I was trying to open up to her. The Hymeneal battled with my instinctual need for privacy. "It's not something I'm comfortable doing. My brother complains about that, too."

"Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything you want."

She moved out from under me then lay on her side facing me. "I think that's why he doesn't trust me. He reacts as if I'm taking you away from him."

"I've known Alec for a year. "

"Did he grow up alone?"

"He did."

"Family may mean a lot to him."

"d.a.m.n, you're good."

"You look more Greek."

"Is your father still alive?"

"More or less. He's in a coma." It was easier than telling her Alec took our father's mind from him and now he's a vegetable.

She looked away for a moment contemplating my answer it seemed.

"You hate your father?"

She's perceptive.

She smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm empathic as well."

"You're full of surprises, Illy. My father hated all of his children. He gave me up when I was four-sold me to the devil of Santorini."

"You're leaving something out. You don't want tell me."

"Gauge is werewolf."

"What? Werewolf?"

"The night is filled with us freaks."

"I drove in a car with a werewolf?"

"You did."

"Go ahead."

"Radu found us, killed my stepfather in front of us all then he dragged me out by my ear to Santorini. There I was sold to the Vrykolakas Clan where I was a slave for some centuries."

"Here I thought slavery was over."

"How did you gain your freedom?"

"That's a topic for another day."

She rushed not wanting me to derail her. I had a way of shutting her down. "Did he give you those scars?"

I shook my head in disbelief. I had to keep my mouth shut. "Not up for discussion."

I couldn't believe I wanted to tell her. I'd never shared my story with anyone, not even Alec. Alec knew better than any one what kind of vampire Radu was, but I never wanted to tell him about Ma.n.u.s. It was too ugly to utter aloud. I wanted to reach out to Ilida and tell her. What was wrong with me? "He...also gave me scars you can't see."

That much I knew about myself. Self-a.n.a.lyzing was never my style, but I knew I was messed up in some way. While others walked around happy and fulfilled with someone they loved, I couldn't get to happily ever after.

"Kids deserve to be happy."

I didn't think I could be more surprised by her sympathy. "You think all children should live an undisturbed life?"

Her cool hands touched my cheek breaking my thoughts. "Who wouldn't want that?"

Part of me wanted to run from her touch. The other part wanted to burrow inside her where it was safe. He placed his hand on her waist on top of the blankets. "You're making me talk too much and you're freezing."

"Your story was helping me forget the cold."

"Come here," I said as I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her. I could have wrapped my arms around her twice. She was pet.i.te. I frowned at her hat. It blocked my path to playing with her hair.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I wish I knew you after that period in my life. I could have used someone to talk to about it."

"I'm here now."

"But not now."

"How about your mother?"

"She died in the volcano blast of nineteen twenty-six. Tell me about you?"

"I'm not as interesting as you."

"You're wrong there, Illy."

She stared at the snow avoiding my questions.

"I can't believe your mother left you."

Her eyes rounded in surprise. "Mothers leave their children often. She wanted to be a singer in Paris. Getting married and having kids wasn't her dream it was my father's."

"I see." She'd been abandoned like me.

"You do see, don't you?" she said.

I stroked the cool side of her face now admiring the softness of her skin. "Do you have grandparents?"

"I only know one set and that's my father's parents. My mother's parents gave her up."

"Why?"

"Let's see... the story is that my grandfather didn't want to have a biracial child. He's white. My grandmother went along with him on the decision to give my mother up for adoption," she said bitterly.

Like the Vrykolakas gave up their daughters as if they were disposable trash. "Where is your father's family from?"

"Jamaica and Haiti. My mother's side is from the Sea Islands bordering the southern states."

"You're still shivering." I reached down under the blankets and felt the soles of her feet. They were freezing even with the socks on.

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not."

She shook her head. "We can't."

"We have to. I won't lose you to this storm."

"You won't. I'll eat soon and then warm up again and you can feed."

"That's not what I meant. Let me help you."

"The more we do it the more-"

"The connection with us deepens. It's happened already."

"And you keep finishing my sentences."

Chapter Thirty

Stay under the covers!" Daedalus barked. She wanted to be useful, so she wasn't going to listen.

"You need my help."

"There you go not listening again."

It was a flaw of hers. She inherited her stubbornness from her father. Possibly her mom also-if only she knew her mother enough to validate that.

"Tell me about Juliana?"

"You met her."

"Yeah, briefly. What was she like?" Her toes warmed up. She breathed feeling her body relax and take in the warmth.

"She was funny, flighty, a trouble maker, but in a good way."

"You miss her."

"I miss her with every breath. His grief was so acute to her that it was a tangible thing. "I loved my daughter, but I failed her. I was a s.h.i.tty father."

"I'm sure she knows you love her."

"I didn't know how to love her when she was alive."

"You tried to protect her."

"I suffocated her. A child has no choice but to rebel after that."

They lay on their stomachs now side by side. Daedalus had pulled the back cushions off the couch so they could have more room to spread out. They still lay close to each other sharing as much body heat as possible.

The lamp she'd used to see by when she st.i.tched Daedalus back together gave the living room a warm glow. A large snowdrift blocked the window.

The sliver of light from the snow made objects near the window appear dark blue.

Daedalus continued to rub her. He concentrated on her back now. She'd gotten used to his touch since staying with him. He varied it from light to firm to light again. The night air had grown icy, but his touch dispelled the coolness... somewhat.

"This isn't working. You're still shaking," he said.

"What should we do besides what we've been doing?"

His voice dropped ten degrees below freezing when he answered her, "You won't like it."

"So far I have, Daedalus."

"In werebat form I could keep you warmer. You might not like how I look, though."

His violet eyes waited for her reaction. He was testing her. She was determined to pa.s.s the test. "Do you have the energy for it?"

"I'll have to bite you again."

"How much will you have to take?"

"Not a lot. Just enough to change and we won't have to have s.e.x. Are you willing?"

Ilida didn't answer him and didn't need to. She knew what was needed to stay alive. It didn't make it easier to digest. The last time he was in werebat form he almost killed her.