Mia's POVThere was a white noise running in my mind. A sensation I had been wholly familiar with my entire childhood rushed through my body. It was the sensation where one was faced with an undeniable fear. Serin shifted beside me, and I wondered for a brief moment if he could smell the fear on me.I had stopped breathing, that I was sure of. Only when he shook me and tried to gain my attention did I take in oxygen again. But I didn't turn to him. My attention never once left the face of the man who had walked into the room just now.That man was Bristol Cainan—my father. There was a part of me, that pessimistic, wretched part of me that wasn't surprised. Ever since I had run away from him and my childhood home, there was always that nagging feeling of him finding me again. In some ways, I wasn't surprised at the situation that this had turned into now. The laughter I had held on my lips, the airiness and lightness as I danced with Sol, it was all lost now. I watched

Mia's POVSol and I moved from the main area where everyone had gathered. I felt his hand on my lower back as I was maneuvered into an elevator and down a hall. We had left Robert, Serin, and Bristol Cainan alone downstairs to sort things out amongst themselves. A small part of me worried for Robert alone with my father because I didn't know what he may do if he felt threatened, but I was glad Serin was with him at the very least. "Are you okay?" I heard Sol call out to me. I didn't realize I had stopped to think about this fact until he called out to me.I looked up to him, eyes tired and droopy, and nodded my head slowly. I saw the look in his eyes as he stared at me. There was something there… It wasn't pitying or a look of distress but rather concern. Concern? Sol was worried about me, I could tell. That thought only brought only immense comfort. "I don't think so," I whispered to him honestly. "I think I'm going to faint." "Come here," Sol beckoned to me with his a

Mia's POV"Ignorance?" Francis scoffed at me. "The only one who is ignorant, and maybe even a little naive here, is you." I raised my brow at him in question, and he continued to speak."You have this… This weird perception of those purebloods. Maybe it's because you're half vampire yourself, or maybe it's because you're so wrapped up in whatever lies Sol Montgomery is feeding to you–"I interjected, "You're wrong.""Oh, am I?" Francis asked. "Then tell me why it was that I have it on record you were the one who chose to run away from your pureblood father? Was his kind words and understanding nature what brought you to make that decision?"I was shocked that Francis knew so much of my personal life. Then again, the VHO had spies and watchers everywhere. The daughter of a well-known vampire who was one of the oldest in the city going missing or running away would be sure to spark some level of interest."You have no idea what you're talking about," I seethed at him."No?"

Mia's POV"Mia," Sol grunted as he gripped the wrist of the hand splayed on his lower stomach. "You need to stop."I tilted my head at him and looked at him through the haziness that began to blur my vision. "Why? Don't you like it?" To prove my point, I raked my fingernails further up his chest along the hard lines of his abs and over his pecs.I pulled him closer to me abruptly, so much so that he had to bring his hand up fast to catch himself on the headrest behind my head to avoid crushing me. A grunt left his throat, and I heard a tear behind me. He must have ripped through the leather seat. A snicker left my lips as I turned to look at the damage he had done to Robert's car and then back to him. "Or maybe you like it too much," I suggested as I pushed my nose into his neck. I could smell the pheromones his body was emitting and the rush of blood that began to emit from his skin. He smelt delectable, and I knew he thought the same about me from the reaction he was givi

Sol's POVAfter giving her the photo albums, Robert led both Mia and me down to the living room and invited us to sit on the couch. He had lit a fire to keep us warm and came to sit beside me. Mia was on my right on a double seat with Robert on her right while I rested against the arm of the single couch."This was your mother on her third Christmas." Robert and I watched as Mia laughed at the gapped tooth smile of her mother when she was opening up a present, which looked like a rocking horse. "She had been wanting a horse ever since her friend had moved to a farm."Robert continued, "Obviously, we couldn't get her a real horse, because well, you know she was only three, but it seemed she enjoyed this one well enough.""What is this?" Mia asked as she pointed to another picture. Robert let out a full laugh."It's her sixth birthday and, unfortunately, also the day we discovered she had a peanut allergy." The two laughed together. I continued to stare at the picture of her