Her mother had flown in from Texas several weeks ago. It had been awkward, watching her cool eyes land on the man that she had conceived Jamie with. She had expected to see tears, love, or something, but there had been nothing. Evidently, Jamie hadn’t been made out of love.
It hadn’t bothered her. Jamie was planning on matchmaking for the solemn man that kept his distance. As soon as he had found out they were actually getting married, he’d backed off to the point where he only said two words to her.
Insecurities warred in her as she watched him look around. Talon had said it’d been a present from a friend of theirs, but she had yet to find out who it was. Whoever had given it to them, though, was amazing. It was all she had ever imagined and was big enough to host parties and had the most amazing kitchen.
Which, fortunately, was full of lucky charms.
“Ah. She gets a little uptight about party planning, I guess. She’s trying to make this the wedding of the century,” Jamie said drolly, rolling her eyes. The kitten in her arms purred, rubbing its head against her shoulder.
She handed the ball of fluff to Zyn, and walked to the kitchen. “Let’s go into the kitchen. I can get you something to eat.” Jamie didn’t look behind her to see if he was going to follow her, just went to the kitchen, grabbed two bowls and two spoons, and then a box of lucky charms.
She heard the fridge open behind her, and then a jug of milk appeared in her face. She smiled at him and poured the cereal, stomach already growling. Jamie was just bringing him the bowl of cereal when he blurted out, “You’ve grown to mature. And pretty.”
Her lip kicked up in a smile, and she set it down, handing him the spoon. “You haven’t grown at all... Well, except more hairy. But that’s fixable,” she laughed, trying to play off her nerves.
“Thanks... I think.”
She nodded, taking a bite of the cereal. He set down the kitten, and it ran off through the large house. All of the windows were open, the sun was pouring in and illuminating the lights in his eyes.
They stared at each other till the urge became so great, she couldn’t stop herself. “What did you do with me? After I...died.”
He choked. She reached over and pat his back, watching him with wide eyes. “I gave you to your mother -- Did you have to ask that while I was in the middle of swallowing?” he asked, grimacing and rubbing his neck.
“I’m sorry about that. Can you just tell me...what you were doing that night? What you thought?” She prayed he didn’t ask why. The thoughts that ran through her head were embarrassing, and would only make her seem weak in front of him.
He didn’t ask. Instead, he stared off into the distance with haunted eyes, struggling to talk. “I was... horrified. It was the second time that I was too late to save someone I loved, so it was all a bunch of deja vu for me. It was worse, though, because you were my daughter. I was growing to love you even more than I had loved...
“I saw that fryst when I was on my way to find you.” He turned solemn eyes to hers. “I never thought you would actually leave the house at night, but I should have told you sooner why you shouldn’t. I should have introduced you to your world... As an heir, you’re meant to know everything there is about it. If anything happened to me, you would take immediate place as queen.”
She tensed, inhaling. “Go on.”
“I hadn’t thought he had actually done anything, but when I found you... it was too late. Your body was already splitting apart and your powers, which had been latent, were starting to burst. I wanted to kill myself -- and you, to end the pain that I knew you were... feeling.
“But I couldn’t. So I sat there, watching you die. I couldn’t touch you, I couldn’t do anything at all. It was the second time in my life that I cried. I didn’t cry when I watched my parents burn to death at the stake. I didn’t cry when I saw my brother die. But Jamie...
“I know I never knew you, and I know that I didn’t have any real right to love you like