Lyla was almost knocked off her feet as Adley whisked her into their living quarters. The door was shut quickly. She was ushered into Adley and Merissa's bedroom.

"I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Don't worry, we won't be doing anything. You said no, and he's going with that."

"So, why the bedroom?"

Adley finally let go, only it was to shut and lock the door.

"Because Lennon saw you two, apparently."

Lyla heard the word pissed and assumed that he was referring to Lennon. Seconds later, the main door slammed shut. Adley smiled when Lennon tried to open the door.

"I swear, Adley, you'd better not be cutting another man's grass."

Lennon was shocked when Adley finally spoke.

"How can you say that?" Lennon responded. "I'd never do that."

The realisation came when Lennon thought about it. Adley was right. They'd been here a week, and he'd pretty much ignored Lyla the entire time. Even his friends were feeling neglected. There was a choice to be made, two doors to choose from.

Adley was prepared to unlock the door, but if Lennon stepped through it, he had to make things right with all of them. Otherwise, he could use the other door and not come back ever again. If he picked the main door, he was saying goodbye to them as friends, and he was ending the relationship with Lyla.

Flicking the lock, Adley stepped back and waited. Lyla sat on the edge of the bed, watching the handle. She'd heard pieces of what Adley said, enough to know that he'd been given an ultimatum.

The more that the seconds ticked by, the more despondent she became. Merissa sat on the bed beside Lyla, wrapping an arm around her.

"Well, I guess I know my worth," Lyla murmured.

"Come on, don't be like that."

She gave Ris a smile that held no meaning, merely enough to end the conversation.

"He picked them over us, and I am not going to hang around here, spending my nights watching him be Charlton's little lap dog. I want to be able to visit my daughter, and it's obvious that we're not allowed out of here."

Lyla moved to the door, hoping that Lennon was still standing there when she opened it. She was bitterly disappointed.

Hearing her name, Lyla turned her head to look at Adley. She didn't pick up any of the words, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"If you want him to come with us when we leave, then you'd better figure out a way to get him out. If he protests, then I'm walking away without him."

Adley watched as she turned and crossed the living room to what had been the room she'd shared with Lennon the past week. Sharing was a term used loosely, they slept in the same bed, but given the state of Lyla's threats and her mood, he knew that the fool was ignoring her.

Merissa nodded.

"I know," she said quietly. "We're not leaving without him. He doesn't deserve it, considering that he's just picked them. Go for a run, scope out the land, the fences, and what level of security he's got. Make sure it seems like you're running because of the moon, okay?"

Adley nodded, stalking through the living room to the patio door. The cold night air hit him as he opened it, inhaling the scent of death. There was so much of it around this place, yet he had never come across a single body in his adventures around the building and the estate.

It was common for a werewolf to run through the night. No vampire would question him if they saw Adley running around. In fact, they might have questioned him if he wasn't seen.

Jumping to the ground, Adley took off. Merissa watched for a moment, then turned back to the room to search for Lyla. She didn't want to be intrusive, but it was better to get on with their planning rather than wallowing in sadness.

Merissa was a little stunned to see an empty room. She wondered if there was a secret passage until she heard the water running in the bathroom. Looking around the corner into the dressing room, Ris saw the shut door.

Lyla had left her pendant necklace on the dresser. Lifting the pretty locket, Ris carefully opened it, smiling when she saw the picture of Eloise.

"Oh, my sweet little child, you have given your mother so much heartache. A week ago, I would have added that you've also given her a wonderful partner to share her future, but now I'm not so sure. You should have stayed away from him. Didn't you see that Nironsa was not sane?"

Merissa closed the locket, placing it back on the dresser. As she walked back into the living room, Ris considered the thought that Eloise was in love with Nironsa, and that's why Lyla didn't stand a chance at getting her back.