"Ouch!"

I pulled my finger from underneath the flower backdrop and looked at the puncture the rose's thorn had left.

"Be careful," Liu said, tucking a yellow rose into thick bushel of baby's breath.

I looked at the blood drawing to the skin.

"Too late."

I got down from the ladder and looked at the elaborate arch of flowers over the large doorway.

"I'm glad you talked me into adding in the genesta and the chinamum," I commented, seeing how all the flowers blended nicely together.

"The yellow roses were a good call too," she said, getting down from the step stool.

"You sound like a bunch of seventy-year-old women," Tyler said.

I looked over to see him staring at us.

"You're supposed to be dusting."

He narrowed his eyes at me and began to sweep the feather duster over the gold candelabra that sat on the mantel, all the while not breaking eye contact.

"Don't you have maids for this?" He asked me.

"You haven't helped do anything else," I said. "You're earning your room and board by cleaning."

He rolled his eyes.

I looked around the ballroom to see the various maids and workers scattered about the room, each of them with the sole mission of getting ready for the Centennial.

I knew downstairs that there were a handful of chefs who had come in to start meal planning and gathering together ingredients for the Gala of Arrival banquet.

I was also aware of an entire floor that was being cleared out for the guests to live in for the week and the large conference room that was being set up to accommodate the Alpha Superiors and their Betas during their week-long meetings.

"Do you think we're ready?" Liu asked me.

I sighed. "I certainly hope so."

"Your Highness."

I turned to see three women approaching Liu and I, each of them with a set of chinaware in their hands.

"We're finalizing the dinnerware for the week," one of them explained. "Which would you like to use for the banquet?"

I looked at all the options.

"I like the French Rococo set," I decided.

The woman nodded and they turned and walked back across the room.

"This is so stressful," I said, massaging my temples.

"It will all be over once everyone starts arriving tomorrow night," Liu said.

"Am I invited?" Vega asked, standing up from where she sat on the step-stool and walking over to Liu and I.

I nodded. "Of course."

"I don't have anything to wear though," she said.

I gasped. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong?" Liu asked me.

"I don't have anything to wear either."

Her eyes widened.

"You need a dress."

I groaned and threw my hands up in exasperation.

"Could this get any more stressful?!"

Tyler knocked over a crystal vase from the mantel and it fell to the floor and shattered, despite his fumbled attempts to catch it.

"Oops," he mumbled, giving me a nervous smile.

I sighed.

"I'll just forget you asked," Vega said to me, walking over to help him clean it up.

"You need to go talk to Adam about a dress," Liu said.

I nodded. "I know."

"I'll let Jace know you're coming," she said as she walked away.

My heart sunk when she mentioned Jace.

Poor girl.

I walked over to Tyler and Vega, who were now surrounded by maids that tried to help them clean up the shattered crystal.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm a klutz."

"It's ok, it was an accident."

I bent down and helped pick up the shards of crystal.

"Evelyn!"

I stood up and looked over to see who was calling my name.

What now?

Malcom was standing at the other end of the room, waving at me like he hadn't just seen me the day before. I inwardly groaned as he started to make his way over to where I stood.

"Hello, dear," he said, walking up and giving me a big bear hug.

"How have you been? Shifted yet?" He asked.

I shook my head, much to his dismay.

"Why not? Is Adam still taking his shirt off and distracting you?"

I blushed.

"No, that's not really the reason why..."

"Oh, well, we shall have to work on that!" He exclaimed. "What about tomorrow?"

"The Centennial starts tomorrow," I said. "So I'll probably be too busy."

He snapped his fingers in disappointment.

"Well, I should figure the next day will be just as good."

I was about to remind him that the Centennial was a week-long event when Liu walked over to Malcom and I.

She bowed her head in Malcom's direction before turning to me.

"Jace said Adam isn't busy, so you can go see him in his office now, if you'd like," she said.

I wanted desperately to ask her if it was still awkward to talk to Jace after he had rejected her. I knew it must have been, but I didn't know how she would react to me bringing it up.

"Off to see Adam?" Malcom asked.

I nodded as I turned to walk away.

"Tell that son of mine that he needs to keep his clothes on so you can stay focused! You're too busy to be distracted," Malcom shouted at me from across the room.

I blushed furiously as I looked around the ballroom at all the maids and workers who were trying to act like they didn't hear what Malcom had said.

Even Vega's eyes widened slightly, and she was normally not one to suffer from second-hand embarrassment.

"Did she hear me?" Malcom asked Liu.

"Oh, I think she heard you."

I left the ballroom as quickly as I could to avoid anymore embarrassing comments.

Making my way down to Adam's office, I noticed all the people who had come in to work on a Saturday and were working hard at the last minute to set everything up.

The guards were not at their post as I made my way into his office.

Adam was looking for a book on his bookshelf when I walked in.

"Jace said you needed to talk to me. Is everything ok?" He asked, seeing me walk in.

"Not really..."

He turned and gave me his full attention.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have a dress for the Centennial," I explained.

"Oh, I've already ordered you a few," he said nonchalantly.

"Wait... What?"

He nodded. "They should be in sometime this evening."

"How did you know my size?" I asked.

"It took some investigating," He said, winking.

"You went through my drawers, didn't you?"

"Well, technically, they're my drawers seeing as though they're in my wardrobe."

I rolled my eyes.

"What about shoes?" I asked.

"Relax," He said. "It's already been taken care of."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Thank you," I said earnestly.

He smiled. "I'm just taking care of my woman."

"Your woman?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Adam nodded.

"My woman," he repeated.

I laughed. "I don't belong to you."

"Of course you do," he said, walking over to me. "You belong to me in the same way that I belong to you, in every way."

"You've still got quite a few days left to earn the right to say that," I reminded him.

"Are we really still doing that?" He asked. "I feel like I already know what the answer's going to be."

Adam began to walk closer to me.

"You never know. I'm full of surprises," I teased. "Besides, I like you spoiling me the way you have been."

He took my chin in his hand.

"Darling, I plan on spoiling you for the rest of your life," he said smirking.

He leaned in to kiss me, but his office door opened before his lips could touch mine.

We turned our heads to see Victoria walk into the room with a scowl on her face.

"Have you two nothing better to do?" She asked.

"Get out," Adam said.

I wondered how he could keep his cool around that woman. I had only known her for a few weeks and I already wanted to punch her in the face. I couldn't imagine having to put up with her for hundreds of years as he had.

She huffed, turned around, and left.

He looked at me.

"You wouldn't think people would have such nerve to barge in on me in my office or bedroom seeing as I'm an Alpha Superior, but it doesn't seem to have stopped anyone as of late."

I laughed.

"I'm going to get you a do-not-disturb sign for your door."

"I'd appreciate that," he said, still shaking his head in frustration.

"Now... where were we?"

- - -

My dresses arrived later that night, not long after Liu and I had finished putting the finishing touches on everything for the Gala of Arrival.

After Adam and I had returned from dinner, I saw them hanging up in dust bags on a clothes rack that had been pushed into his bedroom.

"They're here!" I said excitedly, walking over to them.

I opened the dust cover on the first dress and gasped.

It was a mauve-colored silk gown that had a crystal-beaded bodice and cinched waist. It was paired with a matching sheer duster that had long bell sleeves and was beaded with crystals along the bottom.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Like it? I love it!"

Adam laughed. "I'm glad."

I opened the rest of the dresses, each one breathtakingly stunning.

"I'm actually really excited for this week now," I said, putting them back on the rack.

"Were you not before?" He asked me as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"I was just stressed out about it," I said.

"Well, don't be," he said taking off his shirt. "You've done a great job, much better than I would have."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"Now," he said. "What do you say you give me a sneak peek of how you look in those dresses?"

I shook my head.

"You can see me in them when everyone else does," I said.

Adam rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but I feel like I should get an exclusive look..." he said.

"Nope. You went through my drawers, so you've already gotten an 'exclusive look' at things."

"I came across a few things in there I'd like to see you in as well," he said smirking.

Oh this should be fun.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Allow me," he said, walking over to the wardrobe.

I sat down on the corner of the couch and watched as he pulled out my black bra that had transparent lace cups and sheer side panels. He reached into the drawer again and pulled out the matching panties.

How on earth did he find those?

I had hidden my lingerie under the rest of my underwear when I first moved into the castle, hoping he would never see them, especially the red set.

He reached into the drawer and, to my horror, pulled out the red, strappy silk cutout bra and the thong that went with it.

"Mind explaining why I didn't know about your secret stash of lingerie?" He asked.

Clearly, the look of mortification on my face was amusing to him.

I laughed nervously and stood up, trying to snatch them out of his hands.

"That's none of your business," I stuttered, my face redder than my ridiculous bra. 

"I mean, I'm not complaining. I'm just glad I know what I'm working with now," he said.

I reached out to try and take them but he held them up high over my head.

"You're being ridiculous," I said, jumping to try and grab them.

I grabbed his arm, but he was much stronger than I anticipated and I ended up just hanging from his bicep, wildly trying to reclaim my underwear.

I hate being short.

I wrapped my legs around his torso and reached, pushing myself up on his shoulders.

"Aha!"

I shouted in triumph as I grabbed the underwear and yanked them away from his grip.

"You might have your underwear, but I have you," he pointed out. "So who's the real winner, here?"

I bit my lip realizing that I was, indeed, in his arms.

"I'll put you down on one condition."

"Which is?"

"You take five minutes to go into that bathroom, change into that bra and those panties, and put on some lipstick to match."

I was trying desperately not to blush.

"You're hilarious."

"No, I'm serious."

"I'm pretty sure this counts as sexual harassment."

He smiled.

"Maybe in some cases, but I'm not entirely convinced it's not unwelcomed."

I gave him an unamused look.

"Fine," he said. "Forget the lipstick, but you have to sleep in it."

"I don't sleep in a bra," I informed him.

"Even better."

An idea hit me.

"Fine," I muttered.

Adam, looking very pleased with himself, set me down on my feet.

Keeping the red panties in my hand, I put the black lingerie and the red bra back into the drawer and grabbed one of his t-shirts.

Adam grabbed the t-shirt and started to protest.

I stopped him.

"You didn't say I couldn't wear anything over it," I smirked.

He looked like he could have punched a hole through a wall, causing me to laugh.

"Next time I'll know better," he growled.

I laughed and went into the bathroom to shower and change. After doing so and brushing my teeth, I came back out and Adam went into the bathroom to shower as well.

I sat down and brushed through my damp hair.

This would be the perfect opportunity to put that bra on and surprise him when he comes out, a part of me thought.

I shook the thought away immediately, my insecurities creeping up.

I wouldn't look as appealing as he thinks I would. It's better off just left for the imagination.

I had turned down the bed and gotten underneath the covers when he came out of the bathroom.

After turning off the lights, Adam joined me in bed. He rolled over on his side and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my body against his.

"Goodnight, love," He whispered.

"Goodnight, Adam."

A few minutes went by and my eyes began to get heavy from drowsiness.

They had finally closed and I was almost asleep when I heard it.

"I love you."

- - -