CHAPTER 10
A small crease formed between her eyes. “No, myfather was a vampire.”
“I’m aware. I knew your father.”
The confusion left her face as a sparkbloomed in her exquisite green eyes. “You did?”
“Yes. He was an amazing strategist.”
“I didn’t know that,” she murmured andglanced at the door again. “He didn’t talk about the war much.”
Of course, he wouldn’t talk about the warwith her. He recalled Del saying she was young, but even if she wasa couple of centuries old, an air of innocence surrounded her, andDel would seek to protect that.
“I spent a lot of time with him,” Cole said.“We fought together often, and I considered him a friend.”
“Were you….” She paused to swallow as tearsbriefly glistened in her eyes. “Were you there when he died?”
“Yes.”
Her shoulders slumped a little before theywent back again and she looked to the doorway. He sensed her urgeto bolt as she folded her hands before her and shifted from foot tofoot, but she didn’t try to leave.
“Was it…? Did he… did he suffer?” shewhispered.
Cole recalled watching Del go down beneaththe crush of bodies. He didn’t know if the man suffered or not, asthat was the last time he saw him. By the time they were able tohunt for the bodies of their fallen, the sun was already up and Delwas nothing more than ash, but he couldn’t tell her that.
“No,” he said.
A single tear slid free before she wiped itaway. Tears had never moved him before, and heneverfeltsympathy for anyone outside his family, but he found himselfwanting to comfort her.
Over the years, he’d probably caused hundredsof tears to fall in his lifetime, and not once had they swayed himto compassion. But he hated the sight ofhertears.
“Good,” she said. “I should go.”
At the same time, he asked, “Was your mothera lycan?”
She frowned at him. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I never met my mother, but she washuman.”
“I see,” he murmured as he glanced at theflowers still tilted toward her. “The luna flowers are from thelycan realm. I’ve only ever seen them respond to lycans, such asmyself.”
He found himself entranced by her as shestudied the flowers again.
“I didn’t know the lycans had flowers.”
“The luna flowers grow in their land. Theyonly bloom when the rays of the moon are shining down on them.”
“Amazing,” she whispered.
“They’re reacting to you like you’re alycan.”
When she laughed, the sound made him blink.He’d never heard a sound so clear and sweet before. It reminded himof the joy he experienced as a child when he’d run through thefields with his arms open and the full moon shining down onhim.
It was a time before the death of his motherand centuries before the war. A time when he was still innocenttoo. It was a time so long ago that he’d forgotten about it… untilnow.
Elexiandra’s eyes twinkled when she looked atthe flowers again, and her laughter trailed away.
