The Awakening ²|Isaac Lahey

8. The Truth

Veronica sat at her floor, in a pair of shorts and one of her dad's shirts, doing her homework while Isaac laid in her bed. He was exhausted and insisted on staying in one of their guest bedrooms, but Veronica said he could sleep in her bed, and then added in as a joke that she didn't mind sharing. She glanced over at him, he truly was sound asleep, both of her puppies were sleeping in the bed with him. She closed her chemistry book and stood up. She walked over to her mirror and her hand traced over her neck stitches. She put another bandage on before dumping two pills into her hand. She tossed them in her mouth and swallowed.

"¡Sobrina! ven aquí para que pueda hablar contigo!" Selena yelled from downstairs.

Veronica looked at Isaac one last time before leaving the room to go downstairs. She walked into the kitchen and seen that Derek and Selena were both sitting at the table, drinking what she assumed to be chamomile tea. She gave Derek an odd look. "It's whiskey." he informed her.

She nodded with a slight smile before she sat down next to him. Melanie and Rosalind walked into the room as well. Rosalind placed a cup of tea infront of Veronica. She then gave Selena a look. "Where's Mattheo?"

"I'm right here." he said walking into the room. He leaned on the chair Veronica was sitting on and put his head on her shoulder. His older sister turned slightly and kissed the top of his head which made him smile.

"Now, as your legal guardian, it is my job to tell you this.. Originally I wanted to wait, but I think now is the right time. But first-" she then looked at Mattheo. "Matty. We have all been keeping a secret from you. When all of you were born you've each had a test run on you. Mattheo, your results were a lot different than we had thought they would be."

"Am I adopted? Or am I not dad's son? I'm confused." he said which made Veronica smile and lean her head against Matty.

"You're Spencer and Michelle's baby don't worry." she said with an amused smile. "All of your sisters had a gene you don't. As did your father. Mattheo, your father was a witch."

Mattheo was silent. He already knew that. "Yeah. Veronica told me like two years ago." he asked in disbelief. Veronica laughed, she couldn't help it. But it was quickly shut down by Selena's stern look.

"Wha- Veronica! Ugh. Look Mattheo. Just because you don't carry the gene doesn't mean you can't learn how to do spells, because you can. It just won't came as naturally to you. But that was when you're a baby, it might've changed. Well that's a lie. You did carry the gene, but it was dormant. Your parents both expected it'll activate on your 16th birthday." Selena said. "But there's another secret, you have to know. One that was kept from both you and Veronica."

Veronica sat up straighter. She wasn't aware that her aunt kept secrets from her that wasn't related to her job. Selena looked at Derek he gave her a nod. "It's time Mija." Rosalind said.

"You're mother... Was a Hale." Veronica's eyes widened. "More specifically, she was Peter and Talia Hale's older sister and she's Derek's aunt." Veronica sat there in silence. Peter Hale, the man who almost killed her, was her uncle. "She died in the fire like most of the Hale's did... And Veronica witnessed it but your father thought it was best to rearrange your memories. Like the memory of the fire it was-" She was cut off by her niece who looked like mix of emotions.

"Derek. I already got that part." Veronica said hoarsely.

"What do you mean?" Selena asked.

"The night we went to the school and called the alpha.. When we thought it killed Derek.. I had this memory of the fire and Derek was the one holding me back.."

"Your father did it." Rosalind said. "He wanted to erase everything you knew of the Hales."

She looked at man who had been sitting in silence. He glanced away from Selena and looked at Veronica. "I knew you were familiar to me. But I could never place it." how could she have not realized? It was so obvious. Peter said that her mother died in that fire. It made sense on why she was there.