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walking. Hearing her voice echo through the empty streets hadn’t helped like she thought it would. At least the second set of footsteps didn’t start again. But she had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that something wasn’t right and bumps started to rise along her arms. She ignored it, blaming it on the cold. After what happened with Luke last fall she was a bit paranoid, that was probably all that was wrong.
    The steps started up again. They were in perfect time to hers, but they were heavier and the heel-to-toe rhythm was different. This person most likely had bigger feet, by the sound of their footfalls, and since they were heavier, it meant it was probably a guy. Her power tried to reach out to discover who was behind her but she stopped it. Sometimes not knowing was better.
    Trying hard to maintain the same pace so the person wouldn’t know she was afraid, she began humming to herself as she walked. All the while she wondered who would follow her and more importantly, why? Luke was in Romania, she was certain of that. If he wasn’t, his grandfather would have contacted her grandfather to warn them. So if not Luke, who? Who else would care to interfere in her life?
    She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t realize the steps had stopped until after she crossed the street into Mayan territory. For another half a block she forced herself to keep a slow, unconcerned pace. When she rounded a corner and stepped in between two buildings, she started to run. A few heartbeats later, she was stepping into the safety of her grandfather’s store. She closed the door behind her and threw the deadbolt.
     

 
    “ A Society that dances together stays together,
    For during the dancing a bond is formed.”
    ~from Life In A Society .
     
    Chapter 2
     
     
    The slight smell of scorching sugar cued Eren to rotate the stick that held her marshmallow over the fire. Just as she pulled the marshmallow away from the orange flames, Aiden handed her a pair of graham crackers.
    “ Here you go,” her cousin Fane said as he leaned across the fire and handed her a few squares of chocolate.
    “ Thanks,” she said.
    Putting the mess all together, she savored the mingling scents before taking a bite. Perfection. She wasn’t just thinking of the s’mores either. Tonight was New Year’s Eve and she couldn’t imagine a better way to spend it than on the rooftop gardens of her grandfather’s store with her family and Aiden.
    Fane and Aiden laughed and teased each other as they competed over roasting the perfect marshmallows. Aiden mussed up Fane’s hair and Fane complained as he tried to calm the jet black curls back down. Being half-Mayan and half-Romanian, he didn’t really look like Eren’s cousin, but she didn’t care about looks.
    When she laughed at their antics Aiden turned toward Eren and wiped a bit of marshmallow from the corner of her mouth. Winking at her, he stuck his finger in his mouth and licked it clean.
    “ Ew!” Fane laughed.
    “ Another year and you won’t think so, Bro!” Aiden teased.
    Upon hearing Aiden call him bro, Eren stiffened. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Fane and Aiden to feel close, she did. But after her parents died she found that the closer she got to someone, the more afraid she became of losing them. There were times, late at night, when doubt set in and she thought it might be safer for her heart if she kept everyone at a distance. But it was too late; she was already completely in love with Aiden.
    Aiden wrapped the blanket they were huddled under tighter around her. Even out on the rooftop as they were in the open air with the snow drifting lazily down, she wasn’t cold. His warm body next to hers, along with the blanket, was more than adequate. Eren had no doubt he knew what really made her stiffen up. Having lost his own parents, he was no stranger to heartache. When he leaned over and kissed her cheek she forgot about all that stuff.
    “ Ah come on guys,