Fallen 30

Fallen 30 Summary

Meadow and Alaric suddenly realize that someone has broken into their home, causing immediate tension and fear. Alaric quickly instructs Meadow to stay put while he confronts the intruder, but Meadow disobeys and retrieves Alaric’s phone to call for help. As she cautiously approaches the kitchen, she overhears a rough conversation between Alaric and a drunken man named Nolan, who reveals himself to be Alaric’s brother, unexpectedly present in the mansion.

 

Meadow’s attempt to intervene leads to an accident when she steps on broken glass, injuring her foot. Alaric quickly tends to her wound with a first aid kit, showing a rare moment of care and concern toward her. Despite his anger, his protective side emerges as he cleans her cut and acknowledges her quick thinking in dialing emergency services. The tension between the brothers is palpable, with Nolan mocking the situation and Alaric growing increasingly frustrated.

 

The chapter ends with Alaric losing his temper and violently attacking Nolan, driven by a mixture of anger and the need to protect his home and Meadow. Meadow watches in shock as Alaric’s punch lands hard, signaling a deep and volatile conflict between the brothers that threatens to escalate further. Throughout the chapter, the emotions of fear, frustration, and protectiveness dominate the atmosphere, highlighting the dangerous and complicated family dynamics at play.

CHAPTER 0030

Meadow’s Perspective:

I suddenly froze in place. Alaric did the same, his entire body stiffening as if time itself had paused. Neither of us dared to make a sound or even breathe too loudly. The sharp, unmistakable crash of shattering glass still reverberated through the quiet house, sending a chill down my spine.

Someone had broken in. Judging by the tense expression on Alaric’s face, this was completely unexpected. There was no doubt—this was an intruder. My heart pounded fiercely against my ribs as I realized the danger we were in.

I felt a subtle twitch of Alaric’s fingers at the nape of my neck before he abruptly released me. His jaw clenched tightly, and his eyes darted toward the open doorway. Then, suddenly, he moved with a force that seemed to come from deep inside him, like a switch had flipped.

It was as if he had just fully grasped the reality of the situation—the presence of an unwelcome guest.

He glanced back at me, noticing I was trailing behind. “Stay here,” he commanded quietly, his voice low and unreadable.

I parted my lips to protest, “Alaric, what if—”

He cut me off with a single sharp look, one that silenced me immediately. That look said, without words, “Don’t push me.”

Without another word, he turned and strode out the door. But I wasn’t about to stay put while danger lurked nearby. I needed to call the police or do something—anything.

The problem was, my phone was downstairs. Damn it.

I hurried back toward the bedroom, recalling how Alaric had tossed his phone onto the bed earlier. It was still there. I grabbed it quickly and then rushed back out of the room.

My heart hammered loudly in my chest as I carefully descended the stairs, trying to keep my footsteps soft and quiet. I had already dialed the emergency number on Alaric’s phone, just in case things went sideways.

At the bottom of the stairs, I paused, gripping the banister tightly. I could hear movement nearby.

Heavy footsteps—Alaric’s.

And then a low, guttural groan.

“Shit,” a voice slurred from the kitchen. It was a man’s voice, rough and angry.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Alaric’s voice was even angrier, sharper.

He knew who it was. Of course he did. This was a mansion with top-tier security; no one could get in unnoticed.

Slowly, I crept toward the kitchen, stopping just around the corner so I could listen without being seen.

The deep voice spoke again.

“Jesus, Ric. Are you ever gonna answer your fucking phone? So fucking rude, man, I swear. I’m your…” The voice trailed off as I heard a gag.

Alaric cursed under his breath. “Throw up on my fucking floor, Nolan, and I swear to fucking god, I will fucking kill you.”

Okay… First, I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard Alaric curse that much in a single sentence before. And second…

Who the hell was this guy?

The man chuckled lazily. “Heard from Mom you got hitched. And you didn’t think to invite your own family? Oof, brother. My feelings are hurt.”

Brother?

My mind stumbled over the word. Alaric… had a brother?

Mel had mentioned he had family, but I never imagined they’d be so close—close enough to have access to his house.

“That’s none of your business. Get the hell off my floors.”

“Can’t. I’m piss drunk.”

I couldn’t resist. Before I could second-guess myself, I rounded the corner into the kitchen.

And immediately stepped into a disaster. Literally.

A sharp gasp escaped me as something jagged pierced my foot, and I slipped on the slick floor beneath me.

“Meadow—fuck!” Alaric cursed, his voice sharp with alarm.

He was across the kitchen in an instant, but it was too late.

At first, I barely registered the pain—just the sudden sting beneath my foot and the shock of hitting the ground. The bitter scent of bourbon filled my nose. I’d mostly landed on my side, not directly on the glass, thankfully. But the sharp burn where a shard had cut into my foot was unmistakable.

Alaric was already kneeling beside me, one arm sliding gently under my back, the other wrapping carefully around my knees.

I felt his warmth as he lifted me effortlessly and placed me on the counter. His movements were precise, controlled, though his jaw was tight with tension as he looked me over.

“You didn’t hit your head?” he asked, voice low but commanding.

I shook my head, wincing. “No, just my foot. I slipped on the glass and—”

“I know what happened,” he interrupted, his tone cold but not unkind. “Stay there.”

Then he turned and headed to the sink. I could hear his brother moaning somewhere on the floor, but I didn’t dare look.

I had already disobeyed Alaric by coming downstairs when he told me to stay put, and now I was hurt. The least I could do was obey him now.

I heard the cabinets beneath the sink open and close as Alaric searched for something. When he returned, he held a black box I hadn’t noticed before—a first aid kit.

Not that I spent much time in the kitchen.

His entire body was tense as he set the kit down beside me on the counter. Though he remained calm and controlled, there was a sharp edge to him now.

He was definitely pissed—at me, or maybe at his brother, or perhaps both of us.

He crouched in front of me and gently lifted my injured foot with one hand. His touch was firm but careful.

I could feel the warm trickle of blood running down my heel.

Alaric exhaled sharply through his nose. “You’re lucky you didn’t fall right on the glass.”

He opened the kit and grabbed antiseptic wipes and a pair of tweezers. Watching him, I thought maybe I was reading too much into it, but Alaric moved like he’d done this countless times before. He seemed to know exactly how to handle the situation.

Using the tweezers, he carefully pulled a tiny shard of glass from my skin. I let out a small wince.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Alaric muttered under his breath, his voice dark and threatening.

Despite his anger, he didn’t snap at me. That warmth spreading through my chest was something new. There had never been a moment in my life when I wasn’t blamed for something that went wrong—even with Tyler.

Until now.

I swallowed hard, letting the guilt wash over me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I just… I thought it was an intruder. I wasn’t going to let you face him alone.”

“Cute,” Nolan scoffed drowsily from the floor.

Alaric ignored the jab, looking back at me instead. “He’s not an intruder. He’s a damn pest.” His gaze flicked toward the mess on the floor, where his phone lay broken.

Fuck, I probably broke it.

He continued, “And you had nine-one-one on the dial already. Smart.”

Smart.

Just one word of praise from Alaric, and I was already melting inside.

“Ahh!” I hissed sharply as he applied antiseptic to the cut.

“Sorry,” he murmured softly.

Another lazy scoff from Nolan.

“Sorry?” he echoed sarcastically. “Oh, mother is going to fucking love this.”

Alaric tensed, looking away from me.

Then, as if something inside him snapped, he sprang to his feet.

Without hesitation, he charged toward his brother.

“Alaric—” I started, but he didn’t pause.

I turned back to the counter just in time to see him grab Nolan by the collar and slam a punch into his face so hard I heard the sickening crack of bone.

Not Alaric’s bones.

Nolan’s.