Becoming the Hunted

Adelaide had a look of embarrassment upon her face. She shied away from the looks of those in the crowd that had gathered. A few were fellow vampires, she could feel their eyes burning into her. She was a Bennett she was supposed to take charge and put an end to this nonsense. Though, she felt like Nicholas deserved a lesson….anything to humble him in the least she would approve of. That was when she heard the question from Henry. She spun toward him her eyes glanced over his attire, it was much different from the night before. Though his smile caused her to smile as a soft laugh came over her lips. “That was you?” She questioned with a raised brow. “Those children did that for you?” She smirked as she glanced back to Nicholas whom had grabbed the shirt of the man in the booth through the small window that money and tickets normally passed.

“Save me from being poked up.” She smirked to him, the term meant embarrassed, it was a phrase that the aristocrats liked to throw around. She reached forward and took his hand and without glancing over her shoulder she stepped forward to lead him away from the scene that was unfolding. “We must move quickly, otherwise he will be right on our tail.” She spoke as she rushed along through the streets. She knew London like the back of her hand. Her grandfather tried to keep her locked away but she snuck out nearly every night. She ended up with humans, but that wasn’t all that bad. She had a buffet of blood to fuel her and they were all there for her picking. Though she was very careful, she’d never killed a human while drinking their blood. Adelaide had a way about her that she was able to fog the memory of humans, make them think other things might have happened. It was a trick that some pure bloods held. After they were several blocks away from the excitement Adelaide stopped and turned to Henry, an amused smile upon her lips. A rain drop fell and landed on the brim of his hat, a storm was brewing over head, they didn’t have much time to find a venue before they would become soaked like street rats. “Well my charming savior, what plans do you have for the evening?” She asked curiously as she brushed a rain drop from her cheek.

Adelaide watched him, a smile about her lips. “Like a theatre? But you say I’ll like it...hm.” She mused as she seemed to try to think of what he might be speaking of. She moved close to him as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. When he began to speak again she looked up to him, her attention fully on him. “Hmm...” She hummed before a chuckle came over her lips. “Perhaps I am just not what the rich and wealthy expect?” She looked up to the darkening sky as thunder rumbled after a few small flashes of lightening. “I grew up an aristocrat, this is true. I know what is expected of me. I know the games that I must play, the faces I must put on to impress those that my grandfather deems worthy.” She smirked then and raised a brow. “I’ve spent a lot of time in solitude, my grandfather wanted to keep me safe as I was growing up. I am the last of the Bennett bloodline after all. It’s important to him that I don’t get killed or die in an accident like my parents.” She fell quiet to the mentioning of her parents. Her eyes fell from the sky and she looked ahead of them as they turned down the smaller street. This part of town wasn’t one that she’d been in. She tended to steer clear of some of the rougher parts of the city, she didn’t want to deal with street thieves preying upon her...or worse. Sure she could defend herself, but that was at the expense of her kind being discovered and that...simply wouldn’t do.

Adelaide took in a breath, “I suppose you could say I haven’t had much time to discover new things, so someone as different as yourself sparks quite a bit of interest from my part.” She flashed a smile, though it wasn’t as large as she’d smiled at the party, her fangs stayed well hidden. She knew better. When she was out and about, she knew not to allow anyone to see her fangs. It could become dangerous quite quick, especially with the rumor of hunters around London. That would send her to an early grave quickly. She walked into the establishment, the sound of laughter caused a curious expression to form upon her face. She saw women, floozies that sat with men that looked as if they’d had their fill of liquor, all red cheeked and chuckling. This was not a place she would have ever come to. When Henry spoke that she could choose their seat she drew in a breath. “Um.” She looked about the establishment. She didn’t want to sit dead center, she wanted to speak to him, to get to know him more. She gave a small smile to him, “How about over here?” She led him to a small booth that was to the side of the stage, it was set for two.

Adelaide sat down on the old booth and glanced around once again to the likes of those within the club. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, she was well overdressed for the establishment. A young woman approached them with a pen pad in hand. She wore clothing that revealed her legs, stockings that reached up to her thighs and a short skirt. She wore an old tunic that was tied about her waist. Adelaide had never been to an establishment with such a dress code. “Is there anything you’d like to drink M’lady?” The woman asked, her voice was nearly lost in Adelaide’s thoughts.

Adelaide glanced to Henry, “Um...” She drew her brows together slightly. “What would you recommend Henry?” She asked with a pleasant smile. “Anything on the menu that you particularly like?” She glanced back to the woman and then back to him.

Adelaide turned her eyes to Henry, she noticed that he didn’t look to the barmaid. That much was interesting to her. Most men when a woman dressed like the barmaid appeared before their eyes...well they reacted like dogs with a fresh steak dangling above their head. He didn’t. She leaned back against the booth slightly when he told her to relax. She wasn’t sure she could. She’d done well to avoid these parts of the town, even in her adventures that she had against her grandfather’s will. She cleared her throat slightly before she lifted her eyes to him, the well practiced smile appeared on her face. “I’m sure they are good people.” She spoke as her eyes looked about the venue once again. “I just...haven’t been around this...” She paused as she seemed to think of the proper word to use. She didn’t want to sound snotty...nor did she want to come off in such a way. “I’m a bit overdressed. Don’t you think?” She looked to him with curious eyes. A few of the other customers at a table seemed to have exchanged glances in their direction. She imagined it was her presence alone. A Bennett would never have been seen here. Yet. Here she was.

When the pint of beer was brought to the table she watched as some of the foam head ran down the side of the thick glass frosted mug. “Honey beer…?” She spoke as she reached forward. She’d never been one for beer. Wine. Liquor. That she could stand. But beer? It was heavy. At least, most of the beer that she’d tasted. She grasped the handle of the mug and lifted it to her mouth before she tilted it back and took a drink. Her nose wrinkled slightly to the hoppy overtone before the smooth refreshing taste of honey seemed to overwhelm her mouth. She set the mug down and took in a breath before her hazel eyes looked back to Henry. “Do you come here often? What sort of...things do they show on the stage?” She questioned. Though just as she did. Applause came from the tables of those that had come to enjoy the show. Adelaide found herself curiously looking to the stage as a man in black pants with many patches and a white old button down that was rolled up to his elbows came out upon the stage.

It didn’t take long for Adelaide to have a smile upon her lips. She was fascinated by the environment of this place. As the man upon the stage told jokes, making fun of himself, of others...of life in London. She laughed along with the others as she sipped on her beer and before long she’d drank the whole pint. Now, a vampire’s system was quite complex. Though, there was one thing that had a great effect upon them. Alcohol. Her giggles and her posture seemed to loosen as she looked to Henry. “This is excellent.” She spoke as she looked to him. The barmaid topped off her beer as she leaned forward against the table, her hand cupping her cheek to support her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” She spoke with a smile.

**

Meanwhile…

“I don’t know.” Nicholas stood within the study of Vincent Bennett the Third. “Some street rats took my coin purse and I was speaking to the man in the ticket booth...and the next thing I knew I turned around and Adelaide was gone.”

Vincent rubbed his brow line as though he had a headache. He lifted his grey eyes to look to Nicholas. “I’ve given you ample amount of chances to win her over, Nicholas.” He snarled, his slender fangs showed. He stood and stepped around his desk and gripped the young man by the nape of his tux. “Find. Her.” He growled lowly. “Or it’ll be the last thing you do. If you allowed my grand daughter to be kidnapped and you allow her to die I will ruin your family!” His eyes were full of rage.

Nicholas was trembling. “Y-yes Master Bennett.” He could barely get the words out. If he lost his chance to marry Adelaide, well...his family wouldn’t be very happy either. There was a whole deal in the workings behind the scenes that no one except Vincent and Nicholas knew the terms of. Nicholas scurried from the room quickly and out into the rainy night. Two other men came along with him, brute like men of his coven. “We need to find Miss Bennett.” He spoke, his eyes glanced to them, he bit his lip slightly. A lot was riding on him to find her. He couldn’t fail.

Adelaide gave Henry her attention when he spoke of how he’d stumbled upon the comedy club. It was between jokes of the comedian. She chuckled when he spoke that she wasn’t allowed to have another drink. “Ahh, I’m not usually one to drink anyway.” She took a drink of the beer and then giggled slightly. Her hazel eyes searched his a long moment, she was a completely different person when her guard was down. She was nothing like she was at the masquerade. A little bit of alcohol in her system and she seemed to be just as normal as the next commoner in the club.

She smirked when he posed the question. Why Nicholas. A long sigh came over her lips then, the smile seemed to wipe from her face. She lowered her eyes and tranced around the rim of the half full mug of honey beer. “There are things, when you are a noble that...you don’t have much control over.” She spoke her brows tucked together slightly. “You see. Even in traditions past a noble lady of the Bennett family doesn’t get a choice as to who it is that she is to marry.” She gave half a smile then, there was a sadness behind her eyes a hint of her true feelings. “Even though I have chosen you and that other gentlemen that was in red….my grandfather has chosen Nicholas as my true suitor. All of the competition?” She let out a laugh and shook her head. Her fingertip still traced along the brim of the glass. “Well, it is just as much for show as my grandfather executing a thief for stealing coin from him. Every move that my family has made has been for power.” She pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes slightly. The comic had thanked the audience and they were applauding him.

Adelaide gave another smile then, “At least I have gotten to spend an evening with you.” She searched his eyes. “It will be Nicholas that I marry. There has already been an agreement with his family. My grandfather hasn’t told me this, but I know. I know a lot more than anyone thinks that I know. I just sit idly in the back of the room, more of a piece of decoration than anything to the men. Yet, they do not think that I see what is going on. My grandfather thinks that I believe that all of this has been a choice. It never was.” She forced a bit of a smile before she took a long drink from her mug as another comic stepped out onto the stage. “You were my choice, because you are different from them. You saw me as more than a prize. More than a podium to propel yourself forward with...and...” She then looked to the comedy club. “Besides, who else would have brought me here?” She gave a warm smile then. “I wish I could come here more often.” She ran her fingertip along the brim of her glass once again. Without the alcohol it was hard to say if she would have spoken even half of the words she spoke to him. Her charade that she put on would have surly had a wall up about the topic. She would have had a quick response as to why Nicholas was one of her choices. But, with the alcohol anything he asked...she would most likely answer rather truthfully, and bluntly if anything else.

**

Nicholas walked through the streets, his hands shoved in his pockets as the rain ran down the sides of his face from his soaking wet hair. “You’re not going to find her!” One of the men that he’d brought with him spoke up. Nicholas turned and slammed him against the wall, his hand gripped tightly around his throat. “Oh? You think I won’t?” He snarled, his fangs glistened in the street light. “I’m going to find her! And when I do...” He growled as he turned and marched forward. “She’ll regret ever leaving my side.” His eyes were full of fury. “She made me look like an idiot to Master Bennett!” He threw his arms up. Nicholas walked up to a man that staggered along in the streets. “Have you seen a noble lady?” He questioned as he gripped onto the man’s shirt. “Hm? Perhaps a beautiful one in a blue dress?”

The man staggered slightly and giggled. “Oh yes. She’s a beaut!” He hiccuped. “She’s enjoying a bit of comedy eh? You look like you need a good laugh!” He laughed then which got him a fist to the face from Nicholas whom left him laying on the ground.

Nicholas rubbed his knuckles and grit his teeth. “Comedy?” He questioned as he marched forward. “Come on.” He growled at the two men as he continued forward down the alley that the drunken man had come from.

Adelaide lifted her mug to her lips, her eyes watched him a moment before she drank down the last of the beer. “Oh, he will find a way for Nicholas to win, even if he has not.” She replied a bit of a scoff behind her tone. “Unless you or the other man win without a doubt to the point that he cannot argue it or create some other ruse for Nicholas to win under.” She gave a soft sigh. This was true. It always had been. The Bennett family had stayed in power this long for such reasons. As fair as the competitions seemed in the past, nothing was truly fair when bidding for the hand of a Bennett woman. She lifted her eyes to Henry then just as the woman came over. She raised a brow in curiosity, the woman seemed rushed and almost worried.

Though, she realized what caused the worry in the woman’s eyes as her own eyes followed Henry’s across the room. Nicholas. “I hoped he wouldn’t follow at all...one can hope.” She spoke as she took his hand. She wavered slightly as she leaned into the pace that he pulled her along at. She glanced over her shoulder as Nicholas began interrogating people just before they slipped into the shadows of the exit next to the stage. Once outside she watched him bend the door handle and then the next moment she was in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled, the alcohol making light of the situation. She watched as they climbed rather skillfully to the rooftops of the town. She held onto him as they soared from rooftop to rooftop. “If Nicholas is looking for me, there is no doubt that my grandfather knows that I have gone missing.” She spoke into the nape of his neck. Her forehead pressed against his shoulder as she closed her eyes for a moment. The movement, the alcohol. It was all a factor.

“He won’t believe me if I tell him that I went with you to a comedy club.” She giggled into his neck before she looked up to him. Adelaide had never allowed herself to become quite a intoxicated around a man that she barely knew. Though, something was different about Henry. Something made her feel as though he could protect her. And he had. There was no doubt Nicholas would have made a scene….

**

Nicholas tossed a chair to the side, “Where is she?” He snapped as he stood over the waitress that had fallen back onto the floor.

“She must have left.” She spoke in a fearful voice. It was the waitress that had taken care of them.

Nicholas snarled before he turned to the empty table where Henry and Adelaide had been. He could still smell her perfume in the air. “Find her.” He growled to the two men whom began searching through the club.

Adelaide lay her head against his shoulder, she drew in a breath. “Well.” She spoke after he’d posed his question and offered a few ideas for her to grasp onto. “It’s going to be a bit of the truth.” She smirked as she slipped from his arms. She hugged onto his arm and giggled slightly as she leaned her head against his upper arm. “Oh I haven’t drank this much...in a long time.” She smiled before she let out a long sigh. “Nicholas has a temper. Quite the temper.” She spoke with a soft expression now. “I thought he was going to pull the poor man through the ticket booth window. I offered to leave and he ignored me. He was making a terrible scene and I didn’t want to be a part of it.” She looked up to Henry, a smile curved up her lips then. “So, I backed away from the scene and who did I see?” She giggled again. “A gentlemen that offered to save me from the embarrassment.”

Adelaide took in a breath as she seemed to think. “We went to dinner.” She spoke, “A nice place on the east end, Lilian’s. It’s a nice Italian restaurant, you let me decide where to go, and of course I picked my favorite place.” She pulled him down a back alley that led them toward her home. It was a back street that she’d traveled many times in her nightly adventures. “Afterward you wanted to show me something I had never seen.” She smiled to him, “A show that would make me laugh, something that I could truly enjoy. So, you took me to the comedy club on the south end of town.” She paused a moment. “Now grandfather may not fully approve of that, but Nicholas came after us there, so we must include that bit in the story. However, if I like it.” She smiled to him. “I’m certain that he may give the owner money to keep the place running, possibly make enhancements. He’s always been one to support the things I like, even if he doesn’t always approve of them.” She glanced to him a moment, “I will make sure he understands just how much of a scene Nicholas created, even in the club.”

She led him forward then as she fell quiet. When they came to the gates of the mansion she briefly paused and stopped to turn to him. She gazed up into his eyes and gave a gentle smile. “This, has been a rather entertaining evening, one of the best I’ve had. Minus Nicholas.” She gave a light laugh at the end before she leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Perhaps if grandfather doesn’t lock me away we can do it again?” She wrapped her arm through his once again as she pushed the gate open. Adelaide walked him up the stairs that led to the main double doors and she led him inside.

The home was painfully silent, as it usually was. Shadows crept in from the edges where the flickering flames of the gas lanterns couldn’t reach. Adelaide took in a breath, almost as if she was nervous for this meeting. “Come on.” She spoke as she pulled him up the stairs into the home. She walked him down the long hallway that held pieces of art and statues that her family had collected over the centuries. It was a well decorated home. Plenty of art to admire. She paused at a door and then gave a soft knock before she pushed the door open. “Grandfather?” She stepped in with Henry in tow.

“Adelaide.” Vincent stood from behind the desk, he pulled glasses from his face and set them upon a book that he was reading. He eyed Henry a moment before he stepped forward quickly. He wrapped his arms around her and gave a long hug. “I was worried sick. Nicholas came by and said that you disappeared. What happened?” He questioned as he stepped back. This was the caring side of Vincent that most did not see. Most only saw the businessman that he was. Adelaide was surprised that he’d dropped his persona in front of a guest. Though she began to believe that he must have truly been worried about her.

Adelaide gave a soft smile before the story came over her lips. She had time to sober up on the walk over and her words were even more effortlessly combined. She stitched together a highly believable story with bits of truth and a few lies to make Henry look even better in Vincent’s eyes. She brought to light just how horrible Nicholas had acted. How aggressive he became. How she was frightened by it even. She glanced to Henry at the end of her tale and gave a soft smile. “This is Henry, grandfather. He was the man in the black and gold mask last night. He is one of my suitors that I have chosen. A fine gentlemen.” She searched her grandfather’s grey eyes then.

He hadn’t spoken a word the entire time. In fact. He’d stepped over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whisky, he leaned against his desk with one arm crossed over his chest the other held the glass to his lips. He gave a slow nod as he took everything in before he downed the glass. “Well.” He spoke. “It would seem that I owe you a thank you my boy.” He spoke a smile finally turned up the edges of his mouth. “Would you like a drink? Perhaps a fine blood.” He grinned then as he stepped forward and placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder. He stared into his eyes a long moment. “There is no imagining the trouble that Addie may have gotten into. You’ve kept the Bennett name clean and you showed her a lovely evening it sounds like. Though, you must tell me more of this….comedy?” He tilted his head slightly. “The south end can be a bit dangerous, it isn’t a place for a lady of my grand daughter’s stature. You understand?” He raised a brow slightly before he stepped to another cabinet. He pulled out a bottle that looked much like a wine bottle. It had dark glass to protect the drink inside. He filled three glasses and brought two over to the two and nodded before he returned to his own. It was a rich blood, finely aged. Something that only those of high class would drink.

There was a knock at the door then. The door pushed open and Nicholas came in, soaking wet from the rain. “Adelaide.” He exclaimed, his eyes fell upon Henry and he lunged forward.

Though in the blink of an eye Vincent stood his hand gripped around Nicholas’ fist. “Dear Addie, why don’t you give Mister Martin and I a moment?” His eyes were cold now. Vincent turned and stepped over to his desk as he sipped on the red liquid from his glass. “Come. Sit.” He spoke his voice a bit more aggressive.

Adelaide glanced to Henry and gave him a nod before she led him from the room. She took a drink from her glass and let out a sigh, it was an incredible blend. “Come with me.” She gave a soft smile to him before she led him through the home. She led him down a set of stairs in the back of the mansion and through another hallway before they exited the back of the home into the lovely backyard garden. She led him out to the pond before she looked up to the skies, the moon was dipping down, the clouds had cleared away once again. “Only a few more hours before bedtime.” She lifted her glass to her lips. “I’d say...grandfather was intrigued by you, as much as I am.” She smiled then as she looked to him a long moment.