Snorting because of Snow’s dry tone, I met her eyes with a soft laugh escaping my lips. Nodding with a pleased smile, she indicated the plates full of cookies on the counter, and my mouth watered. Not needing to be told twice, I happily munched on the still-warm cookies while Matty chattered about how much fun he and Snow had making them. I snapped my teeth at Tyger when he tried to take one, and he held up his hands in surrender while laughing. “Sorry,” he chuckled, “I forgot all cookies are yours once you see them. You’re worse than a dragon protecting its hoard.” Damn straight I am. Touch my cookies and lose a hand. “At least you come by it honestly,” he added after a moment before paling. Honestly? As in someone I’m related to? But mom didn’t like cookies, not really. And Matty doesn’t care for them all that much either. So, who? “Nothing, forget I said it,” Tyger pleaded, and I blinked rapidly.
With a sigh, I nodded, albeit I wasn’t happy about it. Still, I had cookies to eat, so I wasn’t terribly upset. Once I ate my fill, Snow tutted and moved Matty and me to the entertainment room. This time, however, I noticed the door near the back left corner. Matty giggled while following my lead, his presence brightening once I turned on the light in the larger room. Instruments lined the walls, and shock filled me while I looked around, albeit peace thrummed through my soul as well. I spotted a balcony off to the right but ignored it in favor of staring at the piano in the center of the room. My fingers twitched with the desire to play, and Matty oozed excitement. I haven’t played for him in a long time. Once he was old enough to remain upright, however, he sat beside me when we visited mom’s friend. She’s the one who taught me to play on the piano in her apartment. We couldn’t go every day but usually visited a few times a week. Mom needed someone to talk to, and well, Matty and I could amuse ourselves once I learned to play.
Sitting on the bench, I raised the cover so I could stroke the keys with a shiver racing through my veins when the piano purred throatily. Matty sat beside me with anticipation practically making him vibrate. Humming a song that was stuck in my head, I played the intro. Everything around me faded, and my mouth dropped open to sing Missing by Evanescence.
“Please, please forgive me
But I won’t be home again
Maybe someday you’ll look up
And, barely conscious, you’ll say to no one:
‘Isn’t something missing?’
You won’t cry for my absence, I know
You forgot me long ago
Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?
Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone
Isn’t someone missing me?
Please, please forgive me
But I won’t be home again
I know what you do to yourself
I breathe deep and cry out
‘Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?’
Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone
Isn’t someone missing me?
And if I bleed, I’ll bleed
Knowing you don’t care
And if I sleep just to dream of you
I’ll wake without you there
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t something
Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?”
Once I finished, I flinched when applause filled the silence. Jerking my head, I discovered several vampires sitting on the banister of the balcony. My cheeks cooled, and I wavered at the piano, albeit Matty lay his hand on my arm with his worry spilling into me through our point of contact.
“You have a beautiful voice, little omega,” one vampire murmured while his dark blue eyes watched me with sorrow.
“And such pain,” the female vampire to his right added sadly. “How you have suffered to sing that song the way you do. I shared your pain it was so poignant.”
“I-I’m s-sorry,” I stammered, “I-I d-didn’t mean t-to disturb you.” I grabbed Matty’s wrist, ready to stand and pull him behind me if need be.
“You didn’t,” another vampire murmured with his hands held in the universal signal for ‘I mean you no harm.’ “Your voice is beautiful and haunting. We came closer to appreciate it better, and to see the one so full of pain. Peace, omega, we mean you and yours no harm. Only to listen if you wish to play another song.” Swallowing nervously, I glanced at Matty, who smiled brightly. He was entirely at ease now, which caused relief to fill my soul. However, when I glanced at the six vampires, unease filled my soul again. What if the predators were only waiting until I turned around to pounce? What if they hurt Matty? These are the thoughts I should have agonized over. Instead, I feared them hating my music choice. I was worried they would mock what I sang or torment me over a wrongly played note.
A soft noise had me glancing left to discover Tyger and Snow standing inside the doorway while Arctic leaned against the wall. Arc smiled encouragingly, and my cheeks heated. Chuckling, he pushed off the wall to stand behind me. Humming a familiar tune, he covered my fingers with his. I shivered while tingles danced across my skin, mimicking our fingers on the keys. Matty watched us with wide eyes when I glanced at him, although
