parents raise you if they were vampires
and you could go out in the sun?" She turned her face into his and kissed
the side of his mouth.
He kissed her back.
"We had human caretakers. The humans raised us during
the day. Our parents raised us at night."
"Us?"
"The children of the clan."
"Oh. Do you have brothers and sisters?"
He shook his head. "Only child."
"So humans cared for you?"
"Only during the day." He settled in closer
against her, his hand skimming up the side of her body.
"Are your parents still alive?" She dreaded the
answer to the question.
"No." He laid his cheek on her shoulder.
"What happened?"
"The war. Drecks killed them."
"I'm sorry." Sam kissed his forehead as he looked
up at her.
"It's okay. I grieved for them a long time ago. I've
accepted what happened."
"Still, it must be hard. Do you have any family
left?"
"I'm not sure. My father had a brother, my Uncle Rory,
but I haven't seen him in centuries. We lost touch after…well, after everything
happened."
She could only assume he was referring to the death of his
first mate, Katarina. From what little he had told her, Sam knew that Micah's
life had fallen into despair after Katarina's death, and he hadn't fully
recovered until…well, until she had come along.
What a life Micah had lived. She couldn't imagine what it
must have been like for him growing up. Hell, what did kids do for fun in the
Middle Ages? She didn't even know.
"What kind of games did you play as a child?"
Micah laughed, and she felt the low rumble through her rib
cage, right into her heart.
"You'd be amazed at how active we were, Sam." He
propped his chin on her chest and the whiskers from the goatee he was growing
tickled her skin. "We played all kinds of games and got into all kinds of
trouble."
"Really now?"
He nodded, making her giggle as his soft whiskers teased
her.
"I got very good at Chess, and while I prefer knives
and guns today, my archery skills were the best of anyone in my clan. At the
age of twelve, I was doing most of the hunting." He gave her a look that
indicated she should be impressed.
She was.
With a quirky smile, he continued. "We played
hide-and-seek, dice games, card games…we wrestled and had foot races. And we
learned how to fight and protect ourselves."
"When did you get to the point where you couldn't go
out into the sun, anymore?"
Micah settled in beside her again and pulled her back so he
was spooning her, both of them on their sides and facing the heavy drapes over
the windows.
"I started becoming sensitive to the sun in my early
twenties. By the time I was in my late twenties, when I went through the change
to an adult, I couldn't endure it, anymore."
"Do you miss it?"
"I did at first. But now…" he paused. "I'm
used to it."
"I'm not sure I could ever get used to being without
the sun." She played her fingertips up and down Micah's forearm. "I
enjoy it too much."
"I don't want you to ever be without something you
enjoy." Micah's breath warmed the back of her neck then he kissed it.
"You do take good care of me, don't you?"
"I plan on it, Mrs. Black."
She felt him smile against her skin as if he was waiting for
her reaction.
"Um…we've discussed this," she said.
"Yes, we have, and you know you're mine, so why can't I
call you Mrs. Black?"
"You know why." She shook her head, amused.
Incorrigible. Yes, he was.
He chuckled. "But you love me this way."
"You're pushing your luck." She smacked his arm
playfully.
Micah's laughter made her smile. Damn, but she loved his
laugh. So rich and deep. How sad that he hadn't laughed for so long before she
came along. The world had been robbed of a sound more precious than birds
singing.
"You flatter me, Miss Garrett."
"That's better," she said. "And it's not
flattery. It's true. You really do have a wonderful laugh, but then I'm
repeating myself, aren't I?"
His arms tightened around her. "Yes, but I love it. And
I love laughing for you."
"Why, thank you, Mr. Black."
He
and you could go out in the sun?" She turned her face into his and kissed
the side of his mouth.
He kissed her back.
"We had human caretakers. The humans raised us during
the day. Our parents raised us at night."
"Us?"
"The children of the clan."
"Oh. Do you have brothers and sisters?"
He shook his head. "Only child."
"So humans cared for you?"
"Only during the day." He settled in closer
against her, his hand skimming up the side of her body.
"Are your parents still alive?" She dreaded the
answer to the question.
"No." He laid his cheek on her shoulder.
"What happened?"
"The war. Drecks killed them."
"I'm sorry." Sam kissed his forehead as he looked
up at her.
"It's okay. I grieved for them a long time ago. I've
accepted what happened."
"Still, it must be hard. Do you have any family
left?"
"I'm not sure. My father had a brother, my Uncle Rory,
but I haven't seen him in centuries. We lost touch after…well, after everything
happened."
She could only assume he was referring to the death of his
first mate, Katarina. From what little he had told her, Sam knew that Micah's
life had fallen into despair after Katarina's death, and he hadn't fully
recovered until…well, until she had come along.
What a life Micah had lived. She couldn't imagine what it
must have been like for him growing up. Hell, what did kids do for fun in the
Middle Ages? She didn't even know.
"What kind of games did you play as a child?"
Micah laughed, and she felt the low rumble through her rib
cage, right into her heart.
"You'd be amazed at how active we were, Sam." He
propped his chin on her chest and the whiskers from the goatee he was growing
tickled her skin. "We played all kinds of games and got into all kinds of
trouble."
"Really now?"
He nodded, making her giggle as his soft whiskers teased
her.
"I got very good at Chess, and while I prefer knives
and guns today, my archery skills were the best of anyone in my clan. At the
age of twelve, I was doing most of the hunting." He gave her a look that
indicated she should be impressed.
She was.
With a quirky smile, he continued. "We played
hide-and-seek, dice games, card games…we wrestled and had foot races. And we
learned how to fight and protect ourselves."
"When did you get to the point where you couldn't go
out into the sun, anymore?"
Micah settled in beside her again and pulled her back so he
was spooning her, both of them on their sides and facing the heavy drapes over
the windows.
"I started becoming sensitive to the sun in my early
twenties. By the time I was in my late twenties, when I went through the change
to an adult, I couldn't endure it, anymore."
"Do you miss it?"
"I did at first. But now…" he paused. "I'm
used to it."
"I'm not sure I could ever get used to being without
the sun." She played her fingertips up and down Micah's forearm. "I
enjoy it too much."
"I don't want you to ever be without something you
enjoy." Micah's breath warmed the back of her neck then he kissed it.
"You do take good care of me, don't you?"
"I plan on it, Mrs. Black."
She felt him smile against her skin as if he was waiting for
her reaction.
"Um…we've discussed this," she said.
"Yes, we have, and you know you're mine, so why can't I
call you Mrs. Black?"
"You know why." She shook her head, amused.
Incorrigible. Yes, he was.
He chuckled. "But you love me this way."
"You're pushing your luck." She smacked his arm
playfully.
Micah's laughter made her smile. Damn, but she loved his
laugh. So rich and deep. How sad that he hadn't laughed for so long before she
came along. The world had been robbed of a sound more precious than birds
singing.
"You flatter me, Miss Garrett."
"That's better," she said. "And it's not
flattery. It's true. You really do have a wonderful laugh, but then I'm
repeating myself, aren't I?"
His arms tightened around her. "Yes, but I love it. And
I love laughing for you."
"Why, thank you, Mr. Black."
He
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