Adam's P.O.V.

I could hardly keep my bloody eyes open the next morning.

Staying in the guest bedroom while the love of my life was suffering from the pain of Heat in the next room over had a way of keeping the thought of sleep distant.

Her stubbornness to wait until we married irritated me beyond belief, but I wasn't going to change her mind. I'd already tried and my efforts proved unsuccessful. However, that didn't stop the thought of strangling the Chandler woman for making her take that bloody vow from becoming a regularly occurring thought in my mind.

At times throughout the night, I felt the pull of my wolf. It wasn't concerned about the respect that Evelyn deserved in her decision. All it knew was that she was in pain and I was perfectly capable of stopping it.

These low points in the night were the hardest. I didn't like fighting myself. I had given into the pull of my wolf one too many times in my life and I was paying for not disciplining myself enough.

I needed Evelyn, but I also needed to get a grip on myself.

I had never been so close to losing myself as I had been the previous night. When she grabbed my arm and kissed my lips, I could physically feel my resolve leaving my body.

I was proud of the mark she had left on my neck, however embarrassed she might have been by it. It meant she wanted me too, and that was satisfying enough for now.

Covering the mark was a pain in the arse, though. I felt as though I was being strangled by the tie around my neck.

Jace noticed how much I had tugged and pulled at the bloody thing. I only hoped no one else in the conference room did.

I sat at the head of the table. Jace sat to my right and General Wanshan to my left.

Alpha Superior Oghojafor was speaking—and had been for the past few minutes—about the problems his pack was having with rogues.

The only problem I could see was how long-winded he was.

"If you placed a sanction against housing rogues on your land, you wouldn't have this problem," I said, interrupting him.

His son, Nwabueze, nodded in agreement.

"We believe that everyone should have shelter," Alpha Oghojafor protested. "I cannot force my people to turn others away."

I shrugged indifferently. I knew Europe and Asia wouldn't stand for the reckless abandonment of rogues that Africa did.

"Then your problem of rogues will remain an issue until it becomes their problem as well," I said pointing between Alpha Chen and Alpha Schneider.

"Get your problem under control," Alpha Chen said, narrowing his eyes at Alpha Oghojafor.

"Or we will control it for you," Alpha Schneider finished.

Alpha Oghojafor leaned back in his chair, finally at a loss for words.

I saw Jace look down at his phone that sat in the palm of his hand and I took a deep breath before kicking him under the table. He knew they weren't allowed in the room.

He said nothing as he handed the phone to me under the table and I looked at the screen. I couldn't help but growl at the message displayed on the screen.

The disrespect of these people baffled me.

I stood up in my chair, interrupting Alpha Schneider's statement.

"Which one of you sent the letter?"

Everyone went silent.

Feeling my patience grow thin, I growled and repeated myself.

"Who sent the letter?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you are referring to," Alpha Chen said.

I leaned forward and placed my hands on the table, looking them all in the eye.

"Someone forged a letter with my signature on it, stating that a last-minute invitation to the gala tonight was to be extended to an individual who was unnamed in the letter. It was placed by a maid—who works on the Alpha Superior's chamber floors that you're all staying in—into the outgoing mailbox this morning."

I tried to register the reaction on each of their faces, but they were smart enough to remain stoic.

"Now," I said, prompting the conversation along. "I can ask the maid whose room from whence it came and she will tell me. But, I'd like to extend the opportunity for whomever had the letter sent to confess now, before I find out for myself."

The room was in dead silence and it stayed that way for a few minutes. I, however, wasn't one to succumb to awkward silence. I would wait as long as I needed for an answer.

"It was me," Barret Schneider spoke.

Of all the people in the room, it was not the quiet, timid and submissive son of Alpha Schneider that I expected to speak.

"Would you mind explaining why?" I asked him.

His father glared at him and the boy gulped.

"I met a girl when we pulled into the village square on our way in on Sunday," he said. "I wanted to invite her to the gala."

"The invitation was unnamed," I said.

"I don't know her name, sir."

"But somehow you believed that sending a letter out, unaddressed, it would, by some amount of sorcery, find its way to her?" I asked.

Barret remained silent.

"Well?" his father asked him.

"She works in the postal office, sir. I knew she would receive the letter."

My eyes narrowed at him.

"I would like to ask that we adjourn for lunch," Alpha Schneider requested.

"Fine," I said, not taking my eyes of the Schneider boy, who was now staring at the tabletop in shame.

Everyone began to clear the room and I stopped Jace from walking out and following them. Once everyone had left, I turned to him.

"Find out who the intended recipient of that letter really was," I stated firmly.

Jace nodded.

I knew the German boy had lied. The only post office in town was run by a widower and his three sons. There were no women working in that office.

But, now I knew who had intended to send that letter. Barret's pathetic excuse was one that was made up on the spot to cover the tracks of the one who had really sent it: his father.

I couldn't help my smile as Jace left the room.

Europe would be mine by the end of the week, I was sure of this. Schneider had screwed up and I planned on taking full advantage of it. It was just a matter of time before I was given the go-ahead and Schneider wouldn't know what hit him.

I left the conference room and walked to my office. I would have much rather had eaten lunch with my Evelyn, but I had more planning to do that wouldn't be able to wait.

A few minutes went by before I heard Jace's footfalls in the hallway.

I looked up to see him enter into the office.

"You found out who the letter was going to be sent to," I guessed.

He shook his head and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why are you here then?"

"Liu's been trying to get in touch with me," he said. "She found Evelyn passed out in your room this morning."

I felt the air leave my lungs.

"Is she alright?" I asked, standing up quickly.

Jace nodded. "They think so. They've been trying to run tests all morning, but she's not cooperating."

"They tried to run tests without my consent?" I asked, blood boiling.

"You restricted all access to the offices," he reminded me. "No one could get in touch with you."

I felt my jaw clench as I walked around Jace and began to hurry towards the hospital ward. I could hear him walking behind me, but I paid him no mind.

Once in the ward, I looked at the nurse who was walking through the hallway. She immediately bowed at the sight of me.

"Where is she?" I asked.

My tone was firm and this clearly intimidated her. She gulped and pointed to the last room on the right at the end of the hallway.

As I approached, I could hear Evelyn's voice.

"Stop! Don't touch me!"

I entered into the room and everyone froze, except for Evelyn, who ripped her arm from the grasp of Dr. Zusak.

"What is going on?" I asked. My eyes narrowed in on Dr. Zusak, who began to explain.

"She had a heatstroke, Your Highness. She's extremely dehydrated and we need to cool her nervous system."

"I don't want a needle in my arm!" Evelyn protested, standing up from the bed. "I'm fine!"

"Sit down," I commanded her.

Her eyes widened at my tone and she sat back down on the bed reluctantly.

"Now," I said, "You're going to sit there and let Dr. Zusak do exactly what he needs to do to help you get better and you can start by giving him your bloody arm."

"Damn," I heard Vega whisper under hear breath. Mrs. Chandler, who sat next to her, elbowed her in the ribs.

I saw Evelyn's jaw clench as she looked at me defiantly.

Please don't argue with me.

I sighed in relief as she held out her arm.

My fist clenched as I saw her flinch at the pain caused by the needle breaking through the skin.

This is for her wellbeing, I reminded myself.

"This will help with the dehydration," Dr. Zusak assured her. "Keep drinking the ice water and put this thermometer in your mouth. Your temperature needs to come down so keep the cold compresses under your arms and on your neck."

He went over to the cabinet and pulled out a hospital gown.

"When I leave, strip completely and put this on. It will help you cool down quicker," he instructed.

She cringed as she took the gown from him.

Dr. Zusak turned to me.

"Can I speak with you outside for a moment?" he asked me.

I nodded and followed him out into the hallway.

"She cannot go through Heat again," he warned me.

I raised an eyebrow at the boldness with which he spoke.

"Her nervous system overheated to the point her body's cooling mechanisms couldn't bring the temperature down. If Ms. Wanshan had not found her when she did, there's a good chance she could have had seizures or even slipped into a coma."

I ran my hand across my jaw in frustration.

"Mrs. Chandler explained your unique situation to me," he continued. "I realize that is a private matter between the two of you, but as your residential physician, I am strongly advising you to not allow her to slip into Heat again. Her body will not be able to handle it and there's no telling what could happen if she does."

I nodded slowly.

"I'll come back to check on her in a while, but I'll be down the hall with Mr. Chandler if you need anything," he informed me.

"Thank you."

He nodded and turned to walk down the hallway.

I groaned in frustration and punched the wall.

Jace walked out of the room as I did so and eyed the hole I left in the concrete.

"Send someone to fix that," I instructed him, walking into the room.

"Can Evelyn and I have the room, please?"

Mrs. Chandler, Vega, Liu, and the nurse cleared out quickly and I shut and locked the door behind them.

"I'm fine," she assured me quickly.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure. I have passed out for the fun of it a few times myself," I said sarcastically.

Evelyn made no effort to conceal her eyeroll.

A few weeks ago, I would have taken her sass to mean disrespect. However, I had come to love the fact that she was not scared of me nor was she scared to let me know where she stood on a subject. She had made that abundantly clear.

I walked over to her and took the hospital gown from her hands and began to untie it in the back.

"Strip," I instructed her.

She turned her nose up at the idea, angering me slightly.

I pulled her off the bed by her arm and stood her in front of me. I grabbed the hem of her shirt and she slapped my hand away.

"Fine, fine! I'll do it myself, though. Turn around."

I handed her the gown and turned my back to her.

I wondered briefly what her reaction would be if I turned around suddenly and I resisted the urge to chuckle. She was bashful, which I found adorable at times. However, there were other times—like when I found her stash of lingerie hidden in the bottom of her drawer—that it was maddening.

I waited patiently for her to finish changing and I turned around only when I heard her sit down on the cot. She was folding her clothes beside her and I grabbed a cloth and ran it under the cold tap before ringing it out and placing it against her neck.

"I apologize for not checking on you when I went into the room this morning to shower and change," I said.

I couldn't believe I had been so stupid to not have made sure she was okay when I entered the room that morning. After all, I had heard her whimpers and cries of pain all night. I had even stood outside her door at one point, conflicted on whether to go inside. I had chosen not to and I was regretting the decision.

A bemused look crossed her face.

"It's not your fault," she said.

"It is," I said with certainty. "I should never have let you go into Heat in the first place. I should have married you the moment you told me you wanted to wait. I could have prevented this, and I'm sorry for not doing so."

Evelyn sighed.

"I'm not letting you take responsibility for my stubbornness," she said firmly. "It was my decision and I will deal with the consequences of it."

My jaw clenched as I took her face in my hands and made her look at me.

"You will not go into Heat again," I assured her.

I saw her gulp before she looked over my shoulder at the clock hanging on the wall behind me.

"Your lunch break is over," she informed me.

I let go of her and sighed.

I can't leave her.

"Go," she said. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"If anything is the matter, you send Liu to find me and I'll come straight away," I said firmly.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But, I'm not staying here overnight."

"You'll stay here as long as you need to."

She smirked, hearing this.

"We'll see about that."

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