Royal shuffle: Vampire's mate
Chapter Forty-nine

ANDREA

Days ran into weeks and weeks into months, and yet no sign of my son...or William. Search parties had been sent out, and Al had returned with the same story. No will, no William.

I stared deftly at the picture frames in my hands. On my left was a picture of Will when he was just just a baby, and in the other hand a picture of him playing in the sand with Adela. I smiled at both pictures, and tears rolled down my eyes for the umpteenth time.

No one had reached out to us with demands. Not a word had been said. Stacy had come out of her dilemma and gone back to studying magic to figure it out. I heard a knock on my bedroom door, and I kept silent on the hopes that whoever it was would go away. But no, I couldn't be so lucky. The door opened slightly and Savannah poked her head into my room and smiled.

"Hi..." she said, slowly progressing into my room.

I sighed and lay back down in my bed and hugged the picture frames to my chest, hoping she'd get the hint and leave. She didn't. She pulled in a trolley behind her laden with food. The aroma hit my nostrils, making my stomach churn. "Go away, Savannah..." I said.

She didn't listen.

"No," she said, spreading open my curtains. "You need to get up. You can't continue to live like this."

I certainly can. I said to myself, closing my eyes against the sudden burst of light that threatened to make me go blind.

"Leave me alone, Savannah."

She pulled the trolley close to the bed, and saw beside me. Her shadow providing temporary relief from the onslaught of light coming from my window. I made a mental note to seal the window up as soon as this was over. "You know I can't do that. You need to get up, you need to eat something. You've been locked up in here for days..."

"Savannah..."

"I brought you some fruits. And I also brought you some Mac and cheese..."

"That was Will's favorite food too. He loved it."

Images of how he would gobble it down whenever it was placed in front of him flashed through my eyes. He loved it more when Savannah made it. I smiled sadly at her and sat up to eat. She placed a large serving in front of me and handed me a spoon; knowing how I hated to use a fork. I shoved a spoonful into my mouth, the normally sweet taste somehow transformed to sand in my mouth. I swallowed painfully and immediately followed it with a cup of water. "I know you can't finish it," Savannah started. "But you need to eat a sizable quantity."

I nodded and dug in, knowing she was right. I was of no use to my son in this pitiful state. I needed to leave this room. I needed to show my people that I was strong enough to get through this. Most importantly, I needed to be three for Adela. She needed me. Savannah stood over me inspecting my spoon as it took trips between my mouth and the plate, wringing her hands together...as though waiting to deliver some sort of news.

"Is something wrong, Savannah?" I asked.

Savannah looked startled and shook her head vehemently.

"No," she said, laughing uneasily. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're acting like has happened...or is happening. I know you, Savannah. What is it?"

It was my turn to watch her closely as I ate, and I didn't miss the bead of sweat that rolled down her forehead. I shoved a large spoonful of food into my mouth, my appetite opening up and my taste buds returning for business. "Finish your food and your fruits and I'll tell you," she said.

The spoon stopped midair and my eyes fixated on Savannah's...my mind running agog with possibilities. Had worse happened? Had Will been found? Had there been any leads in my absence?

"Has something happened?" I asked, anxiety building rapidly in my soul.

A smug smile spread across her lips. "Eat up. Eat everything, and I'll tell you," she replied.

"You're going to tell me anyway," I replied.

"True. But you can't force me. I can decide to tell you next year. And seeing as you still have a long way to go, it's looking like that."

I looked down at my plate that was cleared halfway, and the bowl of fruits chicken that still sat on the trolley.

I nodded. "Fine, Savannah. You win this round."

By the time I was done, words couldn't describe how my body felt. Besides, who knew that a good bath and a brush ran through your hair can be therapeutic for your soul. I had just eaten enough to knock out an elephant but I was driven by pure anxiety to see what it was Savannah wanted to show me. I walked briskly ahead of her to my office where she said a surprise was waiting. I pushed open the door and was surprised indeed. My service chiefs, Stacy...and Leo... I screamed so loud, I could feel my lungs contract in protest. "What the fuck is going on here?!"

Everyone stopped and stood straight. The air in the room became charged with anger. My anger. And all eyes in the room fell on Leo for an explanation. Including mine...

My eyes moved from the faces of each service chiefs and then to Stacy, at least they had the decency and good grace to look embarrassed and chastised. But not Leo, he met my gaze and held it. His eyes were blank, nothing was present within. No pain, no love, no regret. Nothing.

"Are you dead? What is happening here?" I asked, turning to Savannah who was conveniently sneaking out of the room.

"Ummm," she started, opening the door. "It was all his idea."

Leo lowered his head and sighed.

"Everyone excuse us," he said, and just like dogs following a command, they all left.

Stacy included. How dare he?!

"Oh, so now you give commands in my absence?!"

"Andrea..."

"Who the fuck told you that you could do that?!"

Leo sighed, "I just wanted to help, Andrea..."

"Really? Is that really all you wanted to do?! Or did you want to take everything away from my the same way you did the last time?!"

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Leo swore loudly and ran his hand through his hair. He marched over to me and the bags under his eyes told me he hadn't gotten a good sleep in a while.

"I'll say this as many times as it would take you to get it. I'm sorry for what happened with our son. I was stupid, I was careless, I should have done better, I hurt you. I'm sorry..."

"But sorry doesn't cut it, does it?! Sorry wouldn't raise my baby from the grace, would it?"

Leo shook his head. "No. It won't. And that's why I'm here now..."

"Here to do what? To make sure Will isn't found?"

Leo sighed in exasperation. "Andrea..."

"What?!"

"I want to help you replace Will."

"Why?!!"

"Fuck it, because I love you!!!"

Deafening silence followed his proclamation of love. Of all the things I had expected to hear, his confession of love didn't make the list. I stared at him, not sure the emotions to feel. They all danced together like a hurricane inside me, each emotion trying to overcome the others.

Leo sighed, and massaged his temples. "I'm sorry...I probably shouldn't have said that...but I'm trying to make it up to you..."

"But he's not your son. Why would you want to save the son of a man you have always hated?"

"One, he's a child. Two, I love his mother, and I don't think there's a reason stronger than that."

I stared into his eyes, trying to read his soul. I nodded my head in surrender when I couldn't replace anything.

"Fine. What have you found so far?"