Heart to Heart

Amber POV

After freshening up in the bathroom and getting dressed, Damien and I made our way down to the kitchen. The kitchen was empty so I started looking in the fridge and cabinets to see what I could gather to make something good for lunch.

After looking throughout the fridge and in the cabinets, I decided to make us sandwiches, deciding it would take too long to make anything else. After making a quadruple layer ham, pepper turkey, rotisserie chicken and cheese sandwich for the both of us we sat at the island in the kitchen to enjoy with a nice tall glass of fresh lemonade.

We both devoured our sandwiches in only a few minutes. Looking over at him he met my gaze with a questioning look. "Amber, are you ok?" he pried.

"Yeah I'm fine." I answered him, trying to act indeed as if everything was fine. All the while inside my body there was a slew of different emotions, and I really had to clue how to even begin processing what I was told just a few hours ago.

He rubbed his fingers up and down my arm gently. "Princess I know you aren't OK. You can fool anyone else, but you can't pull the wool over my eyes. You were told a heaping amount of information, and I know you can't even begin to know how you feel about it. Lets go take a walk." He said as stood up and placed a gentle kiss on top of my head.

"Sure," I sighed, "I suppose a walk could always help." Lacing my fingers through his we walked hand in hand out the back door of the house and into the garden area. I inhaled of all the wonderful smells that tickled my nose. This place certainly was beautiful. It would be peaceful too if all of the circumstances didn't surround us.

"So tell me Princess, what is going on in that pretty little head of yours?" He questioned.

"Oh Damien I don't even know. I have so much anger towards my father. Even now after everything my uncle told us, as much as I wish I could just forgive and forget since it wasn't his fault, I just don't know if I can." I expressed as I tried to keep the tears from streaming down my face.

"Oh baby, everything will be alright. I think maybe you are just hurt by everything still. At least now you know that he never wanted to leave you, and that he tried to take you with him. That should count for something right?" Damien inquired confidently.

I looked down at the ground studying my feet. Does it count for something? I mean I guess it does count, but I didn't know any of that happened and I just found out. "I suppose it does. It still doesn't erase the anger or the pain. The pain is what is getting me. I just –I don't want to be hurt again." I answered him as tears started falling from my eyes.

Damien turned to me cradling my face in his big strong hands, wiping the tears that streamed down my face with his fingers. "Baby girl, please don't cry. Everything is going to be OK, and as long as I am here with you, no one is going to hurt you again." He whispered to me. Wrapping me in a big protective hug, he just stood there holding me for what seemed like forever.

In this moment I felt so loved and protected that I didn't ever want it to end. I wished the world around us could just disappear and Damien and I could just live out our happily ever after with just each other. How easy life would be.

Just then the ringing of Damien's phone broke the silence. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. "It's Jeremy, I should probably get it." He muttered. "I'll just be a second." He promised as he walked away.

I looked around and saw the Gazebo that we sat at this morning when we talked to my uncle. I made my way over to the gazebo and sat down to admire the garden. The sun was shining bright with a light breeze in the air. The chirping of the birds around me was relaxing and soothing. It wasn't long before I heard someone come up behind me and I turned to see whom it was.

My eyes met a set of deep blue eyes that seemed to be filled with pain. "Todd, what are you doing here? I questioned.

"Well I was just taking a walk through the garden. Sometimes it calms my mind when I have too much going on." He stammered nervously. "I know you don't think that I care about what happened to you, but I do care more than you know."

I looked down at the ground. Pondering on what I should do or say I settled on an apology. "Look Todd, I am sorry for the things that I said to you. I'm still not sure how I feel about everything; it is a lot to take in. I just don't understand how you can remember and know so much about me, but I have known absolutely nothing about you this entire time."

Looking back up at Todd, I studied his features. He looked so full of sorrow and sadness. Taking in a deep breath, he mumbled, "Well I don't really know the answer to that Amber. I wish you could remember me. We always got along so well; hell we were inseparable most of the time before you moved away. When your dad moved back to the castle and you weren't with him, I felt like I lost you forever."

The sudden guilt that washed over me was tremendous. "Todd I am really sorry. I wish I could remember." I grabbed his hands and held them in mine. "I can't say that it will be like old tines, but we could get to know each other again. Hell, maybe the more I get to know you, some memories will come back." I smiled up at him.

He returned my smile sheepishly. Pulling me in for a hug, his smile widened. "I would like that very much Cousin." He laughed. "What do you say I take you and show you around the castle a little bit more?"

Stepping back and looking up at him I quickly refused the offer. "How about I take a rain check on that?" I offered. "Damien had a phone call he had to take, but he should be off of it any minute now. I should wait for him."

"Take a rain check on what?" a deep sexy voice bellowed. We both turned to meet the gaze of non other than my gorgeous mate, staring daggers at Todd.

I took a couple steps towards Damien and wrapped my hands around his waist. Feeling his muscles ease under my touch, I quickly answered him. "Todd just wanted to show me around the castle, but I told him I would take a rain check because I figured you would be done soon."

"Well now that Damien is off of the phone, I could always show both of you around now. That is if there isn't anything urgent that needs to be dealt with." Todd offered.

I looked up at Damien, with questioning eyes. "Is everything OK back at the pack house? You were on the phone for quite awhile."

Damien took in a deep sigh. It was obvious that not everything was all right at the pack house, but I don't think he wanted to admit it. "Well everything is alright now. Just a few issues Jeremy needed to talk through with me. Everything is settled now so don't you worry your pretty little head about it." He smiled and then kissed the tip of my nose.

Gagging sounds were heard; I looked over and Todd was sticking his finger down his throat in jest. "Oh god, get a room you two. You two are puke-worthy cute."

I giggled at his semantics. One thing was for sure; he was definitely related to me as we shared the same sense of humor. Damien didn't share our humor judging by the daggers he was staring in Todd's direction.

"Well this puke-worthy couple would certainly love a tour of the castle, but what do you say we meet up in a couple hours for that tour? I believe Amber and I have something important to take care of." Damien commanded.

Todd shook his head accepting that response. Making his way out of the gazebo we heard his last words to us. "I'll take you on a tour after dinner, in the meantime, you two GET A ROOM!" he laughed heartily as he continued to walk away.