Mia closed her eyes for the briefest ofmoments to inhale David’s crisp scent when he walked over to standbeside her. She knew she should step away from him, yet she foundherself unable to resist the warmth he exuded. The last thing she’dplanned was to ever get close to another again, but something abouthim drew her like a fish to a lure. Despite the fact she cursedherself for it, she looked forward to seeing him when they wereapart.
Mia focused on the tree in the yard again.Her warm breath created a fog against the glass. Lifting herfinger, she drew a small heart within the fog. Tears pricked hereyes as she stared at the heart and the beads of water sliding downit.
“When I was a little girl, my mom and Iwould leave each other messages on the bathroom mirror,” shemurmured.
David’s breath became trapped in his chest.She’d spoken very little about her family since he’d met her, buthe sensed an opening in the walls she’d built around herself. Hedidn’t know how to proceed without having her lock down on himagain. For the first time since he was a teen, he felt completelyincompetent around a woman again.
Mia placed a single C in the center of theheart.
“What does the C stand for?” he asked.
“My mom’s name was Cleo.” With a singleswipe, she erased the heart. Unfortunately, she couldn’t as easilyerase the memories of better days long gone by.
“Was? Is your mother dead?”
Mia brushed back a strand of hair fallingannoyingly to tickle the corner of her eye. She found herselfgazing at the tree in the yard again. A single cardinal landed onone of its branches, fluttering its wings before settling. Thevivid red of its color stood out starkly against the snowsurrounding it.
“Yes,” Mia replied as she remained focusedon the cardinal. The striking bird was far more soothing to herthan the tree.
“What of your father?”
For a second, David saw sorrow lance throughher beautiful eyes.
“Dead,” she said flatly.
“Were they both purebreds too?”
“No. They were both turned vampires.”
Her clipped tone made him tempted to backoff, but his hunger for more knowledge about her far exceeded hishunger for blood.
A stab of disappointment twisted Mia’s heartwhen the cardinal flapped its wings and flew away. She missed itsbeautiful hue even while she envied its ability to fly so easilyaway from a place it no longer wished to be. She would flap herwings and fly far from here if she could.
No, I wouldn’t, she realized whenDavid shifted beside her.
She didn’t want to leave him behind; it wasmore that she wanted to leave her memories behind. It had taken hera long time to learn it was impossible to escape the past. She’dspent years running from her memories, but they’d doggedly hauntedher every step of the way.
“What happened to your parents?” heinquired.
“They were killed in a fire when I waseighteen. I got out. They didn’t,” she said.
Mia stepped closer to the window as the visegrip bore down on her chest once more. Breathing became difficultand tears burned her eyes.
“I don’t know what started it, but it movedso fast. I lost everything that night,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine the pain ofthat.”
Few could and she was grateful for that. Noone should have to know what their mother’s dying screams soundedlike, what it felt like to be helpless to save someone they loved,or the hideous guilt of surviving. It was a burden she wouldn’twish on anyone, not even the pricks who had captured and locked heraway.
She still had no idea why she’d survived thefire when her parents had perished. She didn’t think she would everknow the answer, but the question plagued her to this day.
“What of your parents?” she inquired.
“My father passed last year. My mother isstill alive. Before my dad passed, I saw my parents a few times ayear, and I still see my mom. Over the years, I’ve changed theirmemories of the encounters and made myself appear older tothem.”
“I see,” she murmured. From her time here,she knew Vicky and Abby’s older sister, Isabelle, was mated toStefan.
“Where did you go after the fire?” Davidasked.
