Hearing the door close, my eyes opened.
It was still nighttime, moonlight flooded the room through the windows.
I sat up to find Adam missing from his spot beside me.
Where could he be?
The bathroom light was off and he wasn't in the room.
I laid back down, telling myself he probably got up to check on his dad.
I sighed heavily, now wide awake. My mind immediately kicked into high gear, thinking of all the things that could be wrong.
It's probably nothing, I told myself.
I tried to go back to sleep, but nearly an hour passed and Adam still had not returned.
I sat up and looked at the clock.
Where could he be at 2 o'clock in the morning?
I got out of the bed and peeked my head outside the bedroom door.
The hallway was empty, except for two men standing guard at Malcom's door.
I closed the door and thought.
What if something is wrong?
I knew I would never go back to sleep if I continued to worry about it.
I put on a pair of Adam's sweatpants and one of his sweatshirts.
He won't mind, I thought as I slid them on.
I left the bedroom, nodding to the guards as I passed them. Neither of them acknowledged me.
The castle was frightfully dark and quiet at night.
Where moonlight found it's way in through windows, it cast odd shadows against the walls.
I descended the stairs slowly.
Once I made my way down the main hallway, I turned down another. As I rounded the corner, I ran into a hard chest and screamed.
A hand clamped down over my mouth.
"What is your issue?"
It was Jace.
He took his hand away and I sighed in relief. "You scared me."
"Clearly. What are you doing up?"
"Midnight snack..."
It sounded like more of a question, but it was all I could think of in the moment.
The look on Jace's face was unreadable.
"Kitchen is that way."
He pointed behind me and I laughed nervously.
"Right."
"I'll help you get there," he said putting his hand on my shoulder and guiding me in that direction. "Wouldn't want you getting lost in this place, it would take us days to find you."
I sighed and allowed him to guide me back to the kitchen.
He turned on the dim lights as we arrived in the very large room.
I awkwardly walked over to the pantry and, overwhelmed by all the choices, pulled out a pack of crackers.
Why don't you just tell him you wanted to find Adam?
I looked over to see Jace staring at me, arms crossed, as he leaned against the marble countertop.
I decided not to tell him. He would think I was being nosy.
You are being nosy, I reminded myself.
I stood there awkwardly, nibbling on the cracker.
"So... what are you doing up?" I asked him.
"Work," he answered shortly.
"You don't sleep?" I asked him.
"Sometimes," he said, fighting a yawn. "We don't all get to take two-hour naps during the day."
He added a wink and I laughed, blushing.
"It was a little boring here before I started planning the Centennial."
"You're welcome for that," he said.
"That was your idea?"
He nodded. "Adam's got a lot on his plate and you didn't have enough."
"Thanks," I said, hopping up on the countertop, eating another cracker.
"What do you think so far?" He asked me.
"Of the Centennial?"
"Adam."
I nodded, pulling another cracker from the wrapping.
"He's a good guy."
Jace's eyebrow cocked.
""Good guy"?"
I shrugged. "I don't really know him all that well."
Jace uncrossed his arms and walked over to stand next to me, leaning against the counter.
"He's a hard man to read and a little rough around the edges, but I think you'll get along well."
He stared at the cabinets on the other side of the room as he spoke.
"Do you have a mate?" I asked him.
He shook his head and turned to look at me.
"No."
I tried to reassure him. "You'll find her."
His jaw clenched and he nodded.
"Here's hoping."
His blue eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't decipher. Was it sadness? Hope? Anger? Jealousy?
I put my hand on his shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly.
"Enjoying ourselves?"
Adam's voice was much louder than the near-whispers Jace and I had been speaking in.
It scared me, causing me to drop the crackers in my hand. They fell to the floor and crumbled.
"What is with you people and scaring the shit out of me?" I asked, jumping down from the counter to clean up the mess.
"She wanted to take a detour on her way to find you," Jace explained.
I felt my cheeks heat up.
He knew what I was doing, of course he knew!
I swept the crumbs into my palm and dumped them into the garbage.
I looked up to see the two men staring at each other, Adams' glare a little harsher.
"Well," Adam said. "She's found me. I'm sure you've got things to be doing."
Jace nodded and left the kitchen.
When Adam turned to look at me, I looked down at the floor and continued to sweep up the crumbs.
"Why are you awake?"
I shrugged as I stood up.
"You weren't in the bed, I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."
I dumped the remaining crumbs into the trash can and wiped my hands off.
"Is everything ok?"
Adam lifted the crystal glass in his hand and took a long drink of the amber-colored liquid.
"Dandy."
I swallowed hard, eyeing the liquor.
"I didn't know you drank..."
"I can't get drunk," he said smiling miserably. "But I can try."
He took another long gulp, finishing the drink.
I grimaced. The stench brought back terrible memories.
Images of my dad running towards me, shoving me to the ground flashed in my mind.
I could taste the blood in my mouth from his punches. I could feel the headaches I woke up with on the mornings after he would go on his drunken rampage.
I raised a hand to rub away the ghost pain that came over the shoulder he knocked out of socket.
I gulped as my throat constricted, remembering the time I told Vega the bruises on my neck were hickies, not fingerprints.
I hated scotch.
And vodka.
And tequila.
And whiskey.
"What's wrong?"
I shook myself out of the trance and glanced at a concerned-looking Adam through misty eyes.
He put the glass on the counter.
"Evelyn..."
Adam began to walk towards me.
"Don't..."
I backed away.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't think about it."
I swallowed the knot that formed in my throat and left the kitchen quickly.
He's not your dad, I tried to remind myself.
I walked for a few minutes until I was certain Adam wasn't following me.
I slid down the wall to sit on the ground in a dark and deserted hallway.
I put my shaking hands to my mouth, trying to muffle the echoing sounds my sobs made.
My shoulders shook violently as I tried to cry quietly.
I pitied myself.
One whiff of the smell. One glance at the glass. One memory.
That was all it took for the utopia I had built to come crumbling down.
The demon of drunkenness found me in the middle of a frozen nowhere in Canada.
There was no escaping it.
I tried to think clearly, to tell myself Adam was not my father.
He said it himself, he couldn't get drunk.
But that didn't matter.
All it would take was a few years before it all started. The passive aggressive remarks I would start to receive about my body and intellect would turn into verbal abuse. The verbal abuse would turn into strong grips on my arms and wrists, which would turn into a hand around my neck. That would turn into a slap across the face and a punch in the gut.
All of this would be pushed along by a deep descent into hatred and alcoholism.
The drinks would become more common than just midnight trips to the wet bar.
I knew how it worked and I couldn't do it again.
I saw his shadow down the hall and I wiped my eyes quickly with the sleeves on his sweatshirt.
I sniffed as he sat down against the wall next to me.
He had showered and changed clothes. The stench of alcohol replaced by the smell of minty toothpaste.
"I'm sorry."
I didn't say anything.
He reached an arm around me and I flinched, causing him to draw his arm back.
"I didn't know how to break the news to you," he said.
I looked at him. "What?"
He took a deep breath. "We found Warren Chandler."
I felt the tears return to my eyes.
"Is he dead?"
My voice broke.
Adam shook his head. "No."
I sighed in relief, the burden lifting off my chest.
Adam looked at me, eyes full of sadness.
"What is it then?" I asked him.
"He doesn't remember."
"He doesn't remember what? Who took him?" I asked.
"Anything."
I stared at him. "Anything?"
Adam shook his head. "He didn't recognize Vega."
I gulped.
"How long have you known?"
"Since last night."
I looked at him to see his face full of guilt.
"I didn't know how to tell you. I couldn't sleep, that's why I was awake."
It was silent for a few minutes as I let the news register.
"Promise me you won't drink again," I pleaded silently, my voice breaking.
Adam reached out and grabbed my hand, despite my sharp intake of breath at the contact.
"I swear."
Trust him.
I sighed and gripped his hand tighter.
I looked down at his fingers entangling mine. His hand was so much bigger than my own, nearly swallowing it in his grip.
"Back to bed?" He asked.
I shook my head.
There's no way I'll be able to sleep now.
"When will Vega get here?"
"They're on their way."
I let go of his hand and stood up.
"I need to get things ready for them."
Adam stood up.
"I can have someone do that for you."
"No, I can do it," I insisted.
I walked around him, but he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back in.
One arm wrapped tightly around my waist as the other gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
I stared at him wide-eyed as his nose touched mine.
"I'm not your father," he said firmly. "I will never touch you in any way that is not for your pleasure or protection."
My cheeks burned a bright red at his brazenness.
"I don't know what that man did to you," he said. "But when I find him, and I will find him, he will regret the day he decided you were worth less than all the love in this world."
I closed my eyes, speechless as he leaned in and kissed the tears on my cheeks. When his lips finally met mine, I melted into the kiss and clung to him as if he were oxygen and I had been holding my breath.
He pulled away and grasped my chin gently.
"I promise you."
- - -
I spent the morning preparing the Chandlers' rooms.
They were going to stay a floor below Adam's bedroom. The hospital ward was on that floor. I figured Mrs. Chandler would want to be as close to Mr. Chandler as she could.
Vega would have a room to herself, as would her mother. Ethan and Brennan would share a room.
I put clean towels in their bathrooms and fresh sheets on their beds. I made sure there was soap in the showers and the drawers were cleared out for their clothes.
When I finished, I went back up to Adam's room to change into clean clothes.
I took a shower and made the bed.
After I finished putting the pillows on the bed, I laid down for a moment.
I couldn't imagine what was going to happen when the Chandlers arrived.
Is Vega still mad at me? Will her mom be mad at me? How long will they be here? Will Adam be able to help Mr. Chandler?
I was almost asleep when I heard a knock on the door.
I got out of the bed and opened the door.
Liu stood in front of me. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry."
I smiled grimly. "It'll be okay."
"If you need anything, let me know. I can take over planning while you're occupied if you need me to."
I swallowed hard.
I forgot about the Centennial.
"You don't mind?"
She shook her head. "Absolutely not."
I opened the door and allowed her to come inside the room.
I walked over to the couch and grabbed the flower catalog.
"I want to do a collection of yellow roses and baby's breath in the ballroom on the night of the Arrival Gala. I also want blue hydrangeas in the table vases. Do you think you could order the flowers for me?"
She nodded, taking the catalog from me.
"I'll run everything by you," she promised. "I'll try to put together a menu for the rest of the Centennial after I order the flowers. Just make sure you take a look at it by the end of the week."
I hugged her. "Thank you."
She stiffly returned the hug.
"No problem. This will keep me from having to serve tea to the Countess all week."
I laughed. "I don't envy that job."
Adam cleared his throat from the doorway.
Liu bowed her head and left the room.
"They're here," he said once she had left.
I took a deep breath.
Adam reached out and stroked my cheek with his thumb.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes.
"He'll be ok," Adam assured me.
I opened my eyes. "I hope so."
We left the room and I followed Adam downstairs and through the ballroom. We walked out into the foyer where Bartleby stood taking their jackets.
I stopped walking and took a deep breath.
Vega saw me and stared at Adam and I, expressionless.
Mrs. Chandler saw me and gasped. Running up to me, she hugged me tight. Ethan and Brennan did the same.
"We missed you, honey," she said, crying.
"I missed you too."
She let go of me and bowed her head to Adam.
"Thank you for opening your home to us and letting us stay here. I can't thank you enough."
Adam smiled politely.
"It's my pleasure."
I looked over to see a man in scrubs pushing Mr. Chandler in a wheelchair.
Mr. Chandler looked far away. His eyes were glazed over.
I walked over to him and the nurse bowed his head at me.
"Mr. Chandler?" I said, touching his hand gently.
"He's in a vegetative state, Your Highness," the nurse informed me. "He's unresponsive for now."
I swallowed hard as Adam came up behind me and put his hand against the small of my back.
"Please take Mr. Chandler to the hospital ward," Adam instructed the nurse. "Mr. Smith will show you the way."
Bartleby smiled warmly and began to lead him down the foyer.
I stared at Mr. Chandler as he was wheeled away and then turned to Adam who was gazing at me sympathetically.
"He'll be alright," he assured me.
I took a deep breath.
I hope so.
- - -
Author's Note: Did y'all catch the The Code of The Alpha reference? ;)