Kyla

I walk over to Satine and place her hand in mine. Looking at her I give a smile, "Lucas this is my friend Satine. She has been with me for most of the three days I was being held there." I turn his way and study him. He has a solemn look on his face.

"You mean with those despicable monsters?" Lucas spats.

Satine releases my hand, looking behind us, a small part of me believes she's looking for an escape. Here she is once again closing off, being uncomfortable in her surroundings. I'm not entirely sure when it happened but she has become important to me. Just as important as the ones standing here with us.

"Not all of them are monsters." I look at Lucas with fire in my eyes.

He folds his arms over his chest; I mimic his actions doing the same with mine. We stare at one another for a while, no one uttering a word. "I take it they poisoned your mind while you were there." He says after a long pause.

"No, just opened my eyes to a truth, a truth I never wanted to see." I state.

"How can you say something like that? After all They've done!" Lucas yells, unfolding his arms, taking a step in our direction.

Isabella places her hand on his arm, making him pause his movements and making him look at her, his eyebrows raised in question. "Let her say her piece." She tells him.

They look at one another a moment. Standing here I study his body language, and I know my cousin is trying to be intimidating. With his body built the way it is, he doesn't normally find that difficult to do. However, Isabella isn't one to take anyone's shit. It doesn't faze her in the least.

She proves that by tilting her hips, placing her hand on her side, and raising her brows up at him. "Save your intimidation tactics on someone who gives a crap. Now quit being stubborn and listen to what your cousin," She pauses a moment to raise a hand to his face. "The cousin you love like a sister might I add." She smiles at him, "Listen to what she has to say."

She looks into his eyes for a moment, when she sees his body relax, her eyes bypass him entirely. She looks past him, giving me her full attention. He mumbles a word or two to her below his breath and takes the stance with his arms folded looking at me once more. Knowing I have all eyes on me, I must make a speech that will capture their attention.

"The eldest son of the Royal family captured me, but he wasn't at all harmful. He took care of me. Him, his best friend Darius, and Satine." I gesture towards the woman standing beside me.

"Not once did they threaten me. I felt no fear, and in fact I got some answers I have been waiting for my entire life. Answers your father refuses to tell me." I give Lucas a pointed look.

His eyebrow raises at me, "Yeah I know dad hasn't told you everything, but you cannot believe a thing they say." He shoots a glare at Satine.

"I not only believe every word I was told by them, but I also trust them. Wholeheartedly." I raise my chin in challenge.

"You have gone mad. They have brainwashed you in the three days you've been under their captivity. What did they do to you?" Lucas is no longer calm; he's pacing from left to right.

"I'm not brainwashed Lucas. They showed me things, things we have never seen before. They allowed me to clean up and even fed me." I smirk at the thought of how Diedrek showed me how to operate the shower, and pretty much made me eat. He wouldn't leave my side until I had a full plate of food in my belly.

"They gave me fresh clothing, and a good place to sleep." I tell him honestly.

"So that makes them trustworthy?" He yells.

"No, that isn't what makes me trust them." I take a step toward him. My hand held at my heart.

"Then what?" He is storming my way.

I can feel Satine tense up next to me. Knowing everything she's been through this must be hard for her to handle. I place my hand on her arm and can feel her shaking. She's shaking so hard I'm afraid her bones will break. I drag her behind me, showing her that, I will protect her at all costs.

Although she has nothing to worry about. My cousin would never hurt her. Not unless she threatened us first, and I know that won't happen. Overall, she's safe, but I know she doesn't know that.

She may be a powerful vampire with witch's blood running through her veins, but I know she's traumatized. Going through what she's been through will make anyone afraid of a pissed off man heading their way. Luckily, for her I know how to oversee my cousin.

Once he is in front of me his arms waving wildly, he continues, "Tell me what makes them so special that they have your trust after three days with them. After all their kind has done over the years. To our people." He is gesturing wildly.

"Some of those people we love more than life itself." He pauses, only looking at me with a fierce expression across his face. He's breathing hard as he finishes with, "Such as our mothers, you remember them, right? Or how about their father?" He points to Lilly and Isabella.

"You remember him right. The one who helped keep us all in check while growing up. Those monsters destroyed them. Remember that?" He practically yells in my face.

"So, tell me, please what makes those three monsters in particular earn your trust." He looks at me. Our faces are so close I can see the tears welling in his eyes.

I don't answer him right away, I just stand there looking at this young man who has always been more like a brother to me. I see it. For once in so many years I can see the scared little boy. The one who lost his mother, and his father in one night.

"Are you going to explain it to me? Tell me something that will help me understand?" His arms are spread out wide. "Or are you just going to stare at me for the rest of the night?" He asks.

I know I need to have patience in this moment. He doesn't mean to be an asshole to me right now. Hell, I've seen this side of him once or twice but never at me. Then again, I've never stood up for a vampire before either.

Instead of speaking, I reach out for him. I wrap my arms around his middle and place my head on his chest over his heart. We stand like that for a moment. Him having his arms out, open wide in the air, and me holding him to me. Listening to the beat of his heart. The sound helping me calm down.

After a minute of us standing there awkwardly, he finally gives in to the moment. He wraps his arms around me and holds me in return. We stay like that for a while. How long I'm not sure, but it feels so good being back in his arms, I don't want this moment to end. I don't want to release him or lose his warmth.

Somehow, during all this we both began crying silently into the night. I can hear him sniffling above my head. Placing my face into his shirt I breathe in his masculine scent as tears trail down my face.

Honestly, I'm afraid. Everything that has yet to come. It scares me to think about. What I am, who I am. I still don't know who my father is and can only imagine what I'll feel when I find out.

They still don't know who I am. Lucas, Isabella, and Lilly have always known I was different. Seen the things I can do. They were there when I jumped down from the top of the tree without any pain or repercussion in my actions to catch Lucas.

They were there when I would lose control and run as fast as an animal in the woods. Often when we were extremely hungry, I would run faster than the deer itself to hunt it down. Just so we could have food. They see the strength I possess. With all that and more, some things I'm sure I don't even know I can do yet.

However, I don't think they would expect this. For me to be half vampire. To be half of the monsters they, and myself not too long ago, despised with our entire beings.

How am I going to break this to them? What will they say? What will they think? Most importantly, will Lucas still love me?

I remove my face from his shirt and look up at him. I give him a sad smile; he gives me one in return. "I take it you are going to explain it all to us now?" He asks.

"You guessed correctly." I say as I move away from him.

I look at Satine, then to Lucas. Looking behind him I see Isabella and Lilly listening intently. Deciding now is the time to do this, I walk the few steps to Satine and grab her hand. I walk her over to my cousin Lucas.

Once we are standing in front of him, I say, "Lucas this is Satine my friend." I pause a moment to look Satine in the eyes. She smiles, I called her my friend, it made her happy. I give her a smile in return.

"Satine this is Lucas, my cousin." To my surprise and amazement, he doesn't snub her. He gives her a nod and a smirk.

She gives him a tentative smile in return. Isabella and Lilly make their way up to us. They introduce themselves to Satine, and Isabella even sticks her hand out to her. Satine eyes it suspiciously but decides to shake it. That warms my heart and gives me hope. Hope that they won't abandon me once I tell them the truth.

"Maybe we should all sit for this." I suggest.

Satine finds her way back to the tree she was sitting next to, and the rest of us sit in front of her. My entire body is shaking, and I keep rubbing my hands together. Trying to get my bearings to tell them everything I know.

"Just tell me Kyla." Lucas says and I drag my eyes to his. He's looking at me with such warmth in his eyes.

He reaches out and places his hand on mine, "Nothing you say or do will ever change the fact that I love you. It won't change who you are to me or what you mean to me in anyway. You have my word."

Those last three words tell me he means what he says. Without another thought I blurt it out, "I'm half vampire."

Instinctively, I close my eyes for a moment. Not being able to look at him a minute longer. When I still feel his hand in mine, I go on before I lose my nerve. "Whoever my father is, he's a vampire. He impregnated my mother, that's why I am so different from the rest of you."

Everyone is quiet for a moment. Opening one eye, to make sure they are all still there, I see Isabella and Lilly's mouths have fallen open in surprise. Once I open both eyes, I look down at the ground, I cannot look at the disappointment and disgust in Lucas' eyes I'm sure to see there.

"Kyla look at me." I cannot bring myself to lift my head. He pinches my chin and brings my eyes to his.

"I love you Kyla and this changes nothing." He holds my stare a moment. Honesty, truth, and love all looking back at me through his eyes.

"We will figure this all out together." He says firmly. His eyes hold so much determination and love in them it makes a weight lift from my shoulders. I smile at him and feel light as air for the first time in three days.

"So, you found out?" We all jump at the voice that comes from behind us. I know that voice, I think as we all turn to look behind us. There, in the distance, near the trees stands my uncle and two other cousins. Their arms are folded over their chests, and they all look at me. Sadness clouding their eyes.

"You knew?" I can barely get the words out. I'm so floored with this new information.

Book 2 Insatiable Appetite coming soon!