The fact that he could be happy talking about that memory made me like him even more. “Did you have plans in case you were attacked when she was little?”
Aric sobered and took another sip. “We had plans. The thing is, there were attacks when Sami was a baby. Zoe had to leave to engage in fights days after she gave birth.” Aric moved his hand to his wife’s neck and rubbed. “She was supposed to be recovering. We were supposed to be bonding as a family. She was so sore, and tired. And she went days without showering so she smelled really bad,” he continued, earning a dark look from Zoe. “The second that security system sounded, though, she was on her feet.”
“We sent a series of messages,” Zoe explained. “I burned through enemies left and right that first month, always leaving one survivor, if possible, to spread my message of tyrannical fear. It worked. Whispers of Zoe the terrible mage ripped through the paranormal community.”
“After that first month, there was still the occasional attack, but people wisely took a step back,” Aric took over the tale. “They were afraid of Zoe’s wrath and, quite frankly, the longer Sami went without manifesting, the more people started to believe she was a dud.”
“She didn’t manifest at all as a child?” That made no sense to me. I couldn’t ever remember not having magic at my fingertips.
“Oh, there were a few instances.” Zoe smiled. “When she was four, I took a toy away from her because she was misbehaving and she set the couch on fire.”
Aric smirked. “That’s when we realized she’d inherited her temper from both of us.”
“She was also manipulative, especially with Aric,” Zoe explained. “She would wheedle him, bat her eyelashes, and try to pit us against one another. She was smart, to the point of worrying us, and there was a stretch where we were constantly fighting and couldn’t understand why.”
“She was pushing us,” Aric explained. “I was more susceptible than Zoe. She had to teach me how to shutter when we figured out what was happening.”
“So she had magic but didn’t use it very often?” I asked.
“She had limited magic,” Zoe replied. “We realize now what a blessing that was. It’s as if some higher power was watching over us. If she had her full magic at three, I’m not sure we would’ve survived. Between the attacks from outside forces trying to take her and that attitude ...” Zoe shook her head.
I nodded. “So she was twelve when she fully manifested.”
“Yeah. She shifted and realized her true potential as a mage within weeks. It was a lot for her to deal with, especially because we weren’t certain she would ever shift. Her wolf abilities have always been a bit ... weak.”
“That’s because she’s more interested in the mage powers,” Aric noted. “She might be a daddy’s girl at heart, but she wants to be her mother.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “You believe that more than anybody else.”
“It’s the truth. She has a fabulous, badass mother who can handle anything. Who wouldn’t want to embrace that?”
Zoe’s cheeks turned a mottled shade of red and she quickly changed the subject. “Um ... what about you?” she asked me. “Why are you so interested in Sami?”
I shrugged. “I told you about my past. I might be able to get answers, and sooner rather than later. The thing is, I’m not sure I’m ready. When I think about you and Aric, all the terrible circumstances you’ve dealt with while struggling to keep your child safe, I feel true fear. And I also feel as if I’m not worthy. You guys are probably the best parents who have ever existed.”
Zoe snorted and Aric shook his head.
“That’s not true,” Aric said. “Sami once pitched an unholy fit in the stuffed animal aisle of a toy store because she wanted them all and I seriously considered leaving her there.”
“You didn’t, though.”
“I might’ve.”
I smirked. “Except you’re joking when you tell that story. Someone really left me. That’s the sort of people I come from.”
He sobered. “Zoe told me your story, and I’m sorry about that. It has to be traumatic for you. I don’t want to tell you your business, but you don’t know what was happening when they made that decision. They obviously kept you,” he said. “It’s not like they abandoned you as a baby. To me, that indicates they wanted you. I love my child. I would do whatever it took to stay with her. If my only choice was letting her go or losing her to death or something else, though, I would like to think I’m a good enough parent to let her go.”
I stared at him for a beat and nodded. “I would like to believe that’s why I was abandoned,” I replied truthfully. “What if it was something else, though? That’s what I can’t shake. I mean, you and Zoe are obviously good parents, devoted to your child. I have no proof that my parents felt the same way about me.”
For the first time since the conversation started, Gunner stirred. “That’s not entirely true. Ezekiel says that your grandfather at least loved you very much.”
“No, Ezekiel says that a grandfather loved a three-year-old very much. No matter how much he insists I was that child, we can’t know for certain.”
“We could. You just don’t want to take that chance.”
“I’m not ready to go there yet. I thought you understood.”
He immediately raised his hands. “I’m sorry. I do understand. I’m just worried. I can see your mind drifting when you think nobody is looking. Don’t let the fear get the better of you.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promised. “For now, I want to hear more stories about Sami being
