“Yes,” he said.
When he didn’t elaborate any further, theysat in silence as the seconds turned into minutes.
Then he spoke again. “What happened to yourmother?”
“My father didn’t tell you?”
Cole’s hands relaxed on the chair, and whenhe looked at her again, some of his tension ebbed. “No, he neverspoke of her.”
“He didn’t tell me much about her either,”she admitted. “I know she was human and she died while giving birthto me. He told me he loved her, but I don’t think humans are meantto birth immortal creatures.”
“No, they’re not.”
“Her name was Sharon, and he said she wasbeautiful.”
Instinctively, her fingers went to her face,and she touched her cheek. Her father once told her she lookedexactly like her mother. There were times when she looked in themirror and tried to picture the woman who helped create her, buttrying to imagine her face on a dead woman was unnerving.
“Like mother, like daughter,” Colemurmured.
Lexi’s eyes widened as he stared at her. Hefound her beautiful?
She wasn’t an idiot, and she owned a mirror,so she knew she wasn’t ugly, but to hear him say this sent a warmthrill of excitement through her.
“What about your mother?” she asked.
“She was killed when I was seven.”
Lexi’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, I’msorry.”
He shrugged, but something in his eyes toldher it wasn’t such a casual thing. “It was centuries ago.”
“It still must have been hard. I miss mymother, and I never knew her. I can’t imagine knowing her andlosing her at such a young age.”
“At least I have memories of her. She was agood woman, kind and gentle. She loved my father and me verymuch.”
“What about your father?” she asked.
“What about him?”
“Did he love her?”
“With all his heart. He still does.”
The look on her face must have expressed hershock as he chuckled and draped his arm over the chair back.
“Despite what many think, the dark fae arevery capable of love. In fact, since they so rarely give their loveto anyone beyond their family, they often love deeper than mostimmortal creatures. My father never recovered from her death. Hefathered other children, but she is the only one he loved and theonly one he claimed as his wife.”
Somehow, she managed to keep herself fromgawking at him like an idiot. Immortals rarely married, and whenthey did, it was forever. The bond was severed only by death orextreme circumstances.
“I didn’t know he had married,” shemurmured.
“There’s no reason you should. They marriedhundreds of years ago, and while the dark fae like to think all therealms revolve around them, I realize not everyone feels the sameway. I wouldn’t expect you to know our history, though many of mykind would.”
She chuckled as she rested her chin on herhand. He fascinated her; she could talk to him for hours, if notdays.
However, when the clock chimed out the nexthour, he rose from the chair. “I have to check on Brokk.”
She watched as he strode from the room beforepicking up her book again. There were so many things she should dotoday, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t bring herself to leave asshe hoped for his return.
