sister in a few quick steps, embracing her in his arms as if he hadn't seen her in years which, now that I thought about it, maybe he hasn't.

And after a temporary shock, the cameramen regained their composure as they began snapping pictures of the siblings, and I could already see the headlines forming in their heads. The next few days, possibly weeks, are sure to be hectic.

But she didn't look like she cared about that at all.

Raising her arms, she wrapped it around his waist, her eyes sparkling with tears which she didn't let anyone see fall as she buried her face in his chest, her small hands gripping onto the material of his shirt as his own hand protectively rested on the back of her head, and his lips moved as they whispered words of comfort for her ears to hear.