HIDDEN (FIGHT OR FLIGHT)

Chapter 19

DAMON’S P.O.V.

The moment Becky called me "Kyle," I froze. It was like time stopped, and my brain struggled to keep up. Bear and Vincent stood beside her, their eyes locked on me, waiting for some kind of response. But I didn’t know who this Kyle was. The name didn’t stir any memory, didn’t connect to anything in me. So I said the only thing that felt true.

“I don’t know him,” I replied flatly, my voice more distant than I intended.

Becky’s face twisted, shifting from confusion to disbelief. It was as if she thought I was playing some cruel joke. Her voice sharpened as she took a step closer. “Stop playing, Kyle! I’m serious. What are you doing here, and how did you even find me?”

Her words came like rapid-fire, one question after another, not giving me a chance to even breathe, let alone answer. “Is Andrew with you? Or Albert? Matthew? What about your mom?”

With every name she hurled at me, frustration churned in my chest, thick and unsettling. I watched her eyes dart between me and Bear as if she was putting pieces together. And then she moved in front of him, deliberately blocking my view, as though she were trying to shield him from me. The motion was subtle, but it infuriated me. What was she hiding him from? What was she expecting?

Something dark and hot rose inside me, anger simmering beneath my skin. “I don’t know who the hell Kyle is,” I said, my voice low, calm, but with an edge of ice that could cut. “I have never met this person, and I suggest you stop blocking my view of Bear.”

The shock on Becky’s face was instant, like a slap. Her body stiffened, and her wide eyes locked onto mine, trembling with disbelief. "Don't tell me..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, "...you're Damon?"

"Yes," I replied, my tone firm, watching as she stumbled backward like I had physically hit her. Bear's voice broke the tense silence, sounding just as confused as I felt.

“How do you know his name?” Bear’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Becky. “I never mentioned his name when we were talking earlier. I wanted this meeting between you and him to go smoothly, to be memorable. But clearly, it's not going the way I planned.”

Becky looked at Bear like she was staring into the past, seeing something far more frightening than the present moment. Then something seemed to click in her head, and she turned to him, her voice barely audible, like a whispered curse. “Shadow... which one did you say was your mate?”

Fear rippled across her face, a deep, unsettling dread that made the air feel colder. Bear didn’t even get a chance to answer before Vincent, who had been standing quietly by, spoke up. His voice was casual, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

“The strong, scary one over there—Damon—is Bear’s mate,” he said, pointing directly at me. “I’m his best friend.”

Becky’s legs buckled beneath her, and Bear moved quickly, catching her and guiding her to the nearest chair by the kitchen table. She looked ghostly pale, as though the life had been drained from her face. My anger ebbed slightly, replaced by something else, something like worry.

“Are you okay?” I asked, stepping forward cautiously.

Becky slowly lifted her head, her eyes locking onto mine, disbelief and confusion warring in her expression. Her voice trembled, each word laden with emotion. “After all these years of them searching, this is how you choose to appear? To me, of all people? And to make it worse...” Her voice broke for a moment before she continued, “You’re mated to my brother?”

The room fell into an oppressive silence. Every word she said echoed in my head, but none of it made sense. I stared at her, feeling the weight of her statement, but unable to grasp its meaning.