Hidden Secrets

Chapter 16: Feelings made True

Johnathan Windcrest's POV

I'm surprised by the human girl. I wouldn't have pegged her as someone to mess with a werewolf, but I guess the moon goddess gave my son a special mate. I can see why my son has decided to keep her instead of rejecting her. Stella is a tiny girl but with a big temper, she doesn't want anyone to think that she is weak. I mean a human that was raised by a werewolf pack. I would have expected her to be shy or scared of us, not this.

I take her in and notice her necklace its a locket but there is a carving on it almost like a family crest. It has a wolf and something else next to it, but before I can get a good look she storms out of the room.

"Damon if this what is happening I will things in your hands but for f***s sake, please, make you know what you are doing or getting into," I continue with his full attention,

"She is important to whatever is happening, so GO!" I pause motioning toward the door for her to go after her, "Oh and Damon if your mate has an outburst like today I won't hesitate to put her in her place," I say and with that Damon rushes out the door.

Whitewater... Whitewater... I know that name but where it's from I have no idea. Something doesn’t feel right, I can’t put my finger on it but if she really is human then the moon goddess really has a weird sense of humor.

I'm deep in thought when I hear a knock on my door and when I look up I see to my surprise my Crystal and Ophelia? Ophelia is one of the top witches. I asked her to try to apply herself on the council but she always thought it was a waste of time.

"Crystal," I walk over, giving her a kiss and giving Ophelia a hug, "Ophelia, What can I do for you?"

"Ophelia had something important to share with us," Crystal says and we both look to her with our full attention

"The time has come, I sense dark magic all around, the time of peace has come to an end," she says her eyes glowing slightly, she is the type of witch that can see the future, not fully but enough to give us a heads up.

"Ummm, How long do we have before anything happens?"I ask

"I would say next fall beginning of winter, I only saw that there was snow but outlined by vibrate colors," She said,

"Anything else that can help us?" Crystal asked,

"Only that, I'm sorry that I can't be more of help," She said with concern

"Ophelia, you have given us a timeline that is more than I was hoping for," I say to her still my mind is adrift back to my son's human mate,

"Dear your face is doing that weird thing again and I think it might stick, what's on your mind?"

"Does the name Whitewater mean anything to you?" I look up at her and her eyes widen tilting her head to the side.

"That name has been long forgotten, Whitewater was once a powerful family, but that history has long been forgotten, Why do you ask?" Ophelia replies with confusion

"You don't…" Crystal started but I only interrupted her,

"It's nothing just one of those names," I said

Damon's POV

Its been a couple of days since everything has happened. I try to keep Stella within arms reach, but every time I try to talk to her she just runs. I don't know what has happened to her but I do know that something has her spooked. I'm in the kitchen drinking coffee getting ready to go out for a run when I see John and his mate,

"Josie, do you keep anything from my brother?" I said still staring into space but I can sense their confusion

"No, I don't want to, I know that secrets only hurt one another, why?" She asked with confusion but a little concern

"Still haven't told her about the comp have you," John asked, pulling me from my empty stare. It’s not exactly what I was thinking but I guess this will help me to get my answers. He is the only brother I trust. We were always the one to be picked on or no one cared much about us, they thought that the title of alpha and beta would go to Sam and Ricky.

"Just be truthful with her man I know that if I wasn't I wouldn't be with Josie," He took a deep breath taking a step forward, "Go find her and just tell her what you need to, it's just easier to get the storm over with," I giggle a little bit as Josie slaps him across the back of the head

"What John is trying to say is that the truth is easier than a lie, a lie just builds until you can't hide it anymore and you end up hurting you and your mate," Josie says, taking a sip of her tea that she made.

I took her advice and decided to find Stella and talk to her whether she wanted to or not. I run around the whole house and I can't seem to find her. I go to our room and I get a faint scent, which I used to follow.

I sniff the air and I find her scent again and it's getting stronger as I get outside a little far into the woods. It makes me worry cause I don't know how long she has been out here, but I find her a meadow covered with tall grass and beautiful flowers surrounding her dancing in the wind. She is so beautiful. What was the moon goddess thinking when she gave me this mate?

"So you are the other?" She's talking to herself? I decided to listen a little bit longer so I hid behind a tree and used my werewolf hearing to listen from afar.

"River please calm down you are giving me a headache," there is that river again

Hey you talk to me like she is talking to herself... do you think there is a chance

No, she is human her scent is clearly human

What if she could hide it?

Impossible… right?

"I don't think you have any say in this, I just can't anymore I'm getting such a headache from this," I can sense her anger and pain rising so I decided to step in. Walking closer I make myself known.

"Hello little star," I greet, walking right to in front of her

"Damon? How long have you been standing there?" shock and panic ringing through her

"Enough to know that you are getting a headache from talking to yourself," I lie

"Yeah, just a lot happening upstairs," she motions toward her head

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really... Why are you here Damon?"

"Why can't I be here?" It's silent for a while and I break it, "I wanted to talk to you, It's about everything that is happening I know you are confused and you have your questions," I said she was about to say something but I just raised my hand to stop her

"I think it's best if I start. First the reason why I needed to find my mate was that the council is becoming uncomfortable with the werewolves being in charge, mainly the vampires, dwarfs and witches. However, the votes were split evenly and so they created a competition for all the heirs of the council members to see who would be the strongest to take the position. But my father never did anything alone, he always had my mother, so the council also added a rule that the mates or lovers of the heirs needed to partake in the competition as well," I'm looking at the ground and I don't want to see her face I can feel her confusion and frustration grow.

"So what, I have to fight in some deathmatch because you want to be head dog?"

"Yes, but I would be with you, you wouldn't be alone in this..."

"I'm always alone, Damon!" she yelled and that caught my attention. I look up at her and her once smiling face was twisted with sadness and hate. Shadow whimpered at the pain he felt, that she felt.

"I don't think you understand Damon, I have seen things that no child should ever see, That the memories are blocked, I have been through so much and for you to ask me to fight for you when I don't even know you... You don't even know me," she says taking a shaky breath

"Your favorite color is silver because of the way it shines in the moon, your favorite animal is a bluebird because you feel lucky when you see one, you like acoustic music because its calming, favorite season is winter because of the white snow and the hot chocolate, I have been listening to this whole time, Little Star. I want to get to know you even more, I want you to WANT to know me," I'm staring her down and she is just staring at me in shock and walk up to her and I see her tears just run down her face

"Can I trust you?" she said in a shaky voice, and I just nod kissing her cheeks right where the tears ran down then lightly kissed her lips

"You can trust me with your life, you don't have to be alone anymore,"

I have been around many women and I don't think I have ever cared for them as I care for Stella. I have been falling so deep for her and so fast I don't know if it's the bond but I would take the world for this woman. She is worth that much to me and so much more.

Stella's POV

I don't believe it, after all, this time I tried to have my walls up and I didn't even notice how far he had slipped through. How long have my walls been down? I feel him kiss away my tears then to calm me down he lightly kisses my lips.

"You can trust me with your life, you don't have to be alone anymore,"

The earliest memory I have is me walking alone with my feet frozen to the ground, dry blood stuck to my face, and I'm just walking alone. Throughout my school years, I never had anyone to fight for me, I had to live by myself.

I stare at Damon for the longest time and I just break. I wrap my arms around his waist and I just cried. We stand out in the flowers in a comfortable silence, just hugging. He was drawing circles on my back until I calmed down. When I feel my breaths become more even I pull away and look at his gray eyes

You need to tell him, Stella

* I agree with the mutt, I think you should tell him

I will tell him about River but not yet

"What do you want to know Damon?" I ask placing my hands on his chest

"Why do you have so many walls, why do you run from everyone that cares for you?"

It's now or never Stella if you are going to tell anyone it has to be him. He is your mate, trust someone for once.