(Sisky's POV)
As soon as Adeline returned to the mansion alone, Adam knew something was up.
"Adeline? Where's Mike and Brendon?" he asked, knowing the two second in commands had gone with her but hadn't returned.
"They, uh…listen, Adam, I need to tell you something, and you have to promise me you'll keep it to yourself. You can't even tell William, do you hear me?" she demanded, voice wavering with slight trepidation.
He nodded, "It can't be that bad."
She paused, stared at the floor.
"I…I think I sort of…lost control of myself today." She started, sitting down at the foot of the stairwell, curling her knees up to her chest, "I just…once I saw Brendon so vulnerable, I couldn't help it. And then when Mike noticed, the fear in his eyes was just – it was so sad, to think he hadn't noticed what I was about to do." She mumbled, and Adam wasn't sure if she was still talking to him.
"Adeline, what did you even-"
"I killed them, Adam. I didn't even blink. I don't know what came over me. I'm scared…like, what will I do next? I really don't think I'm much of a danger to anyone when I'm aware of myself, but when I…when I did that today, I just – I wasn't me! I had no control over myself, and I just-"
"It's okay, maybe you just imagined it all, maybe they'll come home in a hour or two. Maybe you're just freaking out because you're unsure where to go from here, now that your lifestyle's changing now that you've joined us," he supplied, trying to calm her down.
She nodded slightly in agreement, but then sighed, putting her head in her hands.
"Help me. That's got to be some way you can make all this go away – you have an ability like the others, don't you? Can't you erase my memories or rewind time and stop me or something?!"
He shook his head, "I'm sorry. Best I can do is use my ability to look into your soul and see how much darkness you truly have within you, and we can gauge possible actions from there," he offered, kneeling by her.
She smiled, "You can see darkness? That's awesome. You would hate my friend, she's got this demon for a soul and-"
She almost laughed, but noticed Adam had shuddered and put his hands or his ears, as if to tell her to stop talking.
"Oh…right…sorry, I forgot."
"It's okay. Now, I need you to stay completely still and look in my eyes, okay? Don't move." He told her, taking one of her hands and smiling.
In response, Adeline opened her eyes wider and stared into his hazel eyes.
Almost at once, Adam wish he hadn't suggested that.
Because although what he saw wasn't as bad as the things he'd seen when he had looked into the girl that Adeline was talking about, the things he was seeing were still starting him.
There wasn't a lot of blood, but what amount there was, was being carefully drained, meticulously planned in advance. It was funny because while he saw the blood draining, he saw Adeline sitting in front of a mirror, fixing her hair, although her reflection wasn't matching the one sitting in front of the mirror.
While the one in front of the mirror appeared cheerful and to be humming something, the Adeline in the mirror scowled and had a dangerous look in her eyes – 'if looks could kill,' Adam thought, realizing that words were appearing on the mirror, although she hadn't written anything on it. Reading into it, Adam was startled.
Kill. Don't think. Revenge. Haunting me. Make everyone happy. Protect the ones I love. Do what's right. Murder. Hide. Lie.
"Adam? Adam?" he became aware that Adeline was waving her hand in front of his face, which snapped him out of the vision of whatever was inside her soul.
"So? How much darkness do I have?" she wondered, voice half curious, half fearful.
He sighed, "It seems like you're split – there part of you that doesn't have any," he said, thinking of the one sitting in front of the mirror, "But there's half of you that – just…wants…" he struggled for words.
"Death? Blood? Carnage?" she tried, the words sounding dark and foreboding coming off her tongue.
"Yeah, that. All of that. I can't- I'd suggest you eventually tell someone besides me, because I've got no idea how to help, truthfully." He admitted, standing up and turning to walk into the kitchen.
He heard Adeline sigh in defeat, "Thanks for listening anyways. I'll be fine. I hope."
(Later that night, William's POV)
Hearing a noise he'd gotten quite used to from all the times Gabe would take him to the local clubs out for hunts, William sat up at the sound of retching.
"Adeline?" he asks, confusion clouding an already mildly concerned voice.
"I'm fi-" One of his hands went to sweep her curls out of her face as she retched again, coughing intermixed with the blood coming from her mouth.
"You're clearly not. What's made you this sick, love?"
She managed to shrug, still hanging over the edge of the bed.
"Went hunting. Guy I grabbed was passed out, must've been drinking. I think I gave myself second-hand alcohol poisoning…"
William gave a heavy sigh, "Have you learned nothing from what your friends told you? I've heard you were a selective listener, but to think-"
"Please don't lecture me…It's bad enough I'm-"
"You're okay. Come on, no use in letting you stay here. The bathroom floor will probably feel better against your skin, and that way you don't have to kink yourself with the way you're lying."
She nodded, lifting her head, wiping at the blood covering her chin.
"But baby, I'm fine, I promise. It'll-"
"No arguing." And with that, the elder Dandie turned over, in two steps picking up a shirt and tugging it on before cradling her in his arms, careful not to move too quickly in case she was light headed.
The minute her set her down on the bathroom rug, she sighed, resting her head against the tub.
"I'm fine, see? And don't even try to turn this into 'I'm a selective listener' I had no idea how hammered the guy really was. Ugh…my head's still spinning…"
"Here." She blinked, having felt the cool cloth on her forehead for a few seconds before she realized what it was.
"Really, you don't-"
"That's probably what you told your friend, and look how you turned on her," he started, tone taking a 'matter of fact' turn.
"I just want to know you won't turn on me. I sense there's more bugging you than what you're telling me, but I'll leave the matter be until you're ready to tell me yourself, at least for the time being."
She nodded, looking up at him, "I'd never turn on you! Where's that coming from? Someone's a little paranoid...like how Amelia was, geez, you're not my mom, you're my mate. And I really don't feel like turning this into a big discussion - can I go back to bed now? I'm not sleeping in here on the floor, even if I am part lycan."
He laughed, though she can hear the lingering tiredness in the sound, although it was almost morning.
"I suppose. But promise you won't go off and do this again…Maybe Brendon was right about the leash, after all, to keep you out of trouble."
That hadn't been a threat, she'd caught the wink.
"That's really adorable. Me, a leash? Good luck. I could phase and snap it off in three seconds flat."
He smiled, "I figured you'd reject that idea, which is why I never brought it up. But if I could add something and I don't mean this in any specific way other than that I'm just stating this, but, I could see you in a simple leather dog collar, perhaps accented with lace and a few grommets."
She giggled, "Okay, now that's a little too far…what's next, spraying me with a water bottle if I misbehave?"
He smirked, "I wouldn't test me when you're two feet away from a shower, doll. But then again, knowing you, that's anything but punishment. But come now, let's get you back to bed. And I'll let you sleep tomorrow, pending your nightmares don't wake you again."
Adeline almost smiled as he helped her stand, was it possible he knew about what she'd done and just hadn't wanted to press her about it? But then again, she realized what had made her so sick – it hadn't been alcohol poisoning like she'd lied and said it was, she hadn't even gone hunting that day, asides to kill the two.
She had had a physical reaction to the delayed grief of that fact she'd just murdered the two people should have seen as brothers. As she lay back down besides William and his arms wound around her and his lips found the hollow behind her ear, she sighed, laughing softly.
"Hm?"
"Or you could just slip me some painkillers and watch me be out of it for the next day or so…not like I'd mind, as long as you're near me."
He almost agreed with her, before he added, "It's like the day I brought you here. You don't care what happens to you as long as I'm near, it seems. Looks like Michael was right about the imprint, it is getting worse with time."
She nodded, turning over, making a noise in agreement. A few seconds later it was quiet, for she had fallen asleep.
But still, as William held her, her sleeping form relaxed and reassured in his arms, he couldn't help but wonder if everything really was okay.